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Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Power of GarlicGarlic, one of my favorite flavors...and I'm not Italian. My taste buds are 100% Italian though.
Garlic has so many health benefits. There are only four calories per fresh clove. A clove has 13 mg of
potassium and one gram of carbohydrate. Garlic fights infections, contains cancer-preventive chemicals, thins the blood,
reduces blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and stimulates the immune system.
Garlic was the main
ingredient in 22 prescriptions of 1500 B.C. Egypt for headaches, sore throats and physical weakness. Ancient Greeks,
Romans, Indians, Chinese and Japanese used garlic for everything from lowering blood pressure to preventing heart disease
and rheumatism. Garlic has been used to treat asthma, hemorrhoids, ulcers and tumors. Dr. Albert Schweitzer used
it in Africa against typhus and cholera.
With the wonderous and colorful history of garlic it's not a wonder
it's still a popular spice today. Many forget about using garlic to spice up and flavor our food. I prefer
fresh, but you can buy minced garlic in jars so that you don't have to mince it yourself. If the after smell on
your hands is the reason you don't mince your own, wash your hands with lemon juice or vinegar and the smell will go away.
12:08 pm
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Does Vitamin D Really Help with Weight Loss?Shalamar Sibley, MD at the University of Minnesota has done several studies on vitamin D deficiency with
weight issues and obese individuals. She has stated that vitamin D deficiency is associated with obesity, but that it
itsn't clear whether inadequate vitamin D causes obesity or the other way around.
Her study has indicated that
taking vitamin D with a reduced caloric diet will lead to better weight loss.
We gain weight in the winter months
due to the decreased level of vitamin D. That is mainly due to the lack of sunlight. Days are shorter and we spend
more time inside where we don't get as much sunlight as we do in the spring and summer months. Our bodies get vitamin
D from sunlight along with food.
Low levels of vitamin D affect our brain's production of the hormone leptin.
Leptin plays a vital role in controlling appetite and metabolism. With low levels of vitamin D in our bodies the leptin
levels also decrease, thus causing an increase in our appetite and a change in our metabolism.
Before we start
giving ourselves vitamin D therapy, we need to see our health care provider. We see vitamin D on all the milk cartons,
thus we think that it's a necessary vitamin to have. It is, but if we start taking large doses of vitamin D without
having our blood tested and our health care provider determining the amount of vitamin D we need to be taking, we are
running the chance of vitamin D toxicity.
Dr. Sibley has stated that if we have too much vitamin D, into the toxic
level, that the damage is irreversible. We certainly don't want that.
There are many factors that need
to be taken into consideration when we increase the amount of vitamin D we take. The amount of calcium and magnesium
we take is important. The amount and types of fats with consume are also important. Our diet and consumption of
vitamin D in various foods we eat are also important. With all of these things being important factors into the amount
of vitamin D we consume and how much more we should add to our bodies is the prime reason we need to let our health care
providers test our blood and tell us whether we even need any additional vitamin D or not. If we need more vitamin D,
then our health care providers can tell us the amount he or she wants us to have.
The test to determine whether
you have a vitamin D deficiency is simple. Dr. Sebley's study has indicated that if you don't have a deficiency
and take more vitamin D than you need, that it won't help you lose more weight. Don't put your health in
danger by taking more vitamin D than you need. Make an appointment with your health care provider, have blood work done
and follower his or her advise if you feel you have a vitamin D deficiency.
2:55 pm
Sunday, May 2, 2010
How to Create Low Glycemic Index Recipes - More Choices Than You ThinkThe glycemic index
is a valuable health and nutrition tool that can be used in a wide-variety of ways. The GI
can be used to help one make smarter choices while eating out or even when dining in. For those who are looking to keep their
blood sugar levels from spiking, using the index is an absolute must. When eating at home, low glycemic index recipes are a surefire way to make sure that you will avoid the dangers and highs and lows of spiking blood sugar
levels. Fortunately, this is quick and simple. In fact, even if you don't cook, you can incorporate more low GI foods
into your diet. Low Glycemic Index Recipes by Way of Soups and Salads Even if you don't know your way around the kitchen, you can always make a salad. Salads are loaded down with
healthy and nutritious greens that your body is craving. After eating them for just a few days, you will start to wonder why
you haven't been eating more of these vitamin packed wonders. Just as salads take full advantage
of the GI, the same can be said of soups. There are many soup recipes that are also low glycemic index recipes. Soups are an easy and potentially tasty, way to bring additional low GI foods into your every day food experience.
Soups rich in beans and vegetables are a way to significantly increase the amount of food that you eat that is low on the
GI. Consider adding ample amounts of spices, such as red pepper, sage and other nutrient rich spices to increase both the
favor of your meal and its nutritional value. Cookbooks are obviously the place to go when looking
for low glycemic index recipes, but some cookbooks will be much better than others. Vegetarian and vegan cookbooks are more
likely to have good low GI recipes than most other cookbooks. In particular, vegan cookbooks, due to the fact that so much
of a vegan diet revolves around fruits, vegetables and nuts, are a fantastic idea for anyone seeking
low glycemic index recipes. The Power of Cookbooks Vegetarian
and vegan cookbooks often are loaded with recipes that use good, healthy fats. These are the fats you will find in coconuts,
avocados and nuts. By properly utilizing these healthy fats you will be able to keep many of your food cravings as bay and
have a nutritious and healthy meal at the same time. When looking for low glycemic index recipes, take full advantage of what
these cookbooks have to offer. Soups and salads are just two of the many ways that one can eat
more food, which is low on the index. Vegan and vegetarian cookbooks are full of low GI recipes that will truly help anyone
who is looking to avoid high GI foods. With a little time, patience and research, it is definitely possible to eat a diet
richer in low GI foods. Low glycemic index recipes are out there... and there are recipes for all tastes and all types of dieters!
Friday, April 16, 2010
AccountabilityHave you ever wondered why all diet programs tell you to write down what you eat and drink? There are
several reasons for it. Most of us don't really like to take the time to write down everything we eat and drink.
We're all busy people and writing down what we eat really isn't that important.
It really is important.
It lets us track what we eat and drink so we can keep track of the calories, carbs, fats or what ever your program is monitoring.
If we have too much of one thing early in the day, then we have to cut back later in the day.
The food dairy also
makes us accountable to ourselves and to anyone we have to show the food diary to. Seeing in writing what you consume
can reward you for following the program your on or it can make you feel guilty for not following the program the way
we should.
If you're not losing weight the way you should be, your food diary can give you hints as
to why. It will show you whether you're eating too much of one thing or not enough, which can influence weight loss.
It can show you if your combining foods that shouldn't be combined. It will also show you if your not eating or
drinking foods and drinks that you should be eating and drinking that can influence weight loss.
On any diet, a
food diary should be used. At times it may seem that it's more of a pain than it really is. In the long run
it can be your savior in determining why your not losing weight or if your losing weight too fast.
9:20 am
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Nutrition and nutrients are very important!It doesn't matter what type of diet one is on, watching nutritional consumption is very important.
One should take note of the nutritional value of the foods being eaten. For the balance of nutrition one should
take vitamins and minerals. Consult with your primary physican or care provider on what he or she recommends.
You may need only a few vitamins and minerals, yet you may need more than a few. Ask him or her to run blood work to
see what your body needs and doesn't need.
Many people don't get enough potassium, calcium, magnesium or
trace minerals. Keeping track of what is consumed will give you an idea of the vitamins and minenrals you're not
getting on a regular basis. The first thing everyone should be taking is a multi-vitamin.
Your own personal
diet or eating habits will guide you on what nutrients your body gets and doesn't get. When your body receives the
vitamins and nutrients it needs, you'll be surprised about how good you feel.
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