Friday, June 8, 2007

Healthy Foods ( Tips )

 



Healthy Eating Tips


A healthy diet should include a good variety of nutritious foods. These include breads, pastas, fruits and vegetables. Eating breakfast is also an important part of a healthy diet.

Healthy diets contain a variety of foods
In general, we should all eat:
  • A wide variety of nutritious foods
  • Plenty of breads and cereals (particularly wholegrain), vegetables, legumes (such as chickpeas) and fruit
  • Low salt foods, and use salt sparingly
  • Small amounts of foods which contain added sugars.
Physical activity
A good balance between exercise and food intake is important, as this helps to maintain a healthy body weight. About 30 minutes of physical activity, such as walking, is recommended every day.

Keep fat to a minimum
Adult diets should be low in fat, especially saturated fat. Saturated fat, which is the predominant fat in animal products, is more easily deposited as fat tissue than unsaturated fats. Saturated fat can also be converted into cholesterol and cause blood cholesterol levels to rise.

Small amounts of polyunsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats may have some health benefits when they are part of a healthy diet. Polyunsaturated fats are generally thought to lower blood cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, are thought to have an anti-clotting effect on blood and may lower blood pressure.

Eat less high kilojoule foods
The total amount of energy-dense (high kilojoule) foods you eat may be as important as the total amount of fat in your diet. To reduce the energy density of your diet, you need to increase the amount of plant foods you eat. This will provide essential nutrients, help to make you feel 'full' and also reduce the amount of fat in your diet.

Eat foods rich in calcium and iron
It is important for all Australians to eat foods which contain iron and calcium. In particular:
  • Calcium – is important for infants, women and girls.
  • Iron – is important for women, girls, vegetarians and athletes.
Drink alcohol in moderation
A healthy diet can include a moderate amount of alcohol (men should drink less than two standard drinks per day and women less than one standard drink per day). Alcohol should not be given to children.

Healthy diets for babies and children
Follow these guidelines to help encourage a healthy diet for your infant or child:
  • Babies – encourage your baby to breastfeed for the first year of life. In most cases, breastfeeding should be the only source of food in the first six months. If you use formula, be careful not to overfeed or underfeed your baby.
  • Sugar – children should eat only a small amount of foods that contain sugar.
  • Low fat diets – these are not appropriate for infants and young children under two years of age. A diet low in fat, especially saturated fat, may be considered for older children.
  • Drinks – infants and children should be encouraged to choose water as their preferred drink.
Don't let children skip breakfast
Children who skip breakfast generally have below average nutrition. Their diets contain less:
  • Calcium
  • Iron
  • Dietary fibre
  • Vitamins such as riboflavin and niacin.
Skipping breakfast becomes more common as children get older. Some schools have introduced breakfast programs because they were concerned about children who skip breakfast. Children did better in school once the program was introduced.

Tips for easy breakfasts
Here are some easy-to-prepare, healthy breakfast ideas:
  • Fresh fruit with wholegrain breakfast cereal and reduced fat milk. Toast with a thin spread of margarine (polyunsaturated or mono-unsaturated) .
  • Toast with cheese and tomato. Hot or cold reduced fat milk.
  • Rolled oats with sultanas and reduced fat milk. Toast with a thin spread of margarine (polyunsaturated or mono-unsaturated) . Orange juice.
  • Baked beans on toast. Orange juice.
Things to remember
  • Calcium and iron are important nutrients in our diets.
  • Infants and young children should not be placed on low fat diets.
  • Encourage infants and children to choose water as their preferred drink.
  • Children will have better nutrition and do better at school if they eat breakfast.

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Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Study confirms heart benefits of whole grains

 



Study confirms heart benefits of whole grains
 

Mon May 28, 12:35 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Americans should bulk up on whole grains like oatmeal, barley and brown rice to help lower their risk of clogged arteries, heart attacks and strokes, according to researchers.

In a review of seven major studies, the researchers found that higher whole grain intake was consistently linked to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. On average, adults who ate 2.5 servings of whole grains per day were nearly one-quarter less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than their peers who rarely consumed whole grains.

Whole grains are believed to benefit the heart in a number of ways. The fiber and other nutrients in whole grains may help lower cholesterol, blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as improve blood vessel functioning and reduce inflammation in the circulatory system.

Yet surveys show that few Americans get the recommended three servings of whole grains per day, according to the authors of the new study. More than 40 percent of U.S. adults say they eat no whole grains.

"Many consumers and health professionals are unaware of the health benefits of whole grains," lead study author Dr. Philip B. Mellen, of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, said in a statement.

Some may also be confused about what exactly constitutes a whole grain. Whole grains contain three components: bran and germ, which are rich in fiber and nutrients, and an endosperm, which contains starch and protein. Highly processed grains, like white bread or snack foods made from white flour, are stripped of the bran and germ.

In contrast, whole grains -- such as oats, barley, whole wheat, brown rice and quinoa -- retain more of the nutrient-dense bran and germ.

Based on these latest findings, Mellen and his colleagues think health professionals should "redouble" their efforts to get people to eat more whole grains.

They report the results in the online edition of the journal Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.

For the study, the researchers pooled data from seven major studies involving more than 285,000 men and women who were followed for 6 to 15 years. Overall, those who ate the most whole grains were less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, or die of cardiovascular causes.

This was true when other health factors, like overall diet, exercise, weight and smoking habits, were taken into account.

"Years ago, scientists hypothesized that the higher rates of chronic diseases we have in the West, including heart disease, are due, in part, to a diet full of processed foods," Mellen said.

This idea has been born out, he added, in the lower rates of obesity, high cholesterol and heart problems seen in people who opt for whole grains.

SOURCE: Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, online May 9, 2007.

For more information on Health Global Information Centre

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Sunday, June 3, 2007

Best exercises to loose weight permanently.

I n this age of hectic life we are finding it hard to find time to do exercises. Because of the lack of the active life that too life sans exercises has made most of us the fat carrying sacks or bags. This fat in the body is giving rise to many problems and problems more pertaining to health.

Because of this few extra pound in the body we surrounds ourselves with the life style diseases like diabetes, hypertension and heart related problems. Therefore, all us should make certain effort to loose weight of the body so that to some extent we can get rid of these life style diseases.

The other important aspect for loosing weight we have to remember that the onus of our health is on us only therefore, we should not weight till the time a health related problem struck us and we endanger our life because of these lousy practices we have been following.



Remember that time is precious therefore; from now onward you can start the exercise to loose weight. If you are serious for making effort to loose weight, then don’t wait for the right time and start doing the small exercise which would help you to loose weight. The other important facet to loose weight that you would be feeling more energetic.

More energy means for money and more money mean you will have access to the best thing in the world. To loose weight doesn’t compulsory for you to go out and do the exercise. You can start doing the things at your place. The key is that you have to keep yourself busy all the time.

To loose weight you have many options of exercise which you can do to reduce the body fat. Brisk walk is the best exercise to put a control on your weight increase. You have to make sure that you are doing it regularly so that it can have the permanent effect. Besides, the other advantage of brisk walk is that it helps to body work properly.

Swimming is the other best exercise. To loose weight permanently you have to remember that you have to involve with some sort of physical activities always and you have to do it on regular interval. Therefore, the physical exercise is can’t put away from the life otherwise it would not have any effect on you.

It may be easy to say but hard to do. Therefore, while planning to chalk a strategy for the physical exercise you have to select those exercise which would going to help you to loose weight and you are in a better position to go for maintaining that schedule forever and never skip it.

To loose weight you have to remember that you have to take rest in between the work out. This would going to have a positive impact on you and you are always remain tempted to do the exercise as it would be the best way to continue the exercise schedule in the long duration.

Summary: To loose the body weight permanently you have to do make a schedule, schedule which is flexible yet attractive so that you are always interested to do it on regular basis which is the key.