Category: Foods

Almonds and Cholesterol – Are Almonds a Heart-Healthy Snack

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Almonds and Cholesterol: Are Almonds Really a Heart-Healthy Snack?

It seems that many people are experiencing confusion over almonds and if they should or shouldn’t be included as part of a heart healthy diet. On one hand, almonds are reported to lower bad LDL cholesterol. On the other hand, almonds are a calorie-dense food that’s also high in fat.

Numerous studies, including one by the British Journal of Medicine, has shown convincing evidence that regular almond consumption helps lower bad LDL cholesterol. And not just any LDL, but it’s been shown to reduce the small dense LDL particles that do the most damage to your arterial walls and puts you at a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

So what about the question of almonds being high in fat? Over 60% of the fat content in almonds is monounsaturated fats. (This is the same type of fat that is found in olive oil.) Monounsaturated fat is widely accepted to be a key ingredient to reducing the risk of heart disease and part of a heart-healthy diet.

But the health benefits of almonds doesn’t stop with having healthy natural fat and it’s ability to lower low-density lipoproteins. Almonds pack an antioxidant punch with it’s high levels of Vitamin E. And with over 60 mg of magnesium in a quarter-cup of almonds, that’s just more good news for your heart. You see, magnesium has been shown to help improve blood flow and make things ‘easy’ on your veins and arteries. (Translation: Less stress and work for your heart.)

Concerned about adding too many calories if you start eating almonds? Truth is, almonds have been shown to be beneficial at helping aid weight loss. But if you are just a little too ‘scared’ to add more calories, do this…

Substitute almonds for other foods vs. adding almonds to your existing diet. In fact, it’s been estimated by some researchers based on date from a Nurses Health Study that replacing carbohydrates with healthy nuts like almonds may low the risk of heart disease by as much as 30%. The risk may be lowered as much as 45% if you substitute nuts with saturated fats like those founds in meat and dairy.

Looking for some ways to add almonds to your diet? Try these…

– Add almonds to your salad instead of meat or croutons
– Add to your morning cereals (hot or cold)
– Add to yogurt for a tasty crunch
– Add sliced almonds to vegetable dish (great with green beans)
– Eat with a sandwich as a crunchy substitute for chips
– Two words: Almond butter!

And not surprising, eating almond as a “whole food” is optimal for maximum health benefits. The antioxidant punch mentioned previously is more than doubled when the skins are combined with the meat of the almond, compared to either one separately.

Join Akshaya Patra Foundation to Provide Food for Children in India

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When children are fed well, it shows in their physical and mental growth. The children will be more energetic and playful and more importantly they will be happy. This happy state of mind will enable them learn and explore which will help in their academics. As is stated by MFK Fisher, -First we eat, then we do every thing else.- It is a fact too. Hunger is at all level but the sooner we can address it, the better. The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is one such initiative implemented by Government of India to provide food for children in India.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation under the aegis of Central and State government implements this scheme by providing mid-day meal to children studying in Government and Government-aided schools. By doing so, it also helps in countering hunger at the root level. The Foundation is working towards a future that will be hunger free and educated. It believes in providing unlimited food for education.

One nourishing meal has a big impact on the health and growth of children, and especially for those who are in need. Many instances and testimonials of the beneficiaries of Akshaya Patra’s meal have brought to fore the hard truth that the mid-day meal more often than not is their only full meal. While it is providing food for Indian children, it is also helping the children to remain in school and get educated so they grow up to be responsible and able citizens- able enough to feed their family.

The mid-day meal has contributed in positively in various ways. It has increased enrolment in schools and also has been able to reduce the dropout rates. A stomach that’s full can concentrate better- this factor is evident among children. Studies indicate that the health and general growth of children have also shown considerable improvements.

The success stories of the beneficiaries are a great motivating factor for Akshaya Patra. It works in Public-Private Partnership model. Apart from Government support, it is supported by Corporate and Individual philanthropist. The help of generous donors has been an integral factor. Smile of a child is the most wonderful gesture and everyone has the potential to bring this smile. Come ahead and donate for children. It will not only satiate their hunger but it will also bring them to school.

Your support will bring a welcome change in the future. When you contribute towards food for children in India, you are actually taking a significant step towards countering hunger and illiteracy. So, when you do food donation for children, you are actually guiding the children of India towards a successful and bright future.

Learn How To Cook Delicious Food

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Hungry Girl 300 Under 300: 300 Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Dishes Under 300 Calories by Lisa Lillien provides three-hundred recipes for full-sized meals that are healthy as they are delicious. Recipes include breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes plus appetizers and sides. And here’s the kicker: each easy recipe only contains three-hundred calories or less! These recipes allow you to use supplies already in your kitchen such as crock-pots and foil packs. Look forward to guilt-free Creamy Crab Cakes Benedict, Buffalo Chicken Wing Macaroni & Cheese, and Big Apple Butternut Squash Soup.

Academy-Award Actress, avid foodie, and mother of two Gwyneth Paltrow shares a delicious collection of recipes and beautiful photographs celebrating cooking for family in a tribute to her father entitled My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness. As a young girl, Gwyneth cooked and ate with her father, Bruce Paltrow, and she developed a passion for food that shaped how she belives cooking goes hand in hand with family togetherness. In her book she discusses how she balances healthy food with scrumptious treats, how she involves her children in cooking, and offers a glimpse into her life as a daughter, mother, and wife. This book includes 150 recipes and meal ideas that will inspire readers to cook delicious food with those they love.

Heidi Swanson shows readers an easy way to eat naturally and healthily in her recipe collection Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen. Swanson has introduced us to less-processed foods and taught us how to incorporate nutritious and great tasting food into our diets. This book shows you how to pack meals with nutrition by providing nearly 100 natural recipes that are delicious and good for the body. With gorgeous illustrations, you can look forward to cooking Sweet Panzanella, flaky Yogurt Biscuits, or Rose Geranium Prosecco. Swanson makes eating healthy look and feel easy.

Angie Dudley gives the inside scoop on a new irresistible mini treat that is sweeping the dessert world in their recipe book Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats. Through Dudley’s blog, cake pops have become an international sensation. Want to learn how to prepare these cute little cakes on a stick? Cake Pops is the book for you. From simple shapes like decorated balls to more ambitious shapes such as ice cream cones, cupcakes, and baby animals, these delicious treats are the perfect alternative to cake for any celebration. This recipe collection provides clever tricks and tips for presentation, decorating, dipping, and melting chocolate.

Eric C. Westman, Stephen D. Phinney, and Jeff S. Volek have combined their expertise in their book, New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great. This book takes a new take on the exhausted tradtional Atkins Diet by simplifying it and making it more satisfying. It teaches you how to learn how to eat the wholesome foods that will turn your bodies into fat-burning machines. It was created with your goals in mind so it allows you to eat healthy yet delicious food with balance and variety. The New Atkins allows for flexibility so that it can remain a part of your busy life. After incorporating this book in your life you not only will get rid of the pounds but you can keep them off for good.

You can have access to cookbooks in Portuguese from page Books

Roberto Sedycias works as an IT consultant for PoloMercantil

How To Get A Film Star Complexion Fast…. With The Raw Food Diet

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How to get a Film Star Complexion and be the envy of your friends with RFD ?

Many of the benefits Ive discovered over many years on the Raw Food diet, is that my skin tone has improved dramatically.

Althought Im male and in my sixties, Ive noticed how my skin has softened, the frown lines are less intense, as are the laughter lines around the eyes. So much so that people often remark that I look at least 10 years younger than my years!

Thats a great ego – boost, but Im more interested in the benefits of eating a mainly Raw Food diet. I run regularly around the hills where I live, and often leave much younger men behind . That’s just to say it really works.

Now, skin is nourished from the inside, and its re-hydrated from the organic water we obtain [which is incidentally the only pure water on the planet] from natures own fruits and vegetables.

Its true to say that a clean exterior comes from a clean interior, so you need to undertake first of all, a detox. That is, if you really want to have a pure and glowing film-star complexion.

But dont panic. It will not be hard I promise . In fact, you will positively enjoy it.

Now, let me outline the simple procedure which will, if you, follow it precisely , help you to get that blotchy, dull-looking skin you may be suffering with currently, transformed into a bright, clear, glowing countenance.

First ,for Breakfast ,take a large fresh orange, a good firm lime[greener the better] peel and put through a juicer extactor together with a generous sized slice of lemon. Drink and enjoy. That’s the first thing you do in the morning.
Nothing else at all.

Then, for lunch; a small salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, grated carrot and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Then for the evening meal, a large mixed salad , more or less whatever you choose. However, absolutely no dairy product , such as cheese or yoghurt or anything of that ilk.

Now please note,everything must be fresh,natural, uncooked. Drink plenty of water.

Do this programme for at least 3 days,and extend to a week if possible.

If you are like most folks who have undertaken this diet, you will report not only a marked difference in your skin tone,but also your energy levels too.

And thats not all; You will find there are numerous extra benefits you`ll enjoy apart from the initial detox.

For example, weight loss (often a pound per day) thicker healthier hair,healthier teeth and gums and better quality of sleep. Hows that for starters? Go raw,you won’t regret it!

Leopard Gecko-Impaction Problems

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Impaction is defined as something which is blocking the intestine, and this is a very common problem in leopard gecko. Impaction is often caused by ingestion of food that is hard to digest or cannot be digested at all. It is a serious problem and may lead to death of your leo if it is left untreated. In most cases, the number one cause of impaction is ingestion of a loose substrate, food, temperature, and hydration comes next. Any of these causes can lead to difficulty in passing out stool. This will cause sickness to your leopard gecko. Images on the top causes of impaction will be visualized in this article.

Loose substrate

Using loose substrate such as sand, gravel or coconut husk on your leopard geckos cage will require a lot of attention. Loose substrate is the number one cause of impaction because this can be swallowed by your leopard gecko. Because substrates cannot be digested, it can lead to impaction. Better yet, you should not use loose substrate on your leopard geckos cage at all. Follow the guidelines on the list of what specific substrates should you use in your leopard gecko cage.

Food

The rule of the thumb is, when deciding on the food that you will give to your leopard gecko, you should consider the size of your leos mouth. Thus, the size of the food should be appropriate to the size of the mouth of your leopard gecko. The rule of the thumb to follow is, the food of the leopard gecko should not be larger than of the size of the leos head. If your leo has eaten something that is too big, he might have consumed it but it does not mean that he is able to digest all of it. The same goes true with small foods. He might have consumed the entire serving but the quantity that the gecko has taken might be too much to be digested. This will also lead to impaction.

Hydration

The same with the human beings, hydration in your pet is very important to keep a healthy bowel movement. When not enough water is taken the tendency for the body is to get water from other parts of the body and the digestive system is one. If this happens, more water is taken from the digested food. Thus, it will result to constipation which will make it harder for the gecko to pass out his stool.

Temperature

Leopard geckos are cold blooded animals and in order for them to survive, they need constant heat to give balance to their body temperature. Heat is usually attained from an under tank heater. The metabolism of the leopard gecko is directly affected by its body temperature. Cold temperature leads to a slower metabolic rate and a slow metabolic rate results to improper digestion of food.

To treat the problem of impaction, you need to take your leo to the veterinarian. Medical professionals will definitely know how to exactly treat this problem.