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Quick Fun Snack Foods For Kids

September 1st, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

It’s often hard enough finding quick healthy meals and snacks for ourselves, let alone our children. Kids like to eat on the run after grabbing something quick from the cupboard before heading back outside to play. What ever is the quickest is often the best for kids whether it’s healthy or not.

Biscuits are often the first thing kids head to when looking for something quick to eat. This is in part due to the fact they are often the easiest thing for us to buy. I am guilty of this myself.

There are many quick healthy alternatives for children to snack on. Healthy, raw fresh fruit and vegetables can be quickly prepared. Dried fruit makes an excellent snack and has a much longer shelf life.

Carrot and Celery sticks are great dipped into a light cream cheese, but for a little variety try some mixing some healthy dip with the cream cheese.

snack foods for kids

For a healthy after school or play snack, try some of these healthy alternatives to sweet biscuits.

  • Carrot sticks with cucumber cheese dip
  • 2 carrots washed (or peeled if you prefer) and cut into suitably sized sticks
  • Half a cup of finely grated cucumber
  • Half a cup light cream cheese spread

Mix grated cucumber with the cream cheese and serve on a plate with the prepared carrot sticks.

An alternative to this would be to grate the carrot and mix through the cheese and cut one centimetre thick slices of cucumber and dip these into the carrot and cheese dip.

  • Dried fruit skewers
  • Bowl full of mixed dried fruit pieces
  • Honey
  • Coconut
  • Skewers

Feed alternate pieces of dried fruit onto skewers. Any sort of fruit is fine (but avoid things like banana chips or other “chip” style dried fruit). Spread a drizzle of honey over the fruit skewers and roll in coconut. (An alternative to this would be to use individual pieces of dried fruit, drizzled with honey and rolled in coconut.) Serve as you would a plate full of biscuits.

Another alternative is to use pieces of fresh fruit such as slices of apple or pear. Cantelope, Watermelon and Honeydew would also work well.

These are only two easy, healthy and fun snacks with variations. Kids will enjoy both making and eating these healthy treats, and because they can be eaten on the run, their fun and busy lifestyles will not be affected.

Educating our kids about the importance of healthy eating is the beginning of them leading their own healthy adult lifestyles. If we let our kids think it’s ok to enjoy junk food the same will grow with them.

Categories: Nutrition Tags: ,

Mono-Sodium Glutamate

September 1st, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Best of my side –The food additive MSG (Mono-Sodium Glutamate) is a slow poison hides behind 25 or more names, such as Natural Flavoring.”

MSG is even in your favorite coffee from Tim Horton’s and Starbucks coffee shops!

I shocked if there could be an actual chemical causing the massive obesity epidemic, and so did a friend of mine, John Erv. He was a research assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario , Canada , and spent years working for the government. He made an amazing discovery while going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called The Slow Poisoning of America.

In hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies.

No strain of rat or mice is naturally obese, so scientists have to create them. They make these nonhuman morbidly obese by injecting them with MSG when they are first born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese. They even have a name for the fat rodents they create: “MSG-Treated Rats.”
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When I heard this, I was shocked. I went into my kitchen and checked the cupboards and the refrigerator. MSG was in everything – the Campbell S’s soups, the Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavored potato chips, Top Ra-men,Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals, and Kraft salad dressings, especially the “healthy low-fat” ones. The items that didn’t have MSG marked on the product label had something called “Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein,” which is just another name for Mono-sodium Glutamate. It was shocking to see just how many of the foods we feed our children everyday are filled with this stuff. MSG is hidden under many different names in order to fool those who read the ingredient list, so that they don’t catch on. (Other names for MSG are “Accent, “Aginomoto,” “Natural Meat Tenderizer,” etc.) But it didn’t stop there. When our family went out to eat, we started asking at the restaurants what menu items contained MSG. Many employees, even the managers, swore they didn’t use MSG.

Give Your Brain the Boost it Needs

August 28th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

They say the brain functions like a muscle and that in order for you to build your muscle you must strengthen it. So how do we do it? How can we take care our brain the right way? Well it all starts with looking at what is in your fridge.

Most of the things that we eat fuel our bodies for energy and great health but they can also serve as a boost to our brain to help with good health, concentration, and clear thinking. Scientist suggests that incorporating foods that helps the brain can not only increase your brain functions but can potentially even ward off Alzheimer’s disease. So when you make your next trip to the grocery store make sure you pick up some of these items to boost your brain power

Apple juice and pomegranate juice - Researches have found that apple juice and pomegranate juice may helps you boost your memory

Red grapes, cherries, apples, blueberries and strawberries – Researchers have also suggested that these fruits helps with better cell functions of the brain

Tea and cocoa -herbs in the tea and nutrients in cocoa helps protect the brain from plaque build up.

Salmon and light tuna - This is the mecca of brain food. Provides Omega 3 to the brain

Soy foods - Some studies indicate that isoflavones, which are found in soy, can improve cognitive function, especially in postmenopausal women.

Sunflower seeds, walnuts-not only great for the heart but also the brain. These nuts provide memory health and the walnut is a rich content of Omega-3

Vegetables, especially leafy greens-No brainer. all vegetables feed the body as well as the brain

Canola oil, olive – High in mono-unsaturated fat, olive oil has been shown to improve memory. A cheaper alternative is canola oil, but this hasn’t been studied much yet.

Dark chocolate - It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain.

It is recommended that you get these items in its natural form. If you get items that have these items in it or if they are packaged, make sure to read the label on the side. Sometimes, the items are made with large amounts of sugar which will defeat the purpose. Try to cut down on foods that contain saturated fats and try to ignore trans fats as much as you can.

Acai Superfood For Superior Health

August 28th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Are you ready to learn all about the Acai superfood for superior health? Movie stars and doctors think that this purple berry is one of the most powerful natural foods on our planet. Oprah Winfrey believes that Acai is the ultimate food for longevity!

The reason why so many people believe in this Amazonian purple berry is because it works! There is another side to this story and that is you have to be careful where you buy it from. If you buy it from a source that is not reputable and it’s not 100% pure Acai, then you will not benefit from this superfood.

In the Amazonian region of Brazil, the Acai berries are harvested to feed their communities. This amazing superfood is a main staple in Brazil and it has helped improve their economy! Too bad this wonderful purple berry could not be grown in America, because we sure do need a healthy economy!

The pulp of this purple berry is commonly used in many different kinds of beverages in Brazil. If you go to a juice bar in Rio, you will have the opportunity to try out one of their smoothies in a bowl. Not only do you get to see beautiful women in skimpy bikinis, but you also get to taste a delicious bowl of the coveted Acai!

This purple berry has become very popular in southern Brazil, where they enjoy consuming it daily. I don’t know about you, but there is nothing better than surfing in Brazil and eating a bowl of of Acai mixed with granola. When you try it in it’s raw and pure form, you will never be the same again!

Unfortunately, Acai deteriorates very quickly and has to be frozen or freeze-dried, in order for all of us to consume it. This means that you have to have a strict manufacturing facility, that focuses in on the potency and purity of this purple berry.

Over the years I have noticed several different companies coming out with different Acai products, such as sorbets and tasty health drinks. The bad news is, most of these health drinks from the stores contain extra added sugar. I contacted one of the companies and was appalled to find, that they readily admitted to adding the sugar, so that it would taste better.

After a lot of research I found one company that produces a freeze-dried Acai pill and it is highly potent. This company has gone to extreme lengths to make sure that they have the purest Acai product available on the market today and I want you to be one of the few, to know about it!

Omega 3 Foods

August 25th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

If you’re anything like me you know you need more omega3 foods in your diet. But, it can sometimes be hard to eat right.

Of course, fatty fish like salmon, tuna, hoki and sardines are some of the best resources of these essential omega3 fatty acids. But, you can also boost your intake by eating more spinach, walnuts, olive oil and grass fed beef. Some eggs are also fortified with these important fatty acids (look on the carton, it’ll say if they have omega 3).

Here’s a short list of what these nutrients can do for you:

1- Reduce inflammation
2- Prevent cancer cell growth
3- Keep your arteries clear which helps prevent heart attacks
4- Improve your memory
5- Boost your mood
6- Prevent excessive blood clotting

While everyone needs plenty of omega3 foods, if you experience depression, heart conditions, Type 2 Diabetes, arthritis, lack of concentration and dry and brittle skin or hair, you may need more of these nutrients.

The problem is, the typical modern Western diet doesn’t really include these fatty acids. Fast foods, take out, and other highly processed foods are very low in them if they have them at all. And, a rise in epidemics like Heart Disease can be linked to a deficiency in these nutrients.

In fact, a Harvard University study linked a deficiency in these nutrients with a higher risk of a premature death. Their study showed a diet deficient in omega3 fatty acids could be linked to the early deaths of between 63,000 and 97,000 Americans a year.

So, what can you do to make sure you get these important nutrients? Eating more fish is crucial. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish 2-3 times a week to ensure you get the fatty acids you need.
As mentioned above, you’ll do well to eat more walnuts and spinach too.

Many doctors also recommend fish oil supplements.

Fish is recommended so often because it has high levels of DHA and EPA. These two fatty acids are part of the omega3 foods you need for a healthy brain and heart.

Whether you’re taking supplements or eating fish, you want to make sure you’re getting a product free of pollutants like mercury. One fish that’s become available, particularly in supplements is called Hoki. It comes from the pristine waters of New Zealand and you can find it in supplements online.

Avoid fish from the Atlantic as that’s especially polluted. Salmon from the Pacific is a good choice.

If you don’t like fish you can find supplements that use pure fish like hoki and then put them through a process of molecular distillation. That further ensures their purity.

Wheatgrass Juicer

August 22nd, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

There are all kinds of things we can do to get healthy and stay in shape, including getting plenty of exercise and rest, and of course, eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. Often, we do not get all of the nutrition we need from our diets, for many reasons, including not having time to cook, or having to eat on the run. One good way to get plenty of nutrition quickly and easily is to have a healthy glass of wheatgrass juice, which is easy when you use the Healthy Juicer – Manual Wheatgrass Juicer by Lexen Products.

motorjuicer

Easy to Use and Easy to Clean

The Healthy Juicer is not only a wheatgrass juicer. You can make all kinds of different delicious juice from many fruits and vegetables. This is great for people who do not like the taste of vegetables or wheatgrass, because these juices can be masked by the many tasty fruits you use to make your juices. Plus, when you combine fruits and vegetables, you are getting even more nutritional value. The Healthy Juicer is really easy to use, and instead of grinding the fruits and vegetables, it crushes them, to extract the most juice possible. There is less heat build-up with this juicer than with other juicers, so using the Healthy Juicer doesn’t destroy certain enzymes and other nutrients.

The Healthy Juicer – Manual Wheatgrass Juicer is also really easy to set up and clean. It only takes a couple of minutes to take the whole juicer apart, and the parts clean easily with a little bit of warm, soapy water. When you are juicing, all of the pulp and other waste is expelled, so the machine is not clogged up, making it more difficult to clean.

wheatgrass juicer

The Manual Wheatgrass Juicer Is Great for Traveling, Too

One of the best ways to kill a healthy diet is by going on vacation. Often, when we are away, we throw caution to the wind, and eat out the entire time. This is all right if you are eating healthy foods, but more often than not, the food we eat on vacation is not healthy, especially when we take advantage of low-priced meals at fast food restaurants, which a lot of us do while away. Whenever possible, it is a good idea to bring along your own food. It doesn’t take up much space to have a cooler with some healthy foods it in it, and of course, healthy, fresh juice. You can make sure that your juice is always fresh, even while on vacation, with the Healthy Juicer – Manual Wheatgrass Juicer. Because it is so portable and lightweight, this juicer can be taken with you just about anywhere. And, since it needs no electricity, this is the ideal juicer to take on camping trips, too.

What Makes Whole Grains So Healthy?

August 21st, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

If you read a lot of articles about diet and nutrition, you probably find that most nutritionists and diet experts frequently recommend introducing whole grains as central aspects of your everyday diet. This is one of those dietary guidelines that we all try to follow, yet most people aren’t quite sure about what makes whole grain breads so different from breads that aren’t labeled as such. Is there really a huge difference, or is it all just hype?

Whole grains vs. processed grains

The fact is that there is a major difference. From a health perspective, studies have shown that eating whole grains on a regular basis can reduce one’s risk of certain types of cancer, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes. Most provide a good amount of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Meanwhile, specific whole grains have benefits of their own. For example, oats have been shown to reduce cholesterols, while some of the more exotic whole grains such as quinoa provide large amounts of protein.

The alternatives to whole grains are much less healthy, mainly due to the fact that they have been more thoroughly processed. When grains are refined for processing into non-whole grain breads, many of the healthy parts of the grains are filtered away, creating a soft and easily digestible product that may taste good but is practically devoid of the good things about grains. Bread that has been heavily processed is basically a loaf of carbs with no nutritional value.

Where to find whole grain products

Finding whole-grain products is really easy given the fact that most of them are clearly labeled as “whole grain.”Still, many people assume that products labeled with terms like “wheat,” “stone-ground,” “cracked wheat,” “multigrain,” or “bran” are whole grain, but this is simply not true. While we tend to think of standard wheat bread as being more healthy than white bread, the difference is actually insignificant unless that wheat bread is whole grain. Many wheat breads are not.

While many whole-grain products are easy to find, some of the more exotic ones can only be found at health-food stores or more forward-thinking supermarkets. Quinoa, for example, is rarely found in traditional stores, even though it is one of the healthiest and tastiest whole grains.

How much whole grain should you eat?

Most authoritative bodies recommend that adults get anywhere from 6 to 11 servings of whole grain per day. This may seem like a lot, but it’s actually not so much when you break it down. For example, on a typical day you might have two servings of oatmeal for breakfast, three servings of whole grains in your bread at lunch, and three more whole grain servings for dinner in the form of pasta or a slice of bread.

Categories: Nutrition Tags: ,

Lower Cholesterol Naturally

August 19th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

There are two kinds of cholesterol – the LDL or the bad cholesterol and the HDL or good cholesterol. It is good for our health to have an increase of good cholesterol and decrease of bad cholesterol. If it is the reverse, then it is the right time to consult your doctor for a regular check-up. But between prescription drugs and the natural ways of reducing cholesterol levels, the latter is more preferred since it is free from any side effects.

What are the natural ways of lowering your cholesterol? These are by maintaining balanced and proper diet and adopting cholesterol lowering medications alternatives.

Maintaining balanced and proper diet is one way of lowering cholesterol naturally. Avoid unhealthy and fatty foods as well as the use of hydrogenated oils which are commonly found in processed and refined foods. Also, limit the intake of Tran’s fats which are commonly found in spreads and margarines.

Be careful when you use cooking oil. It is better to avoid the use of oils saturated in fats. Instead, use virgin olive oils because this has low bad cholesterol. Garlic should be used in our diet because this can lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol in the body.

Omega 3fatty acids are also needed by our body. The best source of omega3 fatty acids are flax seed oil and fish. These fatty acids are extremely helpful in promoting our general health and well being.

Increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Have a choice of blueberries and garlic, extra virgin oil and more of fatty fish oils because these are necessary for balancing cholesterol in the body. Distilled omega 3 supplements are better so fish is extra good for health to avoid toxins in the body.

Dietary changes with the right nutrients for our body are the best way to lower cholesterol naturally. With this, serious health conditions can be avoided and there is a guarantee of optimum health.

Instead of the prescribed drug medications, there is another way of lowering cholesterol naturally. This is with the help of herbs and lowering nutrients and minerals. This is the safer way because side effects can be avoided.

It is better to combine balanced and proper diet and adopting cholesterol lowering medications alternatives with regular exercise to make the body fir and right. Choose a kind of exercise that you like most and more easily for you to do. With exercise, you’ll look better and even younger than your age. If you are not used to this, then you start with the exercise you want slowly. What is important is your have started with the exercise.

Regular exercise is good for our health. It helps in the stretching of muscles and the smooth flow of blood and oxygen to the heart and for the heart to function smoothly distributing the blood and oxygen to the different parts of the body. Exercise helps in the normal functioning of the central nervous, circulatory, digestive and respiratory systems.

With all of these considered, there is a guarantee of a longer, happier and healthier life.

Stress – How it Impacts the Food We Eat

August 15th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

How the animals and plants we eat were raised determines how eating them impacts our health. As with people, conditions influence stress levels which influences health.

Do you know how your food was raised?

When I was a kid there was a farm on the dead end by my house. A horse and cow lived on that farm. I saw them everyday when I played baseball in the farmer’s field.

When I learned that the meat I ate came from cattle I never wanted to eat it again. The thought of raising an animal with the sole intention of killing it so I could eat really bothered me.

So I asked that all my meat be cooked so well done that no signs of blood appeared on my plate. Then I doused every piece of meat in ketchup to hide the flavor and appearance of what I ate.

After reading Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, in junior high school, my feelings about eating meat grew much stronger. Not only was meat raised to feed us but the living conditions and butchering process are extremely stressful to the animals.

In those days very few people ate a vegetarian diet. I didn’t have a clue. So it wasn’t until I became an adult with kids of my own that I became a vegetarian and educated myself about nutrition.

After fifteen years as a vegetarian I suffered a brain injury that impaired my functioning so much my health crashed. My holistic doctor told me, not advised, told me, I needed to eat animal protein.

Reluctantly I agreed and my world changed.

I still didn’t like eating animals. I knew that protein changed my life.

And I also learned something about small family operations versus large commercial meat operations.

I talked with someone whose family has (for generations) raised cattle and poultry for a living. She explained how well the treat their animals. They graze in pastures and eat only organic hay the family raises themselves.

She explained that stressed animals yield tough meat. So they treat their animals special. And, indeed, they produce meat that is clean and consumers know her animals were not stressed during their lifetimes.

Also realize that stressed cattle secrete stress hormones into their muscles (meat). The butchering process (from loading them into trucks, transporting them and unloading them) is highly stressful. In addition to the chemical grain (naturally raised cattle eat grass – grain-fed beef is Not healthy for you), hormones, antibiotics and just pain conditions of the process create a less than healthy product for consumption.

I still do not like the idea of taking a life so I can eat. But then I didn’t really like growing vegetables just so I could eat. I wish people were like plants and we made our own food But we don’t.

You see plants are beings with a consciousness too. I recall a study I read as teenager that recently resurfaced, of measuring a plant’s reaction to shrimp being boiled in the next room.

You read that right. The plants’ reactions were measured and recorded according to responses of live shrimp being placed in boiling water and frozen already dead shrimp placed in boiling water.

Interestingly the plants showed stress responses to the live shrimp being killed that did not appear to the already dead shrimp being cooked.

All creatures – plant and animal – have a consciousness. Respect that Divinity in them as you do in people. You do see others as Divine Beings, yes?

My friends who hunt practice what Native Americans have always done, honoring, blessing and thanking the animal for giving its life so they may eat and live. They use every part of the animal not just the meat.

All life is sacred. All life experiences the feelings of all other life. Live in that knowledge to shift your own being and impact the entire planet.

Teenage Obesity and Fast Food

August 8th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

More children today are struggling on how to eat healthy and on how to keep their body from becoming fat. The availability of fast food everywhere, and the lack of exercise are making it difficult for these kids not to gain weight. The poor eating habits contain mostly of fast food which means meals and snacks of super size sugary soft drinks, cheeseburgers rich in fat and high in sodium, fries and carbohydrates like white bread that has heaps of refined white sugar and white flour.

If these kinds of food are consumed in large portions on a daily basis, children and teenagers will definitely have a problem with obesity. The ingredients found in these fast food are responsible for a person becoming obese. Combined these with an unhealthy lifestyle and you got a big problem.

The reality is, this is becoming more common nowadays and mothers are getting concerned about the health of their kids. It is hard to resist when the food is affordable, tasty and convenient for everyone. Thus, eating fast food is becoming the normal way of eating. Added to that is the kind of activities kids are involved today, outdoor activities are not so popular anymore. Kids can be found mostly in front of their computers playing games all day or watching TV. So how do you help your kid from becoming fat and obese?

If you are a mother and you are worried about your children becoming fat and obese, there is still hope. For one, you can change the unhealthy lifestyle your kids are doing now. You can slowly introduce fun outdoor activities that your family can enjoy. You can prepare meals that are healthy and you can use a slimming agent that can aid your teens in their goal of maintaining a healthy weight level by using a medically proven fat binder called Proactol. Introducing this weight loss agent can make your child crave less in eating unhealthy saturated food. It can make your teen lose weight at a pace that is comfortable for you and your child. So if you are one of those mothers with a child struggling with obesity, do not hesitate to check out a slimming agent to help you in solving your problem.