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Tag: Healthy foods

  • Low-Carb Diets: What Are The Best Low-Carb Foods?

    Low-carb diets are all the rage these days, and rightfully so.

    Studies have shown that a low-carb diet is a great way to shed excess weight. Though some dieters opt for a low-fat plan, recent research indicates that a low-carb diet isn’t just better for overall weight loss.

    It may also significantly curb your risk of heart disease.

    These are definitely good reasons to at least give a low-carb lifestyle a try.

    For those new to the concept of cutting carbs, there is probably some confusion as to which food items are best.

    These foods represent some of the best options you can enjoy during a low-carb diet.

    Proteins

    If you thought a low-carb diet meant no more meat ever, you were wrong. You can enjoy meals that consist of meats like chicken, turkey, salmon, tuna, beef, and even pork. Eggs are considered one of the best sources of protein.

    Just remember that the leaner the meat, the better.

    Can you get protein from non-meat sources? Certainly.

    Legumes are a great source of non-meat protein. So are nuts, beans, and chickpeas.

    Dairy

    Dairy foods like cheese, milk, and yogurt are often staples of a low-carb diet. In fact, many cheeses contain less than a one carb.

    Nice huh?

    It’s important to note that even though a low-carb diet is the focus, you still want to be on the lookout for less than healthy food items. Some dairy products should be avoided because they are high in fat and sodium!

    This means butter is a go, but consider buying a salt-free version and manually adding salt.

    Fruits And Vegetables

    Before you go dashing towards the produce aisle, you may want to stop and consider exactly WHICH fruits and veggies you load up on. Because some items aren’t as good for your low-carb diet as you’d like to think.

    The best fruit choices include watermelons, apricots, lemons and various berries. Meanwhile the best low-carb vegetables include cucumbers, celery, mushrooms, radishes and broccoli.

    Some high carb options to cut back on significantly include bananas, apples, pears.

    Please remember that low-carb doesn’t mean NO carbs!

    To meet your daily carb needs, it’s better to get carbs from fruits and vegetables than from unhealthy sources!

  • Best Diet Foods: Are You A Healthy Eater?

    Summer will be here before you know it and if you want to show some skin, you might also want to lose some weight.

    Diets aren’t fun for anyone and most people have a hard time following them because of the types of foods that can and can’t be eaten.

    Don’t let the lack of variety in a diet stop you from losing weight this summer.

    There are numerous foods that are delicious, versatile, healthy and perfect for diets.

    Fruits and vegetables are the most common and best diet foods, but whole grains, and lean proteins are also good options.

    Check out these great diet food suggestions. You can add them to meals, shakes or just enjoy them by themselves.

    Vegetables

    Avocados are healthy, cool and refreshing and make a great addition to salads and sandwiches. You can even swap out your mayo for avocado and get the same great texture with more flavor and less fat. They can also be added to soups and shakes.

    Broccoli is another great vegetable option for diets and is full of fiber. Fiber gives you energy and helps your body function better. It also keeps you full longer. Broccoli can be eaten raw with your favorite low fat dip or added to salads, soups and casseroles. It can be boiled, steamed, grilled and even sautéed, making it one of the most versatile vegetables around.

    Fruits

    Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and cherries are all full of antioxidants which can help make your skin look better and rid your body of toxins. They are also packed with fiber and can keep you full and help with your sweet tooth. Add them to yogurt, salads, low-fat ice cream or even whole wheat pancakes.

    Bananas and apples are both filling fruits that are full of vitamins and minerals. They make great snacks and can help keep you feeling full longer.

    Other fruits such as peaches, pears, kiwis, oranges and melons are also great for diets and will help supply you with the energy you need to get through the day.

    Proteins

    Chicken, pork and fish are all great protein options. You can grill or bake them and use them in almost any type of recipe. Your body needs protein to build muscle and stay strong. Protein is also satisfying and will keep you full between meals. Instead of breading your fish and meat or covering them with unhealthy and fattening sauces, use spices and herbs to give them flavor.

    Eating healthy doesn’t mean giving up flavor or eating less. Healthy foods allow you to eat more and stay full longer. What are your favorite foods that are also great for diets?

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  • Weight Loss Foods To Shed Pounds And Feel Refreshed

    Weight loss seems easy when you think about it. Eat less, exercise more, and the pounds will come off. But eating less is tough, especially when you don’t know what to eat and there are about a thousand diets you can follow, each promising amazingly quick results. So that’s what this article’s about—the eating less part of losing weight. Here are five foods that will not just help you lose weight; they are healthier too.

    Grapefruit: At just 80 calories for a whole medium-sized grapefruit, this citrus fruit does more than just ease the pain of counting calories. It is packed with Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps boost immune systems. Vitamin C also helps metabolize fat faster, according to FoxNews.com, which is helpful for weight loss. But check with your doctor first. Grapefruit can have some adverse effects when interacting with some medication.

    Yogurt: A Harvard School of Health study followed more than 120,000 people for over twenty years and then asked the question—what food is most associated with weight loss? The surprising answer is yogurt. As reported by National Public Radio, researchers theorized that the healthy bacteria in yogurt may influence a person’s weight.

    Beans: Credit WebMD for this one. As the website states: “Inexpensive, filling, and versatile, beans are a great source of protein. Beans are also high in fiber and slow to digest. That means you feel full longer, which may stop you from eating more.” Of beans to choose from, lentils are a good option. They are incredibly low in fat, high in fiber and protein, and with the right dish can taste surprisingly good.

    Eggs: The top websites seem to agree that eating eggs in the morning is a smart way to lose weight. Although it has gotten a rotten reputation as of late, Caring.com states that dietary studies have shown that eating eggs in the morning, instead of or in addition to toast or cereal, lose twice as much weight as those who eat a breakfast dominated by carbohydrates. WebMD agrees.

    Lean Meat: Surprised? Well, it turns out that lean meat such as lean beef, chicken, and turkey help speed up the metabolism and burn fat simply because it requires much more energy to digest, according to FoxNews.com. It also helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss, when the metabolism is running at full speed.

    So those are the five and there are many more. Click on the links to find out more about foods that will help you lose weight. And if you’re in doubt, check nutrition websites to find out the nutritional profile of the foods you’re thinking about eating.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • What Foods To Buy When Money Is Tight

    What Foods To Buy When Money Is Tight

    With the U.S. still in a major recession and a big part of the population unemployed, a food budget might just help keep your family full and healthy.

    One in seven Americans receives food (SNAP) benefits in order to feed their families. But buying the right foods can make meals that last longer and go further.

    Opting for those fast food $1 hamburgers might be cheap and tempting, but in the end, the nutritional value required for good health is lacking in these foods.

    Regardless if you’re using food stamps, or counting pennies, what you feed yourself and your family can mean the difference in having more left at the end of the month.

    Here is a list of foods that you can usually feed your family through the month that are inexpensive but full of nutrients.

    Brown Rice -is known as one of the worlds “healthiest” foods. First, it is a whole grain packed with complex carbohydrates and fiber designed to fill you up, not out. It is a source of many important and necessary nutrients. Make sure you buy brown rice and not white – white rice loses nutrients in its processing. Brown rice can be purchased in bulk at many stores, bringing the price down to pennies per serving.

    Beans – any kind of bean or legume is also considered one of the worlds healthiest foods. Not only are they packed with complex carbohydrates, they are full of fiber and essential nutrients. Beans are versatile and many vegetarians use beans as their main source of protein.

    Vegetables: No one can argue vegetables such as carrots, kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower aren’t inexpensive. They are some of the best foods because they offer so much in the way of nutrients, fiber, antioxidants, cancer protection and versatility. You can make hundreds of different dishes with any of these veggies.

    Potatoes: these root vegetables are also packed with nutrients, complex carbohydrates and fiber, which keep bellies full. A ten-pound bag of potatoes cost only a few dollars, and they are easy to cook and offer an abundance of different dishes such as mashed, baked, roasted and in soups and stews they are delicious.

    It is always best to try to get the most nutritional foods for the money, and buying in bulk as well as looking for fresh foods that are in season and on sale, can keep your family healthy and well fed.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Shop Healthier: What Foods To Buy And Which To Avoid

    Although the push by millions of people in the effort to label GMOs, our foods still lack the information needed to make a non-GMO choice, but there are other options you can choose that can bring better health to you and your family. First and foremost, organic foods do not contain GMOs!

    When at the grocery store of your choice, most find a multitude of products with confusing labels. Trying to determine which may be the best one as far as ingredients is not always that easy.

    How do we know if it really is organic? And what exactly does “All Natural” mean? And what about free range and cage free eggs are they really better?

    Foods that are labeled Natural or All Natural: According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

    “From a food science perspective, it is difficult to define a food product that is ‘natural’ because the food has probably been processed and is no longer the product of the earth. The FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.”

    In other words, if it says natural, it’s a little better than foods that are not, but don’t be deceived. The word is basically just a marketing tactic to draw you in to buying that product.

    Organic on the other hand is much more reliable – the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has strict regulations in place on how organic foods are produced. From USDA: Food products labeled with organic claims must comply with both USDA regulations for the organic claim and FDA regulations for labeling.

    Whole grain is another word that is highly misunderstood and misused. Whole grains are products that are from the grain itself with the least amount of processing, and 100% of the original kernel, all of the bran, germ, and endosperm, must be present to qualify as a whole grain.

    What is deceiving about whole grains is that you can have a minuscule amount of whole grains in a product, a cereal for example, but the rest is processed beyond recognition.

    This is where you need to be educated. Just because a product claims to be whole grain, does not mean that it is. Check the ingredients, and if you find more processing than whole grains, look elsewhere.

    Free Range and cage free are foods that supposedly were allowed to roam freely in an effort to be your food. However, in recent publications criticizing the producers methods, these are just words that are an attempt to make the consumer ‘feel better’ about their choices.

    Many experts say that the healthiest foods are those that come from Mother Nature. Fruits and vegetables have not been processed if you buy them organically. Breads that are labeled organic whole grain are the better choice. If you’re buying something in a box, you can pretty much be sure that it has had a lot of processing – and the more food is processed the less it does the body good.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons