Archive for February, 2010

Searching For A Womans Health Supplements

Question:I want to get my health back on track. What kind of nutrients would you recommend I should look into in the area of women health supplements?

Answer: Great question! There are plenty of supplements out there that can be of great aid to women’s health. One problem that plagues women, especially later in life, can be the dreaded osteoperosis. Since your body needs a steady supply of calcium, if you do not meet your body’s calcium requirements, it will begin to sap the calcium from your body’s teeth and bones, leaving them brittle and weak.

To prevent this, a calcium supplement can be of great aid. Coral calcium is one product on the market that can help prevent this ailment. Harvested from long-dead sea beds, the calcium found in coral sediments can help to pave the way for clear health. Antioxidants are also key parts in maintaining the health of both males and females.

Helping to stop the damaging effects of free-radicals (highly reactive chemicals that capture electrons and modify chemical structures), antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E may reduce the risk of cancer and muscular degeneration. Iron is also a key element that needs to be regularly consumed to help maintain the female body.

The body needs this mineral to produce red blood cells, and an iron shortage can result in anemia, a condition marked by a lack of red blood cells. Many of these simple minerals can help maintain your body’s structure and help lead you to great health. Some supplements even offer combined compounds that help to meet your daily requirements in a few of these categories. I hope this article has helped you to learn more about your body and the things it needs to be working in its fittest form. Best of luck on your quest for nutrition!

February 28, 2010 Posted Under: Woman Health   Read More

Healthy Recipes For Kids

In the hussle and bussle of today’s world, finding and preparing easy and healthy recipes for kids can be a struggle! And then when you find them, there is so much that can goes into them: planning the menu, making the grocery list, driving to the store, doing the shopping, checking out in the long line, paying the bill, and driving home not to mention preparing the meal and sitting down to feast on your hard work.

Without missing a beat, the inevitable always seems to happen…the complaints.
“I don’t like this”.
“This looks weird”.
“I don’t like this color.”
“I want pizza!”
“Can I have a cookie instead?”

Nutrition plays a vital role in our children’s development, and we know this. But how easy is it to just grab a frozen pizza and call it a day! While tempting as it sounds, it’s our responsibility as parents to find healthy recipes for kids that can be prepared and enjoyed at the family table.

Below are a few healthy recipes for kids that have been a hit at my own family table. But before I get to them, let’s first discuss some tips on helping us plan some healthy recipes for kids and ways to get our kids excited for them!

1) Make a quick list of the foods your children love, hate, and are allergic to. With this in mind, it will be easy to pinpoint the recipes you’re targeting and onto the healthy recipes for kids your family will love.

2) When kids are invested in a project, they are more readily accepting. Find healthy recipes for kids that your family can contribute to. For example, get your kids involved in the selection of the recipes, let them help with the shopping, or get the kids help in preparing the meal and setting the table.

3) Select one new vegetable, fruit, or food to try each week. Make it a game with your kids. They may love it or hate it, but it will teach them to be open to new foods and experiences at the table.

With these tips in mind, here are a few healthy recipes for kids that have been a hit with my own. Give them a try and see if this could be a meal your family will love!

Healthy Recipes for Kids #1: Oven-Baked Carrot Fries

My kids love these healthy fries!
Oven-Baked Carrot Fries
1 ½ lbs. Carrots
1 tsp. Sugar
2 T Olive Oil
½ tsp. Salt
2 T Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
Pinch of Pepper
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a shallow pan with foil. Peel each carrot and cut off the tip and the end off of each one. Cut carrots in half cross-wise, then cut length-wise, then cut length-wise again.
Combine the carrot sticks, olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary and stir until they are evenly coated. Spread the carrots over the pan as much as possible.
Bake your carrots for about 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Serve them hot or cool them a bit to room temperature.

Healthy Recipes for Kids #2: Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a family favorite and is easy on Mom and Dad in both the prep and the clean-up!
Chicken Tortilla Soup
½ Onion, chopped
½ tsp. Garlic, minced
4 tsp. Cilantro, chopped
1 T Butter
30 oz. Chicken Stock
8 oz. can Tomato Sauce
½ package of Taco Seasoning
14 oz. can Mexican Style or Plain Stewed Tomatoes
4 ½ oz. can Diced Green Chilis
1 small can of Corn, drained
1T Worchestire Sauce
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (these can be frozen)
Put all the ingredients into a Crock Pot and cook on low for 8 hours. A half an hour prior to serving, pull out the chicken and shred. Put the chicken back into the soup and cook the remainder of the time (half an hour).
Serve with cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, and sour cream.

Healthy Recipes for Kids #3: Baked Spaghetti

Baked Spaghetti
1 lb. lean Ground Beef
10 oz. Whole Wheat Spaghetti
2 C Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
2 26 oz. jars of your favorite Spaghetti Sauce (make sure your sauce contains healthy ingredients and no sugars)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, drain and mix in your spaghetti sauce to the ground beef.
Prepare your pasta according to the packaged directions and drain.
Spoon one-third of your spaghetti sauce mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan and then mix the remaining spaghetti sauce mixture with the cooked spaghetti. Pour into the prepared pan and then top with the shredded cheese.
Bake for 25-35 minutes until brown and bubbly. Let baked spaghetti rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with a healthy salad and garlic bread. Enjoy!

February 21, 2010 Posted Under: Healthy Recipes   Read More

How to Make Healthy Food Choices

People are struggling with maintaining healthy food choices. It is not surprising because they are constantly bombarded with conflicting information about what’s healthy and what’s not and they are also given numerous choices when it comes to food products. With all these choices and information, it is not inevitable that people will end up confused. You probably share the same confusion. Who can blame you?

If you would visit a local grocery store, you would find numerous aisles of different foods. If you would go to a restaurant, you would find pages after pages of menus. With so man food choices, you probably are finding it hard to stick to your “healthy foods only” diet. To make sure that you would go home with a bag full of healthy food choices, here are some tips that you should definitely take note of.

Shop Only When You’re Not Hungry

Go to the grocery store only when your stomach is full. This does not need much explanation. Doing your grocery when your stomach is empty would definitely tempt you to buy anything that catches your fancy. You’d be practically throwing your “healthy food choices” list out of the window. It is best to do your grocery shopping after you have eaten your breakfast in the morning or your dinner in the evening.

Choose Canned or Bottled Products Carefully

First of all, if you are going to buy meat, vegetables and fruits, do not buy those that are packed with oil. If you need to buy these food products, make sure that you buy those that are packed in water. Chances are the water will likely reduce the calories in meat products. Do not buy products that are labeled “hydrogenated”. These products practically scream, “Fats!” You need to have a discerning and careful eye when it comes to sneaky wordings in packages. This is one way to make sure that you only end up with healthy food choices.

You should also avoid products with high fructose or glucose content. Many products like juices and soft drinks are loaded with high fructose content. When you see these words “high fructose” in a grocery product, you should definitely stay away from it. These words basically mean that you would be drinking something with 100% pure sugar in it.

Many manufacturers add high fructose to their products in order to save money. Unfortunately, this causes obesity and diabetes. Examples of this are pancake corn syrups. This is why it is very important that you first check product labels before you buy anything. To be able to make healthy food choices, you need to make sure that you are making informed choices.

Buy Organic Meat and Poultry

When purchasing meat products like beef, pork and poultry, you should definitely consider opting for organic products. These are free from growth hormones, steroids and other chemicals. When buying poultry, you should look for free range chickens because they often tastes delicious than caged chickens. You should also get skinless chicken because bad cholesterols and calories in chickens are concentrated on their skin.

When buying organic foods, it is better to buy them locally. Not only will you help your community’s economy, you will also save energy. This is the additional bonus you get from making healthy food choices.

Make Wise Grocery Product Choices

First of all, you should make sure that you opt for low sodium prepackaged foods. If you are too busy and you have to resort to buying frozen dinners and canned foods, make sure that you get packages with the lowest sodium count. Making these simple healthy food choices will ensure that you will avoid various illnesses like hypertension or cardiac problems.

If you are one of those people who would like to avoid dairy products, you can opt for food alternatives like broccoli. This vegetable is packed with calcium, so you would still be getting the nutrient despite the absence of milk or cheese in your diet.

When buying breads and cereals, you should opt for whole grain foods. Also, make sure that you always read the labels and get products that are low in fat or zero in fat. You can still give in to your sweet cravings without necessarily placing yourself at risk of developing diabetes.

Eating healthy involves making healthy food choices. You need to make sure that every food that gets into your grocery basket is healthy for you and your family.

February 14, 2010 Posted Under: Food   Read More
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