The Avocado Store

avocado fat grams

Is this diet good or bad?

im 16, and i started it in April 26, i was at 238, and now (today) im at 220.
i think its working but i just want some opinions.
ok
so breakfast:
bowl of kashi cereal, fat free milk, and banana.
lunch: protein bar(20 grams)
workout for 1 hour on treadmill
after work out snack: whey protein shake(29 grams of protein)
dinner: 2 cups of spinach with half grilled, low salt chicken breast, and 1/4 slice of avocado.
and tons of water.
wow i thought u guys were gunna be like, "oh your starving yourself" lol and the truth im not even hungry at all.
oh btw i do switch the spinach for mixed peas,corn and carrots every 3 days or so, yup im sticking to this diet this time.
lol and btw i love spinach.
i probably eat more than two cups a day:D
idk why people hate spinach so much, i could eat it forver!!!!!!!

dang. im about to copy you. haha. i wanna loose some weight. cuz im like at 136, and i wanna get down to like 110 and im sixteen too. XD

but anyway, sounds like you're really loosing some major weight. which is good. at least ur not like starving yourself. well good luck. =]

Belly fat is not easy to get rid of. You need to put a lot of hard work to remove it. Thus, it usually take a while to see the results. No wonder people are so anxious with fad diets that promise them a flatter tummy in two weeks. But what do you really know about belly fat diet. I would address 3 areas which help you better understand about this diet. Carbohydrates, whole grains, and monosaturated are key areas which will be covered in this article. Hopefully by the end of it, you will have a better idea of how to use this diet more effectively to lose stomach fat.

Many assume that they should cut down their carbohydrate intake. But do you know that there are good and bad carbs? You should not eat refined flours and any food that is made of them. They are not healthy even though they can satisfy your hunger. Eating too much of these bad carbs can increase insulin response. This causes the fat more easily to be stored especially in the abdominal area. Instead you should replace them with good carbs such as fruits and vegetables. Not only they are healthier but they also provide roughage to keep your digestive in working order.

Too much carbohydrate also can boost the level of insulin which reduce your metabolic rate. In addition, your body is unable to digest high volume of carbohydrate at the same time as your body only requires a certain amount of energy. Thus, the carbohydrates which are not used will be converted to fat. The most likely place to store fat is your belly.

Whole grain diet has been shown to get rid of excess fat from the belly. It reduces the glucose and insulin response. This enables more efficient usage of blood glucose by the body. As the result, your blood sugar level drops and fat storage decreases. So, if you want to lose belly fat, then ensure that you consume more whole grains. With its rich content of fiber, you can manage your craving for food better.

Some claim that you can lose belly fat by consuming a rich monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) diet that provides 1,600 calorie. Foods that are abundant with MUFAs include avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, soybeans, chocolate, olive and canola oils. A plus point with this dieting is that you stand less chance of developing heart disease.

But fat is still fat. MUFAs contain two times more calories per gram than carbohydrates and proteins. More calories means you need more energy to burn those calories. So, you should eat foods that are rich with MUFAs moderately to avoid any extra fat to be accumulated on your tummy.

Understanding these factors which constitute a part of belly fat diet is important as you plan your meal each day. Knowing what to eat and what not can make a big difference in your effort to lose abdominal fat. However, if dieting cannot help, then your belly fat could be the resulting effect of stress.

About the Author:

If stress is causing belly fat, then you need to control cortisol. Find out how Relacore can assist you to lose belly fat by reducing your stress. For more information, check out
Relacore reviews at http://www.physicalhealthguide.com/relacore-reviews.php

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Belly Fat Diet - What Should You Eat

avocado artichoke dip

Serve more fruits and vegetables:    
Foods that come from plants, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, are the only sources of dietary fiber. Experts recommend aiming for at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. All produce isn't equally rich in fiber, though. Some of the standouts are artichokes, avocados, dried fruits, okra (not exactly a favorite of most kids), baked potatoes with the skin, pears, and carrots. Concentrate on the ones your child likes.

Avoid peeling produce:  
The skin and membranes of apples, pears, potatoes, and many other fruits and veggies are where most of the fiber is, so resist your child's entreaties to peel things - unless he really won't eat them otherwise. Just be sure to rinse produce thoroughly before serving. If you're concerned about pesticide residue and can afford organic produce, for more detail www.baby-care-book.com that's a fine option (but you should still rinse it well, as many people may have touched it since it left the tree or bush, and it may not be totally pesticide-free).

Serve vegetables raw or lightly cooked:
Many kids prefer veggies when they're crunchy. Serve your child's favorites - carrots, celery, cauliflower, and broccoli - alongside salsa or low-fat salad dressing for dipping. When cooking veggies, it's best to microwave them in a small amount of water or steam them briefly so they retain most of their nutrients. Nevertheless, if your child will eat his broccoli only if it's mushy, then you know what to do: Make it mushy. He may gradually accept lesser degrees of mush.

Choose whole grain cereals and breads:  
Whole grains contain significantly more fiber than do processed grains. They're also good sources of vitamin E, B vitamins including folic acid, and other important nutrients. One of the most quick and healthful breakfasts you can fix for your child is whole grain cereal with reduced-fat milk; read labels to find a brand that delivers at least 5 grams of fiber per serving and isn't loaded with sugar. For even more fiber, vitamins, and minerals, top it off with raisins or sliced strawberries. Furthermore, a stamp reading "wheat bread" doesn't mean whole wheat and even a loaf labeled "whole wheat" may mix in more refined flour than you want. It's wise, therefore, to read the fine print, seeing whether ingredients high in the list include whole wheat flour, dark rye flour, rolled oats, oat bran, or wheat germ.

Add beans to the menu:
Beans and lentils are terrific sources of fiber (not to mention protein, B vitamins, iron, and other crucial nutrients). Even a quarter cup of kidney beans, for instance, provides a hefty dose of fiber. Dried lentils cook up quickly, but dried beans usually require soaking followed by an hour or so of simmering. If you're too busy for that, just buy canned beans, opting for low-sodium versions when available or else emptying the can into a strainer and rinsing the beans off. Try black bean chili or three-bean salad. Slip beans into your Tuesday-night casserole and Wednesday-night stew. Nutty-tasting garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) make a pretty good substitute for meat in pasta dishes.

About the Author:

www.babies-tips.com

www.create-super-baby.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Increasing the Amount of Fiber in Your Child's Diet!

Holiday appetizers are all about the different flavors that satisfy your taste buds. Whether it is Christmas evening or a huge party with your friends, a table with assorted appetizers along with a bowl of punch is indeed a great beginning. There are some specific appetizers are there for some occasions like; you can't have Labor Day party without chicken wings or Halloween without crawly cookies.

Let's look at some easy to make holiday appetizers for this holiday season. Mini quiches, are easy to make holiday appetizer. You can add any flavor from chopped olives to tiny shrimps. Filo onion rolls can be the other option where there can be a variation by making triangles instead of long roll. They have to be kept crisp and have to be baked them just before serving. Tapende, is a spread made with different type of chopped olive. Apple mint chutney, any kind of chutneys are great as spread for anything, you can make many different types of ingredients.

There are traditional holiday party appetizers like chips or sandwiches, which can also be a used as Holiday appetizers. Just with cheese balls, you can have many different appetizers like mini cheddar cheese balls, pineapple balls, salmon cheese balls, sausage cheese balls. You can have many different dip recipes like creamy shrimp dip, chili dip, artichoke cheese dip, crockpot spice chile cheese dip, avocado dip, lobster dip, clam sip, beef and bean dip and more such dip with anything you have with you at home. You can have many different salsa recipes.

If you don't want ordinary chips and dip then here are exclusive appetizers for your holiday party. Holiday goat cheese leaf, just make small loaf with goat cheese in plate, cover it with olives, sun dried tomatoes and peppers and spread some pita chips around goat's loaf. Or you can make Cranberry brie pizza, cranberry cream cheese roll ups or special holiday meatballs with various vegetables and meat. Then you can have spiced sausage lettuce wraps. Gingerbread caramel corn is also one very delicious recipe, in this flavor of gingerbread is combined with sweet and crunchy caramel corn.

If you want some show stopper appetizer for your holiday party, you can combine your cooking skills with creativity to produce creative holiday appetizers. You can make Christmas cheese trees with just combination of different cheese and some sauces like pesto sauce. You can make many different creative appetizers with combination of cheese like cheese pinecones or snowman cheese balls and many more. With olives you can make perky olive penguins. You can serve your smoked salmon with cucumber cups. Then you can have different tarts or you can create Santa with strawberries.

Holiday appetizers are usually very rich and heavy. If you want to have some low fat but tasty appetizers like; marmalade, apple butter on lo fat cracker with slices of gourmet cheese. Pears and low fat cheddar cheese is delicious but healthy option. If you chose lean varieties then ham and turkey are low fat meats. Different appetizers made up if Shrimps is also great low fat recipe option.

About the Author:

Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Appetizers for Years. For More Information on Holiday appetizers, Visit His Site at HOLIDAY APPETIZERSI Will Also Highly Appreciate Your Views On Holiday appetizers At My Blog here

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Some Easy to Make Holiday Appetizers for This Holiday Season

avocado with condensed milk

MAKE ACNE HEAL ACNE 101

The cause in adolescence is generally an increase in male sex hormones which people of both genders accumulate during puberty. Many teenagers get this type of acne. The term acne comes from a corruption of the Greek UeiB which is, acne in the sense of a skin eruption, in the writings of Aetius Amidenus. ACNE CAUSES Mosquito bites and symptoms? Well, there's quinine. It can cure your sickness, however, your skin's health is at risk. These are also act as stimulants for thyroid gland patients. They are not only used for epilepsy but also for some seizures. Drugs that you take cause acne.

THE BIOLOGY OF ACNE

These may not be the real cause of the clogging of the follicle, but it may add up to the follicle nuisance. A healthy and well-rested body builds a strong immune system. Are too stressed so much? Are you eating way too much unhealthy stuff? Or is it a mixture of so many detrimental factors? Beware. Again, dead skin cells will mix with this oil and clogs your pores, then traps bacteria inside. Are you worrying because your beauty secret might be the cause of your acne all along? It has been a long-debated topic between dermatologists and cosmetologists. It is, of course, important to know which areas you are exposing your skin to.

SOME COMMON MEDICATIONS

Foods with a sky-scraping amount of this vitamin include whole grains, fish, milk, eggs, meat and leafy green vegetables. Instead, go buy cosmetics labeled as "fragrance-free" or "hypo-allergenic" for safety purposes. To wrap up, just choose your cosmetics carefully. They are prone to milia- tiny white cysts under the eyes-if you use heavy eye creams and greasier facial moisturizers too much. This has been regarded as natural and healthy make-up ingredient for coloration. Care for your eyes too Eye skins around your eyes are delicate. Found in peanuts, eggs, avocados, liver and lean meats, it also condenses the cholesterol level in the blood.

If the product you have been actually trying creates unwanted reactions, suspend the use immediately. But it can help to agitate it. More than ever, think about it What are the common things which will make your acne disappear? Drink lots of water Prepare a sumptuous and healthy balanced diet to eat Well, what are the rules for keeping your skin's health despite a constant application of make-up? Well, here they are: Stay away from using penetrating oils.

HOW ABOUT POPPING?

Let it be, if it doesn't want to. Never, ever attempt to pop them. If it's ready, it will pop. ACNE MYTH It is not that "don't face the sun anymore. Shocked now and gaping? Well, get a load of these. In fact, frequent washing may irritate the pores more, and they will be more clogged. Otherwise, it might lead to a more serious skin disease like skin cancer. Truth: The dirt does not cause facial blemishes.

HOW TO FACE THE PROBLEM IF YOUR FACE IS THE PROBLEM FOR INSTANT ACNE REMEDY:

This program would take care of your body's hormonal level to prevent your acne. So what are you waiting for? Turn your nightmare into a wonderful dream. Who knows? Probably you can be next man or woman to set onstage and to be envied for, just like an ugly duckling who turned to a swan. It would keep your skin clean and healthy free from that sticky and oily feeling. This is almost as embarrassing to deal with as the actual acne itself. No more phobias.

About the Author:

Acne Treatments

Richard suffered with acne for most of his teen years and after weeks and weeks of research and testing discovered a powerful and painless solution which quickly cleared up his acneEliminate Painful Acne With Isolaz Painless Acne Therapy-Arlington, TX

http://tinyurl.com/y8mobrj

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Instant Acne Remedy

Diet For Hypothyroidism: Here are my top 4 steps:

Are you one of the 30 million people currently suffering with hypothyroidism? I'm sure you know that a diet for hpothyroidism will help you but what foods specifically do you need to eat?

In this article I will reveal 4 steps to a top hypothyroidism diet. Imagine for a moment how good you will feel once you've implemented these changes in diet. Your hair will no longer be brittle, the weight will drop off and your mood will lift.

So let's get going and put together your diet for hypothyroidism:

Diet for Hypothyroidism Step 1:

Some foods contain compounds that hinder the functioning of the thyroid gland. These are called goitrogens. I've listed below some of the foods I know contain these and it will help if you either cut them out or at least cut them down:

1)Cabbage
2) Broccoli
3) Turnips
4) Rutabaga
5) Kale
6) Spinach
7) Brussels sprouts
peaches
9) Pears
10) Strawberries
11) Radishes
12) Cauliflower
13) Millet
14) Peanuts

Diet for Hypothyroidism Step 2:
 
Bring in the good! Just like some foods will hinder your thyroid, some will also help it. Keep to foods that include tyrosine. I've listed them below:

1) Chicken Breast
2) Fish
3) Turkey
4) Low fat milk
5) Yogurt
6) Avocados
7) Lentils
Bananas
9) Pumpkin & Sesame seeds
10) Almonds

Your diet for hypothyroidism must include Iodine:

1) Sea kelp
2) Seaweed
3) Most Fresh fish
4) Fish oils
5) Iodized salt
6) Condensed milk
7) Trifle
Eggs

Diet for Hypothyroidism Step 3:

Juice up your metabolism. Your diet for hypothyroidism needs to help with this as the thyroid has caused it to slow. The easiest way to do this is to increase the amount of meals you eat per day. Aim for around 6 small, healthy meals and you'll turn your body into a fat stripping machine.

Diet for Hypothyroidism Step 4:
 
Fiber is essential in your diet for hypothyroidism as it keeps you regular and helps to alleviate constipation which is a very typical side effect of hypothyroidism. It has been proven time and time again to aid weight loss and is absolutely essential in your new diet for hypothyroidism.

Diet for Hypothyroidism Conclusion:

So that's it! Put these steps into action in your diet for hypothyroidism and you'll not only see weight loss but you'll be feeling better and looking better. Thanks for reading! Believe me, you CAN lose weight with the right diet for hypothyroidism.

About the Author:

If you want to lose weight, heal your hair, revive yor skin and boost your energy visit my blog on for the best diet for hypothyroidism advice.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Diet For Hypothyroidism: Top Hypothyroidism Foods Revealed!

avocado fertility

There are two main methods of enhancing the chances of conception: traditional and alternative. Let’s first talk about the traditional ways of doing so. One of the major issues in having problems with conceiving is, believe it or not – the stress. It is scientifically proven that stress can affect the hypothalamus - the gland that produces hormones that regulate the process of ovulation, leading to irregularity or even lack of it and respectively reduces the chance of a woman to get pregnant.

All this means reducing the stress will gradually improve the chances of conceiving. Also very important thing to know is when the body is at it’s most fertile state, meaning that this is the time when is more likely to conceive and this is the period prior to the ovulation. That means knowledge about the menstrual cycle and its monitoring is very important in the process. This is the so-called rhythm method, which involves simply monitoring the menstrual cycle and establishing the patterns of infertility and fertility in the process.

The positions during sex are something that may improve or reduce the chance of conceiving too, meaning they should not be underestimated. Usually the positions that allow deeper penetration are thought to be the ones improving that chance. It is also proven that some kinds of food can contribute to a greater chance of conception – the so-called “fertility boosting foods”.

The following foods are considered to fall in this group: whole grains, oily fish, full fat dairy, garlic, lean red meat, honey, spinach, oysters, chilies, avocado etc. Supplementing a balanced diet with the foods listed above will help to ensure that all the nutrients needed are in place and the reproductive system is in an optimum condition.

One of the alternative methods is the reflexology - therapy that uses a foot massage to help balance the body. It is believed that that by massaging the feet in certain places toxins can be removed from the body, the blood circulation can be improved and the endocrine system that regulates hormone production can be brought into balance, all of which helps to improve the fertility as well.

Another alternative method is the acupuncture, which is not particularly used to tackle infertility, but just like the above-mentioned method of reflexology – to help balance of the body and this way to improve the chances of conceiving.

Two other alternative methods are “lunar fertility enhancement” and “aromatherapy”. The first one resembles the menstrual cycle monitoring method and the second – based on the use of essential oils, highly concentrated liquids distilled from plants, to improve the physical and psychological health and well-being as a whole.

About the Author:

You can learn more TTC tips at: TTC Tips

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How to improve chances of getting pregnant

Using organic food remedies for beauty and health is definitely not a new concept. In fact, people have been relying on such before the coming of the Industrial Age.

Modernization may have brought us a lot of convenience, but there are now growing populations of people who are seeking to go back to their "organic roots" in the quest to find the perfect anti aging products.

Organic foods are quite beneficial on their own. These have undergone the least amount of processing and preservation. The "raw" materials and the products used to sustain them are all derived from nature.

This means that there are no synthetic chemicals, fertilizers or genetically modified enhancements to worry about.

So how exactly do you use organic foods as anti aging remedies? Here's how:

1. Try to find the viable fruits that have the highest amounts of Vitamin C or Vitamin E components that can help in anti-oxidation. And try to utilize these in more ways than one.

A wonderful example for this would be the innocuous avocado. Aside from containing high levels of Vitamin B, biotin and folic acid, one small avocado fruit contains about 58 grams of mono-saturated fats, 3 mg. of Vitamin E and 32 mg. of Vitamin C. It also contains 25 mg. of calcium.

All these are necessary in cell regeneration which can help speed up the rehabilitation of dry and damaged skin. The mono-saturated fats help promote skin elasticity, making it look more youthful in appearance.

You can incorporate a small amount of avocado with your meals: taking it as it, as a health drink or part of a dish. You can also create an avocado mask made of pureed avocado mixed with a dash of lime or a spoonful of honey.

This also works well with rolled oats. Other examples of such organic fruits that are rich in Vitamin C and E are: kiwifruit, mangoes, papayas, raspberries, strawberries, etc.

2. Try to favor more organic vegetables and fruits; and cook them with organic seasoning - at the least amount of cooking time as possible. There are three elements here:

One: you could incorporate these organic vegetables into your daily meal plans: blueberries, Brazil nuts, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, citrus fruits, cranberries, green tea, kale, prune, raisin, spinach and tomato.

These are the ones that have the best sources of Vitamin C and E which you could take as much as you want. Organic foods like almonds, olive oil, sesame oil and red wine also contain these essential vitamins, but should be taken in moderation.

Two: instead of favoring the already bottled marinades and sauces, you could try making your own using organic fruits, vegetable and seasoning (like sea salt, freshly grated pepper, freshly chopped tomatoes, etc.) You can gain the most benefit from going organic big time, as opposed to simply using one or two organic products.

Lastly: the cooking process can destroy many essential nutrients including the very fragile Vitamin C. So if you are indeed whipping up a dish, try to choose the ones that have the least amount of cooking time.

Grilling is always a great option especially for fish steaks - a dash of organic lime just before serving will add more levels of Vitamin C to your meal. If the dish needs a longer cooking time, you may want to reserve fresh, uncooked vegetables and fruits as a side salad to counter the loss of vitamins in the cooking process.

About the Author:

Are you interested in looking and feeling younger? If so then discover how Proxacine anti aging properties can benefit you.
http://www.1thinkhealthy.com/Proxacine.html

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Organic Food Remedies: Here a Quick Way to Get Back Your Youthful Glow

avocado storage temperature

If you are interested in health and diet, you have probably read all the research which points to the benefits of fresh, unprocessed foods. Eating healthier nearly always means opting for fresh fruits, whole grains and unprocessed meats and fish. Unfortunately, choosing foods without preservatives does have a down side - food spoils faster. That is no reason to go back to eating over-processed foods full of chemical preservatives, though. Long before our dependence on chemical preservatives, our mothers knew the secrets to keeping food fresh longer naturally. Here are some tips to help you keep fresh fruits, grains, vegetables, meat and fish fresh longer - the natural way.

General Tips

1. Keep your refrigerator at the right temperature. It should be kept between 38 and 40 F. to keep your foods as fresh as possible without freezing them.

2. Keep your eye on expiration dates when you shop.

3. Do not store highly perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer door. They are more prone to temperature fluctuation.

4. Moisture promotes rotting and mold. Wipe vegetables and fruits dry before storing and avoid storing in plastic bags.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits give off a gas called ethylene as they ripen. The ethylene sets off a chain reaction that causes the release of more ethylene, causing the food to ripen further. When fruits and vegetables are exposed to ethylene, they ripen faster. Some fruits and vegetables give off more ethylene than others - and some of them are more sensitive to ethylene than others.

1. Ethylene producers include apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes.

2. Fruits and vegetables that are sensitive to the effects of ethylene include: apples, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, lettuces and other greens, potatoes, summer squash, and watermelons.

3. To keep fresh fruits and vegetables fresh longer, do not store any of the former group n the same drawers as those in the latter group.

4. Store fruits and vegetables in the warmest part of your fridge to preserve flavor.

5. Remove produce from plastic bags before storing. The bags trap the ethylene close to the fruit so that it ripens faster.

6.Wash produce and then dry well before storing. Moisture speeds rotting.

Meats and Eggs

1. Keep fresh meats refrigerated between 38-40 F.

2. Keep meat in original wrapping in refrigerator if you will be using it within two days.

3. Wrap meat in foil or freezer paper before freezing.

4. Make sure that there is plenty of air circulation around meat products in your refrigerator.

5. Store eggs pointed side down.

6. Wrap smoked meats like ham or bacon in a vinegar-soaked cloth.

7. Cool cooked meats quickly and completely before placing them in refrigerator.

Bread and Cereal Products

1. Store fresh bread in a cool, dark, dry place like a cupboard or breadbox.

2. Close the waxed paper inner bag of breakfast cereals tightly to preserve freshness. Better yet, transfer the cereal into a zipper lock plastic bag and put it back in the box.

3. Freeze bread that will not be used within a week. If you freeze artisan breads pre-sliced, you can just take a slice when you need it.

4. Keep soft cookies soft by storing them in a cookie jar or airtight container with a slice of bread.

5. Cut slices from loaf cakes like banana bread and pound cake from the middle instead of the end. After slicing, push the two ends together to reform the 'loaf'. You don't leave a cut end to get stale that way.

6. To keep cake moist, store it with half an apple in the container.

Dairy Products and Cheese

1. Store milk in its original container.

2. Do not store milk in the door where temperature is warmer.

3. Put milk back in refrigerator immediately after using.

4. Wrap cheese in waxed paper or plastic, then store in deli drawer.

5. Do not store ice cream in the freezer door. Keep it in the main part of the freezer.

6. Place a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before storing. It will keep fresh longer.

Miscellaneous

1. Store coffee in an airtight, opaque container to preserver flavor and freshness.

2. Buy coffee in whole bean form and grind enough for one pot at a time.

3. If you buy more coffee than you can use in 3-4 days, store in an airtight container in the freezer/

4. Store avocadoes unbagged in the refrigerator.

5. Store bananas on the counter, unbagged.

6. Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) should be stored in their plastic container or a resealable plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator.

7. Wrap lettuce in damp paper towels and store in a plastic bag.

About the Author:

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics and products concerning food storage such as Green Bags.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Natural Ways to Keep Food Fresh Longer

If you are interested in health and diet, you have probably read all the research which points to the benefits of fresh, unprocessed foods. Eating healthier nearly always means opting for fresh fruits, whole grains and unprocessed meats and fish. Unfortunately, choosing foods without preservatives does have a down side - food spoils faster. That is no reason to go back to eating over-processed foods full of chemical preservatives, though. Long before our dependence on chemical preservatives, our mothers knew the secrets to keeping food fresh longer naturally. Here are some tips to help you keep fresh fruits, grains, vegetables, meat and fish fresh longer - the natural way.

General Tips

1. Keep your refrigerator at the right temperature. It should be kept between 38 and 40 F. to keep your foods as fresh as possible without freezing them.

2. Keep your eye on expiration dates when you shop.

3. Do not store highly perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer door. They are more prone to temperature fluctuation.

4. Moisture promotes rotting and mold. Wipe vegetables and fruits dry before storing and avoid storing in plastic bags.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits give off a gas called ethylene as they ripen. The ethylene sets off a chain reaction that causes the release of more ethylene, causing the food to ripen further. When fruits and vegetables are exposed to ethylene, they ripen faster. Some fruits and vegetables give off more ethylene than others - and some of them are more sensitive to ethylene than others.

1. Ethylene producers include apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes.

2. Fruits and vegetables that are sensitive to the effects of ethylene include: apples, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, lettuces and other greens, potatoes, summer squash, and watermelons.

3. To keep fresh fruits and vegetables fresh longer, do not store any of the former group n the same drawers as those in the latter group.

4. Store fruits and vegetables in the warmest part of your fridge to preserve flavor.

5. Remove produce from plastic bags before storing. The bags trap the ethylene close to the fruit so that it ripens faster.

6.Wash produce and then dry well before storing. Moisture speeds rotting.

Meats and Eggs

1. Keep fresh meats refrigerated between 38-40 F.

2. Keep meat in original wrapping in refrigerator if you will be using it within two days.

3. Wrap meat in foil or freezer paper before freezing.

4. Make sure that there is plenty of air circulation around meat products in your refrigerator.

5. Store eggs pointed side down.

6. Wrap smoked meats like ham or bacon in a vinegar-soaked cloth.

7. Cool cooked meats quickly and completely before placing them in refrigerator.

Bread and Cereal Products

1. Store fresh bread in a cool, dark, dry place like a cupboard or breadbox.

2. Close the waxed paper inner bag of breakfast cereals tightly to preserve freshness. Better yet, transfer the cereal into a zipper lock plastic bag and put it back in the box.

3. Freeze bread that will not be used within a week. If you freeze artisan breads pre-sliced, you can just take a slice when you need it.

4. Keep soft cookies soft by storing them in a cookie jar or airtight container with a slice of bread.

5. Cut slices from loaf cakes like banana bread and pound cake from the middle instead of the end. After slicing, push the two ends together to reform the 'loaf'. You don't leave a cut end to get stale that way.

6. To keep cake moist, store it with half an apple in the container.

Dairy Products and Cheese

1. Store milk in its original container.

2. Do not store milk in the door where temperature is warmer.

3. Put milk back in refrigerator immediately after using.

4. Wrap cheese in waxed paper or plastic, then store in deli drawer.

5. Do not store ice cream in the freezer door. Keep it in the main part of the freezer.

6. Place a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before storing. It will keep fresh longer.

Miscellaneous

1. Store coffee in an airtight, opaque container to preserver flavor and freshness.

2. Buy coffee in whole bean form and grind enough for one pot at a time.

3. If you buy more coffee than you can use in 3-4 days, store in an airtight container in the freezer/

4. Store avocadoes unbagged in the refrigerator.

5. Store bananas on the counter, unbagged.

6. Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) should be stored in their plastic container or a resealable plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator.

7. Wrap lettuce in damp paper towels and store in a plastic bag.

About the Author:

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics and products concerning food storage such as Green Bags.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Natural Ways to Keep Food Fresh Longer

making avocado baby food

Is it safe to feed a baby avocados?

I want to make some baby food and I heard that avocados are real rich in nutrients, but are they safe?
she's almost 7 months old =)

Yes absolutely! As long as your baby is 6 months or older, avacado can be a part of his/her diet. It is high in healthy fats and protein that babies need for their brain development

Few people eating their morning oatmeal or digging into their lunchtime sandwich give a thought to the vitamins and minerals they’re about to absorb. But every food we eat contains some of these essential elements so vital to sustaining our health and life. During pregnancy, their mission becomes even more important, as they fuel the needs of two bodies.

Expectant mothers need to take in more of these vitamins and minerals than ever before. Although prenatal vitamins can be a good source, expectant mothers can benefit even more from the foods they choose. Pregnancy food refers to those foods which contain the vitamins and minerals an expectant mother will have most need of during her pregnancy.

Here you will find a short list of vitamins and minerals most commonly in demand during pregnancy, and the foods you will find them in. True pregnancy food;

Vitamin A

Broccoli, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, oatmeal and whole grains, cantaloupe, apricots, and dairy products are high in vitamin A. Truly deserving to be called pregnancy food. Unlike supplements, you can’t get too much vitamin A from your diet.

B Vitamins

Meat and dairy are good sources of a wide variety of B vitamins. Vegetarian sources include oatmeal and whole grains, beans, peas, nuts, brown rice, potatoes and tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus, leafy green vegetables. Also, most fruits are included. And avocados, bananas, oranges and grapefruits are a good source of folic acid as well. Good pregnancy food, all of them.

Vitamin C and E

While the importance of vitamin C and E can not be overstressed, nature is efficient, and you will generally get what you need from those groups listed above. Don’t count out nuts and seeds as a good pregnancy food; they are an excellent source of vitamin E and essential fats.

Vitamin D

Get some sun. You may not particularly feel like it at this time but try to get a little sun each day, weather permitting. Your body will take care of the rest. You can also find D in fortified skim milk, egg yolks, and sardines. More about fish as pregnancy food, in a minute.

Calcium

Almonds, dried figs, broccoli, sardines and canned salmon with the bones are good sources of calcium.

Iron and Zinc

Eating dark meat turkey or beef can be a good source of both iron and zinc. Oatmeal contains both as well.

Fish as Pregnancy Food - The Good and the Bad

Eating fish, particularly oil rich varieties such as salmon, trout, and sardines is good for you, especially during pregnancy. The oils in fatty fish contain particular omega3 fatty acids not found naturally in other foods that are essential pregnancy food for the healthy development of brain, retina, and nervous tissue of your child.

Omega3’s must be obtained from foods because the body cannot make them from other fats.

Although fish is a pregnancy food must, it may contain contaminants such as mercury, among others, that are harmful to your developing baby. The thing to know here is that the larger varieties of fish are the ones carrying the highest contents of mercury. If you stick to salmon, farmed trout, herring and sardines, you are generally safe although you want to eat these in moderation. Twice, maybe three times a week at most. You may also enjoy shellfish if you desire. They are known to be low in contaminants, but they offer less omega3 as well.

Remember to eat small and often, this will keep your blood sugar levels steady. If you need to cheat on your diet to stay sane, try to keep it down to one day out of the week. Stick to the right pregnancy food and receive a healthy, happy child. And don’t forget, it will make it that much easier to get back into shape after delivery.

About the Author:

Copyright 2008 John Franco. John Franco has been directly involved in the Health and Fitness Industry for close to thirty years. To learn more about pregnancy food and take the mystery out of how you should be eating to permanently strip fat, increase energy and maintain good health, visit http://www.fatfreemommy.com and claim your Free Guide, "Learn The Secrets That Weight Loss Companies Don't Want You To Know."

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Pregnancy Food – Foods an Expectant Mother Should be Concentrating on

eat a whole avocado

Is it unhealthy to eat a whole avocado in one go?

Is that a lot of fat?

avocados are fattening, HOWEVER, they are high in the good kind of fat--monounsaturated. It will burn off easily. so don't worry.

Just face this simple fact: nutrition is what gets you the best body. You could do everything perfectly in the gym like lift weights three times per week, do the right amount of sets and reps and spend your 45 minutes in the gym each session while getting enough rest every night. But if you do everything else perfectly and neglect what you're eating everyday for the next 6 months to a year, you will see minimal results (especially if you are an ectomorph skinny guy) and just be wasting your time.

This article will let you know exactly what foods you should be eating so you can naturally build muscle as fast as possible.

The basic premise of a bulking diet for us skinny guys is to eat 6 meals per day, every 2.5 - 3 hours consisting of:

1. Protein
   • Chicken breast
   • turkey breast
   • chunk light tuna (less mercury than albacore)
   • salmon
   • egg whites
   • whey (usually received with supplements like OnWhey Protein powder)
   • lean beef (round cuts are the leanest)
   • cottage cheese
2. Carbohydrates - Unrefined/non-processed
   • oats/oatmeal
   • whole grains (breads, cereals, brown rice)
   • wraps (the low carb variety are normally very high in protein and fiber)
   • sweet potatoes
   • beans
   • fruit (whole are better than dried or juice)
   • fibrous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and spinach
3. Fats - the good kind
   • peanut butter
   • nuts (almonds)
   • flax
   • fish oil
   • olive oil
   • dressings (without added sugar or hydrogenated oil)
   • avocado
   • products with omegas

A sample meal might be a chicken breast, 1 cup of cooked brown rice, and a good portion size of vegetables. When you wake up, you could eat a bagel with peanut butter, milk, and an apple.

So there you have it, those are the staples that your muscle gaining/bulking diet should consists of. Chicken and rice should be a constant. I prepare my chicken for a week or so at a time on the George Foreman grill and get microwavable brown rice that is easy to make. Then heat that up for lunch and I'm good to go. You get great protein and carbs in that kind of meal.

I realize this list does not contain the most appetizing of food choices, but building the body you desire and that others admire is much more important than satisfying your taste buds and cravings. A saying I love is you should eat for fuel, not for taste. After a while, you get used to it and it's much better seeing muscle being built where there was once skin and bones. So suck it up, don't complain and be a man and eat this food!

Another aspect I should mention is that of water intake. You need to be getting about a gallon of water everyday if you're around 200 lbs. Keep drinking water until your urine is clear. Yes, it's annoying to keep having to go to the bathroom, but you gotta do what it takes and drinking that much water keeps you regular and helps carry all those nutrients you'll be taking in to your muscles. Drinking water heavily is important, so it's best to cut out coffee, tea, juices and cokes. I drink water and skim milk for about 95% of my liquids. It's ok to cheat every once in a while too on liquid and food, just don't get carried away.

Always stick to your diet and keep drinking that water and remember, nothing tastes as good as looking your best feels.

If you're looking for a run down of the top bodybuilding and bulking plans, check out the muscle building reviews at SkinnyToBig.com.

About the Author:

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Eating For Fuel - Your Diet to Building Muscle

make avocados ripen faster

How do i make avocados ripen faster?

Put them in a bag with apples.
Apples emit a lot more ethylene gas than other fruits, which hastens the ripening. It is helpful to do this in a warm area as well, like above the fridge or on the counter next to the cooking area.
A good way to check for ripeness, without squeezing and bruising the avocado, is to push on the stem. It will not push in until the avocado is ripe and the flesh soft enough. The stem is really a ripeness button!

If you are interested in health and diet, you have probably read all the research which points to the benefits of fresh, unprocessed foods. Eating healthier nearly always means opting for fresh fruits, whole grains and unprocessed meats and fish. Unfortunately, choosing foods without preservatives does have a down side - food spoils faster. That is no reason to go back to eating over-processed foods full of chemical preservatives, though. Long before our dependence on chemical preservatives, our mothers knew the secrets to keeping food fresh longer naturally. Here are some tips to help you keep fresh fruits, grains, vegetables, meat and fish fresh longer - the natural way.

General Tips

1. Keep your refrigerator at the right temperature. It should be kept between 38 and 40 F. to keep your foods as fresh as possible without freezing them.

2. Keep your eye on expiration dates when you shop.

3. Do not store highly perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer door. They are more prone to temperature fluctuation.

4. Moisture promotes rotting and mold. Wipe vegetables and fruits dry before storing and avoid storing in plastic bags.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits give off a gas called ethylene as they ripen. The ethylene sets off a chain reaction that causes the release of more ethylene, causing the food to ripen further. When fruits and vegetables are exposed to ethylene, they ripen faster. Some fruits and vegetables give off more ethylene than others - and some of them are more sensitive to ethylene than others.

1. Ethylene producers include apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes.

2. Fruits and vegetables that are sensitive to the effects of ethylene include: apples, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, lettuces and other greens, potatoes, summer squash, and watermelons.

3. To keep fresh fruits and vegetables fresh longer, do not store any of the former group n the same drawers as those in the latter group.

4. Store fruits and vegetables in the warmest part of your fridge to preserve flavor.

5. Remove produce from plastic bags before storing. The bags trap the ethylene close to the fruit so that it ripens faster.

6.Wash produce and then dry well before storing. Moisture speeds rotting.

Meats and Eggs

1. Keep fresh meats refrigerated between 38-40 F.

2. Keep meat in original wrapping in refrigerator if you will be using it within two days.

3. Wrap meat in foil or freezer paper before freezing.

4. Make sure that there is plenty of air circulation around meat products in your refrigerator.

5. Store eggs pointed side down.

6. Wrap smoked meats like ham or bacon in a vinegar-soaked cloth.

7. Cool cooked meats quickly and completely before placing them in refrigerator.

Bread and Cereal Products

1. Store fresh bread in a cool, dark, dry place like a cupboard or breadbox.

2. Close the waxed paper inner bag of breakfast cereals tightly to preserve freshness. Better yet, transfer the cereal into a zipper lock plastic bag and put it back in the box.

3. Freeze bread that will not be used within a week. If you freeze artisan breads pre-sliced, you can just take a slice when you need it.

4. Keep soft cookies soft by storing them in a cookie jar or airtight container with a slice of bread.

5. Cut slices from loaf cakes like banana bread and pound cake from the middle instead of the end. After slicing, push the two ends together to reform the 'loaf'. You don't leave a cut end to get stale that way.

6. To keep cake moist, store it with half an apple in the container.

Dairy Products and Cheese

1. Store milk in its original container.

2. Do not store milk in the door where temperature is warmer.

3. Put milk back in refrigerator immediately after using.

4. Wrap cheese in waxed paper or plastic, then store in deli drawer.

5. Do not store ice cream in the freezer door. Keep it in the main part of the freezer.

6. Place a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before storing. It will keep fresh longer.

Miscellaneous

1. Store coffee in an airtight, opaque container to preserver flavor and freshness.

2. Buy coffee in whole bean form and grind enough for one pot at a time.

3. If you buy more coffee than you can use in 3-4 days, store in an airtight container in the freezer/

4. Store avocadoes unbagged in the refrigerator.

5. Store bananas on the counter, unbagged.

6. Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) should be stored in their plastic container or a resealable plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator.

7. Wrap lettuce in damp paper towels and store in a plastic bag.

About the Author:

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics and products concerning food storage such as Green Bags.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Natural Ways to Keep Food Fresh Longer

avocado desserts recipe

I have to be honest.  This is one question that REALLY gets my goat.  Whenever I hear someone attacking the raw diet because it’s too “boring,” I go crazy!

Really, I hulk out!

I’ve been following a low-fat raw vegan diet for almost 2 years now.  I can honestly say, without any reservations, that there is absolutely NOTHING boring about a raw food diet!

*Deep Breath*  Okay, I’m calm now.

Let me explain why a raw food diet is totally NOT boring.

Variety

The variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that exist is astounding.  You have apples, grapes, oranges, bananas, peaches, pears, cantaloupe, romaine, celery, cucumber, avocado...and I’m just alluding to what is available in your local grocery store!

In fact, I can almost guarantee you that raw foodists eat *more* variety than ANYONE on a standard American diet...or any other diet for that matter.

This is because most people tend to eat just a handful of dishes that become their staples.  And these dishes are usually very similar.

If you eat meat, your meals will generally center around a protein, with some starchy vegetable and maybe greens along side.  If you’re from the Southern States, your greens are cooked to death in butter and everything gets a nice heapin’ helping of beef gravy smothered on top.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, the focus is usually on whole grains or legumes with vegetables.  And of course, everyone has his or her favorite dessert.

But when you live on a fruit-based diet, you have to adapt what you are eating to what you can find in your area.  Just because you have a few favorite fruits does not mean that they will always be available.

I would gladly eat nothing but mangoes for the rest of my life, but I can’t because they are not always in season!

Where’s the Proof?

Still skeptical that a raw diet is really that varied?  Here’s a list of several of the different varieties of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that I eat in a given year:

o    Apples
o    Apricots
o    Avocado
o    Bananas
o    Basil
o    Bell Pepper
o    Blackberries
o    Blueberries
o    Boston Lettuce
o    Cantaloupe
o    Celery
o    Cherries
o    Cilantro
o    Clementines
o    Cucumber
o    Currants
o    Dates
o    Dill
o    Grapefruit
o    Grapes
o    Honeydew
o    Iceberg Lettuce
o    Kiwi
o    Lemon
o    Lime
o    Mangoes
o    Mint
o    Nectarines
o    Oranges
o    Papaya
o    Peaches
o    Pears
o    Pineapple
o    Pistachios
o    Raspberries
o    Romaine Lettuce
o    Star Fruit
o    Strawberries
o    Sunflower Seeds
o    Tangerines
o    Tomatoes
o    Watermelon
o    Zucchini

AND I didn’t even include the different varieties of fruit within each species.  For instance, there are Navel and Valencia oranges, red and green grapes, the Fuji apples and the Gala apples, Red Haven and White Nectar peaches, etc.

All of this is found conventionally at my local supermarkets in Tennessee.  Of course, if you live somewhere tropical or have access to exotic markets, you have a whole different spectrum of fruits to choose from:

o    Chocolate Sapote
o    Custard Apple
o    Durian
o    Jackfruit
o    Litchi
o    Longan
o    Mamey Sapote
o    Mangosteen
o    Rambutan
o    Sapodilla
o    Soursop

There’s even a peanut butter fruit that has the taste AND texture of peanut butter!

How can a diet that’s full of so many different smells, tastes, and textures be boring?

Quite simply, it cannot.

Raw Recipes

If you *still* aren’t convinced that a raw diet isn’t boring, you probably haven’t considered all the different raw vegan recipes that you can make.

And I’m not talking about fatty dehydrated conglomerations that are made to mimic the flavor and textures of cooked dishes.  I’m referring to simple, delicious, healthy meals that contain few ingredients and take literally minutes to put together.

There are fruit smoothies, green smoothies, fruit soups, vegetable soups, fruit salads, savory salads, fruit puddings, dips, salsas, and even fruit ice creams!

You could literally take just a few different healthy raw ingredients and have a completely different dish for every meal for a whole week!

Now how in the world can a diet like *this* be boring?

Quite simply, it cannot.

Don’t Take My Word For It!

If you are still debating going raw, there is no better time than now to get out there and go for it.  See for yourself just how varied this diet can be.  Buy all the fruits you can and go crazy in the kitchen!

Just be sure to send me the recipes to all of your awesome raw creations.

About the Author:

For more information on the best raw vegan diet, be sure to visit Fit On Raw and subscribe to Swayze’s newsletter Peachy Keen Ezine. By subscribing, you will also receive the free report The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet as well as the 5-week mini-course The Fool Proof Transition to Raw.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Is a Raw Food Diet Boring?

Christmas is a time when we think of family get-togethers and abundance. It is memory lane for most of us, enjoying friends, memorable times and good comfort, traditional foods. But the weeks after the holidays are usually weight gains, health problems from too many sweets and food. 

Today white sugar, white flour, dairy products, trans and saturated fats, refined cars and excess calories are on the \"no-no\" list ... and with the holiday times it feels as if the cakes, cookies and candies will become obsolete. And we begin to feel deprived and panic stricken. After all, it is a long-time tradition.

One answer is to make some raw food desserts and take them to get-togethers and family meals. Use nuts, dried fruits, and avocadoes instead of white flour and white sugar. They have a lot of flavor, looks and are good for you. Oh yes ... and they are easy to put together. Jenny Cornbleet has a book out called \"Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People\". In it there are desserts - cakes, cookies, fruit crisps, pies, tarts, puddings, mousses, shakes, and ice cream recipes all raw - for holidays and all meals. Guess what? They taste better than their sugar laden counterparts.

One recipe is for a \"Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce\" which calls for 1 1/2 cups raw walnuts, dash of salt, 8 pitted medjool dates, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa or carob powder, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 2 tsp water. For the raspberry sauce you use 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (thaw and drain if frozen) with 1/4 cup pitted medjooy dates, soaked for 30 minutes and drained. Place the walnuts and salt in a food processor with the S blade and process until finely ground. Add dates, cocoa powder, and vanilla ... process until mixture becomes sticky. Add water and process briefly. Transfer to a serving plate and form a 5 inch round cake. Place the raspberries and dates in a blender and mix until smooth, pouring over the cake just before serving.

You do not have to give up all your comfort foods, just find a healthier recipe for it. You will find the dessert to be much tastier. But should you choose to nibble on a few old foods, do so in moderation, do not go overboard, and remember to wait and let your stomach digest properly before the next meal.

About the Author:

To learn about growing mango and mango allergy, visit the Mango Fruit website.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Eating Right During Christmas

mango avocado salsa recipe

I have to be honest.  This is one question that REALLY gets my goat.  Whenever I hear someone attacking the raw diet because it’s too “boring,” I go crazy!

Really, I hulk out!

I’ve been following a low-fat raw vegan diet for almost 2 years now.  I can honestly say, without any reservations, that there is absolutely NOTHING boring about a raw food diet!

*Deep Breath*  Okay, I’m calm now.

Let me explain why a raw food diet is totally NOT boring.

Variety

The variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that exist is astounding.  You have apples, grapes, oranges, bananas, peaches, pears, cantaloupe, romaine, celery, cucumber, avocado...and I’m just alluding to what is available in your local grocery store!

In fact, I can almost guarantee you that raw foodists eat *more* variety than ANYONE on a standard American diet...or any other diet for that matter.

This is because most people tend to eat just a handful of dishes that become their staples.  And these dishes are usually very similar.

If you eat meat, your meals will generally center around a protein, with some starchy vegetable and maybe greens along side.  If you’re from the Southern States, your greens are cooked to death in butter and everything gets a nice heapin’ helping of beef gravy smothered on top.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, the focus is usually on whole grains or legumes with vegetables.  And of course, everyone has his or her favorite dessert.

But when you live on a fruit-based diet, you have to adapt what you are eating to what you can find in your area.  Just because you have a few favorite fruits does not mean that they will always be available.

I would gladly eat nothing but mangoes for the rest of my life, but I can’t because they are not always in season!

Where’s the Proof?

Still skeptical that a raw diet is really that varied?  Here’s a list of several of the different varieties of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that I eat in a given year:

o    Apples
o    Apricots
o    Avocado
o    Bananas
o    Basil
o    Bell Pepper
o    Blackberries
o    Blueberries
o    Boston Lettuce
o    Cantaloupe
o    Celery
o    Cherries
o    Cilantro
o    Clementines
o    Cucumber
o    Currants
o    Dates
o    Dill
o    Grapefruit
o    Grapes
o    Honeydew
o    Iceberg Lettuce
o    Kiwi
o    Lemon
o    Lime
o    Mangoes
o    Mint
o    Nectarines
o    Oranges
o    Papaya
o    Peaches
o    Pears
o    Pineapple
o    Pistachios
o    Raspberries
o    Romaine Lettuce
o    Star Fruit
o    Strawberries
o    Sunflower Seeds
o    Tangerines
o    Tomatoes
o    Watermelon
o    Zucchini

AND I didn’t even include the different varieties of fruit within each species.  For instance, there are Navel and Valencia oranges, red and green grapes, the Fuji apples and the Gala apples, Red Haven and White Nectar peaches, etc.

All of this is found conventionally at my local supermarkets in Tennessee.  Of course, if you live somewhere tropical or have access to exotic markets, you have a whole different spectrum of fruits to choose from:

o    Chocolate Sapote
o    Custard Apple
o    Durian
o    Jackfruit
o    Litchi
o    Longan
o    Mamey Sapote
o    Mangosteen
o    Rambutan
o    Sapodilla
o    Soursop

There’s even a peanut butter fruit that has the taste AND texture of peanut butter!

How can a diet that’s full of so many different smells, tastes, and textures be boring?

Quite simply, it cannot.

Raw Recipes

If you *still* aren’t convinced that a raw diet isn’t boring, you probably haven’t considered all the different raw vegan recipes that you can make.

And I’m not talking about fatty dehydrated conglomerations that are made to mimic the flavor and textures of cooked dishes.  I’m referring to simple, delicious, healthy meals that contain few ingredients and take literally minutes to put together.

There are fruit smoothies, green smoothies, fruit soups, vegetable soups, fruit salads, savory salads, fruit puddings, dips, salsas, and even fruit ice creams!

You could literally take just a few different healthy raw ingredients and have a completely different dish for every meal for a whole week!

Now how in the world can a diet like *this* be boring?

Quite simply, it cannot.

Don’t Take My Word For It!

If you are still debating going raw, there is no better time than now to get out there and go for it.  See for yourself just how varied this diet can be.  Buy all the fruits you can and go crazy in the kitchen!

Just be sure to send me the recipes to all of your awesome raw creations.

About the Author:

For more information on the best raw vegan diet, be sure to visit Fit On Raw and subscribe to Swayze’s newsletter Peachy Keen Ezine. By subscribing, you will also receive the free report The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet as well as the 5-week mini-course The Fool Proof Transition to Raw.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Is a Raw Food Diet Boring?

History of Salsa

The word "salsa" is the Spanish word for sauce. The salsas that many of us think of are salsa frescas or salsa cruda, fresh sauces served as a condiment aside a Mexican meal. These uncooked sauces might be pureed until smooth, semi-chunky, or the uniformly chopped pico de gallo (my favorite).

The Chile – Tomato Combination

The making of of a sauce by combining chiles, tomatoes, spices and other ingredients like squash seeds and even beans has been documented back to the Aztec culture..

We have Spanish-born Bernadino de Sahagun to thank for the detailed culinary history of the Aztec culture. His extensive writings documented every food common to the culture. This is an excerpt from Sahagun's writings about the food vendors in the large Aztec markets:

"He sells foods, sauces, hot sauces, fried [food], olla-cooked, juices, sauces of juices, shredded [food] with chile, with squash seeds, with tomatoes, with smoke chile, with hot chile, with yellow chile, with mild red chile sauce, yellow chile sauce, sauce of smoked chile, heated sauce, he sells toasted beans, cooked beans, mushroom sauce, sauce of small squash, sauce of large tomatoes, sauce of ordinary tomatoes, sauce of various kinds of sour herbs, avocado sauce. (Sahagun, translated 1950 -1982).

Ingredients Then and Now

The paragraph above refers to many of the ingredients in our modern-day salsas.

Large tomatoes - We believe this references is to a large red tomato similar to what we eat to day.

Ordinary tomatoes - most likely this reference is to the tomatillo or tomate verde.

Smoked chiles - The chipotle or smoked jalapeno was a staple in the Aztec diet.

Avocado - cultivated by the Aztecs the avocado was an important source of fat and protein and was used in a sauce similar to what we call guacamole.

Two Delicious Salsa Recipes:

2 c fresh plum tomato, diced

1 c fresh green tomato, diced

1/2 c fresh green bell pepper, diced

1/4 c fresh purple onion, chopped.

1 tbsp jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt.

1/8 tsp coarsely ground pepper.

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tbsp olive oil.

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir well. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Serve with corn or flour tortilla wedges, poultry, or fish.

Yield: 3 cups (approx 6 calories per tbsp).

Mango Salsa

2 medium ripe mangoes

1 small cucumber, peeled, diced (it says seeded, but I've never bothered)

1 ripe tomato

juice of 1 lime (lemon works, too!)

pinch of salt

1/2 - 1 small fresh chile pepper, minced, or Tobasco or other hot pepper

sauce to taste (I have always used Tobasco)

1 Tablespoon chopped, fresh cilantro (It says optional, but I don't really

think so)

Peel and chop the mangoes. In a large bowl, mix together the mangoes,

cucumber, tomato, lime juice, salt, chile or tabasco, and cilantro. Let

salsa sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend before serving. Mango

salsa keeps refrigerated for 2 or 3 days.

About the Author:

Michael K. Sasaki is the founder of RecipeMatcher ( http://www.recipematcher.com ), where you can find delicious salsa recipes.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Real History of Salsa

vegan avocado ice cream recipe

I have to be honest.  This is one question that REALLY gets my goat.  Whenever I hear someone attacking the raw diet because it’s too “boring,” I go crazy!

Really, I hulk out!

I’ve been following a low-fat raw vegan diet for almost 2 years now.  I can honestly say, without any reservations, that there is absolutely NOTHING boring about a raw food diet!

*Deep Breath*  Okay, I’m calm now.

Let me explain why a raw food diet is totally NOT boring.

Variety

The variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that exist is astounding.  You have apples, grapes, oranges, bananas, peaches, pears, cantaloupe, romaine, celery, cucumber, avocado...and I’m just alluding to what is available in your local grocery store!

In fact, I can almost guarantee you that raw foodists eat *more* variety than ANYONE on a standard American diet...or any other diet for that matter.

This is because most people tend to eat just a handful of dishes that become their staples.  And these dishes are usually very similar.

If you eat meat, your meals will generally center around a protein, with some starchy vegetable and maybe greens along side.  If you’re from the Southern States, your greens are cooked to death in butter and everything gets a nice heapin’ helping of beef gravy smothered on top.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, the focus is usually on whole grains or legumes with vegetables.  And of course, everyone has his or her favorite dessert.

But when you live on a fruit-based diet, you have to adapt what you are eating to what you can find in your area.  Just because you have a few favorite fruits does not mean that they will always be available.

I would gladly eat nothing but mangoes for the rest of my life, but I can’t because they are not always in season!

Where’s the Proof?

Still skeptical that a raw diet is really that varied?  Here’s a list of several of the different varieties of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that I eat in a given year:

o    Apples
o    Apricots
o    Avocado
o    Bananas
o    Basil
o    Bell Pepper
o    Blackberries
o    Blueberries
o    Boston Lettuce
o    Cantaloupe
o    Celery
o    Cherries
o    Cilantro
o    Clementines
o    Cucumber
o    Currants
o    Dates
o    Dill
o    Grapefruit
o    Grapes
o    Honeydew
o    Iceberg Lettuce
o    Kiwi
o    Lemon
o    Lime
o    Mangoes
o    Mint
o    Nectarines
o    Oranges
o    Papaya
o    Peaches
o    Pears
o    Pineapple
o    Pistachios
o    Raspberries
o    Romaine Lettuce
o    Star Fruit
o    Strawberries
o    Sunflower Seeds
o    Tangerines
o    Tomatoes
o    Watermelon
o    Zucchini

AND I didn’t even include the different varieties of fruit within each species.  For instance, there are Navel and Valencia oranges, red and green grapes, the Fuji apples and the Gala apples, Red Haven and White Nectar peaches, etc.

All of this is found conventionally at my local supermarkets in Tennessee.  Of course, if you live somewhere tropical or have access to exotic markets, you have a whole different spectrum of fruits to choose from:

o    Chocolate Sapote
o    Custard Apple
o    Durian
o    Jackfruit
o    Litchi
o    Longan
o    Mamey Sapote
o    Mangosteen
o    Rambutan
o    Sapodilla
o    Soursop

There’s even a peanut butter fruit that has the taste AND texture of peanut butter!

How can a diet that’s full of so many different smells, tastes, and textures be boring?

Quite simply, it cannot.

Raw Recipes

If you *still* aren’t convinced that a raw diet isn’t boring, you probably haven’t considered all the different raw vegan recipes that you can make.

And I’m not talking about fatty dehydrated conglomerations that are made to mimic the flavor and textures of cooked dishes.  I’m referring to simple, delicious, healthy meals that contain few ingredients and take literally minutes to put together.

There are fruit smoothies, green smoothies, fruit soups, vegetable soups, fruit salads, savory salads, fruit puddings, dips, salsas, and even fruit ice creams!

You could literally take just a few different healthy raw ingredients and have a completely different dish for every meal for a whole week!

Now how in the world can a diet like *this* be boring?

Quite simply, it cannot.

Don’t Take My Word For It!

If you are still debating going raw, there is no better time than now to get out there and go for it.  See for yourself just how varied this diet can be.  Buy all the fruits you can and go crazy in the kitchen!

Just be sure to send me the recipes to all of your awesome raw creations.

About the Author:

For more information on the best raw vegan diet, be sure to visit Fit On Raw and subscribe to Swayze’s newsletter Peachy Keen Ezine. By subscribing, you will also receive the free report The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet as well as the 5-week mini-course The Fool Proof Transition to Raw.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Is a Raw Food Diet Boring?

I have to be honest.  This is one question that REALLY gets my goat.  Whenever I hear someone attacking the raw diet because it’s too “boring,” I go crazy!

Really, I hulk out!

I’ve been following a low-fat raw vegan diet for almost 2 years now.  I can honestly say, without any reservations, that there is absolutely NOTHING boring about a raw food diet!

*Deep Breath*  Okay, I’m calm now.

Let me explain why a raw food diet is totally NOT boring.

Variety

The variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that exist is astounding.  You have apples, grapes, oranges, bananas, peaches, pears, cantaloupe, romaine, celery, cucumber, avocado...and I’m just alluding to what is available in your local grocery store!

In fact, I can almost guarantee you that raw foodists eat *more* variety than ANYONE on a standard American diet...or any other diet for that matter.

This is because most people tend to eat just a handful of dishes that become their staples.  And these dishes are usually very similar.

If you eat meat, your meals will generally center around a protein, with some starchy vegetable and maybe greens along side.  If you’re from the Southern States, your greens are cooked to death in butter and everything gets a nice heapin’ helping of beef gravy smothered on top.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, the focus is usually on whole grains or legumes with vegetables.  And of course, everyone has his or her favorite dessert.

But when you live on a fruit-based diet, you have to adapt what you are eating to what you can find in your area.  Just because you have a few favorite fruits does not mean that they will always be available.

I would gladly eat nothing but mangoes for the rest of my life, but I can’t because they are not always in season!

Where’s the Proof?

Still skeptical that a raw diet is really that varied?  Here’s a list of several of the different varieties of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that I eat in a given year:

o    Apples
o    Apricots
o    Avocado
o    Bananas
o    Basil
o    Bell Pepper
o    Blackberries
o    Blueberries
o    Boston Lettuce
o    Cantaloupe
o    Celery
o    Cherries
o    Cilantro
o    Clementines
o    Cucumber
o    Currants
o    Dates
o    Dill
o    Grapefruit
o    Grapes
o    Honeydew
o    Iceberg Lettuce
o    Kiwi
o    Lemon
o    Lime
o    Mangoes
o    Mint
o    Nectarines
o    Oranges
o    Papaya
o    Peaches
o    Pears
o    Pineapple
o    Pistachios
o    Raspberries
o    Romaine Lettuce
o    Star Fruit
o    Strawberries
o    Sunflower Seeds
o    Tangerines
o    Tomatoes
o    Watermelon
o    Zucchini

AND I didn’t even include the different varieties of fruit within each species.  For instance, there are Navel and Valencia oranges, red and green grapes, the Fuji apples and the Gala apples, Red Haven and White Nectar peaches, etc.

All of this is found conventionally at my local supermarkets in Tennessee.  Of course, if you live somewhere tropical or have access to exotic markets, you have a whole different spectrum of fruits to choose from:

o    Chocolate Sapote
o    Custard Apple
o    Durian
o    Jackfruit
o    Litchi
o    Longan
o    Mamey Sapote
o    Mangosteen
o    Rambutan
o    Sapodilla
o    Soursop

There’s even a peanut butter fruit that has the taste AND texture of peanut butter!

How can a diet that’s full of so many different smells, tastes, and textures be boring?

Quite simply, it cannot.

Raw Recipes

If you *still* aren’t convinced that a raw diet isn’t boring, you probably haven’t considered all the different raw vegan recipes that you can make.

And I’m not talking about fatty dehydrated conglomerations that are made to mimic the flavor and textures of cooked dishes.  I’m referring to simple, delicious, healthy meals that contain few ingredients and take literally minutes to put together.

There are fruit smoothies, green smoothies, fruit soups, vegetable soups, fruit salads, savory salads, fruit puddings, dips, salsas, and even fruit ice creams!

You could literally take just a few different healthy raw ingredients and have a completely different dish for every meal for a whole week!

Now how in the world can a diet like *this* be boring?

Quite simply, it cannot.

Don’t Take My Word For It!

If you are still debating going raw, there is no better time than now to get out there and go for it.  See for yourself just how varied this diet can be.  Buy all the fruits you can and go crazy in the kitchen!

Just be sure to send me the recipes to all of your awesome raw creations.

About the Author:

For more information on the best raw vegan diet, be sure to visit Fit On Raw and subscribe to Swayze’s newsletter Peachy Keen Ezine. By subscribing, you will also receive the free report The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet as well as the 5-week mini-course The Fool Proof Transition to Raw.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Is a Raw Food Diet Boring?

making avocados ripen faster

How do i get avocados ripe and soft?

I just bought a few avocados and i want to use two of them tomorrow to make guacemole. To make guacemole i need two soft avocados and the ones i just bought today are quite hard. Does anyone know how to make avocados soften faster? Like ripen faster?

put them in a paper bag and put them in a dark place like a cupboard. i don't know if they will be ripe enough by tomorrow, but it will help ripen them faster

If you are interested in health and diet, you have probably read all the research which points to the benefits of fresh, unprocessed foods. Eating healthier nearly always means opting for fresh fruits, whole grains and unprocessed meats and fish. Unfortunately, choosing foods without preservatives does have a down side - food spoils faster. That is no reason to go back to eating over-processed foods full of chemical preservatives, though. Long before our dependence on chemical preservatives, our mothers knew the secrets to keeping food fresh longer naturally. Here are some tips to help you keep fresh fruits, grains, vegetables, meat and fish fresh longer - the natural way.

General Tips

1. Keep your refrigerator at the right temperature. It should be kept between 38 and 40 F. to keep your foods as fresh as possible without freezing them.

2. Keep your eye on expiration dates when you shop.

3. Do not store highly perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer door. They are more prone to temperature fluctuation.

4. Moisture promotes rotting and mold. Wipe vegetables and fruits dry before storing and avoid storing in plastic bags.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits give off a gas called ethylene as they ripen. The ethylene sets off a chain reaction that causes the release of more ethylene, causing the food to ripen further. When fruits and vegetables are exposed to ethylene, they ripen faster. Some fruits and vegetables give off more ethylene than others - and some of them are more sensitive to ethylene than others.

1. Ethylene producers include apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes.

2. Fruits and vegetables that are sensitive to the effects of ethylene include: apples, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, lettuces and other greens, potatoes, summer squash, and watermelons.

3. To keep fresh fruits and vegetables fresh longer, do not store any of the former group n the same drawers as those in the latter group.

4. Store fruits and vegetables in the warmest part of your fridge to preserve flavor.

5. Remove produce from plastic bags before storing. The bags trap the ethylene close to the fruit so that it ripens faster.

6.Wash produce and then dry well before storing. Moisture speeds rotting.

Meats and Eggs

1. Keep fresh meats refrigerated between 38-40 F.

2. Keep meat in original wrapping in refrigerator if you will be using it within two days.

3. Wrap meat in foil or freezer paper before freezing.

4. Make sure that there is plenty of air circulation around meat products in your refrigerator.

5. Store eggs pointed side down.

6. Wrap smoked meats like ham or bacon in a vinegar-soaked cloth.

7. Cool cooked meats quickly and completely before placing them in refrigerator.

Bread and Cereal Products

1. Store fresh bread in a cool, dark, dry place like a cupboard or breadbox.

2. Close the waxed paper inner bag of breakfast cereals tightly to preserve freshness. Better yet, transfer the cereal into a zipper lock plastic bag and put it back in the box.

3. Freeze bread that will not be used within a week. If you freeze artisan breads pre-sliced, you can just take a slice when you need it.

4. Keep soft cookies soft by storing them in a cookie jar or airtight container with a slice of bread.

5. Cut slices from loaf cakes like banana bread and pound cake from the middle instead of the end. After slicing, push the two ends together to reform the 'loaf'. You don't leave a cut end to get stale that way.

6. To keep cake moist, store it with half an apple in the container.

Dairy Products and Cheese

1. Store milk in its original container.

2. Do not store milk in the door where temperature is warmer.

3. Put milk back in refrigerator immediately after using.

4. Wrap cheese in waxed paper or plastic, then store in deli drawer.

5. Do not store ice cream in the freezer door. Keep it in the main part of the freezer.

6. Place a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before storing. It will keep fresh longer.

Miscellaneous

1. Store coffee in an airtight, opaque container to preserver flavor and freshness.

2. Buy coffee in whole bean form and grind enough for one pot at a time.

3. If you buy more coffee than you can use in 3-4 days, store in an airtight container in the freezer/

4. Store avocadoes unbagged in the refrigerator.

5. Store bananas on the counter, unbagged.

6. Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) should be stored in their plastic container or a resealable plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator.

7. Wrap lettuce in damp paper towels and store in a plastic bag.

About the Author:

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics and products concerning food storage such as Green Bags.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Natural Ways to Keep Food Fresh Longer

avocado leaf disease

The ileocecal valve, which is made up of sphincter muscles that close the ileum, prevents toxins and other materials that are released by the appendix from entering into the small intestine. Additionally, the ileocecal valve helps to keep digested material in the small intestine until all of the nutrients have been absorbed. When the food residue is ready for elimination, the small intestine mixes bile, mucus, and other excretions with the food residue and releases it systematically through the ileocecal valve into the large intestine. This process prevents an overload of material in the intestine for the body to eliminate.

When the toxic material of the colon is able to enter back into the intestine, where it becomes rapidly reabsorbed, ileocecal valve syndrome occurs, which can lead to infection and disease. Symptoms of ileocecal valve syndrome include constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, irregular bowel movements, lower right bowel tenderness, acne, immune weakness, migraines, and duodenal ulcers.

To avoid ileocecal valve syndrome one should eat a diet that is high in fiber and includes whole grains. These whole grains should be soaked and cooked in order to avoid irritating the valve. Foods that cause constipation such as diary products, meat, and bananas should be avoided. Raisins, figs, and stewed prunes should be eaten for breakfast. More fresh fruits and vegetables should be added to the diet. Softer raw vegetables such as leaf lettuce, spinach, avocados, sprouts, and tomatoes should be used first.

Additionally, one should reduce the amount of meat that they eat and take a fiber supplement in order to avoid constipation. Fasting on juices two or three days a week will help to speed the healing process of the digestive tracts. Grains that are thermos-cooked are healing on the digestive tract and rich in enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and protein. The slow cooking process protects the body from destruction of vital enzymes. Milet, buckwheat, and basmati brown rice can also be eaten for breakfast, as they are easy for the body to digest and extremely nourishing. Raw vegetables and fruits, steamed vegetables, yams, and avocados are all also extremely helpful in healing the digestive tract, so they are recommended.

Nutritional supplements that can assist with ileocecal valve syndrome include antioxidants, vitamin A, B-complex, vitamin C with bioflavonoids, calcium, magnesium, essential fatty acids, blue-green algae, acidophilus, and plant digestive enzymes. Also, aloe vera juice, cat's claw, grape seed extract, pau d'arco, licorice, goldenseal, slippery elm, and comfrey are great herbal aids for helping for ileocecal valve syndrome.

Colon health is a lot more important than most people realize, as the digestive process is directly related to the health of the body, immune system function, and overall longevity. When any disease occurs, the colon should be the first thing looked to for treatment. By understanding what it means to have a healthy colon, adding fiber, nutritional supplements, herbal aids, and a change in diet, one can promote overall colon health. Eating habits should be changed slowly and unhealthy, nutrition robbing foods should be eliminated from the diet and replaced with whole grain foods, fruits, and vegetables.

About the Author:

More information on
fiber
and nutrition is available at VitaNet ®, LLC Health Food Store.
http://vitanetonline.com/

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Fight Ileocecal Valve Syndrome With Fiber and Good Nutrition

The art of aromatherapy had been practiced since the earliest times. Strong evidences were found to link aromatherapy to ancient traditions. Though aromatic oils had been used to treat and cure various ailments and conditions for who knows how long, the formal study on their properties only started in the year 1928.

In it's simplest form, aromatherapy is the use of essential plant oils for therapeutic purposes. They are normally employed to relieve a person from stress and a variety of stress-related conditions. And also for promoting an individual's general well being and in invigorating the body and the psyche.

Aromatherapy works by inducing the olfactory nerve cells with aromatic oils, which then carries out the message to the limbic system in the brain. Limbic system is the part of the brain that is responsible for controlling memory and emotions.

Aromatherapy is concerned in both the workings of the physical and emotional aspects of the person under treatment. Physically, aromatherapy helps in relieving specific conditions trough the stimulation of the nervous, immune and circulatory system. In emotions however, they may evoke pleasant memories.

Yet, the medical circles do not agree if aromatherapy in itself is instrumental to the complete healing of a certain condition. But the idea of recovery through aromatherapy is widely accepted.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are derived from the distillation of the elements of a plant like the leaves, roots, flowers, stems and bark. They hold the true essence of the plants from which they originally came in high concentration. Though termed as oil, essential oils normally do not have the real properties of oil. Some essential oils are yellow like that of the lemongrass and orange and many are clear.

These oils are used in a variety of methods: through inhalation, by adding them in the bathwater and by the application of the diluted oil on the body.

The use of oil in aromatherapy is only restricted to those with unadulterated qualities. The purest of the essential oils alone have the therapeutic values.

The following is a list of the most common essential oils used in aromatherapy. Some of which are used as carrier oils (also known as vegetable oils or base oils):

- Almond, Sweet
- Apricot Kernel
- Avocado
- Borage
- Cocoa Butter
- Evening Primrose
- Grapeseed
- Hazelnut
- Jojoba
- Kukui
- Macadamia Nut
- Olive
- Peanut
- Pecan
- Rose Hip
- Sesame
- Shea Butter
- Sunflower

Below are listed essential oils that are not advisable to use in aromatherapy, especially if not supervised by a professional aromatherapy practitioner.

- Ajowan
- Almond, Bitter
- Arnica
- Birch, Sweet
- Boldo Leaf
- Broom, Spanish
- Calamus
- Camphor
- Deertongue
- Garlic
- Horseradish
- Jaborandi
- Melilotus
- Mugwort
- Mustard
- Onion
- Pennyroyal
- Rue
- Sassafras
- Thuja
- Wintergreen
- Wormseed
- Wormwood

Aromatherapists put into practice the workings of aromatherapy in a spectrum of work environments including:

- private practice
- mobile visiting practice
- natural health clinics
- beauty therapy clinics
- health clubs
- hospitals
- hospices and
- nursing homes.

In spite of the lack of formal research on aromatherapy therapists and European physicians are often prescribing certain aromatic oils for a range of complaints including colds and flu, insomnia, sinusitis, migraines, digestive problems and muscle pains. It must be understood though that aromatic oils must never be taken orally and should be first tested to determine the degree of skin's sensitivity to some oils.

About the Author:

For tips on what causes runny nose, runny nose remedy, runny nose facts, what is quadriplegia, spastic quadriplegia and other information, visit the Health And Nutrition Tips website.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How To Revive Your Senses With Aromatherapy

avocado daily intake

is 1 avocado vege roll and 1 tofu vege roll for lunch too much?

i had this for lunch and am feeling 'fat' what should i have for dinner to even out my recommended daily intake

No, this isn't too much. If you're feeling fat it's because you have no concept of a healthy diet and don't exercise regularly. Change those two things and you'll be just fine.

You may have grown up learning about the food pyramid.  The food pyramid is the dietary recommendations made by the United States Department of Agriculture.  The food pyramid helps people to more easily understand their nutritional needs.  The food pyramid has changed in order to accommodate the latest nutritional information.

The recommended daily allowance of each food group depends on your age gender and amount of physical activity. The most important thing to keep in mind about the food pyramid is to eat from the recommended food groups daily for a balanced and healthy diet.

Grains

1. White bread and white rice are both types of refined grains.

Women typically should eat about 3 ounces of grains per day while men should eat about 4 ounces.  At least half of your daily intake of grains should come from whole grains.

Vegetables

Vegetables consist of cooked, raw, frozen, canned, dehydrated or juice.  There are 5 categories of vegetables including dark green, orange, dry beans and peas, starchy vegetables and other vegetables.  Daily intake of vegetables should include about 2 ½ cups for women and 3 cups for men.

Fruits

Fruits may be raw, cooked or juiced or may be frozen or canned.  Keep in mind that fruits eaten in desserts such as pies include other ingredients that must be accounted for.  When choosing fruit juice the juice should be made of 100% fruit.  Women should eat about 1-½ cups per day while men should eat about 2 cups of fruits daily.

Milk

The milk category includes milk and milk products including cheese and yogurt as well as milk-based products.  Some common milk products include ice cream, pudding and frozen yogurt.  The recommended daily intake of milk products is about 3 cups for women or men.

Meat and Beans

The meat and beans category includes all types of meat, poultry and fish as well as dry beans, nuts and eggs.  Choose lean cuts of meat to avoid excess cholesterol.  Fish and nuts provide healthy oils that are necessary to the diet. Women should eat about 5 ounces of meat/beans daily while men should eat about 6 ounces.

Oils

The oil category includes oils such as vegetable oil.  Most oils are used in the cooking process while some come directly from eating foods such as fish, nuts, olives and avocados.  While the body needs some oils on a daily basis you should limit your oil intake to only polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats since these do not raise the cholesterol level.  Women should get about 5 teaspoons of oils daily while men should get about 6 teaspoons.

Discretionary Calories

The food pyramid allows you to have some daily discretionary calories.  This lets you have some extra calories to eat what you choose.  The number of daily calories that you can use for discretionary purposes depends mainly on your daily caloric intake and your activity level.  In general most people can eat about 200 discretionary calories daily.

About the Author:

Article by James Davy. If you liked this article, you'll love the free content you'll find at his website:
Click here now: http://www.WeightLossRevenge.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Understanding the New Food Pyramid

avocado means

I am going back to being a vegetarian but I hate beans, what can I subsitute?

for beans? Avocados, tofu, etc. I mean I really really hate beans.....
Yes I am looking to get the protein I wont get from not eating beans, and I hate all beans...just don't like them....I do not eat eggs,nor do I eat fish...I do however still eat dairy products:)

Cottage cheese actually has a lot of protein. Other good stuff:
Soy milk, tofu, tempeh, veggie fake meat products (usually soy), lentils if you don't consider them a bean:), hummus/chickpeas, whole grains, dairy products, peas and nuts.
Hope that helps a little:)
Also here is a good site- if you scroll down to the bottom they have charts of different food groups with the amount of protein in each food listed.
http://www.vegparadise.com/protein.html

There are many benefits to use avocado butter, not the least of them that it makes your skin look alive, vibrant and full of health. Add to that the fact that it is completely natural, and it becomes a very attractive choice as an addition to your range of preferred skin care products.

There are several synthetic alternatives you could choose, each of which claims the same benefits as avocado butter, but have you really considered their benefits and the truth of what they claim?  Do you understand the meaning of that large ingredients list?  Let's digress for just a short while and discuss the vitamin and supplement industry.

Supplements are available in almost any shape and form:  vitamins, minerals and even complex mixtures known as athletic supplements are marketed as being effective in improving fitness, stamina and just about any other health benefit you can imagine. Yet the experts are still out on the difference between the actual benefits claimed for these and those realized in practice.  They are not necessarily the same, and there are some real biochemical reasons for that.

The reason is synergy.  That word relates to different substances working better together than either could apart. Take the example of a secretary and the guy that delivers her letters by courier.  To outsiders, the secretary is great at getting these letters and invoices delivered on time. However, that is meaningless if the courier is not on duty - it gets delivered a day late.

In the same way, many vitamins and minerals are well known for their beneficial effects, but there is no point in taking a calcium supplement if the couriers - magnesium and vitamins C and D - are missing! They are the substances that actually take the calcium into your bone structure. That is why natural sources are better:  they have the courier and the secretary provided in the one package, just as they should be. That is also why avocado butter is a far superior skin care substance than any synthetic product.

It contains the antioxidant vitamins A, E and D that kill of the free radicals that age your skin. A very scientific and comforting explanation of how it works, unlike that of the synthetic emulsified oils, containing surfactants that can damage your skin, rather than help it, and other even more toxic substances. It contains a natural sunscreen that protects your skin and hair from the damaging effects of the ultraviolet radiation of the sun.

Avocado butter also contains lecithin and unsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial to your skin, and it melts at only 30C - 35C making it very easy to apply tom your skin.
It can be used to moisturize dry skin ad it can also help to reduce the appearance of age spots, sometimes referred to as liver spots, caused by the oxidation of fatty deposits just under your skin.

So, don't use these potentially toxic artificial labeled products, but try pure avocado oil next time you are looking for a skin care product.  You won't regret it, and will likely be hooked on it for life: your skin certainly will!

About the Author:

For more information on the benefits of avocado butter visit Laura's website Castle Baths Avocado Butter, and also her site Castle Baths Spa Products if you are interested in other natural skin care products to help you remain looking young and beautiful.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Avocado Butter for Beautiful and Healthy Skin

avocado soy oil

Was this a healthy day yes or no and why?

Breakfast: a few strawberries and a cup of soy milk
Track: we did warm up: 400 workout: 800, 300, 800, 300, 800, 300 cool down: 400
Lunch: 1 avocado and cucumber roll and 1 order of edamame
a little while later: 1 vegetable roll and 1 order of edamame
dinner: 1 bowl of vegetable soup, 1/2 cup of beans, and a big ass salad with all the veggies in the world and oil and vinegar
when i digest my dinner in a little bit i'm gonna go on my wii fit for like a hour and a half
the soy milk was light
and the sushi was made w. white rice cuz the place i get it at doesn't have brown rice =[[[
anyways about how many calories did i have today?

Hi, Becky, on the surface that seems healthy but it's primarily veggies. You didn't have nearly enough fruit, lean protein, whole-grains, or low-fat dairy. You must hit all the major food groups to eat a healthy diet. Even if you're a vegetarian, you'll need more protein, even though you had some beans and edamame. I'm going to link you to a page that explains what it means to "eat healthy." If you're interested, on the same site, there's a Vegetarian page that has a vegetarian food pyramid, which can help you as you plan your meals. Oh, there's also a calorie counter if you go to "Weight Loss Facts."
http://www.easy-weightloss-tips.com/eat-healthy.html
By the way...great exercise!! Good luck!

Are you desperate to lose weight, but it feels like an uphill struggle? The information in this article may be just what you need to give it that extra push. We all know, deep down, that if we eat more calories than we burn off during the day, the extra is going to be stored as fat. But sometimes you really do try to reduce your calorie intake, but because you do not see a result quickly, you give up.

Your body needs the amino acid phenylalinine (L-phenylalinine) to make another amino acid called tyrosine, which your thyroid gland needs to produce the hormones that control metabolism. If you have a deficiency in phenylalinine, you are most likely deficient in tyrosine. This means that your metabolism, which is the rate at which your body converts calories into energy, is not operating as it should, and unburned calories equal stored body fat.

According to "Off The Shelf Natural Health" author Mark Mayell, "Tyrosine is also the first link in the production of certain neurotransmitters, including dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline, that are suspected of playing important roles in controlling appetite".

Phenylalinine's influence on appetite control doesn't end with tyrosine, this essential amino acid also triggers the release of cholycystokin (CCK), which makes you feel "full" and lets you know it's time to stop eating. Because of this satiety effect the Vitamin Diary believes that taking phenylalinine supplements before meals can actually make you lose weight daily. "An intake of half a teaspoon of L-phenylalinine powder 30 minutes before each meal, can lead to a loss of 100-200 grams of weight per day", they write. That equates to about 6½lbs per month, just by taking the half teaspoon of powder before each meal.

It is important that you do not take too much phenylalinine, thinking you will lose weight faster. Too much of this essential amino acid can cause high blood pressure, insomnia and irritability. Pregnant women and those with high blood pressure, anxiety, diabetes, phenylketonuria (PKU) or pre-existing pigmented melanoma should not take supplemental phenylalinine at all.

Food sources of phenylalinine include:

Whole grains

Pistachio nuts

Almonds

Piyal Seeds

Ground Nuts (peanuts)

Leafy vegetables

Poultry

Cow's milk

Cottage cheese

As a precursor to the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, tyrosine deficiency can lead to depression and consequent emotional overeating, but that isn't the only reason why you need this amino acid to lose weight. Many nutritional experts agree that tyrosine, which is made from phenylalinine, acts as a mild appetite suppressant because it stimulates the production of the appetite suppressant hormone cholycystokin (CCK). Plus, it helps to reduce body fat, helping you to consume fewer calories, and eliminate the body fat in your problem areas.

With information like this, the logical step would be to cut out any foods that come under the umbrella "Junk Food", for example:

Fried fats, white flour (lack fibre)

Added sugars

Chemical sweeteners (diet pop)

MSG, high sodium, dead foods (canned soups)

Fried fats, MSG (snack chips, flavoured chips)

Artificial colours, added sugars (juice drinks)

Added sugars (candy bars, breakfast bars)

Hydrogenated oils, white flour (crackers, biscuits)

White flour, added sugars (sweetened breakfast cereals)

High sodium, MSG, artificial preservatives (processed meats)

Refined grains (instant rice, grains)

Hydrogenated oils, MSG (frozen fried foods)

Refined grains, added sugars (non-whole grain bread)

If you avoid all the above, and use the following in your diet, you cannot help but lose weight:

Sunlight (one hour a day for healthy bones, organs, brain)

Water (essential)

Raw fruits, all kinds (high vitamins, fibre, complex carbohydrates)

Vegetables, all kinds (high vitamins, fibre, phyonutrients)

Berries, all kinds (high antioxidants, healthy brain, heart)

Sprouts, broccoli, alfalfa (high in vitamins, phytonutrients)

Soy, tofu, soy milk etc (high protein, antioxidants)

Healthy oils, flax, olive, macadamia etc (healthy heart, brain and more)

Seeds, sesame, hemp, chia etc (healthy oils, high fibre, antioxidants)

Avocados (healthy oils, phytonutrients)

Nuts, cashews, almonds, peanuts, etc (antioxidants, healthy oils)

Fish oils, salmon, cod etc (healthy heart, brain and more)

Sprouted grains (high in vitamins, fibre)

Bran, oat, wheat, rice (high fibre)

Good luck in your quest for weight loss. It is not as complex as it seems. If you are serious about losing weight, eat porridge oats with skimmed milk for breakfast (if you must sweeten it use Agave Nectar which is a low GI sweetener), or a good bowl of fruit. Have home-made vegetable soups for lunch with multi-grain bread, or salad. For dinner have salmon (at least twice a week) or chicken, with at least three or four vegetables. If you need a snack between meals, make it fruit or celery or carrots. And walk. Get as much exercise as you can fit in.

About the Author:

Mary Howard has written & compiled 'Natural Health Secrets Exposed', a unique reference book of remedies, cures and health benefits the pharmaceutical companies want to keep hidden. Why not take a look at the web site to find out more and sign up for the free 7 day mini course =>
http://www.mynaturalhealthsecrets.com/index2.html

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Is your slow metabolism keeping you overweight? Try this natural remedy and watch the weight fall of

ripen avocados faster

If you are interested in health and diet, you have probably read all the research which points to the benefits of fresh, unprocessed foods. Eating healthier nearly always means opting for fresh fruits, whole grains and unprocessed meats and fish. Unfortunately, choosing foods without preservatives does have a down side - food spoils faster. That is no reason to go back to eating over-processed foods full of chemical preservatives, though. Long before our dependence on chemical preservatives, our mothers knew the secrets to keeping food fresh longer naturally. Here are some tips to help you keep fresh fruits, grains, vegetables, meat and fish fresh longer - the natural way.

General Tips

1. Keep your refrigerator at the right temperature. It should be kept between 38 and 40 F. to keep your foods as fresh as possible without freezing them.

2. Keep your eye on expiration dates when you shop.

3. Do not store highly perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer door. They are more prone to temperature fluctuation.

4. Moisture promotes rotting and mold. Wipe vegetables and fruits dry before storing and avoid storing in plastic bags.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits give off a gas called ethylene as they ripen. The ethylene sets off a chain reaction that causes the release of more ethylene, causing the food to ripen further. When fruits and vegetables are exposed to ethylene, they ripen faster. Some fruits and vegetables give off more ethylene than others - and some of them are more sensitive to ethylene than others.

1. Ethylene producers include apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes.

2. Fruits and vegetables that are sensitive to the effects of ethylene include: apples, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, lettuces and other greens, potatoes, summer squash, and watermelons.

3. To keep fresh fruits and vegetables fresh longer, do not store any of the former group n the same drawers as those in the latter group.

4. Store fruits and vegetables in the warmest part of your fridge to preserve flavor.

5. Remove produce from plastic bags before storing. The bags trap the ethylene close to the fruit so that it ripens faster.

6.Wash produce and then dry well before storing. Moisture speeds rotting.

Meats and Eggs

1. Keep fresh meats refrigerated between 38-40 F.

2. Keep meat in original wrapping in refrigerator if you will be using it within two days.

3. Wrap meat in foil or freezer paper before freezing.

4. Make sure that there is plenty of air circulation around meat products in your refrigerator.

5. Store eggs pointed side down.

6. Wrap smoked meats like ham or bacon in a vinegar-soaked cloth.

7. Cool cooked meats quickly and completely before placing them in refrigerator.

Bread and Cereal Products

1. Store fresh bread in a cool, dark, dry place like a cupboard or breadbox.

2. Close the waxed paper inner bag of breakfast cereals tightly to preserve freshness. Better yet, transfer the cereal into a zipper lock plastic bag and put it back in the box.

3. Freeze bread that will not be used within a week. If you freeze artisan breads pre-sliced, you can just take a slice when you need it.

4. Keep soft cookies soft by storing them in a cookie jar or airtight container with a slice of bread.

5. Cut slices from loaf cakes like banana bread and pound cake from the middle instead of the end. After slicing, push the two ends together to reform the 'loaf'. You don't leave a cut end to get stale that way.

6. To keep cake moist, store it with half an apple in the container.

Dairy Products and Cheese

1. Store milk in its original container.

2. Do not store milk in the door where temperature is warmer.

3. Put milk back in refrigerator immediately after using.

4. Wrap cheese in waxed paper or plastic, then store in deli drawer.

5. Do not store ice cream in the freezer door. Keep it in the main part of the freezer.

6. Place a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before storing. It will keep fresh longer.

Miscellaneous

1. Store coffee in an airtight, opaque container to preserver flavor and freshness.

2. Buy coffee in whole bean form and grind enough for one pot at a time.

3. If you buy more coffee than you can use in 3-4 days, store in an airtight container in the freezer/

4. Store avocadoes unbagged in the refrigerator.

5. Store bananas on the counter, unbagged.

6. Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) should be stored in their plastic container or a resealable plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator.

7. Wrap lettuce in damp paper towels and store in a plastic bag.

About the Author:

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics and products concerning food storage such as Green Bags.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Natural Ways to Keep Food Fresh Longer

If you are interested in health and diet, you have probably read all the research which points to the benefits of fresh, unprocessed foods. Eating healthier nearly always means opting for fresh fruits, whole grains and unprocessed meats and fish. Unfortunately, choosing foods without preservatives does have a down side - food spoils faster. That is no reason to go back to eating over-processed foods full of chemical preservatives, though. Long before our dependence on chemical preservatives, our mothers knew the secrets to keeping food fresh longer naturally. Here are some tips to help you keep fresh fruits, grains, vegetables, meat and fish fresh longer - the natural way.

General Tips

1. Keep your refrigerator at the right temperature. It should be kept between 38 and 40 F. to keep your foods as fresh as possible without freezing them.

2. Keep your eye on expiration dates when you shop.

3. Do not store highly perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer door. They are more prone to temperature fluctuation.

4. Moisture promotes rotting and mold. Wipe vegetables and fruits dry before storing and avoid storing in plastic bags.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits give off a gas called ethylene as they ripen. The ethylene sets off a chain reaction that causes the release of more ethylene, causing the food to ripen further. When fruits and vegetables are exposed to ethylene, they ripen faster. Some fruits and vegetables give off more ethylene than others - and some of them are more sensitive to ethylene than others.

1. Ethylene producers include apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes.

2. Fruits and vegetables that are sensitive to the effects of ethylene include: apples, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, lettuces and other greens, potatoes, summer squash, and watermelons.

3. To keep fresh fruits and vegetables fresh longer, do not store any of the former group n the same drawers as those in the latter group.

4. Store fruits and vegetables in the warmest part of your fridge to preserve flavor.

5. Remove produce from plastic bags before storing. The bags trap the ethylene close to the fruit so that it ripens faster.

6.Wash produce and then dry well before storing. Moisture speeds rotting.

Meats and Eggs

1. Keep fresh meats refrigerated between 38-40 F.

2. Keep meat in original wrapping in refrigerator if you will be using it within two days.

3. Wrap meat in foil or freezer paper before freezing.

4. Make sure that there is plenty of air circulation around meat products in your refrigerator.

5. Store eggs pointed side down.

6. Wrap smoked meats like ham or bacon in a vinegar-soaked cloth.

7. Cool cooked meats quickly and completely before placing them in refrigerator.

Bread and Cereal Products

1. Store fresh bread in a cool, dark, dry place like a cupboard or breadbox.

2. Close the waxed paper inner bag of breakfast cereals tightly to preserve freshness. Better yet, transfer the cereal into a zipper lock plastic bag and put it back in the box.

3. Freeze bread that will not be used within a week. If you freeze artisan breads pre-sliced, you can just take a slice when you need it.

4. Keep soft cookies soft by storing them in a cookie jar or airtight container with a slice of bread.

5. Cut slices from loaf cakes like banana bread and pound cake from the middle instead of the end. After slicing, push the two ends together to reform the 'loaf'. You don't leave a cut end to get stale that way.

6. To keep cake moist, store it with half an apple in the container.

Dairy Products and Cheese

1. Store milk in its original container.

2. Do not store milk in the door where temperature is warmer.

3. Put milk back in refrigerator immediately after using.

4. Wrap cheese in waxed paper or plastic, then store in deli drawer.

5. Do not store ice cream in the freezer door. Keep it in the main part of the freezer.

6. Place a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before storing. It will keep fresh longer.

Miscellaneous

1. Store coffee in an airtight, opaque container to preserver flavor and freshness.

2. Buy coffee in whole bean form and grind enough for one pot at a time.

3. If you buy more coffee than you can use in 3-4 days, store in an airtight container in the freezer/

4. Store avocadoes unbagged in the refrigerator.

5. Store bananas on the counter, unbagged.

6. Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) should be stored in their plastic container or a resealable plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator.

7. Wrap lettuce in damp paper towels and store in a plastic bag.

About the Author:

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics and products concerning food storage such as Green Bags.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Natural Ways to Keep Food Fresh Longer

raw food avocado recipe

I have to be honest.  This is one question that REALLY gets my goat.  Whenever I hear someone attacking the raw diet because it’s too “boring,” I go crazy!

Really, I hulk out!

I’ve been following a low-fat raw vegan diet for almost 2 years now.  I can honestly say, without any reservations, that there is absolutely NOTHING boring about a raw food diet!

*Deep Breath*  Okay, I’m calm now.

Let me explain why a raw food diet is totally NOT boring.

Variety

The variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that exist is astounding.  You have apples, grapes, oranges, bananas, peaches, pears, cantaloupe, romaine, celery, cucumber, avocado...and I’m just alluding to what is available in your local grocery store!

In fact, I can almost guarantee you that raw foodists eat *more* variety than ANYONE on a standard American diet...or any other diet for that matter.

This is because most people tend to eat just a handful of dishes that become their staples.  And these dishes are usually very similar.

If you eat meat, your meals will generally center around a protein, with some starchy vegetable and maybe greens along side.  If you’re from the Southern States, your greens are cooked to death in butter and everything gets a nice heapin’ helping of beef gravy smothered on top.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, the focus is usually on whole grains or legumes with vegetables.  And of course, everyone has his or her favorite dessert.

But when you live on a fruit-based diet, you have to adapt what you are eating to what you can find in your area.  Just because you have a few favorite fruits does not mean that they will always be available.

I would gladly eat nothing but mangoes for the rest of my life, but I can’t because they are not always in season!

Where’s the Proof?

Still skeptical that a raw diet is really that varied?  Here’s a list of several of the different varieties of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that I eat in a given year:

o    Apples
o    Apricots
o    Avocado
o    Bananas
o    Basil
o    Bell Pepper
o    Blackberries
o    Blueberries
o    Boston Lettuce
o    Cantaloupe
o    Celery
o    Cherries
o    Cilantro
o    Clementines
o    Cucumber
o    Currants
o    Dates
o    Dill
o    Grapefruit
o    Grapes
o    Honeydew
o    Iceberg Lettuce
o    Kiwi
o    Lemon
o    Lime
o    Mangoes
o    Mint
o    Nectarines
o    Oranges
o    Papaya
o    Peaches
o    Pears
o    Pineapple
o    Pistachios
o    Raspberries
o    Romaine Lettuce
o    Star Fruit
o    Strawberries
o    Sunflower Seeds
o    Tangerines
o    Tomatoes
o    Watermelon
o    Zucchini

AND I didn’t even include the different varieties of fruit within each species.  For instance, there are Navel and Valencia oranges, red and green grapes, the Fuji apples and the Gala apples, Red Haven and White Nectar peaches, etc.

All of this is found conventionally at my local supermarkets in Tennessee.  Of course, if you live somewhere tropical or have access to exotic markets, you have a whole different spectrum of fruits to choose from:

o    Chocolate Sapote
o    Custard Apple
o    Durian
o    Jackfruit
o    Litchi
o    Longan
o    Mamey Sapote
o    Mangosteen
o    Rambutan
o    Sapodilla
o    Soursop

There’s even a peanut butter fruit that has the taste AND texture of peanut butter!

How can a diet that’s full of so many different smells, tastes, and textures be boring?

Quite simply, it cannot.

Raw Recipes

If you *still* aren’t convinced that a raw diet isn’t boring, you probably haven’t considered all the different raw vegan recipes that you can make.

And I’m not talking about fatty dehydrated conglomerations that are made to mimic the flavor and textures of cooked dishes.  I’m referring to simple, delicious, healthy meals that contain few ingredients and take literally minutes to put together.

There are fruit smoothies, green smoothies, fruit soups, vegetable soups, fruit salads, savory salads, fruit puddings, dips, salsas, and even fruit ice creams!

You could literally take just a few different healthy raw ingredients and have a completely different dish for every meal for a whole week!

Now how in the world can a diet like *this* be boring?

Quite simply, it cannot.

Don’t Take My Word For It!

If you are still debating going raw, there is no better time than now to get out there and go for it.  See for yourself just how varied this diet can be.  Buy all the fruits you can and go crazy in the kitchen!

Just be sure to send me the recipes to all of your awesome raw creations.

About the Author:

For more information on the best raw vegan diet, be sure to visit Fit On Raw and subscribe to Swayze’s newsletter Peachy Keen Ezine. By subscribing, you will also receive the free report The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet as well as the 5-week mini-course The Fool Proof Transition to Raw.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Is a Raw Food Diet Boring?

In this day and age, everybody wants to improve their looks with a thinner waist line. For that, people may need some directions for finding healthy solutions to lose weight. The best choice someone can make in order to lose weight and gain health, energy and vitality is switching to a raw food diet.

People discover each day the benefits of raw food recipes. When switching to a raw food diet you will see improvements to your daily behavior like improved sleep, some anti-aging benefits, increased vitality and health. Owing to such advantages, the popularity of raw food diets is bound to increase, because we all want to improve the way we look and the way we feel about ourselves, don’t we?

In the beginning people didn’t cook their food and they consumed it raw. Eating like this helped them keep very healthy. Our bodies are built so that we can consume raw foods. The only thing we need to do is to rediscover the way we were in the beginning and enjoy all that nature has to give us. Consuming raw foods helps our bodies because they contain enzymes that help digestion. These enzymes are destroyed if the fruits and vegetables are cooked. Our body digests the foods through its own enzymes, but the enzymes in our body also give us energy. Therefore, when we use the enzymes in our bodies for digestion and not the ones in fruits and vegetables, it means that our energy levels and vitality are decreased.

Basic guidelines for planning your healthy raw food recipes recommend that you should include in your diet mostly fruit and vegetables, which are our most biologically conducive meals. Something that can help you in planning your raw food recipes is the categories in which fruits and vegetables are divided.

Fruits can be divided in sweet fruits (tropical fruits, persimmons, sweet grapes), acid fruits (lemons, citrus), sub-acid fruits (apples, pears, tart grapes) and fatty fruits (avocadoes, durian). Melons constitute a separate category of fruits. Some of the vegetable categories are non-starchy greens (spinach, cabbage), fruit vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes) and root vegetables (carrots, celeriac). Another category of vegetables includes lettuce and celery. The vegetables named here can be found as items on a list of raw low carbohydrate foods. All these fruits and vegetables are the common components of raw food recipes.

Now that the categories have been established, here are some rules of combining them in order for you to avoid fermentation in the intestines, indigestion, water retention and toxicity. Sweet fruits are to be eaten with other varieties of sweet fruits only or with sub-acid fruits. Don’t eat acid fruit with anything other than celery and lettuce. Avocadoes and olives should be eaten with non-starchy vegetables. Melons should be eaten alone or not eaten at all. These are combinations that you should try. But there are a few combinations that you should try to avoid like starch and acid (tomato and potato), protein and protein (avocadoes and nuts), sweets and starch (maple syrup and rice). Think about these combinations when you are developing your own raw food recipes.

Raw food diets are not all about fruits and vegetables. Organic foods can also be included in the diet. Organic cheese is very nutritious and can be included in raw food diets because it does not involve a cooking process that destroys enzymes. You should make sure that the organic cheese you buy is organic, and not a scam. The process that is followed by farmers to obtain organic cheese consists of letting nature take its natural course, from harvesting the milk from the cows and letting it coagulate with no help from additional catalytic agents. Incredible products made from raw ingredients and that may include organic cheese can be found here, on rawbakery.com.

About the Author:

The most reliable way to improve our health and vitality is by switching to raw foods. Raw food recipes can easily replace our daily food and in most of the cases they taste better than cooked foods. Organic cheese can be also included in the diet as a component that improves the nutritional value of the foods.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Basics for Raw Food Recipes

does avocado make you fat

Do Avocados really make you fat? How often is it okay to eat them, and how much?

They do not make you fat... they have a lot of fat in them for a vegetable, but it is good, healthy fat that you need for proper function of your body. I wouldn't eat them non-stop, but it's not something you need to worry about.

The method of junking the upsetting fat deposit round the waist can't be imagined without a satisfactory belly fat diet, because food restraints are the 1st to prove mandatory.

Eating habits matter a lot because folk have no idea what helps and what obstructs the weight reduction process, or to paraphrase, what they do inaccurate. Many variants for a belly fat diet are available on the net, and many of them emphasise the significance of sticking to a low-calorie plan.

It doesn't need to be said that whole grains, seeds, veggies, fruits and lean beef are the major igredients of any belly fat diet. Another secret weapon against the dour fat layers round the waist is the use of good fats in your meals, and the best examples here are olive oil, soy and flax oil as well as monounsaturated fats from avocado and seeds. Such nutrients control the appetite, implying that they cut back the hunger by making a contribution to a sense of satiety.

Green tea, fruit juices and plain water will flush the poisons away. And , good night rest, with an average eight-hour sleep period, along with intense physical exercises will support the potency of any belly fat diet that you will select. Some recipes of belly fat diet provide ideas for meals that need no calorie calculations and only the use of authorized foods according to personal choices.

It is recommended to find inventories of dish sizes with the opposite calories that will permit enough flexibility for one to enjoy food. Whether we are talking about protein, plants, fruit, fibers or automobiles, it feels nice to understand what you are eating.

This may make allowance for a better identification of what works and what does not for belly fat loss. The main objective of any belly fat diet is to burn more calories than what you consume. Without this metabolic mechanism, no good changes would be possible by the diet alterations. Whether you select calorie shifting or you wish to mix exercise with natural foods, it is surely your decision.

Make efforts to elude abuses of any sort and stick to a middle-course approach to any weight reduction program that aims not only at getting you a flat stomach but better health too. A health and cosmetic vital alike, belly fat loss might be something to stress about. The fat round the belly represents deposits of stored energy, that will only be thrown out or reduced if one burns more calories than one consumes. Belly fat loss can be done by operating the required eating habits and beginning a diet plan that contains only healthy items. Great food is commonly inadequate if you do not back it up with intense activity intended to consume the additional pounds by an acceleration of the metabolism. Some folks even attempt to boost up their metabolic reaction by way of oral supplements.

Beginning a particularly vicious diet intended to burn the fat round the waist in 7 or 10 days only might have major implications for the body health. And here we must advise against such abuse, because, the body makes strenuous attempts to burn the OTT calories ; causing it to work at a faster pace could be deleterious for your fitness. Likewise , don't think about skyrocketing the diet drug intake or turning to liposuction if the weight reduction does not go as planned.

Consultants say the highest success rate for good belly fat loss results from a mixture of weight coaching with intestinal coaching, aerobic exercises and a healthful diet. Likewise , fat isn't lost from one body part alone but it burns away systemically. Even if you exercise explicit areas like the waist or the lower abs, it could be feasible to fail in the belly fat loss as you deal with the issue wrongly. Before coaching the muscles, you may have to dispose of the fat that wraps the tissues by way of aerobic exercises. The best fat burners and chums of belly fat loss include biking, walking, jogging, rope jumping and step climbing. If you manage to work some aerobic exercises for over 30 mins, you are probably going to achieve great fat loss results. And , if you support the coaching with a diet poor in carbohydrates, but loaded in fibers, proteins, minerals and vitamins, belly fat loss will change into a so easy to reach goal.

About the Author:

For more great tips and information on how to lose your belly fat click here :
advice on how to succeed in your belly fat diet

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Best Tips To Help You Succeed In Yor Belly Fat Diet