Making Delicious Dishes with Iron Rich Foods

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It might take a while before you realize that you have an iron deficiency. It’s not uncommon for people to misdiagnose themselves since the main symptom is general fatigue. People usually know something is wrong because it’s not the type of fatigue associated with a loss of sleep or hectic lifestyle. It’s a general feeling that stays with you throughout the day no matter what you do. Some people try to solve the problem by taking a few extra naps or going to bed earlier at night. The problem lies in an iron deficiency in your bloodstream, and that’s what we call anemia. The good news is you can fix the condition without any complicated medical plan or expensive pills. Sometimes you just have to adjust your diet to include a few more iron rich foods on a daily basis.

You might be thinking to yourself right now that foods high in iron don’t sound particularly appetizing. But there might be some foods that feature iron that you already love. Here are some suggested ways that you can jazz up your daily menu while giving yourself a boost of iron at the same time.

Iron Enriched Cereals – you can cut right to the chase with some foods that come enriched with various minerals and vitamins. There’s no better way to start off the day with an iron enriched cereal partnered with fresh fruit. If that sounds a bit too boring, then you can certainly opt for a tastier version of oatmeal that is similarly enriched with nutrients. There’s lots of benefits to starting off a day like this the side getting more iron, and you’ll appreciate the extra fiber and energy from a source like this.

Dried Herbs – common cooking elements like oregano, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves contain iron that can be absorbed in your system and used in some creative dishes. If you haven’t visited your dried herbs selection in quite some time, it’s time to put them back into the mix. They can work wonders on a simple sauce or a multitude of things ranging from soup to stew. And since their main purpose is the addition of flavor and culinary nuance, you’ll end up enhancing any dish you prepare.

Artichokes – when was the last time you had an artichokes? Some people have never even tried this rather strange vegetable. But if you want to take some time to revisit this often-forgotten choice, you’ll find a great source of iron in a neat little package. You can use a variety of cooking techniques but some of the most flavorful include grilling or roasting. Obviously they aren’t going to be a main dish, but you might just find yourself with a tasty side alternative to mix things up a bit.

Mollusks – what are mollusks you ask? They are more commonly known as oysters, clams, or mussels, and they happen to be a great source of iron. These aren’t the types of food you eat every day but I can make a nice treat every once in a while. You can even add a friend from the sea such as shrimp to create a seafood celebration of iron. Lots of possibilities here include pasta sauces, gumbo, stew, or enjoying these tasty shellfish lightly steamed with a touch garlic.

Beans and Legumes – the most obvious use here comes in the form of chilli where you can add in all kinds of other elements for a nutrient bonanza. In fact, all of the items previously listed would work well in a chilli depending on how you want to spice things up. Beans are often a forgotten element in everyday side dishes but they work well on their own or with something like rice.

Red Meat – of course there is no better source of iron then meet alternatives and this category includes things like liver as well. You know by now that red meat is not an element you can eat on a daily basis, but that doesn’t mean you have to be scared of it either. Just take a look at the cooking process and make sure you aren’t adding any extra calories, sodium, or cholesterol. With careful planning and moderation, you can still have red meat as a main component in your diet and enjoy it every step of the way.

Keep in mind that other foods might not contain iron but they helped the overall absorption in your body. For example, citrus fruits really help your body to absorb iron and there’s no shortage of options here. There’s nothing better than a fresh orange or grapefruit, and you can enjoy them at any time of the day. Broccoli, brussels sprouts, and tomatoes not only contain valuable antioxidant properties, they serve the same purpose as fresh fruits. So while you should definitely keep an eye out for different iron rich foods you might enjoy, make sure to incorporate these elements as well.

This article comes to us from our friends at rabbitsadvice.com where you can find more information on healthy eating as it relates to a fitter lifestyle that moves away from excess calories and high cholesterol foods.

 

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Food Myths That Can Make You Fat

Food MythsThere are a number of erroneous, beliefs about nutrition, that can actually cause weight gain. Here is a list of some of the more common ones. Read on to discover if any of them are familiar to you.

Adopting a vegan eating plan will automatically cause weight loss.
It’s true that research has shown vegans and vegetarians typically consume fewer calories, but, going vegan strictly as a means of losing weight can backfire. Many times, those who are new to veganism can fail to consume adequate amounts of vital nutrients, and it can also be easy to fall into poor habits such as eating highly processed foods like soy cheese, and high fat treats, which can really pack on the pounds. Do vegan the right way by keeping processed foods to a minimum, and always eat well balanced meals. Protein should account for 10 to 20 percent of your calories and it can be obtained from healthy plant-based sources such as beans, nuts, and seeds.

Eliminate all carbs to speed weight loss.
Your body needs an adequate amount of carbohydrates for energy, as well as a range of essential vitamins and other nutrients, and fiber. Strictly removing something from your diet will oftentimes only cause you to crave the “forbidden” item more, and you may find yourself seeking it out in moments of weakness. Carbs can be an important part of weight management due to the fiber they provide which keeps you feeling full, and they are also known to stimulate the production of a neurotransmitter called serotonin which helps regulate your moods and keep you feeling happy. Instead of removing carbs from your eating plan entirely, simply leave behind heavily processed options and reach for vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Unlimited diet drinks are fine because they’re calorie free.
Many people who are watching their weight believe that drinking beverages made with artificial sweetener is an easy way to enjoy soda pop, etc. with zero guilt. This theory has been debunked by research studies that show how these “fake” sugars trick the body by introducing sweetness without any calories to back it up. Artificial sweeteners cause you to want more sugar and you might end up binging on unhealthy snacks to satisfy these cravings. Additionally, diet drinks are filled with dangerous additives that have been found to cause a variety of cancers in laboratory experiments.

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Protein shakes promote weight loss.
The simple act of adding protein shakes into your eating plan will not help you lose weight, but this is a common mistake among dieters. Protein shakes can be very healthy but drinking them in addition to your usually daily caloric intake will cause you to gain weight, not lose. To use protein shakes successfully, plan on having them as a meal replacement or snack, depending on the number of calories per shake, and select ones that are low in sugar, and have the shortest possible list of ingredients.

Fruit is too sugary to eat while trying to lose weight.
The natural sugars found in fruit are much less worrisome than all of the refined sugar found in processed foods, so you’re better off giving up food items purchased in boxes and bags, than grapes, bananas, oranges and so on. Fruit provides perfect nutrients which are absorbed quickly and easily by your body because they’re in a whole and natural state. Avoiding fruit also means you’re missing out on healthy and filling fiber which keeps you feeling full, and satisfied and can help with long-term weight loss and keeping the weight off once you’ve lost it.

Keep these updated food facts in mind when you’re trying to eat for weight loss, or even just trying to eat more healthfully.

This article is a guest post provided by Angela Jennings for Advance Me America’s Leading business cash advance provider.

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Preparing for a Juice Fast in 5 Steps

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Juice fasting is an excellent way to lose weight and detoxify the body. The key to sticking through your fasting goals and coming out the other side refreshed and cleansed comes down not just to discipline but to preparation.

In other words, the key to a successful juice fast is planning!

In this article we will review what this means and how you should effectively plan for a successful juice fast.

Understand your Goals and Reasons for Fasting
The first thing I’d advice you to carefully look at are your reasons for doing the fast in the first place. Is your number one goal to lose weight? Is it symbolic of a personal change in your life and wanting to start fresh? Is it connected to the seasons? Is there perhaps a spiritual connotation to your fast? Alternatively, or additionally, are there any specific health goals you have in mind, such as wanting to see how a health issue reacts to a juice diet?

Clearly identify the reason or reasons for fasting. It’s okay if it’s as simple as “to feel good.” The idea here is that any actions we make will stand on stronger ground when we know why we’re doing them.

Plan Your Diet
While fasting on nothing but vegetable and fruit juices is a simple rule to follow, we benefit enormously through planning what our diet will consist of beforehand. A sample juice fast diet should incorporate your favorite juice blends while taking care to mix things up and eat a variety of foods.

To this end I’d suggest you incorporate in your diet greens, such as spinach, kale, and wheat grass, along with carrots, tomatoes, and your favorite fruits as staples to stock up on. Plan out an entire days worth of blends and then buy at least that much for many days so that you will a good stock available for your fast.

You’ll also appreciate having ginger on hand to vary the flavor of many of your blends.

Take Stock Of Your Kitchen Tools
Obviously you will need a juicer in order to complete this fast. Ideally a nice masticating juicer will work best, but even a food processor and juicer machine will do the trick. If you’ve never used a juicer before I’d advise you to purchase one and get comfortable using it before starting. However, they are a breeze to operate. You’ll quickly learn the only trick involved is to clean it as soon as you’re done using it!

Beyond this, you will need a good knife and a cutting board and that’s it!

Planning for Obstacles at Work and in your Social Life
How will you fast while at work and how will you deal with dinner invitations and being out in general? These are often the hardest parts of completing a fast. Ideally at work you could have access to a juicer to make fresh blends but of course this is not practical for many situations. In this situation you’d be best to prepare your foods before hand and bring them in tupperware cups to have on hand. The same goes for your social life – have your blends prepared. Better yet – go to a juice bar with some friends at least once during your fast!

Ready, Set, Juice!
Once you feel you’ve identified your reasons for fasting, planned your diet, made sure you have the right kitchen tools, and have planned for how to make it through any obstacles at work and in your social life, you are ready to go!

Let me suggest one last tip to make the most of your journey: keep a log or a journal of some kind and track your food and energy levels. This will make it easier after the fact to assess the diet and make the most of any future endeavors.

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5 Antioxidant Myths

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Many people claim that antioxidants are the answers to all of our health problems. Mort of them are setting something. Studies show, however, that antioxidants are not miracle cures for cardiovascular disease, weight loss or cancer. Some of the claimed health benefits are valid, others are far from it.

We may know the purpose of antioxidants and what they do, but do we fully understand what they are? Manufacturers would like to keep it this way; the less you know, the more likely you are to purchase products with general “health benefits.” Here are some myths surrounding antioxidants that we can debunk:

The Body Must Destroy Free Radicals

Free radicals are simply molecules within your body that cause mutation of DNA and play a role in conditions such as cancer, Parkinson’s and cardiovascular disease. However, free radicals are essential to life because they are the result of oxidation, a metabolic process that takes place within your body. For example, if you are sick, free radicals are shot onto the unhealthy bacteria by immune cells and will kill the bacteria to make you well again.

However, having a significantly high number of free radicals is unhealthy because your antioxidant defenses cannot keep up and leave you more prone to diseases, aging, and cell damage. Sun overexposure, pollutants and cigarette smoke can overload your body with free radicals and lead to serious health conditions.

All Antioxidants Are the Same

An antioxidant is technically any molecule or cell within your body that protects you from oxidation. While there are roughly 8,000 varieties of nutrients, vitamins, flavonoids and polyphenols in your body, they do not act the same way. You cannot take less of one vitamin and increase your dosage of another thinking that they all work similarly.

Some antioxidants can only fight against free radicals when certain conditions are met, while other types of antioxidants can only battle specific kinds of free radicals. Yet another difference, some antioxidants are only effective in certain areas of the cell itself.

Only Fruits and Vegetables Provide Antioxidants

While some people may assume that antioxidants only come from fruits and vegetables, the truth of the matter is that antioxidants can be found in grains, beans, seeds and nuts with the exception of refined grains. The refining process eliminates any antioxidants that are originally in the grain. Meats, eggs and dairy products can also contain antioxidants, depending on the animal and the plants and food it ate.

Antioxidants Can Cure Cancer

There is no direct evidence supporting the notion that antioxidants can cure cancer; an extremely limited number of trials have advanced long enough to study the effects of antioxidants on the disease. In one study, for example, the rate of men who had cancer were not statistically different between those receiving a placebo and others taking beta-carotene.

Antioxidants Can Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

Researchers concluded that methods other than taking antioxidants including vitamin E and beta-carotene are more effective at preventing heart disease and stroke. One study followed almost 40,000 healthy women, half of whom took vitamin E and the other half who took a placebo for a decade. The rate of cancer and heart disease were similar between the two groups, although there was a 24 percent decrease in how many women died from heart-related complications. However, beta-carotene showed no benefit in terms of protecting against stroke and cardiovascular disease.

LowFatDietPlan.org provides nutrition information and advice for diet plans based on scientific research and findings.

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The Side Effects of Diet Pills

If we want to take a pill to enhance weight loss, we’re inundated with choices. Yet the sad thing is, life is never as simple as popping a pill and watching the weight drop off. Unfortunately, putting foreign substances in our body is nearly always going to result in one or more unwanted side effects.

A diet pill that has gained a lot of publicity in recent years is one known by the name of Alli. Alli is available over the counter and is a less potent version of the prescription only drug Orlistat, or Xenical.

The drug operates by inhibiting the body’s ability to absorb fat. While this sounds all well and good in theory, any fat consumed has to come out somewhere; usually in the form of difficult or even impossible to control bowel movements. Pretty grim as side-effects come.

What’s more, we need some fats and unfortunately, Alli and friends are unable to distinguish between those that are bad, and those that are good. Consequently, dieters who continue using the drug for any length of time become undernourished and potentially deficient in a number of vitamins including A, D, E and K.

So what are the benefits?

The manufacturers of these drugs claim that you will lose 50% more weight than you would through dieting alone. A substantial amount (if true) but is that really worth the adverse effects? You’re still going to need to diet and exercise in order to gain any results, so why not just take a little longer and avoid nutrient deficiency and ‘please God let the world swallow me up right now’ levels of embarrassment?

The alternatives

There are a number of diet products that are derived from nature and from what we know, have no side-effects.

The acai berry for instance, is simply a fruit (though many of the supplements available contain extracts from the fruit, not the whole fruit). It has no special qualities except being remarkably high in fibre, vitamins and antioxidants.

It’s thought that the acai berry aids weight loss by making the body feel full more quickly and for longer (due to its fibre content) and by raising the metabolism and boosting energy levels (due to its vitamin content).

As it’s merely a humble fruit, acai berry side effects are non-existent (bar a small risk of vitamin overdose). However, there are many people who state it’s ineffective, and unlike Alli and other ‘chemical’ diet drugs, the acai berry has little scientific backing for its claims.

So what else is there?

You could always try ephedrine, also known as ephedra. These drugs do work well and they do so by reducing the appetite. Yet they also, are not without their side effects; in fact, if you thought the side effects of Alli were bad, think again.

They often increase blood pressure, meaning that those with an underlying heart condition become at great risk of heart failure and stroke.

However, consider the fact that these pills encourage you to eat very little, which in turn encourages your body to seek energy from your stored fat and your muscle (including your heart). The consequence of this is damage to the heart which then puts you in danger of the aforementioned; even if you were perfectly healthy beforehand.

You might also experience headache, back pain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, acne and heart palpitations. Oh, and you’ll most likely get addicted to them. But that’s probably all water under the bridge when you consider you could die.

So what should I do?

Well there’s always good, old-fashioned diet and exercise. But if you’re really determined to take diet pills, be sure to do your research and weigh up the pros, cons and risks before you start popping pills.

You could choose the non-existent acai berry side effects, or you could choose downright embarrassing or just plain dangerous side effects. I’m not here to tell you what to do, but please, don’t take any drug, whether it’s over the counter or especially over the internet, without being fully informed on what it is and what it might do.

This article was written by Amy Fowler on behalf of Which Acai Berry? Amy is interested in health and fitness and related issues.

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What to Do Before you Start with Detox juice Recipes

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Detoxification is needed every once in a while. This is because our environment and the food we eat are no longer that healthy. It is only proper that we get rid of toxins regularly. This can be done by detoxifying and detoxifying is achieved by juice fasting. However, let me make it clear to you that not all people can go on a juice fast. People who have illnesses like cancer, diabetes and others are prohibited from participating in a juice fast. It is also crucial that you consult a doctor first before you start making detox juice recipes for your fast. There are lots of dos and don’ts to be observed when you detoxify your body and we are going to list some of them here.

To start detoxifying, you should choose a cleansing technique. There are various cleansing techniques available today and you can find a lot of them on the Internet, just like juice diet recipes. You can also ask your doctor if he has any cleansing technique to recommend. The best cleansing technique should not be too drastic for your body. It should also be not too mild because a technique which is too mild will be rendered ineffective. Start gently with the program and build it up gradually.

For women, it is very important to not indulge in detoxification when having your period or when pregnant. Plan your detoxification. Of course, it is not suitable to detoxify when working because you will be coming in and out of the toilet and you will not be able to work effectively. It is crucial to know that a bowel cleanse requires around 4 hours for purging.

Before you even start detoxification, you should read instructions carefully and understand them. Make sure that you have all the things you need for your detox plan. You would not want to rush to the grocery or the store when you are already cleansing. You surely would not want to feel the need to go to the bowel while you are in the middle of the road.

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