Food Combinations to Lose Weight

Here is really great article I found in Family Circle Magazine about different food combinations that burn fat.

Bread and Vinegar – If you like bread, pasta and potatoes, but tend to eat too much of it because it tastes so good just sprinkle it with a little vinegar. According to dietitians, when we eat high-carb foods like bread, the amount of glucose in our blood rises rapidly. But very quickly it plummets, triggering feeling of hunger that cause us to eat even more.

Vinegar moderates that spike in glucose, so you feel full longer. In a recent study people who consumed 4 teaspoons of apple-cider vinegar along with some bagels and juice ate 200 fewer calories throughout the day than those who ate the same meal minus the vinegar.

Brown rice and peas - Most women assume gaining weight as they age is just a fact of life, but it isn’t. As we age we lose lean muscle which is a natural metabolism booster that helps us burn calories. So lift weights and make sure that between 25% to 35% of your calories come from protein. Plant foods like rice have protein but eaten alone they lack some of the essential amino acids needed for a complete protein. Pair lysine poor rice with lysine rich peas and your body will get a healthy protein boost. If you adds beans to this combo you will get a good dose of potassium, a mineral that counteracts age-related muscle loss by making the blood less acidic.

To learn more about the benefits of potassium for your body see our post High Potassium Foods – Why You Need Them

Related posts:

1. New Healing and Healthy Food Pyramids American Dietetic Association’s Knowledge Center TeamSocial Bookmarking...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Nutrition Facts on Prunes

Prunes are nature’s little fountain of youth when it comes to your cells according to Dr. Oz. That’s because these dried fruits are loaded with minerals and vitamins that rev up your body’s own antioxidant production.

The antioxidants in your cells get rid of free radicals in your body. Free radicals are one of things that cause your body to age and they make you more susceptible to things like heart disease and cancer. Prunes rank foremost in the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) list of high-scoring antioxidant fruits. In fact, prunes register off the scale on the Orac index, which measures how effective food is at neutralizing damaging free radicals. Prunes are also good for your skin. The high levels of antioxidants in prunes means that eating just 4 of these super fruits a day is as good for your skin as any expensive anti-wrinkle creams.

Prunes are high in phenolic compounds. This makes prunes not only anti-aging but anti inflammatory and anti-clotting as well. Prunes also have Vitamin A and vitamin C to help maintain healthy hair and skin. Chromium which maintains healthy blood sugar levels. Lutein to prevent eyesight failure and slow-release sugars to keep energy levels up during the day. They are a low GI food which is ideal for people with insulin resistance and diabetes.

Prunes are a low sodium food and a have a high potassium level meaning the fruit is a wonderful way to regulate your blood pressure and reduce water retention within the body.

Prunes also have a high amount of magnesium in them. It is already known that magnesium is quite useful to the aging body and helps us to achieve and maintain sufficient energy levels. Magnesium is a mineral important at working to relax the muscles, nerves and blood vessels in the body. It helps to alleviate sore muscles, effects of asthma and migraine headaches.

About half of the fiber in prunes is insoluble and helps move food through the digestive track. Some foods in our diet such as meat can ‘sit’ in the intestines undigested for a very long time. This can be cause bad bacteria to build up in your intestines which can lead to digestive disorders. Prunes’ insoluble fiber provides food for the “friendly” bacteria in the large intestine. When these helpful bacteria ferment prunes’ insoluble fiber, they produce a short-chain fatty acid called butyric acid, which serves as the primary fuel for the cells of the large intestine and helps maintain a healthy colon. These helpful bacteria also create two other short-chain fatty acids, propionic and acetic acid, which are used as fuel by the cells of the liver and muscles.

So about 1/4 of prunes a day is about a close as you can get to taking a sip from the fountain of youth.

Related posts:

1. Scientific Health Benefits Avocado Healthy Fats Foods Low fat diets have promoted for so...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Best Sangria Recipes

Some clinical studies have shown pomegranate juice to be beneficial in prevention of heart disease. Other research has also evaluated the antioxidant nature of pomegranate juice and its usefulness in fighting certain forms of cancer.

Pomegranate juice has been tentatively shown to reduce incidence of breast and skin cancer. It has also been tested and shown to slow the growth of prostate cancer in mice.

Pomegranate juice has been shown to work well as a blood thinner. Some research has shown it may be an excellent agent for promoting blood flow to the heart. It also has been shown to reduce plaque in the arteries, and to raise “good” levels of cholesterol while helping lower “bad” cholesterol.

Pomegranates are rich in the following vitamins and minerals

Vitamin C
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Beta Carotene (Beta Carotene)
Thiamin,
Riboflavin
Folate
Folic acid
Vitamin E
Potassium

Pomegranates also contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and selenium.

Look for a juice that is 100% juice with no sugar, no high fructose corn syrup or other fillers.

Here is a great recipe for Sangria with pomegranate juice. You get the benefits of pomegranate juice, red wine, orange juice and red grapes. I can’t think of a healthier more delicious combination.

Healthy Sangria Recipe

Makes 8 servings

1 cup pomegranate juice, chilled
1 bottle Rioja or Beaujolais red wine, chilled
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup seedless red grapes frozen
1 orange thinly sliced
1 lime thinly sliced
1 cup seltzer or club soda, chilled

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large pitcher. Let chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Stir in seltzer, and pour sangria into ice-filled glasses

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Potassium Levels

Potassium is one of those minerals that is very valuable as a supplement when you are recuperating from an illness. It also has a number of other benefits:

Helps your muscles and nerves function properly - I have found eating foods high in potassium keeps me from getting cramps in my legs.

Maintain the proper electrolyte and acid-base balance in your body - Your electrolyte levels can get out of balance when you are ill.

Helps lower your risk of high blood pressure

Potassium is very important in regulating the activity of muscles and nerves. The frequency and degree to which our muscles contract, and the degree to which our nerves become excitable, both depend heavily on having the right level of potassium in our body.

Potassium is also involved in the storage of carbohydrates for use by muscles as fuel. Potassium helps the body maintain the proper electrolyte and acid-base (pH) balance. Potassium may also decrease urinary calcium loss which is caused by a high-salt diets (typical of most Americans), thus helping to prevent bones from thinning out at a fast rate.

You can have a potassium deficiency if you have had excessive fluid loss, through vomiting, diarrhea or sweating, or if you take certain medications (Prolonged use of stimulant laxatives,Cisplatin – a chemotherapy medication, Steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, Neomycin – an antibacterial drug, Theopylline and aminopylline – medications used in the treatment of asthma,Tobramycin – an antibiotic, Diuretics, or “water pills”)

Symptoms of potassium deficiency include:

Acne
Dry skin
Insomnia
Nervousness
Nervous eczema
Greasy skin
Sudden hair loss
Muscle weakness
Confusion
Irritability
Fatigue

List of foods high in potassium are:

Dates
Figs
Peaches
Tomatoes
Blackstrap molasses
Peanuts
Raisins
Seafood
Spinach
Fennel
Kale
Brussel Sprout
Broccoli
Winter Squash
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Parsley
Cucumber
Bell Pepper
Tumeric
Strawberries
Bananas
Apricots
Ginger Root
Tuna
Halibut
Cauliflower
Cabbage

There are cases where you can have too much potassium in your system. Hyperkalemia is a condition where there is too much potassium in the blood. This is usually caused by an underlying medical condition such as a kidney disease or diabetes. If this is the case your doctor may want you to restrict your levels of potassium. Also some drugs (Angiotensin-(ACE) inhibitors used to treat high blood pressure, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil), Heparin, an anticoagulant prescription medication, Sulfonamide antibiotics) may increase the level of potassium in your body.

high potassium foods,potassium levels,low potassium diet,symptoms of low potassium

Technorati Tags: high potassium foods, potassium levels, low potassium diet, symptoms of low potassium

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.