Choosing Fruits and Vegetables For A Healthy Diet
Dave Saunders

The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat about nine servings of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables each and every day. This is important to provide your body with the minimal levels of essential nutrients and antioxidants needed by each and every cell in your body to support optimal health. 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 healthy diet plan. Shelves of the grocery stores are bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables. Uncooked, these provide essential nutrients, fiber and even a portion of the water you need every day of your life. 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.

Adding nine servings of fruits and vegetables to your healthy diet plan is not as difficult as it sounds. Seek a variety of foods; choose foods with different colors because those colors are indicators of different nutrients inside the cells of the food. As a general guideline, the nine servings come out to two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day. Most people who add this to their diet quickly find that they no longer have cravings during the day and save money on other snack foods which typically provide no nourishment of any kind. So not only do you improve your diet, you can save money and experience the health benefits of a diet, high in whole foods and low in sodium, fat, simple carbs and preservatives.

As your wean yourself from a life of snack foods to better foods, you may experience some changes as your body uses the improved fiber and higher levels of nutrients to deal with your biological “to do list.” This is normal so keep at it and eventually you should experience more energy, better sleep and a variety of other benefits reported by people who share a better diet.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, choose a variety of different colors. This is for more than purely aesthetic 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.

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before. Be sure that you’re cooking things lightly to preserve as many of the essential nutrients as possible. Try to avoid putting any of your food through the microwave because the penetrating radiation heats water, sugar and fat molecules inside the food as well as on the surface and will damage even more of the essential nutrients than conventional cooking practices.

Many people mistakenly believe they do not need to eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement. Nothing could be further from the truth. Supplementation should be a means to supplement, not substitute, the benefits of a healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables contain far more than micronutrients. They also contain the more complex phytochemicals, phytosterols and essential fiber that you need to support proper cell function and optimal health.

While fresh fruits and vegetables are not the only component of a health diet, they are an essential one and are typically left out of the Standard American Diet (which is S.A.D.). Choose optimal health and choose a healthy diet. By adding fresh, raw fruits and vegetables to your daily diet, you too will discover the benefits that others do when they choose a healthy diet.
About the Author

Dave Saunders is a professional lecturer, and certified nutritional educator. He enjoys creating interconnections through his writings and lectures to help others create context and see new discoveries and technologies in more a practical light. You can find out more about new discoveries how to benefit from a Healthy Diet at www.glycoboy.com

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Achieving Youthful Healthy Skin with Vitamins A, C and E
Charlene J. Nuble

We all want healthy skin. While the main reasons for pursuing healthy skin tend to be purely shallow and cosmetic in nature, healthy skin is beautiful and keeps us looking younger than our years and there are actually some practical health benefits to maintaining the good health for our skin. The purpose of the skin is to act as a barrier. It serves to prevent bacteria, viruses and other contaminants from entering the body and causing infection, illness and disease. There are many vitamins and minerals that help to keep skin healthy and thus be able to serve its vital role in the protection of the body.

Antioxidant vitamins such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E are very important to healthy skin because it is these vitamins that share in the responsibility of controlling the damage that free radicals byproducts of energy production within the body and of environmental contaminants such as air pollution produce. Among the several types of damage done by free radicals is the destruction of collagen and elastin which are fibers that support the skin and keeps it looking supple. As these are damaged wrinkles and a lack of that youthful firmness can occur. Vitamin C also plays a part in the production of collagen making it essential to the function and look of the skin. Recent studies have found that Vitamin C and E used together may help to repair sun-damaged skin.

Vitamin A has its own important role in skin health and beauty in addition to its anti-oxidant properties. In terms of diet even small deficiencies can negatively affect the skin causing flakiness and dryness. Dryness can make lines and wrinkles that are much more apparent. Its primary use however, is as a topical solution for the treatment of severe acne and the reduction of lines and wrinkles themselves. Recent research has showed that a topical solution that contains both Vitamin A and Vitamin C can in some cases reverse the damage done by the aging process and by sun-damage.

Deficiencies in the Vitamin B complex can leave the skin prone to cracking, bleeding and dangerous skin lesions that allow all kinds of bacteria, viruses and other contaminants to easily enter the body. But in terms of strictly cosmetic concerns even a little shortage of the Vitamin B complex can result in scaly and poorly textured skin. Topical preparations have been found to play an important role in the hydrating of skin cells leading to noticeably firmer and healthier looking skin.

Vitamin K has been found to relieve those awful dark circles under the eyes. Some research has found that creams made up of both Vitamin K and Vitamin A are more effective than those that just contain Vitamin K but researchers are still following up on these results.

Minerals important to the look and to the health of the skin include selenium, copper and zinc. Selenium whether used as a topical solution or taken in the form of a dietary supplement is thought to play a big role in the prevention of skin cancer. Copper, zinc and Vitamin C work together to form elastin which helps to support skin keeping it firm and healthy.

Topical solutions and dietary supplements can help to keep the skin healthy and youthful in appearance. However, it is important to recognize that these are powerful substances and using them within the standard guidelines of dosage is essential to good health. There is such a thing as too much of abusing such natural healing powers which could then result to a not so pretty sight. But when used correctly however, your skin can look better than ever.

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About the Author

Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about Vitamins, please go to: http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/

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When you first start on the Atkins program, you may be tempted to take advantage of many of the low carbohydrate products on the market today. There are a wide variety of packaged items that are specifically manufactured to be low-carb. These include low-carb snacks, low-carb baking products and low-carb substitutes (like pasta or bread). While it may be enticing to fill your shopping cart with all of these goodies, its best for your diet and for your health to use them sparingly.

One of the key things to remember about the Atkins diet is its focus on raw, unprocessed foods. The center of diet, as shown by the Atkins diet food pyramid, is fresh vegetables and fresh meats. Added into the mix are natural cheeses, a selection of fruits and, eventually, whole unprocessed grains. There arent any packaged meats, canned vegetables or instant anything.

There is a reason that the Atkins food pyramid shows these foods in their raw states. There are great health benefits in minimally processed foods. Raw, whole foods retain more vitamins and nutrients than foods that have been through chemical and industrial processing. Manufactured foods are more likely to be tainted with chemical additives that can cause a whole host of problems.

Raw, fresh food ingredients provide the best basis for a healthy diet. Many dieters rely on foods that are technically allowed on the plan, but not good for health. One example is bacon. Many people on the Atkins diet consume lots of bacon. In fact, many use it as a daily part of their protein foods. However, bacon contains high amounts of sodium nitrite, an ingredient that is known to cause cancer. The more bacon they eat, the more they expose themselves to this chemical and many others.

The Atkins pyramid, and the Atkins diet books, recommends unprocessed, unrefined and non-manufactured foods for a reason. If people follow these recommendations, they will lose weight and experience health transformations. By eating fresh and natural foods youll be providing your body with the nutrients that you need to have optimum health.

Back to those packaged and processed low-carb foods. Technically, they are part of the low-carb program. They can be used in moderation as substitutes for your favorite carbohydrate heavy foods. In a pinch, low-carb bread and baked goods can help you get over cravings and add variety to your Atkins diet plan. However, one look at the labels of these products shows how chemically processed these items can be.

It is recommended that you use these products sparingly. In some individuals, low-carb packaged items cause carbohydrate cravings. This can make staying on the diet even more difficult. If you find that low-carb processed foods make you want to binge on carb-heavy foods, then its best that you stay away from these products. These products may also have hidden carb counts that will increase your daily carbohydrate level without you realizing it.

If you are experiencing a stall in your weight loss on the Atkins plan, re-evaluate your commitment to unprocessed and unrefined foods. If youve been eating too many low-carb processed foods, you may be consuming hidden carbs and eating more than necessary. Try eliminating these products and refocusing your diet on unprocessed and unrefined foods, like those seen on the Atkins diet pyramid. When you go grocery shopping, spend time along the outer rim of the store where the fresh, unprocessed foods are. This will help you avoid the temptation of packaged foods that can lead your diet astray.

You may need to rely on packaged meats, vegetables and fruits from time to time. We lead busy lives and convenience foods are part of life. Its understandable that you may need to use some canned soup, bacon or canned vegetables in your daily life. However, make an effort to concentrate your dietary efforts on a wide variety of fresh, unprocessed foods. Your health and weight loss efforts will be greatly rewarded.

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While they look and taste different, both black and green teas come from the same plant. The only difference among all true teas is how they are processed. For example, black tea is allowed to ferment, and it’s the fermentation process that gives it its color. Organic green tree is harvested and then dried before fermentation can occur.

One thing that surprises a lot of people is that many jurisdictions have no legal requirements for the use of the term ‘organic’. That means you could be buying something that isn’t organic at all, even though it is labeled as ‘organic green tea’. It’s possible that you are getting regular tea that was grown with the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Unfortunately, some manufacturers use the word ‘organic’ so they can charge more.

Your best bet is to only purchase organic green tea from trusted sources. Another thing that helps is to read anything the company has to support its claim of being organic. You want tea that hasn’t been treated with chemicals. The problem is that there can be trace amounts of these chemicals left on the tea leaves. You wouldn’t want to drink a cup of pesticides, so why take chances having any on your tea?

Organic green tea has the benefit of not being overly processed, and that traps in more of the leaves’ nutrients. Many people also find the aroma and taste to be more pleasing than black tea, which is sharper. That being said, all tea is good for you in some way, so it is often just a matter of preference. However, there are some things to consider before choosing which type you want to drink.

It just so happens that there are many health benefits to drinking green tea. Inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, burning fat, reducing cholesterol, regulating blood sugar levels, boosting metabolism, improved blot clotting and strengthening the immune system are just some of the health benefits that have been attributed to drinking green tea.

You may have to skip drinking tea if you are sensitive to caffeine, or have a health condition that prevents you from drinking it. Other than that, green tea is generally recognized as safe and is consumed by people all around the world. It has also been enjoyed for centuries, and is engrained in the cultures of many countries.

As long as you are drinking tea, it may as well be organic green tea. After all, you wouldn’t want to take any chances of making your health worse by consuming unknown chemicals. Drinking tea the way nature intended makes the most sense, and will give you all of the benefits Mother Nature intended.

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