Healthy foods that pack a punch!

The important thing to consider when planning your healthy meal regime is that your healthy diet still needs to be able to sustain you through your busy day, and not just the 9-5 day either. You day may start a long time before 9:00am and end well after 5:00pm, so it is important to fuel your body with enough energy, crabs, protein and other essential nutrients to pack a punch and see you through your whole day, every day. With this in mind I sourced this through 'ezinearticles' (http://EzineArticles.com/5073751) written by Shauna Arthurs (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shauna_Arthurs) - the founder of Breathing Prosperity.


Many people talk about miracle foods, from magazine writers to modern-thinking doctors. As more and more of us become aware that our diet truly affects our health - for better or for worse - we must find new way of incorporating the awareness into our daily lives. As we all know, there is a big difference between knowing something and implementing it, and that difference can mean a healthy, vibrant life or a one-day, regretful 'should have.'

With today's rushed lifestyles, it can be difficult to get the healthy foods we need, even when we know what they are and have the best of intentions. For instance, if you knew there were ten foods that, if eaten daily, could you easily incorporate them into your daily diet? The truth is we often eat too infrequently and/or grab food on the run, and this leaves us bereft in the vitamins and minerals department, let alone giving us enough time to really eat the healthy, whole foods we need.

Following are some helpful guidelines to including some of the most commonly cited healthy foods into your diet.

Breakfast: Whole fruits are some of the healthiest foods you can eat, and the latest wisdom is that they should be eaten alone. This being said, combining them with otherwise less healthy breakfast foods, such as cereals or meal replacement shakes, is a great way to add a few servings of fruit. Consuming fruits whole rather than drinking juices adds fibre and other goodness, upping the health quotient while also slowing down the entry of natural fruit sugars into your body. Tips include: wash fruit very carefully to remove pesticides, or better yet buy organic fruit; support local farms as well as your health by buying fruit in season instead of items shipped hundreds of miles, and freeze extra to throw in your shakes and baking during the off-season. Also, try replacing your coffee with green tea, which has been shown to reduce cancer rates and boost immunity.

Lunch: One great way to get in the veggies you should be eating for optimum health is to eat plenty of salads. With or without lettuce, you can toss together a wide variety of cooked or raw vegetables, add a little virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed garlic and lemon juice (or use half your normal dressing and add these to supplement), and you've got a power-packed lunch. Colourful veggies, garlic and olive oil, as well as lemon, are all on the top health food list. You can also add in such things as nuts, seeds, chick peas or other legumes, etc., for additional healthy filler.

Dinner: What better way to get more veggies, and perhaps some valuable fresh ginger, than with an easy-to-make stir fry dish? You can even get in some extra garlic, as well as varieties of onion and mushrooms - both with enormous health benefits - on top of all the healthy vegetable options such as greens, broccoli and cauliflower, peppers, etc.. Use a little sesame oil instead of a large amount of a cheaper oil; it is very strong in flavor and a touch goes a long way.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

Zero calorie foods!

Some foods burn up more of your energy and your calories than are derived from them, and for this reason these are a great food source to add to your healthy diet conscious recipes to ensure you get the best balance from your new found eating habits. This quick read article from Anita Marie (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anita_Marie) sourced through ezinearticles (http://EzineArticles.com/6296183) will provide some clarity, and what these zero calorie or low calorie foods are that can be very easily combined into your new meal plan.


What is a negative calorie food you say? You see there is no such thing as a negative calorie.

Let me explain - a calorie is a unit of heat and it cannot be negative. So when people talk about negative calorie foods. They are talking about foods whose calorie level is so low that it takes more energy to eat and digest it.

Take cold water for instance, it contains no calories at all, but the body has to expend energy to bring it up to blood temperature. Therefore, every time you drink a glass of cold water. You burn a few calories and lose a little weight. There are very few foods like this.

Below are a list of some negative calorie foods to help in your weight loss efforts. A lot of the foods on the list below do not really use more calories than they add, if they do it is minimum. Our body is always expending energy just to keep us alive and breathing. You are always burning calories.

It is not healthy to use these foods as a long term solution to your weight loss program. Why? because eating them in abundance could cause serious damage to your body. They could however be used as a healthy detox or fasting plan for one to three days. Provided you are in a healthy state it can be a great way to clean out your system. You should always get medical advice before doing so.

For example, the acid in grape fruit and pineapple can damage your stomach lining. Some of these foods can put excessive burden on the liver and cause diarrhoea. They should be incorporated into your diet with other proteins, starches, and vegetables. To create a healthy natural diet.

Here is your list of foods that can be incorporated in your daily meals: Apples | Asparagus | Beets - better when grated | Blueberries | Broccoli | Cantaloupes | Carrot - better when grated | Cauliflower | Celery stalk | Celery root | Cranberries | Cucumbers | Eggplant | Endives | Garden cress | Garlic | Grapefruit | Green beans | Green cabbage | Lamb's lettuce | Lemons | Lettuce | Onions | Papayas | Pineapples | Prunes | Radishes | Raspberries | Spinach | Strawberries | Tangerines | Tomatoes | Turnips | Zucchini, and more!

Please use this list of negative calorie foods wisely. I can't stress this enough. Do not over eat one food, chew your food slowly for more satisfaction. You will also lose more calories that way - especially, if you eat some of them in their raw state. Use them in salads, soups, smoothies, and hearty side dishes. The possibilities are endless. Have fun! Good luck!

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-