The Healthy and Unhealthy Drinks

Wondering why you don’t eat too much but still keep on gaining weight?  Then maybe you drink is not healthy at all.  There are hundreds of beverages out there that can boost your waistline.

You have to be cautious of what you drink.  Coffee, although it has significant health effects, can be making you fat.  If you drink coffee with full fat dairy and artificial flavorings, and do not forget about chocolate sprinkles, then it is highly likely that this is more detrimental than beneficial. 

To maximize the health benefits of coffee, it is better to drink it plain or with soymilk.   Or you can just switch to green tea which is much better for you since it is a rich source of anti-oxidants. 

Sugary summer drinks like margarita or a pina colada doubles your sugar and calorie intake.  A can or a glass of this can give you 800 calories.  If you’re looking for cool, alcoholic beverage to share in a hot night, then switch to red wine or light beer.

Red wine can reduce coronary heart disease and can lower cholesterol count, thus, reducing risk of high blood pressure or hypertension.  Red wine can also maintain the immune system.  It also have polyphenols which is an excellent anti-oxidant. 

Polyphenols lower cholesterol levels, blood pressure, risks of cancer.  It also has anti-bacterial properties.  Aside form polyphenols, red wine also has flavonoids which is also an anti-oxidant.  Wine can also be associated in reducing stress.  It has a calming influence that helps the body to relax and unwind. 

Before buying your juice drink, be careful on reading the label.  There is difference between “100 % juice” and “made with real juice”.  There can be a big amount of artificial sweeteners and big amount of calories included in your juice drink.  Drinking real juice drink can give you the necessary nutrients and vitamins, while there re juice drink which is not different from drinking a glass of sugared water. 

Whether it is diet or regular soda, soda still has no nutritional value.  Unfortunately, this unhealthy drink is the leading and most favorite beverage.  There are studies showing soda related to obesity.  Soda is known to be high in calories and sugar.  Even diet soda shows no significant difference in sugar and calories.  Both regular and diet sodas are associated to weight gain. 

Drinking soda has also been related to tooth decay.  It is still attributed to high consumption of sugars which is present in all soda drinks.  Caffeine is also present in sodas.  So children who drink too much sodas can develop caffeine dependence.  This may interfere with the development of the brain of children.  Although, this is not yet proven, several medical researchers and health care professionals are expressing concern. 

Unfortunately, there are more of unhealthy drinks than healthy drinks out there in the market.  More and more people are forgetting to focus on healthy drinking.  Yes, we try to be cautious with what we eat but we still neglect what we drink.  Then definitely, we will be missing our healthy mark. 

So if you would like to create your own drinks minus the sugar and calories, then definitely go ahead.  There are health guides and magazines, even the internet, can help you concoct a savory but healthy drink without the risk factors.

Eating Healthy - Tips For Grocery Shopping

Everyone knows that they should eat a healthy and balanced diet. However, sometimes it seems that we go to the grocery store and we end up with a lot of foods that we just don't need. And, most of them are not good for us. With everyone so busy these days - it can be hard to get the right foods for you and your family. However, it can be done. Here are some tips to help you when you head to the grocery store.

The first thing that you want to do is to plan your meals for a week ahead of time. This will take a little time on your part - but it is well worth it to help you achieve your goal of healthy eating. Plan out the grocery items that you will need and make a list of these before you head to the store. The secret is - stick to your list! Don't get sidetracked by the cookies and candy that they place everywhere. You are on a mission!

Don't skip any of the major food groups - but make healthy food decisions. For breads, you want to make sure that you buy whole grain breads or multi-grain breads. Another excellent choice for sandwiches is whole grain pita pockets.

In the meat section, healthy choices are skinless chicken breasts, salmon, red meat (yes, red meat is good for you as long as it is lean and little marbling), and ground turkey (an excellent substitution for hamburger). Lunch meat is fine - as long as you read the labels. Make sure that it is low in sodium.

The most important section on your grocery trip is the produce section. Take some time in this area and fill up that cart. You want to make sure that you are getting plenty of fruits and vegetables. Some of your fruit purchases should be: apples, mangoes, bananas, oranges, and cherries. Healthy veggies include: sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach (great for salads and smoothies), and carrots. Carrots are one of my staples because they are so easy to grab when I need a quick and healthy afternoon snack.

Staying on track with eating healthier is so much easier with your plan of attack at the grocery store. It keeps your refrigerator and pantry stocked with foods that are good for you and your family. If those chips and cookies aren't around and in view, everyone is less likely to crave them!

Eating well and staying in shape is a goal that everyone should have - no matter how busy they are. It's that important! Visit Health and Fitness Tips for more tips on exercise and healthy eating.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judy_Mick

Tips for Getting Kids to Eat Healthy Foods

With all of the junk food and over-processed snacks available on the market, it can be hard to convince your kids that they need to eat things that are good for them. Picky eaters are often determined that they would rather go to bed hungry than eat something they don't like, and parents often feel as though they are fighting a losing battle. If you struggle with getting your kids to eat foods that are good for them, there are a few things you can do to make healthy eating more appealing. Here are some tips that may encourage your children to ditch the sugar and processed foods for something healthier.

Make Lifestyle Changes as a Family
If your children see you consuming sugary cereal, grease-laden fries and large sodas, they won't understand why they must eat healthy foods while you eat whatever you want. If you want your children to make healthy choices, then you need to model healthy choices. This will help your children see that it can benefit everyone to eat healthfully, and they will not see nutritious foods as punishment. You also need to exhibit healthy exercise habits. If your kids see you sitting on the couch all day, they will be less inclined to go outside and play. When you make the changes together as a family, everyone will be inspired and motivated to make better choices.

Get Them Involved in the Kitchen
One of the best ways to encourage kids to eat healthy meals is by giving them some control in the kitchen. If you grow a garden, let your children plant, weed and maintain it. When they harvest the vegetables and herbs, they will feel the satisfaction of being rewarded for their hard work. Allow your children to help you plan the week's menu and grocery list, and then let them help you prepare the meal. They will be more likely to enjoy the meal when they are able to help put it all together.

Get Creative
When you have younger children, it may take a little bit of creativity on your part to encourage them to eat healthy foods. Try making a picture or a smiley face out of fruits and vegetables, and put them on colorful plates that your kids like. You can dress them up with a little bit of dip or sauce to make them more appealing, and you can even label them with funny names. Your creativity may spark enough interest that healthy eating no longer becomes a battle.

While everyone needs to eat healthy foods, it is especially important for children. They need the vitamins and minerals in nutritious foods to grow properly. By using these tips, you may be able to convince your children to drop the chips and pick up the fruit when they get home from school.

I recommend visiting the KidsWorldMD website for amazing kids and pregnancy health related articles and help guides. Check out the features section for pediatric and pregnancy health articles.

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Junk Food Makeover - Healthy Changes to Your Favorite Unhealthy Dishes

Burger and Fries
The Burger and Fries combo has always been an American favorite. However, the American burger can pack on some pretty hefty pounds here is an alternative to this American Classic.

Turkey Burger and Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Now I know this doesn't sound as appetizing as the original, but you can make it taste amazing. Instead of putting your meat between two white bread buns, why not use some fiber packed 100% Whole grain bread. The amount of fiber that this bread contains is ridiculous not to mention all of the other nutrients it contains. Along with the 100% whole grain bread, add as many vegetables as you can into that burger. Things like peppers, cucumbers, mushrooms, and even carrots can make that burger even more delicious. Sweet Potatoes are a great alternative to traditional fries especially when you bake them and sprinkled them with a few different seasonings. The first step to great health is opening your mind to new ideas!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies have always been one of my favorites. However, my weight hasn't been a big fan of them. This alternative is delicious and easy to make.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Dark Chocolate
I have made this recipe numerous amounts of times and every time it just melts in my mouth. You make these cookies just like you would make any oatmeal raisin cookie except you substitute the milk with an alternative and you add dark chocolate chips to them. They are super easy to make, have more nutrients then the traditional chocolate chip cookie. If you want to make it even more healthy try using an alternative to white flour.

Candy
For those of you who have a sweet tooth why not try sprinkling Splenda over a bowl of fresh fruit to help that little craving. It's a lot better than those unhealthy sugar packed candies.

Ice Cream
Instead of devouring that teaser sized container of Ben and Jerry's, get some plain vanilla ice cream and top it with nuts and fruits. This is way better for you and is delicious. If you want to indulge a bit more, sprinkle it with some dark chocolate chunks.

Chips
Have a chip craving? You could make your own chips or buy Cape Cod chips as a healthy alternative. They're not the healthiest thing in the world, but they have less calories in fat. Sometimes you need to indulge a little.

This article is from my Health and Fitness website- http://www.onewithhealth.weebly.com

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The Benefits of Keeping A Healthy Diet

The significance of keeping a balanced, healthy diet can never be overstated. Preparing balanced meals everyday will not just prompt proper sleep and weight control but will also help prevent diseases naturally.

Many people, especially women, resort to food deprivation as a means of losing weight. Little do they know that this gravely affects women's health and can even lead to various health issues such as anorexia. Make sure that you meet your nutritional needs in order to fully enjoy a quality life.

Meeting Dietary Needs
Food intake must include fruits, grain, vegetables, oils, beans, protein, and milk or other dairies. Eating at least six grain servings, two fruit servings, and three vegetable servings; also two dairy or protein servings is rendered most beneficial for the health. Oils and fats must be avoided or eaten rarely.
Eating healthy foods that contain minerals and vitamins will help boost the immune system. This also naturally protects the body from common illnesses.

Disease Prevention
We all know how expensive it is to be sick these days. So you can protect your body from getting diseases such as heart ailments, diabetes and those associated with aging, make sure to take in balanced meals everyday. It is a bad idea to excessively eat products of one food group. Eating only vegetables which are considered healthy food items can still leave you unprotected from diseases.

Your body highly needs minerals and vitamins that are found in other food groupings for it to remain healthy. Eating balanced meals will ensure proper body function as well as boost your body's energy level.

Weight Control
Overweight individuals will benefit so much from maintaining a healthy diet as this is the basic step to weight loss. Taking part of popular fad diets will not really guarantee you long-term loss of weight. You will eventually find yourself gaining back what you worked so hard to lose once you return to your original eating habits.

The main point of keeping a healthy diet is to continue providing your body with its nutritional needs. It may take you a longer time to achieve the lighter weight you desire but remember that this approach is for long-term. It is guaranteed safe and much more effective than starving yourself, which can cause certain ailments and bad eating habits in the long run. Know that diets are not solely for overweight people, nonetheless. These can also bring benefits to underweight individuals.

Proper Sleep
Excessive eating of particular food products can prevent people from sleeping comfortably. Foods that are high on sugar content, like candies, are among what should be avoided. Eating heavy and oily foods will make waking up during early mornings difficult as well. Balanced diets will not just help you sleep easier without the need of sleeping pills, they will also help you feel well rested after waking up.

Appearance
Other than achieving an ideal body weight, eating healthy will also bring out the glow in people. Proper sleep can reduce eye puffiness and vegetable intake can help improve eye vision. Vitamins and minerals will also contribute to maintaining the vibrancy and youthfulness of skin. In addition, skin dryness and sensitivity can be reduced by eating lots of fruits.

Quality of Life
The benefits a balanced diet can bring goes beyond just positive effects on women's health. It will also bring you an enjoyable life. Because you will feel less stressed and more energized, you can accomplish more things in lesser time. You can also save on costs as fewer illnesses can mean lesser medical bills. Keeping a healthy diet is the key to attaining good well-being and great health.

Please visit http://www.womenshealth30.com to learn more about women's health, beauty, and diet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicole_Saya

Healthy Living - Physically And Mentally

It is essential that you know how to take good care of your body. There are many ways and even technique that will help you maintain your health at its peak. You will also find products such as those supplements and vitamins that will support your health. However it is also important that you take good care of your emotions.

Stress and other emotional issues will certainly cause you lots of health complications.

Physical
It is important that you take good care of your physical self. Here are some of the ways that will help you maintain your outer beauty.

Exercise
Make sure that you stay active no matter how busy you are. You can always opt for a short walk or have a few laps in your local community pool. It is important that you have your regular exercise to stay healthy.

Diet plan
You should have the right kind of diet plan. Before you start with any diet plan, make sure that it is suitable for your age, height and present health condition. There are certain kinds of diet plans suitable for those who have health conditions like heart problems, kidney problems as well as those with allergies and hypertension.

Beauty products
Before you use any beauty products, make sure to read the label first. It will also help if you will go to your doctor and ask for some advice. Bear in mind that there are many kinds of beauty products in the market today so be sure to get the best one.

Now let's go to the things that will help you stay healthy within.

Be happy
Laughter is the best medicine and everyone knows that. If you feel down, smile. Don't let those worries ruin your day. Find ways that will make you happy. If you love to watch a movie or go to the beach then do it.

This will bring you so much happiness.

Relax
Always find time to relax. You can either go to a place like a vacation spot or just have a once a month facial and spa treatment. This will certainly take off of your worries and body aches.

Be with positive people
It will help a lot if you will stay with positive people. Find your friends and spend some time with them. Bear in mind that laughter will ease your pains and burdens.

Stay healthy at all times in body and mind. This way, you will certainly avoid those health complications.

You can be healthy at all times. Check Nutrition Warehouse here and find just how you can attain a healthy body and mind.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liam_A_Wills