Top 10 SUGAR FOODS TO AVOID

Here is a list of high sugar foods you need to take control of:

White Flour
All the good substances (bran and germ) is removed from flour during processing. Then it is bleached with a deadly chemical called “alloxan”, a bleaching agent similar to Clorox. This compound destroys the beta-cells of the pancreas, leading to type 2 diabetes. Finally, some coal-tar-derived (carcinogenic – cancer causing) vitamins are added and sold to the unsuspecting public as “enriched”. White flour makes your blood sugar rise almost as much as refined sugar. Intestinal infections are a direct outcome of white flour consumption. It is hard to chew, puts pressure on the digestive system and is extremely low on fiber. Be wary of things made from  white flour, e.g. bread, cakes, pancakes, pasta, pies etc. If you must eat them, eat them sparingly. Things made of flour has no nutritional value at all, and cause more harm to your body than any good. Combine this with sugar and high heat baking, you have the perfect combination to all kinds of degenerative diseases.

Soda/Carbonated Drinks
If you drink soda/carbonated drinks regularly, you would do yourself a great favor to eliminate them from your diet—the sooner the better. A can of soda/carbonated drink contains up to 15 teaspoons of sugar, 150 empty calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine and is loaded with harmful artificial food colors, flavorings and preservatives. All these but with zero nutritional value. Some soda drinks labeled as “diet soda” where dangerous sweeteners like aspartame are added. Numerous health side effects are associated with aspartame ingestion, including brain damage, diabetes, emotional disorders, decreased vision, ringing in the ears, memory loss, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and many more.

French Fries and Doughnuts
French fries and doughnuts are deep-fried starches. Before they’re even fried, they’re simple sugars. Then they’re fried, only compounding their dwindling nutritional value. One French fry is worse for your health than… one cigarette, so you may want to consider this before you order your next ‘Biggie’ order. An average doughnut contains about 200-300 calories, mostly from sugar, and few other nutrients.

Energy and Meal Replacement Bars
In this fast paced world, energy and meal replacement bars might seem like an easy way to pack in some important vitamins and minerals while giving a little lift. Sure, they have more nutritional value than a candy bar, but most also have just as many calories and just as much sugar as those same candy bars. The high sugar content causes a sugar rush and then crash, leaving you unsatisfied and hungry for more. Carry a piece of fruit with you for moments when you need a pick-me-up.

High Sugar Cereals
Many common breakfast cereals are packed with simple sugars that might start your day with a jolt but lead to trouble down the line. An example would be one popular choice that has 13 grams of sugar per serving while only providing 1 g of dietary fiber and 2 grams of protein. These cereals end up being empty calories. These cereals are—candy bars with milk on top. Instead, try heartier choices like oatmeal or whole grain cereals topped with fruit.

Cookies and Candy
They are basically empty calories, full of sugar while providing little benefit, but most of them contain those awful trans fats. Once in a while, will not make a great difference but, if you’re eating them with any regularity, you would be better served by healthier munchies like dried fruits and nuts to snack on. The sugar content may range from 37-66.6 grams per 100 grams of cookies or candies.

Ice Cream & Desserts
Many commercial ice creams today are simply chemical concoctions presented in appealing packaging designed to sell a product that is not fit for human consumption. Everything from hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and dry milk solids are used to produce something called ice cream. One ice cream bar contains approximately 17 tsp of sugar.

Jell-O
You probably remember the slogan, “There’s always room for J-E-L-L-O.” Depending upon your dietary needs and restrictions, though, there may or may not be room in your diet for this sweet treat. Most varieties of regular JELL-O gelatin contain 19 grams of carbohydrates, all of which come from sugar.

Fruits vs. Fruit juice:
The sugar in fruit is known as fructose. Fructose is slowly broken down in the body and does not cause the same wild fluctuations in blood sugar levels as table sugar (also known as sucrose) does. Some fruits are higher in sugar than others, and the easy and obvious way to tell is by taste–the sweeter the fruit, the higher the sugar. Some fruits that are high in sugar are dates, bananas, figs, persimmons, grapes and mangos. Lower sugar fruits include cranberries, grapefruit, lemons, passion-fruit and strawberries. The sugar content in dried fruit or in fruit juice is much higher than in whole, fresh fruit. When a fruit is dried, the water is taken out, leaving the sugar in a highly concentrated little parcel, and when fruit is juiced the fiber is removed. The water and fiber content in whole, fresh fruit helps contribute to a “full” feeling. Eating fresh, whole fruit is a perfect, natural way to limit your sugar intake. After all, how many oranges can you eat in one sitting?

White Sugar
Studies have indicated that, today’s women consume much more sugar than their grandparents did 50 or 60 years ago. This added sugar is mostly in the form of refined, white sugar. It is high in calories and almost devoid of nutrients. It’s not just white sugar that needs to be consumed in moderation; brown sugar, powdered sugar, honey, and syrup are all sources of refined sugar. Eating too much sugar is part of an addictive cycle. When you eat sugar, it’s quickly digested and burned, and it causes peaks and valleys in your energy level that leaves you craving more.

Note that excess sugar is harmful to human health! Unfortunately, many people are actually addicted to sugar, and this includes grains, which are rapidly broken down into sugar in your body.

In order to free yourself of the physical addiction, avoid overeating of all sugar and grains is necessary.

Top 10 Reasons For Not Losing Weight

This article is keeping in mind constant questions raised by women as to why they are not able to lose weight.

Exercise Input
In order to lose weight, you need to get workout for at least 5-6 days a week at 60-70% of heart rate for 30-45 min. Start slow and work your way up but, if you’re in good condition and have no restrictions, challenging yourself with harder workouts is the best way to burn more calories. Introduce interval training in order to burn calories even after you’ve stopped exercising.

In addition to your cardio workouts, you’ll need to lift weights for all your muscle groups at least 2 non-consecutive days a week. And, by lifting weights, that means using enough weight that you can only complete the desired number of reps. For example, if you’re doing 12 bicep curls, you need to use enough weight that you can only do 12 bicep curls and not one more.

Overeating
This may seem obvious, but unless you’re tracking your calories each day, you may be eating more than you think. High-fat, high-sugar foods light up the brain’s dopamine pathway just like cocaine does, making us slaves to overwhelming cravings.

If you’re really serious about losing weight, you need to get serious about you’re eating. Start by keeping a detailed food journal for one week, without changing any of your eating habits. Be as specific as possible, measuring when you can, looking up your calorie and nutrient content and adding up your calories for each day. You’ll be surprised how those calories can sneak in when you’re not keeping track.

Another thing you need to keep in mind is your metabolism can drop as you get older if you don’t preserve your muscle mass. Muscle mass declines about 4% each decade from age 25 to 50. If you’re still eating the same number of calories as your metabolism drops, your weight may creep up over time. Start exercising and lifting weights now to keep your metabolism in check.

Sleep Deprivation
Lack of sleep can contribute to weight gain. Not sleeping enough seems to be associated with metabolic changes that can lead to overeating and obesity. Studies where sleep restriction in the laboratory was done, subjects tended to have metabolic changes and alterations of glucose metabolism that might lead to their becoming obese in the future. Sleeping too little can also contribute to weight gain by putting undue stress on the body. The body sees sleep deprivation as a state of stress; cortisol is the stress hormone. Cortisol causes, in turn, the release of insulin and insulin is a storage hormone that promotes fat storage.

Getting enough sleep is crucial if you’re trying to lose weight, not just because of how it affects you physically, but mentally as well. Sleep deprivation makes you cranky, confused and can even make you feel depressed or angry.

Stress
Stress and weight gain (or lack of weight loss) go hand in hand. Though you may not be aware of it, being under constant stress can increase production of the hormone cortisol which can cause an increase in appetite as well as extra fat storage around the abdominal region–a big no-no since abdominal fat is linked to diabetes, high cholesterol and other health problems.

Dealing with stress can be as simple as taking a few minutes a day to relax, scheduling a massage as often as you can or cutting down on work hours and increasing play time.

Lack of Consistency
For exercise to work, you have to do it on a regular basis. Once your body adapts to your program, you then need to change it to keep your body challenged. If you skip too many workouts, it’s almost like starting all over every time.

Find a program you enjoy and that fits in with your lifestyle, goals and needs. That means being realistic about what you’ll really accomplish each week rather than going by what you think you should be doing.

Overindulgence
To lose one pound of fat in one week, you would need to cut 500 calories with diet and exercise for 7 days. If you follow that for 5 days, then eat way over your limit for two more days, you’re taking two steps forward and one step back. The trick is to plan your indulgences so that you can have some fun while staying on track with your weight loss goals.

Rest
We are always being told to exercise more in order to lose weight, after all the more regular we workout the more calories and fat we burn. So it may seem weird to discuss the importance of gaining plenty of rest between exercise sessions.

When we exercise our muscles breakdown, tiny fragments of protein within the muscle cells shatter. The more we exercise during a workout the greater the muscle catabolism (degradation); it’s one of the reasons why we actually become weaker as we progress through a particular routine. How quickly muscles degrade also depends on the strength of the individual and the intensity of the exercise. Obviously the stronger and fitter the person the slower the rate of breakdown, also the more effort we put into an exercise the faster the rate of muscle catabolism, it’s the reason why we can all walk a hell of a lot further than we can run!

After any workout routine the muscles need to replace all elements lost, both proteins and energy stores need replacing for muscles to make a full recovery. But if muscles are not given enough time to recover fully before another workout is repeated then the muscles progressively become smaller. What this could mean for weight loss is a gradual decline in lean tissue, thus lowering the metabolism over the course of a few weeks.

You have a medical condition
Some medical conditions and medications can contribute to weight gain. While not everyone will find this to be true, it’s important to explore every avenue if you’re genuinely following an exercise program and a clean diet and still not losing weight.

One condition known to affect weight is thyroid disease. A thyroid deficiency can cause a decrease in metabolism and may lead to weight gain.

Besides, there are number of drugs that may have weight gain as a side effect for some people. Some common ones include hormonal medications for birth control or menopause, oral steroids, some anti-depressants, diabetes medications and anti-psychotic medications. You should get a diagnosis from a professional in order to determine whether your weight problems are medically-related.

You’ve hit a plateau
Virtually everyone who works out with weights will, at one time or another, reach a training plateau. When this happens, each trip to the gym, In fact every workout feels like you’re reliving Groundhog Day. One workout just melds into the next and you begin to wonder if you’ll ever again make any gains. If your workout has hit a snag, don’t despair. By implementing the strategies indicated at Blasting Through Training Plateaus , you can take your physique to new heights.

You don’t need to lose weight
Despite what you hear on the news or read in popular magazines, not all of us need to lose weight. In fact, many of us have unrealistic ideas of what a healthy weight and body shape is. We all have different shapes and, though we can make changes to our bodies, we can only improve on the bodies we have–not turn them into someone else’s body.

Is your BMI in an unhealthy range?
Are you within your ideal weight range? If you’re at risk, losing weight may be important for staying healthy. But, if you’re very close to your goal and can’t seem to get rid of those last few pounds, ask yourself if you really need to lose them. Would it be possible to be happy at your current weight?

Basic tips to avoid yo-yo dieting

While there’s no sure-fire guarantee that the weight shed on a diet won’t eventually return, there are steps dieters can take to avoid getting caught in the vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting. One is to stay away from “crash” diets that promote quick weight loss
. When more than a pound or two is shed each week, much of the weight lost is in the form of muscle rather than fat.

1.
Start by figuring out how many calories you need to eat and burn off a day to lose one pound a week.

2.
Try to balance your calorie intake throughout the entire day. If you have cravings in the late afternoons, you may not be eating enough earlier in the day. Eat five to six small meals throughout the day, starting with a satisfying breakfast.

3.
Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day to help keep your calorie count low and your fiber intake high. Also aim to eat a variety of different foods, concentrating on foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. For example: apple, good; applesauce, okay; apple pie, no.

4.
Keep in mind: Sugar-free (and fat-free) does not mean calorie-free. Those “free” foods often have two to three times the calories of the real thing. Plus the taste is usually a disappointment.

5.
Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day to help you feel full and to prevent dehydration.

6.
Keep a food log for at least three days, then review it carefully. Writing down what and when you eat will help isolate eating patterns and problem spots. For instance, you may discover that the buttered muffin and coffee with cream you’ve been bolting down every morning leaves you feeling unsatisfied, adds hundreds of calories to your total intake and gives you virtually no nutritional bang for your buck.

7.
Have your food diary analyzed by a registered dietitian. She’ll help you understand your eating habits and offer plenty of strategies for improving them.

8.
Don’t completely cut yourself off from your hot-button foods. You’re going to crack sooner or later. Allow yourself a little indulgence, but limit the amount and the frequency. For example, if you can’t resist eating your mother-in-law’s famous chocolate cake that’s served at Sunday dinner, cut back your desserts during the rest of the week.

9.
Work out aerobically 20-60 minutes, five to seven days per week. Aerobic activities such as cycling, walking, running, stair climbing on the stair machine at the gym and swimming all burn tons of calories and help rev up your metabolism.

10.
Adding 2-3 days of weight training is essential for weight loss because it builds calorie-burning muscle tissue. Aim for 8-15 repetitions per exercise using a weight that challenges you but still allows you to maintain good form. If you can do more than 15 reps with a weight and the exercise still feels kind of easy, then the weight is definitely too light.

Remember, Yo-yo dieting — strict dieting followed by a rebound in weight — will only exacerbate the pattern of weight loss because it stresses the body and damages your metabolism.

Further research on the effects of weight cycling is needed. In the meantime, if you are obese or are overweight and suffer from weight-related health problems, try to improve your health by achieving a modest weight loss. Although weight cycling may have some effect on disease risk, the serious health problems resulting from obesity are clearly understood. If you need to lose weight, you should be ready to commit to lifelong changes in your eating and physical activity behaviors.

Weight Loss Tips for Teens

Weight loss tips for teens encompass many general ideas and methods, although the focus tends to be more on diet than anything else, mainly because many teens have a tendency to opt for junk food over a healthy, home cooked option. This is an original article written for weightlossgo.com and is copyright protected. So lets look at what causes the need for teens to need to lose weight in the first place, as this is a generation that should be far fitter and healthier than the rest of us by dint of the way their bodies are primed for growth on their way to full maturity.

Weight gain in teens is mainly thanks to a poor diet of junk food that is compounded by a more sedentary lifestyle than past generations had. The reason for this must fall fairly and squarely on the shoulders of aggressive advertisers pushing the perceived desire for a wealth of fast food outlets and the junk food they produce. Couple this with the march forward in technology and a lessening of parental control or the respect given to parents from most teens and you have a generation of teens that would rather spend all their free time riveted to a computer, laptop, games console etc than getting out in the fresh air to interact with their friends in sports and energetic games such as cycling, skating etc.

So now we know what the cause is, we need a solution!

Oh boy, this is going to be tough. How can you tell a willful teenage boy that they should spend less time on the Playstation and more time kicking a ball around with their friends in the park? They likely will not see your side of the argument even if you try to instill the fact that they are getting fat and girls don’t go for fat boys! Most will simply shrug it off and tell you they prefer playing Warcraft or whatever to trying to attract a girlfriend.

So what about the girls? Here is less of a problem simply because a huge chunk of the media is obsessed with trying to sell the perfect slim figure and every product under the sun to get it! Teenage girls are under far more pressure from TV and magazines as well as their peers to be super slim and squeeze into the latest fashion clothes while having all the fashion accessories there are. Sure, there are still plenty of overweight teenage girls, but peer pressure and the relentless pounding of media ads is often enough to force them into doing something about it, of at least obsessing over doing something about it.

The answer is easy, of course. A change of diet to good, healthy food, ditching the junk burgers, pizza etc and switching from soda to water, plus doing plenty of daily exercise. Just implementing it is the problem. How do you convince a hormone fueled teen that they should not drink soda or eat pizza? Or that they should get out of the house and go for a daily run?

Ha! Good luck!

2 Healthy consuming Facts You Shouldnt neglect

There are confident flourishing eating facts that do not alter never mind what kind of a diet you follow, or what kind of lifestyle you have.  Whether you’re sedentary or active, too much saturated fat isn’t good for you.  Whether you eat 1600 calories a day or 2500, depending on your activity level, trans fats are unhealthy, for example.  And whether you’re trying to lose weight quickly or jump start a long-term weight loss curriculum, fasting isn’t a good choice for your body.

One of the healthy eating facts that we didn’t have to concern about years ago is that trans fats are unhealthy.  A few trans fats occur naturally in food, but those aren’t the same as the man-made trans fats that make up margarine and shortening, and are found in almost every commercially produced baked good you can find.  Trans fats are also often included in boxed mixes that you prepare at home, and things like instant cocoa, because of its long shelf-life.

Hydrogenated fats like margarine and shortening got available in 1911.  Before then trans fats weren’t something the average consumer had to worry about.  Now, though, hydrogenated oils or trans fats are present in almost every type of food you can think of.  The hydrogenation process keeps fats from becoming rancid for a longer period of time.   But the link between hydrogenated oils and heart health is clear—it’s worse for you than saturated fat.

This is one of the healthy eating facts that has prompted the government to step in.  They’ve insisted that fast-food restaurants reduce the amount of trans fats in their food.  Food manufacturers also have to include the amount of trans fats on their food labels, too. Carefully read food labels so that you’re at least aware of what you’re eating.  Anything that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated is a trans fat, and something you want to avoid as much as possible. Eliminate these trans fats from your diet completely if you can.

Another one of the healthy eating facts that not too many people think about is how bad regular soft drinks are for your health.  A can of regular soft drink contains about 9 teaspoons of sugar. And how often do you drink more than one soda in a day?  Some people drink several sodas per day, preferring soda to beverages like water or tea.

Everyone’s going to eat sugar in some form, but moderation is called for.  And when one soda provides you with 9 teaspoons of sugar, that’s pretty much the sugar limit for the day—that we don’t need refined sugar at all is one of the most ignored healthy eating facts.  But most people have sugar in other forms, too, raising their daily total of sugar intake much higher.

Considering the rising rates of obesity, diabetes and other diet-related illnesses, cutting back on trans fat and soda in our diets is important.  These healthy eating facts can make a huge difference in our weight and overall health if we don’t ignore them

Top 5 Myths about Drinks

1.Diet Pop is healthier than Regular Pop

One can of regular pop contains about 135 kilocalories whereas a can of diet pop contains less than 10 kilocalories; some even contain zero kilocalories. Therefore, it is true that diet pop contains fewer calories. However, it is rather difficult to agree that diet pop is “healthier” as there is really nothing healthy about artificially colored and flavored water.

2.It is less fattening to drink juice than milk

Many people are surprised to learn that a glass of juice contains more calories than a glass of one percent milk. Even two percent milk has only 10 kilocalories more than a glass of fruit juice, which has 120 kilocalories! While juice contains mostly sugar and some vitamins, milk has more nutrients such as protein, calcium, potassium and Vitamin D.

3.All bottled waters such as sparkling water, tonic water, flavored water, and mineral water are WATER

Yes, plain bottled water is water and is calorie-free. Some flavored waters are made with water and real juice. However, many flavored waters are flavored with artificial sweeteners and contain little juice. Tonic water, for instance, has 125 kilocalories per serving. Hence, always read the label and check the ingredient list. If you drink bottled water instead of tap water regularly, make sure it contains fluoride.

4.Drinking wine instead of beer won’t make a beer-belly

It is a common misconception that wine contains fewer calories than beer. It is simply not true. One glass of wine (five ounces) contains about 130 kilocalories whereas one bottle of beer (12 ounces) has about 150 kilocalories. Therefore, wine contains more calories on a per-ounce basis. As a general rule, the sweeter the wine, the more sugar and calories it contains. By the same token for hard liquor; the higher the proof, the higher the calories.

Remember this next time when you are contemplating a second helping of alcohol: calories from alcohol tend to be stored as fat in the abdomen. So, if you drink alcohol on a regular basis (regardless of the kinds of alcohol), watch out for the beer-belly!

5.Coffee is the main source of caffeine

Friends have often told me that they quit drinking coffee for the sake of their hearts. Little did they know that the can of pop in their hands has caffeine, too! Caffeine is widely found in tea and canned drinks. Some drinks, such as Jolt and Red Bull, contain as much caffeine as coffee! In general, there is no harm to your health if you drink coffee in small to moderate amounts. However, it is advised that people with high blood pressure and pregnant women limit their caffeine consumption.

Component On Nutrition Facts Label

Nutrition Facts

Common nutrients, such as total fat, cholesterol, and sodium, are required fields. Other nutrients, such as potassium and Vitamin K, are optional and not required to be listed. Each package must identify the quantities of specified nutrients and food constituents for one serving. It is important to note the following:

* 1 g of fat = 9 kcal
* 1 g of protein = 4 kcal
* 1 g of carbohydrate = 4 kcal
* 1 g of alcohol = 7 kcal

Serving Size

Serving sizes are standardized to make for easier comparison among similar food items. They are expressed in both common household and metric measures. It is always important to pay attention to a serving size. For instance, a serving of chocolate chip cookies is typically 2 pieces. Hence, if you eat 4 pieces, you will need to double the amount of nutrition content listed on the label.

Calories (kcal)

Calories provide a measure of how much energy you obtain after eating a portion of food. It is always important to find out the total calories. Many consumers are surprised to find that a fat-free product is not necessarily low in calories. Similarly, a sugar-free product is not always low in Calories or low in fat.

Nutrients listed

Total fat, saturated fats, cholesterol, total carbohydrate (including fiber and added sugars), protein, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron are required on the label. Other nutrients are optional and may be listed at the discretion of the manufacturer.

In addition to total calories and total fat, a few other nutrients relevant to heart health are important to pay attention to when reading a label. These include saturated fats, cholesterol and fiber. Effective Jan 2006, all labels should also include trans fatty acids.

Percent Daily Values

Percent Daily Values provide an estimate of the percentage of a nutrient from one serving in a typical 2000 kcal diet.

Daily Reference Values Footnote

This footnote reminds consumers of the daily intake of different foods depending on their own nutritional needs.

nutrition facts food label Reading Food Labels – the Bottom Line: Food Labels and Nutrition Facts enable you to compare products based on key ingredients. When comparing products, focus on those nutrients that are important to you.

* If you are concerned about your weight, you should compare products based on BOTH calories and fat.
* If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, you should focus on the amount of total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium. Choose products containing less than 20% Daily Values for fat, cholesterol and sodium.
* If you have diabetes, you should pay attention to the amount of carbohydrate, sugar added as well as fiber.

Be Smart – Understanding Food Labels and Nutrition Facts

Grocery shopping and reading labels are a delight for some and a real headache for others. Regardless of how you feel about them, determining whether a particular food product fits into your healthy diet plan has become easier. In addition to listing the amounts of macronutrients (fat, protein and carbohydrate including fiber), a food label may also indicate vitamin and mineral content of the product. This provides good information to help a consumer determine if a particular food product meet his or her nutritional needs.
What is on A Nutrition Facts Label?nutrition facts food label

Food labels are designed to help consumers make healthy food choices. In 1990, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act went into effect. The USDA and the FDA developed these guidelines so that consumers would have access to useful nutritional information to help make smart choices.

But how do you make sense of a food label?

According to the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, all packaged food products must contain the following information:

* Common name of the product
* Name and address of the product’s manufacturer
* Net contents in terms of weight, measure or count, and
* Ingredient list and Nutrition Facts

For More : Component On Nutrition Facts Label

Top 5 Healthiest Foods

The Super Foods section of our website is very popular with our readers. It lists many healthy foods which are beneficial to health. Among all the foods listed there, I have decided to pick the top five healthiest foods for this article.

1. Salmon

Hands down! Salmon is my favorite food to substitute meats. It is a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids – which has been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. In 2002, the American Heart Association recommended eating at least 2 servings of fish a week, particularly fatty fish such as salmon. With increasing public concerns over farmed salmon, choose wild salmon. Most canned salmon are wild.

2. Soy

Soy products are great substitutes for animal products. I love cooking tofu with various tasty Asian sauces and also enjoy drinking soy milk. Soy beans contain high amounts of protein which comprise of all essential amino acids (the only such vegetable source to do so). Soy beans are also a rich source of calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. Numerous scientific studies demonstrated that a diet containing significant soy protein may benefit heart health. In addition, more and more studies are being published suggesting other health benefits of soy such as the prevention of prostate & breast cancer as well as osteoporosis.

3. Greens

Green vegetables such as kale, chard, collard greens, bok choy, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, etc… are packed with vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and phytonutrients. They are very filling, high in fiber and low in calories. Personally, I like eating them cooked so I usually stir fry them in a non-stick pan, but it is absolutely fine to eat them raw as well so go ahead and toss them into your salad and reap the nutritional benefits!

4. Berries

Berries by far are my favorite fruits! They are loaded with Vitamin C, folate, fiber and phytonutrients. Indeed, fresh berries are some of the most powerful disease-fighting foods available as they top the ORAC score chart (a method of measuring antioxidant activity). Berries are easy to prepare – just wash and rinse – no need to peel at all! In addition, you may serve berries (fresh or baked) as part of a dessert dish.

5. Whole Grains

Whole grains have some valuable antioxidants not found in fruits and vegetables. They also contain B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fiber. The new 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that all adults eat half their grains as whole grains – that’s 3 to 5 servings of whole grains a day. To include more servings of whole grains in your diet, use whole-wheat flour in your recipes instead of white flour. Look for the word “whole” when purchasing packaged foods such as cereals, biscuits, pasta and breads. In addition, try adding wild rice, brown rice, quinoa or barley in your soup to increase whole grain intake.

4 Breakfast items to Avoid

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only does breakfast give you the fuel to break the fast you have undergone during a good night’s sleep. Breakfast also helps you concentrate better throughout the day and helps maintain your weight. For most people, breakfast is the only meal to include some vital nutrients such as calcium from milk as well as fiber and antioxidants from whole grains. Therefore, it is wise to choose healthy breakfast items to start your day and avoid breakfast items that have no nutritional value.

1. Carrot Cake Muffin

Perhaps the word “carrot” make it sound like a healthy breakfast item, but most commercial carrot cake muffins are high in fat and calories. One serving of this favorite breakfast muffin from a coffee chain store contains a whopping 680 kilocalories and 40 grams of fat! Indeed, most muffins and scones are high in fat. Scones, in particular, usually contain trans fat as well.

2. Doughnuts

Doughnuts are fried breakfast foods. If you do not eat french fries for breakfast, why would you eat fried doughnuts? One piece of glazed doughnut from a doughnut chain store contains 200 kcal of empty calories with precious few nutrients. What is worse is that it contains four grams of trans fat per serving. That is already two times more than the recommended amount of trans fat a day. Doughnuts with fillings contain even higher amounts of calories and trans fat, so stay away from this breakfast treat!

3. Frozen Waffles

Similar to doughnuts, frozen waffles are another example of empty calories when it comes to breakfast foods. Most store-bought frozen waffles are basically refined grain combined with refined sugar and trans fat, lacking health-promoting vitamins, minerals and fiber. Most people add syrup and margarine on their breakfast waffles, hence adding even more calories and fat. Not a smart choice to start your day!

4. McDonald’s Deluxe Breakfast

With such breakfast items as scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausages, pancakes and dressing and syrup, this deluxe breakfast contains a shocking 1,120 kcal and 61 grams of fat! With that much fat, it is like swallowing 13 teaspoons of vegetable oil in one setting! What is more shockingis that this breakfast item at McDonald’s contains 11 g of trans fat, that is is 5 times more than the daily recommended amount of trans fat!