There is a great website called www.inmarketmaker.com. It connects the consumers with professional and amateur chefs, organic farmers and markets right here in Indiana. Lots of diet crazes and nutritionists tell us to eat wholesome, organically grown foods. Some fruits and vegetables are made in a factory and come in cans. The process and pesticides the companies use to do this takes away the vitamins and minerals that make produce healthy. This website makes it easy for us to find them locally. You can eat healthy and contribute to our farmers and restaurants at the same time. It even includes local grocers that carry Indiana-grown goods. Check it out today.
A big trend lately has been the waters that have some flavoring in them. But are they good for you? We have all seen the commercials where Propel Fitness Water puts down VitaminWater. But what are the differences between these two? VitaminWater has more sugar and more calories than Propel. Propel is made by Gatorade, and they pride themselves in renewing electrolytes in the system to help with dehydration. They are lower in calories and higher in calcium for strong bones. However, VitaminWater is more departmentalized. Whether you need focus, balance or endurance, VitaminWater has a kind for you.
Some contain Vitamin C, A, E, etc. There are kinds with guarana, zinc or potassium for strength or energy. If you are working out and can burn the calories contained in the VitaminWater, and it can give you more energy then go for it. Follow the links to their websites for more information.
There was a link on TheIndyChannel.com about packing healthier lunches. The article says ‘for kids’, but students bring their lunches, too. Brown-baggin it seems like the best thing, since all the fast food is so fattening. The link gave some great tips on how to eat healthier at lunchtime. Try whole wheat bread instead of white bread. Make sure to include fruits and vegetables, too. Most of all though, make it something good. Don’t try and force yourself to eat something you don’t like. Ease healthier options into your lunch instead of completely changing it all at once.
Lunch is what gets your body through the afternoon so make sure it is something nutritious.
The results are in! The top ten worst foods you can eat. According to the Time-to-Run website here they are:
1. Hydrogenated Fats which are man-made fats. Avoid buying packaged baked goods with hydrogenated oil.
2. Olestra which is used to make fat-free potato chips, and has been known to cause ‘anal leakage.’ Gross!
3. Nitrates which is most common in cured meats like bacon.
4. Alcohol
5. Raw oysters can carry deadly bacterias.
6. Saturated animal fats which are contained in fatty meats and dairy products.
7. Soda is such a bad way to get hydrated. Try water next time.
8. Low-acid, home-canned foods can contain botulism and are the main cause of food poisoning.
9. High-fat snacks like chips are bad because we need a balance of healthy fats in our diet.
10. Liquid meals keep you from eating natural, wholesome foods.
There are new nighttime snacks that can help you sleep. Joy Bauer has written a book called Jou Bauer’s Food Cures. In it she gives some recipes for good snacks to fall asleep better. The key is to combine foods that have some tryptophan with ample carbohydrates. The tryptophan helps with insomnia. The snack should be no more than 200 calories and eaten no less than 30 minutes before bedtime. Non-fat yogurt with granola, apples with peanut butter and/or low-fat popcorn with parmesan cheese are a few tasty treats to enjoy before crawling under those covers. You can find Bauer’s book at any major bookstore.
Why does milk help keep you healthy? Well of course it has calcium and protein that help keep bones strong promote brain strength. There are also many vitamins essential to growth. Some experiments have concluded that Vitamin D contains fat-cell burning capabilities. Studies have suggested that drinking three servings of dairy a day can help you maintain a lower body fat than those who do not get the recommended amount. Those who do have a low calcium diet are more prone to obesity. Two-thirds of adults in the U.S. do not get the calcium they need. Maybe that is an underlying cause on why we are the most obese nation. Check out how milk measures up compared to sodas and fruit juices at the Milk Delivers website. The National Dairy Council has some great recipes and health tips for the whole family, too.
We all know the urban legend of the “freshman 15.” Legend has it that your first year of college you gain 15 pounds or more. Sure it’s hard living on your own for the first time and not having mom around to cook, or being on campus all day, but DietNation.com has got some great tips so that does not happen.
First, exercise! It isn’t hard if you walk to class and take the elevator instead of the stairs. Here on IUPUI’s campus we have the great Naditorium we can go to as well. Next, snack healthier. Bring fruits or veggies and dip or yogurt instead of chips. At home, you can make quick and easy meals that are healthy, too. Ziplock has new steamer bags. Just drop in veggies and seasoning. You could add some chicken or rice, and you have a great meal.
Check out the DietNation website for more information.
A new diet regimen called Volumetrics suggests that you can eat more and weigh less. Dr. Barbara Rolls, a nutrition researcher at Penn State, created this plan and believes it is possible. Basically, you can eat more foods with fewer calories. She bases the food on a density scale. The less dense of foods you eat, the more you can have. Think of it in terms of mass. If you could only fit 20 cookies in a jar (i.e. your stomach,) but could fit 100 grapes in that same jar, the cookies have the higher density. Chips and fatty meats are some examples of dense foods, while the reliable fruits and vegetables have a lower mass. Although you do want to minimize the consumption of higher calorie and dense foods, you do not want to eliminate them all together. Check out Dr. Rolls’ full food density chart at Yahoo! Health.
Wouldn’t it be great to eat pizza without feeling guilty and greasy? MSN.com compares toppings and sides. Adding a side salad and only having one or two pieces of pizza can give you a full serving of vegetables. Avoid high fat meats and substitute them for turkey bacon or turkey pepperoni to save calories. Finally, limiting your portions can help. Thin crust, less cheese and fewer slices can be a great and simple way to cut back on calories but still enjoy foods you love.
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