Understanding Carbs to Stay Healthy
Barbara Morris

Low carb diets are popular. How good are they? How healthy are they? It all depends on what you know about the difference between different types of carbohydrates.

Common table sugar represents 20 to 25 percent of the daily caloric intake of Americans who live on the typical All American processed food diet. In the early 1800s average sugar consumption was about 12 pounds per person a year. In 1997, it was 152 pounds per person. Is that too much? You bet it is. Its making us old before we need to be.

Do we need carbohydrates? No, we dont. They are non-essential to the human diet. We do need water, fat, and protein. It is possible to survive for long periods without carbohydrates providing fat and protein needs are met. Fat and protein are broken down to make building blocks of carbohydrates as food and energy. This is something the carb-rich processed foods industry doesnt tell us.

Regardless of what is known about carbohydrate needs, we continue to consume massive quantities of carbohydrates. Therefore, its important to know which carbs are better than others. Its simple: All carbs are broken down into sugar in the body. The key is the rate and the amount that determines the level of sugar in the blood.

Complex carbs such as green leafy veggies, brown rice, potato, whole grain products, and fruits break down slowly. The result is a gradual rise and fall in blood sugar. It is generally understood that most complex carbs are good for you.

Refined, simple carbs such as cake, ice cream, cookies, breakfast bars, so-called cereals, and refined grains break down quickly in the body. This causes rapid elevation of blood sugar levels. These are not good for your health.

It should be understood that while refined carbs should be avoided because they are harmful, some complex carbs such as potatoes are not good because of their relatively fast breakdown.

How do you determine which carbs are really good, and what to avoid? Simple. Become familiar with something called the Glycemic Index of foods. When you look at a glycemic index for foods, bear in mind that the lower the rating, or number, the slower the digestion and absorption process and the better it is for your health.

As useful as the glycemic index is, you will need to learn which foods are good for you.. For example, a cup of low fat ice cream has a glycemic index of 50, which is lower than the glycemic index of a baked potato. Thats because the glycemic index rating of a refined sugar product is lower than that of a starchy food! So, learn to discern the difference between refined sugars and everything else. Just assume that if its made in a factory, its suspect!

Here are some glycemic index numbers for some popular food choices:
Baked Potato: 85; Cheerios: 74; Fanta soft drink: 68; Cheese pizza: 60; Banana: 54; Sweet potato: 54, Low fat ice cream: 50; Carrots: 49; Grapefruit juice: 48; All-bran: 42; Spaghetti: 41; Apple: 38; M&Ms (peanut): 32; Peanuts: 15; Yogurt, lot fat, artificially sweetened:14.

You can see from the above how misleading, yet useful the glycemic index can be.

The bottom is this: Do your homework. Dont rely on advertising or uninformed advice of well meaning friends to give you guidance about healthy eating. Making educated choices about what you put into your body puts you in the drivers seat and allows you to be in charge of how healthy you are, and how quickly or slowly you age.

About the Author

Barbara Morris, R.Ph., is a 76-year-old working pharmacist and recognized expert on unique anti-aging strategies. Author of Put Old on Hold, her message is for Boomers who want to feel and function as a healthy 40 or 50 year old for 25 or more years. She calls it Liberation Living a process she has discovered that bypasses infirmities and indignities of traditional old age. http://www.PutOldonHold.com

TOFU —-HEALTHY FOOD AND DELICIOUS TOO
Chacko Nedumkallel

TOFU —-HEALTHY FOOD AND DELICIOUS TOO

Today people are more health conscious and food habits have undergone a tremendous change. These days meat ,dairy products , eggs etc are used in very limited quantities. This is a trend more common in the Western world. People are looking for a 100 per cent vegetarian healthy alternative to high fat -content and cholesterol producing non-vegetarian diet .

Here comes the unique significance of soybeans and Tofu, a paneer like processed food . Tofu is made exclusively from health giving soyabeans . Therefore from the health point of view Tofu stands out as a complete protein which has all the eight amino acids.

Tofu is exceptionally popular world over and almost one billion people eat it often. No doubt it is free from saturated fat and cholesterol and thousands of people consider it as the primary source of protein.

Tofu is not just a new product.
For hundreds of years it was in use made exclusively from soybeans.
The manufacturing process is this: Soybeans are cooked and crushed to make a rich soyamilk. It is allowed to solidify and later cut into blocks.

Reputed Tofu making demands good packaging. Proper care is being taken to avoid contamination and spoilage. Modern packaging systems are followed by Tofu manufactures . This is essential for protecting the nutrition and flavour of soyabean. It also helps to increase
Tofus shelf lifewithout the use of preservatives and irradiation.
Regular Tofu consumers are aware of all these and that answers the increasing popularity of tasty Tofu .

..Genetically modified ( organism ) soybeans are not used in the manufacture of Tofu. And good quality Tofu is being made from wholesome soyabeans.

High health potential

Tofu is a food with unbelievably high health potential. If a person takes in 25 grams of soya proteins per day it provides complete cardiovascular health. On an average one serve of Tofu provides 6 grams of soya protein.
Several delicious preparations are made of Tofu. For example freeze it for several days for a chicken-like texture. Afterwards it can be grilled or baked
fit to be served as a delicacy that equals any tasty chicken dish.

Like other wholesome food Tofu too is good in fat calories but at the same time it is a low calorie source of protein .
Heart patients are advised to replace animal protein with plant protein and Tofu is considered in this connection as a good source of it.
Tofu has many food qualities. It is a good source of calcium too. And dietitians say that calcium found in Tofu is equally good in comparison to milk or cheese calcium.

Children love it
All children like Tofu because it does not have a flavour of its own. It takes the flavour of other things added to it while being cooked.
Some people replace eggs in their diet with Tofu. Tofu can be used in so many different types of dishes. People prepare fish-free and meat-free
dishes using Tofu and at the same time they taste like meat and fish. —

END
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About the Author

1982 -1997
Oman Daily Observer
Muscat
1975- 1981
Economic Times India

Healthy Diet Tips
Alan LeStourgeon

These healthy diet tips will keep you on the right path.
Although healthy people are generally at a natural weight, this
is not about dieting and losing weigh, its about lifestyle. The
mainstream seesaw of dieting is a moneymaker that doesn’t
address real health issues and concerns.

One of the best things you can do for your body is eat at least
twelve servings of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables every
single day. These foods are packed with the things that our
bodies need; natural, non-synthetic source of Vitamins A,B, C,
and E, disease fighting antioxidants, minerals like potassium,
calcium, phosphorous, and copper.

These days too many Americans get their vitamins from synthetic
sources that are isolated and chemically induced. The best way
to get this nutrition is from the good earth, directly from the
source, from fruits and vegetables. If eating that many
vegetables seems overwhelming, just think about the colors. Get
your blue and purples like blueberries and plums to reduce the
risk of cancer and protect your urinary tract. Eat green
vegetables like broccoli and celery to protect your bones, teeth
and eyes. Consume your whites like mushrooms and onions for
healthy heart function. Eat foods like oranges and carrots to
boost your immune system from the yellow and orange fruits and
vegetables. Finally, get your reds from foods like apples and
beets for memory function and heart health.

All of these fruits and vegetables have healing qualities and
you’ll feel the difference. If you can’t eat this much or don’t
have the time, drink juices made from a vegetable juicer, a
great way to get the nutrients you need.

In addition to eating fruits and vegetables, cut down on
saturated fats from processed foods and switch to unsaturated
fats from nuts like almonds and vegetables including avocado. In
general however, cut down on fat in your life and your heart and
body will thank you for it. Speaking of processed food, begin to
rid yourself of any processed foods. And of course, drink water
so that you are flushing the toxins out your system and staying
hydrated.

Use these healthy diet tips as a general guide to healthy
eating, not fad dieting.

About the author:

Alan LeStourgeon along with his wife Jean run the web site www.ezHealthyDiet.com
where they explore what it means to eat a healthy diet, have a
healthy
home and live a healthier life.