Todays Healthy Life

Steve Jobs and Healthy Eating

Julie Harrison — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:19:36 +0000

If you’ve read Steve Jobs’ recently published biography you may have been puzzled, as I was, by his eating habits. He would eat a very limited number of the same foods (as few as one or two) for weeks, and would fast for long periods. These extreme eating habits meant he wasn’t getting the essential nutrients he needed to maintain good health. His business legacy is amazing and millions of us enjoy the products he brought to market. I have great admiration for his genius, but his ideas about nutrition are not ones I plan to practice.

Image by renjith krishnan.

AntiCancer Foods Part 7 – Pomegranates

Julie Harrison — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:00:11 +0000

Julie’s Comments: Pomegranates are rich in antioxidants and eating them or drinking the juice has multiple health benefits. How do you include them in your diet? The seeds are delicious sprinkled on salads or stirred into yogurt, and the juice is really refreshing.

The juicy red kernels of a pomegranate are a favorite with both the young and old alike. Apart from its richness and delicious taste, pomegranate juice has also become popular for its health benefits. And this only continues to increase with more and more people becoming aware of a healthy diet and lifestyle. This fruit contains many different nutrients which are absolutely essential for health and fitness. Hence drinking a glass of this juice daily can boost your health in more ways than one.

There are many scientific studies that have shown that this fruit contains certain compounds that can help fight breast cancer. The studies revealed that the compounds attack malignant cells and destroy these while keeping the healthy cells intact. There are also other scientific studies being conducted across the globe with regard to the benefits of this juice in fighting liver cancer and prostate cancer. Both the group of studies conducted in mice has shown that pomegranate contains compounds which can fight or slow down the cancerous cells and boost the growth of the healthy ones.

Image by kongsky.

Another important finding is that pomegranate juice can help to keep the levels of the prostate specific antigen stable in men with prostate cancer. A group of fifty men were chosen for the study and administered eight ounces of this fruit juice every single day for a month and it was observed that the levels came down and became stable doing away with the need for further chemotherapy. People who suffer from osteoarthritis can also benefit a lot from taking this juicy, red fruit. Cartilage deterioration can be reduced which protects the joints and brings down the painful effects of this disease. This juice also offers a range of nutrients for the pregnant mother and can help in the normal development of her neonate’s brain especially after an injury has occurred.

Heart protection is another benefit that you derive when you take this fruit on a regular basis. The compounds present can help to lower the cholesterol levels especially the levels of LDL cholesterol which is called as bad cholesterol in layman’s terms. It also protects the heart by preventing the buildup of plaque inside the arteries and thereby reducing the risk of a stroke or myocardial infarction. Blood pressure can also become stable in those who suffer from hypertension. So grab yourself a glass of pomegranate juice to stay fit and healthy and say goodbye to diseases.

Drinking pomegranate juice has been seen to have a lot of health benefits. It helps to keep an array of diseases at bay and also offers protection against different types of cancers. To learn more about the nutrients contained in this drink, visit www.inspiredwellbeing.com/store/buy-organic-pomegranate-juice.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rizvana_Abdul

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6692064

Create a Healthy Kid’s Lunch Box

Julie Harrison — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:55:53 +0000

Julie’s Comments: Here are some great tips for helping your kids eat healthy and develop good eating habits that will benefit them all their lives. Please share your views by leaving a Comment below.

Healthy School Lunches: Is Your Child Eating a Balanced Diet?

Julie Harrison — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:00:28 +0000

Julie’s Comments: With childhood obesity at nearly epidemic levels, healthy eating for our kids is more important than ever. Here are some great tips on how to help our children develop healthy eating habits.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtC92MAQJhE

Healthy School Lunch Ideas

Julie Harrison — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:00:23 +0000

Julie’s Comments: It’s hard to keep coming up with ideas for the kids’ lunch (or even for your own lunch). Check these out! If you use turkey or other meat for sandwiches I suggest a nitrite/nitrate free brand like Hormel Natural Choice. That’s the brand I found in my grocery store, but there must be other nitrite-free brands. You can check the Ingredients Label on the package to see if the product contains nitrites or nitrates, which are linked to increased cancer risk. I hope these ideas are helpful to you!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mtwZ5a83GM

Healthy Breakfast For $1

Julie Harrison — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:00:57 +0000

Julie’s Comments: Need breakfast ideas? Here are some good ones!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhYqk0qFETQ

Update – Dangers of Processed Meats

Julie Harrison — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:00:52 +0000

On Sept. 28 I posted an article about cancer- causing nitrites and nitrates found in the processed meats that are such a big part of the American diet. I committed to tracking down nitrite/nitrate free brands and I’m looking for more! The ones I’ve found so far are:

Applegate Naturals hickory smoked bacon.
Aidells brand has several sausage varieties including andouille, Italian and chicken with apple. I recently used Aidells andouille in a batch of Red Beans and Rice and it was delicious!
Jones Dairy Farm All Natural breakfast sausage. My favorite is the low-fat turkey sausage.
Hormel Natural Choice cold cuts (ham, turkey, roast beef).

I found these in my local grocery store (Publix). I’ve tried all these brands and found them to be delicious. They’re also phosphate free. Phosphates are linked to decreasing bone density, which affects so many women as we age. Men can also develop osteoporosis, so phosphates are a good thing to avoid. You can tell if a product contains nitrites, nitrates or phosphates because they’ll be listed on the Ingredients Label on the product package.

Please help me find more nitrite/nitrate-free brands, and share them by leaving a Comment below! Thanks!

Image by Suat Eman.

Why Eat Healthy? Part 4 – “Live Long and Prosper”

Julie Harrison — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:00:41 +0000

It’s official…a recent study from the CDC says healthy lifestyle pays off with increased longevity! As reported in the American Journal of Public Health in September 2011, the study covered an 18 year period, looked at over 16,000 people and included 4 healthy behaviors. These were healthy eating, exercising, drinking alcohol in moderation, and not smoking. People who practiced these behaviors were 63% less likely to die than people who didn’t practice any of them.

While these results may not be surprising, I think we sometimes lose sight of how lifestyle habits can affect our health over the long term. The state of our health has a big impact on our quality of life. Take good care of yourself! You’re worth it!

Image by Ambro.

Why Eat Healthy? Part 3 – Alcohol Pros and Cons

Julie Harrison — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:00:32 +0000

This month the Harvard Heart Letter reported the results of a study on the effects of drinking alcohol on our health. The study was a big one, followed over 2 million men and women for an average of 11 years, and compared moderate alcohol use to no alcohol use. Moderate alcohol consumption did reduce the risk of coronary artery disease and heart disease, but it increased stroke risk somewhat. One drink per day was the amount that produced the least risk for any cause of death in the study. At 4 drinks per day stroke risk was a whopping 62% higher than with no alcohol consumption. Clearly the amount of alcohol consumed is key. Once it becomes excessive any beneficial effects are far outweighed by substantially increased risk of stroke, liver disease, a variety of cancers and other health problems. As the Harvard article points out, alcohol is a double-edged sword. Please share your views by leaving a Comment below.

Image by Carlos Porto.

AntiCancer Foods Part 6 – Tomatoes

Julie Harrison — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:00:15 +0000

Tomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene. Dr. Mehmet Oz writes that lycopene prevents cancer cells from growing and dividing.

I like tomatoes raw or cooked, and my favorites are the fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes that we grow in the summer…tomato sandwiches, anyone? Tomatoes are most beneficial when eaten cooked, however. I use them most often in pasta sauce and homemade chili. Click here for an easy chili recipe, make extra and freeze it to have convenient meals ready when you don’t have time to cook (or just don’t feel like it!). Another great way to eat cooked tomatoes is by making a simple tomato sauce for pasta… an easy recipe follows.

Image by Suat Eman.

The commercial sauces you can buy in the grocery store often taste great, but they tend to have a lot of added sugar and sodium. You can make your own sauce so easily. In a saucepan combine 1 14 oz can of tomato sauce, 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, 1 small can of tomato paste and about 1/3 cup of red wine (something you’d drink, not “cooking” wine). Bring to a simmer and add 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, a little dried basil and oregano, or some Italian seasoning (start with 1/2 teaspoon). Cook about 10 minutes, taste and add more basil, etc. and a little salt and pepper. Simmer another 10-15 minutes, taste and adjust the seasoning. This sauce is even better the next day, so you can make it ahead. It also freezes well. If you want a meat sauce, start by browning about 1/2 to 1 pound of ground beef, buffalo or turkey in the saucepan. Add a small to medium chopped onion and 2 cloves of minced or crushed garlic and cook on low heat until the onions soften. Add the tomatoes, etc. as described above and simmer about 30 minutes (leave out the garlic powder since you’re using fresh garlic). Adjust seasoning as necessary. Once you have the recipe adjusted to your satisfaction, you can double the amount you prepare and freeze some for later meals. You can also add mushrooms to it if you like those. This is a basic recipe and you can tailor it to your personal taste very easily. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Please share your favorite tomato “Eats” by leaving Comments below. Thanks!