Search results matching tag 'diet'

Anna's Healthy Breaky Tips!

Anna — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:42:00 GMT

Your momma was right!

Breakfast is the MOST important meal of the day. Eating after 6 or more hours of fasting (which is what is happening when you sleep) is absolutely key to maintaining a healthy body weight. Making breakfast a daily ritual will help set your metabolism (your fat-burning furnace) for the entire day, and help you refrain from those mid-morning junk food binges, or pulling into the first fast food drive in on your way to work in the morning.

Here are my top foods for a healthy breakfast that will contribute to energizing your day, helping you lose weight, and maintaining a healthy body weight.

Whole grainy goodness – Quinoa, kamut, spelt, amaranth or good old-fashioned oatmeal – all are extremely healthy examples of whole grains. Look for cereals that are organic. These are made with less preservatives and salt (yes, some cereals do contain a lot of salt), so be conscious of what your putting in your breakfast bowl.

Raise and shine to good fats - Sprinkle flaxseeds or walnuts on your oatmeal, and get a serving of Omega 3’s. These help maintain a healthy body weight, lubricate joints for less injury, and keep your hair and nails healthy, strong and shiny.

Make fruit a morning staple – Fresh is always best, but frozen will do! Berries such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries will spruce up your cereal with natural sugars (fructose), so you don’t have to use sugar or artificial sweeteners. A ½ cup of fresh or frozen fruit on your cereal serves up a bounty of natural antioxidants. When you’re buying frozen fruit, look for those with no sugar or syrup added.

Your morning protein punch! This is especially essential if you work out pre-breaky because protein will help your body recover and rebuild muscle faster after your workout. Try an egg white omelet or a cup of fruit and whole grain cereal mixed with low fat cottage cheese.

It’s a soy-o-day! If oatmeal or plain whole grain cereal is a bit dry for your liking, mix it with some soy milk. It will add a little moisture and flavor – you can buy soy milk flavored with vanilla or almond. You can also use it to make a healthy protein pancake.

What are your favorite, healthy breakfast options? Come on, share them with us...

What are the sodium-rich culprits in your diet?

Anna — Thu, 17 May 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Your doctor has given you a stern warning – cut down the sodium in your diet! So you start adding just a pinch of salt to your vegetables at dinner time. You think you’ve cut the sodium in your diet in ½ right?

Wrong!

Unbeknownst to you, the processed foods in your diet contribute a whopping 77 percent more sodium to your daily diet – and that’s even before you added that pinch of salt!

True, your body does require a certain amount of sodium to function properly. Essential sodium maintains the fluid levels in your body by replacing vital electrolytes after you sweat them out during rigorous activity. It also helps muscles relax and contract, and it aids kidney function. However, when you consume too much sodium, the body begins to store it in your bloodstream, making your heart and kidneys work harder – which can eventually result in kidney or heart disease.

According to the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, sodium levels, for an average healthy adult, should not exceed 1,500 to 2,400 milligrams per day – less if you are over 50-years of age, or if you have diabetes or an existing heart or kidney condition.

Keep your eyes peeled for the following sodium-rich culprits:

Processed foods – such as crackers, chips, pickles, canned vegetables and soup, lunch meats and
Condiments – such as margarine, butter, mayonnaise ketchup, pasta sauces, soy sauces and dressings.
Meats – especially red meats and meats like bacon and ham tend to be higher in sodium.

So how do you cut the sodium in your diet? Consume a diet largely made up of fresh foods.

Check out these great Problogger posts - Day 3

Anna — Thu, 10 May 2007 14:24:00 GMT

Happy Thursday fitness freaks!

I have some great health and fitness-related posts from the Problogger writing project to share with you today. I will be sharing Problogger submissions with you until tomorrow (Friday), when I will choose my own Top 5 faves.

Top 5 Special Health Tips -Part 1 by Doris Chua
Top 5 Reasons Why I Will Never Be Able To Get Rid Of My Beer Belly. by Ah Pek
Top 5 Ways To Stop Being a Perfectionist by Krista
Top Five to Do While You Live by Mark
Five ways Shiatsu has changed my life by Tony Brown
Top 5 Ways To Define Your Own Personal Style by Gala Darling
Fly Fish Fanatics Five Fabulous Flies by Rick Passek
Top 5 DC Things To Do This Summer by Francoise Galleto
Top 5 Physical Therapist Recommended Body Hacks by Eric Robertson
5 Top Ways to Jumpstart Your Brain in the Morning by Ellen Weber
5 Simple Strategies For Stress Management by Robert Monteux
Start your days with 5 new positive habits by Tantowi
The Top 5 Reasons to Get Even Leaner by Alexander Becker
Top 5 things I would do if I could by Hailsky
The Top 5 Things That Make Me Run by Tom O’Leary
the top 5 reasons to change your life right now by sven
Top 5 Different Workout Approaches by Men and Women in the Gym by Mun
Top Five Ways To Creatively Acheive Your Goal by Lexi Sundell
Top 5 Bathing Suit Trends for Summer 2007 by Briana
Top 5 Things To Do On A 5 Minute Break by Pat Gundry
Make Your Children Healthier by Feeding Them More Sugar by Allen Holman
Top 5, Mind, Body and Spirit Books, by Talia
How to Find the Person of your Dreams
Top 5 Different Workout Approaches by Men and Women in the Gym by Mun

Also, check out these other non-fitness-related, but equally excellent posts:

The Top 5 Web Sites for a Deserted Island by Nick
Five gems: what makes a good pub? by Michael Scott
Definitive Guide for Geeks to Time Pass at Work by Ashwin
Top 5 Celebrity Heroes by Matt Langdon
The top 5 music video parodies by Roberta
5 Cool Things You Can Do With Your DNA by Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD
The Top 5 Ways to Become a Millionaire by Jeremy
Five actors who can read me the phone book by Corie
5 Superhuman Powers I would like to have by Mjuboy
Top 5 Reasons Why American Idol Lost Sanjaya by James Pegram
Top 5 Not-So Boring Hobbies by Nathan Metzger
Top 5 - Serial Sci-Fi by Steven Currie
Top 5 Ways For a College Student to Get a Job after Graduation by Justin Driscoll
Hybrid Electric Cars, The Top Five by Mike
Top 5: Mid-Life Myths by Sherri Caldwell - The Rebel Housewife
Top Five Predictions for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by Steve
Stupid Is As Stupid Does by Sean McKee
Top 5 Reasons Why We Travel by Timen
Top 5 Spanish Tapas by Matthew Bennett
Top 5 Reasons Boys are Better Than Girls by mom
Top 5 Things About My Ex by Katie Baird
Top 5 Moments in Classic Rock by Adam Ferguson
5 Gifts for Mom That Won’t Ever Go Out of Fashion by ispf
5 Steps to Pimp Your Mac Desktop by Jon-Michael St. Amant
Top 5 Web Messengers to Access Yahoo Messenger on the Web

I’d like to thank everyone who has linked to my post so far – I feel the link love :p