Importance Of Honey For A Healthy Lifestyle and Healthy Eating

Honey dates back to more than million years and is considered to be the best home remedy now even. It has some of the most effective health benefits if taken on a regular basis and proves good for us even in the modern age.

- Honey as an Immunity System Builder: Amongst its various health benefits, this is one of the most impressive. It contains anti-bacterial properties and antioxidant which helps improve the digestive system and even fights diseases. Consuming honey with juice or hot water before breakfast proves beneficial for health.

- As an Energy Booster: It is rich in carbohydrates, providing strength and energy to the body. It is also effective in boosting up the energy and endurance instantly and even helps the athletes to reduce muscle fatigue. The fructose and glucose present in it prevent fatigue during exercise. Honey is also known to keep the blood pressure levels constant as compared to sugar.

  1. A teaspoon of honey taken before workout increases your strength to go an extra mile.

  2. Honey is also effective at the time of feeling lethargic or low. Honey spread over a toast helps you feel refreshing in the morning.

  3. You can also add it with sandwiches for your kids to sustain their energy throughout the day. It will benefit them to cope up with their physical strain.

- Remedies for Ailments:

 1. For hangovers: Honey fights the effects of alcohol as it contains fructose, thus speeding up the oxidation of alcohol. It acts as a sobering agent for the liver. The recipe goes like this: blend 80ml orange juice, 15ml honey and 70ml of yoghurt to form a smooth solution to reduce the hangover of alcohol.

  2. Cuts and Burns: The antiseptic properties of honey constrain certain bacteria growth and keep the wound infection free. Since it has the property of absorbing moisture and healing faster, it is used for dressing and first aid treatment for cuts, burns and wounds. It even helps in preventing infections due to its antibacterial properties and is also used as an anti-inflammatory agent reducing pain, swelling and scarring as well.

  3. Sleeplessness: A teaspoon of honey mixed with hot milk or 1 or 2 teaspoons of honey with chamomile tea helps calm the soul and induces sleep.

  4. Cures Sore Throat: The antimicrobial properties of honey helps treat sore throat and soothes it. It even kills some of the infection causing bacteria as well. The direction follows: gargle with four tablespoon of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and two tablespoons of honey helps soothe the throat inflammation.

Honey has always been a very important part of our life since a long time.  The properties it possesses have proven beneficial to mankind in several ways in having a healthy lifestyle. It has been an artificial sweetener for a long time, replacing sugar and helping in maintaining healthy eating habits.

Understand The Need For Diet Well Before You Plan A Weight Loss Diet

Many of us plan a weight loss diet in order to get slimmer in lesser time and restrict ourselves from eating a lot many things. This tempts us all the more towards the restricted food, making our diet boring and uninteresting. Therefore, the best way to lose weight is to have a healthy and balanced diet which not just includes the essential supplement for the body, but also some of your favorite foods. Such a diet would help you to sustain a good stamina, yet giving you the expected results.

The most significant part in your weight loss is to recognize and plan a correct diet. Many of us would like to rely on a fruit diet for an efficient blood circulation by clearing the blood vessels and to drive out toxins brought by the intake of fat. Some may even prefer Mediterranean diet as it includes vegetables, grains, fruits, fish and poultry, some red wine, olive oil and meat. There are even many exercise and nutrition programs available to help guide you through the weight loss goals.

 Plan your diet in a way which motivates you every day in some or the other manner towards successful completion of your goal. Try not to keep any loopholes which could distract you away from it. A key to successful weight loss is sustainability. Make your dietary plan to be followed for a lifetime and not just for a specific period. Here are some ways to help you kick start the plan.

•  If you are in a habit of consuming milk daily, you could drink semi-skimmed or skimmed milk to check the intake of fats. You could even try low fat spread and swap the cream with low fat yoghurt.

• A healthy breakfast is yet another key to a healthy weight loss. It will provide you the energy to start the day more lively and with more enthusiasm. It will even prevent you from being overweight.

•  Have something healthy and light in between the meals at regular intervals of 2-3hours. This would help improve your metabolism and help it working right.

• Include whole grains food in your diet like brown rice, whole meal bread or pasta. It helps you feel fuller for a longer time as it is digested much slowly.

• Try to swap high calorie drinks with those of low calories. Cutting down on alcohol would also help you control weight, as alcohol is high in calories.

We generally tend to put on weight after some occasions or so, failing to follow our regular diet plan. Therefore, it is necessary to plan your diet in a manner which includes your favorites but in a limited manner. Planning the meal in the above mentioned way would also help you cut down on calories without keeping you starving and weak.

Effective and Potential Ways To A Healthy Weight Loss

Each one of us wants to be healthy and so many of us start with a weight loss plan every day. But, a very few are there who achieve success in following the same diet plan all through their lives. It takes a lot of commitment to maintain a healthy plan for weight loss. The basic key to do so is to have a satisfying relationship with your food. There is a simple equation of weight: the intake of amount of calories should not exceed the amount of calories burnt. If this equation is followed, there wouldn’t be any chances of unsuccessful diet plans.

Weight loss requires sustainability, i.e., a diet plan which lasts longer and gives you the expected results. It is possible only when it is paired well with your lifestyle strategies. The foods should include the ones which speedup the fat burning metabolism, leaving you contented.

- The most important part of your dietary plan is the breakfast. It should be taken daily and should contain of complex carbohydrates and proteins. A healthy breakfast could include an omelet, whole wheat toast, a bowl of oatmeal and some mixed berries. Low fat yoghurts, high finer low sugar breakfast bars or fresh fruits also provide a good meal. Avoiding junks, excess alcohol consumption, untimely dinners, late nights and bad sleeping patterns are some things to be avoided to make your weight loss plan work.

- Battle against the intake of sugar is yet another important factor to be followed. Sugar being highly addictive, is responsible for making people fat. Its consumption should be regulated so that you can avoid its side effects.

- Fruits and salads also form an indispensable part of the weight loss diet plan. Salads have high amount of proteins and when juiced up help fight building up of fats and even helps build up muscles. Intake of more proteins helps women to slim down easily. Fruits are a good source of fiber and help improve the metabolism.

- A significant aspect to be considered while planning for a weight loss meal is tantalizing of taste buds. It is important as weight loss is not a short term plan. Therefore, your taste and flavor should be satisfied keeping the cholesterol level in check.

These are some tips for a healthy weight loss which may prove helpful for you while planning your meal. It is essential to make a plan which could be easy and interesting to follow for a life time.

Encourage Healthy Eating Habits For The Well Being Of Your Family

Being a parent, good health of kids is always of utmost importance. We therefore try to teach them healthy eating habits from a very initial stage. The children who inculcate these habits have great chances of making a healthy life all through their journey, as compared to those who do not bother so much about healthy eating. It is important for us to teach our children the importance of good and healthy food so that they can make it a part of their routine even as adults. Here are some ways in which you can encourage healthy eating in your family.

- Whole Grains: These are good in their nutritional value and therefore, try to include them in your diet. Many families are nowadays moving towards whole grains as they are healthy and good for the body. It may be possible that the kids may not like its taste and texture, and may refuse eating it. But you don’t need to worry. There are breads available in the market which are made up of finely ground grains and also taste like soft white bread. You can go for these breads as they neither look like, nor taste like whole grains.

- Vegetables: Most of the children don’t like eating vegetables at all which could worry you about their nutrition. Try to serve them vegetables in their meals, but don’t pressurize them to eat it. You can also try to make some interesting recipes or even make puree of it and add it in some of your recipes. This would at least let the essential nutrients get into their bellies. You can also make them understand the importance and need of it for good health.

- Low Fat: Prefer foods with low fat and try to limit the consumption of fast food. Children often like to consume sugary drinks which are not good for health. Avoid unhealthy food, but don’t try to limit it off completely. This would tempt the children towards it and they would want to have more of it. Let them taste all kinds of food, but be sure that they consume healthy food more than the others. Give them a treat once a week or so that would surprise them and would also act as a change of taste in their meals.

This way you can encourage healthy eating habits in your family without restricting your kids too much. Children often learn from the eating cultures in their family. Therefore, these ways would help you to develop a healthy eating culture and give your kids a healthy living as well.

Importance Of Healthy Eating Habits For Women At The Age Of 40

Health is a matter of importance for everyone, especially for women towards the age of 40. There are certain key nutrients whose levels should be maintained and which could prove beneficial in preventing many diseases. Women’s bodies undergo many changes as they cross their 40. They may be due to hormones or else. These changes make them more prone to strokes and heart problems.

Apart from the hormonal changes, the levels of essential nutrients also suffer a drop down. This may further lead to malfunctioning of different body organs and may even lead to various diseases. Some important nutrients which may need to be balanced are stated here.

- Calcium: many TV advertisements have already brought awareness of it and many health drinks and shakes are available in the market. With the onset of menopause, the ability of the body to build bones starts decreasing. Therefore, just a glass of milk everyday would not fulfill the essentials of the body. And so, approximate 600 mg of calcium twice a day is recommended at this age. Foods like broccoli, tofu, cabbage and milk products are a rich source of calcium.

- Vitamin D: women at the age of 40’s do not have adequate vitamin D and get prone to bone related disorders like brittle bones, osteoporosis and like. Therefore, it is recommended to replenish it by either getting out in the sun or consuming foods such as soy products, fish, mushrooms and cod liver oil which are fortified with vitamin D.

- Vitamin B12: decrease in the levels of B12 may lead to poor memory, anemia, fatigue, depression, dementia and other disorders. Foods like milk, poultry, eggs and fish would help to supplement the daily requirement of it.

- Folic acid: lack of folate may lead to serious health issues like high blood pressure, weight loss, anemia and heart diseases. A daily dosage of 400 mg is recommended to keep you healthy. Rich sources of folic acid include citrus fruits, olive oil, green leafy vegetables and nuts.

- Omega-3 fatty acids: it can prove as a life saver from heart disease at an older age. According to a research, it is helpful in increasing levels of good cholesterol and decreases bad cholesterol, thereby proving beneficial heart health. Foods like walnuts, flax seeds and spices contain good amount of Omega-3 fatty acids and should be consumed for a balanced diet.

These are the important nutrients which should be consumed regularly to avoid or at least reduce health related risks. These form some of the healthy eating habits for women at the age of 40, which help them to stay fit and strong for a longer time.

Follow Proper Eating Habits To Stay Healthy And Fit

Healthy eating is the most important part of our life. In order to stay fit in the long run, consuming healthy food on a daily basis is a must. There are numerous benefits of following a nutritional diet regularly. Some of them are:

- The greatest advantage of having healthy and balanced eating habits is that it helps control weight gain. Consuming lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is very helpful in losing weight, without leaving you weak and fatigue.

- It also helps improves the energy levels in your body and lets you stay strong and renewed all through the day. Apart from this, it protects the condition of your heart helping it to function properly and making it strong to fight all forms of heart diseases.

- Consumption of quality food reduces the risk of diseases, thereby improving the immune system and increasing the resistance of the body. Apart from this, it helps reduce the chances of diabetes, cancer, stroke, etc. and even prevent lung disease, kidney infections and like.

- Healthy meals even improve the working of the brain and keep it active, helping you to take correct decisions. It also keeps the nervous system in a good condition. Apart from health, it keeps your skin looking healthy and beautiful.

For a healthy weight loss plan, sustainability is of utmost importance. But, it depends on every individual as to how you can keep a measure on it, so that you can decide upon your healthy eating habits. Here are some essential tips you would need to think upon.

1. The first thing you need to know is reason behind it. Is there any specific reason like some allergy or chronic illness which you want to get rid of or is simply for the purpose of weight loss.

2. Make sure that the dietary plan you make is motivational and not boring. It should always keep you motivated to follow it for a long period of time. Try to keep it a bit flexible so that you can enjoy different tastes on every occasion.

3. Your diet plan should not keep you starving or leave you weak by the end of the day. Make the plan balanced and include all the essential nutritional elements which the body requires. Also, it shouldn’t be too complex to prepare, as it would not be possible for you to spend so much time on it in your busy schedule.

4. Be sure that the meal or plan you are following is efficient and appropriate, helps to reach your desired goal. Or else it would go waste and your investments wouldn’t give you the expected returns.

It is essential to inculcate healthy eating habits for a healthy life. But, it is equally important to know the importance of the diet which you follow. Every individual’s body needs are different and therefore, the eating habits and dietary plans should be made accordingly. By keeping in mind these tips, you would surely get a guideline that would help you stay fit and keep your body in the right shape in the long run.

Know Your Vegetarian Diet Well For A Healthy Weight Loss

It’s true that your body gives you what you put into it. It means that if you are a consumer of unhealthy foods like junk food, food containing fats, have a habit of drinking and smoking and follow unhealthy habits like inadequate sleep and stressing yourself beyond limits, then your experience with health would definitely not be good in the long run. Alternatively, if you have healthy eating habits from initial stage, your body would also respond in a healthy way.

Many people nowadays rely on vegetarian or semi vegan diet plans to lose weight and stay healthy, as it would help them shed extra calories quickly. This plan includes fresh fruits and green vegetables, nuts, grains, milk products, etc. However, changing the plan to a vegan diet is not easy. Your body may be used to chicken and meat and therefore, you may initially not be comfortable with it, as it would require changing some of your eating habits.

Following a vegan diet gives you numerous ways to choose from, as it gives you the flexibility to opt for dairy products and meat, as well. Here are the varieties of vegan diets which could be followed:

- Vegan diet: a diet which strictly restricts eating of meat but may include eggs and dairy products. The dietary vegans restrict from having animal products and strict vegans do not even use any animal made products such as accessories, makeup and apparels.

- Lacto vegetarian diet: these people consume only vegetable based products, but can also eat dairy products. However, this diet does not include eggs and meat.

- Lacto ovo vegetarian diet: these include eggs and dairy products, but restrict them to meat food products.

- Ovo vegetarians: this dietary plan does not include dairy products and even it does not include eggs in any ways.

- Flexitarians: this diet allows including white meat such as fish on some occasions. It also includes poultry products, as well as dairy products.

The biggest advantage that you come across is that you don’t quite have to compromise with your taste as it gives you the flexibility to make your meals interesting in many ways. Also it could prevent you from acquiring common illness as most of the ingredients of your diet are completely natural.

It contains fresh fruits and green veggies, in addition to low fat and calorie meals which help you to get a healthy and a balanced diet. Also, many vegetables and fruits possess anti-cancer properties that reduce the threat of malignant or benign cancer.

They even help to improve the immunity system and increase the antioxidant activities. The flavonoids contained in the veggies and fruits lower the risk of heart attacks, reduces plaque build-up in the arteries and carotid arteries to the brain. It reduces hypertension and also decreases the risk of atherosclerosis.

Some of the important things you need to know while following the vegan diet are stated here. It does not however discourage you from following it; instead help you to plan a balanced diet in a proper way. We all know that protein is an important part of our diet and is helpful in repairing tissues, protecting against infections and even in healing wounds. Therefore, make sure that your plan contains protein rich ingredients so that the need of the body is fulfilled.

Meat is a rich source of iron which is good for the immunity system. Therefore, inclusion of green leafy vegetables may help you to supplement the need of iron in your body. Apart from improving your immunity, it would even lower the risk of hemorrhage and reduce fatigue. Also, the plan should contain the right amount of calcium, as its deficiency may lead to hypertension and osteoporosis. Keeping in mind all these supplements, along with regular exercise would help you reduce extra calories and keep yourself fit and healthy in the long run.