Top 25 Superfoods You’ll Want to Eat
September 11th, 2008 by Jason
Archive for the 'Foods & Ingredients' Category
Be Bad. It’s okay (once in a while).
September 10th, 2008 by Jason
I may have been a little over zealous in my “eat this” and “don’t eat this” postings lately. It’s important to remember that life should be as enjoyable as possible, and so should your eating habits, which is another reason I don’t like restrictive diets (think lifestyle instead – see the archives). Eating healthy can be a lot of fun and very rewarding, but it’s also fun to walk on the wild side sometimes and eat something that you know you shouldn’t.
There is no reason that you can’t let yourself stray once in a while and have a piece of cake. Just make sure that your idea of once in a while isn’t too often (i.e., DAILY). I myself don’t eat perfectly every hour of every day, nor do I want to. It’s very, very important to realize that each person is unique with different tolerances. Some individuals can be perfectly happy eating measured foods at specific times each day without straying and even exercise continuously for added measure.
What’s (hydrogenated) in Your Cupboard?
September 9th, 2008 by Jason
As promised, I said that I would mention some hydrogenated foods to watch out for in your home that may contain fully or partially hydrogenated ingredients. If after reading this article you find several of these items in your cupboards or refrigerator, I’m not necessarily advocating throwing them away. Personally, I really dislike wasting food, so I would choose to plead the Fifth Amendment in my own case upon discovering the implications of hydrogenation some time ago.
Here are some common foods that often undergo the hydrogenation process: Peanut butter, margarine, desserts of all kinds, enormous varieties of junk food, fried fast food such as chicken or French fries, baked goods (such as cookies, crackers and cakes), breads, non-dairy creamers, dips and even delicious ice cream. Kinda scary, huh? Well, if you’re learning something new here, take the knowledge and use it to empower yourself and your family to take the next step and change your eating habits.
So This is Bad for Me - But WHY?
September 8th, 2008 by Jason
Based upon some private comments I’ve received, some of you evidently want to know more about an earlier article that I wrote entitled “10 Worst Things to Put in Your Mouth”. Many of the items are relatively self-explanatory, but others are not. I mentioned trans fats and saturated fats in that article, with which most of you have at least a passing familiarity, although you may not know just how pervasive they are in your diet. Hydrogenated foods may be less familiar, and you may be wondering why to avoid them and where they are found as well.
You can’t be expected to care about the effect partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated foods have on you if you don’t know what the terms even mean. Let’s solve that problem. You will definitely want to pay attention to this part…
Eat This to Fight Cardiovascular Disease AND Cancer
September 6th, 2008 by Jason
I mentioned the importance of daily fiber in your diet as a means to help lower cholesterol. In this instance, soluble fiber is a powerful weapon. But fiber doesn’t just stop at helping to protect you from cardiovascular disease. Mounting evidence suggests that it also works to help prevent many types of cancer, including colon, breast, ovary, and gastrointestinal cancers.
Insoluble fiber (often referred to as “roughage”) is particularly effective at maintaining a healthy colon. It is therefore also very valuable in the fight against colon cancer specifically. Both forms of fiber should be consumed every day as part of a healthy and balanced nutritional lifestyle. Unfortunately, there are no substantive guidelines on the ratio of soluble vs. insoluble fiber to consume, although 20-35 grams per day of total consumption is recommended by the National Academy of Sciences.
Continue reading ‘Eat This to Fight Cardiovascular Disease AND Cancer’
