Fresh Fruit Salad – A Fast Healthy Breakfast and Dessert Idea

Looking for a simple, healthy and fast breakfast or dessert idea? A fresh fruit salad is the perfect choice. This simple fruit salad with just a few ingredients is easy to prepare and delicious every time. With some simple ingredient exchanges and serving ideas it can be one of the most versatile recipes around.

This fruit recipe serves two to three people but can easily be doubled to serve more.

For this fresh fruit salad recipe you will need:

One large red delicious apple – cored and thinly sliced
One large navel orange – peeled, sectioned and cut into chunks
1 cup green or red seedless grapes – cut each grape in half
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
1 to 1 1/2 cups of lemon yogurt – to desired moistness
ground nutmeg – to taste Continue reading “Fresh Fruit Salad – A Fast Healthy Breakfast and Dessert Idea”

The Problem Of Obesity In Teenagers

Obesity in teenagers is a growing problem that has become worse in recent times, and the rates are growing every year. The America is a top leader in obesity in teenagers. Some report indicated that as many as 33% of teenagers are now obese. It is believed that more than 25% of schoolchildren are overweight and in fact, obese, and nearly a fourth of them are at risk of getting heart disease, diabetes, stroke as well as possibly early death. The worse thing is that according to research study conducted on obesity in teenagers, it was found that teenagers aged from ten to thirteen would have an 80% chance of becoming obese adults.

What are the possible causes for Obesity?

Obesity in teenagers may result when the teenager has more than 10% extra weight over that what is suggested weight for that particular height. Obesity in child and teenagers will occur when their total energy intake is greater than the total energy expended, which is the energy the child or teenager’s uses up during physical exercise or activity. There are quite a few factors to consider when looking at the problem. Continue reading “The Problem Of Obesity In Teenagers”

Reducing Childhood Obesity With Home Cooking

If you are a parent, or are planning to become one, you can’t help but be concerned about the childhood obesity crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, childhood obesity has more doubled in the last three decades; for adolescents it has quadrupled. In real terms this means that over a third of children and adolescents are either overweight or obese. These are frightening statistics.

If you want to prevent your children from becoming obese or overweight, one effective way is to cook more meals at home.

Cooking to Lose Weight:

It might seem counter-productive to suggest that cooking more of the food that your children eat can help them to lose weight. After all, most weight loss plans are all about restricting food, right? Well, that’s not always the case. Continue reading “Reducing Childhood Obesity With Home Cooking”

Stop Trying To Force Feed Our Children!

It’s no surprise that the American Advertising Federation (AAF) rapidly contested findings from a December 2005 Institute of Medicine (IOM) study that found food marketing to be detrimental to our nation’s youth. Exactly how such marketing influences children and youth was the focus of the IOM report entitled Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?, which was the most comprehensive review to date of the scientific evidence on the influence of food marketing on diets and diet-related health of children and youth.

Among other results, the report found that “current food and beverage marketing practices puts children’s long-term health at risk. If America’s children and youth are to develop eating habits that help them avoid early onset of diet-related chronic diseases, they have to reduce their intake of high-calorie, low-nutrient snacks, fast foods, and sweetened drinks, which make up a high proportion of the products marketed to them.”

Continue reading “Stop Trying To Force Feed Our Children!”

What Legacy Are You Creating For Your Children?

We have all heard the child obesity staggering statistics. We have watched numerous talk show hosts highlight the plight of an obese child. If you are not aware of the statistics The Center for Disease Control has estimated that 16% of our children, more than 12 million children are obese. In a recent study conducted by the American Heart Association found the following in 2002:

1. There are three times as many super markets in wealthy neighborhoods.

2. In communities with a higher percentage of African American residents there are less parks, public pools, and green spaces to play.

3. Between 1970 and 1980 fast food locations increased to 140,000 from 30,000. In 2001 there were approximately 222,000 fast food joints. Continue reading “What Legacy Are You Creating For Your Children?”

The Crusade for Better School Food – Making a Real Change

Lately the media has reported new findings regarding the rise in childhood diabetes and its dire consequences. This news has once again sounded the alarm about the growing epidemic of obesity in our children and youth. The problem is so serious that experts are recommending drastic changes in the way our children eat. But could complacency, denial, and ignorance among the adult population be hindering our young people from getting the help and education they need to make these drastic changes?

Dinner Tables and School Cafeteria Trays

During a recent school-screening visit to a high-ranking eastern college for one of my daughters, I had the opportunity to raise questions about the quality of the food available through the campus cafeteria. Was the food being served at their school free from pesticides? Was it non-GMO? What about meat sources? Were the students being served factory farm animals injected with hormones and antibiotics? Were there natural, healthy and organic food options available in the cafeteria–as adopted by some of the more cutting-edge schools across the nation such as Yale, UC Berkley, Duke and Oberlin Colleges?

Continue reading “The Crusade for Better School Food – Making a Real Change”

Performance Nutrition For Wrestlers After Cutting Weight

Wrestlers and fighters cut weight for competition so they can have an advantage in combat. Whether you’re a youth, high school, college or professional athlete, being the largest competitor in your weight class can make all the difference in winning or losing the match. This often involves rapid weight cutting for the weigh-in, followed by replenishing the body back to its normal weight or preferably even heavier, hopefully giving you a size and strength advantage. While cutting weight will get you into the tournament, the replenishment process is equally as important as it will definitely impact your performance. Eating junk food or fast food directly after hard dieting or fasting is like emptying your car’s engine and then refilling it with sand or contaminated gas. The first fuel you put in your body after emptying it will be exactly what’s used for its first run; the food choices you make will determine whether you shine or gas on the mat. Continue reading “Performance Nutrition For Wrestlers After Cutting Weight”

The Benefits and Advantages of Eating Healthy Food

One should never underestimate the importance of eating healthy food. There are so many benefits but why are there so many people still not eating right? Why has obesity and heart diseases become such a huge factor? Although the statistics are clear, people still refuse to change their life styles.

Eating healthy food may become a struggle, especially when there are so many fast food restaurants everywhere we turn. Often people make excuses like they don’t have time to get healthy food, it’s not that accessible, or that they don’t know how to prepare it. However, there are just as many supermarkets that stock fresh produce as there are fast foods outlets, so accessibility is a poor excuse.

The rate at which obesity in children is rising is more shocking than that in adults. But what is the root of this problem. One cannot really blame the children as they learn from their parents. Children are more likely to eat unhealthy foods if their parents do. Continue reading “The Benefits and Advantages of Eating Healthy Food”

Prediabetes and Obesity, the Truth About Losing Weight

The link between prediabetes and obesity has been proven. Of course, every obese person is not a type 2 diabetic, and it is possible to be diabetic without being overweight.

But obesity increases the risk of developing prediabetes. As obesity becomes a world-wide problem the link cannot be ignored.

Statistically Speaking

In 2000 there were over 1.1 billion overweight individuals in the world, and 312 million were estimated to be obese. The numbers have tripled in areas where the Western diet has recently replaced traditional local foods.

Places like the Middle East, Pacific Islands, India, Southeast Asia and China are seeing this happen. Diabetics are expected to increase from 84 million in 2000 to 228 million in 2030. Continue reading “Prediabetes and Obesity, the Truth About Losing Weight”

Definition Of Obesity

Obesity is a condition that is brought about by excess body weight in the form of fat. There are various categories of being overweight. Morbidly obese person is at least 100 lbs overweight and has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of around 40 or above. Obesity is found to be the cause of several ailments and is responsible for lowering life expectancy. Almost 300,000 deaths in United States annually, are attributed to obesity.

Obesity also affects the general well being of the individual and the quality of life. An obese person typically feels tired constantly and is unable to be active because of shortness of breath, joint pains, especially of the knees and the back caused, and other ills. This also results in decreased productivity because of missed work and absenteeism brought about by various illnesses. Continue reading “Definition Of Obesity”