Healthier Matters » Diet & Nutrition

Latest studies on Benefits of Organic Foods

health girl — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:45:19 +0000

Since the organic industry has had an important development in recent years, especially in the food and drinks sector, it would be interesting to evaluate a bit more the actual benefits of eating organic by going beyond the reassuring image that has been marketed.

We have therefore turned to a governmental authority, the Food Standards Agency (FSA), to discover that the latest study around organic food does not confirm many assumptions regading nutritional values and health safety conditions of organic food. In fact, the report clearly states that, at present, there is no actual evidence of organic food being more nutritious than normally grown food. This latter depends on various factors such as the storage method of foods that preserves freshness, the condition of soils and the way animals are fed. According to the FSA, these factors do not seem to be affected by the way aliments are produced, organically or conventionally.

The main difference in organic production of food consists in the restriction of artificial elements (i.e. pesticides, fertiliserd, additives, GMO products, anti-conventional veterinary medicines, etc…) as well as production and breeding systems that are particularly respectful of animal health and welfare. For this reasons, studies have come up to different conclusions about higher food safety standards but the opinion that organic foods are not necessarily safer is still very much valid, as normative regulations do exist for any means of food production.

In conclusion, people buying organic products should perhaps think more about their motivation in doing since there seems to be more grounds to eat organic food as an ethical choice rather than for its nutritious and healthy benefits.

New Book Extols Benefits of Chocolate

health girl — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:38:18 +0000

Chocolate has always been a kid’s favorite and even adults couldn’t resist its temptation especially during holidays. When you overindulge yourself in chocolates then brace yourself for some extra calories you need to burn but, do you know that when you get just the right amount of the right chocolates then you will surely feel and even look a lot better?

Yes, that’s what Shara Aaron & Monica Bearden, two registered dietitians and authors of a book about chocolates say. Ancient people said that chocolate has some healing powers and sure enough, scientists had proven just that. Eating chocolate and cocoa helps to improve your vascular health as well as lower the blood pressure and make your skin look more vibrant. 2 tbsp of natural cocoa actually has more antioxidant compared to four cups of green tea. Cocoa also has Flavanols which helps to increase the blood flow and you’ll get the right amount if you consume just 6.7 grams a day of dark chocolate. By taking this amount of dark chocolate, you’d get reduced blood pressure as well as protection from cardiovascular diseases and inflammation. It also helps to make you look good by increasing the blood flow to your skin.

You’d surely enjoy the many benefits of chocolate as long as you just take a small portion of it a day. You should resist the temptation though as it also is a high-calorie food.

Quick weight loss plan

health girl — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:36:26 +0000

You’ve probably seen on TV, online, heard in the radio or read in the newspapers about quick weight loss plans. There are individuals who claimed they have lost a significant amount of weight only after a few days under this plan. Although there are no weight plans that will shed the unwanted weight overnight, there are diet plans that could have an effect in just a few days to a week.

These quick weight loss plans are usually a combination of light to moderate exercise, weight loss pills and a strict diet. The weight loss pills are usually fat burners and/or appetite suppressors. Along with a very low calorie diet, you’ll be able to significantly lose weight since your exercise could greatly reduce your weight as you burn calories really fast. The food intake will usually consist of fruits in form of juice or vegetables with low calories.

But these are usually considered as “crash diet plans.” You can implement any of the known weight loss plan right at your home but remember that the relapse could have dangerous effects in your body. Consult a nutritionist or your physician so that you’ll have additional tips and warnings if your body could handle your preferred type of diet crash.

After going through a quick weight loss plan, never go back to your regular diet quickly. Since your body has been accustomed to minimal food, the re-introduction of food should be done slowly. Not only will it help you maintain your weight but also protect your general health.

Why slimming pills can ruin your underwear

health girl — Sat, 16 May 2009 16:33:22 +0000

Slimming pills are not the best answer to your weight problems but exercise and proper diet is. Slimming pills also have a not-so-popular side effect that they didn’t want the whole world to know, not until you’ve tried it and experienced it for yourself.

Orlistat first came out with the brand name Xenical and it’s said to be the slimming pills to help aide the obese to lose weight and it does not have any ill side effects. Looks promising, right? In fact, Orlistat does work in blocking fats so that your body won’t absorb them. By doing so, you reduce your fat absorption by about 30%. It seems very promising and if you use Orlistat and combine it with proper diet and exercise, indeed you would be losing weight more rapidly than without the aid of Orlistat. But, since the “oil” is not being absorbed by the body then it has to go somewhere and that’s where the problem comes in.

Our anus is not created to hold in that much oil especially if you don’t limit your fat intake while using it. The title would already give you a clear picture of what this means. That means, your anus would eventually start to leak time and again and this can be very embarrassing especially if you are in a social gathering. It’s hard to control and you get little accidents here and there. When you laugh a bit too hard, some “oil” would come out and the oil can be widely visible because of its disgusting color- orange!

Nonetheless it is still effective as an aid to weight loss but you have to think about this disgusting side effect and ask yourself if you’re willing to try it.

Develop your own diet plan

health girl — Wed, 13 May 2009 08:08:15 +0000

Atkins, South Beach and other diet plans could help you lose weight but they tend to be expensive. Not only will you buy their instructional guides, the products you’ll buy have to be the ones approved for the said diet plan and these products are not kind to your budget either.

So instead of getting some tips from these expensive diet plans, why not develop one of your own?

Developing your personal diet plan boils down to a single question: why are you increasing in weight? If you could identify the source of the problem then you can formulate the solution. This will give you a better chance of losing weight even though your diet plan is not tested yet. You are simply preventing yourself to eat foods that could get you fat.

Your next consideration is your calories intake. Although counting calories is highly recommended, it could take too much time and effort. Use the simpler alternative by simply choosing foods that you already know as low on calories. As you slowly create calorie deficiency which forces your body to burn more fats, you lose weight in the process and look better.

Last but not the least is exercise. Any diet plan in the world will never reach its full potential if you don’t have a regular exercise plan. Your exercise will help you burn calories as you acquire fewer calories through your food. Any form of exercise will do as long as you do it regularly.

A diet plan should never be complicated and expensive. Create a diet plan that will fit your budget as well as lifestyle. With regular exercise, you can achieve the body and weight you always desire.

Americans and salt

health girl — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:34:47 +0000

Salt is essential to the existence of our world. We need salt, our bodies need salt but too much of it can cause us harm. Americans consume more salt than what is recommended but a finding shows that 70% of Americans actually have a lower recommended daily consumption of salt.

Americans consume 1 ½ tsp of salt every day and the recommended daily consumption of salt is one teaspoon so that’s half a teaspoon more than what is recommended or 50% more than the maximum salt requirement.

Though this result is already alarming but there is more shocking news to this. 70% of Americans actually require less than 1 teaspoon of salt a day! This 70% are people who have high blood pressure, or are over 40 or are African-American adults. They should be taking not more than 2/3 tsp of salt a day so that means they are actually consuming twice the maximum amount of salt that their bodies can handle.

High level of salt causes heard disease and stroke and that is not to be questioned anymore because it is the fact. Decreasing the consumption of salt would actually diminish the serious health consequences.

Over the last 20 years, Americans consume more salt and they keep on adding more to their daily consumption of salt even more. This is because most Americans rely on processed foods and this is where most of the salt are coming from and not from home cooked meals.

Unless the Americans would change their habits and start cooking foods instead of eating manufactured or processed foods, the risks for stroke and heart disease would keep on increasing.

What’s a Detox Diet?

health girl — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:53:57 +0000

Detox is a short cut term for “detoxification” Our body naturally detoxifies itself, eliminating all harmful toxins in our body that may come from normal functions as well from other outside factors such as smoking, inhalation of harmful chemicals, etc.

Detox diet refers to the detoxification the dietary toxins from our body through dieting or through the use of herbs that help cleanse our body faster. You can find several types of detox diets so you can choose the one that suits you. Organic foods, for instance, is part of a detox diet because you eliminate the source of chemicals that may be present from non-organic foods or foods that are treated with chemicals.

Also, foods that are high in vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants are also detox foods used for a detox diet. Another one is by taking only high fiber foods or increasing the amount of high fiber foods on the diet and increase of water so that the toxins in our body can be flushed away through bowel movements.

A detox diet is not just focusing on a person’s weight but also to his or her health. Detoxifying your body means you’d be much healthier and it wards off illnesses. You’d feel rejuvenated and younger. Part of its result is weight loss. Excess fats are flushed away together with the harmful toxins in our body that are caused by chemicals from foods, water and even our air.

It is necessary to detoxify our bodies regularly so we could improve from its many benefits- a healthier you.

The pros and cons of dieting

health girl — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:23:00 +0000

Women are more conscious about their weight. They always look in the mirror and think there’s something wrong somewhere or probably they feel too fat even though they really aren’t. To those who want to lose weight through dieting, you must know that there are pros and cons to consider.

There are different types of diet that you can follow. There is the Zone diet, Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet and a lot more. Whatever diet you want to follow, you must first ask yourself if you can religiously follow everything that is instructed. Also, you must consider whether that diet gives you all the important nutrition that your body needs. If not, then you’d be doing your body more harm than good.

Finding the right diet is not easy. Not because you decided to go on a diet will you be successful in losing weight. The fact is, you’d probably be unsuccessful in the first few attempts but you should not be discouraged. It just takes the right amount of determination combined with proper exercise and you’ll get to your goal.

There are diets that restrict you from eating the foods that you like. Unfortunately, this is one main reason why people become unsuccessful in achieving their weight goal. Find a diet that allows you to eat whatever you like but in small portions only. This way, you can stay happy while staying in shape.

Dieting should not be such a sacrifice. It’s a decision of turning your life around but you don’t need to void yourself of little pleasures.

Green tea – your way to fitness

health girl — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:33:23 +0000

Green tea has many healthy benefits and one of the benefits of regularly drinking green tea is with your weight issues. Yes, green tea can help you lose weight. Aside from that very popular benefit, green tea has been known to treat almost anything and it’s been used by the Chinese since the ancient times.

Green tea helps dieters because it improves their metabolism so they burn more calories in a day! Drinking green tea after every meal is ideal and most Chinese drink tea for socializing and it’s really a part of their life.

With green tea, you can even ward off tooth decays. No actual studies had been conducted on this yet but many swear at green tea’s decay fighting properties. Also, green tea lowers down your cholesterol levels and it even kills cancer cells! Also, it helps in preventing heart attacks and stroke and there are many other health benefits from drinking green tea.

So, if you want to stay fit and healthy, make sure you drink at least one cup of green tea a day and you’ll born more calories while sipping that hot tea. You get lots of benefits from it and it can be an addictive habit too! Although many are afraid of drinking tea because, well let’s face it, it doesn’t taste good but eventually you’ll get used to it. Tea when it’s hot doesn’t taste bad at all!

One negative side effect of green tea is insomnia because it contains some caffeine but the amount of caffeine in one cup of green tea is at least 1/18th of the caffeine in just one cup of coffee!

The Power of L-Carnitine

health girl — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:06:45 +0000

There are several products being sold in the market now that has L-Carnitine. They say it will help you lose the fat and be the healthier and slimmer you! How effective is L-Carnitine? And what does it do?

L-Carnitine can help you lose the excess weight in different ways. L-Carnitine allows the fatty acids into your body’s energy powerhouse, the mitochondria, and it is then oxidized to produce energy so you feel energized. Also, L-Carnitine helps you build muscles and it even reduces the feeling of being hungry so you won’t feel the urge to eat that unhealthy potato chips or that fatty cheese burger!

Basically, L-Carnitine alone will not help you lose weight. You need to combine it with exercise because L-Carnitine provides you with the energy that you still need to burn and at the same time, it increases your metabolism. There are many food supplement products in the market that has L-Carnitine. It’s not a miracle worker but it sure can help you tip down on the weighing scale.

Losing weight is not as easy as gaining weight but with much determination and the right supplements, you will get there. Of course you also need to have the discipline and fight the urge to gobble up on anything you can eat. Choose the right and healthy foods and be active! That’s the healthiest and best way to drop that excess weight. Enjoy your life by being active and start having fun! Just think of it this way, active equates FUN!