A Healthy Diet For Life
Namita Nayyar

Having established that your body needs a well balanced diet, with a good supply of carbohydrates, especially high – fiber foods, water vitamins and minerals, and a certain amount of protein, fat and bacteria, you need to know how to put it into practice.
Much media attention is focused on foods that one should not have, yet there has been very little to tell women how they can use food to enhance their life rather than make it more difficult. Forget the labels; every figure is relative and food manufacturers are frequently very selective about what they tell you, making your task of deciding what is right for you an impossible one. Instead build your choices on the following guidelines.

RESPECT YOUR MOUTH AND BODY: GET INTO THE HABIT OF ONLY EATING THINGS YOU LIKE AND NEED

Before you put anything in your mouth, ask yourself three questions: Do I want it/ Do I like it/ Do I need it?

If you want it and like it then go ahead and enjoy it, if you dont why bother wasting the eating experience? Throw all the boring, unnecessary eating out of your life.

The worst thing you can do with food is to feel guilty about eating it. If you have eaten something that you know is not the healthier but you really fancied it or were in a situation where you didnt have any choice, enjoy it an forget about it. Dont beat yourself up with guilt. Guilt is a negative emotion, which is likely to lead you to bingeing on comfort foods. This can then get you into a negative sugar or salt cycle in which you eat more of these foods, which in turn makes you feel even more guilty. You might then decide its not worth continuing with you healthy eating lifestyle. It is always worth persevering. Remember that life is for living and food is there to help us, not hinder us.

AIM TO EAT FIVE PORTIONS OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY

This provides your body with a good source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, to maintain your body in peak condition to fight diseases. Fiber helps your food to move effectively through the body, keeps you feeling pleasantly full and satisfied and in control of your eating habits, and your energy levels steady.

EAT THREE MEALS A DAY

This is usually made up of one main meal, a smaller snack or lunch-type meal and breakfast. You may, however, feel that you need two smaller snacks, such as a piece of fruit, a small sandwich or a piece of cake, in between two smaller meals. It all depends on your body rhythms. Meals should be based on carbohydrates, such as pasta, whole-meal bread, wholegrain cereals, rice or potatoes, along with fruits and/or vegetables. The main meal should include a source of lean protein, along with carbohydrate and plenty of vegetables and fruits.

CHOOSE LEAN SOURCES OF PROTEIN

Fish, shellfish, lean red meat, game, poultry, eggs or pulses meet your bodys protein requirements without overloading on fats.

TRY TO GET INTO THE HABIT OF USING JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF FAT

You can use butter, olive oil, sesame oil or walnut oil to enhance the flavor of your food or for cooking, but do try to keep the quantity low.

KEEP YOUR INTAKE OF REFINED SUGAR FOODS LOW

Too much sugar disrupts your natural energy balance, and can cause headaches; mood swings and if eaten in large quantities sugar sensitivity problems such as hypoglycemia and diabetes mellitus. It is much better to get into the habit of using the natural sugars in fruits to provide sweetness.

INCLUDE SOME DAIRY PRODUCTS OR ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF CALCIUM IN YOUR DAILY DIET

This has far reaching benefits for all women of all age group .

DRINK TWO THREE LITERS (FOUR TO FIVE PINTS) OF WATER EVERY DAY

Water helps the fiber in your food to swell and perform its duties. It also helps to metabolize other nutrients from your food, keep your skin and hair healthy and prevent your body from becoming dehydrated.

TRY NOT TO DRINK MORE THAN THREE CUPS OF COFFEE, TEA OR COLA .

All such drinks contain caffeine, which inhibit the absorption of vitamins and minerals from the gut, causes your body to excrete vital nutrients and interferes with the fluid and energy balance mechanisms in your body. Caffeine also causes your body to be stimulated in an artificial way, which in the long run has the opposite effect of supressing your performance and general feeling of well

INCLUDES SOME GOOD BACTERIA IN YOUR DAILY DIET, IN THE FORM OF LIVE YOGURT CONTAINING BIFIDUS AND ACIDOPHILUS

A small pot of bio yogurt a day should help to keep a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. If you dont like or are unable to eat live yogurt, seek the advice of your dietician

TRY TO EAT REGULARLY AND IDEALLY NOT LEAVE YOUR STOMACH EMPTY FOR MORE THAN FOUR TO FIVE HOUR

This helps to keep your gut functioning effectively. Regular eating helps your gut maintain a steady supply of digestive enzymes, protects it from excess acid secretion and enables it to metabolize food in the most efficient way, to keep your energy level and moods on an even keel

KEEP YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE MODERATE

Some drinks, especially young red wines such as Beaujolais, contain anti-oxidant vitamins and minerals, which can help to reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Beers and Champagnes can also provide beneficial nutrients. Drinking can be a very pleasurable part of a healthy lifestyle, but drinking to excess can cause liver damage, mood and energy-balance problems. Try not to drink on an empty stomach as this can cause your blood sugar levels to crash.

FOOD COMBINING/SEPARATING

The issue of whether you should eat proteins and carbohydrates at the same meal is one that regularly crops up in the media. Some diet consultants feel strongly that proteins and carbohydrates should be separated, and advocate that proteins should be eaten only with vegetables and fruit, not mixed with carbohydrates. Many people feel that their body functions better if they out this into practice; it is commonly known as food combining.
From the physiological and nutritional viewpoint, proteins (meat, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, pulses) provide the body with amino acids, used as building blocks within muscles and other tissues. Carbohydrates provide energy and fiber. If you eat proteins on their own, without carbohydrate present, the protein can be broken down into energy, rather than used for building body tissue. Proteins also have other important functions to perform in maintaining body health and carbohydrates protect proteins, enabling them to fulfill these functions.

The choice is yours, but there is no physiological reasoning behind food combining. I believe that food is there to be enjoyed. Women should not have to agonize over whether they are allowed to eat certain things at certain times.

To know more on how to make healthy choices of food while eating ,log on to www.womenfitness.net,a complete resource for healthy living .

About the Author

Ms Namita Nayyar is a gold medalist in M Sc (Child development)and a fitness trainer with a sound knowledge of normal & therapeutic nutrition . She is the founder of Women Fitness (www.womenfitness.net)

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5 Healthy Ways to Prevent and Heal Stretch Marks
Charles Kassotis

Stretch marks are a common dermatological problem in both sexes of all ages. Stretch Mark scars are formed when our skin needs to be stretched quickly. A sudden weight gain, pregnancy, puberty, height gaining, and sudden weight loss may cause cases like that. The inner layer of the skin tears as the normal production of the major protein that makes up the connective tissue in our skin, collagen, is disrupted. Trying to heal the wounds, the skin is increasing the amount of collagen in the overstretched tissue, resulting in those familiar pinkish lines.
If you are in one of these situations, watch out, you don’t want to see these lines on your skin later. Stretch Mark Treatments are often ineffective and in some cases very expensive. It is better prevent than to treat, so here are some prevention tips for you.
Follow a balanced diet. Keep your weight gain within the recommended range, as sudden weight gain or weight loss is the most common cause of stretch marks as well as other health problems. If you have weight problems or sudden weight changes consult your doctor or dietician.
Drink plenty of water. Hydration is important for your overall health and it is critical to healthy skin. Skin needs water for elasticity. Dehydration makes skin looking dry, lined and feeling delicate, being vulnerable enough for stretch marks and scars.
Vitamins are a certain way to ensure proper nutritional status and shiny strong skin in and out. All vitamins are essential for healthy skin but you can make sure that you take enough of the skin beneficial vitamins; Vitamin A is critical for normal life cycle of skin cells, vitamin C, iron and copper which are important for the synthesis of collagen, folate is important for rapidly dividing skin cells, Vitamins B1 and B2 are critical for energy production in the cells and vitamin B12 is essential for a variety of synthetic processes in the cells.
You can also use a body brush to massage the areas where you have or want to prevent stretch marks from appearing, such us the thighs, buttocks, breasts and arms. This massage will increase circulation to the area, adding points to your efforts.
Moisturize your skin externally. You can apply several moisturizing creams and oils. Daily massage the area with a substance of your choice. Olive oil, vaseline, vitamin E cream, different types of butter such us cocoa butter, coconut butter and shea butter will do fine. There are also special creams marketed especially for stretch mark prevention, formulas that are designed to help enhance collagen production and support the dermis. These moisturizers will help keep your skin supple and elastic plus serve as nutrition for your skin.
Finally, keep in mind that the appearance of stretch marks is not entirely in your hands. Heredity and skin complexion is also important. Stretch marks are the result of a healthy body trying to heal itself.
So, if despite your efforts you continue to see stretch marks on your skin, do not despair. You are a healthy individual and your marks tell a story. There are always new treatments waiting for you to try, and cosmetic science is always progressing rapidly in this direction.
About the Author

For free daily articles, ideas and tips to fight scars and stretch marks visit The Stretchmarktips.com at www.stretchmarktips.com

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If you have been searching for some quick weight loss methods, but have been unable to find any thing for you, then perhaps you will find something in this article that will help you find something for you. There are a variety of different ways to lose weight, from dieting to exercising to using dietary supplements. By looking at your different options, you can determine which quick weight loss method is right for you.

The most tried and true method of losing weight is diet and exercising. By finding a well-balanced diet for you and exercising on a regular basis, you can help ensure that your body stays in top shape, as well as helping to reduce your overall weight. By eating right and exercising, you help your body stay healthy, making sure it is able to burn all of the fat that it needs to in order to operate well. Drinking cold water helps your body to burn off fat because your body has to work harder to raise your temperature back up.

Another type of method for losing weight is by using dietary supplements. These supplements aim towards helping lower weight gain by a variety of methods. Some of these supplements work by decreasing your appetite, while others work by increasing the number of calories that your body burns. A combination of dietary supplements might provide you with the best weight loss methods, and combining these supplements with exercising and dieting can help to ensure you lose the maximum amount of weight you can.

If you are looking for more powerful methods of weight loss, then the over-the-counter weight-loss drug known as Alli may be what you are looking for. This is the highest strength weight loss drug that you can buy that does not require a prescription. If you are unable to find the weight loss that you need from other methods, then this drug may be exactly what you are looking for. Remember, dieting and exercise can help go a long way, even when using weight-loss drugs.

For those with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above, prescription strength weight-loss drugs may be the way to go. These drugs are extremely powerful weight loss methods and should not be used by anyone that does not truly need them. If you are seeking to lose a couple of pounds, the other methods mentioned will be more than sufficient in your goal. But for those seeking to truly turn their life around and get back on a healthier track, then these drugs can be the gift you have been looking for.

So search for the variety of different methods which will fit your lifestyle and needs best. If you are looking for a quick method to lose weight, then a combination of these methods can help to ensure that you lose the weight you want. With these quick weight loss methods, you are sure to reach your ideal weight.

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If you are searching for teenage pregnancy diet plans, then you are aware that it is important. As any mother will know, there are many special dietary needs that teenagers have. Whether you have a growing teenage boy or a growing teenage girl, you understand that there are some things that they need more than others. You have probably tried to help give them exactly what they need while trying to keep them away from all of the stuff that only serves to make them a little unhealthier. The old saying goes mother knows best, and that holds true not only in regards to knowing teenagers have special dietary needs, but also that pregnant women do.

Pregnant women strongly need to have a balanced and nutritional diet. Without a healthy diet, the risks of complications with the birth and with the baby itself increase exponentially, thereby increasing the danger to the mother herself. This can be quite a trying thing to the mother, especially if she does not realize the danger that she can put herself and her baby in by not eating a nutritious and healthy diet. For the mother who does not realize this requirement before something happens, it can be a tragic and devastating blow.

So what do you do when you have a pregnant teenager? As you can imagine, the dietary needs for pregnant teens can be extremely important. Not only does the mother have to take care of her own teenage dietary needs, but she also must consider the balanced and healthy meals that provide the growing baby with the sustenance that it needs in order to live and to continue to grow. This can be an extremely challenging task and is of the utmost importance both to the babys health and to the mothers.

The best thing to do in regards to teenage pregnancy diet plans is to talk to a nutritionist about the specific diet plan that would be right. This can help to ensure that you get the exact nutrition that is right for the situation. When in doubt, it is always best to play it safe. Nutritionists specialize in making sure that certain people get the right types of food for their conditions.

Teen pregnancy can be a scary thing. If a nutritionist or a doctor is not an option, then the best choice is to search the internet in order to find diet plans for pregnant women. Try to ensure that your diet is well balanced and is not too small. If you do not have enough to eat, you can make things worse for yourself. Pregnant women are often tired, and without proper nutrition, this can cause serious amounts of weariness. If you are looking in order to try and find the quick facts about teenage pregnancy diet plans, then be sure to double check your information with other websites, in order to ensure it is correct.

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