How To Know What To Eat

If you are choosing more whole and organic foods for yourself and your family, that is very well done! These are definitely the two key concepts you need to know about deciding what to eat. This next concept may be a stretch for some of you--I know it was for my husband when I showed it to him. All I can say is hear me out and don't take my word for it. That's right! It would be far better for you to try these concepts out for yourself and see for yourself how important they are.

Step Three: Choose foods that are locally grown and in season

By "locally grown" I am not necessarily saying the food has to come from your garden or the farm down the road. Although, that would be fantastic, wouldn't it? When I say locally grown I'm saying it is best if it at least comes from your immediate region even if that is 100 or so miles away. There are several reasons why buying locally grown food is beneficial and I'm going to give you the main reasons here.

One reason locally grown food is best is that it is going to be fresher and will have retained its nutritional value better from the time it is picked until it reaches your kitchen. For example when you go into a typical grocery store and buy a head of cabbage, it's usually going to look whitish green and the outer leaves will be taken off. That is because the outer leaves, which are a darker green (and perfectly fine to eat) will have already gotten wilted and maybe brown so to extend the shelf-life of the cabbage the outer leaves are taken off.

Check and see where that cabbage was grown. California? Mexico? Where do you live? Michigan? New York? That cabbage wasn't picked yesterday or even last week. It was picked and shipped to a warehouse and stayed in that warehouse until it was delivered to your store. It could have been picked as long ago as a few months! Did you know cabbage is a good source of Vitamin C? Well, not when it was picked months ago and has sat on a warehouse shelf.

Fruits and vegetables lose their life energy and sometimes nutritional value when they sit around waiting for you to buy them. Food producers sometimes hybridize their products to withstand a longer shelf life and that is another alteration of the food that some people feel weakens the food. But that is nothing compared to the genetic modification of food that is prevalent today. And in the case of our head of cabbage, it can sit around and look okay for sometime all the while losing its "oomph."

Another reason to buy at least somewhat local is that other countries do not have the same laws and standards of practice that the United States has. If you live in the U.S. and you are buying food that was grown, say, somewhere in South America, are you aware that they may use pesticides there that we don't allow in our country? Also do you know what their standards are for labeling something as "organic?" That too varies from country to country.

The next reason I recommend buying locally grown food is to strengthen the economy in the area where you live. When you spend your food budget buying from your community farms, local food artisans and even locally run restaurants, you are investing in the area where you live and not handing your money over to a corporation in another city, state or country. When you buy local, more of your food dollar actually reaches the farmer who grew or raised that food rather than going toward transportation, packaging, marketing, refrigerating and warehousing.

There are all kinds of additional benefits to buying locally such as better food safety, more variety of available foods, reducing the "carbon footprint" left by food production and creating a stronger community. After all, which is more desirable---a single distant relationship with a mega grocery chain store or a friendly acquaintance with those who are growing and raising the food you eat?

These benefits lead right into the idea of buying food that is in season. If you choose to buy foods that are grown more locally, you will also be able to buy food that is in season. Foods that are in season are naturally in balance with the environment they're grown in. Eating these in season foods help you to be in balance with your environment too.

Besides, what is more delightful than buying fresh corn on the cob on a summer day and taking it home and cooking it and eating it right away? You should be able to get local corn that is not genetically modified and is organic if it is in season. Corn is sweet but not if it's been sitting around long after it's picked. Then the natural sugars turn more starchy and you lose that wonderful summer flavor. The taste of fresh-picked, locally-grown food that is in season is far superior to anything else.

If you are not sure what foods are in season, you can learn that by simply visiting local farmer's markets and stores that feature local growers. And what about when it's the dead of winter and nothing is going to grow in the garden? There are traditional ways that food is kept and preserved that is far superior to just shipping something from half-way around the world just so you can eat it. That is the topic of the next step of How to Know What to Eat!

Article Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/nutrition/how-to-know-what-to-eat-part-3

Organic Foods And Superfoods - Why Now?

You may have noticed an increase in awareness and education regarding organic foods and superfoods. Organic plant-based foods are plants that are grown naturally without any added synthetic chemicals. Organic meats come from animals that are not fed or inoculated with steroid hormones and who are also raised on organic plants and grain. Superfood is a term that categorizes foods that have a very dense nutrient value, and most people seeking superfoods prefer they also be organic.

I began to notice attention being given to naturally grown foods in the mid ‘90’s when I started seeing “organic” signs hanging over select fresh produce in the local grocery store. Not soon after, I began to notice media clips in newspapers, magazines, online, and on television about specific foods high in antioxidants. Foods like red wine, dark chocolate, and blueberries were getting a lot of attention for their beneficial antioxidants and high nutrient values.

Next, I began observing all of the attention being given to juicing and smoothies. People were cramming as much as they possibly could into one glass of juice. Now, today, you can’t go very far without seeing new terms like “superfoods.” I’m even seeing labels and signs in the large chain grocery stores. There has been an ever-growing increase in creating awareness and education regarding better nutrient-rich foods so much that it has hit mainstream marketing. But why now?

We are looking for answers. For me, it started with desperation to feel better, and I needed to figure out how to do so. I could barely make it through a day without taking a nap. It didn’t matter how much I slept the night before, I still did not have the energy to make it through the day - even if I was having fun! I had heard and I know you have too, “You are what you eat,” from a very young age. So, I began to suspect that part of the problem was directly correlated with my food. So, I began to dig for answers.

We are getting smarter. We are reading the research. Especially with online sharing and an exponential increase in communication among people through social websites, blogs, and forum posts, our education of the food industry and specific foods is expanding. We are teaching each other the negative attributes and effects relevant to non-organic, low-nutrient foods and, conversely, we are teaching each other about the benefits of high-nutrient, non-refined, organic foods. We are discovering there is a difference, and we are becoming displeased. Shouldn’t we have been offered only these foods from the start?

We are getting angry. Poor food growing and animal raising practices have been exposed. With our increased knowledge of how many large food industries operate, we are learning that we’ve been given nutrient-low, stripped, and in many cases, genetically altered foods as our mainstream food choices for decades. We are not happy about this, and we want more.

We are demanding more. For me, I feel as if the big-business-food-industries and our governments have let us down. Not only does it anger me that my government has allowed poor food practices, but it saddens me also. What I hear is, “We don’t care about you or your health and well-being.” Low quality foods should not even be offered for sale.

This is "why now?" We became aware of the differences between low-nutrient and high-nutrient healthy foods. We became aware that the food industry has allowed and continues to allow poor quality food production. We started educating ourselves and started looking for answers. We became smarter. With our increased knowledge, we started getting angry and started demanding more. Everyone deserves to eat well.

Article Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/nutrition/organic-foods-and-superfoods-why-now

Fat Burning Soup - My Best Recipe For Losing Weight And Looking Great FAST

A fat burning soup that's delicious and filling is one of the best ways to slim down and get that flat tummy fast without having to starve yourself or spend days on a boring treadmill.

Asian Mothers have a variety of soup recipes for this exact purpose, I can't tell you how many of them my 4 sisters and I had as children growing up in Taiwan...and they worked like crazy.

Today I'm going to give you a gift, one of my favorite fat burning soup recipes that I use in my local weight-loss classes with students who are looking to drop pounds quickly without gagging on nasty food!

Fat Burning Soup - The Skinny Asian Way

There are so many different fat burning soup mixes on the market today that it can be confusing and overwhelming to cut through the nonsense and find the best solution. Most of it is pre-packaged as a powder and loaded with artificial preservatives and chemicals, definitely NOT the way to get lean in a natural and healthy way.

And while you're not going to learn ALL of the fat burning soup recipes that Asian women use to get skinny (even after just having a baby) from just a single article online, you CAN pick up some great tips that will get you started:

1. Follow my fat burning soup ingredient list closely - Stick to this list of major items, don't improvise as these are all critical for your metabolic rate to be improved:

- 1 to 2 x Cans of Red Tomatoes

- 2 x Green Peppers

- 1 x Head of Cabbage

- 1 x Teaspoon Each of Rosemary, Parsley, Tarragon and Sage

- 3 x Cloves of Garlic (normal size, chopped)

- 1 x Large Red Onion

- 2 x Ounces of Standard Shitake Mushrooms

- 1 x Hot Pepper (don't worry, you'll barely taste it but it's important for weight loss)

- 1 x 3-inch slice of Kombu Seaweed (this can be tough to get, skip it if you can't find any)

- 1 x Cube of Vegetable-based Bouillon

- 1 x Typical Celery Bunch

- 1 x Tablespoon of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2. Prepare this magic fat burning soup the following way -Cut everything into bite-size pieces, and throw it all into a medium pot. Add water until it's fully submerged, and then cover with a lid.

Bring everything to a boil, and leave it there for 10-12 minutes. After, reduce the temperature down to low (simmer) and continue cooking until the vegetables are nice and tender (it usually takes another 10 minutes of simmering).

I've had students lose over 5 pounds in a week just by substituting this exact fat burning soup out for what they normally eat at dinner, but it also makes a great lunch if you're on the go or working and need to resist a fast food run.

3. If you just can't lose weight ever, try this secret tip - I know it can be depressing, but if you're upset because nothing has worked you need to learn one of the most powerful secret free methods that Asian women do to force fat off of their belly and thighs in less than a month...WITHOUT starving or doing crazy workouts.

This method works fast and is very simple, the full details on how to do it are in the free report here: My Favorite Asian Secret. I actually do it myself while relaxing on the couch watching TV, and it works amazingly well.

Click on the link and learn the trick yourself before it's gone: http://www.skinnyasiandiet.com/free-book.htm

Love and good health always,

Catherine Cheng - Founder, The Skinny Asian Diet

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Catherine_Cheng

Learn the Best Low Calorie Recipes for Weight Loss

When you want to lose weight, you'll need all the help you can get to make your weight loss quest a success. Losing weight means cutting down on your body's calorie-intake, hence you need to learn some of the best low calorie recipes so you can use them for yourself.

What is the importance of preparing low calorie meals? Having the right amount of calorie intake is crucial in relation to how your body will burn fat. Excessive calorie-intake will result to more fat storage than you actually need. When you cook your own foods you'll have more control on what you put in rather than when you eat out. The real essence of cooking healthy is to provide proper nourishment for the body.

Here are two of the best low calorie recipes you can cook on your own:

Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients:

14oz whole tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 ½ tsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper flakes
2pcs Zucchini (cut lengthwise into two ½ inches thick)
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
Part-skim ricotta
Mozzarella cheese

Procedure:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Puree whole tomatoes, a clove of roasted garlic, a teaspoon of olive oil, a quarter of a teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Set this aside. This will serve as your sauce.
3. Heat ½ of olive oil in a skillet.
4. Sauté zucchini slices with a clove of minced garlic for about 2 minutes or until tender. Remove from skillet.
5. On the same skillet, sauté your sliced mushrooms. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside.
6. You can start layering your sauce and ingredients in a small baking dish. Start with half a cup of sauce. Lay a slice of zucchini and top with a third of a cup of part skim ricotta and a tablespoon of mozzarella. Add a layer of mushrooms. Repeat the same process to continue layering the rest of your ingredients.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.

Now take a look at this easy chicken recipe.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients:

To prepare the chicken:
1tb grated lemon rind
2tb fresh lemon juice
1tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2lbs chicken thighs (roughly about 8pcs, skin removed, deboned)
1/2tsp salt
¼tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

To prepare the tomatoes:
2 cups grape tomatoes
2tsp olive oil
2tb chopped parsley
1tsp grated lemon rind
1tb fresh lemon juice
1tb capers
1/8tsp salt
1/8tsp freshly ground black pepper

Procedure:

1. Prepare your grill.
2. Combine the first four ingredients for the chicken marinade. Add chicken and then chill in the ref for about 15 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes, take the chicken out of the marinade and rub with salt and pepper. Line the chicken on the grill coated with cooking spray. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until done.
4. Pre-heat 425 degrees oven.
5. Combine tomatoes and olive oil in a square baking dish. Bake for about 18 minutes or until tender. Mix in tomato mixture with parsley and all the remaining ingredients. Serve with chicken.

These are two of the best low calorie recipes you can easily prepare yourself. An effective weight-loss technique is in knowing how to eat right and being aware of you calorie-intake.

If you are looking for information on best low calorie recipes, click on the link. Or you can visit http://lifestylesecretreview.com/ for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Jarington

Full Body Fitness With Yoga

Kundalini Yoga is a great science to help with full body fitness and health. This is because kundalini yoga combines powerful breathing with dynamic movement, and this combination helps deliver a workout which both, builds your strength, as well as helps with flexibility and stamina. In this article, I will teach you three great yoga exercises which when combined will help you on your march to achieving total body fitness.

The three exercises which will help you in strengthening your entire body are Plank Pose, Stretch Pose and Frog Pose. Plank pose will work on the upper body, helping build your chest, shoulders and arms. Stretch pose will work on your abdominal systems, helping to tone and strengthen your abs. Frog pose is excellent for building and toning your legs, especially your thighs and buttocks. So the combination of these three exercises will give you a full body workout and done consistently, will make you fit and strong.

Here are the details of each of these three exercises:

Plank Pose for Upper Body Fitness:

a. How to Do Yoga Plank Pose:

* Most of us are familiar with doing push ups, and plank pose is essentially the up position when doing a push up.
* For plank pose be sure to keep your body in a straight line, now allowing the butt to sag and the hands should be directly underneath the shoulders.
* Breathing is normal, except if you are doing a particular Kundalini Yoga Kriya, which might require you to do Breath of Fire while holding Plank Pose.

b. Duration:

* 15 seconds - 7 minutes.

c. Benefits:

* Strengthens the arms, shoulders, chest and back.
* Develops your core strength and abdominal muscles.

d. Practice Tips:

* Advanced variations of Plank Pose include, lifting one leg up and holding the pose, or lifting one arm up and holding the pose. This is to take your level of fitness to the next level.

Kundalini Yoga Stretch Pose for Abdominal Fitness:

a. Instructions for Kundalini Yoga Stretch Pose:

* Lie on your back.
* Place your hands under your buttocks palms facing down (to support your lower back).
* Raise your heels 6 inches, point your feet and toes away from you, raise your head slightly and stare at your toes. You will feel the abdominal muscles go to work immediately.
* Begin Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise.

b. Duration:

15 seconds -11 minutes.

c. Benefits:

* Builds abdominal strength.
* Increases core fitness, energy and power.
* Helps develop the much coveted 6 pack abs.
* Improves your digestive system.

d. Practice Tips::

* To modify this pose you can do this posture with your legs bent at the knees, or do one leg at a time. Either way you will reduce the pressure on the abdominal muscles.

Kundalini Yoga Frog Pose for Lower Body Fitness:

Kundalini Yoga Frog Pose Practice Details:

a. How to Do Kundalini Yoga Frog Pose:

* Squat on the floor on your toes, with your feet apart and your heels either touching or very close together.
* Have your knees spread out and your arms inside your knees with your finger tips touching the floor. The elbows are straight.
* Look up, you can have your eyes opened or closed. Inhale. This is the starting position for frog pose.
* Rise up now by straightening your legs. At the same time bring your head towards your knees and keep your fingers touching the floor. Your heels should move down towards the floor. Straighten your legs as much as possible. Exhale. This is the ending position for frog pose. This completes 1 repetition.

* Come back down to the starting position and repeat the cycle as many times as indicated.

b. Duration:

* Beginners, start with as many as you can do and work up to 26 froggies.
* Intermediates, work up to 54 froggies.
* Advanced, work up to 108 froggies or more.

c. Benefits:

* Shapes, tones and strengthens the legs and lower body. Specially the thighs muscles.
* Builds the cardiovascular system and respiratory system. Promoting better circulation and better respiration.
* Promotes flexibility in the hamstrings and calves.
* Overall, builds one level of fitness and endurance.

d. Practice Tips:

* Careful with your knees. If you have bad knees, approach this exercise with caution.
* This yoga exercise will get your heart rate up, so careful not to get dizzy. If you feel breathless, light headed or faint, stop and take a break.
* It is beneficial to stretch the hamstrings before doing frog pose.

Summary of Yoga for Full Body Fitness:

As you can see from the above exercises, a good yoga workout can deliver quite a punch and be an effective science for building your full body fitness and health. These exercises don't just promote flexibility, but are also excellent for training your most important muscles. Doing this set consistently will undoubtedly make you fit, strong and toned.

For more great yoga sets to help you achieve full body fitness and health check out, Yoga for Full Body Fitness, created by Yoga and Meditation Master Anmol Mehta. Also, enjoy the free yoga videos, meditation classes and spiritual e-books he offers on his popular and free website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anmol_Mehta

Proven Weight Loss Supplements

Are you tired of not losing weight?

Their are many proven weight loss supplements available to consumers these days. I'm sure that many individuals who are looking for a proven supplement have been overwhelmed, with making a decision of which product to purchase. A weight loss supplement is anything that an individual might choose to help them lose weight. It could be anything from powders(protein or vegetable), chia seeds and nutritional shakes. These are just a few of the items that are available to those wanting to lose weight. As you can see it can be very overwhelming to anyone looking to find the correct supplement. Their are many places to look online for those wanting to find the appropriate supplement to suit their needs. Their are a few ways to lose weight they include 1) losing fat 2) gaining muscle. These are two very different things. Everyone's goal should be to gain at least a few pounds of muscle, even women. When people just lose weight and don't maintain muscle or gain just a little bit they have that appearance of being flabby. Not only that, but the more muscle an individual has the higher their metabolism. A higher metabolism means that you can eat more food without it affecting your physique. This is very important cause it means if you slip up and have a candy bar or cookie it won't affect the way you look.

Their are innumerable benefits for those using proven weight loss supplements.

1) They help you achieve your goal much faster

2) They give the person a push that they might need to get off those final pounds

3) Some give people more energy

4) Lowers blood pressure

5) Feel better overall

6) Psychological benefits

Always consult your physician before taking any kind of proven weight loss supplements. People take these supplements for many reasons, but the main reason is for weight loss. As discussed above their are many exterior reasons.

I've taken many so called "proven weight loss supplements", some have worked and some haven't. I think that if a person has a goal then by all means do the appropriate research and find something that might work. You just need to find the one that works for you and you'll have wonderful results. Granted it might take a few tries to find a proven weight loss supplement that works for you, but if you persist with your goal in mind you'll find that product.

How to find a proven weight loss supplement that works for you? I suggest to get online and type in a given supplement that you've heard about and see if you can find reviews. Usually when you do this you will learn about others that you never knew existed.

Article Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/weight-loss/proven-weight-loss-supplements

Great Tips In Looking For The Most Effective Fat Burner!

Is there a secret way on how to lose weight fast easy and fast? Most fitness experts will say that you have to burn those extra calories in your body. You have to exercise regularly and try to sweat as much as possible because this is the correct way to melt away those fats that accumulate all over the belly and the thighs. If you are someone who does not have the time to use the treadmill or ride on a bike, then burning fat can really be a very big problem. You need to look for effective and creative ways to remove the calories without spending a lot of effort and time.

A lot of people struggle when it comes to losing weight. Pharmaceuticals came up with some ways to help people lose weight conveniently. This is why they made weight loss supplements and diet pills which were designed to solve this problem. These supplements and pills are filled with enzymes which serve as fat burner to make losing weight continuous. The problem is looking for the most effective fat burner can be very hard, particularly today when many diet products are being sold all around the world.

Here are the most effective fat burners that will help you lose weight. To be able to choose effective products for losing weight, why not ask some of your friends. If you have some friends who, you know, are using diet supplement, you can ask for the product name. You also have to observe if it gives them positive results. You do not have to use the product right away. You still have to consider many things before using it.

If you are looking for the most effective fat burner, you have to learn about these important factors. You actually have a lot of options and the first one is doing an extensive research on each product. Try to list down all the benefits that it provides. You also need to read about testimonials and reviews made by the users. This is a good way to know if a particular product is safe and effective.

You do not have to stick with only the great benefits, instead, also look for the negative feedbacks of the products. If ever you find some negative testimonials, feedbacks and reviews, and this product is also FDA approved, then you have found the best fat burning supplement. These tips can be very helpful if you want a good fat burnerproduct that you can use.

Article Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/build-muscle/great-tips-in-looking-for-the-most-effective-fat-burner