Do you eat a wide variety of foods for a healthy diet?
Zaak OConan

One of the most frequently cited reasons that diets and attempts at healthy eating fail is boredom. Many people simply do not know how to keep a healthy diet interesting day after day, and it can be quite a challenge.

Given the huge variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meats and other healthy foods at the local grocery store, however, it is definitely possible to create exciting, nutritious meals that will keep boredom at bay.

Your key to healthy eating
The key to the success of any plan for healthy eating is to eat what you like, but to exercise moderation when it comes to the less healthy foods. Improving your level of health and fitness does not mean forgoing that piece of chocolate cake, for instance. It does mean, however, limiting yourself to one piece. A healthy diet contains all types of foods, including carbohydrates, proteins, and even fats. The key is choosing foods that provide the best combination of taste and nutrition. After all, if your diet consists of foods you hate, you will not stick with it.

The revised USDA food pyramid contains five major food groups – grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy, and meat and beans. When choosing foods from these groups, it is important to eat a wide variety of foods from every food group. Doing so will not only give you a great deal of variety and keep boredom from setting in, but it will provide the best nutritional balance as well. In addition the widely known macronutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, etc. all foods contain a variety of micronutrients. Though present in extremely tiny amounts, they are vitally important to good health. That is why a healthy, varied diet is so important.

In addition, when choosing foods from within the various food groups, some choices are naturally better and healthier than others. For instance, choosing skim or 2% milk instead of full fat whole milk is a good way to cut down on both fat and calories. And choosing poultry or lean meat is a great way to get the protein you need every day without extra fat, cholesterol and calories.

Likewise cereals and breads that carry the whole grain label are healthier than those who do not. Even in the world of fruits and vegetables some choices are better than others. For instance, peaches packed in heavy syrup add unnecessary sugar to the diet, while those packed in water or juice provide only good nutrition.

There has been a trend lately to add vitamin fortification to food, and this can sometimes be a good way to maximize nutrition. It is important to remember, however, that proper nutrition comes from a healthy diet, not from vitamin supplements. It is fine to buy calcium fortified cereal, but the bulk of your calcium intake should still come from milk, dairy products and green leafy veggies.

Choosing the best foods
Knowing the five major food groups and how much of each to eat every day is only part of the picture. The other part is choosing the best foods from within those food groups. That means things like choosing the leanest cuts of meat, using egg substitutes instead of whole eggs, choosing the freshest fruits and vegetables, etc.

Even with fruits and vegetables, some choices are better than others. Some fruits, such as avocados, for instance, are packed with fat and calories. It is important to check the nutritional qualities of the fruits and vegetables you buy, and not simply assume that all fruits and vegetables are equally healthy.

One way to maximize nutrition while minimizing cost is to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Fruits and vegetables that are in season are usually quite a bit cheaper than those that must be shipped hundreds or even thousands of miles, and they are generally much fresher too. Of course, depending on where you live, there may be varieties of fruits and vegetables that are not available locally, so the northerner in search of citrus fruits will just have to watch the sales and buy accordingly.
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

Tags: Author, Boredom, Chocolate Cake, D Vitamin, dairy products;, Food Group, Food Groups, food pyramid;, food;, Fruits Vegetables, Good Health, Health And Fitness, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating, Healthy Foods, Local Grocery Store, Moderation, Nutritional Balance, Nutritious Meals, Tiny Amounts, Usda Food Pyramid, USDA;, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Whole Grains, Whole Milk —

Can Pizza Actually Be Healthy For You?
Ryan Cote

This article may come as a surprise to you, especially if you
follow a healthy and nutritious diet…

It’s about pizza, the weakness of many people including me. I
love pizza- always have. I make sure I eat it in moderation, but
it’s still one of my favorite foods.

Now there’s good news for pizza lovers.

According to Men’s Health magazine, research concludes that
pizza can be good for you. It’s important to point out, however,
that we’re talking about real pizza- not the kind you get from
Pizza Hut, Dominoes or the frozen food section of your
supermarket. By real, I mean pizza made with real crust, real
tomato sauce and pure olive oil.

According to Men’s Health, scientists writing in the European
Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating pizza can reduce
your risk of a heart attack. In a 4-year study of nearly 1,000
Italians, those who ate pizza at least once a week were 30
percent less likely to experience a heart attack than the folks
who didn’t partake of the pie.

This is contributed to pizza’s cardio protective ingredients,
including olive oil and tomato sauce. And here’s a way to make
the pizza even healthier: top it with vegetables, part-skim
cheese and use whole wheat crust. You’ll then have a meal that
is actually good for you.

Can you get this kind of a pizza in a pizzeria? You might be
able to find some that offer whole wheat crust, but I doubt
you’ll find any that offer part-skim cheese. What you can do is
buy the ingredients at your local grocery store and make the
pizza yourself. Speaking from experience, this can be a fun
thing!

Enjoy the experience of making your own pizza and savoring a
nutritious meal. After all, feeding your body with nutritious
meals is the number one thing you can do for better health.

About the author:

Ryan Cote is the owner of SimpleHealth123.com, a website
supplying aging
healthy products and a free 4-day health e-mail course, and
GetHealthyReport.com, home of the anti-aging product,
Get Healthy!

Tags: anti-aging product, Author, Better Health, E Mail, European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, Frozen Food Section, Fun Thing, GetHealthyReport.com, Health Magazine, Health Scientists, healthy products, heart attack;, Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, Local Grocery Store, Men S Health, Men's Health, Nutritious Diet, Nutritious Meal, Nutritious Meals, olive oil;, Own Pizza, owner, Pizza Hut, Pizza Lovers, Protective Ingredients, pure olive oil, Real Pizza, Ryan Cote, SimpleHealth123.com, the European Journal, Tomato Sauce, Wheat Crust —

Most of us have had to wage our own little battle of the bulge at one point or another in our lives. To increase your odds of success the next time, here are some tips on the fast ways to lose weight.

Now, be aware, that these tips are going to be the best options you will have for fast ways to lose weight, the healthy ways only. Some of the tips I will give you may actually be a little borderline but they should be ok if you only use them for a short time to jump start to your weight loss.

Here are some important things to keep in mind:

1. Many times you can jump start your diet with a cleanse and / or a fast. Of course, before you start any type of diet, cleanse or exercise program you absolutely should talk to your doctor first. There can be dangerous side effects and that can be compounded if you already have some health issues.

A cleanse will enable you to cleanse your body of a buildup of fecal matter and toxins. It may sound gross but it can be a good way to lose some weight right off the bat.

Be aware, though, that this type of weight loss is almost always water weight. As soon as you start eating solid food again, you will just gain it all back. It is more about cleansing your body that any real weight loss.

2. Many people can actually benefit from eating more. That may sound weird but few people eat enough good food throughout their day to keep their metabolism firing hot all day long.

When I started eating 6 small, nutritious meals a day I lost weight. I lost 6 pounds in one week. It was challenging at first but it did work.

The best part of it was that I was giving my body what it needed… in other words I was losing weight in a healthy way.

3. Drink more water. Few of us drink as much water as we should. It’s recommended that you drink half of your body weight in ounces of water everyday.

For example, if you weigh 200lbs. you should drink 100 ounces of water daily. It can’t hurt to discuss this with your doctor too. Believe it or not it can be dangerous to drink too much water too. Find out what the right amount is for you.

4. Exercise. If you hate the idea of going to the gym than you must rearrange your thinking. There are a lot of exercising options that don’t require a gym membership. Find one or more that you like and then do them on a daily basis.

In our society we tend to over think things. We seem to think if we can’t do a marathon we can’t workout at all. Not true. Even small changes can make a big difference over time. Start small if you have to, but start.

The most important tip I can give you is to have realistic expectations. Fast ways to lose weight may be possible depending on what you mean by fast and how much weight you have to lose. But in most cases slow and steady weight loss, in a healthy way, will get you where you want to be and will make it easier for you to keep the weight off.

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Any teenage diet plan can pose a potential health risk, especially in people who have certain medical conditions. It’s imperative, therefore, to seek medical advice before starting such a plan. In most cases, doctors will advise against teenage dieting because it usually is not necessary.

Teens are at a vulnerable stage and take peer pressure very seriously. They worry about their appearance which can cause those who do not have a weight problem to take drastic measures. Skipping meals is not the answer.

The best teenage diet plan provides the proper nutrients that are needed to build healthy bones and maintain overall good health from the inside out. Your doctor can advise you on the best plan for your specific needs.

If you eat junk foods constantly you will not receive the benefits of a good teenage diet plan. Instead, they will be at risk of developing weight-related health problems that include diabetes and heart disease.

Keep in mind that being a little heavy is common in people your age. Most people will lose that excess weight naturally as they grow. Also, everyone is different. What might be a good weight for someone else might not be right for you. You have to consider your bone size, your height, and what is a normal weight for your family.

You can always benefit from eating nutritious meals and avoiding junk food, which contains very little nutrition. Here’s a good teenage diet plan you can follow to reduce your weight if you are overweight.

One important element of a good teenage diet plan is exercise. Sometimes, this is enough. It helps your body to digest the food that you eat. It builds muscle which naturally burns calories. Exercise uses energy that would otherwise turn into fat.

We’ve already talked about avoiding fast foods and any high carbohydrate and sugar-based foods such as candy bars, potato chips and sodas. They have limited to no nutritional value. When eaten, these foods quickly turn to unhealthy fat which can block your blood vessels and arteries.

It’s best to create your teenage diet plan with your doctor’s or parent’s help, especially if you are extra heavy. Refer to healthy eating books and magazines for advice and ideas. Preparing a diet plan that gets results is not that difficult.

Fruits and vegetables: Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to ensure you get natural minerals. Certain vegetables, like asparagus, will help you to lose weight. Carry small quantities of fruits and vegetables for snacks.

Lean meats: Lean meat can actually help you to lose weight because it takes more energy to digest than other foods. Avoid eating a lot of red meat because it contains more fat than other meats and is harder to digest. Choose chicken or fish instead. Eat a small amount every day.

Milk and cheese: These two foods provide much needed calcium. Skim milk has less fat than 100% milk but with all the goodness. Cheese is another food that can actually help you to lose weight because it boosts your metabolism.

Water: Water is essential, especially when you’re exercising. It’s about the only food you can eat that is guaranteed non-fattening.

Rather than eating three large meals a day, switch to 4-6 smaller meals a day. This will keep your body’s metabolism working and prevent the food from turning to fat.

Remember that the best teenage diet plan involves eating less more often, and getting lots of exercise.

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