Diet and Nutrition

1. Designate a Vegetable Cutting Board Most people fail to sanitize cutting boards between uses, which means bacteria like salmonella may transfer from the cutting board onto vegetables. If you plan to cook the vegetables, the heat kills bacteria, but…
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Horsetail is a herb that comes from the plant that grows in moist areas in Europe, Asia and North America. It is a reed type plant that has green shoots. The shoots can be used fresh or dried as an…
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Overview If you have a weight loss or weight management goal, you have several choices for diet and nutrition. The Atkins diet was designed from research on weight loss and weight management. To achieve the best results, Atkins recommends becoming…
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Chinese green tea, like other Asian teas, is the product of the plant Camellia sinensis. However, unlike other teas, green tea in production is gently steamed, maintaining its antioxidant properties. Epigallocatechin gallate is the main polyphenol in green tea and…
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Asian cuisine tends to be very healthy as there is an emphasis on vegetables, and meat is not usually the focus of the meal. Americanized Asian cuisine, such as Chinese food, is unfortunately much less healthy, as flavor is the…
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Overview Whether you goal is to lose weight, increase strength or improve overall fitness, your exercise plan should include four elements: aerobic activity, weightlifting, flexibility training and diet. Determine your health risks before embarking on any program. Medical clearance is…
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Maximize your calorie expenditure with high-intensity cardiovascular exercises. Not only do high-intensity exercises burn the most calories, they may deliver greater health benefits than moderate-intensity exercises. A study by the University of New Mexico established that “all of the epidemiology…
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Asian cultures have used the spice turmeric in curries and other foods for thousands of years. Turmeric has also been used in folk medicine to treat everything from indigestion to protecting cuts from infection. Modern researchers are beginning to study…
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Weight Watchers is a popular weight loss program founded in the 1960s by Jean Nidetch after several failed attempts at losing weight and keeping it off. The basic idea behind the Weight Watchers Flex plan is that every food item…
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Overview Calcium plays an important role in bone health throughout life. There is a direct relationship between calcium intake and bone strength in the prevention of osteoporosis (debilitating bone loss). Although food is the absolute best source of calcium and…
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Omega-3 oils (omega-3 fatty acids, omega-3s, fish oil) are essential to good health. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), omega-3s benefit heart health, diabetes, lupus, osteoporosis, depression, psychological disorders, skin disorders, macular degeneration, asthma and certain cancers….
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Somewhere in between feeding, changing and bonding with your new baby, you need to squeeze in time for yourself. When you meet your own needs and keep yourself happy, you have more to give your family. Part of keeping healthy…
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Athletes practice and train hard to improve overall performance. Proper sports nutrition can enhance the improvements by decreasing recovery time, increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat. Shopping for sports nutrition can be overwhelming with the variety of companies…
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Fiber, as you may know, is an important part of your diet for digestive health. What you may not know is how important fiber can be to heart health. The recommended daily value of fiber is 25 to 35 g…
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Tea tree oil comes from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia. While research has yet to definitively prove the safety and effectiveness of tea tree oil, it has been used for its antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties for the treatment of conditions…
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Yerba maté is an evergreen plant and member of the holly family. Used as a beverage for centuries by natives of Brazil and Paraguay, it’s now considered the national drink in several countries. Many people consume it as a health…
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Overview A combination of a reduced calorie diet and exercise helps you lose weight by creating a calorie deficit–a situation in which you burn more calories than you intake. Biking and running are two popular ways to exercise that help…
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The acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) berry (Euterpe oleracea Mart) is the fruit of the Amazonian palm berry tree. This fruit is rich in polyphenols, an antioxidant that the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says may protect against cancers and heart conditions….
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1. Weigh Yourself and Then Forget About It At the beginning of Phase 1 on the Best Life Diet, weigh yourself. Then tuck the scale away for 4 weeks. Don’t hop on it midway through Phase 1 to see how…
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Overview Losing weight requires you to burn more calories than you consume. Both cycling and running provide effective ways to burn those calories. The type of exercise that is best for you really depends on your personal preferences and physical…
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that at least one-third of Americans are obese. Despite the myriad of diet and exercise programs being advertised today, it seems that people are more confused than ever before on how…
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1. Include Food From all Groups Many times when people are following a diet for weight loss, they exclude certain groups of fruit, from fat to carbs to sugar. However, exclusion doesn’t often work, and it is hard to maintain…
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Overview Our body needs a wide range of vitamins and minerals to carry out different biological processes. Among those essential nutrients are iron and B12. Iron belongs to a class of minerals known as trace or micro minerals. Iron plays…
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According to the American College of Sports Medicine, to reap the health benefits of exercise, engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity for a minimum of three days a week. You can do moderately intense weight training,…
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Overview The word “diet” has two similar but distinct definitions. The word either refers to what food and drink a person consumes, or it can be an organized regimen of eating and drinking designed to help a person control his…
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Maintaining healthy body weight is important to a teen’s physical and emotional health, as it decreases risk for certain diseases and supports positive body image and self-esteem. Ideal weight loss strategies for teens should provide adequate nutrition and physical activity…
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Overview Dr. Robert Atkins’ diet has four phases. The principle of the diet is that carbohydrates cause significant weight gain by elevating blood sugar, so weight loss can be gained by primarily eating high-fat, high-protein fish, meats and poultry. During…
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Asian ginseng, like American ginseng, gets its therapeutic power from ginsenosides, active chemical compounds that may promote mental and physical well-being, speed up recovery from illnesses and treat medical conditions, including erectile dysfunction, high blood pressure and menopausal symptoms, according…
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1. Processing the Processes When comparing brown rice to white rice, you’ll find one very important difference–processing. Rice companies, in an effort to give the consumer what they want and not what their body needs, brought to market a product…
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Weight loss occurs when the amount of calories consumed is less than the amount of calories burned. A daily reduction of 500 calories is recommended for a weekly weight loss of one pound. Subtle changes in daily eating habits can…
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