Good Nutrition Doesn't Have To Be Boring - Try These Ideas!

By Dr Pj Prakash

Proper nutrition is the keystone of a healthy and productive life. When you take in the nutrients your body needs, you provide the raw material for all the processes your body performs on a daily - and nightly - basis. Your nutritional choices have a profound influence on the level of well-being you can achieve.

Although salads are healthy, the salad dressing is not. Dressings that are creamy tend to have more fat and lower nutritional value. Choose, instead, a vinaigrette or a home-made version with vinegar and some olive oil. Adding healthy toppings to a salad (like cranberries or walnuts) will also improve their benefits.

If you want to purchase any prepared foods, take a close look at the label first. Just because something is labeled "reduced-fat" doesn't mean it is nutritionally sound. Often, they are loaded with unhealthy ingredients like sugar and lots of salt. Avoid processed foods if you are trying to lose weight. Labels should always list ingredients in terms you can understand. If many artificial ingredients are listed on the label, it's best to pass on the product.

Eating well and taking supplemental vitamins are keys to maintaining one's health. For one to appreciate what "eating well" means, they must understand that having a well-balanced diet is very simple, but also very important for one's physical and mental well-being.

Try to substitute healthy alternatives for fatty or sugary foods you enjoy. For example, instead of a bowl of ice cream, you can have some yogurt with fruit. Instead of french fries, try half of a baked potato. You don't have to cut out all the good tasting food in your life, just make healthier choices about what the tasty things you do eat.

If you have bought one of the new special peanut butters with extra omega-3s added in order to improve your nutrition, be aware that you've mostly bought a marketing ploy. Though many foods are fortified in a way that makes a real difference nutritionally, the amount of omega-3s added to this special (and expensive) peanut butter is so small that you would have to eat 8 sandwiches' worth (16 tablespoons) to get as much omega-3 as in a four-ounce serving of salmon.

As advertised, eggs are most certainly incredible and edible, so never forget to use them in a diet. Egg whites contain zero fat, very few calories and they pack a powerful punch of protein. They also act as a great vessel for other ingredients and as a great carrier of flavor. Best of all, eggs are really cheap at every grocery store in the land.

A great nutrition tip is to start taking a multivitamin. Multivitamins are great because they cover a large area of vitamins and nutrients, and they can help balance out any diet. There are different multivitamins available for different age groups, so it's important that you get the right one for you.

To increase the effectiveness of vitamin supplements, include plenty of manganese in your diet. Manganese has been shown to help your body absorb a variety of vitamins and minerals. Foods rich in manganese include pineapple, soybeans, and brown rice. Consuming these foods about an hour before you take any vitamins w,ill help your body take full advantage of them.

Use pureed fruit for a healthy substitute for commercial meat sauces. Fruit that is in season is more than affordable. You can puree up everything from apples to pineapples to marinate your fish, poultry, pork or beef. It works when you are barbecuing and even inside on the range or oven.

To summarize, there is quite a bit to learn about nutrition. Do not be overwhelmed though, because the basics are easy enough to implement. A lot is dependent on your willingness to make some changes, and a lot of those will start at your next trip to the grocery store. Are you ready for the challenge?

Want To Know How To Be Healthier With Good Nutrition?

Good nutrition can be so very important to the human body. Babies won't fully develop when deprived of it and adults won't survive long without it either. The positive (and often hidden) effects that nutrition has on the human body can't be over-emphasized. This article can help you to understand more about nutrition and how to make sure that you are getting it.

Put a lot of fiber in your diet. Foods with a lot of fiber in them such as nuts and whole-grains are great. Because the fiber takes a long time to break down in the body, you feel full for longer than with other foods. This way you won't have cravings for junk food as often.

Legumes are superstars of the nutritional world. They provide protein and help balance blood sugar. But they may seem dull. Just dress them up in a good recipe and they are superstars of taste also: lentils become a good veggie burger, chick peas become hummus, beans excel in Mexican dishes, and there is nothing better than a bowl of homemade pea soup on a cold winter day!

Legumes are superstars of the nutritional world. They provide protein and help balance blood sugar. But they may seem dull. Just dress them up in a good recipe and they are superstars of taste also: lentils become a good veggie burger, chick peas become hummus, beans excel in Mexican dishes, and there is nothing better than a bowl of homemade pea soup on a cold winter day!

MSG is added to many processed foods to enhance taste. But MSG adds no nutritional value and it has been found to have many negative effects, including depression and headaches. Some people are more sensitive than others, but you should avoid MSG even if you are not hypersensitive. It may have long-term, cumulative effects.

Try to include more tomatoes in your meals. The biggest benefit from tomatoes is their high concentration of lycopene. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that plays a role in the prevention of cancer cell formation. Research has shown that tomatoes also have potential benefits in the prevention of heart disease and lowering high cholesterol.

To ensure that one has the best nutrition, careful thought must be given to one's diet. By eating more healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and fish, one will have more positive nutrients in their diet. The proper diet is not beyond the reach of anyone if they have put the thought into it.

One of the ingredients that you will want to try to avoid is high fructose corn syrup. Not only is this detrimental to your skin, but can also add fat and calories to your diet. Typically, high fructose corn syrup is found in sweets, which you should want to eliminate entirely from your diet.

When trying to add the nutrition of grains to your diet, be sure to read package labels carefully. Products that claim to contain nutritious grains may not be providing the whole grain that is essential for good nutrition. Look for the words "whole grain" on the label to make sure you are making the most nutritious choice for your body.

Increase your use of herbs and spices. Part of the reason "eating healthy" seems so unattractive is the perceived blandness of the food. The truth is, fat and salt are natural flavoring agents, so if you remove them you've got to start experimenting with herbs and spices until you've got healthy food that is full of flavor.

Nutrition involves keeping track of the foods you're consuming. Nutrition leads to proper health, and correct nutrition is crucial for a healthy life. Using what this article presents, you should be able to live a lot longer while being more healthy.

Aerobic Exercise For Weight Loss Can Be Fun

The word aerobic literally means “with oxygen” or “in the presence of oxygen.” Aerobic exercise is any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously for a long period of time and is rhythmic in nature. Aerobic exercises utilize oxygen as the major fuel for sustaining activity for relatively long periods.

In general, aerobic exercises are those activities that require large muscle work, elevate the heart rate to between 60 percent and 80 percent of maximal heart rate, are continuous in nature and are of 15 to 60 minutes in duration. An aerobically fit individual can work longer, more vigorously and achieve a quicker recovery at the end of the aerobic session.

Aerobic exercises fall in two categories:

Low to Moderate Impact aerobics – These include walking, swimming, stair climbing, step classes, light water aerobics, rowing and cross-country skiing. Nearly anyone in reasonable health can engage in some low- to moderate-impact exercise. Brisk walking burns more calories than jogging for the same distance because it takes more time to walk than jog that distance and poses less risk for injury to muscle and bone.

High-Impact aerobics – Activities that belong to this group include running, dance exercise, tennis, racquetball and squash. High-impact aerobics should be performed on alternate days. People who are overweight, elderly, out of condition or have an injury or other medical problem should do them even less frequently and only with clearance from their doctor.

Here are some of the many aerobic exercises you can do and because of the variety you have to choose from, it can not only take the bordum out of doing it, it can make doing it downright fun as well.

1. Walking

Walking is a popular form of exercise because it requires little in terms of equipment or facilities. Walking an extra 20 minutes each day will burn off 7 pounds of body fat per year. Longer, moderately-paced daily walks are best for losing weight.



2. Jogging/Running

In jogging or running, an individual is able to cover greater distances in a shorter period of time. Therefore, greater numbers of calories can be burned per time spent.

3. Choreographed Aerobic Exercise

Choreographed aerobic dance is a very popular form of exercise throughout the world. Aerobic dance helps in toning up the muscles of the body and many people find it fun to do as well.

4. Step Aerobics

Step aerobics incorporates the use of a step or bench typically about one foot wide and three feet long and about six inches high. Instructors use many moves that require participants to step up and down from the platform. This way, the activity will not be boring and tiring, but will be lively and motivating.

5. Water Aerobics

Water aerobics incorporates a variety of movements from both swimming and land aerobics to develop vigorous routines that are aerobic in nature. It utilizes the resistance to movement that water creates to elevate heart rates and also helps you if balancing yourself on land is difficult. It is a good way to lose weight.

6. Swimming

Swimming is a very popular form of regular exercise. Due to the resistance of water, the amount of energy required to swim a certain distance is greater than that needed to run or walk the same distance. In other words, swimming can burn more calories than running per time spent.



7. Stationary Cycling/Bicycling

Stationary cycling or bicycling are excellent forms of aerobic exercise when done continuously. Like swimming, cycling is a non weight bearing activity that builds muscular endurance and strength and improved flexibility of selected muscles of the legs and thighs.

8. Jumping Rope

Jumping rope can be a great aerobic workout as long as it is performed at a slow to moderate pace and is done continuously for a relatively long period of time (15 minutes or more).

The key to effective weight loss is through use of a healthy exercise program which is performed on a regular basis while following a healthy dieting & nutritional plan. Aerobic exercise is good for weight loss because it uses more calories than other activities and helps raise your metabolic rate.

This helps your body burn calories at a faster rate. It is an effective way to lose fat only if you are motivated enough to do it frequently. Aerobics only burns fat during the workout itself. So if you want encouraging results you need to be able to exercise daily and for longer periods.