Healthy eating into your usual meal choices

Healthy Eating Food Choices

There are some easy ways in which you can introduce healthy eating into your usual meal choices. Some tips for increasing the intake of healthy, fiber-rich foods are given in the box opposite.

• Baked potatoes with healthy fillings like tuna, cottage cheese, and baked beans make a good quick meal.

• Try pitta bread as a change from ordinary bread, and fill it with lots of salad vegetables.  If you need extra calories, add a salad dressing.

• Slice fruit (e.g., bananas, peaches, apples or pears) onto a high-fiber breakfast cereal.

• Choose to have salad as an accompaniment to main meals.

• Add extra fruit to desserts.

• Add more vegetables into dishes as you cook them e.g., into curries, lasagna, chilli, etc.

• Try making homemade soups using a stock cube and plenty of vegetables.

• Remember that frozen vegetables have a similar nutrient content to fresh vegetables.

• If you want to lessen the protein, and raise the fiber content of your diet, use smaller portions of meat, chicken or fish and fill your plate with potatoes, rice, pasta and vegetables, or try stir frying less meat or chicken with more vegetables.

• Try cooking fish in different ways e.g., micro waved or poached in lemon juice, tinned tomatoes or milk.

Tips for managing constipation using your diet

Tips for Managing Constipation

Constipation is a common problem with PD, because the condition reduces the action of muscles in the bowel. However, it is one problem that can be easily managed – and remember that the bowels only need to be emptied 3 or 4 times a week. If relief can be achieved with a natural diet, then that is the ideal and most healthy way. If constipation becomes a more serious problem, then your doctor will be able to recommend some medication.

Some of the tips for managing constipation using your diet:

• Eat a diet high in fiber, although not unnaturally so as this can cause other problems such as bloating. High fiber foods include:

– Wholegrain bread and cereal

– Raw fruit (with or without skin, although skin contains more fiber) and dried fruit

– Fruit juice, especially prune, pear, or peach

– Leafy vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and celery

– Lentils and split peas

– Bran (can be added to cereal or casseroles).

• Drink plenty of water (8–10 glasses a day).

• Hot drinks act as laxatives, although avoid too much tea and coffee, as they cause the body to lose water.

• If possible, take regular exercise such as a daily walk.

• Take your meals at the same time every day.

Simple Rules for a Healthy Life

Healthy Life with simple tips

We all long for a healthy and peaceful life. Ayurveda, which in its name contains the term “Ayu” meaning life, tells about how to keep balance in all our bodily aspects so that we can get health and longevity. These are very simple things regarding such basic activities as breathing, eating, sleeping etc. However, due to our hasty lifestyle, we often forget to observe these simple rules Here's a list of five basic rules, which, if included in our daily routine, can prevent us from many diseases. 

Five Simple Rules for Healthy Life :

Rule # 1: Breathe Properly

Breathing is the most basic condition for survival. If we breathe in a right manner, we give ourselves more prana (life-force). Always breathe deeply, slowly and smoothly. This way you relieve stress and send more oxygen to the blood, brain and muscles increasing your energy levels and mental performance. Never breathe through mouth. If possible, learn ayurvedic therapies like “Pranayam” which is a traditional series of breathing exercises. Even if you do not learn it, always pay attention to how you breathe. Gradually, you will develop the habit of breathing deeper and slower. Set aside some time in your daily schedule for aware breathing. When stressed, sit down for a while in a relaxing position and breathe deeply before you react.

Rule # 2: Drink Plenty of Water

Water is not only essential for re-hydration but also leads to purified blood, glowing skin and healthy body tissues. Thus, you look beautiful, the natural way, when you drink plentiful water. Inadequate water leads to headaches and fatigue as also to dehydration which has serious health consequences. Sip water over time rather than gulping it down in large quantities. Do not have too much water just before or during meals. Drinks containing caffeine and alcohol do not substitute water. Fruits and vegetables with high water content can be taken but plain and pure water is essential.

Rule # 3: Eat the Right Food

Inappropriate foods and poor eating habits can result in many diseases like diabetes, obesity etc. If you want to reduce weight by natural ways, you should control your eating habits and exercise regularly. Food needs are unique to one's body. So, be attentive to what you eat and how these affect your overall health. Avoid those foods which do not suit you. Eat pure, fresh, whole, natural foods. Make an eating routine and follow it. Make eating your meals an important activity and don't neglect it for other works.

Rule # 4: Exercise Regularly 

Adequate physical and mental activity are significant for health and longevity. As food should be taken according to one's body needs, exercise should also be structured in a way that is ideal to your needs. Walking and yoga are beneficial for all as they can be adapted according to individual needs. Exercising early in the day is best. Do not exercise on an empty stomach or immediately after meals.Do not pain or exhaust yourself while exercising, do it moderately. Mental exercise should also be followed. Anything that keeps our minds engaged or where you can learn something new, such as traveling, reading, solving puzzles, taking up a new hobby or project etc. will give your mind the much needed exercise. Such activities like gardening, music, teaching and volunteering are examples of activities that enrich you mentally as well as emotionally and spiritually.

Rule # 5: Sleep Adequately

All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy. Learn to relax and take adequate sleep as it recharges mind and body for the next day. Sleep deprivation leads to high blood pressure, obesity and depression. How much sleep do you need should be determined by yourself- eight hours sleep theory doesn't fit for all. Quality sleep is what refreshes you. It is when your mind completely disengages from other senses. 'Early to bed and early to rise' is not only a phrase- it's a universal fact for getting sound sleep because the sleep that you get in the earlier hours of night is the most productive sleep. You can adopt many techniques for getting better sleep like a cup of lukewarm milk, deep breathing.

Helpful Health Tips

Helpful health tips for healthy life

There are many techniques and lifestyle practices that will improve your ability to deal with stress and to prevent and/or improve the physical effects that result from it. Here are several ways to strengthen your resistance to stress.

Time Management/Stress Management

These days, managing our time is perhaps the hardest part of daily life. As a rule, we expect too much from ourselves in the time that we actually have available on a daily basis. But time management remains a crucial element of stress management. The two most important components of time management are simplifying the demands on our time and organizing the time that we actually have.

As difficult as it may seem, it is essential to allocate our time to things that are rewarding and fruitful in our lives. Simplifying demands means saying no to things that are not important, necessary, or fun. Organizing time requires examining the areas of our lives in which time is wasted. This may require a detailed assessment of where your time is spent.

Keep a log of things that cause stress and disorganization in your life for a few days. Doing this won't help you avoid the hustle and bustle of daily life, but you will better understand it and learn from it. Then, you can begin to take the steps needed to get your schedule under control. Just the act of identifying the sticking points in your day and your stress response can allow you to take the first step toward trying to develop a time-management strategy.

Stress is a function of perception and attitude as much as circumstance. As difficult as it may be, changing the way a situation is perceived can profoundly influence its effect. Growth is rarely achieved without struggle. In every challenge, there is opportunity. Managing challenges and crisis effectively requires focusing on what there is to learn and overcome, and the personal growth attached to difficult circumstances.

Relaxation

Stress often manifests itself as muscle tension and tightness. This is a manifestation of the sympathetic nervous system, which dominates during times of stress. Even if stress is unavoidable, it is possible to reduce the tension built up in your muscles. You can do this by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls normal body functions such as breathing, heartbeat, blood flow, and proper bowel function.

Relaxation is the opposing force to stress. When you become relaxed, the parasympathetic nervous system, which is designed to also promote repair, maintenance, and restoration, takes charge.

Two modes of relaxation that offer wonderful exercise, as well, are yoga and tai chi. Yoga, a product of ancient India, will improve your breathing, strength, and flexibility. Tai chi, a product of ancient China, will do much the same. For those of you who want even more active exercise, I suggest you explore martial arts.

There are, however, infinite ways to begin to relax; you just have to make the effort. Relaxation exercises, meditation, and massage can also promote the parasympathetic response and assist in relieving the physical signs of stress. Gardening calms people, as does spending time with pets, reading a good book, or watching favorite old movies. Laughter is often an important aspect of relaxation. I find that my patients who create some time each day for relaxation and for things that they enjoy are the patients who regain their health sooner.

Adequate Sleep

Poor sleep habits add to stress, irritability, depression, and alterations in growth hormone. New evidence actually links sleep deprivation with diabetes, obesity, reduced growth hormone release, increased inflammatory cytokine activity, and other health conditions.

Sleep deprivation interferes with productivity, which can further aggravate stress. Inadequate sleep can also interfere with immune function and lead to the physical stress of illness. The most restful sleep is between roughly 9:00 P.M. and 9:00 A.M. This means that eight hours of sleep (give or take a few hours) between 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. are more restorative than from 3:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. Napping during the day can help make up for sleep deprivation, but it may interfere with falling asleep in the evening. Ultimately, you are cheating yourself if you try to beat the sleep clock. Those who fall prey to deadlines and commitments, slipping into bad sleep habits, inevitably pay the price.

Exercise

Most experts will agree that light to moderate exercise such as walking twenty to thirty minutes, three to four times a week, or gardening and swimming can diminish mental and emotional stress and have a positive impact on your metabolism without heightening risk of injury.

Moderate exercise reduces the effects of stress hormones by providing a physical outlet for stressful feelings. Aerobic exercise stimulates the release of endorphins from the pituitary and hypothalamus. Endorphins are neuropeptides, which bind with opiate receptors in the brain. They function to relieve pain and promote a sense of well-being. There is some evidence that exercise training increases circulating DHEA, even while at rest, which burns off stress hormones and reduces cortisol levels.

Exercise also has a significant impact on blood sugar. By controlling blood sugar more effectively, you are managing a key factor in the development of insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity. In addition, proper exercise and stretching will keep you limber as you age, build bone density, and just make you feel so much better.

Regular exercise has even been reported to help people who are depressed to overcome their depression. The physiological changes associated with exercise contribute to an overall sense of control, health promotion, and ability to cope with stress. If you have been sedentary for some time, consult with your healthcare practitioner before beginning any new exercise program.

Besides the strengthening of the heart muscle and other aerobic benefits, exercising has a tremendous effect on lowering blood sugar. Many type 2 diabetics, for instance, can stop their medication simply by increasing their level of activity and watching their diet. Exercise and diet together are key to reversing insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Exercise has also been found to be the most important lifestyle factor in improving quality of life in old age and increasing life span. But don't underestimate the effect of the other keys on your health.

If you have any doubt as to the importance of exercise, consider these study results: In a recent study conducted at Duke University, researchers found that adults who did not exercise for eight months had an increase in visceral fat (the fat is tucked in and around our organs, in other words, abdominal or belly fat) of 8.6 percent. In contrast, the study participants who exercised the most lost 8.1 percent of their belly fat. Even the researchers were surprised at just how quickly the effects of being sedentary were seen.

Getting back into an exercise routine is not only good for your physical health, by leading to improved blood sugar control and weight loss for starters, but it also improves mental health. Exercising regularly helps to control stress hormones and to decrease feelings of depression, tension, and anger.

The key to exercise is finding a form that you like and can easily incorporate into your day. Choose an activity you enjoy and do it at least three times per week. If you have been very inactive, go slowly when you start to exercise. While almost everyone can tolerate walking, it is wise to consult you're a doctor before beginning an exercise program.

Faith, Spirituality, and Healing

There is a recent renewed interest in the effects of spirituality on health. Faith and religious practices are currently being studied and are being found to play a critical role in people's health and in their relationships. Whether that spirituality is expressed through the Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Native American faiths, or of any other faith, spirituality and medicine have long intertwined in health. With the resurgence in complementary and alternative medicine in recent years, spirituality and healing have once again become important in the health of our population. Holistic healing honors the integration and interplay of mind, body, spirit and emotions.

Stress that roams uncontrolled chokes the human spirit-the vital force of human energy, which ultimately affects your physical body. Although we can learn and grow from the stressful events in life, the reality remains that most stress is a waste: a waste of time, a waste of energy.

Music, ritual, and ceremony are all part of healing. A community of friends, family, and helpers often participate in the healing intervention. A healthy person has a healthy relationship with his or her community and, ultimately, with all of Nature. The goal of spiritual healing is to find wholeness, balance, harmony, beauty, and meaning, in other words, a truly "wholistic" approach.

Tips to a great plate

Balance calories:

Find out how many calories YOU need for a day as a first step in managing your weight. Being physically active also helps you balance calories.  

     

Enjoy your food, but eat less:

Take the time to fully enjoy your food as you eat it. Eating too fast or when your attention is elsewhere may lead to eating too many calories. Pay attention to hung and fullness cues before, during, and after meals. Use them to recognize when to eat and when you've had enough.

Avoid  over-sized portions:

Use a smaller plate, bowl, and glass. Portion out foods before you eat. When eating out, choose a smaller size option, share a dish, or take home part of your meal.

Foods to eat more often:

Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fat-free or 1% milk and dairy products. These foods have the nutrients you need for health—including potassium, calcium, vitamin D, and fiber. Make them the basis for meals and snacks.

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables:

Choose red, orange, and dark-green vegetables like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and broccoli, along with other vegetables for your meals. Add fruit to meals as part of main or side dishes or as dessert.

Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk:

They have the same amount of calcium and other essential nutrients as whole milk, but fewer calories and less saturated fat.  

Make half your grains whole grains:

To eat more whole grains, substitute a whole-grain product for a refined product—such as eating whole-wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice instead of white rice.

Foods to eat less often:

Cut back on foods high in solid fats, added sugars, and salt. They include cakes, cookies, ice cream, candies, sweetened drinks, pizza, and fatty meats like ribs, sausages, bacon, and hot dogs. Use these foods as occasional treats, not everyday foods.

Compare sodium in foods:

Use the Nutrition Facts label to choose lower sodium versions of foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals. Select canned foods labeled “low sodium,” ”reduced sodium,” or “no salt added.”

Drink water instead of sugary drinks:

Cut calories by drinking water or unsweetened beverages. Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks are a major source of added sugar, and calories, in American diets.

Guaranteed weight loss tip

With fad diets and fitness routines round every corner, it is quite difficult to keep a tab on which weight loss tips really do work and which don't. Should you join that bhangra aerobics class, adopt that no-carb diet, or eat dinner at 6pm  Never mind all that loophole-ridden weight loss jargon, step over to the healthy side. Here are tips for guaranteed weight loss that will set your weight straight, and help you adopt some really healthy, weight-friendly habits for life.

Weight loss tip 1: 

Decide how much weight you need to lose - Most people start their weight loss journey by claiming to be xyz kilos overweight. This isn't a healthy way to project or aim for weight loss. Calculate your desired weight against your height by using reliable methods like the BMI, and set a healthy weight loss target. This is often half the battle won.

lose weight without dieting

CHEW MORE, EAT LESS 

Studies show that the longer time you spend chewing, the lesser calories you consume. Chewing for longer prevents over-eating, by giving the brain more time to receive signals from the stomach that it is full. It is not only great for digesting, but it also helps in limiting your portion size. Try chewing your food 35 to 50 times per mouthful.

DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST

 No matter how late you are running to work, avoid missing breakfast. There is a reason why it is called the most important meal of the day. Your body (rather your brain) expects to be refueled a few times each day, so when you skip breakfast, you feel so hungry that when lunch time comes, you overeat or maybe choose foods items that are not the healthiest choices. Missing breakfast slows down your metabolism. More importantly, always eat your breakfast, within an hour of waking up, as your body has gone without food the entire night.