The 12 Super Foods That Better Your Health

There are 12 foods that, if eaten on a regular basis, do wonders for your health. Do you know what they are?

If you're reading this than you already have some knowledge of how important good nutrition is. I'm a big advocate of "you are what you eat." Meaning, what you put in your body largely determines what you look like on the outside.

And if you make a serious effort to improve your eating habits, you will notice a positive change in how you look and feel. It's not about perfection though. Thrive to make small changes to your diet over time and you'll eventually be amazed at the will power you develop.

There are 12 foods that you should be eating on a regular basis. All have their own unique health benefits and if you mold your diet around the majority of these foods, you'll notice an improvement in your health.

The list is as follows:

1. Almonds and other nuts- a great source of good fat.

2. Beans and legumes- a great source of fiber and protein.

3. Spinach and other green vegetables- a great source of phytonutrients and antioxidants.

4. Low-fat dairy- a great source of calcium and protein.

5. Oatmeal- a great source of fiber and protein.

6. Eggs- a great source of vitamin E and protein.

7. Turkey and other lean meats- a great source of protein.

8. Natural peanut butter- yes, this can be included under #1, but natural peanut butter makes eating nuts easier because you can spread it on wheat bread, bananas, celery, etc.

9. Olive oil- a great source of good fat.

10. Whole-grain breads and cereals- a great source of fiber.

11. Extra protein- a great source of protein!

12. Raspberries and other berries- a great source of antioxidants.

All 12 foods above have a high nutritional value and should be incorporated into your daily snacks and meals.

I personally bring the list with me food shopping and you might want to consider doing the same.

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."

Healthy Breakfast Foods

It is always surrounded by silly excuse of lack of time. And still no one denies that fact that "breakfast" is the most important meal of the day.

Why such a hullabaloo about this early morning meal? Well, for starters, this meal comes after a break of 8 - 10 hours; hence your blood sugar level will be low. Since your body has gone with out food for such a long time, it needs nourishment to kick-start its day. Therefore "breakfast" is considered to be an important and essential meal of the day.

Breakfast benefits both, young and old. It is the key to jump start your muscles and your day. People who eat breakfast (healthy) daily are more likely to

- Consume more vitamins, minerals and less of fat and cholesterol.
- Increased strength and endurance.
- Better concentration and productivity all day long.
- Control over weight
- Low cholesterol = no risk or little risk of heart disease

Children who eat breakfast are likely to have better concentration, problem-solving skills and eye-hand coordination. They will be alert, creative, and less likely to miss days of school.

If you think skipping this meal, will help you lose weight, think again. By passing over this meal, your body will go in the starvation mode and make you crave for snacks especially sweets. Impulsive snacking on unhealthy foods can lead to weight gain. So you motive of losing weight by skipping breakfast stays unachieved.

Try to choose healthy foods from at least two food groups each morning

- Fruits & Vegetables
- Grains
- Dairy
- Proteins

A glass of pure fruit juice, bananas, yoghurt, low-calorie muesli with semi skimmed or skimmed milk, fresh fruit salad with few spoonfuls of low fat yoghurt, fresh and raw veggies mixed with flavoured yoghurt, a slice of toast or plain bread with eggs, boiled or poached are some of the options for breakfast. Kids can enjoy a Smoothie with their favourite fruits; add dash of yoghurt or honey to make it more delicious.

If you look forward to eating different kinds of healthy foods for breakfast, you are less like to skip this meal. If time is your hurdle, think about packing your breakfast or eating on the 'run', its better than skipping it altogether.

Can Pizza Actually Be Healthy For You?

This article may come as a surprise to you, especially if you follow a healthy and nutritious diet...

It's about pizza, the weakness of many people including me. I love pizza- always have. I make sure I eat it in moderation, but it's still one of my favorite foods.

Now there’s good news for pizza lovers.

According to Men's Health magazine, research concludes that pizza can be good for you. It’s important to point out, however, that we're talking about real pizza- not the kind you get from Pizza Hut, Dominoes or the frozen food section of your supermarket. By real, I mean pizza made with real crust, real tomato sauce and pure olive oil.

According to Men's Health, scientists writing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating pizza can reduce your risk of a heart attack. In a 4-year study of nearly 1,000 Italians, those who ate pizza at least once a week were 30 percent less likely to experience a heart attack than the folks who didn't partake of the pie.

This is contributed to pizza's cardio protective ingredients, including olive oil and tomato sauce. And here’s a way to make the pizza even healthier: top it with vegetables, part-skim cheese and use whole wheat crust. You’ll then have a meal that is actually good for you.

Can you get this kind of a pizza in a pizzeria? You might be able to find some that offer whole wheat crust, but I doubt you’ll find any that offer part-skim cheese. What you can do is buy the ingredients at your local grocery store and make the pizza yourself. Speaking from experience, this can be a fun thing!

Enjoy the experience of making your own pizza and savoring a nutritious meal. After all, feeding your body with nutritious meals is the number one thing you can do for better health.