Tips for healthy eating with fruits and vegetables
Zaak OConan

Everyone knows the importance of a diet rich in healthy fruits and vegetables. Most people do not eat enough of these important foodstuffs, and increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables is probably the single most effective thing you can do to improve your overall health. Eating enough fruits and vegetables does not need to be chore. After all, fruits and vegetables are delicious, easy to buy and easy to use.

In addition, fruits and vegetables are rich sources of antioxidants, which are though to play an important role in maintaining good health. Antioxidants have been studied for their effectiveness at preventing cancer, heart disease and even reversing the signs of aging. In addition, fruits and vegetables are excellent source of trace elements and micronutrients. These important elements are not available in any vitamin pill; they must be obtained from the daily diet.

Tips for choosing the best fruits and vegetables
– When possible, choose fresh fruits possible. Fresh fruits and vegetables may contain more nutrients than frozen or dried varieties.
– Even though fresh is best, frozen and canned vegetables are great for out of season varieties. When buying canned fruits, avoid those packed in syrup and opt for those packed in water or juice.
– Choose fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors. Not only are bright, colorful fruits more attractive, but the different colors indicate different types and amounts of nutrients. For instance, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are good sources of beta carotene, while dark green leafy vegetables are rich in vitamin C and calcium.
– Be careful when cooking vegetables. A quick steam in the microwave with minimal water added is the best way to prevent loss of nutrients when cooking.
– Keep your vegetables healthy by adding minimal butter, margarine and oil. Most vegetables can be flavored using a stock, a low fat yogurt or fresh fruit pieces.

Understanding portion sizes
We have all heard the government recommendations that we eat 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. This talk of servings and portions can sometimes be confusing, so let’s take a look at just what a serving consists of.

A serving of a fruit or vegetable can be:

– A medium sized piece of fruit, such as an apple, banana or orange
– One large slice of a fruit like a cantaloupe, melon or pineapple
– Two pieces of small fruit, such as a kiwi fruit or plum
– One cup of strawberries, raspberries or grapes
– One half cup of fresh fruit salad
– One half cup of stewed or canned fruit
– One quarter cup of dried fruit
– One half cup of 100% pure fruit juice
– One half cup of cooked, canned or frozen vegetables
– One side salad

Unlike with many other types of foods, more is better when it comes to fruits and vegetables. When planning and preparing meals, it is important to plan ahead and include as many servings of fruits and vegetables as possible. Proper meal planning and shopping are the best ways to meet the five a day minimum recommendation for fruit and vegetable consumption.

Some tips for healthier living
– Stock the fridge with healthy snacks like celery sticks and carrots
– Keep a bowl of fruit, stocked with healthy attractive fruits like oranges, apples and bananas, on the kitchen counter and dining room table
– Drink a glass of 100% pure apple, orange or grapefruit juice every morning
– Warm up a cold day with a steaming bowl of vegetable soup
– Eat at least one salad every day. Experiment with different salad additions, like broccoli, sprouts, carrots and green peppers.
– Snack on fruits like apples and oranges. Dried fruits like apricots and raisins also make handy and nutritious snacks
– Add sprouts, cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes to sandwiches for extra variety
– Garnish meals with chopped or grated carrots
– Strive for at least two servings of vegetables at each evening meal
– Use your creativity to create exciting vegetable stir fries for family and friends
– Spice up the grill with vegetable and fruit kebobs
– Use baked apples and pears as great low calorie desserts
– Add vegetables like carrots, cabbage, onions, lentils and peas to soups, stews and casseroles.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

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Raw Food Diet – Healthy or Not?
Deborah Wilson

Raw foodism is a way of eating that has grown in popularity in recent years. Celebrities such as Woody Harrelson, Carol Alt, and Alicia Silverstone have gone raw. So what’s the story? Raw foodists believe that cooking anything over 120 degrees destroys essential food enzymes needed for proper digestion.

So is it myth or fact that raw food is better for you? As with so many things, the jury is still out. Whenever you make drastic changes to your diet, it’s important make sure you’re receiving all the nutrients you need. Those who incorporate more raw food into their diets such as fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh juices, and raw nuts often see a huge improvement in overall health and well-being. It may not be necessary to be so extreme as to eat everything raw in order to reap the benefits.

If you decide to “go raw,” how far you decide to take your raw diet is up to you. Many people choose to eat their morning and afternoon meals raw and then eat a cooked dinner. Forget the fads and do what feels right to you. Adding more raw fruits and vegetables to your diet never hurt anyone.

As for the health benefits, proponents of the raw diet claim it can lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, improve eyesight, heal skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis, and even aid in reversing chronic disease and cancer. While there is no research to back this up, more and more doctors and scientists are becoming interested in what raw food can do.

There are several great online raw food resources:

Health Diaries features blogs on the raw food diet. New raw foodists can read others’ diaries or start their own and track their progress.

Shazzie has been raw for several years. Her site features a blog, raw products, and several great before and after pics.

David Wolfe, the owner of Rawfood.com, is a well-known raw foodist. On his site, you can purchase raw food products, books, and just about everything else related to raw food.

Through these sites you’ll discover many more raw resources. There’s a great online community just waiting for those who are looking to improve their health through the raw food diet.

About the Author

Deborah Wilson is a freelance writer specializing in health and wellness topics.

Tags: Alicia Silverstone, Author, cancer;, Carol Alt, chronic disease, David Wolfe, Deborah Wilson, Eczema, Food Enzymes, Food Resources, Freelance Writer, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fresh Juices, Fruits And Vegetables, Lower Cholesterol, online community, owner, Proper Digestion, psoriasis, purchase raw food products, Raw Diet, Raw Food, Raw Food Diet, raw food resources, Raw Foodism, Raw Foodist, Raw Fruits, Raw Nuts, Raw Products, Rawfood.com, Resources Health, Shazzie, Woody Harrelson —

Nutrition for a healthy lifestyle
John Gibb

Nutrition for a healthy lifestyle can be a large step in maintaining your body’s physical performance and your mind’s well-being. Proper nutrition is often neglected in this day and age, with most people opting for fast food’s convenience and low price. However, there are plenty of foods you can eat that are simple to prepare and low in cost that can help give your body the materials it needs to be in its best working condition.

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is a must. They provide the body with nutrients it cannot receive elsewhere, and often feature anti-oxidants, a type of compound which helps the body to fight off free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that attack the cell membranes in your body, resulting in serious damage. Anti oxidants can be found in such foods as wild blueberries and tomatoes.

Nutrition for a healthy lifestyle can also be maintained through regular use of supplements. There are many once-a-day pills out there that help you reach your daily required value of the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly.

Nutrition for a healthy lifestyle also requires you to eat a certain amount of proteins and carbohydrates. Proteins give the body a means for creating new tissues, and for helping to repair old tissues. Without a high protein intake, your body will begin to break down.

Carbohydrates, on the other hand, play as the energy source for the body. Without enough carbohydrates, you will begin to feel sluggish and lazy. Too much, however, can also be a problem.

Your best bet is to visit a nutritionist, find a diet that is right for you, and take a supplement to give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs. Look for a supplement that contains all the vitamins you need and a level of calcium. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and a lack of it may result in osteoporosis.
About the Author

John Gibb manages http://www.nutritional-suplement-guides.com

The site dedicated to nutrition.

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Lean healthy recipes – Eat a variety of veggies for a healthier you
Fritz Blanc

The only way to keep up with the latest about lean healthy
recipes is to constantly stay on the lookout for new
information. If you read everything you find about lean healthy
recipes, it won’t take long for you to become an influential
authority.

The new food guidelines issued by the United States government
recommend that all Americans eat between five and nine servings
of fruits and vegetables each and every day. When you first hear
that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much
easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and
vegetables into your daily diet. For one thing, the shelves of
the grocery stores are fairly bursting with fresh fruits and
vegetables. In addition, vegetables and fruits are some of the
least expensive, most nutrient rich, foods in the supermarket.
With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is very
easy to make these nutritious, delicious foods part of your
daily meals and snacks.

When you take into account how much a serving really is, it is
actually quite easy to get five to nine servings of fruits and
vegetables per day. For instance, the recommended daily amount
actually equates to a quite reasonable two cups of fruit and two
and a half cups of vegetables every day. When you consider how
many fruits and vegetables are available, and how low the prices
usually are, it is easy to see how easy to reach this daily goal
really is.

One great way to get the nutrients you need from fruits and
vegetables every day is to take full advantage of the variety of
these foods available. Eating the same thing every day quickly
becomes boring, so why not pick a variety of fruits and
vegetables, in every color of the rainbow and in every
conceivable shape, size and texture, to give yourself a varied
diet every day.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, it is important to
choose a variety of different colors. This is for more than
purely artistic reasons. Different color fruits and vegetables
have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of
colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals
you need each and every day.

The more authentic information about lean healthy recipes you
know, the more likely people are to consider you a lean healthy
recipes expert. Read on for even more lean healthy recipes facts
that you can share.

Finding new recipes is another great way to ensure you get those
five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
Everyone likes to try out new recipes, and these new recipes may
just provide the impetus you need to eat all those fruits and
veggies.

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to
try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before.
For instance, everyone has eaten oranges, but have you tried
kiwi fruit or mangoes? How about spinach or kale? Trying new
things is a great way to find new favorites while getting the
best nutrition available.

Many people mistakenly think that they do not need to eat five
to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just
take a vitamin supplement. Actually, nothing could be further
from the truth. That is because fruits and vegetables contain
far more than the micronutrients identified by science and
synthesized in vitamin pills. While these micronutrients, such
as vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E are important to good
health, so too are the hundreds of other elements that are
contained in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. These
elements are not available in any pill, they must be ingested
through a healthy, balanced diet that contains plenty of fruits
and vegetables.

In addition, fruits and vegetables are much less costly than
vitamin pills. Fruits and vegetables are very inexpensive,
especially when purchased in season and grown locally. In the
long run, getting the nutrition you need from the food you eat
is much less expensive, and much better for you, than popping
those vitamin pills every day.

So don’t forget to get your five to nine servings of fruits and
vegetables every day. It may seem like a lot, but you can meet
this quite reasonable goal simply by including fruits and
vegetables as snacks, as garnishes, as side dishes and as meals.

Is there really any information about lean healthy recipes that
is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so
something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to
another.

About the author:

Fritz Blanc is a part time internet marketer who has created
many web sites about various subjects. You can visit one of his
web sites food and recipes at:
http://www.iwork4self.com/summerrecipes/summerrecipes Other
websites by the same author: http://bp-visa-007.blogspot.com
http://quikutz-die-cutter.blogspot.com
http://chicago-dental-veneer.blogspot.com

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