Healthy Life: 4 Healthy Reasons to Eat a Salad Today

4 Healthy Reasons to Eat a Salad Today

Have you had your salad today? Eating salad almost every day may be one of the most healthy eating habits you can adopt -- and one of the simplest, experts say.

Eating salads is a super-convenient way to work in a couple of servings of vegetables and/or fruit. Green salads are on the menu of almost every restaurant. You can even buy a side salad (with lettuce, carrots and tomatoes, available with fat-free or reduced-calorie salad dressing) for a buck at many fast food chains these days. And you can make a green salad at home in 5 minutes, armed with a bag of pre-washed salad greens, a few carrots or other veggies, and a bottle of light salad dressing.

Not only that, but salads are cool, crunchy, and fun to eat (lots of textures, colors, and flavors). Most people enjoy eating salads--even kids! You can customize them to include the fruits and vegetables that appeal to you the most, and whichever ones you have on hand.



Here are four health reasons to reach for a salad today:

1. Eat Salads for the Fiber
It's hard to believe that something we can't even digest can be so good for us! Eating a high-fiber diet can help lower cholesterol levels and prevent constipation.
Not only that, eating more fiber can help you feel fuller, eat less, and ultimately lose weight.



2. Eat Salads for the Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables
If you frequently eat green salads, you'll likely have higher blood levels of a host of powerful antioxidants (vitamin C and E, folic acid, lycopene, and alpha- and beta-carotene,) especially if your salad includes some raw vegetables. Antioxidants are substances that help protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals.

For years, researchers have noted a link between eating lots of fruits and vegetables and lower risks of many diseases, particularly cancer. A recent study from the National Cancer Institute suggests that people whose diets are rich in fruits and vegetables may have a lower risk of developing cancers of the head and neck -- even those who smoke and drink heavily. Foods found to be particularly protective include beans and peas, string beans, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, apples, nectarines, peaches, plums, pears, and strawberries.



3. Eat Salads to Cut Calories and Increase Satisfaction
If losing weight is your goal, you may want to start your meals with a green salad. Studies have shown that eating a low-calorie first course, like a green salad of 150 calories or less, enhances satiety (feelings of fullness) and reduces the total number of calories eaten during the meal.

Research suggests that "bigger is better" as long as the salad is bigger in volume, not in calories - which means more veggies and less dressing and other fatty add-ons.
"We saw reductions in consumed calories when people ate salads that were 1 1/2 cups and 3 cups in volume but around 100 total calories,". The 3-cup, 100-calorie salad reduced the total calories consumed at the meal by about 55.



4. Eat Salads to Get Smart Fats
Eating a little good fat (like the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, avocado and nuts) with your vegetables appears to help your body absorb protective phytochemicals, like lycopene from tomatoes and lutein from dark green vegetables.

A recent study from Ohio State University measured how well phytochemicals were absorbed by the body after people ate a salad of lettuce, carrot, and spinach, with or without 2 1/2 tablespoons of avocado. The avocado-eaters absorbed eight times more alpha-carotene and more than 13 times more beta-carotene (both of which are thought to help protect against cancer and heart disease) than the group eating salads without avocado.



If you dress your salad with a little olive oil, there may even be some additional years in it for you. Italian research on people aged 60 and older has suggested that a diet that includes plenty of olive oil and raw vegetables is linked to reduced mortality.



Making one simple change to your diet – adding a salad almost every day – can pay off with plenty of health benefits, right?

Any queries that I could you, please feel free to contact me at stargirlyune@gamil.com. I'm willing to serve you. See you!

Sources&Pictures: WebMD.com/ google.com

Healthy Life: The Best and Worst Juices for Your Health

The Best and Worst juices for Your Health


Have you ever been thinking about this, what's in your glass? Who doesn't enjoy a tall, cool glass of juice? The color is vibrant, the taste sweet, and it's good for you, too.

Not so fast, say some dieticians. Although the best kinds of juice deliver a bounty of vitamins, the worst are hardly better than liquid candy. Read these, let's go!!



Best Choice: Vegetable Juice
Drinking your veggies is a convenient way to add powerful plant-based nutrients to your diet. The lycopene in tomato juice appears to lower the risk of prostate cancer. Beet juice may reduce blood pressure. Pulpy vegetable juice is also packed with fiber that can help control hunger (WoW!!!). And all of these benefits come without a catch. Vegetable juice has far less sugar and fewer calories than the typical fruit juice.



The 100% Fruit Juice Dilemma
What about pure fruit juice with no added sweeteners? Such an innocent-sounding drink has sparked endless debate. No one disputes the fact that real fruit juice is loaded with vitamins and disease-fighting antioxidants. The problem is juice can also be naturally high in sugar and calories. A cup of pure apple juice can have as much sugar as some candy bars. That's why many experts recommend sticking to one serving per day.



Good Choice: Pomegranate Juice
If you're only going to drink one glass of juice each day, you want to make it a good one. So let's explore which juices offer the biggest nutritional payoff per sip. Pomegranate juice tops the list. It's high in sugar and calories, but delivers an abundant dose of antioxidants. These substances appear to protect brain function and may ward off cancer. In one study, 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily reduced the recurrence of prostate cancer.



Good Choice: Cranberry Juice
Cranberry juice is packed with vitamin C, which is vital to a healthy immune system. There is also evidence to support a folk remedy — drink unsweetened cranberry juice to reduce your risk of urinary tract infections.



Good Choice: Blueberry Juice
Animal studies suggest blueberries may keep the brain healthy and protect against age-related conditions, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease. In one study, aging rats that ate a blueberry-rich diet had the mental capacity of younger rats. Many of the antioxidant properties of blueberries carry over to blueberry juice; so drink up to boost brain health.



Good Choice: Acai Berry Juice
Researchers have only begun looking into the health benefits of acai juice, which is made from a berry found in South America. But early studies are promising. Acai pulp appears to have a higher concentration of antioxidants than cranberries, blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries.



Good Choice: Cherry Juice
Besides delivering a wealth of antioxidants, some berry juices appear to have anti-inflammatory properties. According to one study, drinking cherry juice before and after your work-out can reduce exercise-induced muscle pain.



Good Choice: Red Grape Juice
We've all heard that red wine, in moderation, can be good for the heart. The same is true of red grape juice. The key is that wine and juice are made with the entire grape – seeds, skin, and all. When you eat fresh grapes, you miss out on nutrients hiding in the seeds.



Good Choice: Prune Juice
Another viable folk remedy, prune juice has long been recommended to relieve constipation. It works because it's extremely high in fiber and contains a natural laxative called sorbitol. But the benefits of prune juice don't stop there. The juice is also packed with antioxidants, iron, and potassium.



What About Orange Juice?
It's a staple at breakfast, but does this popular juice carry its weight? The good news is orange juice is loaded with vitamin C, a star for its immune-boosting benefits. In addition, orange juice is often fortified with calcium and vitamin D, nutrients that strengthen the bones. Unsweetened orange juice has fewer calories than some berry juices or grape juice. The trade-off is that it also has fewer antioxidants overall.



Worst Choice: Juice "Cocktails"
Be on alert for the terms juice cocktail, juice-flavored beverage, or juice drink. Most of these products contain only small amounts of real juice. The main ingredients are usually water and some type of sugar, such as high-fructose corn syrup. Nutritionally, these drinks are similar to most soft drinks — rich in sugar and calories, but low in nutrients. Research suggests that sugary fruit drinks put kids at risk for obesity and related health problems.


How much of juice that suit for your kids?



Kids & Juice
Most children love juice, but the American Academy of Pediatrics has set clear guidelines on how much is too much. For kids younger than 6, the AAP recommends no more than 4 to 6 ounces of pure fruit juice per day. For ages 7 to 18, the suggested amount is 8 to 12 ounces.



Water It Down
If you or your kids crave more than a single cup of juice per day, try watering it down. By mixing water and juice, you slash the calories in every serving. Instead of drinking one glass of pure juice, you can enjoy two or three cups of the water-juice mixture throughout the day.



Go for Whole Fruit
Dieticians say a great alternative to guzzling fruit juice is to eat the whole fruit. This provides fiber and additional nutrients from the flesh and pulp. Unlike juice, fresh berries or orange wedges also help control hunger.

Hi there! I wish these sources could helps you spot the difference. Have a good day.lol

Any queries that I could help you, please feel free to contact me at stargirlyune@gmail.com. I'm willing to serve you. See you!

Sources&Pictures: WebMD.com/ google.com

Healthy Life: Favorite Healthy Meal

Favorite Healthy Meal

Hi there! How are you today? I just read these from MSN (health&fitness) , "the healthy meal". And here are favorite quick pairings for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks—even beverages—that taste great, take seconds to make, and add up to amazing health.



1. Whole grain cereal (any kind) + sunflower seeds for better immunity
Sprinkling 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds into your morning cereal provides more than 100percent of your day's requirements for alpha-tocopherol, the most active form of vitamin E. As an antioxidant, vitamin E protects cells from damage caused by destructive free radicals that can lead to cancer and cardiovascular disease.



2. Scrambled eggs + red peppers for smoother skin
Tossing in 1/2 cup of chopped red peppers delivers more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin C need—which spells good news for your skin. Researchers in the United Kingdom looked at vitamin C intake in 4,025 women and found that those who ate more vitamin C had less wrinkling and dryness.



3. Smoothie (any kind) + wheat germ for faster healing of cuts and bruises
One-quarter cup of wheat germ packs nearly half of your day's requirements for zinc, an essential mineral that helps repair cells and strengthens the immune system. Even a slight deficiency can reduce your immunity, making it harder to heal.



4. Sandwich (any kind) + spinach leaves for decreased risk of night blindness
Stacking only three small leaves of spinach on your sandwich satisfies at least 20 percent of your day's vitamin A requirements. Vitamin A helps you see in the dark, but it also protects your eyes from age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to vision loss.



5. Garden salad + canned wild salmon for healthier brain and heart
Adding 3 ounces of canned wild salmon to your salad provides half of the weekly recommendation for healthy omega-3 fats. The fatty acids found in canned salmon are linked with improvements in heart and brain health. Choosing wild lowers your exposure to dioxin, which is a cancer-causing contaminant found in the feed given to the farm-raised variety.



6. Stir-fry (any kind) + kale for stronger eyes
One-half cup of kale delivers at least 12 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids found in dark leafy greens that help combat cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Results from the Eye Disease Case Control Study found that people who ate the most of these nutrients—as much as 5.8 mg a day—had a significantly lower risk of AMD than those who ate the least. Stir-fry is the perfect way to throw it into the mix; if you're not a kale fan, other leafy greens such as Swiss chard and spinach offer similar benefits.



7. Salsa + chickpeas for lower body weight
Adding chickpeas to a light dip like salsa adds bulk without lots of calories and boosts your intake of protein, so you fill up faster and feel fuller. Eating chickpeas regularly may also improve your overall food choices. An Australian study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that people who ate 1/2 cup of chickpeas a day weighed a pound less and ate less food overall.



8. Low-fat pudding + nonfat powdered milk for less PMS.
Sprinkling 1/3 cup of nonfat powdered milk into pudding satisfies 40 percent of your day's calcium and 50 to 100 percent of your vitamin D requirements, depending on your age. Research shows that the combination of calcium and vitamin D reduces the risk of developing PMS.



9. Green tea + lemon for lower cancer risk
Green tea is already rich in antioxidants, but a study from Purdue University found that adding citrus juice led to a fourfold increase in disease-fighting catechins. Lemon juice in particular preserved the most catechins, while orange, lime and grapefruit juices were less potent but still effective.



10. Water + unsweetened cranberry juice for fewer cavities
Unsweetened cranberry juice prevents the buildup of Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria behind most cavities, by preventing them from sticking to the tooth's surface. The unsweetened juice also interferes with plaque formation. Mixing it with water helps dilute the juice's tartness.



11. Strawberries + nonfat Greek yogurt for more muscle
Greek yogurt packs twice the protein of ordinary yogurt, and protein is essential for building, repairing, and maintaining muscles, which burn more calories than fat. Strawberries add a burst of natural sweetness.



12. Pasta (any kind) + parsley for stronger bones
Topping a pasta dish with just six sprigs of parsley offers a fresh boost of flavor and delivers a full day's supply of vitamin K. Vitamin K is important for bone health—studies show that it helps prevent fractures and may guard against bone loss.



13. Burger + ketchup for decreased cancer risk
A tablespoon of this condiment supplies you a healthful dose of lycopene, an antioxidant that guards against various forms of cancer by blocking cell-damaging free radicals. Eating processed tomatoes (such as those in ketchup and tomato sauce) is best; cooking releases lycopene inside the plant cells, making it easier to digest and absorb.



14. Soup (any kind) + pinto beans for lower cholesterol
Adding 1/2 cup of beans to soup lowers both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol—the unhealthy kind that contributes to the buildup of arterial plaque—according to researchers at Arizona State University at the Polytechnic campus. They found that people who ate 1/2 cup of pinto beans a day lowered both their total and LDL cholesterol by about 8 percent. (Beans are high in fiber, which decreases levels of LDL by reducing its absorption.) One-half cup of black, kidney or pinto beans supplies about one-third of your day's fiber needs. (The heat from soup cooks canned beans through, and they add heft to a lighter broth).



15. Seltzer + grape juice for a healthier heart
Grape juice contains a phytochemical called resveratrol found in the skin of red and purple grapes. Research links resveratrol to lower blood pressure, reduced LDL cholesterol, and fewer blood clots.But don't forget, grape juice could have more sugar.

I wish you enjoy your favorite healthy meal. lol

Any queries that I could help you, please feel free to reach me at stargirlyune@gmail.com, see you!

Sources: Food cures That add UP by winnie Yu, Prevention, MSN Health&fitness- Nutrition/ all pictures, google.com

Healthy Life: Healthy Habits for healthier life

Healthy Habits for healthier life

Hi there! Today I would like to share some habits that make you have a healthy life. Let's go!



1. Fix up your morning drink so you can enjoy it, guilt-free, every day.
Try any of the following drinks as an everyday fix. Just make sure to order a small or medium size and ask for skim or low-fat milk.
•Regular or flavored brewed coffee (black)
•Espresso
•Americano (it's my choice)
•Misto or café au lait, with skim milk (half regular coffee, half steamed milk).
•Latte with skim milk
•Cappuccino with skim milk
•Macchiato with skim milk
•Teas (black, green, white, or herbal teas; hot and iced)

When it comes to sweetening your drink, try using just 1 teaspoon of real sugar (the amount in one packet of Sugar in the Raw)—it's only 20 calories. By moderating the amount of real sugar you use, you can reduce the calories and forget the chemicals that come with artificial sweeteners.



2. Start every day with a breakfast regimen that includes both fiber and protein.
•Instead of a bagel, order whole-wheat toast. Many bagels pack the caloric equivalent of more than four slices of bread.
•Try egg whites. One whole egg is in the neighborhood of 80 calories, while an egg white has only about 20 calories. Ask for one whole egg mixed with a couple of egg whites—egg whites are surprisingly yummy on their own, especially with some chives, tomatoes and salt and pepper.
•Add salsa and hot sauce to your egg sandwich. Salsa packs antioxidants and vitamin C with negligible calories, and hot sauce jolts the taste buds and may create a satiating effect.
•Ask for avocado on whole-wheat toast—it's surprisingly delicious.



3. Aim for a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack every day.
The night before work, plan ahead for one small snack (no more than 100 calories) and one more substantial snack (100 to 200 calories) for the next day. Your immediate reaction to the last sentence may be "I am way too busy." But let's face it—you spend plenty of mental energy thinking about your weight, obsessing about your body, and planning outfits that are slimming. Why not spend some of that time being proactive? Have your healthy, planned, pre-portioned smaller snack midmorning, around 11 a.m.



4. Eat lunch that contains high-fiber, high-water-content foods and a portion of lean protein.
Eating the right salads every day is a fabulous way to fill up on the best foods—veggies and lean protein—and to fulfill your 5-A-Day goal. And here's an added bonus: Research has indicated that women who eat two servings of vegetables per day tend to look younger than their non-veggie-eating peers.



5. If you have a sweet tooth, and most of us do, have a "sweet nothing" every day.
Dessert is such an important part of the day that we should make it a habit—but a low-calorie one. Sweet nothings are your every-single-day 0- to 150-calorie dessert "dos." Women who allow themselves a sweet indulgence every day do not have cravings that lead to outrageous binges and don’t feel deprived.



6. Drink up to one alcoholic beverage per day.
Knowing the benefits and risks of alcohol is important in making healthy choices. Here are some important strategies for keeping yourself from overdoing it:
•Alternate every alcoholic drink with water.
•Dilute your white wine by ordering a spritzer.
•Order dry white wine (e.g., Sauvignon Blanc) over a sweeter white (e.g., Riesling).
•Go for diet tonic, diet soda, or seltzer water as a mixer.
•Order a club soda with a splash of vodka.



7. Use dining out as an opportunity to eat fish.
As you know, fish is an extremely important part of your diet as it is a main source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Try to eat two or more servings of fish every week.



8. Make a resolution to cook dinner at least once a week.
Not only can eating in save you calories and money, it can be an excellent way to de-stress after a long day, especially if you like to cook. A recent study of the eating habits of young adults (18 to 23) revealed that those who purchased and prepared their own foods were more likely to meet dietary recommendations for fat, calcium, fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain intake.



9. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
Adequate sleep is a pillar of weight loss. The sleep habits of more than 238,000 female nurses enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study were analyzed over the course of 16 years. The results were conclusive: Women who slept less than seven hours per night weighed more than women who slept seven or more hours.

If you aren't able to get a full night's sleep, make up missed zzz's with a catnap. A good nap length is somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes (I do when my boss isn't in office). This will give you the restorative benefits of sleep without the fatigue that comes on with a long bout of deep sleep.



10. Walk at least 30 minutes almost every day and work out four to five times a week at a higher intensity for at least 20 minutes.
Walking is great for your heart, your waistline, and helps clear your head. It counts as "weight-bearing exercise," and so is good for your bones, and it's low-impact, so it's easy on your joints. And with cell phones, BlackBerries, and iPods, a stroll does not have to be dead time.

As for the second part of Healthy Habit no. 10, working out 4 to 5 times per week more vigorously will get your heart rate up, tone your body, and sweat away the woes of the day.



11. Drink water with every meal and throughout the day.
Water keeps our cells happy by preventing them from sticking together, and it plays a role in just about every single vital function of the body. Thirst is associated with feelings of confusion and sluggishness.
Adequate hydration can be the cure-all for this brain fatigue, as the oxygen component of water gives us a natural boost of energy—without any calories or chemicals. The amount of water you need to drink for proper hydration varies depending on your activity level, size, sweat rate, and the climate in which you live. If you want a more specific goal to help you plan your water intake, make it a priority to gulp 8 to 12 glasses (8 ounces each) of delicious aqua every day.

I wish these could help you a healthy life as you want. lol

Any queries that I could help you, please feel free to reach me at stargirlyune@gmail.com, see you!

Sources: 11 Healthy Habits for healthier life by Women’s Health, msn healty&fitness, Nutrition/ all pictures, goole.com