Epicure’s seven steps for healthy living
Chaim Kimel of www.Epicurechefs.com

EPICURE’S 7-STEP PROGRAM TO HEALTH

Here at Epicure, we believe it is important for people to not only evaluate their fitness by the bathroom scale, but also to focus on increasing their health and their overall physical, emotional and mental well-being.
Epicure promotes a food plan that is similar to that of the US Health Department Recommendation (basically a Mediterranean diet), which encourages a life-style of healthy eating (fruits, vegetables and low-fat intake) in conjunction with a sustainable exercise regime.
Epicure does note that their 7-step program will help you lose weight through establishing better eating habits (resulting in less hunger and emotional eating), but unless a calorie-controlled diet is specified it may not directly correlate with a massive weight reduction.
However, with a wholesome balanced lifestyle, with Epicure cuisine you are bound to reach your optimal weight naturally, without excessive effort or food deprivation.

1. A balanced food intake

At this moment in time, there are a multitude of popular diets promoting things such as:

1. high protein with little to no carbs (Atkins); and

2. high carbohydrates but low GI (Glycemic Index, or simple sugars) (GI Index diet).

In the short term, these diets may help you lose weight, but a recent study conducted in the US and the UK found that the most weight people lost on these diets was only 5-10% of their original body weight, over a year. This is not much if you weigh 150kgs.

The major problem, however, was that most people found it difficult to sustain such unnatural eating patterns, and after 3 months, 80% of the focus group had not only reverted to their old, familiar eating habits, but also regained the weight they had initially lost.

The simple reason for the failure of such diets is that our body is not designed for the consumption of single food groups only. The healthiest people in the world and the individuals with the longest lifespan are primarily from the Mediterranean region, Japan, and rural central Asia.

So, what are the common denominators in these communities’ diets? 3 simple things:

1. a high vegetarian intake (fresh fruit and vegetables);
2. fish and meat are consumed in small quantities only, and not every day; and
3. almost no-one in these communities over-eats.

One of the biggest causes of disease and physical and emotional stress are caused by overeating. It is no surprise that many food related illness (obesity, diabetes, etc) are especially prevalent in western societies, where there is an abundance of poor-quality food available which is often consumed in excessive amounts.

2. Fresh foods

In today’s urban society time is a scarce commodity; so many people tend to shop for food only once or twice a week. Because of this, we are used to eating a large amount of processed foods, usually laden with preservatives and nutritional supplements. These additives can have a detrimental effect on our well being, and have been linked to the development of allergies and food intolerances. Therefore, Epicure understands that it is vital to only eat fresh, whole foods which are bought and prepared on the day.

3. Non/low- allergenic ingredients

Until the body’s functions are balanced through constant exposure to a healthy food regime, it is very important to avoid food stuffs that will slow down the revitalization process.

Where ever possible, Epicure watches out for those allergy promoting ingredients, without compromising on taste.

After a period of healthy eating, however, you will find that most of those allergies will naturally disappear.

4. Correct food combinations

Some foods need acidic juices to digest, and others need alkaline juices. If we eat opposite types at the same time, the acidic and alkaline juices in our stomach will cancel each other out, and the food will sit there and ferment, taking longer to digest. This means that immediately after eating we will begin to feel sluggish and bloated, and who has time to feel like that?!! (Please refer to the attached chart).

For example, good foods such as fruit are digested in the small intestine. If we eat fruit after a meal, the fruit will be held up in the stomach further slowing digestion; therefore, Epicure always ensures that such food types are eaten individually, and at the optimal hour (for digestion) during the day.

5. Hydration

Our bodies are made of 80% water. All chemical and cellular reactions, transport of nutrients, and waste removal all use water in their processes. So for optimal functioning of our system we need to drink a lot of water and eat a lot of fruit and water-rich foods.

Epicure recommends you drink at least 1-2 liters of water a day, but as this may seem like a lot for some people we have some ‘secret ingredients’ we can add to your water to make it more palatable, but which don’t add any calories or sugar.

6. Eating times and frequency

Breakfast can be a difficult meal for many people – either they are too busy to eat and so skip breakfast (not good as it slows down the metabolism), or they eat the wrong foods, leaving them tired and lethargic. Neither option is good way to start the day!

Epicure’s research indicates that the most effective breakfast is fruit (or fruit juice) in the morning, as it works as a cleanser and gives your brain the sugar intake it needs to function.

A balanced lunch is essential, but if you’re still hungry in the afternoon eat something light, and then have dinner as early as possible. Or, if you prefer, reverse your eating habits and eat your main meal at lunch time and have a lighter meal in the evening (as they do around the Mediterranean, which is another reason they are healthier). Who wants to go to bed on a full stomach? You will also wake up lighter and more energetic!

7. Exercise

One of the reasons why people in many rural communities around the world are not overweight is because their life-style forces them to do a lot of physical exercise, such as farming, lifting, walking etc.

Epicure suggests that in order to stay fit and healthy, it is important to do an hour of exercise every day, such as walking, going to the gym, swimming, yoga, etc. Exercise not only burns calories and helps you lose weight, but it also elevates your heart rate, gets your circulation going, and increases your metabolism. Thus, your body is able to cleanse itself more effectively which will further increase your energy.

Unlike cars and other machinery, the more we use our body parts the better they function, so don’t waste any time, get started on your exercise today!

About the Author

Chaim kimel is the the managing director of epicurechefs.com. chaim has studied Physiology And Biochemistry at N.S.W university. He has, over the years researched publications on fad diets, food components on health and different ethnic communities eating habits effect on their health.Currently involved in Team building and teaching cooking. visit the web site http://www.epicurechefs.com

Tags: Allergies, allergy;, Author, Balanced Food, balanced food intake, Balanced Lifestyle, Bathroom Scale, Calorie Controlled Diet, central Asia, chemical and cellular reactions, Correct food combinations, diabetes;, director of epicurechefs.com, disease, Eating Fruits, Emotional Eating, energy;, Excessive Effort, Exercise Regime, food components, Food Deprivation, Food Groups, food intolerances, Food Plan, food stuffs, Food Types, food;, Fruits Vegetables, Gi Index, Glycemic Index, healthy food regime, High Protein, illness, Japan, Kimel, Low Gi, machinery;, managing director, Massive Weight, Mediterranean, Mediterranean Diet, obesity;, Optimal Weight, poor-quality food, Seven Steps, Team building, United Kingdom, United States; —

A short-cut to a smooth and healthy skin!
Lisa Hyde-Barrett

It is a daily fight to keep your skin healthy and smooth. But help could come from an unexpected quarter. Welcome to the world of glyconutrients!

You are 25 but look 35. Blame it on your skin! The skin is the largest organ in the body, and the most exposed. Pollution, ultraviolet rays in the Sun’s light, stress, lack of essential vitamins, all contribute to wear and tear your skin.

Most people don’t take proper care of their skin – either due to hectic work or due to pure ignorance. Lack of proper skin care can result in more skin-related diseases and allergies. Proper skin care is important for avoiding cold sores, spots, and skin cancer. Beauty therapies and skin care lotions are only effective up to a point when it comes to keeping your skin soft and smooth.

Exposure to sunlight causes loss of water in our body which leads to dryness of the skin. This results in the skin losing its elasticity and ‘sagging.’ This loss of elasticity normally happens with ageing. However, changing climatic conditions and atmospheric conditions such as ozone depletion cause the harmful ultraviolet B rays to cause more damage to our skin. This is where nutrition comes in.

In order to get the right skin, it is important to look at the part played by nutrition in skin care. That translates as getting more nutritional food into your diet. Lack of proper nutrition may result in the loss of natural oils present in your skin. Fresh vegetables, fruits, fresh juice, cereals, etc. contain vitamins essential for a healthy skin.

Vitamin E is said to be a skin-care vitamin. Apart from vitamin E, vitamins such as A and C are also essential for a healthy skin. These vitamins contain antioxidants which help the skin to maintain its natural oils. These antioxidants help to reduce the tendency of the skin to age. Ultimately they help fight the punishing effect that the climatic changes have on our skins.

But where do you get the vitamins and nutrients necessary for your skin’s health? Not from your daily diet. For various reasons, people cannot get the right quantity of vitamins and other nutrients into the body through their normal diet. And synthetic vitamins are out.

Enter glyconutrients. Eight essential sugars have been discovered to be the essential building blocks for our body cells recently. There is a lot of research going on about these essential sugars and the larger group of saccharides of which they are a part, called glyconutrients. These eight simple sugars are responsible for cell-to-cell communication necessary for keeping the body’s glands and organs, including the skin, healthy.

Skin care ointments and lotions containing glyconutrients are the best alternative to any beauty therapy. The intake glyconutrients is equally important for health care as well as skin care.

Consult your doctor or dietician, exercise, and drink a lot of water. And give your skin its daily dose of glyconutrients!

Resource box

Find out more about the best skin care products containing glyconutrients. Know more about the best skin care products with glyconutrients at http://www.deadly-health-myths.com/skin_care.html
About the Author

Lisa Hyde-Barrett, a registered nurse and wellness advocate, knows the value of good nutrition and its relationship with good health. She’s become passionate about the new research behind sugars, specifically glyconutritional products.

Tags: Allergies, Atmospheric Conditions, Author, Beauty Therapies, Climatic Changes, cold sores, Dietician, Fresh Juice, Glyconutrients, glyconutritional products, Healthy Skin, Hectic Work, Light Stress, Lisa Hyde, Lisa Hyde-Barrett, Natural Oils, Nutritional Food, Ozone Depletion Cause, Proper Nutrition, Proper Skin Care, registered nurse and wellness advocate, Skin Cancer, Skin Care Lotions, Skin Care Products, skin-related diseases, Sunlight Causes, Ultraviolet Rays, Unexpected Quarter, Water In Our Body —

There are more alternatives to expensive and potentially dangerous face lift procedures all the time. There are creams, gels, lasers, mini face lifts and there is even something called face lift tape. Many celebrities have been using this method for years, though they’ve kept this their own little secret.

Using this tape can help firm up your jawline and remove the signs of wrinkles and sagging skin. Many people swear that this method will take years, or up to 10 years, off your face.

This method is very affordable and can easily be done at home. It only takes a few minutes which is another reason this method is so popular with many people. Even though this is a very inexpensive and easy alternative to a face lift, don’t underestimate the results you can get.

In order to keep the tape hidden from view, there is a specific way you should apply it. When you are applying the tape, you need to pull the ends back and fasten them behind the head.

If you don’t have just the right hairstyle you won’t be able to adequately camouflage the tape. This is one of the drawbacks of using this kind of tape: limited hair style options.

Applying the tape to your skin, especially for extended periods of time can be uncomfortable all the way up to painful. For the most part, this product is best used for only short periods of time.

You may also find that the adhesive on the tape can cause redness and sometimes even irritation. If you have any allergies to adhesives you will want to make sure and check out your reaction to using the tape (just use the tape on a small inconspicuous spot to make sure you don’t have an allergic reaction).

To a point this tape may seem like a wonder “drug” but there are some drawbacks, such as the ones listed above. The point is, there are many options available. You need to try all the options you can to find the best option for you.

Most people are very hesitant to go completely for a full face lift, this is a very extreme surgery that can have a lot of potential dangers and side effects.

Using various methods such as creams, gels, and tape will allow you to explore various options so you can find which one is the best one for you.

Face tape may not be the neatest and newest way to make yourself appear younger, it’s probably been around longer than many of the people who are reading this article, but it can still be effective for some people for a short term fix.

As I stated above, the most important thing to remember when you are on a hunt to find the perfect product or procedure to help you freshen your look, whether it be with face lift tape or something else, it is that there are a lot of options available. Find the best one for you.

Tags: 10 Years, Adhesives, Allergic Reaction, Allergies, Camouflage, Celebrities, Diy, Face Lift, Face Lift Tape, Face Lifts, Few Minutes, Hair Style, Hairstyle, Jawline, Lasers, Sagging Skin, Short Periods, Signs, Style Options, Wrinkles —