Healthy Life

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Archive for the ‘Diet / Nutrition’ Category

Foods which promote healthy hair

Posted by HealthyALife on Mar-24-2008

Having a well balanced diet is an essential ingredient for a healthy and fit body. Similarly our hair also needs to be fed the correct mixture of carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, iron and proteins to stay strong and healthy.

Hair needs protein; this is the foundation stone for good hair growth, getting enough protein for your hair is very important. Next your hair needs carbohydrates (complex) which help build the proteins and stimulate hair growth. Vitamins and minerals come next; B12, zinc, folic acid. These not only help build strong hair but also improve the health of your skin.

The daily balance of protein is important, after a nights rest we are low on proteins and so we need a protein high meal at the beginning of the day. Below are some possible foods which will give your hair the right nourishment for healthy growth.

Assuming your cholesterol levels are low you could eat red meat two times a week. Red meat has the protein your hair needs and also lots of B vitamins, zinc and iron, all important ingredients for maintaining healthy hair. Bacon, although high in calories, is also a good source of protein, zinc, iron and B vitamins. Eggs, including egg whites, are a good source of proteins and are ideal for vegetarians or anyone whose diet cannot include red meats. Fish, such as salmon, is a very good option as it can be eaten at breakfast, lunchtime or at dinnertime. Salmon is rich in vitamins, B12 included, protein and minerals.

Make sure you include complex carbohydrates in your diet as these supply energy for a longer time period that other carbohydrates, a bit like a slow release capsule they will even out the peaks of your food intake. Other foods to consider are short grain brown rice and whole grains; these help structure the proteins so your hair can use them for the most effective health and growth.

You can find information on hair loss here.

Popularity: 92%

Kids can love fruit and vegetables too

Posted by HealthyALife on Mar-20-2008

As a parent you naturally want the best for your kids. You want them to be healthy, grow normally and have plenty of energy. Then why is it that large numbers of parents, especially in the USA, are feeding junk food to their kids, often from a very early age? Even the majority of restaurants serve French Fries (chips in the UK) as a side order, why not serve raw or freshly cooked vegetables instead? The sad fact is that a lot of kids are growing up obese and the society they live in is encouraging it.

How can you help your kids eat correctly? The answer is easy; give them plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. The hard part of course is to get them to eat the fruit and vegetables so it is your job to make it fun and taste delicious. In the morning you could prepare a plate of mixed fruits such as oranges, strawberries, bananas, pineapples, place it in the middle of the breakfast table and watch them tuck in. Arrange the fruit into fun arrangements such as faces, houses, cars or even cut the fruit pieces into fun shapes. Put away those bottles of coke and give glasses of water or 100% fruit juice. Buy a smoothie maker and experiment with different fruit combinations to find what your kids love best, get them to make their own smoothies, kids love experimenting (but not the cleaning afterwards!). When they are hungry don’t hand out a sugary or processed snack but give them a carrot, some cucumber or celery instead. Get them used to eating fruit and vegetables, try new fruits and vegetables as they come in and out of season. Eat healthily yourself, there is nothing better than leading by example and your kids will copy you.

If you like eating puddings you could serve fruit salads (without adding sugar), smoothies or fruit sorbets. If you have to serve a cake or pie make sure it is homemade. This way you will avoid preservatives, flavorings and colorings that most shop bought desserts have.

Let your kids see you eating a healthy diet, balance your menu and cut out the junk. Make sweets a treat so your kids will appreciate them, not simply expect them. Help them learn to love eating fruit and vegetables and watch them grow into fit and healthy adults. They will thank you for it.

Popularity: 95%

The Health Benefits of Vitamin C: The Vitamin Captain

Posted by HealthyALife on Mar-13-2008

The popularity of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) as the “cure-all” vitamin cannot be denied. The health benefits of vitamin C in our body ranges from the simplest: curing colds to the most critical: treating cancer. What are the other health benefits of vitamin C in our body? How can vitamin C protect our health from all the hazards in our environment?

Vitamin Charming
Vitamin C assists in the collagen repair and formation of our body. If you want to defy the ageing process by the natural way, adding vitamin C rich foods in your menu would be the best thing to do. It also helps you keep fit and in shape by its ability to convert fat into energy.

Vitamin Clever
Memory lapses can be a symptom that your body does not have enough Vitamin C. Vitamin C plays an important role in the synthesis of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter crucial to the function of the nervous system especially our brain.

Vitamin Cardio
According to studies a healthy level of Vitamin C is involved in the metabolism of cholesterol. This helps in preventing heart diseases like hypertension, heart attack and stroke. Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen that forms our blood vessels as well. These are only a few in the long list of the health benefits of Vitamin C in our body. This Vitamin Captain is surely to surprise health experts as to what it can do. If you want to stay healthy, beautiful and fit, Vitamin C must be a top priority in your daily diet.

Popularity: 100%