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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How to Make Healthy Food Choices!
Hans Hasselfors

It’s Thursday afternoon, you have thirty minutes to get from
work, go by the house and pickup Heath, Jamie’s already at
basketball practice, oh, and what about dinner? Does this
scenario seem familiar? If you’re a working Mom, I can promise
that it is a familiar scene.

So how do you make healthy food choices, when you only have
fifteen minutes to prepare your meals? Well, the first thing you
should realize is that quite often, healthy choices do not
necessarily equate to two hour meals. You can make healthy food
choices that are as quick to prepare or pickup as the unhealthy
ones.

For example, sub sandwiches are a healthier alternative than
pizza or burger and fries, but do not really take any longer to
pickup. Salads can be prepared in just a few short minutes, and
provide for the necessary vegetable daily requirement. Don’ care
for the usual salad? Make a Waldorf or fruit salad, either way
you’ve changed it up a bit, and still provided a health choice.
As for the dressing, oil based or vinegar based dressings are
much better for you than the cream based, and are really more
tasteful. Okay, suppose salads aren’t what your kids like. What
about other prepared foods that are also healthy foods? Healthy
Choice is a brand of frozen entrees or meals that take only a
few minutes in the microwave to prepare, and are still healthy
alternatives. Baked rather than fried is always a better choice,
and many supermarkets today offer baked products fresh from
their bakery, ready to go.

Still aren’t satisfied? You want a place to go and actually sit
down and eat. There are still many healthy alternatives for a
family when going to eat at a restaurant. Restaurants that offer
buffet style meals are great choices. Thanks to many of the
health conscious consumers out there, buffets have added baked,
broiled, and fresh food choices to the display. Fresh fruits and
vegetables are usually always available on food bars, along with
broiled or steamed vegetables. Meats are just about as varied,
with many of the choices being offered in a fried and baked
option. And if you’re up for dessert, watermelons and grapes are
just as satisfying as the Boston cream pie.

You can always throw up objections when it comes to healthy
eating, the real trick is in realizing it’s your body that will
suffer. Or your children that will suffer from the unhealthy
choices you make. Why not start with healthy options, set the
right example, and you will have children that make health
conscious intelligent decisions about their eating.

Okay, now back to our Thursday afternoon juggling act. You’ve
dropped Heath at baseball practice, picked Jamie up from
basketball, and you have exactly fifteen minutes to make a
decision about dinner. As you sit at the red-light contemplating
your options, there is a Subway, a Pizza Hut, and a grocery
store with a deli in the same shopping center. How can this
still be a difficult choice to make?

DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical
practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes
only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always
seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care
provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical
condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay
in seeking it because of something you have read. Since natural
and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be
accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that
the statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product
is not intended to “diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.”

About the author:

About the Author: This article was published by Hans Hasselfors
from http://www.SubmitYourN
ewArticle.com. Visit our article directory for more articles
about health food.

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Healthsparguide.com to Healthy Living
Ray La Foy

Doctors all over the world are up in arms over the dramatic increase in weight – related diseases. Diabetes, high-blood pressure and the like are expected to be top health killers in the next 10 years. The main culprit, as studies have shown, is the unhealthy lifestyle of the so-called microwave generation. Foods, which contain high level of calories but lacks the necessary good nutrients, are digested every-single day by millions of people. It is not surprising that in America, two thirds of its citizens are considered overweight.

As expected, a great number of quick-fix solutions to eradicate the problem are being peddled by so-called diet-gurus. However, though some of the solutions and diet formulae have worked in certain cases, for the most part, those who have indulged in these drastic methods have found themselves regaining the lost weight – big time! This is because the diet formula being marketed does not correspond with the bodies’ cellular level.

In comes the healtsparguide.com. This no – nonsense website caters to all women and men who wish to know more about losing weight effectively but safely. Healthsparguide.com contains valuable links and as the name suggests, guides to various methods on healthy weight loss regiments.

For example, the website features weight loss health spas and spa resorts that, aside from providing stress management treatments, offer realistic programmes covering the basics of having balanced diets, healthful cooking techniques and of course effective weight loss management. These spa resorts may also be referred to as a spa vacation. Instead of intense workouts, adventure activities are offered. These activities rejuvenate the spirit, at the same time helps tone the body.

What else does healthsparguide.com offer? Diet methods that are designed to hunt down and burn fat tissues without starving oneself. Unlike, say, other diet fads that only weakens the body’s system, the prescription in Healthsparguide.com realistically teaches that the problem of being overweight is the result of eating the wrong food, the wrong types of calories per meal and eating meals in the wrong patterns each day. Therefore, you lose weight not by eliminating the carbs or the protein, but by eating the right food at the right intervals.

To further assist those who want to shed excess pounds, an online diet generator is created, “which gives the right daily menu each day so there’s no need to calculate anything while shifting ones calories.” This is done by constantly “alternating the menu between every possible type of calorie, constantly shifting from one type of calorie to the next, ensuring that the scale keeps dropping.”

The website also provides in depth ranking and reviews of leading herbal diet pills. Not all pill manufactured are however featured. The products chosen have, as tested by experts, demonstrated high overall effectiveness, low occurrences of side effects and high success rate. A trim spa in one pill!

Aside from that, the pill is also ranked based on effectiveness, longevity, safety, quickness of results and success rate. Likewise the rating considered the prices, guarantee, reputation, customer service, ease of use and overall satisfaction.

The benefits that one may get with this online guide are truly endless. For one, the weight loss regiments are safe and cost-effective. Two, it logically explains that in order to lose weight, you have to eat the right food at the right time. And three, weight management programmes created by experts are so practical and easy to use. So, instead of going to a day spa, why not spend a couple of minutes of your time browsing through the wonders of healthsparguide.com.

About the Author

Healthy Living
Learn more at
http://www.healthsparguide.com

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Getting the most from healthy fruits and vegetables
Tony Robinson

Fruits and vegetables are among the healthiest of all foods, and
the great variety of these foods at the local grocery store
makes it easier than every to enjoy great meals and snacks
anytime the mood strikes you.

The latest food guidelines recommend that adults eat from five
to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. While that
may seem like a lot, it is an important goal to strive for, and
a very reachable one.

A serving of a fruit or vegetable is equal to:

1 medium sized vegetable or fruit (such as an apple,
orange or banana) 2 small fruits (such as kiwi fruit or
plums)  cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruits or
vegetables  cup of 100% fruit juice  cup of
dried fruit 1 cup of green salad

Eating a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables is a great
way to start a healthier lifestyle. Diets high in fruits and
vegetables have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease,
diabetes, stroke and even some kinds of cancer. Diets high in
fruits and vegetables are also important in maintaining a
healthy weight.

Since different varieties of fruits and vegetables contain
different types and levels of nutrients, it is important to each
a good variety of fruits and vegetables. Eating a good
combination of yellow, orange, red and green fruits and
vegetables is a great way to ensure adequate levels of nutrition.

Fruits and vegetables are also an important source of fiber. One
way to maximize the amount of fiber you get from fruits and
vegetables is to eat the entire fruit and vegetable including
the edible peel. Eating fruits and vegetables whole, instead of
simply drinking fruit juice, is the best way to enjoy the fiber
these foods have to offer. Orange juice may be very healthy, but
it does not contain the same amount of fiber as a whole orange.

Getting sufficient fiber in the diet offers a great many health
benefits, including aiding in digestion, lowering levels of
cholesterol in the blood, reducing the risk of heart disease and
stroke, and reducing the chances of some forms of cancer. In
addition, fiber is though to play an important role in
controlling levels of blood sugar in diabetics. Fiber also helps
dieters feel full while limiting the number of calories you
consume.

Many people wonder if canned and frozen fruits and vegetables
are as healthy and nutritious as the fresh varieties. The simple
answer to this question is yes. Canned and frozen fruits and
vegetables contain just as many vitamins and minerals as their
fresh counterparts, so it is fine to replace fresh fruits and
vegetables with canned and frozen varieties when fresh ones are
not available.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are often less expensive, however,
especially when they are in season. In addition, local farmers
markets and produce stands are often great sources of the
freshest, most delicious fruits and vegetables at some excellent
prices.

How vegetables and fruits are prepared is just as important as
how they are chosen. It is important to rinse fresh fruit and
vegetables thoroughly under clean running water. This step is
important in order to remove any dirt, pesticide residue or
bacterial contamination. The outermost leaves of lettuce and
cabbage should be removed, and the outside of root vegetables
like carrots and potatoes should be removed, especially if you
plan to consume the skins of those vegetables. Vegetables and
fruits should be washed right before they are used in order to
keep them as fresh as possible.

The best ways to cook vegetables in order to maintain their
freshness are to boil, microwave or steam the veggies until they
are tender and crisp. It is best to use as little water as
possible when cooking vegetables. That is because overcooking
can destroy some of the valuable vitamins and minerals the
vegetables contain.

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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