Health Food Guide

Most of us know what healthy food is and are aware of the importance of having a healthy diet however we find that most of the time what is marketed to be healthy is no necessarily the case. Lets look at yoghurt for example, which is made up of two ingredients: milk and live yoghurt cultures containing calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A and protien. However today, there are a number of varieties of yoghurt available in supermarkets that are swirled in candy and packaged in ways that appeal to children more often than not. Many people are led to believe that because they are buying yoghurt, its a healthy choice however this is not the always the case. One look at the label will show that the food choice may in fact be a far cry from what is defined to be “healthy”.

Some of the most popular yoghurts for children contain anywhere from 3 to 10 added teaspoons of sugar and considering how many teaspoons of yoghurt are in a single serving, you might as well hand your child the sugar bowl. On top of this, most yoghurts include “natural” ingredients that have little to do with health food. Ingredients like pectin (to thicken yoghurt), carrageen-an (a seafood extract that gives some yoghurt their body, and annatto (for colour) add little nutritional benefits to yoghurt. You will also notice that the same goes for other foods such as the granola bars with chocolate chips and gooey caramel. Whole wheat flour is bleached and denuded of its flavourful kernels. Sunflower seeds are roasted in oil and salted. Even brown rice comes in the instant variety.
The secret to feeding your family (and yourself) healthy food is to read the labels carefully. The nutrition label will tell you all you need to know to choose real health foods. Some things to keep in mind when reading nutrition labels for health foods are,

- In the ingredient’s portion of the nutrition label, ingredients are listed in order by amount. The ingredient that’s listed first is the main ingredient, followed by the next largest amount, etc.
- The nutrition facts label must list each of the required nutrients even if the food provides 0% of the recommended daily value.
- The nutrition facts label must list what portion of the food’s calories is derived from fat, from sugar, from protein and from carbohydrates. It will also break down the fat into saturated and unsaturated fat.

Reading labels on everything you feed your family is the best way to tell whether a food is really a health food – or just masquerading as one.

Most people think that losing weight is extremely difficult however even small changes in your diet can make a huge difference such as replacing your afternoon and late night junk food cravings with healthy food snacks that taste just as good if not better.
You may not realise it but there is a huge variety of health food snacks from fruit, nuts, smoothies, health drinks, raw vegetables and so on.
For most people, the biggest let down is that they don’t seem to find the time to prepare their healthy food options however the key is to plan your schedule well and to ensure you have access to plenty health food options rather than junk foods. There are a number of great tasting whole food nutritional products available that are great for replenishing energy and the best part is that many are available online at the click of a button.
This simple adjustment in lifestyle can help you lose weight and leave you feeling energised and its amazing how good you will feel in the long run. Even your friends and family will notice the positive change.
Replacing your favourite junk food with health food snacks as an alternative is much easier than it sounds and in the end the change is worth while.

In today world nearly everyone is concerned about the levels of fat consumed by themselves because of the health impacts fat can have on us but not many people really know about fats and the effects of fat on our overall health. Most are not aware that you actually require some levels of fat in your diet to metabolise fat and this is why low fat diets don’t always have positive results for most weight loss diet plans. So the big questions is what fats should we be eating and what fats should we be avoiding.

There are three basic types of fat: saturated, unsaturated and trans fats of which we should consume 20 to 30% of fat daily and of that only 10% of this should come from saturated fats.
Saturated fats come from animal or dairy products and are the least healthy choices to include in your diet because they increase the levels of triglycerides in your bloodstream, which is what causes blockage in the arteries over time. The general rule is that the redder the meat the higher the saturated fat content will be and hence the higher the triglycerides in the bloodstream. When eating beef or pork be sure to choose the leanest cuts and remove any visible fat before cooking. It is best to include more chicken, with the skin removed, and fish in your diet as these are lower in fat. When buying yogurt, or other dairy products choose 1% or 2% fat or those made with skim milk.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats come from certain nuts, fish and oils such as olive, canola and flaxseed oil. These fats are known to actually reduce triglycerides by producing good cholesterol referred to as HDL. Polyunsaturated oils are also found in beans and soy products. These are important health foods for vitamins and nutrients because they contain omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. These oils are important for maintaining healthy blood and helping to prevent the development of plaque. The best oil products to use when serving salads is a first cold pressed virgin olive oil because it contains the freshest of nutrients. Regular olive oil (not cold pressed) can be used when cooking at heats less than 600 degree Fahrenheit. Other alternative choices when baking or frying are shortening or vegetable oils.
Trans fats (or hydrogenated) are the worst fats of all because they increase triglyceride levels and hence bad cholesterol (LDL) commonly found in commercially produced foods and vegetable oils, hydrogenated margarines and spreads. Products are now being developed and easier to find with No Trans Fats written on the packaging. It is always best to reduce the amount of processed foods to avoid consuming such bad fats in your diet.

A health food diet should include essential vitamins and nutrients and a healthy and wholesome meal could start out with a fresh salad using an olive oil based dressing. Then a serving of fish, chicken or lean red meat along with some whole grain breads or pastas and steamed vegetables. The meal can be finished off with a light dairy product or low-fat ice cream or yoghurt topped with fresh fruit.
As we need fat to metabolize fat by choosing the good fats in olive oils, fish, chicken and nuts we can help our bodies slim down and prevent diseases all at the same time.

Healthy eating and living is becoming very popular however there are many people who are discouraged to eat healthy because of their perception of high prices on healthy and organic foods when shopping for produce. What many people don’t realise is that there is in fact a way to eat healthy and not spend as much as initially perceived.

First, you should stay away from the supermarket and go to specialised health food stores which are better priced, better stocked and the employees usually know more about health food than your typical supermarket clerk. Farmers markets, gourmet deli’s and community agricultural programs are some excellent ways to find cheaper priced foods that are healthy and tasty.
Here are a few tips to help you decided whare and when to purchase healthy, organic foods,
1. Shop at farmers’ markets – Fruit and vegetables available for purchase are fresh and would have been harvested in your own area.
2. Research – Simply type ‘health food’ into a search engine and you will be inundated with countless directories of health food stores, speciality stores, organic food markets and so on.
3. Buy a share or half-share in a community supported agriculture program. For a reasonably priced fee, you can receive boxes of fresh fruit weekly that is freshly picked the morning you receive it.
4. The best prices are in-season however you can freeze the produce and store this for later to save some money. It stays healthy and can be pulled out and thawed for consumption year round, and it’s much cheaper than paying higher prices for organic food during the off season.
5. Buy in bulk – For things like nuts and lentils, buying in bulk can be a great way to save. So long as you have a dry, cool area to store them in.
6. Join your local co-op – A food co-op is a business owned by members which provides products such as groceries to its members at a discount. Most of the food from co-ops is organic, from local family farms.
Now that you are ready to eat healthy and have planned how you will be doing your shopping make sure to have a diet plan and become aware of what foods best compliment your body. A little bit of planning can help you a long way and can make you feel healthier than ever.

A Healthy choice of living is certainly on the minds of those people who wish to improve their quality of life however many feel that they do not have enough time to establish and maintain a healthy system.
We should first understand why it is important to live a healthy lifestyle and enjoy a healthy diet. Whilst instant and processed foods are convenient many boxed, manufactured and heat processed foods offer us fewer source of nutrients which our bodies require. It is essential for our bodies to get a good source of energy from fresh nutrients from fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.

Eating the wrong foods can make your body feel tired, sluggish and sick and although this may not be too serious it is a good time to look into your diet to prevent anything that may become serious. So we need to start building our immune systems and help others do the same. Here are some key benefits that you can enjoy by simply sticking to a healthy lifestyle,
• loss of body fat
• Stronger heart
• Longer life span
• Lower total cholesterol
• Higher HDL cholesterol
• Lower LDL cholesterol
• Improved memory
• Higher energy levels
• Improved sleep
• More stamina
• Improved appearance
• Decreased occurrence of illness
• Softer skin
• Improved digestion
• Delayed menopause
• Less acne
• Increased ability to fight infections
• Decreased risk of heart disease
• Decreased risk of cancer
• Fewer visits to doctors
• Less severe PMS
• Decreased risk and occurrence of prostate trouble
• Shorter duration of illness if you do get sick
• Enhanced athletic performance
• Better performance in the workplace

The list itself is a great encouragement to start implementing healthy eating habits which can be organic, frozen and especially good eaten fresh. For some, meat can provide protein as with cheese, nuts and avocados. The way you choose to establish your healthy lifestyle is completely up to you and this is something you can enjoy with your entire family. Make it a fun experience, try out different foods, see what appeals to you and your family’s tastes. Knowing that in “health food” there is actually more variety than in junk food. Spices are a great way to add additional flavour to your food and you can also grow your own if your enjoy gardening. Herbs add wonderful flavour and many have an added health benefit as well.

Our bodies are not made to consume big amounts of chemicals however almost all kinds of the food we consume contain some form of chemical substances which will have negative impacts on our bodies by causing disease and illness such as cancer, strokes, hypertension and many other acute health issues because of this.

The impact of eating chemically produced food may not occur instantly however the chemical substances will store in your body and after your body has reached the maximum levels it can possibly consume it can start to cause you some health issues.

Therefore it is important for you to start eating healthy and the easiest way to do this is by consuming organic food regularly. Organic foods are foods that are produced chemical free and is a great choice for eating healthy.

Organic vegetables are safe to consume and contain a good amount of vitamins. You can also source organic eggs produced by hens that are being fed natural meals in order to make sure that the egg and meat produced is free from chemical substances. Just like the Chinese medicine theory, the best way to maintain our health is by consuming only healthy food as meals.

There is a huge demand for on-line health food stores and the good news is that health and organic foods and supplement items are all easy to purchase from the convenience of your computer that can be delivered right up to your front door and the ability to purchase wholesome and healthy foods without leaving the comforts of your home is a huge time and money saving option.

Purchasing health foods online can be very easy to do and you can also avoid the unnecessary impulse buying that you may otherwise do. The greatest benefit is that this can also help you save on valuable time and money in in long run. You can also source special offers and promotions online as you would in a supermarket.

If you have ever tried to find something at a health food store, and searched through every isle, only to find out that the store doesn’t actually stock that item, you will certainly appreciate the convenience and speed of shopping online for your health food items. Most of the online stores also have a “search” field which allows to the look for your product at the click of a button.

When reaching the online checkout store you can also easily remove any items that you decide you don’t really need which most people feel embarrassed to do at the grocery store.
Purchasing food online is a huge time saver and you can enjoy this time to do something better. The fact that you are also able to purchase online a whole variety of healthy foods is another added bonus and this is a win-win situation.

Expectant mothers are able to achieve the best health and nutritious benefits when they consume any whole foods containing generous amounts of calcium and folic acids mainly available in fruit and vegetables. As its not always easy for a pregnant mother to absorb enough folic acid or calcium from whole foods every day it is also a good idea to take some supplements. It is however important that the expectant mum is aware of the difference between natural health food vitamins for pregnancy nutrition and isolated multi-vitamins.

Its important that pregnant mums consume vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are attached to whole foods and not those that are isolated. This is because whole food nutrients are easily absorbed by the body whereas isolated nutrients are generally flushed out of the body before they can be broken down for energy. There are many natural, low carb, high fibre foods that provide excellent nutrition for pregnant mothers.
It is important to know some of the most valuable elements of perfect pregnancy nutrition and the essential minerals that pregnant woman need on a daily basis are calcium, protein, phosphorus, potassium, folic acid, vitamins A, C, D, E and the entire B complex.

It is well known that calcium is an important mineral for everyone and especially for children, adolescents, nursing mothers and expectant mothers however it can be difficult for pregnant mothers to consume the required amounts of calcium without a health food supplement. Its also challenging to get enough calcium from whole foods like fruits and vegetables however some great foods with sources of calcium are broccoli, yoghurt, cheese, milk and beans.

For those expectant mothers who wish to take calcium supplements they should be aware that the calcium is derived from whole food sources and that vitamin D2 is present. Vitamin D2 is a crucial aid such that it helps the body to absorb the calcium and is a necessary component that works well with calcium for improved bone strength and density.

Folate, or otherwise known as Folic Acid and vitamin B9 is another key nutrient that is essential for expectant mothers. This vitamin aids the body to create new cells and hence why it is extremely important to pregnant women as this prevents any birth defects especially for the baby’s brain or spine. Medical research has also claimed that the lack of folic acid in pregnant women can be the cause of their mood swings, depression and other psychiatric disorders.

A pregnant women would require approximately 800 mcg of folic acid daily (about six servings of food such as spinach, beans or asparagus). Foods with a great source of folic acid are leafy green vegetables, fruits, beans, peas, nuts and some enriched breads, cereals and other grain products. It is imperative that the folic acid consumed is attached to whole foods complex of B vitamins.

You could also source the internet stores to purchase nutrient rich whole foods, health drink concentrates and other pregnancy nutritional foods that can be delivered right to your door.

The way you eat will most certainly define how healthy you are. What you eat determines how you react and how you think says Anna Rosenberg, councillor and founder of the Macrobiotic Living Whole Foods Cooking School.

Macrobiotic health is believed to be achieved by understanding the relationship between ourselves, the food we eat and the lifestyles we choose to live. Sickness is viewed as the body’s natural way of harmonising itself with its environment. For this reason all foods consumed in macrobiotics help the body accomplish harmony by aiding the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Macrobiotics is based around a grain and vegetable diet and focuses on looking at the individual and then applying the food requirements that they need in their diet. Food preparation in Macrobiotics is therefore a very important part of your life and also focuses on the energy of the food, the pots the food is prepared in and the type of dish – whether the dish is fast or slow for example.

By putting control and order into your cooking will allow you to put order and control into your life as well says Rosenberg who noticed that her life and health began to change in a positive direction after adopting the Macrobiotic lifestyle. Simple things like menstrual cramps and athlete’s foot completely disappeared.
The biggest mistake made by beginners is that they don’t eat enough of a variety of foods. In a day you should have at least ten different vegetables – cooked in different ways. It is probably best to start including healthy foods into your diet rather that removing all the bad ones in one go to make the physiological and biological transition smoother.

When planning your weight loss diet your should consider two important factors which are whether your diet will be sufficiently nutritious to keep you healthy and if the diet will be tasty enough to keep you interested in maintaining the diet.

Whilst addressing the above strategies you should also consider the health food vitamins that your will implement in your diet. This may also depend on your individual tastes in food but with some experimentation you should be able to come up with a diet within the guidelines of your nutritionist and most importantly will allow you to keep to your diet over the long term.

If you enjoy your diet it is more likely that you will stick to and make the changes permanent. Although it can be somewhat difficult to adjust to in the beginning it can be accomplished easier if you start off enjoying the meals you are preparing.

Below is a list of five great diet foods and health foods that are rich in vitamins and other nutrients which will provide you with some of the important nutrients to sustain your diet,

Tomatoes – One of the most versatile and useful foods for cooking, and can be used to add interest to all sorts of meals, such as curries, casseroles and soups. Tomatoes go well with lean meats, or mixed with other vegetables, when used for cooking. They are also great to eat raw and are great for salads as well.
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, plus vitamins A and C. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant, which is why much scientific attention has been paid to tomatoes in recent years. Lycopene’s ability to neutralize free radicals that cause cell damage has been the centre of attention, due to the possible potential in cancer prevention. The nutrients in tomatoes are also not destroyed during cooking like other foods and even processed tomato products such as tomato sauce and canned tomatoes, retain the nutritional benefits.

Garlic – A great way to make food tasty is by adding garlic. Along with tomatoes, garlic is an important part of the Mediterranean Diet. Like tomatoes, it can be used with just about any other cooked food. Garlic also has some important nutrients too, such as calcium, vitamin C and vitamin B6, phosphorus, selenium, and antibiotic properties.

Basil – is a humble and popular herb with a distinctive and fresh flavour. Also rich in calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin C and a great source of iron, potassium, magnesium, and carotenoids such as beta carotene.

Strawberries – Is a great health food too and contains Vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. Strawberries are best fresh and eaten on their own.

Spinach – Is an excellent food as a side vegetable, in a soup or in a curry and contains Vitamin C, iron, beta carotene and calcium., plus vitamins E and K, fibre, lutein and zeaxanthin (carotenoids).
Those are just a few ideas for healthy foods, rich in nutrients, that can add flavour and interest to your diet, as you plan towards making a permanent change in eating habits to help lose weight.