Sunday, 7 August 2022
5 Ways To Get Yourself To Eat More Vegetables
Vegetables are essential to your diet. Not only do they provide the bulk of your fiber, but they also contain critical nutrients like vitamins and minerals to balance hormones, enable growth, and strengthen hair, skin, nails, and much more.
You may not like eating vegetables but you can get creative on ways to help you eat more of them. Here are 5 easy ways to get yourself to eat more vegetables.
1. Blend Them
If you don't like eating them, there is an easier way. You can blend them and add them to your juices and smoothies. All you need are your vegetables, fruits, and blender and you can whip up a nutritious and tasty drink in 5 minutes. These smoothies can easily replace a meal like breakfast and still give you all the energy you need till your next meal.
Get Over 10 Smoothie Recipes Here
2. Make Vegetable Noodles
A fun way to eat more vegetables is to replace your pasta with vegetables. Sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, zucchini can be used to create noodles with a spiralizer. If you don't have one, you can use a vegetable peeler. Enjoy your noodles with your favorite sauce and you will be getting loads of nutrients and reducing your calories.
3. Snack on Vegetables
Snacks help to fill you up before your next meal. Instead of grabbing a bag of chips, how about snacking on some carrots or cucumber slices? Not only will you get your daily serving of vegetables in, but you also eat fewer calories.
4. Eat Them as Soups
Soups are easy to make, nutritious, and filling. You can cut them up and make them into soups that you can eat alone or pair with a small serving of rice, potatoes e.t.c
5. Do More Meal Prep
Planning and preparing your meals ahead of time can help you incorporate more vegetables into your diet. You can buy your vegetables every week and prepare them for eating so you reduce the stress of going out to get them for every meal.
Read Here: Benefits of Infused Water
Sunday, 29 May 2022
9 Heart-Healthy Low Cholesterol Foods
The world's leading cause of death is heart disease, with high cholesterol linked to an increased risk of developing this condition. Most people think about foods to avoid when they want to lower their cholesterol. However, there are also certain foods that are heart-healthy low cholesterol foods.
Consider these heart-healthy foods:
1. Legumes
Legumes include food such as beans, soybeans, peas, and lentils. They contain lots of fiber, protein, and minerals. Consider this healthy idea: replace refined grains and processed meat with legumes and you can lower your risk of developing heart disease.
2. Avocados
These fruits are a rich source of monounsaturated fats and fiber, both of which can help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol levels (HDL).
3. Nuts
Nuts such as almonds and walnuts are full of monounsaturated fats. They also contain phytosterols, a plant compound that can help lower cholesterol. It does this by blocking its absorption in your intestines. Almonds are a good source of L-arginine, which is an amino acid that helps regulate your blood pressure. Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are polyunsaturated fats linked to good heart health.
4. Fatty fish
Fatty fish like salmon contain omega-3 fatty acids that can increase good cholesterol, which will help to lower inflammation and also reduce the risk of suffering a stroke. It is also believed that fish protein has certain peptides that help to protect your heart.
5. Whole grains
Whole grains, in particular oats and barley, have been shown to lower the risk of heart disease with both found to contain beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol.
6. Fruits and berries
These are another source of soluble fiber, which can lower cholesterol. Fruit is also a good source of bioactive compounds that contain various antioxidants with anti-inflammatory benefits. These can help prevent heart disease and other chronic diseases.
7. Dark chocolate
The main ingredient in dark chocolate, cocoa, has been proven to lower bad cholesterol. It can also reduce blood pressure too. The one issue with chocolate is that it is high in added sugar, which can have a negative impact on your heart health. This is why it’s healthier to opt for dark chocolate with a cocoa content above 75%.
8. Garlic
Garlic contains numerous healthy plant compounds, which include allicin. Research has found that garlic can help reduce cholesterol and may help to lower blood pressure in people who currently have high blood pressure.
9. Vegetables
Vegetables are a good source of fiber and antioxidants. They are also low in calories, so they’re also essential if you are looking to keep slim and healthy.
Wednesday, 23 February 2022
How Do You Eat Healthy on a Low Budget?
Being on a tight budget can be frustrating, but even more so if you are also trying to improve the nutrition of your food and stick to a healthy diet. It can be done, but it does take a bit more strategy and planning. Here are some tips for eating healthy no matter what your food budget is.
Shop your kitchen first
Always start with your own kitchen first when you are
looking to stick to a tight food budget, but still want to eat a healthier
diet. You probably have some ingredients you can use up in your refrigerator,
freezer, or pantry. Start with ingredients that are going to expire soon so
that they don’t go to waste. You can then consider any pantry staples that
would work for healthy meals, like beans or rice, canned vegetables, or meat in
the freezer.
Track your food expenses
Have a plan for everything you buy
Always have a meal plan and a list
Know how to store your food
Did you know that some produce releases ethylene and others are sensitive to it? If you store ethylene-producing food with ethylene-sensitive food, it’s going to go bad faster.
For example, don’t store your potatoes with your avocados. Potatoes are sensitive to as, and avocados release a lot of ethylene gas.
Buy produce in season
Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy,
balanced diet, but it is easy to spend more than necessary. To avoid this,
start by buying produce that is currently in season. This might vary based on
where you live, but for example, summer produce often includes watermelon, carrots, and tomatoes. You can also buy produce in season and preserve it to use all year round.
You can look for year-round produce that tends to be cheaper for most of the year than other produce. This includes lemons and limes, apples, oranges, potatoes, and lettuce.
Buy and cook in bulk
A great option for saving money on food while also eating a healthy diet is to buy in bulk. This does take a little more planning, but can ultimately help you afford more nutritious foods and not stray from your food budget.
People often think this is only a good option when you have
a big family, but that isn’t true at all. Everyone can benefit from buying and
cooking in bulk. An obvious benefit of cooking this way is by saving on the
individual ingredients you buy. You tend to get the best deals when buying
something in bulk.
Another great benefit is that you can cook more of whatever
meal you are cooking, saving you more time later. The same amount of preparing
goes into it to make for example two casseroles instead of one, then you have
an entire casserole to put in the freezer and have it ready for a night when
you don’t have as much time for cooking.
Track how much you spend on food
All money you spend on food should be tracked. In
fact, if you haven’t created your food budget yet, this is a good place to
start. It is really easy to spend more than you intended to on food, especially
with impulse purchases while shopping for other things. It is important to keep
track of everything you buy as far as food and groceries go, and tweak your
budget if you need to based on this information.
Consider food that stretches farther
Some foods tend to stretch a little farther than others,
being used for multiple meals. These are the foods to consider adding to the
rotation. For example, a bag of potatoes, rice, or beans goes a long way.
Potatoes can be cooked dozens of different ways and used for so many meals.
Plus, they last a few weeks before going bad, so it is a great ingredient to
purchase for healthy, inexpensive meals.
Shop around for the best prices
It might seem tedious, but it helps a lot to compare prices
at different stores in order to get the best deal. This doesn’t mean you go to
5 different grocery stores every week, but you decide which stores have more of
what you need with the best deal.
You will probably figure out which stores have the best
deals on foods you buy the most often, so that makes it much easier down the
line.
Build up food inventory slowly
Since you still need to stick to your current food budget,
it does take a little more planning ahead for buying in bulk. For this reason,
you want to build up your inventory slowly, instead of getting everything at
once. Maybe the next time you are at the store, there is a good sale on chicken
breasts, so you purchase two or three packs instead of one. Do this slowly and
only within your regular food budget.
Keep it simple
You don’t need to use fancy ingredients or expensive
organic foods for a healthy diet. Keep your meals and snacks simple and
well-balanced, going for affordable ingredients to put together nutritious
meals.
Find creative ways to use leftovers
When it comes to leftovers, people often make the mistake
of leaving the meal as it was originally served. While this does help
sometimes, it can quickly become unexciting, which increases the chances of it
just sitting in the fridge until it goes bad.
Instead, think about other ways you can use those meals or
side dishes in other meals. For example, leftover roasted chicken can be used
for so many different meals. Put it in a casserole, make chicken wraps, or shred it up for chicken salad.
Keep everything organized
To prevent food from going bad before you get the chance to use it, make sure your refrigerator, freezer, and food pantries are all well organized. Always keep the older food items upfront and the newer items in the back. That way, nothing expires before it gets used. Keep as many food items in your vision as you can so you remember they are there and will use them for your meals.
Don’t Worry About Food That is Trendy
When it comes to clean eating or diets in general, companies come out with a lot of trendy products and claim they are the next best thing with a healthy diet. But most of the time, they are completely unnecessary. While nice to have occasionally as a treat, they aren’t required for a healthy diet. You don’t need to add turmeric to your smoothies or get truffles for your meals. You can have clean, healthy meals without these types of food.
Tuesday, 11 May 2021
Why Is Avocado Good For Your Skin?
Avocado is one great fruit everyone needs in their diet. Apart from the many health benefits, avocado can help you enjoy beautiful glowing skin whether you eat it or apply it on your skin. How does this super fruit make it all happen?
Avocados contains B vitamins that help keep your skin healthy and prevent skin conditions. Biotin is a B vitamin that helps the body grow thick, lustrous hair, long nails and healthy skin. Avocados are rich in this vitamin. Deficiency in this vitamin could lead to dry skin.
Avocados are rich in healthy fats. Healthy fats are good for your skin. Avocados are rich in two types of fat: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids moisturize the skin and keep it soft and supple. Polyunsaturated fatty acids protects the skin from harmful UV rays of the sun. Ultraviolet (UV) rays damage can cause wrinkles and has been linked to skin cancer.
Avocados contain antioxidants like Vitamin C , Vitamin E and Lutein. Antioxidants are necessary for great skin and good health. Vitamin C helps to prevent breakdown of collagen and elastin. These are structural proteins that keep the skin plump and firm. Vitamin C is also used to treat and prevent inflammation in the skin. Lutein also protects your skin from sun damage, improve skin tone and slow aging. So, getting these antioxidants into your diet will help you have clearer and younger looking skin.
Avocados also contain Vitamin K, copper, pantothenic acid, folate and potassium which are all essential for optimum health.
Eating avocado is one way of getting all these great benefits. One small avocado a day or half if it's a large one will be fine. You can add it to your salads, use it as spreads for toast or add it to to your smoothies.
Get three easy to make avocado smoothie recipes here.
How To Use Avocado On Your Skin
You can also use avocado as part of your skin care regimen by peeling it and using the flesh on your skin or using avocado oil. Avocado oil is oil that has been extracted from the pulp. You can use it directly on your face or add a few drops to your moisturizer. Because of its antimicrobial properties, it is said to be effective against acne.
An easy way to use avocado for skin care is to use it as a face mask. These simple homemade avocado masks can help you hydrate, exfoliate and nourish your skin easily and you will be well on your way to glowing skin!
Home Made Avocado Face Masks
1. Avocado and Honey Face Mask
This mask is great for dry skin.
Ingredients
1/4 medium avocado
1 tablespoon of honey
Instructions
Mix the avocado and organic honey in a bowl.
Apply it to your face and wait for 20 minutes
Wash with lukewarm water and use a towel to pat your face dry.
Do this twice or thrice a week.
2.Avocado and Cucumber Face Mask
This is for you if you have normal skin that is not dry or oily. Use this for glowing skin.
Ingredients
1/2 medium avocado
5 tablespoons of cucumber juice
Instructions
Grate a cucumber and press the juice.
Add 5 tablespoons of cucumber juice to the avocado
Mix well and apply to your face
Wait for 20 minutes before washing with water
Use a towel to pat your skin dry.
Do this twice a week
3. Avocado, Lemon and Oats Face Mask
This mask can give you an instant glow when you need great skin for a special occasion. Do not use this mask everyday.
Ingredients
1/2 medium avocado
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of oats
Instructions
Mix all three ingredients.
Apply to your face and wait for 5 to 10 minutes.
Gently massage your face and neck for 2 minutes.
Wash with lukewarm water and apply moisturizer.
