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Incorporating Healthy Foods One Veggie At a Time

Elizabeth Renter — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:24:33 +0000

Not all diet plans are created equally. What works for you may not be the best solution for my fitness goals. While some people struggle with the fitness aspect of healthy living, eating high quality nutritious foods is more difficult for others. As with any aspect of a healthy lifestyle, there are numerous approaches to make incorporating healthy foods easier. Simply learning little tips and tricks can dramatically increase your healthy eating habits overtime.

One of the best ways to reduce your consumption of high fat or otherwise unhealthy foods is to increase the consumption of healthy foods. When you replace empty or unhealthy calories with those that further your fitness goals you get one step closer to a healthier and happier you.

Home workout programs that include a nutritional or eating plan often give great tips on how to make the inclusion of healthy foods an easy task. P90X and ChaLEAN Extreme both give people the nutritional fuel they need to reach even the most lofty fitness goals.

Finding ways to boost the number of healthy foods in your diet, even by one vegetable daily, can make a difference. If eating right is particularly difficult for you, start small. Add one additional veggie to lunch and dinner. The place this veggie fills on your plate will need to take the spot that was once filled with a less healthy option. Once you realize how simple this small change is, you may work up to more difficult dietary changes.

Try adding a steamed green veggie to your dinner plate tonight or perhaps some extra tomatoes and sprouts to your noontime sandwich tomorrow. Also, bulk up recipes with extra vegetables to reduce their calorie count. Making multiple small changes can add up to major results when they are done in conjunction with a fitness program.

Time to Stock Up on Healthy Foods

Elizabeth Renter — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:19:51 +0000

The holidays are nearly over and you may have gone a little overboard in your indulgences. In order to get back on track with your fitness, you simply have to jump right back into it. Don’t allow slip ups and transgressions over the holidays send you into a fitness downward spiral. Being able to treat yourself and then immediately return to your healthy habits is crucial in making your health a lifetime commitment. It’s time to, once again, pick up those healthy foods and get moving.

You may have leftover cookies and other holiday goodies in your home but when the holidays are over, it is time to move on. Consider taking some of the treats to the office. There’s nothing quite like an office break room to unload some sweet treats on. If your leftovers aren’t work material, get rid of them. True, it’s not fun to waste food, but the “clean plate” mindset is what hurts many people’s efforts at getting fit and sticking with healthy foods.

You must purge your home of the culprits. Regardless of how you get rid of them, just get it done. Remember the resolve that you had under your belt before the holidays came and recapture that. Whether you had two cookies over the holidays or an entire pan full, get up and move on.

Head to your favorite store to stock up on some fresh veggies and other healthy foods. Allowing yourself a shopping spree in the produce department can be a fun way to get back on track. Check out a few new healthy recipes before you go so you have some direction when you get there. Consider making a big pot of winter veggie soup or vegetarian chili. These are great for freezing and ensure you have a hot comfort food within reach at all times.

Don’t let your December slip ups cost you all of your hard work. By immediately jumping back on track, you can ensure the only leftovers you have from the holiday are good memories.

If you are looking for a fitness program with a great diet, check out the P90X program and its accompanying meal plans.

Healthy Food List-Where to get your daily dose of Vitamins, Part 7 of 14

nina — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:03:06 +0000

Vitamin C: Acts like an antioxidant that is essential in protecting your body from colds and infections. It helps your body to improve iron absorption and regenerates vitamin E supplies.

Check out the Healthy Food List below:

Steamed broccoli (1 cup, 43 calories) 205 percent daily value
Cooked brussels sprouts (1 cup, 60 calories) 161 percent daily value
Strawberries (1 cup, 43 calories) 136 percent daily value
Orange (61 calories) 116 percent daily value
Cantaloupe (1 cup, 56 calories) 112 percent daily value
Kiwi (46 calories) 95 percent daily value
Grapefruit (1/2 fruit, 36 calories) 78 percent daily value
Pineapple (1 cup, 76 calories) 39 percent daily value
Cooked winter squash (1 cup, 80 calories) 32 percent daily value
Blueberries (1 cup, 81 calories) 31 percent daily value

Original Source: Men’s Health

Check out tomorrow’s Healthy Foods Post on Calcium

Keeping Healthy Foods Convenient

Elizabeth Renter — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:07:51 +0000

Sticking to a nutritious eating plan can be difficult without planning. This is simply because modern adults love convenience. Sure fast food is typically cheap; but we don’t usually go there for this reason. We go because it’s easy. It requires little time and also very little thought. Imagine if preparing a healthy meal was this simple. We would probably do it a lot more often. While healthy foods aren’t always as fast, they can be more convenient and the trick is starting at the beginning.

Healthy foods and healthy eating habits begin in the grocery store.

You can’t expect to eat according to your nutrition plan if there are no healthy foods in the house. Sure you can argue that you could run out to get them but this is exactly where temptation comes in. If you have healthy foods available, at your fingertips, you are far less likely to stray.

Spending your grocery money wisely can take some practice. If you are new to shopping for healthy foods you may find yourself needing a list more often than not. I encourage a list. Knowing what you are after ahead of time means you are less likely to stray from those healthy foods. Think about what meals you want throughout the week and take about 20 minutes to make a comprehensive list before you even leave the house.

Once you have your cupboards stocked with these new healthy foods, you have to get rid of temptation. If you reach for a snack and find a bag of chips right next to your almonds, there are some days that you won’t have the will power to choose wisely. The solution: get rid of the chips! Clean out your pantry, cupboards, and frig ensuring you get rid of the unhealthiest choices.

By making healthy foods convenient and guilty pleasures hard to get at, you make it easier to stick with your eating plan than to stray from it.

Healthy Food List-Where to get your daily dose of Vitamins, Part 5 of 14

nina — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:46:57 +0000

Vitamin D: is essential in the absorption of calcium in to our bodies. It helps our teeth and bones to grow and stay strong. Vitamin D is also known as the “sunshine vitamin.” Some exposure to the sun will trigger the body to process this vitamin. 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine a week is all you need!

Check out our Healthy Food List Below:

Halibut (3 ounces, 160 calories) 130 percent daily value
Mackerel (3.5 ounces, 180 calories) 90 percent daily value
Salmon (3.5 ounces, 185 calories) 90 percent daily value
Canned sardines (1.75 ounces, 100 calories) 70 percent daily value
Oysters (6, 112 calories) 67 percent daily value
Shrimp (4 ounces, 112 calories) 40 percent daily value
Vitamin D-fortified milk, reduced fat (1 cup, 125 calories) 25 percent daily value
Cod (4 ounces, 120 calories) 16 percent daily value
Vitamin D-fortified cereal (1 cup, 105 calories) 10-30 percent daily value
Egg (70 calories)  6 percent daily value

Original Source: Men’s Health

Check out tomorrow’s Healthy Food List for Folate

To read part 1 of this series on Vitamin A click here
part 2 of this series on Vitamin B1 click here
part 3 of this series on Vitamin B6 click here
part 4 of this series on Vitamin B12 click here

Healthy Food List-Where to get your daily dose of Vitamins, Part 4 of 14

nina — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:00:47 +0000

Vitamin B12: is an essential vitamin that plays a big role in proper blood cell formation and helps to maintain a healthy nervous system. It also helps in processing proteins.

Vitamin B12 is naturally found in many animal products, but is not normally found in plant foods. Most children and adults do get the right amount of Vitamin B12 in their regular daily diet.

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Check out our healthy food list below:
Clams (3 ounces, 126 calories)
1404 percent daily value
Duck liver (3 ounces, 114 calories)
756 percent daily value
Oysters (6, 250 calories)
720 percent daily value
Calf liver (4 ounces, 187 calories)
690 percent daily value
Rainbow trout (3 ounces, 130 calories)
90 percent daily value
Top sirloin (3 ounces, 160 calories)
25 percent daily value
Skim yogurt (1 cup, 137 calories)
25 percent daily value
Milk (1 cup, 121 calories)
14 percent daily value
Lean cured ham (3 ounces, 130 calories)
10 percent daily value
Hard-boiled egg (80 calories)
10 percent daily value
Chicken breast (140 calories)
6 percent daily value

Original Source: Men’s Health

Check out tomorrows healthy food list for Vitamin D

To read part 1 of this series on Vitamin A click here

part 2 of this series on VItamin B1 click here

part 3 of this series on VItamin B6 click here

Healthy Food List-Where to get your daily dose of Vitamins, Part 3 of 14

nina — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:00:02 +0000

Vitamin B6: is an essential vitamin helping to regulate hormones, increase energy production, maintains a healthy nervous system, lowers cholesterol and triglycerides, assists in the growth of the body & aids in carbohydrate, fat and protein synthesis.

Adults need about 1.3 mg of vitamin B6 a day. This vitamin is found in a variety of foods and most likely you are getting enough of it, unless you have a very poor diet. A deficiency of vitamin B6 is not very common, it is mostly seen in elderly people and alcoholics.

Do you have a healthy diet?

Check out our healthy food list below:

Banana (108 calories)
34 percent daily value

Roasted chicken breast (4 ounces, 223 calories)
32 percent daily value
Roasted turkey (4 ounces, 214 calories)
27 percent daily value
Cooked cod (4 ounces, 119 calories)
26 percent daily value
Baked potato (1 medium, 133 calories)
21 percent daily value
Avocado (1 cup, 235 calories)
20 percent daily value
Garlic (1 ounce, 42 calories)
17 percent daily value
Raw red pepper (1 cup, 24 calories)
11 percent daily value
Watermelon (1 cup, 48 calories)
11 percent daily value
Cooked cauliflower (1 cup, 28 calories)
10 percent daily value

Original Source: Men’s Health

Check out tomorrows healthy food list for Vitamin B12

To read: part 1 of this series on Vitamin A click here

part 2 of this series on Vitamin B1 click here

Healthy Food List-Where to get your daily dose of Vitamins, Part 2 of 14

nina — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:05 +0000

Vitamin B1: is essential in providing your body with the energy you need through the metabolism of carbohydrates and protein. It is also required for the processing of alcohol.

Energy is something that a lot of us today are lacking. Dragging ourselves out of bed, in to the shower and off to work. And most of us will run to the nearest Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks for our much needed energy boost that completely fizzles out by the early afternoon.

Instead of drinking your short lived energy with all the extra calories and sugar, why not take a more natural route. There are many healthy foods that contain Vitamin B1, giving you the energy you’ll need to get you through the day.

Check out our healthy food list below:
Raw sunflower seeds (1/4 cup, 205 calories)
54 percent daily value
Cooked yellowfin tuna (4 ounces, 157 calories)
38 percent daily value
Cooked black beans (1 cup, 227 calories)
28 percent daily value
Cooked corn (1 cup, 177 calories)
24 percent daily value
Sesame seeds (1/4 cup, 206 calories)
18 percent daily value
Oatmeal (1 cup, 145 calories)
17 percent daily value
Cooked asparagus (1 cup, 43 calories)
14 percent daily value
Brussels sprouts (1 cup, 60 calories)
11 percent daily value
Cooked spinach (1 cup, 41 calories)
11 percent daily value
Pineapple (1 cup, 76 calories)
9 percent daily value

Original Source: Men’s Health

Check out tomorrows Healthy Food List for Vitamin B6

To read part 1 of this series on Vitamin A click here.

Healthy Food List-Where to get your daily dose of Vitamins, Part 1 of 14

nina — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:26:49 +0000

Vitamin A: is great in helping to fight infection and is crucial in maintaining your eyesight.

More and more today people are trying to lead a more natural and healthy life style, eating more natural and healthy foods, steering away from processed junk. Trying to changing our eating habits so that a pill filled with vitamins becomes unnecessary.

Growing up my mom would always tell me to eat my carrots because they were good for my eyes. But as a kid I hated carrots, especially cooked ones. There are many other healthy foods that contain Vitamin A that you may not be aware of. So if carrots aren’t your thing try something else. Its good for your eyes!

Check out our healthy food list below:

Raw carrots (1 cup, 53 calories)
686 percent daily value

Cooked spinach (1 cup, 41 calories)
294 percent daily value
Baked sweet potato with skin (95 calories)
262 percent daily value
Cooked turnip greens (1 cup, 28 calories)
158 percent daily value
Baked winter squash (1 cup, 80 calories)
145 percent daily value
Cooked collard greens (1 cup, 49 calories)
118 percent daily value
Cantaloupe (1 cup, 56 calories)
103 percent daily value
Romaine lettuce (2 cups, 16 calories)
58 percent daily value
Steamed broccoli (1 cup, 43 calories)
45 percent daily value
Cooked green peas (1 cup, 134 calories)
19 percent daily value

Original Source: Men’s Health

Check out tomorrows Healthy Food List that contains Vitamin B1

Using a Healthy Food List at Home

Elizabeth Renter — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:32:06 +0000

A few weeks ago I blogged about how a healthy food list can help you in the grocery store. By carrying a healthy food list and sticking to only the things on that list, you can be sure that your diet isn’t derailed when your favorite cookies are on sale. This requires some discipline but all weight loss efforts do. By setting boundaries and guidelines for yourself you can start creating new, lifelong habits. A healthy food list can be a great aid in the home as well as when you are in the store.

Start by creating your list, if you haven’t already. Think of each food group and which foods would be acceptable for a healthy food list. Don’t let yourself draw a blank. All adults know the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods; we just need help making the right choices. This list could get pretty long so be sure you have some extra paper or use a small font.

Once you have your healthy food list, clean house! There is no reason for you to keep unhealthy foods around if you are truly dedicating yourself to your health and fitness. This means everything must go! Clean out your frig, your cabinets, and all of the places you like to stash food. This prepares you to stock your cabinets with the foods that line up with your weight loss goals.

Next, visit this post about shopping with your healthy food list. Stick to it and don’t allow yourself to stray. Discipline is crucial in changing your eating habits.

You can also use your healthy food list to brainstorm recipes and meal plans. We often get stuck in a rut when it comes to cooking, especially when we are adjusting to new eating habits. You can’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone when it comes to cooking and preparing meals though. If you allow yourself to get bored, you will be more likely to stray from your healthy ways.