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The Best Snacks for Any Age

June 26, 2012 by

One of the most difficult things about eating right is not going overboard with snacking. It’s relatively easy to watch your calories at planned mealtimes, but when it comes to snacking, it’s easy to overdo it. Below are five ideas for healthy, delicious snacks.

1.     Olives – A great way to get your fix of salty snacks is by noshing on a few olives. These delicious bite-sized morsels are low in calories and sodium compared to chips and other snacks, and also boast a fair amount of antioxidants and other helpful nutrients.

2.     String Cheese – Another good way to satisfy a craving for something savory is to enjoy a string cheese. Although cheese does have a little more fat, it also packs excellent protein and calcium. Plus, it's good for helping you feel full between meals.

3.     Fruit – Fruit is one of the all-best healthy snacks you can eat to satisfy a sweet tooth. Pick fruits with lots of fiber (like apples or pears) to keep you feeling satisfied until your next meal.

4.     Nuts – Nuts make an awesome snack for a number of reasons — they pack sweet, salty, and fatty flavors, and when eaten in moderation, they’re good for your health, too. Most nuts hold a bounty of protein and healthy, essential fats. The trick is to avoid fatty nuts like cashews and Brazil nuts – walnuts and almonds are the best.

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The Benefits of Omega-3s

May 8, 2012 by

Omega-3s are essential fatty acids found in foods such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, salmon, sardines, and walnuts, and we all need them in order for our bodies to function properly. One of their most crucial benefits is that these fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, and a lot of diseases, such as heart disease and arthritis are linked to the inflammatory issues.

The Mayo Clinic touts some of the health benefits of Omega-3s, benefits such as:

  • reducing the risk of heart attack
  • reducing heart arhythmia
  • reducing risk of stroke
  • lowering blood pressure
  • lowering triglycerides

Visit the Mayo Clinic's website to learn more about Omega-3s.

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The Many Benefits of Green Tea

March 20, 2012 by

If you’re looking for an easy way to boost your overall health and immunity, it could be as easy as enjoying some green tea. Incorporate a cup or two of this ancient drink into your daily regimen, and rest assured that you’re fortifying your health as well! The University of Maryland Medical Center website has a page listing some of the benefits of green tea. Here are a few:

  • Green tea contains antioxidants, and it can help reduce coronary artery disease.
  • Green tea can lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol.
  • Some studies show that green tea might protect people from developing cancer.
  • Green tea can help control blood sugar levels, making it useful for those with diabetes.
  • Green tea may also help boost metabolism and help the body burn fat.

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Daily Tips To Keep Your Heart Healthy

March 13, 2012 by

For a long and healthy life, it’s essential to consider your heart health. Below are some effective ways to address your heart health every day:

  1. Stop smoking! Quitting smoking is the number one thing you can do to boost your heart health. Did you know that the threat of heart attack for former smokers is the same as it is for non-smokers within three years of quitting?!If you’ve been putting it off, make it your goal to quit this year!
  2. Get Moving! The chance of heart disease increases significantly in sedentary people versus people who get regular physical activity. No need to run a marathon – moderate intensity exercise such as walking, swimming or biking are great choices. The key is to keep it regular, and make sure you move every day.
  3. Brush & Floss. Did you know that taking care of your teeth is an essential element of heart health? The risk of experiencing a heart attack or a stroke increases by 50% if you have gum disease.
  4. Eat Your Fruits & Veggies. Include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Be sure to enjoy foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and high in fiber. A healthy, balanced diet helps to prevent high blood cholesterol, and the less sodium you have in your diet, the better.
  5. Start Laughing! Laughing can be a great workout for your heart. Each time you chuckle, the blood flow in your heart increases for up to 45 minutes, which is an excellent way to promote heart health.

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Feed Your Eyes With a Healthy Diet

January 10, 2012 by

To protect your vision, get your eyes checked once a year. But you can do more than that: simply eating a healthy, balanced diet will help ensure that your trip to the eye doctor is quick, painless and worry-free.

Start with orange juice and green vegetables. They are packed with vitamin C, which helps fight glaucoma, and the heavy dose of antioxidants will guard against macular degeneration.

While you’re at it, remember the color orange; carrots, sweet potatoes, and other orange fruits/vegetables are high in beta carotene, which is a building block for vitamin A. Vitamin A strengthens your corneas and helps prevent night blindness.

Salmon, flax seeds, walnuts, and avocado are good sources of Omega 3 fatty acids. Besides preventing dry eye syndrome, this beneficial fat helps heart and brain health!

You’re not limited to meals, either. Think of all the finger foods you can snack on throughout the day—citrus fruits, broccoli, peaches, mangoes, garlic, chickpeas . . . with every bite, your eyes get stronger. So get that annual eye exam, but “feed” your eyes every day. Bon appetit!

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Save Some Green: Safely Skip Organic Versions of These Vegetables

December 28, 2011 by

With all of the hubbub about organic produce, the truth is that you don’t have to buy organic everything to eat healthfully. Organic growing methods make a big difference in some produce and virtually no difference in others. If you’re looking to save a little money, here are five vegetables that are safe and delicious when conventionally grown:

  • Onions are a bulb vegetable and they absorb very little pesticide through the growing process. In addition, growing onions organically is very expensive, as their stalks are vulnerable to a wide variety of insects.
  • Sweet corn is also very acceptable to purchase conventionally-grown. While there's a great deal of concern over genetically-modified corn in the open market, the majority of sweet corn is not GMO and can be consumed with confidence.
  • Avocados are also a food that grows better under conventional techniques. The thick skin of the fruit prevents contamination from airborne pesticides, and considering that the vast majority of avocados are grown abroad it’s difficult to find affordable organic options.
  • Sweet potatoes, unlike standard potatoes, are fine to eat conventionally-grown. The less starchy flesh is less likely to absorb toxins through the soil.
  • Cabbage has thickly-packed leaves don’t hold pesticides and chemicals like lettuces do.

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