Stress is a condition that makes us jittery, unrefreshed, and unable to sleep at night. Stress also tends to allow us to make necessitous, unhealthy food choices. However, healthy eating can actually reduce stress, and make you feel so much more fitting. Here are a number of helpful hints for fighting stress, through healthy eating.

Skip The Coffee And Other Caffeinated Drinks

Coffee, caffeinated drinks and beverages can exacerbate your stress levels. While some only provide brief relief, these disturb your body in the long run, because too much sugar and caffeine increases your blood sugar levels, and also heightens your stress levels. Instead of coffee, drink green tea, since green tea contains high levels of antioxidants, and and soothes the senses.

Carry Healthy Snacks At All Times

Replace chips and other unhealthy, sodium – filled snacks with natural snack food items, and go for sunflower seeds, celery sticks and carrot sticks instead. Also bring along with you protein – rich snacks in your bag or car, to reduce fatigue and to help avoid mood swings or anxiety attacks.

Eat Breakfast, And Bring your Lunch To Work

Never go to obligation or school on an empty stomach. Calm if you estimate you’re not hungry, you’ll need to eat something later on. Eating a healthy breakfast helps to maintain the proper blood sugar levels during the rest of the day. Authentic would also be nice if you bring your lunch to work or school. You’ll actually save a lot of money by bringing your lunch to work, and you’ll again be able to eat healthier food, instead of munch on the usual fried stuff found at the swiftly food joint or cafeteria.

Eat Lots of Fruits And Vegetables

Eating large amounts of fruits and vegetables can help fight stress. Fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of antioxidants and minerals that help ward off base free radical damage, which is believed to increase during stress or panic attacks. Keep forever to choose brightly – colored fruits and veggies.

Drink More Water

To reduce stress, drink at least eight glasses of water each day. Drinking more fluids helps flush right now stress – producing toxins from the body, and also helps to keep you energized. If you drink less water, your figure gets thrown out of balance, and you may suffer unexplained ropes gain, fluid retention, or loss of thirst, which can exacerbate any stressful situation.

Diet plays a major role in the fight against stress, so it’s important that you take everything you eat into consideration. Always father sure that you eat a balanced and healthy diet, and stay away from cholesterol – rich foods and saturated fats, since these tend to block the arteries with plaque. Regular exercise also helps to relieve stress. Exertion actually releases endorphins that raise the mood, and provides an instant energy boost. Exercise also allows the body, and the mind, to relax and repair itself.

24 Hour Fitness
http://www.www.24-hr-fitness.com

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Discover A Proven Truth Low Cholesterol Foods Can Save Your Life

Did you know you could be committing suicide and didn’t even know it? “You’re crazy! I’m not committing suicide.” You say. You are if you’re eating foods loaded with cholesterol. It’s a proven fact that high cholesterol foods can shorten your life span by years. When you continue to eat these high cholesterol foods, you kill yourself a little more each day. For you and your family, its important to get your bad cholesterol levels to a safe and life sustaining level.

Eating foods low in cholesterol, with a well balanced meal plan, is essential to lowering your cholesterol levels. The problem that most people face is that they lead busy lives. This leads to many of us grabbing junk food when hunger strikes. Its important to choose healthy low cholesterol foods over fast food. It will help if you make sure to pack healthy snacks when on the go. Perhaps most of all it is imperative for you to prepare low cholesterol foods at home.

When you eat low cholesterol foods, such as lean red meat, chicken and fish; you will start to see your bad cholesterol levels drop. You can balance your meals out with fresh vegetables and fruits. Often times when you follow a diet, which is low in cholesterol, you may begin to lose weight. Along with the weight loss you may also experience a higher energy level, mental alertness and less stress with the balanced diet.

Not all low cholesterol foods require preparation. If you are not sure how to cook low cholesterol meals, you can easily look up various menus online. Fruits, vegetables and nuts are both good examples of foods that can help lower cholesterol and require little or no preparation. Since many of these types of food require no cooking, it’s quite easy to pack them for snacks throughout your day. In addition instead of grabbing, fries and burger for lunch, you can carry a fresh chicken salad, balanced out with yogurt and fruit.

Another way to help lower your cholesterol is to make sure you drink plenty of water. Not only will the water help keep you hydrated, it will help to flush the excess cholesterol from your body along with other impurities. In addition the water helps to keep all of your bodily functions working at peak efficiency. Which means your body will tend to produce more of the good cholesterol (LDL) instead of the bad (HDL).

When you eat a diet with plenty of low cholesterol foods you also build up your immune system. This makes it easier to fight off disease. In fact eating a diet rich in low cholesterol foods is good for you all around. Plus when you lower your overall cholesterol levels you are less likely to develop heart disease, atherosclerosis (fatty deposits in artery walls) or to have a stroke.

Eating foods like oats and fiber are excellent for a good balanced diet. These foods are great to keep you looking young and feeling great. While you are learning to eat properly make sure that you include your family. Children learn their eating habits from their parents. Lead by example and show your kids how great it is to enjoy healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables, rather then cookies and ice cream.

Eating low cholesterol foods as an overall diet is a great way to lower your cholesterol. Thats not the only benefit however. You will also feel more energized and healthy. Due to low cholesterol food being healthy you will look better and feel younger.

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People Stuggle to Eat Healthy
Brian Clancey

Most people struggle to eat healthy foods throughout the day and
at each meal, according to results of an Ipsos-Reid poll for
Canada’s President’s Choice label.

The poll found 94% say they just can’t live without a favorite
food, while 7% concede they almost never make healthy food
choices.

“Canadians want food choices that help make it easier to eat
better and live healthier without giving up the foods and
flavors they love,” says Paul Uys, Vice President, Loblaw Brands
Limited. Most surveyed do understand the importance of reducing
the salt content of their diets and increasing fiber, Uys
noted.

These results “suggest they’re not eating as well as they could
because of their must-have meals,” say officials at Presidents
Choice. “In fact, 59% say they’d like to eat healthier but don’t
want to give up their favorite foods, with 40% citing comfort
foods like macaroni and cheese or pizza as real weaknesses.”

Finding Time a Priority — Doing It Hard

Despite these findings, the survey found people know it’s
important to eat well. Roughly 82% say finding the time to
prepare and eat healthy meals is a priority, yet half still find
it difficult to make healthy food choices.

“There are a number of other perceived barriers to healthy
habits other than favorite foods that may explain why eating
well can be a challenge,” Presidents Choice said in discussing
the survey results. “Time of day certainly seems to be a factor,
with more than 80% of Canadians finding it hard to eat properly
at some point.”

A quarter find it hard to eat healthy snacks during the day,
with 30% of woman falling prey to temptation, compared to 17% of
the men surveyed. Men, by contrast, struggle with breakfast,
with 24% saying they do not start their day with a healthy
breakfast, compared to 17% of women. This works out to 21%
finding it hard to eat a healthy breakfast. Fewer people have a
problem eating healthy meals the rest of the day. Even so,
eating a healthy lunch is a problem for 16% of people surveyed
and 15% find supper a struggle.

Cost, taste, and choice

The perceived cost, taste and overwhelming number of choices
when it comes to healthier food products also seem to be
barriers for many. In fact, 60% feel that the costs of eating
healthfully have increased, while 54% say their family would eat
more healthfully if the nutritious options tasted better.
Furthermore, 59% indicate they can be confused by the many
different things they’re supposed to look out for when shopping
for healthy foods.

“Canadians do recognize that specific foods are important in
achieving a well-balanced diet,” says Uys. “Interestingly
enough, the Healthy Eating survey found that 68% think it’s
important to incorporate sodium-reduced foods into their diet,
and 58% of younger Canadians aged 18-34 agree with this
statement. This is an age group that typically loves their salty
foods, so the fact that they’re aware that it’s important to
choose foods that offer responsible sodium levels is
encouraging.”

About 40% of those surveyed would like to incorporate more fibre
into their diet, but find it difficult. “There are so many great
and easy ways to add fibre to your diet – yogurt with a
high-fibre muffin and a handful of almonds is a perfect
breakfast to take on the go,” says Uys.

The Joy of Soy

The Healthy Eating survey found that just 29% of Canadians
incorporate soy protein into their diet on a regular basis.
While overall, soy is just one component of healthy eating
towards lowering cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk,
evidence continues to be strong on the benefit of soy protein
compared to animal protein sources.

Not only is soy a great source of vegetable protein and so low
in saturated fat – but many soy foods can be a source of omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids and a good source of calcium.
Despite this, 27% of Canadians feel they get enough protein from
other sources; 25% aren’t familiar with soy protein; 20% say
they’re not interested; 18% don’t like the taste; 13% don’t know
how to incorporate it into their daily diet; and five% don’t
know how much they should eat.

Nutritionists recommend consuming 25 grams of soy protein each
day – about eight grams per meal. “When you consider that just
one glass of PC Soy Beverage contains about a third of your
daily requirement, it’s easy to swallow,” says Uys.

Resources

Rachael Ray’s
30-Minute Get Real Meals

About the author:

Brian Clancey has a long standing interest in health and an
active lifestyle. This was the inspiration behind creation of
the http://www.thehealthyweb.com< /a> website, offering daily recipes and discussion of food and
health issues.

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Healthy snacks for healthy living
TonyRobinson

Snacking is one of those issues that can wreck the best laid
plan for healthier eating. Everyone wants a snack now and then,
but the key is to make those snacks healthy and nutritious as
well as delicious.

There are many great snacks that can be enjoyed guilt free. For
instance choosing snacks from whole grain products, fruits and
vegetables, milk and dairy products, meat and nuts can be a
great way to satisfy your craving without destroying your diet.

The world of grain and whole grain products contain a great many
healthy snacks, including whole grain breads (wheat bread and
rye bread are great choices), whole what bagels, wholesome
tortilla shells, pita bread and whole grain cereals.

The all important vegetable and fruit food group contains so
many ideas for healthy snacks that it would be impossible to
list them all here. Some of the best, tastiest and easiest fresh
fruit and vegetable snacks include baby carrots or carrot
slices, bit size vegetables such as broccoli florets, radishes
and green peppers, fresh vegetable and fruit juice and fruit
salads.

For a quick and easy fruit salad, try this five minute recipe.
Open a can of mandarin oranges and pour it into a bowl, making
sure to capture all the delicious juice as well. Cut up a
banana, an apple and a nectarine and add them to the bowl. Add
some strawberries, blueberries and raisins for extra taste and
color, and serve.

Of course fresh fruit also makes a great snack on its own.
Snacking on apples, bananas and oranges is a great way to eat
healthy and still enjoy delicious snacks. Keeping a bowl of
delicious fruit on the table or the coffee table is a great way
to encourage the entire family to eat healthier.

The milk and dairy products food group also contains many
healthy snack items, including low fat and nonfat yogurt, skim
milk, low fat puddings, cheeses and even chocolate milk.

Low fat cuts of prepared meats and low fat varieties of lunch
meats make great snacks as well. Sandwiches made with whole
grain bread and low calorie spreads like mustard can be a great
treat any time of day or night.

Canned tuna (packed in water of course), peanut butter, eggs and
egg substitutes, poultry, nuts and beans are also excellent
choices for healthy snacks.

When creating healthy snacks, it is important to limit the
consumption of high fat foods, and foods high in salt and
sodium. Instead of buying snacks in the snack aisle of the
grocery store, try making your own using some of the suggestions
listed above.

For added variety, try combining several different healthy
snacks in unexpected ways. For instance, try spreading peanut
butter on pita bread, or use it as a fun dip for apple slices.
Or top a whole grain English muffin with tuna and cheese. Place
it in the broiler for a few minutes and enjoy a healthy and
delicious snack.

Other good ideas for quick and healthy snacks include pairing
fresh fruit with nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt, adding fresh
fruit slices to cereal, and using fresh fruit and fruit juices
to make delicious smoothies.

To perk up bagels that are getting a little stale, try slicing
them into thin pieces and arranging them on a baking sheet.
Brush them with some low fat salt free butter or margarine, some
garlic powder and bake them for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.
This is a great way to make your own inexpensive and healthy
bagel chips without the preservatives or extra sodium found in
the store bought variety.

There are of course many other types of healthy snacks, and
their variety is only limited by your creativity. It is
important to make a variety of healthy snacks, and keep them
readily at hand. Replacing all those unhealthy snacks with
healthier alternatives is one of the best ways to keep snack
cravings from sidetracking your healthy eating goals.

About the author:

Tony Robinson is a Company CEO, webmaster husband and dad. In
his busy lifestyle he has placed importance on health and
fitness. Visit http://www.eat-healthily.com for good eating tips
and techniques to assist you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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