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Good health is just a matter of taking a new approach to eating and making simple changes.

To complete this How-To you will need:

Cooking facilities
A shopping list
Healthy foods
Breakfast
Healthy snacks
Water
Books (optional)
Internet access (optional)

Step 1: Cook your own meals

Cook and prepare your own meals as often as you can. This will help you avoid eating processed and fast foods, which are higher in sodium and fat.

Tip: Healthy, low-fat recipes and guidance are available in bookstores and on the internet.

Step 2: Make a shopping list

Plan healthy meals and make a shopping list. Fill your cart with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain foods, and lean meats.

Step 3: Read nutrition labels

Read nutrition labels. Pay attention to saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. The higher their numbers, the unhealthier they are.

Step 4: Eat breakfast

Eat breakfast every day. Breakfast helps to rev up your metabolism. Make it a habit to eat something within the first hour after you wake up.

Step 5: Eat every three to four hours

Try to eat small meals every three to four hours. Aim for three small, balanced meals and two snacks.

Step 6: Drink plenty of water

Drink plenty of water every day. Water hydrates the body and aids the digestive system. And it’s calorie-free!

Step 7: Feel the difference

Feel the difference in your body — more energy and stamina — as well as sharper thinking as you feed your body healthy foods.

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What is.a Snack??

A snack typically means a type of food not meant to be eaten with the main meal-breakfast, lunch or dinner; but rather to assuage a person’s hunger between these meals, providing a brief supply of energy for the body. The term also refers to a food item consumed between meals purely for the enjoyment of its taste. Thus snacking is largely interpreted as consumption of junk food. However it need not be that way!!

Benefits of Snacking:

Snacking can be part of a balanced diet. Eating small portions between meals provides your body with energy to keep you going throughout the day.

Some benefits are listed below:

• Healthy snacks provide fiber and nutrients your body needs.
• You can curb the feeling of hunger or starvation right before a meal, which prevents overeating. Snacking may help you eat smaller portions and reduce your calorie intake.
• Though individual calorie needs vary, your body needs fewer calories as you age.
• Eating smaller meals more often may help you stay on track.

Try to keep your snack portions small and less than 100 calories. Spacing out meals and snacks can help prevent weight gain. Be cautious of the health claims on food packages.

The best snacks are ones that include healthy nutrient dense foods. Unprocessed whole foods make incredible snacks to fuel your body throughout the day and provide the energy you need to perform at optimal levels.

You should never need to grab another bag of potato chips, box of cookies or candy bars ever again. These types of foods are all empty calories and lead to fat gain and out of control insulin levels which make you feel tired and sluggish. Your body needs clean fuel, so give it nutrient dense foods all day long.

Some Healthy Snacks:

There are abundant yummy and healthy snacks that will keep you satisfied and energetic and at the same time maintaining you in shape. Here are some healthy snacks for you to indulge with:

Popcorn: Air popped popcorns are delicious, yet nutritious also. Popcorns are actually more nutritious than you think.

Fresh Fruits: Fresh fruits are natural to use as a snack because they are always nourishing and keep you satisfied. Just keep your favorite fruit in your bag to eat whenever you feel the need for a healthy snack.  You can also have as a delicious Fruit Smoothie (a blend of non fat milk and/or yoghurt with fresh fruit).

Fresh Vegetables: Fresh vegetables (celery, baby carrots, radishes etc.) are one of the most wholesome snacks you can give to yourself as they make a fast, easy and extremely healthy snack. Eat with a tasty and healthy dip such as Hummus (Chickpea paste).

Nuts: Healthy nuts like walnuts, pistachios and almonds are another way to get in to a snack. They are very rich in protein but you have to be careful not to overindulge.

Dairy products: Low fat dairy items, including light yogurt (Dahi) and cheese made with skimmed milk are healthy ways to eat wisely between meals. Apart from getting a plenty of calcium, there are other benefits also in having low fat dairy foods.

Cereal: Cereal makes a totally rewarding snack because you are getting a lot of fiber and minerals with delectable taste. Having a bowl of your favorite nutritious cereal will keep you feeling full and healthy without any risk of weight gain.  Take care that you are not having excess sugar with it.

Calorie wise details of some healthy snacks:

Apple 1 medium size 180g                   Calories: 96

Banana 1 medium size 120g                   Calories: 105

Dried Peas 25g                                           Calories: 72

Popcorn 2 cups (air-popped)                   Calories: 62
Baby Carrots 170g                                         Calories: 60

Bean Salad 80g                                           Calories: 90

Raw Almonds 20 almonds                               Calories: 139

Raw Mixed Nuts 30g                                           Calories: 178

These snacks promise extra fiber, vitamins and minerals all for about a 100 calories. With proper portions and healthy food choices, snacking can enhance, rather than hurt your diet. The people, who do not snack, end up overeating unhealthy and unsatisfying foods at mealtimes because they waited too long to eat. Researchers have established that people who snack consume fewer calories throughout the day than people who do not snack. Healthy snacking, at the right time, also helps in increasing immunity. In fact eating small meals and snacking healthy in-between will increase your body’s metabolism and you will be able to digest food faster.

A Healthy Snack Recipe

If you want something a little on the “namkeen ” side, try this out. Take equal quantities of corn or wheat flakes, puffed rice (murmura), and puffed corn cereal. With just a teaspoon of oil in the frying pan, add mustard seeds, nuts (peanuts, walnuts, almond nuts—whatever you choose) and roast till slightly brown. Add raisins, roasted chana (gram), chili powder, a little turmeric powder and some curry leaves and sauté till the leaves crackle. Add the cereal mixture and roast for about 5-7 minutes. Add salt, pepper and a little mango powder while still hot Allow it to cool. A wonderful Indian snack that can be you can keep with you for those hunger pangs at odd hours. Good carbs and low fat.

In Conclusion

Develop habits to stick to your regularity of munching only healthy snacks. These healthy nutrients can also be a good substitute for your smoking and drinking habits, that too in a fulfilling and healthy way. Avoid paying attention to the unhealthy sugary chocolate bars and carbonated drinks. Here are some Snacking Tips you can follow::

• Make snacking a part of your daily food routine. Plan for it.
• Prepare Healthy snacks in advance, so that it is available as you start feeling hungry.
• Keep them with you always, so that you do not give yourself an excuse of unavailability.
• Make them delicious and interesting so that they look no less tastier than their unhealthy counterparts.

Snack, but snack the healthy way doing justice to both your body and your taste buds!!

For More Info>>>>>>

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/healthy-snacking-to-keep-you-in-shape-2512548.html#ixzz18mj78Lg2
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Photographer: Pixomar

You see, smart or healthy eating is more on you deciding to live a lifestyle that is healthy and not like the old one you normally do. It is actually something that should make you feel good and make you look good, too. It means having the energy to live and enjoy your life to the fullest without worrying that you might be eating the “wrong” food or other concerns. It means living life to its 100% full and loaded all the time.

But of course, there is always the idea and the thought that you would like to stay trim while eating, right? This is where healthy living enters the scene. In general, healthy living should include making healthy food choices and eating them out smartly. This process will definitely help you reduce any risk of having any of the killer diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases.

It can also help you in staying emotionally and mentally sound and fit. It will also show by the way your mood is stabilizing and by the fact that you are mentally alert always. And most importantly, healthy eating or smart one for that matter will help you increase the chance of having a prosperous and eventually successful career

All of these can start not by making drastic and all-of-a-sudden changes in your present lifestyle but rather by making small leaps and manageable steps that you know you can handle and carry on for a long time. All you just got to do is to have that needed commitment that you are going to really change for the better and gradually doing it religiously. When you do this, a healthy lifestyle is soon to be yours, faster than you would even imagine.

Let us go to the other issue, your desire to stay trim and fit. Yes, it is possible to eat and stay trim at the same time. All you have to do is to simply the diet you are in now. Slowly but surely is the key here. Rather than measuring everything up, why not add color and variety to the meals that you include in your diet. Gradually, eat foods that are fresh and not processed, add different ingredients that will still ensure your goal. By doing this, your diet will eventually become a whole lot healthier and tastier, too. You see now? No need to deprive yourself.

Do not also attempt to go on a crash diet with the nagging thoughts that you have to be trim overnight. This is a total nonsense! And will eventually lead you to cheat on yourself and eventually failed in your goal. Eating smart to stay trim is not really going on some crazy diet and some drastic changes that you expect to happen overnight. Rather it is a process that includes small but realistic and attainable steps that you have to undertake in order to reach your goal.

Do not also forget to move around. Do some exercises that will aid in your diet. Simple ones like walking and running can already supplement any diet. The important thing is that you burn calories so that they will not be stored in as fats.

With all of these said, achieving your goal of eating smartly and staying trim will not be an impossible one anymore.  Goodluck!

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/eat-smart-stay-trim-3924079.html#ixzz19LQkGIU4
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Photographer: Michal Marcol

Although our life expectancy has doubled over the past 50 years, we now spend fewer years in goodhealth, a new study suggests.

A 20-year-old today will live one fewer healthy year than a 20-year-old a decade ago, said study researcher Eileen Crimmins, a professor at the University of Southern California.

Conditions such as obesity, dementia and arthritis are the main reasons why, she said. They prevent a person from leading a healthy life.

“We keep people living longer, and they’ve been saved from their heart disease, but they still have dementia, and there’s nothing we can do to delay or prevent the dementia,” Crimmins told MyHealthNewsDaily. “They’re living more years with unhealthy life.”

Crimmins and her colleagues looked at data from the National Health Interview Survey and National Vital Statistics from 1998 through 2006.

They found that a 20-year-old man in 1998 would live, on average, 45 more years without developing cancer, heart disease or diabetes. But a 20-year-old man in 2006 would be likely to live 43.8 more years free of one of those conditions.

Ten years ago, a 20-year-old man could expect to eventually spend 3.8 years without basic mobility — defined as the ability to walk up 10 stairs or a quarter of a mile or to stand, bend or kneel without special equipment. Today, that number has increased to 5.8 years, the study said.

For women, the mobility outlook is even worse — 10 years ago, a woman could expect 7.3 years without basic mobility, compared with 9.8 years today, the study said.

“One thing leads to another,” Crimmins said. “People who are overweight tend to stop exercising because it’s not pleasant or not comfortable, and arthritis is related to carrying a lot of weight. They’re circular.”

Crimmins and her colleagues also found that the prevalence of heart disease in men increased between 1998 and 2006, which means men are living longer despite having heart disease, she said.

“Men have heart disease because they’ve survived the treatment — the valve replacement or cleaning out of the arteries — or they’ve stopped smoking,” Crimmins said.

However, the prevalence of heart disease in women didn’t increase between 1998 and 2006, which Crimmins interprets to mean that women aren’t surviving heart disease as well as men are.

She also found that more men and women had cancer and diabetes in 2006 than in 1998.

Next, Crimmins said, she hopes to see why people at lower levels of income or who have less education tend to age faster than wealthier, more educated people.

Pass it on: We live longer today than we did 50 years ago, but we spend fewer years in good health.

Source

Photographer: Sura Nualpradid

Although most people think longevity is solely related to genes, it really depends on genes, attitude and lifestyle. Centenarians attribute their long lives to eating well, being optimistic and keeping busy.

The Census Bureau estimates that by 2050, there will be 1.1 million people 100 years or older. Do you want to be one of them?

There are several things you can do to start living right and working your way to the triple digit numbers.

1. Be your own best advocate when it comes to your health. Know what medicines you’re taking, why your taking it and for what duration. Know if your medications have any contraindications and be aware of all side effects.

Explore alternative ways you can deal with your condition so you can perhaps eliminate some of the medicines. The reason why this is important is to keep your medications simple and your side effects low.

2. Be smart about what and how much food you consume. Nobody forces you to finish what’s on your plate.

Research shows that portion size has increased and that it is related to an increase in obesity. Therefore, understand that you, and only you can reduce your food consumption.

Do it because obesity is related to many debilitating illnesses, which shorten your hopes for a long lifespan. Conscious eaters have lower blood pressure, reduced body fat and diminished risks for heart disease and even cancer.

Eat a Mediterranean diet, which includes colorful fruits, vegetables, olive oil, fish and whole grains. Keep a trim waist for a healthy heart.

Be active. The more you move, the more you maintain flexibility, range of motion and responsiveness.

3. Associate with other optimistic, light-hearted people. As you age, you’ll notice that discussions tend to be directed toward illness or misfortune.

Avoid those conversations by focusing on how much you appreciate your life and how good it’s been for you. Some people also try lifestyle changes, like meditation, relaxation, and yoga exercises to keep their perspective upbeat and focused on the sunnier side of the spectrum.

Others seek professional help through cognitive-behavioral therapy to change their negative thoughts into more logical, hopeful thinking.

Your body tends to thrive when you feel supported, encouraged and connected.

4. Drink moderately and don’t smoke.

5. People who are married tend to live longer than those who never married, or who are divorced or separated. Of course, don’t just get married for the sake of it.

Those in unhappy relationships tend to lose the health benefits associated with that kind of commitment.

6. If your goal in the latter part of your life is to have long-term loving relationships and many special friends, that is a good recipe for longevity. Maintaining strong social groups and lively interactions keeps you alert, active and involved.

7. Live in the countryside. The less pollution you experience, the healthier you will feel and be. If you can’t move out of the city, make visits to the beach, lake resorts or other open areas a weekly adventure.

The further you are from car exhausts, factory residue and other pollutants, the less your body has to work to fight off these harmful toxins.

Successful aging is really based on good psychology and lifelong choices. Therefore, start now to reduce your stress, to keep your mind active and occupied, and to be the best you can be.

While age keeps creeping up, there is hope that you can turn the clock around and be healthier in your later years.

The goal is to not only live longer, but also to live healthier. Being 90, with a poor quality of life, is not something to aspire towards. Rather, if you can be as healthy as a 60 year old.

It is not too late to change your lifestyle to reflect a healthier way of being, and the time to start is now.

Read more: http://www.bradenton.com/2010/12/21/2826729/make-healthy-life-choices-for.html#ixzz18mfRLNW3

Photographer: Idea go

Many research studies have shown the healing power of a positive attitude and having a generally good time with life – We only get one after all, so why not make the most of it!

Here are the Healthy Hideout’s top 6 tips towards a healthy heart!

Enjoy life to the fullest! Your heart will thank you for it!

Enjoy Life to the fullest

Studies have shown that people who laugh more and have lives filled with activity are much less likely to fall victim to a heart condition. When we finally decide to fly the nest and leave our parents house after signing a mortgage agreement of our own, adult responsibilities tend to result in the fun coming to a sudden stop. Maintain some childlike fun in your daily lives – Your healthy heart will thank you for it.

Spend time relaxing

The cycle tends to be the same for most of us. As life begins to gather pace, more things need doing, stress levels boom and the risk of heart disease increases.  The world moves along at the fast pace, a pace that you can’t change. You can however change your response to it. Dedicate a time in the day to get away from it all and relax your mind, be it with yoga, reading your favourite book or even walking the dog.

It’s only one glass!

Studies by the British Heart foundation have shown that those who choose to drink a glass of wine with their evening meal may lower their heart disease risk by at least 30 percent.  A small amount of alcohol enjoyed each day may be better than practising abstinence, and is of course better than drinking excessively. Red wine in particular is associated with having a strong healthy heart.

Create your own home haven

Spending time relaxed rather than being stressed can halve your heart disease risk,  so why not create your own haven in the comfort of your own home. Plenty of natural light, soothing music and an abundance of fresh flowers are great starting points. Have a dedicated quiet space in the house to ensure you have a place to think without interruption.

Soothe your soul

Belief in yourself helps to to keep you mentally grounded, which can help towards maintaining a clear focus. Research has shown that people who use positive words such as “hope” and “joy” tend to outlive their pessimistic others by a decade. Try to embrace all the good things in your life, rather than focusing on the negatives – It’s obvious, but happiness is better than anger.

Have fun and socialise!

Our hearts are healthier when in the company of others that we know and love. Try not to make excuses by not having enough time, and surround yourself with family and friends! It’ll do wonders for your wellbeing, without you even thinking about it.

So what do you do in your daily lives to help maintain a healthy heart? The Healthy Hideout would love to hear your recommendations.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/top-6-tips-to-a-healthy-heart-3656162.html#ixzz18mdb51NZ
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Photographer: dream designs