Lose Weight by Reducing Salt Addiction

Salt, in limited amounts, is an essential part of a healthy diet. Consumed in excess, though, it can spike your blood pressure and make you look fatter because of your body retaining more water to balance the larger amount of sodium present. Here are some tips for reducing your salt intake to slim down fast.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Plant foods are generally high in potassium, which reduces bloating by balancing the effect of sodium in your body. Some of the greatest sources of potassium are oranges, tropical fruits, bananas, and potatoes. Potassium supplements are also available, but their use is often supervised by a doctor because excess is potentially dangerous. Continue reading “Lose Weight by Reducing Salt Addiction”

13 Tips To Help You Lose Weight In The New Year

Wading through weight loss information can seem to be a confusing task. There are so many ideas, plans, and programs. It can be easy to end up so overwhelmed that you lose sight of what you started out to do. In this article we will reveal some sound tips to get you going again.

1. Know Your Daily Caloric Requirement – When starting a weight loss plan, you need to determine how many calories you should be having a day. Online calculators abound that will let you input your height, weight, age, activity level and the amount you want to lose and will provide you the total calories you should eat each day. If you know the calories you should consume each day, it’s much easier to stay within the guidelines.

2. Cut The Sugar – If you want to lose weight, try cutting sugar from your diet. Sugar adds a lot of unneeded calories to your diet. Sugar will often give you an energy boost, but it doesn’t last nearly as long as healthy foods and can leave you feeling drained afterwards. If you cut out sugar, you’ll cut out a lot of junk food. The less junk food you eat, the less calories you’ll take in. Continue reading “13 Tips To Help You Lose Weight In The New Year”

One Simple Action for Eating Less, Improving Digestion and Boosting Pleasure: Chew Your Food

Really, it’s that simple.

I’m sure you’re like, “Whatever, mom, I do chew my food.”

Hmmm, are you sure about that?

Or, do you kinda, sorta chew your food and then expect those teeth in your stomach to finish the job?

It’s ok. I used to think I chewed my food too.

Then one day I shined a spotlight on my chewing ways, and lordy, was I ever shocked (and terribly embarrassed).

I discovered I was a fast-eating, multitasking non-chewer. Continue reading “One Simple Action for Eating Less, Improving Digestion and Boosting Pleasure: Chew Your Food”

Is Nonstick Cookware Good for You?

When it comes to kitchen sets there are thousands of options, but how do you know what is the best choice for you and your family?

Stainless steel looks great, but heats slowly and is much too heavy for every day cooking. Tri-ply provides the best of all words, but food will stick if you aren’t careful. Hard-anodized has some of the properties of nonstick cookware, but does not truly qualify as nonstick. Finally, cast iron not only sticks, but requires two hands to lift the heavy cookware.

That brings us to nonstick cookware, a convenient kitchen set that heats up quickly and is much less likely to stick than any other kitchen set.

Teflon, a brand name nonstick coating, was accidentally discovered by Roy J. Plunkett in 1938 and gained popularity in the kitchen in the 1950’s, giving birth to nonstick cooking sets. Continue reading “Is Nonstick Cookware Good for You?”

Is Your Health Food Really Healthy?

The world is becoming more health conscious every year. Food companies are making so-called health food products, the fast food industry is trying to make healthier menus, and people are making smarter choices when it comes to their food.

This is a wonderful thing and is much needed with obesity continually affecting more and more families. It is still a challenge to eat right with all of the “health food” options and media dictating what we see as healthy. Every day I see advertisements and articles promoting food products that really aren’t the best choice. From high fructose corn syrup to 100-calorie snack packs, people are being bated into poor health choices. Making the weight loss journey and the quest for 6 pack abs continually harder.

The easiest way to avoid all of this and stick to a healthier path would be to eat natural foods that have not been altered by humans. This grocery list would include fresh meats, veggies and fruits, raw nuts, and less altered dairy products. This can be a tough thing to do, since most foods on the shelves have been influenced by humans one way or another. Continue reading “Is Your Health Food Really Healthy?”

Amazing Coconut Oil, a True Super Food

Coconut oil has come on the scene in the recent past as one of nature’s true super foods. The myriad of uses for this amazing oil are truly astonishing and the many health benefits make it a product everyone should have in their pantry.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL?

A few of the benefits of ingesting this healthy fat that have been verified by medical studies include: lowering cholesterol by increasing HDL levels which promotes heart health, reducing high blood pressure, boosting immunity, aiding in digestion and supporting digestive issues, supporting brain health and reducing the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, curing urinary tract and kidney infections, protecting the liver, reducing the effects of arthritis, and having a number of anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Some studies also suggest that ingesting it can slow cancer growth and aid patients in recovery. It has also been shown to aid in weight loss, help build muscle, increase endurance and increase energy. There are ongoing studies which may reveal even more benefits of and uses for this incredible plant. While these benefits would be reason enough to keep coconut oil on hand this amazing oil can be used externally as well!

WHAT ELSE CAN COCONUT OIL BE USED FOR? Continue reading “Amazing Coconut Oil, a True Super Food”

Careers in Food Technology

The growing consumerism and a fast paced lifestyle have led to a greater demand for packed and processed food. The challenge most food processing units face today is to produce food items which contain minimal amount of chemicals and preservatives yet have optimum appeal and shelf-life. And this has raised the demand for food technologists in the food processing sector.

Food technology has become a lucrative career option for the talented youngsters, thanks to a growing demand for packaged and processed food.

What does a food technologist do?

The primary job of a food technologist is to check the raw materials, maintain clean and hygienic conditions and quality of the food. They examine the food, conduct checks for contamination and adulteration and certify the nutritional value of food. The food technologist should devise improved techniques for processing, conservation and preservation of food items. They must also analyze current consumer trends and latest technologies to develop new product ideas. Continue reading “Careers in Food Technology”

5 Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes

Don’t have much time cooking for dinner? Get your hectic day a little less stressful by following these quick and easy cooking recipes without breaking the bank.

Pasta with Shrimp, Spinach, and Leek

Pasta with Shrimp, Spinach, and Leek is a recipe rich in vegetables and protein. This will make your meal both light and full of nutrition in just 20 minutes. Make sure to wash everything before cooking. Here is how to prepare it.

Ingredients: Short Pasta, Unsalted Butter, Leeks, Salt, Black Pepper, Shrimps, Lemon, Cream, Spinach. Continue reading “5 Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes”

The Organic-Conventional Food Debate

You can never get too healthy. Getting and keeping good health is more important than your bank accounts being full. Keeping your health in tune and properly functioning is a good place to invest your resources. Good insurance will allow you access to good doctors that will help in your quest for good health. A couple of really good ways that are inexpensive and can be done anywhere to help improve and maintain good health is a good regular exercise regiment and eating the right kinds of foods. We have an abundance of food choices set before us every time we shop for food, so lets examine the organic versus conventionally grown produce.

Before we begin this journey, we first need to understand the meaning of “organic”. A simple definition would be the process in which the food is actually grown or produced. We now know that organic farming is better for the soil as well as uses less water if it is done correctly, plus there is less pollution due to no chemicals being used such as weed killers or man made fertilizers. The crops are part of a rotation process and any livestock are allowed to mature and fatten naturally without the use of chemicals or antibiotics. They are allowed better more natural diets and cleaner living quarters. Continue reading “The Organic-Conventional Food Debate”

The Benefits of Fava or Broad Beans for Diabetics

Fava beans, as they are called in the Americas, or broad beans, as they are more commonly called in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, have been a part of diet in the eastern Mediterranean since about 6,000 BCE.

They grow in broad, leathery pods, like much enlarged pea pods. Each pod contains three to eight oval beans.

The term broad bean refers to the larger-seeded cultivars that are grown for human food, while horse bean or field bean refers to cultivars with smaller, harder seeds mainly (but not exclusively) used for animal feed.

The fava bean is a hardy plant. It can withstand harsh and cold climates.

Preparing fava beans Continue reading “The Benefits of Fava or Broad Beans for Diabetics”