Monday, March 30, 2015

5 Healthy Makeovers For Your French Fries



Pimp My Health: 6 Healthy Makeovers For Your French Fries



Who doesn’t love a bowl of tasty french fries, right? They’re a crispy comfort-food that can’t be beaten. Especially when slathered in salt and ketchup and accompanied by a juicy burger. True, french fries can be delish, but if you’re not careful, they can also be pretty unhealthy (the second part of their name says it all). So rather than try to eat “just one” (because, who can?), we gathered up some simple ways to pimp your fries and make them healthier.

 Take a look and then dig in!


  Bake 'Em

         Why fry your french fries when you can bake them? It's a whole lot healthier without all the fat and cholesterol that comes from deep-frying.






 Go with Garlic
            Flavor is key when it comes to fries. Think about how delicious garlic and Parmesan cheese would taste on a batch of crispy fries. Not only does this recipe call for baking the potatoes, but it comes out to less than 8 grams of fat per serving. Nice!








 Go for Sweet Potatoes
         Who says french fries can only be made with white potatoes? Opting for sweet potatoes not only gives you more flavor, but it is loaded with beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin C.






 

  Carrot Fries
        Believe it or not, carrots can also make wonderful, flavorful fries!



Eggplant Fries
        If you haven't tried eggplant fries, you don't know what you're missing. This healthy and scrumptious recipe calls for things like green tea... Who knew?




Source: http://www.blisstree.com/2012/03/02/food/pimp-my-health-6-healthy-makeovers-for-your-french-fries-767/

Friday, March 27, 2015

Tips to Control Overeating



We have all done it at one time or another, and it happens for a range of different reasons: Boredom, too much good food, inability to clearly define and identify hunger, or just because the food was there.

Some do it occasionally, it's not such an issue. But for those of us who overeat regularly, and gain weight as a result, it may be time to take a closer look at why we're doing it.

Eating too much is easy because the body lets it happen. Hunger is a strong sensation. If fullness was anywhere near as strong perhaps fewer of us would have issues about regulating the volume of food that we eat. If it's been some time since you managed to stop eating at the right time, it may be time to get back in touch with your body's natural signals. Try serving yourself much smaller portions, even half of your regular meal if you have to, and eat as slowly as possible. Try ending the meal a mouthful or two before you usually would, to remind yourself what "comfortably full" feels like. This will take time (weeks, even months), but is an important process to work through to remind yourself of the body's natural hunger and satiety (fullness) signals.
 









Here are various methods to eat little.
  1. First and foremost ‘Never skip meals’. If you go hungry for more than four hours, you leave a long gap which will in turn make any trick fail; so for all my patients out there who wish to control their appetite, my first and foremost advice is ‘never skip food’ especially ‘breakfast’.
  2. Drink a glass of water. Water is the best thing you can use to fill yourself. It has an important quality of flushing out toxins. Try gulping a glass of water the next time you are hungry. You can add a slice of lemon or a sprig of fresh mint if you don’t like plain water.
  3. Try a bowl of soup. Broth or vegetable soup will cool off your appetite. If you are not able to find ingredients to prepare soup, I suggest eating fresh vegetable or fruit salad and a little ice cream. A salad made up of lettuce, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, carrots, oranges, grapefruit and apples is claimed to suppress one’s appetite.
  4. Snack up with low fat and protein foods. Snacking is useful, provided you find the right choice.  Nuts are my favorite. They are rich in protein and fats which should be sufficient to quench one’s appetite. Quarter cup of almonds or half a cup of ground nuts is sufficient to accommodate this requirement.
  5. Include lots of fibre in the main course. Make sure you have lots of vegetables and greens as a part of your meal.
  6. Eat slowly. Chemicals and hormones that lead to appetite suppression build slowly, as you eat. Eating quickly will lead to overeating before those hormones can suppress your appetite. Therefore, make sure you eat very slowly and gradually.
  7. Divert your attention. Sometimes, eating happens out of boredom, when we're not in physiological need of food. Sleeping, exercise and sports are some activities that will divert your attention away from food.
http://www.healthcaremagic.com/insights/tips-to-control-overeating/236?utm_content=buffer17cfe&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Thursday, March 26, 2015

10 Reasons Why You Need to Quit Smoking.




At one point in life, you promised yourself you would quit smoking. You swore you'd quit by the time you graduate from college, when you reach 30, or you'd quit the moment you settle down and had your first born. You even told yourself, "meh, screw quitting, I can do it anytime anyway!" You promised yourself many times and look just where you are now, puffing that precious stick probably while reading this and drinking coffee. 

What's it about smoking that most people can't let go of? Many say that smoking is their way of relieving stress but is it really the case? Maybe they just can't admit that they're addicted to it because let's be honest, smoking is really a hard habit to break.

If you haven't realized it yet here are 10 reasons why you need to quit smoking.

1. Health Reasons
Heart Disease and Stroke: Smoking is a bigger risk factor for heart disease than high cholesterol, high blood pressure or obesity. Worse still, no amount of exercise or good diet can offset the harmful effect of smoking on your heart. Smoking even 1 to 4 cigarettes a day increases your risk of coronary artery disease. A smoker is 2 to 3 times more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than a non-smoker. Smoking increases your heart disease and stroke risk by:
·         Directly damaging the inner lining of blood vessels
·         Increasing the tendency for blood to form clots
·         Increasing heart rate and blood pressure
·         Decreasing the blood supply  to heart

2. Lung Disease: The tar in cigarette smoke is a proven cancer causing substance. When you smoke, the inhaled tar gets deposited in your lungs like soot in a chimney causing a ten-fold increase in your risk of developing lung cancer.
The damage to the tubes and tissue of lungs also leads to a lung disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It increases the frequency and severity of asthma attacks in people prone to asthma. Flu, colds, pneumonia occur much more commonly in people who smoke.

3. Other Cancers:  the carcinogen (cancer causing substances) in smoke not only affect your lung but can also lead to cancers of the voice box (larynx), mouth, throat, esophagus, intestines, bladder, kidney, and pancreas.

4. Impotence: Smoking narrows and damages blood vessels throughout the body including those supplying the penis leading to erection problems in men.

5. Gum disease: Smoking puts you at a much higher risk of infections of the gums that can lead to tooth loss.

6. Premature ageing of skin: Cigarette smoke damages collagen and elastin, the proteins that keep skin smooth and supple. The result is wrinkles that make you look much older than your years.

7. Alzheimer's disease: People who smoke are at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease at an early age. Elderly who smoke have a faster rate of mental decline compared to their peers who do not smoke.

9. Acid Reflux: Smoking puts you at risk of developing gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), which manifests as heartburn.

10. The Other Reasons that Matter
Better health is undoubtedly an overwhelming benefit of quitting smoking. But there are yet more ways in which quitting smoking will change your life for the better. 

Once you Quit Smoking

1. You will save substantial amount of money. Think about all the things you want to buy but cannot because you spend too much on packs of cigarettes that give you nothing.




 
2. Your performance and endurance at all sports and activities will improve. Yes because your lungs are in good shape!





 3. You will save your skin from premature ageing. Woman, yes I'm talking to you. We both know how important it is to look good in the eyes of many.
 
 4. Your teeth and nails will not look yellow and unattractive. Again, appearance!








5.You will be able to appreciate good smell and taste better.


6. You will have a more positive self-image and more confidence in your will-power.





Break the habit today, we're here to help!

source: http://www.healthcaremagic.com/insights/14-reasons-to-quit-smoking/19?utm_content=bufferf4a5e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer