Every so often, I will read a book that captures my attention so completely that I hate to put it down. Then I go back to it repeatedly, long after I have finished the review. Jackie Bushell's 116-page ebook, Why Can not I Lose Weight? (2006 DietPlateau.com) is such a book.

There are truckloads of diet books available that claim to have the "secrets" of weight loss, or the diet supplement or plan that is the long awaited magic bullet. Many are gimmicks, some are completely misleading, and others only touch on the problems but offer no real solutions. Not the case with Why Can not I Lose Weight.

I found this ebook to be filled with practical, medically-based answers to many of my questions about weight loss, plateaus, healthy fat loss, metabolism and that all important question of why the weight so often comes back no matter how "good" I am on my diet du jour.

Based on the long-term research and study from an impressive list of health and medical reference sources, Bushell writes about the changing theories of diet and exercise, addresses diet hype, fads, trends and introduces solid information based in biochemistry and documented scientific facts. Her goal is to start with facts and toss out misleading and misinterpreted data, along with outdated beliefs. In her book, she introduces her readers to current, relevant and proven facts about low calorie, low fat, low carb, and low glycemic diets. This book, written in an easy to read manner, helps clear the fog of myths and unsupported claims and shine a logical, detailed light on diet and healthy weight loss facts.

This straightforward and honest statement from her conclusion sums up the philosophy, tone and mission of her book: "Getting your body fit for weight loss is about making your body healthy in general, and that takes time and patience. Getting healthy is not about quick fixes, and nor is successful weight loss …. Making sure you lose the right kind of weight and in the right way is key to ensuring that when the weight comes off, it stays off. "

There are 15 chapters and three appendices that include topics and detailed "secrets" about:

• Famine syndrome and the set point
• The blood sugar / insulin connection
• Metabolic rate
• Stress
• Food allergies / sensitivities
• Candida / yeast overgrowth
• Fluid retention
• Malnutrition
• Toxic overload
• Genetic inheritance
• Exercise
• Hormonal imbalance
• Prescription medicines
• Compulsive eating and cravings
• Diet "politics" and how overweight perceptions can cause overlooked medical issues
• Thermogenic & fat burning supplements
• A Personal Action Plan for Weight Loss Success

Author Jackie Bushell is dedicated to the message in her book. As she stated at the close, " So what I hope to have achieved with this book is to bring together all of the most important knowledge and new ideas related specifically to weight loss problems, screening out the many ideas that are unsupported by science." Personally, I think she has accomplished this.

As I read her ebook, I was struck at the dedication and depth of research she put into the project. There is no doubt that she is very knowledgeable and passionate about this subject, and her list of resources backs up her work. Why Can not I Lose Weight? contains a lot of common sense and medically supported nutritional information that is applicable to a great many frustrated dieters, just like myself. I experienced many "ah-ha!" moments while reading through the pages.

I recommend this book for anyone who has questions about healthy weight loss, curiosity about diet hype and trends, interest in nutritional weight loss, or anyone wanting to know the truth about the "low carb" diet phenomenon. But I especially recommend this book to anyone who suspects there could be an underlying health issue causing them to be resistant to weight loss. Why Can not I Lose Weight? could answer many of your questions. It sure did for me.

Why Can not I Lose Weight? a downloadable PDF is ebook, available at GoodDietGoodHealth.com .

Peptic ulcer affects the stomach and the duodenum, giving symptoms like burning and pain in the upper abdomen frequently after one or two hours after eating was done. This discomfort is relieved after taking antacid drugs and food.

Keeping a diet is very important in treating ulcer. A few years ago it was thought that food can cause ulcer but now it has been proven that certain aliments can only aggravate the symptoms of ulcer and delay healing.

Some tips you must follow in order to prevent or heal faster the ulcer are:

1. Try to avoid the following aliments because they only injure your stomach line: pepper,

chilly, peppermint, citrus fruits, cocoa, chocolate, cola, and fried fatty foods. This list can be adjusted according to your tolerances but the doctors should be consulted about it too.

2. When eating try to eat slowly, chewing well the aliments in a non-stressful atmosphere.

3. Try to take your meals two hours before bedtime.

4. If you smoke, you should quit because smoking only delays ulcer healing.

5. Pay attention to the foods that cause you pain and burnings and try not to eat them any more.

6. If you caught a cold do not use aspirin because the substances it contains are harmful to your stomach and will delay ulcer healing.

7. Do not skip taking the drugs the doctor recommended: antacids, antibiotics.

Here is a scheme of a diet you can follow, approved by the National Research Council's Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA):

At breakfast, eat one toast with margarine and jelly; drink half a cup of apple juice, skim milk-one cup; you are allowed one teaspoon of sugar and a quarter of a teaspoon of salt.

At lunch, you can have a cream of potato soup with broiled chicken patty and tossed salad, one teaspoon of mustard, and a quarter of salt. If you want you can have peaches after.

At dinner: baked fish with mashed potatoes and one slice of bread; half a cup of apricot nectar and vanilla pudding. Margarine is admitted in one teaspoon.

This type of diet can also be followed by those who suffer of non-ulcer dyspepsia. This affection is similar to the peptic ulcer but the differences are that non-ulcer dyspepsia does not give an ulcer, a lesion on the stomach or duodenum; it only gives the same symptoms as peptic ulcer.

Spearmint tea is a caffeine free tea which is very exciting for many reasons. Firstly, it's not good to drink caffeine after 4pm because it can affect your sleep cycle, or your melatonin and cortisol cycles. This limits the possibilities of drinks in the afternoon (that is, if you take care of your self, and avoid high fructose corn syrup type drinks :)). Green tea, oolong tea, black tea, and even white tea have caffeine in them. Spearmint tea, on the other hand, has zero caffeine! This makes for a tastier drink than water, especially if you add some real natural sweeteners like Stevia.

There's also a great acne benefit of spearmint tea. I did some research online on some acne forums (acne.org is a great one, where I had a lot of acne in high school, advice from this forum helped clear me up), and found some users who reported that the tea was the main cause of their acne clearing up! This is good news. Doing further research, I found that it was due to the tea's androgen blocking effect.

Here's an excerpt of the user's testimony:

"… I cut Coffee / Lattes and almost all caffeine from my daily routine and started drinking Spearmint Tea … It did make me noticeably less oily, and my recent breakout was tapering off a little bit. BTW, I am a female that is not on BC. I'm unsure how it will affect males. it is one of the bigger anti-androgenic herbs. Vitex / chasteberry is also another commonly known supplement to moderate hormone levels in women. "

There's a study done on spearmint tea and hirsutism that shows that drinking it two times per day, reduces levels of male hormones (including testosterone) which can cause excessive hair growth (hirsutism) on the stomach, face, and breasts. It was also shown to reduce testicular cancer in rats, if that introduces you. This is good news for people who are experiencing hormonal imbalances or maybe do suffer from some extra hair growth.

Even simpler than all the scientific health benefits is one very obvious benefit: spearmint tea is relaxing. Both the smell and the taste of it is refreshing. That is why its a main flavor of every major gum. Mint is just nice on the palate. Drink it for relaxation, at home, on the beach, wherever.

All in all, it's definitely worth trying. It might just be your favorite flavor tea!

Are you trying to find a way to lose 25 Pounds of fat in 3 weeks? You might be interested to find out that 90% of people gain weight back after they finish a diet, I'll explain to you why this happens so often and more importantly how you can lose weight easily and permanently!

Help Me Start Losing Fat!

First things first you need to understand that the reason most people put weight back on after they finish a diet is due to the fact that during a diet where you eat less calories your body will adapt and slow down your metabolism to match. As a result what happens next is that the significant drop in calories allows the person to lose weight temporarily that is. As soon as they begin eating their normal calorie intake again they will begin to add up the pounds because their metabolism has been slow down to a snails pace.

The Key to Weight Loss

The real key to weight loss is not simply dropping your calories for a bit and then raising them back up again. You either drop your calories for good or you try calorie shifting. Calorie shifting is a diet system that lets you eat like a normal person except it is far from normal, you see this diet actually boosts your metabolism and can keep it that way. So you actually end up burning fat all the time and with the way the diet is designed you'll end up losing 25 pounds of fat permanently because your metabolism actually continues to work at peak levels for sometimes weeks after you stop the diet.

Some of you re asking just what are the healthy fish to eat. There are several, including trout, salmon, sardines and mackerel, and as I mentioned Hoki.

These fish swim in the deep cold waters of the ocean, and they eat the plankton which makes them rich in the Omega 3 fatty acids. They are indeed the healthiest fish to eat.

However having said that, the impurities such as the heavy metals and the toxins build up in the flesh of these fish and it is not recommended that you eat them more than once a month.

To obtain the Omega 3 fatty acids that we need on a daily basis, it is recommended that you take a molecularly distilled Omega 3 fish oil supplement each day.

Another healthy fish to eat would be a flounder, this fish would be too small to allow the contaminants to build up in its flesh.

Generally speaking, if you stick to the small species of fish you really should not need to worry about them having a build up of contaminants in their flesh. A sole would be another healthy fish to eat.

I mentioned the species of fish called Hoki up above. This fish is native to the waters of the Southern Ocean just off the coast of New Zealand.

This fish in conjunction with the Tuna fish are used to make an Omega 3 supplement that has double the anti-inflammatory properties of other highly concentrated oils.

The formula to make this valuable oil was discovered by accident, and only one company knows the formula. This oil has proven itself invaluable in helping to alleviate the swellings and the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

I mentioned that the Omega 3 supplement should have gone through the process called molecular distillation to remove the impurities such as lead and mercury. And the toxins such as the cancer causing PCBs.

However the process of molecular distillation removes the deadly PCBs. It is the only method that will get rid of them. Remember though, only buy fish oil that has been through that process.

When ever one comes across a text of an article that, its headline mentions anything even remotely promising in curing varicose veins, curiosity kicks in instantly in most people. It is not very hard to figure out why. They are unsightly, they are extremely painful, and most of all, they are very dangerous for your health, because, if left untreated they can lead to other serious cardiovascular diseases.

You may think that I mistakenly put these three reasons into reverse order, but you would be wrong. Although, your health is most important thing in your life, "looks" are here mentioned first, because vast majority of the varicose veins sufferers are women, and most of the procedures undertaken are for that reason only.

Several procedures are offered today by western medicine. Basically all of them are about the same thing, vein stripping or vein collapsing. This is to say that, veins are injected with drugs so they are destroyed, they collapse and stop functioning. Seemingly they disappear. The same effect is produced when varicose veins are exposed to laser light. Surgical procedure, called vein stripping is another choice. Along with it, whole branch of pharmaceutical industry is built around this ailment alone. And this brings in huge profits, based on the simple premise that, it is in human nature to believe that there is always quick fix, magic bullet, to what ever the disease.

Are you one of these who believe that there is a medical procedure that can rid you your varicose veins? If you are, please continue reading because I'm just about to save you money. If you are not decided, and still do not have an opinion, you should easily deduct the truth about it when you finish this read.

All of our cells are submerged in our lymphatic fluids. When, because of the bad diet choices we made, our lymphatic fluids become too acidic, and the acidic tissue can not hold on to oxygen, that tissue slowly starts to decay. It starts to dye. No human cell can live without oxygen.

Our veins, that do their proper work against gravity and rely on muscles to move the blood in them, are much like elastic band. They expand, and they contract and the blood moves up.

Our veins like any other cell in our body, are floating in our lymphatic fluids. When these lymphatic fluids become too acidic, they start to burn walls of our veins. Veins when burnt loose their elasticity and they start to harden. Pretty much the same thing would happen if you dropped battery acid (sulphuric acid) on your bare skin. The way your skin would look all burnt, is the way your veins look. When our vein walls become hard and rigid they can not react to increased blood pressure, and they break. Garden hose full of water sitting in the hot sun all afternoon that gets run over by a 4X4, describes it almost to a letter.

Now you know what is the exact cause of condition called varicose veins. Bad, over acidic diet. So to cure varicose veins we must change our diet. We must choose to eat diet that is going to be more alkaline, so that these acids eating us from inside, get buffered. Alkaline diet will supply needed alkaline minerals that are going to repair damage done by over acidity, and the healing will commence. Until the final cure.

It is quite obvious now why this condition can not be fix by drugs or by surgery. They do not address the cause of the problem but rather deal with the effect of it. Since the same amount of blood still circulates in our body, other healthier veins that took over the job of collapsed veins, are now under more stress and more pressure. Simple question of time when it's going to be their turn, and when we are going to need another surgery.

Good for the business, but not good for you.

Always remember that our body has that magnificent ability to recover, to self cure, but just if you give it an opportunity and time.

Are you trying to get that extra "pump" in the gym with Nitric Oxide? You're not alone. Nitric Oxide (NO) supplements have been flying off the shelves of nutrition stores across the country and for good reason. THEY GIVE RESULTS! But do you want to find more natural ways to boost your "NO" levels or even just find ways to naturally "supplement" the nitric oxide supplement you're already taking? The "top 5 list" I've created below illustrates natural foods that contain nitric oxide boosting elements.

1. Watermelon

Probably my favorite food out of the 5 mentioned here. Watermelon is sweet, juicy, and helps you build muscle?!? Absolutely, watermelon contains the amino acid L-Citruline which ultimate increases your NO levels. I love eating slices of watermelon for lunch a few hours before my evening workout. Try sticking a few pieces in the juicer for an all day supply of watermelon juice. It's a grate way to hydrate and supplement your body's nitric oxide production.

2. Eggs

Have you stopped eating egg yolk all together because you see everyone on TV doing it? Well do not follow the herd on that one. Yes, the yolk is high in cholesterol, but the yolk actually contains more nitric oxide boosting nutrients then the egg white. You should leave in 1-2 pieces of yolk. For example, if you're making a 6 egg omelet, you should throw in 1-2 whole eggs (with the yolk) and make the rest egg whites. This will give you the necessary fat you need and will give you added nitric oxide boosting nutrients.

3. Pistachios

The grocery store would always have piles of pistachios laying out near the produce section. As a little kid I would always grab a small handful and eat them (innocently without paying, I swear I did not know what I was doing!) While my mom went shopping. Shh .. do not tell anyone. But who knew that these tasty little guys could actually help you in your muscle building nutrition regimen? Pistachios contain the amino acid L-Arginine that keeps your arteries flexible and ultimately increases blood flow to your muscles which aides repair & recovery. Eat these in between meals not only for their NO boosting effects, but also because they are packed with fiber that helps keep you full.

4. Lentils

For any vegans out there trying to get ripped, you are in luck! Lentils are packed with tons of healthy good stuff. They're high in protein and fiber. They have energy producing carbs and they're low in fat and sugar. On top of all that they are also known to help boost your body's NO production. I guess you can call these things "magic beans".

5. Tuna

What good things have not already been said about eating tuna? It's super high in protein. It's low in fat. The fat it does contain is the "good kind". And you can buy it from the market for relatively cheap. Wait …

There's MORE!

Tuna can also help your body boosts its nitric oxide production. Tuna is a great as addition to any of your "big meals" (ie breakfast, lunch, or dinner), but it also serves as a great snack in between.

So next time you're at the supermarket, make a go for these nitric oxide boosting foods. You will not go wrong with them (unless you're allergic of course. In which case run away from them!). There are a ton of different recipes online to prepare these foods. Utilize them in your main meals as well as snacks for added benefit to your workouts and ultimately your physique.

The word "mucus" is from the Latin mucus which means "slime, mold, snot, etc." Mucus refers to a thick, viscous, slippery discharge that is comprised of dead cells, mucin, inorganic salts, water, and exfoliated cells. It also refers to the slimy, sticky, viscous substance left behind by mucus-forming foods in the body after ingestion. The word "pus" is from late 14c. Latin "pus" (related to puter [putrid] "rotten"), from Proto-Indo-European * pu- compared to Sanskrit. puyati "rots, stinks," putih "stinking, foul." Pus often refers to a thick white, yellowish, or greenish opaque liquid produced in infected tissue, consisting of dead white blood cells, bacteria, tissue debris, and serum. It also refers to the substance that dead animal flesh is chemically changed to after being consumed or while rotting in one's digestive tract. The ingestion of meat and dairy products create pus residue in the body, while starchy and fatty foods are mucus-forming.

The word "mucusless," or mucus -free, refers to foods that are not mucus-forming. Such foods digest without leaving behind a thick, viscous, slimy substance called mucus. These foods include all kinds of fat-free, and starchless, fruits and vegetables.

All foods that are pus / mucus-forming are acid-forming. The word "acid" is from the early 1600s meaning "of the taste of vinegar," from French acide (16c.) Or directly from Latin acidus "sour, sharp," adjective of state from acere "to be sour," from PIE root * ak- "sharp, pointed" (see acrid) .In chemistry it refers to a class of substances whose aqueous solutions are characterized by a sour taste, the ability to turn blue litmus red, and the ability to react with bases and certain metals to form salts. From a mucusless perspective, pus and mucus-forming foods are understood to be "acid-forming" inside the human body. Such foods create an acidic internal environment that is detrimental to wellness.

The following is a list of pus, mucus, and acid-forming foods:

FLESH (PUS-FORMING)

• Blood of Animals
• Eggs (All Kinds)
• Lard
• Meat (Beef, Chicken, Horse, Dog, Mutton / Lamb, Turkey, Veal, Pork:
• Bacon, Ham, Sausage, Gammon, Chitterlings, Pig Feet; Wild Game: Bison, Buffalo, Ostrich, Rabbit, Venison, etc.)
• Margarine (Made with Animal Fat)

FISH (PUS-FORMING)

• Crustacean (Crab, Crawfish, Lobster, Shrimp)
• Fish (All Types)
• Mollusks (Clam, Oysters, Mussels, Snail, etc.)
• Roe (Caviar)
• Salmon
• Shell Fish

DAIRY PRODUCTS (PUS-FORMING)

• Butter, Cow
• Buttermilk
• Cheese (All Kinds)
• Cream
• Crème fraîche
• Kefir
• Milk (All Animals and Kinds; Raw Organic, Skim, 1 or 2%, etc.)
• Yogurt

CEREALS (MODERATELY MUCUS-FORMING)

• Barley
• Breads (All Kinds; Barley, Black, Rye, White, Graham, Pumpernickel,
• Zwieback, etc.)
• Cereal Grains (All Kinds; Maize, Farina, Kamut, Millet,
• Oats, Quinoa, Spelt, White Rice, Brown Rice, Whole or Refined Wheat, etc.)
• Cornmeal
• Pseudocereals (All Kinds; Amaranth, Buckwheat, Chia, Cockscomb, Kañiwa, Quinoa, etc.)
• Pastas

BEANS (MODERATELY MUCUS-FORMING)

• Beans (All Kinds and Forms; Black Beans, Black-eyed peas, Fava Beans, Butter Beans, Cannellini Beans, Chickpeas / Garbanzo Beans, Edamame, Great Northern Beans, Italian Beans, Kidney Beans, Lentils, Lima Beans, Mung Beans, Navy Beans, Pinto Beans, Soy Beans, Split Peas, String Beans (Green Beans), White Beans, etc.)

NUTS AND SEEDS (MUCUS-FORMING)

• Nuts (All Kinds; Acorns, Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Cashews, Chestnuts, Hazelnuts, Peanuts, Pecans, Pistachios', Walnuts, etc.)
• Seeds (All Kinds; Sunflower, Pumpkin, Hemp, Sesame, etc.)

PROCESSED FOODS (PUS AND / OR VERY MUCUS-FORMING)

• Dried Convenience Foods
• Fast Foods
• Frozen Convenience Foods
• Packaged Convenience Foods
• Processed Meat

CONFECTIONERIES / CANDY / SWEETS (PUS AND / OR VERY MUCUS-FORMING)

• Baked Goods (All kinds including pies, cakes, pastries, etc.)
• Candy (All Types; Bars, Caramels, Chocolate, Fudge, Jelly candies, Rock
• Candy, Taffy
• Gelatin (Jello)
• Ice Cream (Dairy and Non-Dairy)
• Marshmallow

ACIDIC, FERMENTED, OR DISTILLED DRINKS / SYRUPS (ACID-FORMING STIMULANTS)

• Alcoholic Beverages (All Kinds; Ale, Beer, Brandy, Champagne, Hard
• Cider, Liqueur, Mead, Porter, Rum, Sake / Rice Wine, Gin, Herbal Wine, Lager, Fruit Wine, Vodka Whisky, Tequila, etc.)
• Syrups (Brown Rice, Barley Malt, Chocolate, Corn, Artificially Flavored)
• Cocoa
• Coffee
• Kombucha Tea
• Soft Drink (Soda Pop)
• Tea (All Kinds from the Theaceae family)
• Vinegar (White, Apple Cider)
• Old-fashioned Root Beer

FERMENTED FOODS AND SAUCES (ACID-FORMING STIMULANTS)

• Fish Sauce
• Fermented Vegetables (All; Kimchi / cabbage and other veggies, Olives
• Pickles / cucumbers. Sauerkraut / cabbage, etc.)
• Miso
• Sauces with Vinegar (Hot Sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Relish,
• Tartar, Barbecue, Salad Dressings, Salsa, etc.)
• Soy Sauce

VEGETARIAN / VEGAN PROCESSED FOODS (MODERATELY MUCUS FORMING)

• Chips (corn, potato, plantain, etc.)
• Frozen Vegan Breakfast Foods (waffels, etc.)
• Hummus (processed chickpeas)
• Lab Grown Animal Tissue
• Margarine
• Nutritional Yeast
• Pasta (egg-free)
• Pasteurized 100% Fruit Juice (potentially acid-forming)
• Plant milks (grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes including soy, rice, etc.)
• Plant-based butter (nuts, seeds, and legumes including soy, peanut, etc.)
• Plant-based creamers
• Soy Lecithin (food additive)
• Tempeh
• Texturized Vegetable Protein ( 'mock' meats including soy, etc.)
• Tofu
• Vegan Baked Goods
• Vegan Confections (All Types; Chocolates, Ice Cream, etc.)
• Vegan Cheese Substitutes
• Vegan Mayonnaise
• Vegan Whipped Cream
• Yogurts (Plant-based)

OILS (FATTY AND MILDLY MUCUS FORMING)

• Oil (All types; Avocado Oil, Chia Seed, Coconut, Corn, Cotton Seed, Cotton Seed, Flax Seed, Grape Seed, Hemp Seed, Nut Oils, Olive, Palm, Peanut, Quinoa, Rapeseed (Including Canola), Safflower, Soybean etc.)

SALTS AND SPICES (STIMULANTS / POTENTIALLY ACID-FORMING)

• Black Peppercorns
• Cayenne Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Cream of Tarter
• Curry Powder
• Nutmeg
• Paprika
• Pepper
• Salt (Celery, Crystal, Iodized, Sea)
• Vanilla Extract

STARCHY OR FATTY VEGETABLES AND FRUITS (SLIGHTLY MUCUS-FORMING)

• Artichoke
• Avocados
• Cassava
• Cauliflower
• Coconut Meat
• Corn
• Durian
• Fungus (Mushrooms)
• Green Peas
• Olives
• Parsnips
• Peas (Raw)
• Plantain
• Plantains
• Pumpkins
• Raw or Baked White Potatoes
• Raw Squashes (Winter, Acorn, Butternut, etc.)
• Raw Sweet Potatoes
• Rutabaga
• Turnip
• Unripe Banana

What are Deceptive Mucus-Formers?

Here is a list of foods that many people do not realize create mucus:

• Rice (great for creating glue to bind books, bad for the transition to a mucus-free diet)
• Avocados (fatty item that may be used on the transition, but are highly addictive. Although technically a fruit, if used it is best to combine them with a mucus-free combination salad or vegetables to aid elimination. However, it is recommended to stay away from them if you are not already stuck to them.)
• Nuts (Mucus-forming, but may be used on the transition. It is best to eat with dried fruits like raisins to aid with elimination.)
• Plantains (Starchy)
• Tofu (Slimy and mucus-forming.)
• Un-ripened fruits like green bananas (the riper the fruit you eat the better).
• Corn (It does not eliminate well. When cooked corn or corn chips are eating it becomes mushy and slimy in the intestines.)
• Corn chips (Some people use them on the transition, but they are very addictive and do not eliminate well)
• Beans (They are starchy and mucus-forming. But, they may be used sparingly on the transition within close proximity to green-leafy salads)
• Starchy Vegetables (Some vegetalbes are starchy and mucus-forming in raw or cooked forms, such as white potatoes. But, many other vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, become almost mucus-free (starchless) after proper cooking.

The Transition Diet

It is very important that people learn how to transition from the most harmful mucus-forming foods to the ones that leave behind the least amount of waste. To learn more about this transitional process, check out Arnold Ehret's Mucusless Diet Healing System: Annotated, Revised, and Edited by Prof. Spira.

Nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. This article contains simple and helpful tips to keep your nutrition balanced and optimal. Do not feed your body junk. Good nutrition will keep you looking and feeling great. These tips will teach you easy ways to keep your body healthy from the inside out.

Eat a Balanced Diet

To get a proper healthy nutrition you should make sure every meal you eat is balanced. Do not over-indulge any one food group at any one sitting. Putting all of your food groups together on one plate encourages you to maintain a balanced diet through sheer force of habit. You will find this a lot easier than trying to eat an all-vegetable dinner to make up for a vegetable-free day.

Try to include more tomatoes in your meals. The biggest benefit from tomatoes is their high concentration of lycopene. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that plays a role in the prevention of cancer cell formation. Research has shown that tomatoes also have potential benefits in the prevention of heart disease and lowering high cholesterol.

If you're working on addressing your nutrition concerns, make sure you do not villainize any food groups! Most things are okay in moderation, which means that, cutting carbohydrates out of your diet, is wholly unnecessary. Enjoy your pasta and bread in moderation and you'll enjoy long-term energy, if you're maintaining your protein intake, as well.

Increase Vitamin D Intake

Choose your dairy products carefully. While dairy products provide many nutrients including calcium, potassium, vitamin D and protein, you should choose low-fat or fat-free products. Drink skim or low-fat milk, as this cuts the calories, but does not reduce the nutrients. If you are lactose intolerant, you can try lactose-free milk or soy milk. Many cheeses are high in saturated fat, so opt for a reduced-fat version.

Consume low-fat dairy. Dairy products are a great source of calcium and vitamin D, which help build bone mass. Additionally, studies have shown that 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day can help you lose weight, particularly around your midsection. Low-fat yogurt is highly versatile and can be used as a substitute for sour cream, mayonnaise, and even cheese.

Drink skim, low-fat or non-fat milk on a daily basis. There are less calories and fat in these types of milk, but exactly the same calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients. Your body needs calcium to have strong bones. This is especially important in childhood while bones are forming and in old age when bone loss can occur.

People over 50 need to maintain good nutrition by ensuring they get enough vitamin D and calcium. This is because, as people age, their bones become more brittle. Calcium will help reduce bone loss, and vitamin D helps the bones absorb the calcium. People aged 50 and over should boost their calcium intake either via non-fat dairy products or through supplements.

Nutrition can be easy. The strategies in this article were designed to offer simple advice that will help you maintain good health by eating the right foods. Eating well is the best way to protect your body from sickness. Your body will thank you for following these tips to keep you looking and feeling healthy.

Have you ever experienced intrusive insomnia even though you were really tired, or an overall anxiety when nothing is actually upsetting you? Even after you cut out coffee, stopped smoking and cut down on sugar and alcohol, these symptoms still persisted. You might not be aware of the fact that there are certain foods you may be eating that contain a mild stimulant called Tyramine and when eating larger amounts of these foods, you could be experiencing insomnia, rapid heartbeat (palpitations), an increase in blood pressure and mild to migraine headaches. This is all due to the hidden substance called Tyramine, found in a variety of foods you may eat on a daily basis.

Foods affect your mood and if you are experiencing sensations of anxiety and brain fog, it's important to be aware of hidden stimulating substances in every day foods.

Everyone is pretty much aware of the reactions created by caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. One knows to avoid these foods if they experience anxiety since they only exacerbate symptoms. Not many are aware of the fact that this other hidden stimulant (Tyramine), found in many foods, may be eaten on a daily basis. Knowledge is power and by becoming aware of the foods that contain this substance, you allow yourself the choice of recognizing and avoiding them.

These foods containing Tyramine, a mild stimulant, are important to recognize. I f you eat enough of these foods , you might be experiencing:

– Insomnia,

– A rise in blood pressure

– An increase in heart rate (palpitations)

– Headaches / migraines

– Other mind-body sensations associated with taking a stimulant

These foods release adrenaline into your system and are easy to recognize once you understand that they come under the heading of a food that is aged, pickled, fermented or smoked.

Examples of these foods are as follows:

Hard Cheeses- Swiss, Cheddar, Asiago, Romano. Exceptions are creamed cheese, cottage cheese, farmers cheese and ricotta.

Aged, Smoked and Marinated Meats- Lunch meats , bacon hot dogs, baked ham, smoked meats and fishes, pickled herring, hard salami, pepperoni, bologna.

Legumes and Nuts- All beans, snow pea pods, Italian beans.

Pickled Vegetables- Sauerkraut, pickles, olives, artichokes

Fermented Items- Soy sauce, Tofu, Miso , Tempeh

Condiments- Yeast, meat tenderizers, boullion cubes , dry soup mixes, dry gravy mixes.

Yeast- In sourdough bread but fine in leavened breads.

Beverages- All alcohol containing beverages, especially Chianti and Vermouth. Small amounts in beer. High in red wine.

Overripe and Dried Fruits, especially overripe bananas . figs, raisins

Chocolate

Avocados

It is best to avoid these foods in high amounts. You might not experience a reaction in lower quantities but if you do experience headaches, migraines, rapid heartbeat (palpitations), and an increase in blood pressure, it might be time to check out your diet and see if it contains foods that are high in this substance.

By making a few simple changes, you will improve the way you feel and actually cut out many intrusive body reactions.