Healthy Eating Away From Home

To enjoy festive gatherings, bring nutritious snacks with you.

Over the river and through the woods …the holiday season often brings time spent away from home, making it challenging to stick to a balanced meal plan. Whether you’re traveling out of town or are out and about for the day, use these tips for eating healthy during this busy season.
Take It With You
If possible, pack your own food. For a suitcase-friendly snack, try crackers with cheese or peanut butter and Glucerna® Meal or Snack Bars. If you have room for a cooler, bring fresh fruit, sliced vegetables, or Glucerna Shakes. It’s also a good idea to carry a juice box, a little hard candy, or glucose tablets to treat low blood sugar if necessary.

When it’s not practical to pack, you still can make healthy choices while eating out. Many restaurants offer printed or online nutrition facts to help you make a smart selection. If traveling by airplane, you might be able to call ahead and request a vegetarian, low-sugar, or low-fat meal.

At fast-food restaurants, steer clear of super sizes and order regular or junior sizes instead. Avoid breaded or fried foods in favor of grilled or broiled items. Choose smart side items such as tossed vegetable salad or fresh fruit. If having pizza, go for thin crust and ask for half the cheese. Pick fresh vegetable toppings instead of high-calorie pepperoni and sausage. For wise choices with ethnic cuisine, check out our Dining Out Guide.
Holiday Drinking Do’s and Don’ts
Remember to stay hydrated while traveling — but avoid regular soda, lemonade, and fruit drinks that are loaded with calories and sugar. Opt for water, unsweetened ice tea, or diet soda instead. Before making holiday toasts, check with your physician about drinking alcohol, especially if you’re taking any medications.

When it comes to quantity, one drink for women and two for men are the guidelines to follow. Keep in mind, a drink is defined as a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1-1/2 ounces of a distilled beverage such as whiskey or vodka. This is a good rule of thumb to follow, especially when it comes to your weight management goals, because alcohol adds extra calories. Select drinks that are lower in sugar and alcohol, such as light beer or dry wines. For mixed drinks, choose sugar-free mixers such as diet soda, diet tonic, club soda, or seltzer.

If you choose to have alcohol, don’t drink it on an empty stomach. Always accompany an alcoholic drink with a meal or snack. Also, take drinks of water in between sips of your cocktail. With a little planning and knowledge of good food choices, traveling and celebrating during the holidays won’t knock you off the track of a healthy meal plan.

source :http://diabetescontrolforlife.com

Silahkan Lanjutkan bacanya.

Read more

10 Great Ways to Get Your Water

Drink More Water for Improved Diabetes Health

With the hot and humid days of summer upon us, water needs are on the rise! Staying hydrated is key to supporting energy levels and your many body functions. For example, water supports skin and digestive health, and helps eliminate toxins from the body.

According to Kathy West, MS, RD, LD, Senior Nutrition Scientist at Abbott Nutrition, "Physical activity is one of the best ways to help manage blood sugar levels, so it is very important for people with diabetes to keep their water needs top of mind as they increase their outdoor activity levels during these hot summer days."
Water, Water, Everywhere
Lucky for us, water is everywhere. About 20% of our water intake comes from food, and some foods, such as lettuce, watermelon, and apples, are mostly water. Using thirst as the messenger, our bodies constantly ask us to drink more water. Inside nature's perfect beverage, you will find no taste, no color, and no odor. What you will find is a vastness of pure goodness for your health.

More than half of the body is made up of water, and we make sure to put it to work. Water can help suppress the appetite and naturally regulates body temperature. Water also works as a nutrient and oxygen transport; it helps us use and absorb vitamins and minerals.

While you may already know that drinking water is good for you, your taste buds might want to veer you elsewhere in search of more flavorful options. Unfortunately, no other beverage can take the place of calorie-free water when it comes to its natural benefits. There are ways to spruce up the blandness and add a little more zing to your H20, such as adding a lemon or lime wedge or carrying your water in your favorite container.

Tricks to Try
Another bonus of the ever-present liquid powerhouse is that you can get some of your daily requirements without having to drink all of your water. You can get some water through food. Fruits such as melon, and veggies such as celery and broccoli, can be included as part of daily water goals. Other beverages, such as decaffeinated tea and sugar-free lemonade, count, too.

When it comes to your health, water is undoubtedly the first-prize winner. Here are a few different things you can do to quench your body's thirst for H2O:

1. When you wake, start the day with a glass of water.
2. Keep a pitcher of chilled water in the fridge.
3. Always carry a bottle or jug of fresh water with you.
4. Avoid drinking large amounts of caffeinated beverages, as caffeine causes you to lose water.
5. Take a few sips from a water fountain whenever you run into one and change your walking path at work to be sure you pass one more often.
6. Start every meal by drinking a glass of water, even if you are drinking another beverage.
7. If you're hungry, drink a glass of water before your scheduled snack.
8. Increase your fresh fruit and veggie intake within your carbohydrate allowance.
9. Keep sugar-free frozen pops and gelatin on hand for refreshing breaks.
10। Plan ahead by placing water or containers to hold water on your shopping list, and make daily water goals, such as working up to at least 8 to 10 cups per day. A quick way to estimate your hydration status is to check the color of your urine. It should be pale to colorless.

source :http://diabetescontrolforlife.com

Silahkan Lanjutkan bacanya.

Read more

Vitamins May Help Fight Hair Loss

Loss of hair or baldness is often referred to as alopecia. Alopecia totalis means loss of all the scalp hair, while alopecia unviersalis means loss of all body hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes. If hair falls out in patches, it is termed alopecia areata. This condition is temporary and does not usually lead to baldness. Heredity, hormones, and aging are all factors that are involved in hair loss. Researchers have not yet determined the exact cause of hair loss, but some scientists believe the body’s immune system mistakes hair follicles for foreign tissue and attacks them. On the other hand, many suspect that hair loss is simply a genetic component.

A less dramatic, but much more prevalent type of hair loss is androgenic alopecia (AGA), which is also known as male pattern baldness. AGA is extremely common in men. As the name implies, a genetic or hereditary predisposition to the disorder and the presence of androgens, which are male sex hormones, are involved in this condition. Research has shown that the hair follicles of individuals who are susceptible to AGA may have receptors that are programmed to slow down or shut off hair production once they are influenced by androgens.

Women can also experience the same type of hair loss. However, it is usually not as extensive and most often does not occur until after menopause. All women experience some form of hair thinning as they grow older, especially after menopause. With some, it begins as early as puberty. Additionally, most women lose some hair two or three months after having a baby since hormonal changes prevent normal hair loss during pregnancy.

Demodex follicularum, a species of tiny mite, may be the cause of, or at least a contributing factor, to balding. These mites are present in almost all hair follicles by the time a person reaches middle age. In most cases, these mites cause no harm. Researchers believe that the difference between people who lose their hair and those who do not may be in how the scalp reacts to the presence of these mites. If the body initiates the inflammatory response as it tries to reject the mites, this can close down the hair follicles, which in turn, kill the mites and also kill the hair.

Additionally, hereditary factors that promote hair loss include poor circulation, acute illness, surgery, radiation exposure, skin disease, sudden weight loss, high fever, iron deficiency, diabetes, thyroid disease, drugs such as those used in chemotherapy, stress, poor diet, ringworm and other fungal infections, stress, chemicals such as hair dyes, and vitamin deficiencies.

The following nutrients are considered to be very important for dealing with and preventing hair loss: essential fatty acids, raw thymus glandular, vitamin B complex, vitamin C with bioflavonoids, vitamin E, zinc, coenzyme Q10, DMG, and kelp. Additionally, the following nutrients are helpful in dealing with hair loss: copper, grape seed extract, l-cysteine, MSM, and silica. The following herbs can also help prevent and deal with hair loss: apple cider vinegar, sage tea, ginkgo biloba, horsetail, green tea, pygeum, saw palmetto, and tea tree oil.

With proper diet, nutrition, and dietary supplements, one can rule out whether hair loss is dietary verses hormonal or fungal. Some supplements like evening primrose and omega-3 can help regulate inflammation hormones and hormones that can affect the immune system and hair follicles. Your local or internet health food store can better help you select the right products for each persons hair needs.
About the Author

More information on vitamins and hair loss is available at VitaNet ®, LLC Health Food Store. http://vitanetonline.com/

Silahkan Lanjutkan bacanya.

Read more

Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes

One of the most undemanding and the most workable ways to knock over blood sugar amount, eliminate the dangers of “cardiovascular disease,” and perk up health and welfare in general is exercise.

In spite of that, in today’s inactive world where almost every indispensable job can be carried out online, from the ergonomic chair in front of a computer, or with a streaming line of messages from a fax machine, exercising can be a hard argument to win over.

The Weight of Exercise

Everyone should exercise, yet the health experts tells us that only 30% of the United States population gets the recommended thirty minutes of daily physical activity, and 25% are not active at all. In fact, inactivity is thought to be one of the key reasons for the surge of type 2 diabetes in the U.S., because inactivity and obesity promote insulin resistance.

The good news is that it is never too late to get moving, and exercise is one of the easiest ways to start controlling your diabetes. For people with type 2 diabetes in particular, exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, lower the risk of heart disease, and promote weight loss.

Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is on the rise. The number of people diagnosed with diabetes every year increased by 48% between 1980 and 1994. Nearly all the new cases are Type 2 Diabetes, or adult-onset, the kind that moves in around middle age. Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes include increased thirst, appetite, and need to urinate; feeling tired, edgy, or sick to the stomach; blurred vision; tingling or loss of feeling in the hands.

The causes of type 2 diabetes are complex and not completely understood, although research is uncovering new clues at a rapid pace.

However, it has already been proven that one of the reasons for the boom in type 2 diabetes is the widening of waistbands and the trend toward a more deskbound and inactive lifestyle in the United States and other developed countries. In America, the shift has been striking; in the 1990s alone, obesity increased by 61% and diagnosed diabetes by 49%.

For this reason, health experts encourage those who already have type 2 diabetes to start employing the wonders that exercise can do for them. Without exercise, people have the tendency to become obese. Once they are obese, they have bigger chances of accumulating type 2 diabetes.

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that over 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are clinically overweight. Therefore, it is high time that people, whether inflicted with type 2 diabetes or not, should start doing those jumping and stretching activities.

Getting Started

The first order of business with any exercise plan, especially if you are a “dyed-in-the-wool” sluggish, is to consult with your health care provider. If you have cardiac risk factors, the health care provider may want to perform a stress test to establish a safe level of exercise for you.

Certain diabetic complications will also dictate what type of exercise program you can take on. Activities like weightlifting, jogging, or high-impact aerobics can possibly pose a risk for people with diabetic retinopathy due to the risk for further blood vessel damage and possible retinal detachment.

If you are already active in sports or work out regularly, it will still benefit you to discuss your regular routine with your doctor. If you are taking insulin, you may need to take special precautions to prevent hypoglycemia during your workout.

Start Slow

For those who have type 2 diabetes, your exercise routine can be as simple as a brisk nightly neighborhood walk. If you have not been very active before now, start slowly and work your way up. Walk the dog or get out in the yard and rake. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park in the back of the lot and walk. Every little bit does work, in fact, it really helps a lot.

As little as 15 to 30 minutes of daily, heart-pumping exercise can make a big difference in your blood glucose control and your risk of developing diabetic complications. One of the easiest and least expensive ways of getting moving is to start a walking program. All you need is a good pair of well-fitting, supportive shoes and a direction to head in.

Indeed, you do not have to waste too many expenses on costly “health club memberships,” or the most up-to-date health device to start pumping those fats out. What you need is the willingness and the determination to start exercising to a healthier, type 2 diabetes-free life.

The results would be the sweetest rewards from the effort that you have exerted.

Silahkan Lanjutkan bacanya.

Read more

Benefits of Liquid Vitamins

Vitamins and minerals can be absorbed by the body in a number of ways. They first enter our body through the food we eat. Secondly, we can take vitamin supplements to increase the amount of pertinent vitamins and minerals. There are different methods of taking medication and one of the most common methods is absorbing it in its liquid form. Do the advantages of liquid vitamins far outweigh its disadvantages – if there are any? Read on and find out.

Better or Easier Absorption for Kids
Although liquid vitamins may taste worse than vitamins in flavored, chewable tablet forms, they are however easier to absorb. There are numerous cases in which children have problems with choking, breathing and swallowing simply because of their inability to absorb medication or vitamins in this form.

This is the same problem as well for adults who have lost their ability to control their jaws or are unable to digest anything that is not in liquid form.

Liquid Vitamins are More Effective
Because of its form, liquid vitamins can be assimilated immediately into the blood stream for a more systemic administration of the vitamin and its average absorption rate is approximately 90 to 98%. It is also three to five times more concentrated than vitamin pills and this lead to higher bio-activity and greater therapeutic benefits.

The Link between Antioxidants and Liquid Vitamins
Have you ever wondered whether or not liquid vitamins contained oxidants as well? Vitamins E, C and A are examples of antioxidants and they are commonly found in vitamin supplements but what about liquid vitamins?

And the answer is an absolute YES. Liquid vitamins must in fact contain such antioxidants or they’ll prove to be ineffective compared to other vitamins. Remember that the most important of all antioxidants – Vitamins A, C and E – are not internally produced by the body so they must be a regular fixture in our diet. Antioxidants are our main defense against effects of damaging oxidation reactions. Antioxidants are our best weapons against suffering from any form of cancer. Without it, we are basically weaker and less healthy.

Liquid Vitamins versus Digestive Acids
One reason why people refuse to acknowledge the benefits of liquid vitamins is because of the supposed destruction by digestive acids of any vitamin or mineral that it does not recognize as part of the process of digestion. The opposite is, in fact true. Our digestive system actually prefers or is able to better absorb liquid vitamins and minerals rather than those made in pill or capsule form.

A vitamin pill or tablet has to be digested completely before it can benefit the human body. It must be broken down into absorbable nutrients or only up to thirty percent of it will be absorbed by the human body. Liquid vitamins however provide a better and easier solution for the digestive system. Because it does not depend in any way on mechanical digestion, an estimated 90% of it can be absorbed directly by the body.

It’s vital to remember that digestion does not mainly function to destroy vitamins and minerals but rather to transform them into substances it can use to improve the general constitution of the body.

Liquid Vitamins: Toxic or Not?
Another problem posed is the amount of colloidal minerals found in liquid vitamins. Are they harmful or not?

In truth, even plants and fruits contain a trace of such minerals in them. Apples, for instance, contain 3-5 mg of aluminum as it’s one of the most abundant elements that can be found in the surface of the Earth. But do you hear anyone telling you that apples are dangerous to your health? On the contrary, what we are more likely to hear is that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

And so it must be with liquid vitamins as well. Containing a slight amount of colloidal mineral doesn’t mean it’s bad for our health right away. Colloidal minerals, are above all else, naturally occurring elements and can not therefore be avoided.

You Have a Choice
At the end of the day, however, it’s still up to you whether or not you wish to take vitamin supplements in liquid or solid form. What really matters is what you prefer and which will ultimately work better for you.

Silahkan Lanjutkan bacanya.

Read more

7 Diet Secrets of the Stars

Celebrities always look fabulous. Whether appearing in television or films or strutting down the red carpet during movie premiers and awards, they never cease to fascinate us with their larger than life presence. The truth is, it takes a lot of effort to look the way they do, and being the public figures that they are, they cannot afford to slack off when it comes to taking care of their physical appearances. Their livelihood largely depends on how they look. Aside from the clothes, the hair and the makeup, celebrities have to take good care of their bodies.

So it is no surprise that these stars have their own secrets when it comes to staying fit and gorgeous. Their health agenda can range from extreme workouts to well-planned meals. Who doesn't want to know their secrets in staying absolutely sexy? Here are some of the diet secrets of seven women celebrities.

1. Jennifer Aniston
The star of the phenomenal television show Friends not only mesmerized audiences with her adorable comic sense and her famous hairstyle, she was also known for having one of the sexiest bodies in Hollywood, as she appeared in countless magazine covers. To stay trim, Jennifer follows the 40:30:30 diet method. The diet consists of:

40% Low glycemic carbohydrates
-Foods such as beans, fruits and vegetables, legumes

30% lean proteins
-Tofu, fish, chicken, turkey, beef and low fat dairy products

30% essential fats
-nuts and seeds, fish and olive oils

It is essential that every meal should contain macronutrients to attain the balance of hormones and maximum weight loss.

2. Kate Hudson
The gorgeous daughter of actress Goldie Hawn gained 60 pounds during her pregnancy, which she needed to shed quickly before commencing on her next film. From her previous eating plan, she switched to a higher protein diet. She consumed high protein meals in smaller portions, and she combined this diet with an exercise program that includes weight training and cardiovascular workouts. After getting a lot of flak because of her post-pregnancy figure, Kate removed all that baby weight in only four months and has gained abdominal muscles that gained the envy of many in Hollywood.

3. Oprah Winfrey
As one of the most successful talk-show hosts in the world, there is no question that Oprah needs to maintain her physical appearance for her millions of audiences. Known as one of those celebrities who are constantly battling weight gain, she has recently toned up her figure and has never looked figure in age 50 by combining a regular exercise regime and diet plan. Oprah works out five days a week, spending 30 minutes on the threadmill and doing free weights. Her eating plan consists of legumes, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables, chicken and dairy products that are lowfat. She limits her consumption of white sugar and flour. Oprah also credits her trim figure to her habit of not eating anything after seven in the evening.

4. Gwyneth Paltrow
A lot of people may find it hard to believe that the perpetually slim Academy award-winning actress actually needs to diet. Gwyneth actually follows a healthy eating plan that resembles Oprah's, avoiding sugar and white flour. She usually follows a macrobiotic diet, eating foods like vegetables, brown rice, and lean meat. She also eliminated dairy from her diet, and does yoga everyday.

5. Madonna
The pop star known as the Material Girl has always flaunted a body that is to die for, and has become a true fitness paragon over the years. She keeps herself in tip-top shape by having Ashtanga Yoga, and follows a strict diet that mostly shuns junk foods. She adopted a macrobiotic eating plan that includes organic foods rich in lean protein.

6. Claudia Schiffer
The bodacious German supermodel eats salad and steamed vegetables for dinner and eats only fruits before the afternoon. While on locations, she prefers to eat black grapes and drinks tomato juice and herbal tea.

7. Christie Brinkley
Long-time supermodel maintains her all-American good looks by being a vegetarian. She does not keep junk foods of any kind inside her home to make sure that she does not eat them when cravings occur. She snacks on sweet potatoes in place of candy bars, and she adopts a liquid juice diet when she needs to slim down fast.

Celebrities are just like ordinary people. They need to maintain their figures just like anyone else, and there is more pressure on their part since they are constantly in the public eye. Ordinary folks can have celebrity-like bodies, too, and by following these diet and fitness plans, they can also look like red-carpet worthy.

Silahkan Lanjutkan bacanya.

Read more