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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Fruit Health Benefits

With many western diets revolving around high fat junk foods, fruit health benefits are not something that should be ignored. Consuming plenty of fruit in your diet is an excellent way of staying healthy and reducing your chances of developing a life threatening illness.
Fruit health benefits are enormous. Most fruits are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and other naturally occurring nutrients. By making sure we eat enough fruit as part of a healthy diet, we are equipping our bodies with the armor to withstand the daily bombardment of toxins from pollution. Fruit can also provide the necessary nutrients to help us deal with the stresses of modern life.
Many scientific studies have proven that people who choose to include more fruit in their diet are less likely to develop serious health problems such as coronary heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes-all of which are endemic in the modern world. But as well as acting as a preventative aid against serious illness, fruits also contains nutrients which help the body to fight infection and repair cell damage.
As well as vitamins and minerals, fruit contains antioxidants which are very important in the fight against serious diseases like cancer. Antioxidants work by preventing free radicals from attacking the body. These so-called free radicals are responsible for damaging cells, which can trigger many diseases including heart disease and Alzheimer's. Free radical production can be caused by many factors including pollution, alcohol, and cigarette smoke. By eating enough fruit, we can help to prevent free radicals causing cell damage.
Fruit also contains plenty of fibre, which is very important for keeping the human digestive system working properly. A diet packed full of fruit can help the body to efficiently expel waste products, which includes the toxins that can lead to colon and bowel cancer.
Eating at least five portions of fruit per day is far better than taking diet supplements. It is also a much tastier option. There are plenty of varieties of fruit to choose from and most supermarkets stock lots of tasty exotic fruits as well as the more familiar fruits we are used to.
As well as the many fruit health benefits, incorporating enough fruit into your diet is a great way to lose weight. Fruits are full of fibre which helps the body to feel full after a meal. This stops snacking, which is the downfall of many diets based on restricted calories. Because fruit is so healthy, you can eat as much of it as you wish without consuming too many calories. Instead of snacking on chips or candy between meals, you can try eating a piece of fruit instead. Not only is this a much healthier alternative, it will also help to control any insidious cravings for sugary snacks.
Although fresh fruit is preferable, any type of fruit will do. You can try dried fruit, tinned fruit, or fruit juice. It is easy to make fruit an enjoyable part of your diet and by increasing the amount of fruit you eat in your daily diet, you will soon see what a difference fruit health benefits can make.
If you are not a fruit lover you should be. Our website has a wealth of information on many different species of fruit, their health benefits and even some very great recipes.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Diets to avoid

diets-to-avoid

If you are trying to lose weight, then it is only natural to be attracted to all the diets promising miracles. However, beware of such diets because not only do they sometimes cause health problems, they also are ineffective in the long term.
Here are the top six of the miracle diets that you should avoid.
Atkin  Diet
This diet followed the theory that processed carbohydrates and insulin are the culprits. Therefore, it involves leaving out the carbohydrates and sugar and eating protein. While this one is quite simple to follow, eating huge amounts of saturated fats that are found in meat, the allowable protein, can put at a risk of heart disease.
It allows 1200-1800 calories per day, while eliminating a lot of whole grains, fruits, calcium and fiber. This low-carb diet is difficult to maintain for a long time.
The Blood Type Diet
The basis of this diet was that your food intake depends on your blood type. Therefore, the calorie intake varies. While everybody is allowed to have many fruits and veggies and lean protein, this theory is not scientifically supported or proven.
In addition to this, it will be difficult to stick to because it would be a task to prepare meals for different blood types within the same family.
Pritikin Diet
The base of this diet is limiting fat intake to 10-15% of total calories. Lean cuts of meat are encouraged. However, a diet so low in fat will cause overeating because it will not keep men satisfied for a longer time. Hence, it is difficult to keep to in the long term.
The Cabbage Soup Diet
This diet promises a loss of 20 pounds in a week. However, it involves having a cabbage, onions, peppers, tomatoes, celery and onion soup mix and one other food. In addition to this, this diet should only be for a week and not more. While it causes rapid weight loss, the weight loss is mainly water and hence, temporary.
The Grapefruit Diet
It involves eating a grapefruit with some protein, black coffee and salad. The grapefruit is supposed to work its magic. Only 800 calories per day are allowed. While you will get a lot of vitamin C and fiber, you are losing out on other nutrients.
The Caveman Diet
Here the modern processed foods are the culprits and hence, banned. Lean meat, fish, nuts, seeds, berries, fresh fruits and veggies are the good guys. While you do get more vitamins and nutrients, you are likely to fall victim to carbohydrate cravings and overeat. In addition to this, the theory is not scientifically proven.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Mental Health Checkup

I am continuing my list of topics to consider in a mental health checkup. Remember, if any of these issues raise red flags for you, your family doctor, family member or clergy may be a good place to get advice about next steps.
Avoidance — Do you feel like you’re avoiding yourself? It may seem like a funny question, but if you find yourself going out of your way to keep from being by yourself, then that could indicate that there is something you are trying to avoid emotionally. Many people find that their feelings of anxiety or worry are intensified when they are alone, and so they find ways to distract themselves by staying busy. We can often be unaware of this subconscious strategy to protect ourselves from painful feelings. If you think that this describes you, when you have a moment, go to a quiet place where you will be uninterrupted and sit quietly for a few minutes. How do you feel? Take a moment to write it down. If you find that even the thought of spending quiet time by yourself makes you tense, write that down as well. The goal is not to avoid your problems, but to find effective ways to deal with them.
Eating Habits — Has your appetite changed? Are you eating too much or too little? And what are you eating? If you find that you’re craving foods that are high in carbohydrates (sugar) and fat, or that you’re eating larger quantities than usual, it could be a sign of emotional eating as a response to stress. While temporarily satisfying, high sugar and fatty foods ultimately zap your energy and leave you feeling lower. Not to mention that the added pounds can become an additional source of stress.

Tomorrow I’ll round out my topics for a mental health checkup by discussing mood, concentration, balance and energy.

Faith & Mental Illness in the African American Community

By Gina N. Duncan, M.D.
For many in the African American community, faith is an integral part of life.  In one study, approximately 85 percent of African American respondents described themselves as “fairly religious” or “religious” and considered prayer a common way of coping with stress.   
My training as a psychiatrist coupled with my background enables me to have a unique perspective on the field of psychiatry as it relates to the African American community.  I come from a Southern, deeply religious African American family of educators.  My grandfather, a gifted musician, suffered from depression for most of his adult life.  While it did not prevent him from having a successful career as a school principal, civic leader, and church member, it did prevent him from enjoying his blessings more fully.  This has had a ripple effect in my family, which continues to be felt even three generations out.  Fortunately, because of the struggles we observed in our grandfather, the younger members of my family have become much more vocal about our own stresses, and are determined to not let history repeat itself.
For many of us, emotional issues and mental illness are inextricably linked to issues of faith.  Some may view depression as a punishment for sin, psychotic illness as the presence of demons, or anxiety as a lack of faith in God’s ability to provide.  As a person of faith myself, I can say that faith provides a holistic view of life and of the meaning behind our individual experiences and struggles.  However, that does not mean that we cannot make use of all the resources available to us.  After all, if we have a headache we take Tylenol, right?  And if your doctor tells you to take medicine for your diabetes and high blood pressure, you listen.
Some emotional problems can be fully resolved with talk therapy and support.  However, more serious problems such as recurrent depression, thoughts of suicide, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder often require medication in addition to other forms of treatment.  This is an exciting time in the field of psychiatry and brain science, as we learn more and more about the biological basis of many mental illnesses.  And the good news is that there are many proven, effective treatments.
African Americans are a resilient people.  In honor of Black History Month, let’s make a commitment to living our best lives.  That means getting the help you need.  If you think you are suffering from depression, anxiety, or another mental illness, please know that it does not affect you alone.  It impacts your spouse, your children, and your community.  There are a lot of resources on HealthyMinds.org to help you get started.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

6 Ways to Keep the Weekend From Wrecking Your Diet

six-weekend-diet
Getty Images

During the week, it’s not too tough to maintain my weight by watching what I eat and exercising regularly. However, when the weekend comes along, I’m more likely to splurge on my diet and slack on my workouts. Sometimes it’s as if on my weekends I undo everything I worked hard to achieve during the week! My goal is always to stay on track but to still have fun, so I use some tips and tricks to maintain my Feel Great Weight. Here’s a look at how I handled this past weekend.

Friday
On Friday night, my husband and I arrived in Newport, R.I., ready to relax and unwind with a drink. We stopped by the convenience store and picked up a six-pack of beer and a box of Vermont White Cheddar Wheat Thins. Of course, this wasn’t the healthiest happy hour I’ve ever participated in, but there were slim pickings at the store!
Plan a Saturday morning workout
I was in the mood to unwind with a few pumpkin beers. However, a long marathon training run the next day prevented me from drinking too much. Plus, the more I drink, the more I want to snack, especially when faced with a box of cheddar crackers! Planning an early morning workout kept me in check. I drank only two beers over the course of the entire evening and paced myself with multiple glasses of water. Also, knowing that I’d burn some extra calories in the morning made me enjoy my Friday night splurges a lot more.
Move the snacks
Once I have a couple of beers, I’m immediately drawn to snack foods. If they are nearby, I’ll continue to munch away mindlessly. I found myself going back for more and more crackers, so I put a napkin over the bowl to remind me to stop munching. I ended up sneaking a few bites, but I definitely ate less than I would have otherwise!
Saturday
Saturday morning, my husband and I woke up for a 9-mile run, which required a pre-workout snack for fuel. We stopped by a local café for a pistachio-chocolate muffin and an iced coffee.
Share the fun stuff
I absolutely love the special muffins at this particular café. Still, they’re nearly as big as my head! Instead of denying myself one of my favorite treats, I shared it with my husband. I needed some food in my stomach to have enough energy to run for more than an hour, but I didn’t need as many calories as the muffin provided. Splitting it with my husband and eating only half was the perfect solution.
Enjoy a drink after dinner
After running 9 miles and a long day of shopping, my husband and I stayed in Saturday night. We ended up ordering pizza, which is not necessarily a low-calorie meal. Still, when my husband returned with a pizza and a 6-pack of beer, I didn’t let myself go crazy. I’m all about enjoying a drink with dinner. But instead, I drank some water with dinner and enjoyed one beer after dinner for “dessert.” This way, my inhibitions weren’t lowered when faced with an entire cheesy pizza!

Monday, November 1, 2010

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