How To Use Food Pyramid Guide For Better Health?

For those of you who don’t know, the food pyramid is a carefully drawn up plan of exactly what the human body needs nutritionally. That is, the food pyramid is a guide to help us determine what we should eat everyday. It doesn’t have a set menu of food that you need to eat per day. All it has is a guide that can help you plan your meals so that you get the correct amount of nutrients into your system every day.

The food pyramid will show you the path to keeping yourself fit and healthy through a steady and healthy diet. Up until recently that’s all the food pyramid did. In 2005 however, the food pyramid as we know it was changed forever, and a more up-to-date food pyramid took its place. Now you’ll find that instead of the two-dimensional food pyramid we’re so used to, it’s become more three-dimensional. To show the added benefits that regular exercise will have on you, a figure running up a flight of stairs on the side of the food pyramid has been added.

Earlier if you looked at the food pyramid you would have seen horizontal lines spanning the food pyramid with the food that we eat the most of, starting at the bottom. The food that we should eat the least amount of, could be found at the top. This is the food pyramid that we all know about and the one that was shown to us when we were in school.

The new food pyramid however, is completely different. Apart from the fact that it’s become three dimensional and has a figure climbing up the side of it, this new food guide has also eliminated the horizontal lines. Instead we can now see lines starting from the tip of the pyramid and radiating downward.

Each of these sections are only as big, or small, as the earlier food pyramid sections were. Only with this new food pyramid, you now know that although you need to eat some food types more than others, even within those food groups there are some foods that you should only eat in moderation.

Additionally you’ll also find that your new food pyramid is color coded. So you’ll get an Orange stripe representing grains; a Green stripe for vegetables; a Red stripe for fruits; a Yellow stripe denoting how much fats and oils you should have; a Blue stripe for the milk and dairy products that you’re allowed; and a Purple stripe showing you the quantities of meats, fish, beans and suchlike that you should eat in a day.

With six colored stripes denoting the quantities of food you should take, and a figure of a healthy person running up a flight of stairs on the side of it, this new food pyramid is definitely better than the old one, and can help you learn more about better eating habits, and a healthy lifestyle.

How To Make Healthy Food Choices!

It’s Thursday afternoon, you have thirty minutes to get from work, go by the house and pickup Heath, Jamie’s already at basketball practice, oh, and what about dinner? Does this scenario seem familiar? If you’re a working Mom, I can promise that it is a familiar scene.

So how do you make healthy food choices, when you only have fifteen minutes to prepare your meals? Well, the first thing you should realize is that quite often, healthy choices do not necessarily equate to two hour meals. You can make healthy food choices that are as quick to prepare or pickup as the unhealthy ones.

For example, sub sandwiches are a healthier alternative than pizza or burger and fries, but do not really take any longer to pickup. Salads can be prepared in just a few short minutes, and provide for the necessary vegetable daily requirement. Don’ care for the usual salad? Make a Waldorf or fruit salad, either way you’ve changed it up a bit, and still provided a health choice. As for the dressing, oil based or vinegar based dressings are much better for you than the cream based, and are really more tasteful.

Okay, suppose salads aren’t what your kids like. What about other prepared foods that are also healthy foods? Healthy Choice is a brand of frozen entrees or meals that take only a few minutes in the microwave to prepare, and are still healthy alternatives. Baked rather than fried is always a better choice, and many supermarkets today offer baked products fresh from their bakery, ready to go.

Still aren’t satisfied? You want a place to go and actually sit down and eat. There are still many healthy alternatives for a family when going to eat at a restaurant. Restaurants that offer buffet style meals are great choices. Thanks to many of the health conscious consumers out there, buffets have added baked, broiled, and fresh food choices to the display.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually always available on food bars, along with broiled or steamed vegetables. Meats are just about as varied, with many of the choices being offered in a fried and baked option. And if you’re up for dessert, watermelons and grapes are just as satisfying as the Boston cream pie.

You can always throw up objections when it comes to healthy eating, the real trick is in realizing it’s your body that will suffer. Or your children that will suffer from the unhealthy choices you make. Why not start with healthy options, set the right example, and you will have children that make health conscious intelligent decisions about their eating.

Okay, now back to our Thursday afternoon juggling act. You’ve dropped Heath at baseball practice, picked Jamie up from basketball, and you have exactly fifteen minutes to make a decision about dinner. As you sit at the red-light contemplating your options, there is a Subway, a Pizza Hut, and a grocery store with a deli in the same shopping center. How can this still be a difficult choice to make?

DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read. Since natural and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that the statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product is not intended to “diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”

How To Make Better Food Choices

Current trends and statistics show that people are making healthier decisions at the grocery store. In fact, according to a recent survey by the Grocery Manufacturers of America, “73 percent of primary grocery shoppers reported they were buying more nutritious and healthy foods and beverages than in the past.”

A major reason for this shift is a health consciousness in America, with millions of people looking to lose weight and get into shape. However, says nutrition expert Sherry Torkos, “consumers are frustrated with their lack of success with many of the fad diets that simply don’t work. Consumers are also becoming better educated about how to make food choices by using tools such as the glycemic index (GI), which is a ranking of food based on the rate of carbohydrate absorption they trigger.”

Carbohydrates are staples of the American diet. In fact, most Americans get about half of their calories from carbohydrates. However, simple carbohydrates such as potatoes, white bread and pasta are rapidly digested and raise blood glucose to high levels. Fortunately, there may be a way to lower the GI of carb-rich foods by taking a supplement containing an extract of the white bean.

“The GI of white bread was significantly decreased by the addition of 3,000 milligrams of the Phase 2 brand white bean extract in powder form. At that dose, the GI was reduced by 20.23 points, or 39.07 percent,” says Jay Udani, M.D., medical director, Pacific West Research.

Though consumers have lowered their fat intake, experts agree that excess carbohydrate consumption remains a problem. Fat calories removed from the diet are usually replaced by even more troublesome carbohydrate calories, meaning increased consumption of high-GI foods. This sort of diet is considered a primary factor for “diabesity,” or type 2 diabetes brought on by being obese. Besides diabetes, overweight and obese individuals are at an increased risk for numerous other physical ailments, including hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.

“Consumers should steer towards the low-glycemic index foods, such as whole grains, most fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes because they digest more slowly and don’t cause spikes in blood glucose and insulin levels,” adds Torkos.

How To Keep Food Fresh Naturally

How many times have we brought food and then forgotten about it only to remember it because it begins to stink? Against this, you cannot do anything, but you can ensure that your food lasts longer and keeps fresh.

How?
There are many things you can do, such as regularly clean your refrigerator and regularly check the food in there and also that you keep in the cupboards or anywhere else. But its not just about checking them. This cannot prevent anything. All you will be doing is throwing away food items before they stink up the entire kitchen. So, what can you do to keep the food fresh?

Practical List of Tips for Ensuring Food is Cleaner and Fresher:
1) Spread some cloves on and around the marble surface of your kitchen, and also spread some cloves under the sink.
Why?
The Cloves keeps ants away.

2) Place some bay leaves inside your bags of dough, rice and the rest of the packs that insects prefer.
Why?
Bay leaves keep insects and other such lice away from food products. By placing bay leaves inside the packets, we ensure that insects do not reside there. But please remember to change the bay leaves once every three months.

3) Place half a potato in the refrigerator.
Why?
If there is any kind of bad smell from food or cooked items, the half potato will absorb it. To make sure that this works, remember to exchange the potato every three days.

4) Store eggs with the pointed side down.
Why?
Storing eggs with the pointed side down keeps them fresh for a longer period.

5) Place a few cubes of sugar in the jar where you store American cheese.
Why?
When you place two or three cubes of sugar with the American cheese in an air tight jar, the sugar absorbs the moisture and prevents the cheese from getting bad.

6) Do not store tomatoes and cucumbers in the same draw.
Why?
Tomatoes give out gases that cause cucumbers to rot faster so make sure that you keep these two apart.

7) Do not store apples along with the rest of the fruits and vegetables.
Why?
Apples give out certain gases that cause fruits and vegetables to rot.

Place slices of apples or raw potatoes in the bread compartment or jar.
Why?
By adding a few slices of raw potatoes or apples with the bread, you ensure that the bread remains fresh for longer than usual.

9) Store radish in a vessel along with some water.
Why?
You should store radish in a vessel along with water because water will keep the radish fresh and crisp for a long time. For the same reason, if the radishes have shriveled, place them in a jar of cold water. Water will restore the radish to its previous splendor.

Conclusion:
Here, I have presented only a few of the more practical actions you should follow to ensure that the food you and your family consume remains fresh and tasty.

How To Diet For Lean Muscle Gains – Focus On Vegetables And High-Protein Foods

If you are wondering how to diet for lean muscle gains, the most important thing that you should keep in mind is that you should reduce your intake of fatty foods. This is not possible to do entirely, but if you are eating a lot of highly fatty foods, you should reduce them to be no more than 20% of your daily caloric intake. We also recommend that you limit your selection to healthy unsaturated fats. It is also interesting to note that people who severely restrict their fat intake (below the 20% mark) will not look healthy; their hair will be brittle, their skin will be dry and they tend to have terrible mood swings and be very ill-tempered.

You should also cut out any empty carbohydrates as well – for instance, foods that are very high in sugar but lack nutrients, such as cookies, candy bars and other highly processed foods. This will make you feel more healthy overall, give you more energy and it will also enable you to get the nutrients that you will need to build muscle.

We recommend that you keep a food diary for one week and then review your typical caloric intake during one week. Then reduce the calories by 15% in order to lose fat. If you’re interested in gaining lean muscle, however, you will need to increase your calories by 15% – BUT you MUST divide all your food amongst six small meals per day in order to have the food convert to muscle rather than fat. North America’s habit of eating 2 or 3 large meals per day causes our bodies to act in the “feast or famine” mode of our early ancestors and thus causes our body to naturally store energy as fat. When you start to distribute your daily food intake between five to six meals a day it relieves the “feast or famine” program that your body has and your body will lose more fat, thus food will be converted into muscle gain.

Eat Natural and Organic Foods That Are Low Glycemic

When it comes to how to diet for lean muscle gain, some people swear by already-formulated foods and meal replacements. While those can help you sometimes – especially by helping you get enough protein in your diet – they are not the best option for you. If you are trying to gain muscle, then you should make sure that you’re eating healthy foods – which generally means that you are cooking the food yourself from scratch with raw ingredients.

The best lean muscle gaining diets for are similar to low carb diets, though less extreme. (You will still need carbohydrates so that you have enough energy to exercise). You should put a lot of emphasis on foods that are high in protein, like meat (such as skinless chicken breasts and lean beef), nuts, and some legumes, as well as on vegetables. The high protein foods will give your body the protein that it needs to build muscle mass, while the vegetables will give you the nutrients and fiber that will keep you healthy. With this diet, you will have everything you need to build the muscles that you want – but you won’t be eating too much, either.

It is also important to remember that low glycemic foods tend to be the healthiest food choice. The Glycemic Index is a measure of how much your blood sugar (glucose) rises after eating carbohydrate foods. High glycemic foods cause a surge in blood sugar, thus increasing insulin, and you will get hungrier sooner. Thus, you will be tempted to overeat.

High Glycemic foods are most grains and grain products (both whole wheat and white), cookies, candies, candy bars, breakfast cereals, grain based snack foods such as taco chips, corn, potatoes (these are highly starchy foods), bananas, most dried fruits and tropical fruits (tropical fruits tend to be sweeter than non-tropical fruits), fruit juices, honey and table sugar.

Low Glycemic foods are legumes (lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, and most other beans), many fruits such as cherries, blackberries and most other berries, plums, peaches and grapes, dairy products such as milk, yogurt and kefir, non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, Swiss chard, bok choy, lettuce, celery and kale.

If you follow these guidelines will be on your way to a stronger, leaner body and you will enjoy all the other side benefits of losing fat: more strength, increased energy, more endurance, a smaller waistline, visibly sexier abs and better health!

How To Choose A Healthy Food

Most of us are aware of the benefits of a balanced diet and healthy eating. But being aware of the benefits is only half of the solution. You also need to know how to choose the foods that will be best for your health. Depending on your daily routine, you may or may not eat at home most of the time.

Start your day with a healthy and well balanced breakfast. Studies have shown that people who don’t eat a full breakfast tend to seek carbohydrate snacks all throughout the day, and are more prone to gaining weight.

Eating at home usually involves more meal preparation time, this is important because preparing a good meal takes a lot more time than simply eating some junk food. If you can afford to prepare your meals at home, this can dramatically increase the quality of your meals, not only can you choose exactly what you eat, but you can choose how it is prepared and pick out the quality of the items yourself.

Any meal you eat, whether at home or while out should consist of all the basic food groups, balancing proteins, starches, greens and vegetables is a key factor to a healthy diet. Your body needs all the different food groups in order to function properly, by balancing your meals you are ensuring your health and the quality of your life.

Choosing the food you eat based simply on the label at the supermarket is not always the best choice. Sure, a low fat or diet version of a favorite snack, treat or dessert may be a better option than the regular version, but is it the best option. Look for healthier alternatives for snacking in between meals, low fat cereal bars and natural products, fruit and juice. It is not so much the amount you eat but rather what you eat that makes the difference.

Avoiding fatty foods and food with high quantities of sugar is also very important. Choose baked food instead of fried food, and adopt this healthier alternative when cooking at home as well.

When away from home and eating out, look for healthy alternatives. Fast food offers speedy advantages but often has no real nutritional value. Stuffing yourself with useless calories will fill you up momentarily, but you will soon find you are hungry again, and this can often lead to a vicious cycle, leading to high levels of junk food intake per day. Choose full meals whenever possible; look for whole wheat and organic products whenever you can. If you are on the run and need to eat as quickly as possible, look for the healthier alternatives to hotdogs and burgers. Try natural sandwiches made on the spot, there are many natural fast foods that can be just as quick as the conventional ones, while providing much better quality to your diet.

How To Eat Italian Food In Italy

If you want to get to the heart of Italian food, it’s best to go the source. For an authentic experience you don’t just need to get into the country of Italy, you need to get into Italian homes where traditional Italian food was birthed. That’s right, if you want to get to the heart of the cuisine you need to go where it’s cooked and served from the heart, in an actual Italian home.

There are some differences to the layout of an Italian home cooked meal versus other cuisines that you’ll want to be aware of. First off, real Italian food is not meant just to bring sustenance; it exists to bring family and friends together. An Italian meal is at least three to four courses and is not something to be rushed through. Meals in general are longer in Italy because of the cultural view that meal times are not just about feeding the body, but about feeding the soul.

One of the most surprising things to foreigners about an Italian meal is the first course it typically the most filling. There is an antipasti or appetizer course, but there is no salad or soup to ease your way into the meal. Right from the antipasti diners delve into the primo or “first course”. This is the course that will look most familiar to foreigners because it is where that delicious pasta that Italian food is famous for is served. This primo course is where most people’s knowledge of Italian food ends. Few people realize that there is much more to Italian food than just this primo pasta.

The next part of the meal is the secondo or “second course”. Here is the main dish. Yes, that’s right, the pasta that was just served in the primo, while filling, is not the main dish. The second course is where you’ll find the meat of the meal. In the North there will most likely be veal, pork, or chicken. In the South and coastal regions you’re more likely to find freshly caught fish. With this course will come a contorno or “side dish”. This is where you’ll get a chance to get your daily vegetables in. Traditionally this will come in the form of a fresh salad.

To end the meal diners get not one, but two desserts. The first is a cheese and fruit course that will help prepare you for the dolce or main dessert. The dolce will be the rich dessert of the evening, such as cake. Of course, the meal will end with coffee or espresso, a classical capstone to the array of Italian food that has been served. However, there is one last course to come that foreigners may not be so familiar with. The last course is actually the digestive course and consists of liquors and is often referred to as the “coffee killer”.

After having an authentic dining experience as the one outlined above, foreigners will leave Italy with a much better grasp on what Italian food is. There is more to this fine cuisine than pasta and pizzas. In fact, by the time the “coffee killer” comes around the primo pasta course is starting to fade in memory, buried by the exciting meat dishes, fresh vegetables, fruits, cheeses, and coffees that have made Italian food one of the most sought after cuisines in Europe.

How Healthy Is Mexican Food

If you ask majority of Americans on when the last time they ate Mexican food, usually it is within the last week. Mexican foods have become very popular in the United States. The problem is that the Mexican foods in America are not the same as they are in Mexico. Americans have added super fat and super sized the meals. If you go down to Mexico, you may not even find the same dishes because the dishes were created in America. Authentic Mexican food is rich in fresh vegetables, protein, and nutritious vitamins and spices.

Taco Bell comes to mind as a popular food chain that serves Mexican foods. You will find tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. People in Mexico usually do not eat big platters of tortilla chips in their everyday meals. Because of the food sold in the United States, it is not very healthy. The Mexican foods in America are not as rich in nutrients. It contains high fat, sodium, and calories. It also does not include as many fresh vegetables.

Most traditional Mexican dishes have less fat and calories. This doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy the foods served in American restaurants. You can add more healthy foods to the dish. Tomatoes are high in vitamins and have lycopene which has cancer-fighting properties. Tomatoes can be added to many Mexican dishes. Beans carry high protein and fiber. Instead of eating the beans refried, try getting them whole. It cuts back on the fat. Corn is another vegetable that is healthy in Mexican foods. It is high in vitamins and contains fiber. Adding these to your Mexican dishes will make them healthier than what you are served at Taco Bell.

You may be wondering if people in Mexico eat healthier foods. In America we have the choice to go to health food stores where we can find organic foods and foods not as fattening. The only drawback is that not everyone can afford to buy these foods whenever they grocery shop. In Mexico, healthier choices are available. Each year the health food market in Mexico makes over $500 Million. The consumers make up 5 percent of Mexico’s population. Their age range is from 20 to 50 years old. They usually live in metropolitan areas and can afford to buy these types of healthier foods. If they cannot afford it, they still are not getting all the fats and calories that we find in American foods, especially fast-foods. Authentic Mexican foods still carry many vegetables and ingredients that are good for your body, and also the way the food is cooked is healthier.

You are probably wondering again, is Mexican food healthy for me. Authentic Mexican dishes are, because they carry many vitamins and are generally low in fat. America has fattened up the Mexican dishes making them not a good choice. If you want to go out to eat, try avoiding the major Mexican food chain restaurants. Find a restaurant that serves authentic dishes. It is healthier and will taste even better knowing you are giving your body good foods.

High-Fat Foods and the Affect on Blood Sugars

All diets should use fat in moderation as it can lead to an unhealthy body weight and
heart disease. For a diabetic, controlling fat intake is important for the previous reason in
addition to the negative affect it can have on blood sugars. Fats can be put into many
different categories – healthy, non-healthy, saturated, non-saturated, trans-fat, and more.
But the bottom line with any of kind of fat is to enjoy in moderation.

When you eat food that is high in fat (for instance a cheeseburger), your short-term blood
glucose reading may come back as fine. But since fat acts much like protein and it slows
down the digestion of carbohydrates you may notice a higher than normal blood sugar
many hours later. It is hard to plan for such a spike because it is quite delayed compared
to other foods that are eaten that raise blood sugar.

The best advice is to choose natural, healthy, unsaturated fats and oils whenever possible.
You can do this by reading your food labels carefully as the different kinds of fats are
listed on most food labels. Excessive fat intake will also cause you to gain weight and
that is another way blood sugars can spiral out of control. Extra body weight that you
carry around is taxing on your systems and will affect how your body uses and needs
insulin.

Healthy fat choices include:

* Avocado – oil or the fruit itself
* Sesame, olive, or canola oil
* Black or green olives
* Peanuts and peanut butter (this doubles as a protein choice)
* Sesame seeds

Additional fat choices that should be used in moderation:

* Butter or margarine
* Walnuts
* Salad dressings
* Mayonnaise
* Pumpkin and sunflower seeds

If there are any questions about a type of fat and what a serving size should be, contact
your doctor or dietician for more information.

High Protein Diet And Foods For Muscle Building

Copyright 2006 Konstantinos Marangopoulos

High protein diets have always been popular with athletes. Their popularity increased tenfold during the past 5 years with the introduction of the low carb type diets to the public that include high protein foods.

Regular people who do not exercise can eat moderately high protein foods. On the other hand athletes and people on muscle building diets must eat at least 1gram per lb of bodyweight in order to build muscle. A high protein diet is the staple of bodybuilders. Bodybuilding athletes always include a high protein food source in their daily diet.

High protein foods you can include in your diet are:

Turkey breast Chicken breast Lean cuts of red meat Lean cuts of pork Fish (most fish is high in protein) Eggs & Egg Whites Skim Milk Low fat cottage cheese Protein powders & bars

Whether you are going for muscle building or fat loss, a high protein diet plan can certainly help you either way.

If you are trying to build muscle, you need a high protein intake in your daily diet in order to recover from workouts and build muscle tissue. Protein provides the building blocks for muscle and without it muscle building and growth simply will not occur. During weightlifting and hard training, muscle tissue is broken down. In order for that muscle tissue to be rebuilt and grow stronger, we need to eat a diet high in protein. It’s pretty simple.

If fat loss is one’s goal, a high protein diet is also an absolute must. Most high protein foods are very low in carbs and saturated fats. Therefore by eating high protein foods in your diet, you also also eating quality low calorie foods. In order to accelerate the fat loss process, reducing carbs and overall calories is usually recommended. High protein foods can help you in achieving that.

An average person who trains hard and weighs 180lbs requires a minimum of 180grams of protein in his diet per day. This means at least 1gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Anything less and muscle building/recovery will not be optimal. Some hard training athletes consume up to 2 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight in order to accelerate the muscle building process. This is not recommended for most people who require a moderately high protein intake. The total amount of protein taken every day should be spread over 5 to 6 meals throughout the course of a day.

Timing of high protein foods is also very important. You should be consuming high protein foods at all times but more for your breakfast, post workout meal and before-bed meal. Start your high protein daily diet by giving your body good quality protein to start the day. Then, right after your workout, consume a protein shake that will help kick start the muscle repairing process. Last but not least you have your before bed meal where you must consume a slow digesting form of protein (casein mostly) that will give you a steady release of high quality amino acids throughout the night.

Eating high amounts of protein in your diet can be very demanding. It requires a lot of time to cook high protein foods like chicken and turkey. The best way to get all of your protein is to use protein powders. Protein powders are extremely high in protein and they are very convenient to use. Just one small scoop of protein can provide 20-24 grams of the highest quality protein available. Make sure you choose your high protein supplements wisely. Do not get caught up in the marketing frenzy of magazines. A tub of high quality protein should not cost you more than $30 at any given time.

For more information on protein foods vs. protein supplements, check out: http://www.bodybuildingapplied.com/index_center_articles.asp?newsId=88

If you decide to embark upon a high protein diet, make sure you include a lot of vegetables and fibrous carbs with your meals in order to help protein digestion. Try to eat at least two salads per day and/or steamed vegetables. Furthermore, try to stay consistent with your high protein diet, day in day out, in order to keep a steady influx of aminos to your muscles. Always remember that if you are not eating enough protein & calories in your diet, your body will use existing muscle tissue to repair itself.

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