The Management Consulting Group

Eating healthy is fast becoming a way of life. American’s are living longer, however, the goal of many is not to simply live longer, the goal it is to live a longer and healthier life. Simple everyday fruit can help.

Recent studies have indicated that the antioxidants in fruit provide a whole host of health benefits: the anti-aging power of blueberries and the joint pain relieving properties found in cherries to name a few.

The multitudes of health components found in fruit are truly a gift from Mother Nature. Here are a few everyday fruits for healthy living in 2005:

Cherries - The Supercharged Fruit:

Are cherries truly fruit for a healthy you? Recent studies have revealed that cherries offer an assortment of health benefits including the ability to offer natural relief from joint pain caused from gout, arthritis and joint inflammation.

The wonder of the cherry is the anthocyanins. According to research from Michigan State University tart cherries contain anthocyanins and bioflavonoids, which inhibit the enzymes Cyclooxygenase-1 and -2, and prevent inflammation in the body. These compounds have similar activity as aspirin, naproxen and ibuprofen.

Further investigations revealed that daily consumption of cherries has the potential to reduce the pain associated with joint inflammation. Many are choosing to drink cherry juice, eat cherries or consume tart cherry pills for relief of gout, arthritis and joint pain.

Linda L. Patterson is a living testimony of the soothing affects of cherries on her joint pain. “I enjoy crocheting and lately my hands have been so painful, I couldn’t crochet for more than about 30 minutes.”, says Patterson. In an attempt to find relief from her pain, she located Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry capsules, (www.fruitadvantage.com)
a supplement made from red tart cherries. “Within the first week of taking the tart cherry capsules my hands felt so much better.”, says Ms. Patterson. “I am now able to crochet without the pain in my hands.”

Blueberries - Nature’s Top Antioxidant Fruit:

Blueberries emerged as the top antioxidant capacity fruit in a laboratory testing procedure called ORAC - Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity developed by the USDA*. ORAC has become the definitive measurement of antioxidant capacity.

James Joseph, Ph.D, Chief of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston, is working with blueberries to examine their potential to help improve motor skills and reverse the short-term memory loss that comes with aging.

“The blueberry has emerged as a very powerful food in the aging battle,” said Joseph. “Given the possibility that blueberries may reverse short-term memory loss and forestall other effects of aging, their potential may be very great.”

Terry Johnson, a resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan, munchies on dried blueberries for the convenience and taste. “I work behind a computer for eight hours a day and I like to snack. I began eating dried blueberries instead of a candy bar from the vending machine. Now I feel good when I snack because I am eating fruit instead of candy.”

Strawberries:

Studies have shown that strawberries can help promote a healthy digestive system and help lower blood cholesterol. A handful of strawberries can go a long way to a helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

According to Jennifer LaPointe, Director of Marketing for Traverse Bay Farms, www.traversebayfarms.com “many of our customers are looking to eat healthier and our gourmet fruit product fit this trend. It’s certainly better than fast food.”

Traverse Bay Farms sells Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry capsules, cherry juice concentrate and a variety of dried fruit products including: cherries, blueberries, red raspberries, strawberries. The company may be contact for additional information or interviews at 1-877-746-7477 or www.traversebayfarms.com

Andrew LaPointe is a writer, entrepreneur and consultant.He enjoys spending time with his family, writing and traveling.

You can spot a juicer a mile off at the supermarket or greengrocer. Apart from the huge number of carrots and apples they are loading into their trolley, they also have that slightly smug, see-how-healthy-I-am look about them. Or is that just me?! Actually, I don’t buy a lot of carrots and apples any more, because (other than my indiscretion with a packet of shortbread this week) I’ve radically reduced the amount of sugar I take in. My juice of choice is a vegetable one, a green one - but more about that later, first let’s ask…

Why is juicing so good?

In my article Enzymes and Raw Food, I explained why eating enzyme-rich food is so important. If you are buying cartons (or bottles) of juice, even many of those labelled ‘freshly squeezed’ you are almost certainly missing out on the enzymes. Why? Because they are likely to be pasteurised. There are different methods of pasteurisation, but all of them involve heating to temperatures a lot greater than 118F - which is the point at which enzymes are killed.

Fresh juices, on the other hand, are packed with enzymes, vitamins, minerals etc. and they taste a zillion times yummier too. Plus if you invest in a good juicing book, you can select your ingredients based on your immediate health needs too. I recommend Superjuice: Juicing for Healing and Health by Michael van Straten.

Do I need a juicer to juice?

Wel, yes and no. There are so many juicers on the market and the prices vary radically. I always recommend that you start with a mid-priced model that is easy to clean. This is important. If cleaning it is a right old pain, you will be put off using it which is no good at all.

The US market is probably quite different, but for UK readers, I use the Breville AWT JE3 which retails at just under a £100. It’s by no means the best juicer on the market, but it is very good for the price and a doddle to clean. Plus the new model features two speeds, one for hard produce and one for soft fruits.

There is also the Magimix Le Duo which I understand to be better than the Breville AWT and is the same price.

If you are reluctant to invest in a juicer at the moment but you already have a blender, you could just stick to smoothies. Or for around £5, you could buy yourself a nylon sprout/nutmilk bag and simply strain the juice from the pulp to create your healthy drink. Make sure you chop up the produce and add some bottled water too.

What should I juice?

If you have acid reflux/heartburn problems, candidiasis, thrush, diabetes, IBS or an IBD, then you should avoid going overboard with fruit and sweet veg juices eg. carrots. (Actually this strategy will benefit anyone with any health issue!)

The irony is that the sweet juices may be the ones you are most drawn to, but sugar feeds microforms (like yeasts, fungus, molds, bacteria and viruses) which thank us by excreting acidic, toxins into our blood stream when they ‘digest’ the food we give them!

Your best bet is to stick to green juices which aklalise the body. I really struggled with this to start with as the flavour is a bit of an acquired taste but then I discovered lemons! My favourite juice now is…

Claire’s Green Goddess
100g of curly kale
2-3 sticks of celery
4-5 inches of cucumber
5-6 Green beans
A quarter of an unwaxed lemon (with peel)

The lemon really does do something special to the flavour. For those who are concerned about the acidity of lemon, here’s an interesting thing; lemon is only acid outside the body. Once it goes in, it alkalises. Same is true of white grapefruit and lime. But not oranges or ruby grapefruit whose higher sugar content makes them more acid inside the body.

If you have a sweet tooth and the lemon isn’t working for you, you could try adding an apple instead, but aim to reduce the quantity over time.

Should I peel?

Obviously, you will want to peel some fruits and veg, eg. a pineapple. But using organic produce means you need only give the produce a good scrub rather than peeling it which is recommended for non-organic produce.

And one final tip…

If you want to add ginger to a juice and your juicer tends to spit the chunk of ginger out without really juicing it, put it through your garlic press and stir in to the finished juice! Happy juicing.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Claire Raikes is a Wellbeing Coach, Speaker and Writer who ‘cured’ herself of a chronic, disabling and potentially life-threatening bowel condition without the use of steroids, surgery or any other traditional medical intervention. She now shares her passion for natural and vibrant health through coaching, speaking and writing about the importance and power of a truly healthy diet.

She publishes a free weekly eZine, In Essence and is compiling an eBook of Healthy Fast Food with 25% of the proceeds going to The Cancer Project, a charity set up by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and nutritionists to educate the public on the benefits of a healthy diet for cancer prevention and survival. If you have a recipe you would like to submit, visit http://www.LiveInEssence.com for further details. To book Claire to speak at your event, email her at Claire@LiveInEssence.com.

Are you drinking enough water? Our bodily composition is over 70% water. Water is needed and used for every cell, tissue and organ of our bodies. It is essential that we provide sufficient amounts of water for our bodily needs. Plus, the regular consumption of fruits and vegetables provide an abundance of nutrients for every cell of our bodies. If we are not consuming sufficient amounts of water, fruits and vegetables, we are lacking in a good dietary foundation.

In the wilderness, God gave the children of Israel exactly what they needed to survive. The children of Israel wanted more than what God had already given them for the moment. Although God had given them exactly what they needed to survive. (See “Psalms 78:23-31″)

God has given us everything that we need but we don’t want water, fruits and vegetables, we want fast foods, donuts, soda pop, etc. We complain that fruits and veggies aren’t exciting enough. We want something different than what he’s given us. Are we like the children of Israel? We want what we want and not what we need or what’s best for us. Let us wake up and find and follow Jesus - the Way, the Truth, & the Life. (See “John 14:6″)

Karen Minnis
The Way, Truth & Life Club
http://www.thewtlclub.com

As an aerobics instructor, wife and mother of four (2 boys, 2 girls), Karen practices what she advocates regarding Health, Nutrition and Fitness. Teaching primarily in christian/church environments, she helps people understand how to meet and achieve their Health/Fitness objectives.

Karen’s Aerobics Music CD
http://www.thewtlclub.com/page5.htm

Tofu History

* Tofu is a soft, cheese-like food, made out of Soya milk that is curdled with a coagulant and usually used to blend with other food types, because it easily absorbs their flavor. Tofu is very popular in the Orient and is started to gain more and more ground in Western diets too.

* The history of Tofu starts in China, over 2000 years ago. The first evidence that the Chinese of those times used Tofu in their diets is a mural incised on a stone slab that shows a kitchen scene where both Tofu and Soya milk appear. This stone slab was proven to be from around 100 A.D. The oldest written reference about Tofu is known to also come from China, at about 1500 A.D., when poet Su Ping wrote a poem dedicated to Tofu, called “Ode to Tofu”.

* The Tofu started to spread amongst Asia with the appearance and development of Buddhism. In Japan, Kento priests who went to China to study Buddhism brought back Tofu recipes home (this happened at around 750 A.D.). It was eaten as part of a vegetarian diet for priests and was often used as an offering at an altar. Tofu gradually became more and more popular among the Japanese nobility and the samurai class, who needed healthy diets in their constant and rigorous training.

* In the Western world, tofu began to be popular in the late fifteen century. The first written reference about Tofu is in the 1603 Spanish dictionary “Vocabularion da lingoa de lapam”. By the time the colonization era was over, Tofu had spread all across the World being a well-known element from almost every culture’s diet.

Tofu Health Benefits

* It’s been proven that Tofu has a lot of proteins, almost as many as you would get from the same weight of chicken meat, without the cholesterol and saturated fats. Cholesterol and LDL levels can go down by 30% if you build a diet that constantly has Soya proteins within. This is a very important benefit for those that have cardiovascular problems or those that want to lower their triglyceride levels. Tofu also has all the essential amino acids found in animal proteins. Having a low ration of calories, it’s a very popular dish in weight loss diets and because of its high calcium value, it’s ideal for those who want to strengthen up their body.

* A very important, scientifically proven fact, is that Tofu reduces the chance of your body becoming cancerous. In addition, it also helps women have a softer, less uncomfortable menopause period. The chemical elements of Tofu act as weak estrogens, which help a woman’s body be more balanced during this uncomfortable period. Also, women experience accelerated bone loss during menopause, Tofu reducing this risk with its high calcium value.

* Additional health benefits of Tofu include its high iron value (providing almost 35% of the required daily value), manganese value (providing 36% of the required daily value) and copper value (11% of the standard daily value). These percentages are calculated for 4 ounces of Tofu.

Conclusion

* With Tofu being such a nutritious, protein-rich and delicious foot, it’s no wonder people from all over the world find it an increasingly necessary component of a diet. Being one of the most versatile foods, it can be served with all kinds of meals, ranging from salads and second courses, to desserts or appetizers.

Author: Robert Eaton
Copyright 2005 WikiPublishing.com

Article originally found on: CookbookWiki.com

In large part, you’re in control of your health, not your doctor. And taking control of your health doesn’t really depend on whether or not you have medical conditions.

Taking control means developing habits and discipline.

The most important thing you can do is educate yourself. Learn about your health
problems and how you can take care of your body. What do the latest studies say?
The Internet is an excellent place to research health issues. Sometimes just finding
different ways of doing things can help.

Now, take the time to decide what your health goals for the next year will be. Write
the goal(s) down. Some examples of goals might be:

- to stop yo-yo dieting and focus on get healthier.

- to start exercising regularly.

- to move toward my perfect weight.

- to find alternative ways to control diabetes.

Then list specific ways you can accomplish these goals. For instance, try a new
healthy dinner recipe once a week, go to the gym five days a week, or research
nutrition on the Internet 10 minutes a day.

Work on your mind and thought patterns. You have to believe that you can become
healthy and reach your ideal weight before you will be able to do so. Learning to
accept what you can’t change, but striving to change what you can, is key. A large
part of succeeding in health improvement is being comfortable with yourself
to begin with.

Find time to do something good to reward yourself for making this commitment to
improve your health. Reward yourself each week as you find yourself accomplishing
your goals.

If you have another person to work with, you will be more successful in meeting
your health goals. This partner should be someone you can trust to share your
feelings with.

It helps to have a partner for accountability. We work harder when we know
someone is watching us and holding us accountable. A good partner also helps us
stay realistic in our goals and challenges us to grow.

Try to find someone who will encourage you in the down times and celebrate your
successes with you as you accomplish your goals. And of course you need to be
that kind of a partner to your friend in return.

You might consider forming an informal support group with some of your friends or
acquaintances. People who belong to a group with mutual interests and a shared
purpose accomplish more. A group might get together weekly or monthly and
discuss progress or concerns and help encourage each other. Sometimes all a
person might need is another opinion or just a little encouragement to help them
get past a place where they are having problems. Even if you are doing great,
perhaps you could be of help to someone else who is struggling.

Communication is important when putting together a group. Set up a regular time
and method to report progress to each other and stick to it. Set realistic
benchmarks to monitor your progress. Reward yourselves for your effort. Do
something fun as a group once in a while.

There can be great rewards in working with others toward common goals. It makes
the journey more enjoyable as well as more productive.

By Dianne Ronnow © 2005 Mohave Publishing. All rights reserved. From the
Enzyme-health Blog found at Enzyme-Health.com.

Dianne Ronnow’s best selling book, “Coconut Oil Diet Secrets” reveals how
thousands of people are losing weight and getting healthier with coconut oil diets.
To find out what the secrets of coconut oil dieting are, Check out her site at: Coconut-Oil-Diet.com. Get the book now
and start losing weight today!

The above foods contain high antioxidant capacity. These foods were chosen because of discovery of the most powerful phytochemicals and anthocyanins, which illustrate strong inhibition of chemocarcinogens.

Other foods with high antioxidant and high anti-cancer potential include walnuts, sunflower seeds, pomegranates, beets, cabbage, peppers, and parsley. Make your diet magically protective by including these highly beneficial foods. Produce is the most important health care your money can buy.

The Top 7 Death Foods Are:

1. Cooked Oil

2. High Fat Cheese

3. Fried Foods such as Potato Chips and French Fries

4. Doughnuts

5. Salt

6. Sausage, hot dogs

7. Pickled, smoked or barbequed meat

Bonus Item: Alcohol - not really a food, but it’s so devastating it had to be added to my list.

These are effective foods for those attempting to die younger. How many of those people do you know?

Foods high in saturated fat and trans fat are consistently associated with high cancer rates. High Fat Cheese typically contain over 10 times as much saturated fat as fish and white meat chicken and turkey.

Salt has been consistently linked to stomach cancer and stroke even in populations that eat diets low in saturated fat.

Add the carcinogenic potential from heated and overcooked oils (usually trans containing) delivered in doughnuts and fries with the powerful cancer inducing properties of carbohydrates cooked at high heat (acrylamide formation) and you have a great cancer potion.

Needless to say, I advise people to avoid the foods on my “worst list” entirely. The best foods to eat are fresh fruits and vegetables. By making these foods the major portion of your diet, you can protect yourself magically against cancer and other serious diseases and extend your youthful vigor into later years.

For a ton of f.ree, valuable tips, tricks, and secrets visit: http://www.MaximizeYourMetabolism.com

© 2002-2005 Wisdom Books, LLC & Christopher Guerriero WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Christopher Guerriero, is the founder of the National Metabolic & Longevity Research Center and a best-selling author, speaker, and coach to millions. He is creator of the award-winning ‘Maximize Your Metabolism’ system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for FR*EE how-to articles and F.REE teleseminars, visit http://www.MaximizeYourMetabolism.com

Contrary to many dieting fables, feeling and looking good has less to do with the quantity you eat and more to do with the quality of what you eat. Beyond fewer pounds and greater energy, studies have unveiled that the consumption of certain foods and avoidance of others can significantly reduce the risk of numerous conditions and diseases including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, cataracts and blindness. Food is arguably the most important field in non-drug medicine, with science increasingly turning to nature in its quest for solutions to the growing health crisis. Figures show that 95 per cent of people die from heart disease, cancer or diabetes - these top three killers all being diet related. In fact, eight out of the top 10 causes of death in the US have dietary correlations.

With the consensus diet trends of the West today, fast life-styles, processed foods and soil depletion, many people aren’t getting the nutrition they require for optimum or even adequate health. Superfoods, packed with a rich and varied supply of nutrients and phytochemicals, are the heroic dynamos that serve as valuable expedients on our journey to healthier living.

These kings and queens reign by virtue of their outstanding compositions and offer a cornucopia of gifts to the body and its functioning. Superfoods are the most health-promoting, anti-aging, disease-fighting, mood-enhancing, beautifying, nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich foods on the planet; the pièce de résistance of the plant kingdom with astonishing benefits.

The worlds 5 top superfoods:

Aloe Vera

The inner gel of the aloe vera leaf contains around 200 active compounds with over 75 nutrients. These include 20 minerals, 18 amino acids and 12 vitamins (even vitamin B12 – one of the very few plant sources of this vitamin). Aloe vera has anti-microbial properties fighting fungi and bacteria and contains anti-inflammatory plant steroids and enzymes. Aloe vera also aids digestion and elimination, boosts the immune system, and is incredibly healing and beautifying for the skin, stimulating collagen production and moisturizing.

Goji Berries

Goji berries contain 500 times more vitamin C than oranges and more beta-carotene than carrots as well as 21 minerals, 18 amino acids, B vitamins (B1, B2 and B6) and vitamin E, efficacious polysaccarides that excel at boosting the immune system and other complex compounds that work their bio-magic in the body. Goji berries are said to deter aging (eaten daily by the most well documented case of longevity, Li Qing Yuen, who reportedly lived to the age of 252!), boost your libido, lower cholesterol and improve vision. They also show anti-cancer potential due to their content of germanium, a trace mineral known to induce the production of the powerful anti-cancer agent interferon.

Chocolate (Cacao)

Pure chocolate contains over 300 compounds including psychoactives such as PEA (phenylethylamine) the ‘love chemical’ that releases dopamine in the pleasure-centres of the brain and is said to induce feelings of excitement, attraction, and euphoria, and the feel-good cannabinoid anandamide that mimics the effects of marijuana and has recently been attributed to the ‘runner’s high’ experienced by athletes. Tryptophan is also known for its mood-enhancing traits and increases levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Chocolate is an aphrodisiac king, these chemicals no doubt contributing to such efficacy, and contains ‘nature’s Viagra’ arginine that enhances arousal and sensation in men and women. Chocolate is also the highest antioxidant food on the planet, exceeding blueberries, grapes and green tea, is exceptionally high in magnesium (great for the heart and nervous system) and contains the beautifying mineral sulphur. No wonder it has been called ‘the food of the gods’! Note that these properties are highest in raw cacao (pure and unrefined) which is leagues apart from commercial chocolate products, containing none of the detriments such as sugar, hydrogenated fats, milk, additives, agro-chemicals and solvents.

Chlorella (and Spirulina)

Water grown algae such as chlorella and spirulina have phenomenal nutritional value. Chlorella is 60% protein (19 amino acids including all eight essentials), contains all the B vitamins (including B12 – a rare plant source), vitamins C and E, a wealth of minerals and trace minerals, nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) and chlorophyll (the highest quantities of these ever found in a natural source), as well as essential fatty acids and a host of phytochemicals. Chlorella is exceptionally good at detoxifying the body of pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides and PCB’s. It also contains age-defying nucleic acids, is immune and blood boosting and shown to be an effective aid aside cancer treatments. Chlorella is the most popular supplement in Japan, classified by the government as a ‘functional food’ and taken daily by over 7 million users. Aside a few differing benefits, chlorella and spirulina have many parallel virtues. As a note, grasses such as wheat and barley grass are also potent detoxifiers, bursting with life and high in enzymes, chlorophyll, antioxidants and amino acids.

Bee Pollen

Called the ‘perfect food’, bee pollen has an awesome constitution. Around 40% protein of a highly digestible form, these magical grains house 16 vitamins, 28 minerals, a host of enzymes, hormone precursors (that stimulate hormone production), lecithin, fatty acids, nucleic acids and antioxidant phytonutrients as well as yet identified constituents. Studies have revealed antibiotic and cholesterol lowering abilities, immune system enhancement and excellent skin healing traits. Pollen is also believed to be an anti aging food, discovered by Dr. Tsitsin, chief biologist at the Longevity Institute in Vladivostak, to be eaten daily by over 200 natives of Georgia (formerly the Soviet Union) that were living upwards of 125 years of age! Try to get fresh or unheated pollen to reap the benefits of all the enzymes and healthy constituents. Other bee products such as honey and propolis are also potent healing foods.

Copyright 2006 Sylvia Riley

Sylvia Riley is an author and writer in the field of natural health and nutrition.
Discover the worlds ultimate superfoods:
http://www.miracle-superfoods.com

Whether you are at your ideal weight or striving to reach your weight goal is it simply a matter of burning more calories than you take in? The answer, I suggest, is no! Overall body health improvement as well as weight gain or loss must be factored in to the equation or you could be heading for problems. Correct nutrition can help to reduce the risk of a miriad of health-related problems, the most frightening of which are surely heart disease and cancer. Proper nutrition, however, entails eating many different foods, monitoring your consumption of some food and beverage items, and counting calories. Good diets offer balanced nutrition that reduces cholesterol, blood pressure, and helps with weight control.

To function properly, your body must have the correct combination of nutrients:

Carbohydrates. They are the primary source of ammunition in your diet. The body uses carbohydrates to build glucose which can be used immediately or stored in your body for later. Too much glucose, however, is stored as fat. There are two types of carbohydrates - simple and complex. Sugars are simple carbohydrates. Starches and fibers are complex carbohydrates.

Proteins. Proteins help your body build and maintain muscles and other tissues. They also function in the creation of hormones. Like carbohydrates, excess protein is stored as fat.

Animal and vegetable are the two major types of proteins. Too much animal protein can cause high cholesterol, as it is high in saturated fat.

Fat. Strange as it may seem; fat is another nutrient your body requires. It comes in both saturated and unsaturated forms. Saturated fat puts you at risk of health problems. Unsaturated fat is healthy, but if it goes through any type of refinement process, it can become saturated fat.

Vitamins. These are also required nutrients. Different vitamins perform different tasks within the body. They can work with the metabolism to help with energy levels for any task you can think of that you need your body to perform. It has also been noted that certain vitamins can prevent disease.

For example, vitamins A, C, and E, also called antioxidants, can assist with the prevention of coronary artery disease by keeping build up from occurring on artery walls. Vitamin B-1 is needed for digestion and proper nervous system function. Vitamin B-2 is needed for normal cell growth. Vitamin B-3 helps to detoxify your body. Folic acid assists with production of red blood cells. Vitamin D assists with the absorption of calcium. Vitamin K helps your blood clot.

Minerals and trace elements. These are another nutrient your body requires. Both are used in many different body processes. Minerals like chlorine help make your digestive juices. Phosphorus helps build strong bones. Both can be found in the foods we consume, but with a trace element, your body just needs a tiny amount. Salt is one final nutrient your body requires. You should not consume more than 2400 milligrams per day, though, as it might raise your blood pressure.

You should follow several guidelines to create a well balanced, nutritional diet. First, try to consume two and one half cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit each day. When making your selections for each day, be sure to choose a good variety. A good rough guide is to eat as many different colors as possible, this will help you to select from all five vegetable subgroups at least four times per week.

You should eat at least three ounces of whole grain products each day. At least half of your grain intake should be whole grain based. Milk should also be part of a healthy diet. Consume at least forty-eight ounces of low fat milk or milk products on a daily basis. Your total fat intake should only be between ten and thirty percent of your calories. Most of the fats you consume should be in the form of unsaturated fats, as saturated fats can do much to damage your health. Meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products should all be lean, low-fat, or fat-free. Less than ten percent of your calories should come from saturated fats, and you should always try to avoid trans-fatty acid.

Fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be a regular part of your diet as should potassium rich foods. Alcoholic beverages should only be consumed in moderation.

Excellent nutrition is the basis of a healthy diet.

Edwina Hanson is a vegetarian. You can get her free 127 page cookbook entitled "Delectable Vegetable Dishes", which contains over 300 nutritional and tasty recipes, by going to www.vegetarian-and-vegan.com.

We’ve all heard about walking in somebody else’s shoes to
understand them better. Though we can never truly
experience the life of a person afflicted with severe allergies,
those of us without any can sure try. Dismissing someone’s
allergies for the sake of simplicity is all too tempting. The
fact is that if someone you love or respect has allergies, the
best way to cope with it is to put yourself - as best as you
can - in his or her shoes.

There is no doubt that this rule is always put to the test. My
wife and I enjoy going out for dinner. How we go about
planning or choosing a restaurant is different than most.
First off, my wife Jennifer is allergic to an armada of
assorted foods. Some examples include flour, wheat, eggs,
nuts, potatoes, dairy, seafood and corn. “The worse thing
about my allergies is that I have already tried these foods
before and I know what I’m missing,” she once told me.
How the allergies arrived remains a mystery. It all comes
down to the usual debate about environment or genetics.
None have sufficiently given her some comfort.

What makes ordering off a menu so difficult is that some of
these foods or ingredients are essentials in many cooking
recipes. For example, it’s not enough for her to ask if any of
the foods have come into contact with nuts. She needs to
know exactly how all foods are prepared, and this can often
feel like a heavy chore. No matter how diligent we are we
can never be sure. We put our trust in strangers and that
leaves a hint of worry. Many times she is tempted not to ask
any questions and just order. In fact, this is exactly what she
did on one occasion and she nearly paid a heavy price for it.
In her denial, she proceeded to order an entrée at a
restaurant without asking any questions and to her
astonishment she was allergic to three-quarters of the dish.
When she asked the waitress how a straight forward dish
can become so avant-garde the waitress apologized and
said “Yes, the chef like to be adventurous with his dishes.”

Our friends have been understanding when it comes to
choosing an establishment. They know that Jennifer will
have to pick the place. It’s made our job that much easier.
As for the restaurants themselves, they have been more
than accommodating in going the extra mile in making her
feel comfortable. “Restaurants are more open and aware
than they were 15 years ago,” explains Peter Hrib a chef at
Sentaure Restaurant in Montreal. “The culture has changed.
For example, at this establishment we have changed our
menu to a nut free environment. Staff and cooks are also
more sensitive and educated about allergies. More often
than not, they themselves are close to someone with
allergies” he adds.

Still, it’s a difficult process for her to endure. Each time she
has to painstakingly go over the menu with a server, all the
while having to overcome her discomfort for putting people
through such an ordeal. “Why can’t I be normal; I want to eat
that!” usually escapes her mouth at the dinner table. She’ll
often stare at what I’m eating and all I need to say is, “…it
does not taste as good as it looks.” Unless, of course, we
are eating at my mother’s, in which case she knows I would
be lying. Mr. Hrib puts it this way “People should not feel
burdened anymore. When it comes to your health do not risk
anything. Ask as many detailed questions as possible.
We’re ready for it.”

Finding a place where we can eat well and in peace is
tough. There is, however, one place where we feel right at
home - at my mom’s. For my mother, Jennifer’s allergies
had a wide impact on the family as well. Decades of stylized
and personalized Italian cooking were suddenly altered for
her daughter-in-law. It was a remarkable act of generosity;
it’s not easy to change traditional recipes on the fly. Luckily,
my mother is talented enough to make the adjustments and
still make things taste great.

“How does it feel to have such an effect on my cultural
household,” I once asked her, not knowing that my attempt
at humor would actually move my wife to light tears. “I can’t
believe what your mother has done for me. She has gone
way beyond anything I could have asked for.” “It’s nothing.
It’s what Mediterranean mothers do. They literally live to cook
and feed.”

Whether in the fast-paced surroundings of a restaurant or
within the confines of a comfortable home, allergies follow
people everywhere. It’s important that everyone remains
diligent and offer support to a person with allergies. It’s the
least we can do, for we will never know how it truly affects
them deep down. For my wife, it upsets her that she’ll never
be able to try her mother in-law’s tiramisu. However, I would
not be surprised if mom figures it all out. Nothing would
make Jennifer - and me - happier.

Most of us are fond of at least one product that has the effect of a stimulant and that eventually becomes an addiction. These products include exercise stimulant drinks (they come in cans and look like cola), fizzy aerated drinks, tobacco, betel nut, betel leaf, strong coffee, strong tea, mahuang (an ephedrine-like compound consumed in china), and alcohol.

Before I tell you why we shouldn’t consume these products, I’d like to deal with the question of why we do consume them in the first place.

There’s no one who doesn’t know that products like these, consumed in excess, can severely harm our bodies. Yet, we still find them hard to resist. The need to eat stimulant food is a simple human weakness that has existed for ages: humans (and many animals) have always indulged in foods that give a sort of emotional high. In clinical terms, this means rapid heart beat, a little sweating, dilation or constriction of the pupils of the eye, a warm flush on the face, and a sense of greater sensitivity, concentration and perception.

These sensations of ‘high’ die down within a few hours, and we are left feeling listless and low. This leads to a craving for that food again, to experience the high one more time. And there we are going round and round in a vicious circle.

The physiology of addictions is as follows:

When you eat an addictive food, it stimulates the hormone like substances found at the end of your nerves, which triggers an avalanche of similar stimulatory substances and you experiences a high. As the substances near the nerves are depleted, you get into the low phase, which leads you to crave that food again. This yo-yo phase of nerve stimulation and depletion leads to a pattern of addiction.

Consuming addictive foods is one of the oldest unhealthy food practices and, despite a revolution in health consciousness; it shows no signs of dying out.

Below are some side effects of certain addictive foods.

Alcohol Addiction: Erosion of stomach and intestinal lining, liver damage, nutritional deficiency.

Tobacco: Erosion of gum and tongue can lead to cancer of the buccal mucosa.

Betel nut: Leads to the discoloration of teeth, erosion of the lining of the mouth, and cancer of the mouth and upper tract. It also leads to heart problems among people who already have a weak heart.

Ma huang: It contains ephedrine and leads to heart problems.

Aerated drinks: High doses of caffeine.

Caffeine and xanthine: Found in tea, coffee. These become harmful only in very high doses; don’t consume more than five cups a day.

Mixed drug reactions: People who consume medications for the heart, hypertension and asthma have to be very careful about the interactions of the drugs with stimulant foods, as mixing the two can be fatal. After years of experience, all doctors know how difficult it is to break the food addictions of their patients. So like them, I can only advise a good compromise. If you can’t break the addiction, then at least you should practice moderation.

Linda Giles also writes on Ring worm Treatment. More info: Ringworm Cure