Mealtime Suggestion

Upon rising, drink a glass of purer fruit juice, herb tea, or apple cider vinegar which is about a teaspoon mixed with honey and hot water. This apple cider vinegar with water concoction is an effective slimming formula for me as it has been for many centuries. Apple cider melts fatty deposits in your bloodstream so it enhances the circulation of blood.

For breakfast, you can have some muesli with yogurt and whole grain cereal with skimmed or soy milk. Some alternatives would be fresh fruit with wheat germs and yogurt, or toasted bread with sunflower margarine and honey or savory spread. Drink herb tea, cereal coffee substitute, or pure fruit juice.

For lunch, we have some vegetarian savory made with cheese, nuts or grains or legumes, with a selection of vegetables in season. Or have a mixed vegetable salad with baked unpeeled potato or baked onions. For dessert, try a soaked dried fruit, baked apple, fresh fruit, granola, yogurt, natural fruit jelly, or a tofu dessert, which is tofu is eaten with dried fruit, fresh fruit, or honey.

For supper, eat the kind of food you had for lunch but do so before 6 p.m. Or, you could have something light, like a vegetable soap or fruit. You can also try a mixed salad and yogurt with some vegetarian savory and tofu.

Herbal tea are vital whether you are on a diet or not because they have a string of health benefits. These tea concoctions help reduce body weight. You can try chamomile tea and lemon. This done by boiling a cup of water to a slice of lemon and one teaspoon of chamomile. Cover and leaved overnight. Drink it first thing in the morning. Or, you drink a glass of unsweetened grape juice before breakfast and another in the afternoon. Another concoction is prepared using onions. Chopped onion is added to a glass of boiling water. Then add a few drops of lemon juice. Drink this first thing in the morning.

Aloe Vera is a wonderful tonic that requires sugar and fat metabolism. You can drink two teaspoon of aloe Vera mixed with apple juice. If you do not like the taste of Aloe Vera, you can take this in capsule from which is available at health-food store

The Exercise Factor

Medical science strongly supports the importance of regular exercise. A group of middle-aged men and women followed a fitness program. They showed lower level of blood sugar, fats , cholesterol, and gains in flexibility, strength, and stamina. Longer programs reaped greater benefits such as reduced tensions, improved respiratory capacity, lowered body fat, and increase in one’s sense of well-being.

With regular exercise, the metabolic rate increase, the digestive and circulatory system improve, the heart muscles grow stronger, and the skin acquires glow.

Regular exercise could mean a 5-mile brisk walk a day, swimming, taichi, biking, or yoga asanas. But if you have a heart or uterus problem, jogging is not advisable.

General yoga practice helps combat obesity by toning muscles and enhancing body awareness and willpower, facilitating a more sensible eating pattern. Abdominal contractions prevent and reduce fat bellies and lessen the risk of incurring back disorders.

Alternative Ways

The Ayurvedas has many recommendation for losing weight. Using lemon juice is a very effective means. This is like going to a juice fasting, which also cleanses your body of all toxins.

On the first day, juice or three pieces of lemon mixed with an equal amount of water should be given. One lemon per day should be added until the juice of 12 lemons is consumed per day. The number should be decreased in the same order until three lemons are taken a day You will feel hungry and weak on the first two days, but after that, your condition will stabilize.

Another formula is using bananas and skimmed milk. The daily diet is restricted to six bananas and four glasses of skimmed milk for a period of 10 to 15 days. Then green vegetables may be gradually added, reducing the intake of bananas from six to four. Continue this diet until you achieve the desire weight level. Bananas are ideal for overweight people as it has practically non-sodium.

Base on some recent researches, cabbage has a valuable ingredient called tar tonic acid which inhibits the conversion of sugar and carbohydrates into fat. Taking cabbage salad would be one of the simplest and painless ways of staying slim. A hundred grams of cabbage yields only 27 kilo-calories of energy, while the same quantity of wheat bread will yield about 240 calories, so you get fewer calories while having a lasting feeling of fullness in the stomach. It is also easily digestible.

Losing the first few pounds is easy as this is only water, but shedding the next ones will be a bit hard. Don’t get discourage by this. A steady weight loss is better than an abrupt one because it stays, provided that you also maintain this with proper food intake. Have a better healthful feeling and “thoughts”.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), the world’s most popular culinary herb is also known as “rock celery” and belongs to the Umbelliferae family of plants. Parsley is one of the world’s seven most potent disease-fighting spices which also include Ginger, Oregano, Cinnamon, Turmeric, Sage, and Red chili peppers. Parsley grows in most climates and is readily available throughout the year. It is a biennial plant which means that it produces seeds during its second year of production and will reseed itself if you let it.

While parsley is a wonderfully nutritious and healing food, it is often under-appreciated. Most people do not realize that this vegetable has more uses than just being a decorative garnish that accompanies restaurant meals.

Parsley is native to the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe and has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years. It was originally used as a medicinal plant (see below) prior to being consumed as a food. Ancient Greeks held parsley to be sacred, using it to not only adorn victors of athletic contests, but also for decorating the tombs of the deceased. While it is uncertain when and where parsley began to be consumed as a seasoning, historians think it may be sometime during the Middle Ages in Europe. Some historians credit Charlemagne with its popularization as he had it grown on his estates.

Parsley’s Many Therapeutic Health Benefits Include Its Use For:

o Anemia: Builds up the blood because it is high in iron. The high vitamin C content assists the absorption of iron.

o Antioxidant: Increases the anti-oxidant capacity of the blood.

o Bactericidal (kills bacteria)

o Bad breath

o Baldness: Believe it or not, men even scrubbed parsley onto their scalps to cure baldness–which doesn’t work.

o Blood purifier

o Blood vessel rejuvenation: Maintains elasticity of blood vessels, and helps to repair bruises.

o Diarrhea is greatly helped by drinking parsley tea.

o Digestion: Parsley is an excellent digestion restorative remedy. It improves the digestion of proteins and fats therefore promoting intestinal absorption, liver assimilation and storage. Because of its high enzyme content, parsley benefits digestive activity and elimination.

o Dissolves cholesterol within the veins.

o Diureticparsley tea helps resolve swollen ankles.

o Ear health: Treats deafness and ear infections.

o Edema: Acts as a diuretic and blood vessel strengthener.

o Fatigue: Parsley is high in iron so helps repair and provides components for better blood cells.

o Gallstones: Helps dissolve them.

o Glandular support of the liver, spleen, kidneys and adrenal glands.

o Gout

o Hormonal support: In women, parsley improves estrogen and nourishes and restores the blood of the uterus. Conditions like delayed menstruation, PMS, and the menopause (dry skin, irritability, depression and hair loss) can often improve.

o Hormone balancing is achieved through the volatile fatty acids contained in parsley.

o Immune booster: The high vitamin C, beta carotene, B12, chlorophyll and essential fatty acid content render parsley an extraordinary immunity enhancing food. Parsley is an immune-enhancing multi-vitamin and mineral complex in green plant form and one of the most important herbs for providing vitamins to the body.

o Inhibits tumor formation, particularly in the lungs.

o Insect bites: Rub on to relieve the swelling and itch.

o Jaundice

o Kidneys: Parsley is effective for nearly all kidney and urinary complaints except severe kidney inflammation. It improves kidney activity and can help eliminate wastes from the blood and tissues of the kidneys. It prevents salt from being reabsorbed into the body tissues; thus parsley literally forces debris out of the kidneys, liver and bladder. It helps improve edema and general water retention, fatigue and scanty or painful urination.

o Liver congestion: It enriches the liver and nourishes the blood. Parsley helps reduce liver congestion, clearing toxins and aiding rejuvenation.

o Menstrual irregularity: Parsley helps to make the cycles regular by the presence of apiol which is a constituent of the female sex hormone estrogen.

o Menstrual pain

o Night blindness: Bad eyesight is a sign of Vitamin A deficiency.

o Rheumatism

o Spleen strengthening: The parsley root in particular strengthens the spleen, and can, therefore, treat malabsorption.

o Stamina loss and low resistance to infection, point to a sluggish liver. This can manifest itself in blood deficiencies, fatigue, a pale complexion and poor nails, dizzy spells, anemia and mineral depletion.

o Stomach problems

o Strengthens loose teeth: In the Middle Ages parsley was used for many conditions including ‘fastening teeth’ (Scurvy, which is caused by a Vitamin C deficiency, makes the gums spongy and the teeth loose.)

o Uterine tonic

o Weight loss benefits from being a diuretic

Nutritional Benefits of Parsley:Parsley is a nutrient powerhouse containing high levels of beta carotene, vitamin B12, folate, chlorophyll, calcium, more vitamin C than citrus fruits, and just about all other known nutrients. Parsley is a moistening, nourishing, restoring, ‘warming’ food, pungent with a slightly bitter, salty flavor. It enhances and stimulates the energy of organs, improving their ability to assimilate and utilize nutrients.

Beta carotene is used for protein assimilation. This nutrient benefits the liver and protects the lungs and colon. Beta-carotene is converted by the body to vitamin A, a nutrient so important to a strong immune system that its nickname is the “anti-infective vitamin.”

Chlorophyll: Parsley is abundant in chlorophyll, thus purifying and inhibiting the spread of bacteria, fungi and other organisms. Chlorophyll from parsley is slightly anti-bacterial and anti-fungal which acts to enhance immune response and to relieve mucus congestion, sinusitis and other ‘damp’ conditions. Chlorophyll, high in oxygen, also suppresses viruses and helps the lungs to discharge residues from environmental pollution.

Essential Fatty Acids: Parsley is a source of alpha-linolenic acid, an important essential fatty acid that is too frequently deficient in today’s diets.

Fluorine is an important nutritional component abundantly found in parsley. Fluorine has an entirely different molecular structure from chemically-produced fluoride. Tooth decay results from a shortage of fluorine, not fluoride. It is the combination of calcium and fluorine which creates a very hard protective surface on teeth and bones. Fluorine also protects the body from infectious invasion, germs and viruses.

Folic Acid, one of the most important B vitamins, but one of its most critical roles in relation to cardiovascular health is to convert homocysteine into benign molecules. Homocysteine is a potentially dangerous molecule that, at high levels, can directly damage blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke in people with atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease. Folic acid is also a critical nutrient for proper cell division and is therefore vitally important for cancer-prevention in two areas of the body that contain rapidly dividing cells–the colon, and in women, the cervix.

Iron: The iron content of parsley is exceptional with 5.5mg per100g (4oz). A half-cup of fresh parsley or one tablespoon dried has about 10 percent of your iron daily requirements. Plus, parsley has the vitamin C your body needs to absorb that iron.

Protein: Parsley is made up of 20% protein. (About the same as mushrooms.)

Vitamin B12: Parsley contains traces of B12 producing compounds. Such compounds are needed for the formation of red blood cells and normal cell growth, important for fertility, pregnancy, immunity and the prevention of degenerative illness. The action of vitamin B12, however, is inhibited by birth control pills, antibiotics, intoxicants, stress, sluggish liver, and excess bacteria or parasites in the colon or digestive tracts. Parsley helps to counteract these inhibitors.

Vitamin K: Getting at least 100 micrograms of Vitamin K a day can drastically cut your risk of hip fracture. Vitamin K is necessary for bones to get the minerals they need to form properly. Parsley is loaded with vitamin K (180 mcg per 1/2 cup). Cooking parsley nearly doubles its Vitamin K.

Vitamin C: Parsley contains more vitamin C than any other standard culinary vegetable, with 166mg per 100g (4oz). This is three times as much as oranges. Flavonoids, which make up the Vitamin C molecule, maintain blood cell membranes, and act as an antioxidant helper.

Volatile oil components – including myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene. Parsley’s volatile oils, particularly myristicin, have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in animal studies, and particularly, tumor formation in the lungs. It acts as an antioxidant that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens (like the benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke, charcoal grill smoke, and the smoke produced by trash incinerators).

Parsley also contains calcium (245mg per 100g), phosphorus, potassium (1000mg per 4 oz), manganese (2.7mg per 100g), inositol, and sulphur.

Many of my client’s test they would benefit greatly from eating parsley for all kinds of health problems.

How to Use Parsley:

Top off your sandwiches with it, include it in your salad greens, put it in Tabbouli or better yet, toss it into simmering soups, stews and sauces. We eat it raw in salads and those days when I can’t eat it raw, I often add a couple of parsley capsules to my nutritional supplements.

Parsley juice, as an herbal drink, is quite powerful and is usually taken in quantities of about 2 fl oz (50ml) three times a day and is best mixed with other juices. I noticed that it’s most effective to juice parsley in between other vegetables as the juice is heavy and thick and doesn’t move through some juicers very readily.

Types of Parsley:The two most popular types of parsley are curly parsley and Italian flat leaf parsley. They are both related to celery. The Italian variety has a more fragrant and less bitter taste than the curly variety. There is also another type of parsley known as turnip-rooted parsley (or Hamburg) that is cultivated for its roots, which resemble salsify and burdock. Chinese parsley, is actually cilantro.

How to Pick and Care for Parsley:Whenever possible, choose fresh, dark green, organically grown parsley that looks fresh and crisp over the dried form of the herb since it is superior in flavor. Avoid bunches that have wilted or yellowed leaves indicating over-mature or damaged produce.

Parsley can be stored loosely wrapped in a damp cloth or plastic bag and refrigerated for up to a week. Wash just before using. If the parsley wilts, either sprinkle it lightly with some water or wash it without completely drying it before putting it back in the refrigerator.

The best way to clean it is just like you would spinach. Place it in a bowl of cold water and plunge it up and down like you would a toilet plunger. This will allow any sand or dirt to dislodge. Remove the leaves from the water, empty the bowl, refill it with clean water and repeat this process until no dirt remains in the water.

If you have excess flat-leaved parsley, you can easily dry it by laying it out in a single layer on a clean kitchen cloth. I pre-chop mine (both varieties) and place it on a cookie sheet on top of the refrigerator where it is warm. Stir it occasionally to allow consistent drying. Once dried, it should be kept in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark and dry place.

Some feel the curly leaved variety is best preserved by freezing, as opposed to drying. Although it will retain most of its flavor, it has a tendency to lose its crispness, so it is best used in recipes without first thawing.

Bon Appétit!

Garlic belongs to the family of Onion. Garlic is used both for cooking and medicinal reasons. It has a pungent and spicy flavor. Cloves of garlic are nicely put together which is called bulb of garlic. Almost all the parts of the garlic plant are eaten.

Drawbacks of Garlic – If eaten in excess, the person usually sweats in excess and his skin tends to leave oil which also smells like garlic. Even the mucus, vaginal discharge in women, ear wax will also smell like garlic. This may last for few hours to days. Washing yourself with soap will not help much. Using perfume may reduce the smell.

Countries produced – China is the largest cultivator of Garlic, India follows next. Other countries include Korea, United States, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, Argentina and Egypt.

Medicinal cure – Garlic is found to be effective cure for Heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and even cancer. For Heart patients garlic acts as a blood thinner, similar to aspirin. Garlic also helps to regulate blood sugar levels, cure worm trouble, digestive disorder. Garlic also possesses anti bacterial properties.

Religious perception – Garlic is believed to be used in the olden times to ward off demons and vampires. Garlic bulbs were hung out of doors and windows to keep the evil spirits out.

Garlic in oil – Many house hold use Garlic in oil. This preparation gives good flavor to the oil and is used in preparation of other food dishes. This preparation may sometimes become poisonous if not done the right way. Garlic in oil should be prepared and stored in refrigerator and not kept in room temperature. Storing in fridge for long time may also be harmful.

Conclusion – Garlic is a very useful vegetable and can cure almost all ailments, but overeating of garlic should be avoided.

There are 2 types of carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are considered simple or complex based upon their chemical structure. So what are complex carbohydrates, or some call them starch?

Complex Carbohydrates

They are simply sugars bonded together to form a chain. Because of it’s complex chain form, your digestive enzymes have to work much harder to access the bonds to break the chain into individual sugars for absorption through the intestines.

Because of that, the digestion of complex carbohydrates takes longer. The slow absorption of sugars provides you with a steady supply of energy and limits the amount of sugar converted into fat and stored!

Usually people consider complex carbohydrates as good carbohydrates.

Here’s a list of complex carbohydrates foods.

• Spinach
• Whole Barley
• Grapefruit
• Turnip Greens
• Buckwheat
• Apples
• Lettuce
• Buckwheat bread
• Prunes
• Water Cress
• Oat bran bread
• Dried apricots
• Zucchini
• Oatmeal
• Pears
• Asparagus
• Oat bran cereal
• Plums
• Artichokes
• Museli
• Strawberries
• Okra
• Wild rice
• Oranges
• Cabbage
• Brown rice
• Yams
• Celery
• Multi-grain bread
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Pinto beans
• Potatoes
• Dill Pickles
• Low fat yogurt
• Soybeans
• Radishes
• Skim milk
• Lentils
• Broccoli
• Navy beans
• Garbanzo beans
• Brussels
• Sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Kidney beans
• Eggplant
• Soy milk
• Lentils
• Onions
• Whole meal bread
• Split peas

Complex Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are digested quickly. Many simple carbohydrates contain refined sugars and few essential vitamins and minerals. People usually consider these as bad carbohydrates.

Why bad?

These simple carbohydrates are actually smaller molecules of sugar unlike the long chains in complex carbohydrates.

They are digested quickly because the individual sugars are ready to be absorbed immediately plus digestive enzymes have easy access to the bonds in the paired molecules.

You could say most of the work has been done for the digestive system! Foods like cake, pastry, biscuits, chocolate, etc (you get the idea) contain lots of “empty” calories.

Because our cells usually do not require that amount of energy at that time of eating, the sugar must either be converted to glycogen (sugar storage within cells) or converted to fat.

Your body cells can only store a limited amount of glycogen, so in many common cases, taking too much food that contains simple carbohydrates may contribute to body fat stores.

Here’s a list of simple carbohydrates foods.

• Table sugar
• Corn syrup
• Fruit juice
• Candy
• Cake
• Bread made with white flour
• Pasta made with white flour
• Soda pop
• Candy
• All baked goods made with white flour
• Most packaged cereals
• Honey
• Milk
• Yoghurt
• Jam
• Chocolate
• Biscuit

There are a lot more foods that contains simple and complex carbohydrates. You can using the list above as a starting point for a healthier diet immediately.

It’s a simple enough question, but the answer can be elusive, especially because it depends on what kind of cranberries we’re talking about: fresh, juiced or dried.

Fresh Cranberries

If we’re talking about 100g of ordinary, raw cranberries, the carbohydrate figures according to wikipedia are as follows: dietary fibre = 4.6g; total sugars = 4.04. These figures might confuse some of us however, because as low carb dieters we are advised to subtract dietary fiber from total carbohydrates to calculate “net carbs” which is the figure we really care about (dietary fiber is a carbohydrate, but it is not digested so doesn’t contribute to raising blood sugar levels).

As wikipedia lists only total sugars and not total carbohydrates, its necessary to check another reputable source to see if they list total carbs. The calorie counter at about.com gives us the following numbers for 1 cup (95g) of cranberries: dietary fiber = 4.4g; sugars = 3.8g; total carbohydrates = 11.6g. Subtracting the fiber from the total gives us 7.2g net carbs, which is low enough for us to conclude that cranberries are a low carb fruit. So far so good, except that we hardly ever eat cranberries raw, we are more likely to drink their juice or eat them dried.

Cranberry Juice

If we’re talking about 95g of cranberry juice, these figures from the National Agricultural Library should be interesting: dietary fiber = 0.1g; sugars = 11.49g; total carbohydrates = 11.59g, giving us net carbs of 11.49g (11.59 – 0.1). In other words, gram for gram, cranberry juice contains 1.5 times as many net carbs as raw cranberries. But how often would we drink just 95g of juice?

A typical cup holds 253g of liquid. Using a cup as our new unit of measurement gives us 7.2g net carbs for raw cranberries and a whopping 30.57g net carbs for cranberry juice! Although fundamentally cranberries are a low carb fruit, when you consider how many cranberries must be used to produce a single glass of juice, and the fact that most of the fiber is removed, its easy to see how concentrated the sugar content would be.

Now if that’s not bad enough, most cranberry juice has extra sugar added to it because the pure stuff is simply too sour for most people’s tastes. So unless it’s a specially processed cranberry juice made with artificial sweetener, you’re probably best to avoid cranberry juice on a low carb diet.

Craisins

Finally, let’s consider dried cranberries, popularly known as “craisins”. Unfortunately, most commercially available craisins are loaded with sugar for the same reason cranberry juices are – plain dried cranberries are too sour for most people. The exact net carb count for a cup of dried craisins would depend on the brand because each producer has its own production process, but suffice it to say that unless they are artificially sweetened, dried cranberries are not low carb fruit.

If you’re lucky enough to get a hold of dried unsweetened cranberries, the net carb count on a gram for gram basis will still be higher than for fresh ones simply because they are smaller, so you can fit more of them into 95g than you can the raw fruit.

So are cranberries a low carb fruit? In theory yes, but in practice, the answer is often no.

Man is used to eating meat it has been part of our diets for centuries, however in recent years many nutrionists have warned us about the dangers of meat. This article will separate the hype form the reality of eating meat.

Let’s look at which meat is the best to eat and what meat should be avoided and some of the Conclusions may surprise you!

Beef

Per 100g 136 calories 5.1g fat

About half the fat in beef is monounsaturated fat which is similar to the heart healthy fat that you find in olive oil.

Look for organic cuts. The reason for this is these cattle are more likely to have been fed on grass and not grain which makes the fat healthier and will contain more omega 3 which is heart friendly.

Pork

Per100g 123 calories 4g fat

Pigs tend to be intensely reared which increases the chance that pork will contain harmful chemicals. It is more important than ever in pork to go organic.

Lamb

Per 100g 156 calories 8.3g fat

Lab has a reputation as being unhealthy as it is a relatively fatty meat however lamb is one of the least intensely reared animals (the complete opposite to pork) and is relatively healthy and a great treat.

Ham

Per 100g 107 calories 3.3g of fat

Packaged ham can contain up to 37% water and have high doses of salt and even flavourings. Ham really is a meat that should only been eaten in moderation because of this.

Venison

Per 100g 120 calories 2.4g of fat

Tends to be wild or non intensively farmed it is therefore a very healthy choice for red meat lovers and one of the healthiest of all.

Bacon Per 100g 215 calories 16.5g of fat

Just like ham very high in salt and preservatives that are the subject of cancer scares. Like ham only indulge occasionally.

Chicken

Per 100g 116 calories 3.2 fat minus skin

Full of iron, zinc and vitamin B12 a great choice, but make sure its organic chickens are one of the most intensely farmed meats and these can be full of things, well you really don’t want to know!

Turkey

Per 100g 119 calories 1g fat

Is one of the leanest meats and good source of protein. Turkey is Rich in B vitamins and zinc and a great source of tryptophan a brain boosting nutrient. Like chicken a very healthy meat – Go organic.

Duck

Per 100g 11.2 fat

A very fatty meat containing a lot of saturated fat, but also contains a lot of health benefits to with big doses of Iron and Zinc and B vitamins.

As you can see there are several excellent healthy meats with turkey being the best all round choice. All of the meats above can be eaten regularly with the exception of bacon and ham and beef is not as bad for as many nutritionists claim 0 In fact its good for you!

Man is a carnivore and many of the problems and health scares to do with meat are created by man, but if you go organic you can enjoy meat anytime and be healthy and happy – Enjoy!

Food is the basic necessity for all of us and we all earn money to get this basic necessity. We need to eat 3 meals a day to keep our body running so that we can manage our daily functions. Many of us ” Eat food to live” while there are others who “Live to eat food”. In fact, nutrition assumes a special importance in each and everyone’s life.

Types of Foodstuff

The food is normally divided into two main categories given below:-

1- Vegetarian food- These include stuffs like milk, fruits and vegetables. These are those stuff that are obtained from plants and trees.

2- Non- Vegetarian food- These include stuffs like meat and meat products, chicken, turkey, fish, squid etc. Non vegetarian food are generally obtained by killing animals.

Nutrition from Foodstuff

Nutrition from food is necessary and without this daily dose of nutrition animals may not survive for long. It is important to support life as nourishment obtained helps the cells present in our body to carry out its routine functions. Different stuffs provide different levels of nutrition. The nutrients are divided into six classes which are given below:-

1- Carbohydrates- These provide energy to the body and are found in items like rice, bread and other grain products.

2- Fats- It consists of a group of compounds that are generally insoluble in water. These are found in items like butter, ghee, fish oil, lard etc. Fats are stored in the human body for use at a later use for energy.

3- Minerals- These are needed for the maintenance of proper functions in the body like the transport of oxygen throughout the body, stimulating growth, normalizing the nervous system etc. Minerals can be found from a variety of food items such as meat, cereals including cereal products such as bread, fish, milk and dairy foods.

4- Protein- These are important components of muscles, skin and hair. Proteins are helpful in creation of various enzymes in the body that control various important functions. Major sources of protein include milk, meat, fish, egg, and vegetables.

5- Vitamins- They are an essential component of animal body required for good health. It is organic compound required as a nutrient. Good sources of vitamins are fruits, vegetables, cereals, milk and eggs.

6- Water- It is popularly known as the”elixir of life”. The human body comprises of 55-78 % of water. It is required for the essential functioning of the various important parts of the human body.

Thus, these points given above reflect the importance of food and nutrients in our diet. As long as a human is alive, he needs water and foods in the required quantity.

When we eat, our body converts excess calories into High Triglycerides Levels. If you regularly consume more calories than you burn, then you may end up with high triglycerides as part of the metabolic system.

High triglyceride, High blood pressure, high blood sugar and too much fat around the waist are factors that can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes. The normal triglycerides reading is less than 150 mg/dL, anything above 500 mg/dL is considered very high.

Causes of Increased Triglycerides Levels

The most common cause of increased triglycerides levels is obesity and poorly controlled diabetes. Other causes include hypothyroidism, kidney disease and certain inherited lipid disorders. It may contribute to hardening of the artery walls which increases the risk of stroke and heart disease. Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, pain in the chest or back, shortness of breath and pancreatitis are other complications that can come about due to high triglycerides levels.

Adopting Healthy Life Style Choices Can Help Reduce Triglycerides.

It is easy to lower triglycerides by making simple healthy changes in your daily diet

• If you are overweight, losing excess weight and reducing your calorie intake can lower triglycerides.
• Simple carbohydrates such as sugar and foods made with flour can cause increased triglycerides.
• Avoid concentrated sources of cholesterol, including meats, egg yolks and whole milk products.
• Choose healthier fats found in olive, peanut and canola oils. Eat fish such as mackerel and salmon instead of meat.
• Eliminate fried foods, cookies crackers and cakes.
• Even small amounts of alcohol can cause high triglycerides levels.
• Increase fresh vegetables and fiber intake. Favour garlic, fenugreek and green tea.

Fast food has become the world’s most popular substitute for eating at home in cities across the globe. It is an American original invented and grown in America. It is a detailed reflection of American attitudes and culture. It’s is tasty, convenient, inexpensive and fast a factor which makes it dear to millions of people who consume it on a daily basis. What also makes it popular is the fact that there is no preparation required before meals and no dishes to clean afterward. Researchers note that it is so popular that today up to half of of all food expending is spent on it in the United States.

Most people know that in order to eat healthy it is necessary and important to avoid tobacco use, to abandon a sedentary lifestyle and eating healthy. Fast food contributes to chronic disease such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and cardiovascular ailments in general. It also plays a major role in weight gain and obesity. Its effects are so pronounced so much that Americans have more body fat now than any other population at any time in the history of humans. Data from the CDC in America shows that 71 percent of all men in America are obese and over 62 percent of women. The scourge is also spreading rampantly amongst children and adolescents.

It would appear the great taste, low cost and convenience of fast food comes to haunt its lovers. Much of it that people eat does not in any way contribute to healthy weight. Instead it is a source of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and hypertension. There are remarkable differences between two groups of people namely those that eat a lot of fast meals and those who don’t eat. To begin with fast meal eaters consume more dietary fat and saturated fat. They have more body fat. They eat fewer fruits and vegetables. A study that was done over 15 years concluded that eating take away food was linked to diabetes and weight gain.

Studies show that people who reside near a lot of fast meal restaurants will likely eat more take ways. A research in Canada reinforced this thinking by adding another dimension to it. It showed that people who lived near a lot of take away restaurants were also likely to have heart disease and suffer from premature death. Yet another study showed a correlation between the number of these restaurants per square mile and obesity. The states in America that had the highest concentration of outlets per square mile also had the highest rates of obesity.

A couple of recent studies will give

chocolate lovers a chance to indulge

with a little less guilt. The findings

may also help explain a curious comment

Edgar Cayce made in several readings

that mention chocolate.

A study reported in the Journal of the

American Medical Association (JAMA, Vol.

290, No. 8) focused on thirteen patients with

mild hypertension who were allowed to eat

chocolate bars (either dark or white) daily for two

weeks. The hypertension remained unchanged for

the white chocolate group while dropping notably

for the dark chocolate group.

In another study published in the journal Nature (Vol. 424),

researchers measured antioxidant levels in subjects who ate either

milk chocolate (most commonly used in candy bars) or dark

chocolate. You guessed it – only the subjects who ate dark

chocolate exhibited beneficial increased antioxidant levels. Drinking

milk with the dark chocolate canceled the positive effect. One

possible explanation for the positive effects of dark chocolate is

the presence of plant compounds called polyphenols which increase

antioxidant levels and lower blood pressure.

Now for an associated Edgar Cayce quote: “Not too much sweets, especially

chocolate of the present variety.” (5162-1) Cayce made this stipulation

in several readings, apparently referring to the commercial

practice of adding sugar and other ingredient, (such as milk) in

much of the chocolate of his era. Many of the readings that discuss

chocolate were given for persons with digestive problems.

Chocolate was typically listed among a group of difficult to digest

foods. In the few readings that do allow for chocolate consumption,

Cayce’s advice was consistent with modern researchers

who caution about eating too much of this delicacy. If you do

indulge, keep it to a minimum and make sure it is dark

chocolate.