nutrition facts

If you’re currently not eating a healthy diet
it can be difficult to start such a plan. However
healthy eating along with some exercise is very important for maintaining a good bodily function and goes a long way towards living a disease-free life. If you struggle with healthy eating
then you know that breaking unhealthy habits can be the most difficult part of the process. Therefore
if you truly want to live the best lifestyle possible
it is important to follow tips in order to start eating a more healthy diet.

A great first step when you want to start eating your way to a healthy life style is to rid your home of all temptations that will distract you from following better eating habits. Ideally it would be a wise course to keep junk foods and beverages out of your house so as not be tempted to snack during the day. If you’re worried about getting hungry
keep healthy snacks like carrot sticks
yogurt
fresh fruit
or whole-wheat crackers on hand. If you find that you just cannot bear to toss out the sweets
try keeping something tiny on hand
peppermints or barley sugar. Eating a few
(emphasis on few) of these won’t ruin your diet but also will give you that little sugary fix you rave.

Another great step to healthy eating
when you’re first starting the process
is to take a few moments to learn what foods are the healthiest for you and how they work within the body. To start eating healthily we must begin by thinking healthily. Most people understand that fruits
vegetables
and low-fat meats and dairy products are good for you
but few people understand why. The key is learning about nutrients. When you understand how specific nutrients work and why you need them
it becomes more reasonable for you to make healthier choices for your body. Knowledge really is power!

Preparation is a major key in commencing a new healthy diet. You must take into consideration your schedule for meals. If you often eat in a rushed hurry at odd times of day
you probably more inclined to grab a rushed meal which will probably do more harm than good. So plan ahead! Instead of grabbing a fast food lunch on the go
take a bagged lunch to work
complete with a healthy wrap and some fresh fruit and vegetables. Remember not to forget your evening meal
a simple plan to have a meal ready before you get home would be perfect
but in our fast paced life style
sometimes this just can’t be done. One way to solve this problem is to plan out your evening meals for the week
on your days off. Perhaps just before you do your weekly shopping. Another warning: when going to the shops
do not venture their hungry because if you're anything like me
one or two chocolate bars won’t hurt! That becomes the first break in your healthy eating.

Initially many will find it very difficult to make those necessary changes to healthier eating. Along with the difficulty of change
you may not feel well for a short period of time. Usually this is normal as your body is adjusting to your new and improved life style and is cleansing itself from the unhealthy toxins built up from poor eating habits. However if this feeling continues or you are worried a visit to your doctor would be the correct thing to do.

Start with baby steps. Even if you only replace one soda a day with a glass of water
you are really improving your calorie intake. If you eat fast food every day for lunch
try replacing that half of the time with better quality foods. When you start by taking small steps you aren’t cutting out all of the foods you love all at once. By taking your time to learn about your eating habits and slowly replacing them with better meals
by taking the time to learn and understand why you should be doing that and making the necessary changes in an orderly fashion
you will feel much better within yourself physically
mentally and emotionally and well on the road to becoming as healthy as you can be

Why do we need to eat foods that are found to be naturally high in antioxidants?
What are antioxidants?
Which foods do we need to eat
in order to naturally fight free radicals?

Scientists have found that the body forms unstable oxygen molecules
called free radicals; every cell produces tens of thousands of them each day. A free radical is basically an atom with an odd number of electrons in its outer ring. Since electrons have a very strong tendency to exist in a paired rather than an unpaired state
free radicals indiscriminately pick up electrons from other atoms
which in turn convert those other atoms into secondary free radicals
thus setting up a chain reaction
which can cause substantial biological damage. This
in short
is bad. There are also many kinds of free radicals
which we are exposed to everyday
for example
pollution
radiation
cigarette smoke and herbicides.

Antioxidants are thought to neutralise and stabilise these free radicals.

So
which antioxidants are naturally found in which foods?

We have:

Vitamin E: a fat-soluble vitamin found in vegetable oils
nuts
green leafy vegetables
and fortified cereals. Some of the foods containing the highest amounts of vitamin E are wheat germ oil
almonds
sunflower seeds
sunflower oil
hazelnuts
peanuts
spinach
broccoli
kiwi and mango.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant vitamin involved in the metabolism of all cells. It protects vitamin A and essential fatty acids from oxidation in the body cells and prevents breakdown of body tissues.

Vitamin C: Ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin present in citrus fruits and juices
cabbage
green peppers
broccoli
spinach
tomato
kale
guava
cantaloupe
kiwi
papaya
and strawberries.
It is important in forming collagen
a protein that gives structure to bones
cartilage
muscle
and blood vessels. Vitamin C also aids in the absorption of iron
and helps maintain capillaries
bones
and teeth.

Beta-carotene: Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A. It is present in liver
egg yolk
milk
butter
spinach
carrots
squash
broccoli
yams
tomato
cantaloupe
peaches
and grains.
Studies have been done on beta-carotene's effectiveness for heart disease
cancer
chronic fatigue syndrome
Alzheimer's disease
fibromyalgia
male infertility
and psoriasis.

Coenzyme Q10: CoQ10 boosts energy
enhances the immune system
and acts as an antioxidant. A growing body of research suggests that coenzyme Q10 may help prevent or treat some of the following conditions: heart disease
high blood pressure
high cholesterol
diabetes
and others. Primary dietary sources of CoQ10 include oily fish
organ meats such as liver
spinach
broccoli
peanuts
wheat germ and whole grains.

Selenium: Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to good health but required only in small amounts. It helps synthesize antibodies; helps synthesize co-enzyme Q10and helps transport ions across cell membranes. The best sources of selenium are Brazil nuts
wheat germ
molasses
sunflower seeds
whole wheat bread and dairy foods.

You should note that there are many other antioxidants naturally found in foods.
You should also note that the best way to take antioxidants is naturally
through fresh
vibrant food.
One more thing; sometimes less is more. Some of these antioxidants are only needed in small amounts
so check into whether you need to take more or not
before you start overdosing on antioxidants!

Most of us are fond of at least one product that has the effect of a stimulant and that eventually becomes an addiction. These products include exercise stimulant drinks (they come in cans and look like cola)
fizzy aerated drinks
tobacco
betel nut
betel leaf
strong coffee
strong tea
mahuang (an ephedrine-like compound consumed in china)
and alcohol.

Before I tell you why we shouldn’t consume these products
I’d like to deal with the question of why we do consume them in the first place.

There’s no one who doesn’t know that products like these
consumed in excess
can severely harm our bodies. Yet
we still find them hard to resist. The need to eat stimulant food is a simple human weakness that has existed for ages: humans (and many animals) have always indulged in foods that give a sort of emotional high. In clinical terms
this means rapid heart beat
a little sweating
dilation or constriction of the pupils of the eye
a warm flush on the face
and a sense of greater sensitivity
concentration and perception.

These sensations of ‘high’ die down within a few hours
and we are left feeling listless and low. This leads to a craving for that food again
to experience the high one more time. And there we are going round and round in a vicious circle.

The physiology of addictions is as follows:

When you eat an addictive food
it stimulates the hormone like substances found at the end of your nerves
which triggers an avalanche of similar stimulatory substances and you experiences a high. As the substances near the nerves are depleted
you get into the low phase
which leads you to crave that food again. This yo-yo phase of nerve stimulation and depletion leads to a pattern of addiction.

Consuming addictive foods is one of the oldest unhealthy food practices and
despite a revolution in health consciousness; it shows no signs of dying out.

Below are some side effects of certain addictive foods.

Alcohol Addiction: Erosion of stomach and intestinal lining
liver damage
nutritional deficiency.

Tobacco: Erosion of gum and tongue can lead to cancer of the buccal mucosa.

Betel nut: Leads to the discoloration of teeth
erosion of the lining of the mouth
and cancer of the mouth and upper tract. It also leads to heart problems among people who already have a weak heart.

Ma huang: It contains ephedrine and leads to heart problems.

Aerated drinks: High doses of caffeine.

Caffeine and xanthine: Found in tea
coffee. These become harmful only in very high doses; don’t consume more than five cups a day.

Mixed drug reactions: People who consume medications for the heart
hypertension and asthma have to be very careful about the interactions of the drugs with stimulant foods
as mixing the two can be fatal. After years of experience
all doctors know how difficult it is to break the food addictions of their patients. So like them
I can only advise a good compromise. If you can’t break the addiction
then at least you should practice moderation.