Posts Tagged ‘health and nutrition’
What You Should Know About Natural Sweeteners and Artificial Sweeteners
Finding a sugar substitute that is healthy without negative side effects is a challenge. There are many choices and with the clever marketing and conflicting arguments it is difficult to determine what direction is best for you. Fortunately there is a lot of information available to help in making the right choice. Here are a few quick thoughts and facts you can use in your search.
When considering sugar substitutes there are two very distinct directions you can go. You can go with a man made artificial or an all natural sweetener. Each have their own side effects or benefits to consider. Artificial sweeteners are specifically engineered to provide some particular benefit, but I don’t know that we have figured out how to create a chemical that provides that benefit without causing another side effect. Even natural sweeteners will have different benefits and side effects to consider. You will need to decide which works best for you.
There is a large supply of artificial sweeteners available on the market these days. Most of them are based on two popular artificial sweeteners, Sucralose and Aspartame. These sweeteners are designed to be calorie free or at least trick your body into treating it like something with no caloric value. The reports are conflicting at times but there seems to be mounting evidence, especially with Aspartame, that major side effects include migraines, stomach upset, seizures in some people and others. You might also consider the fact that cooking with these sweeteners will provide different results. Aspartame will break down in the heat and cannot be cooked with at all. Sucralose will stand the heat but because of the filler required it will leave your foods dry and undesirable in texture. There is a lot of money in finding the right sugar substitute and with big money comes big marketing campaigns designed to convince you against the truth. Be careful to consider the long term effects.
Quickly catching up in popularity are the all natural sweeteners. Some of them you may have heard of are Erythritol, Xylitol, Mannitol, Sorbitol and Stevia. All of these are 100% natural and sweet to the taste. However, just because it is all natural doesn’t mean it won’t have side effects. Three of the above mentioned seem to stand out as better alternatives to sugar; Erythritol, Xylitol and Stevia. Xylitol and Stevia will cause digestion issues if you aren’t careful with the quantity you consume. Erythritol however is digested differently by the body and will not cause gastric pain. Another nice benefit of Erythritol is that it is the only one that doesn’t promote tooth decay and it is the only one on the list to be zero calorie.
Erythritol is found in many fruits and vegetables and is about 70% sweet as sugar. As mentioned earlier it has zero calories and digests in the small intestine leaving your body through your urine not causing gas pains like many other natural products. Erythritol is also a great choice for diabetics because it will not cause a rise in your blood sugar levels. You can find Erythritol online or in a store and use it alone as a sweetener with great benefit. There are also a few companies now that are finding super sweet natural ingredients and blending that with Erythritol to bring the sweetness up to that of sugar. Because if its physical properties it is also great for cooking and can in fact be measured cup for cup like sugar.
This article represents only an extremely small part of the opinions and considerations to filter through. It is clear that my choice is Erythritol, but that is because I have done the research and tried the products. Hopefully my explanation of the process of eliminating artificial sweeteners as too dangerous from your list of options and the rationale used to determine Eyrithritol as the lucky winner will help you follow a similar path.
Learn more about natural sweeteners at www.doctorgrandmas.com. Doctor Grandma’s website is filled with information about the benefits of Erythritol and other healthy foods.
Tags: diabetes, eating, Health, health and nutrition, healthy eating, natural sweeteners, Nutrition, sugar substitutes, sweeteners
My Energy Drink Is Better Than Yours!
With the hundreds of energy drinks on the market today, it would seem rather difficult to compare them all. However, we do have the list of most popular, such as Red Bull, Rockstar, and Monster energy drinks. Of course, if you really want to compare you can visit various forums, and Youtube to get an idea.
Energy Drink Flavors
I think what draws some people to drinking energy drinks besides the rush is the flavor. Some are looking for something that really tastes good. Flavor is a huge point. When manufacturers create these they know that the energy drinks they make must have appeal, not in looks only but particularly in flavor.
The taste can range from fruity, such as the acai berry, mangosteen, citrus, to tea-ish like. Others can taste like medicines altogether. And some like you are drinking a bottle of salt, trust me from personal experience. We will cover the looks in a minute. There are enough brands of energy drinks to cover almost every desirable taste out there today. It depends on you. What key reason makes you drink energy drinks?
The Look Of Energy Drinks
The manufacturers know that in this case, looks can be everything, especially when it comes to marketing their product. I mean go on Youtube and search out the main competitors in the energy drink industry such as Red Bull, Monster, and Amp. Their appearance is flashy, bold, luring, and in your face. Some have put everything possible on it to lure the marketplace, such as almost naked women, and drug resemblances. If they made it so it looked like a bottle of Robitussin, would you buy it? So the look or appearance of energy drinks does account for something, right or wrong.
The Performance Of Energy Drinks
I think the greatest comparison is the performance of the energy drink. Aside from everything else, how the energy drink performs for the consumer makes the difference.
* Do energy drinks perform?
* Did the advertisements lie?
Performance is one of the main reasons these drinks get sold. Looking good and tasting good is only part of it. It is the advertisements of gained energy, better athletic performance, the stay awake power, you know, the mega effect that makes coffee look like a cup of water. Indeed, energy drinks are NOW the new craze of the 21st century and the beverage industry. When Coca Cola and Pepsi, make their own energy drinks, you know it is huge.
Does your energy drink rock? If so, tell us about it on our blog. That’s right we are desiring your feedback. Please, mature comments only, and they will be displayed, promise!
Cheers, Joe
Learn more about drinking the best energy drink. Stop by Joseph Young’s site where you can find out all about energy drink ingredients and the positive and negative results it can have on you.
Tags: energy drinks, family, Health, health and nutrition, healthy energy drinks, Nutrition, sports
What Are Healthy Breakfast Foods
At the start of each day it is essential to give our bodies the nutrients needed to keep our bodies functioning through the daily demands. If we don’t eat what our bodies need our body will begin to tell us so and most likely you will end up eating something you shouldn’t. Skipping breakfast is not an effective way to lose weight or manage health.
By getting the healthy breakfast foods first thing in the morning we are able to perform at a much better level. Our appetites will not be for candy or sweets because our body is full and focused on the tasks of the morning. In order to stay satisfied your body wants the energy you are asking of it. If you are filling it with candy or sweets or other empty calories you cannot be healthy.
The healthy breakfast foods are those full of nutrient rich ingredients. Whole foods, like fruits and vegetables and whole wheat grain products are full of nutrition that will sustain your body with the need energy. Those foods advertised as fast and convenient are usually low in substance with add-in vitamins that look good on the box but there is nothing to them. Your stomach never gets full because there is no substance.
Typical breakfast food advertised so heavily is nothing more than sugar. You can look at the nutrition information and see that it has as they claim x number of essential vitamins, but if you look closer you will also see that it is no where near what your body needs to sustain an active lifestyle or even a semi-active lifestyle. Boxed cereals are typically NOT healthy breakfast foods.
The breakfast foods that don’t smash into nothing that will fill your stomach and last the morning through are the real healthy breakfast foods. Of course a steak and egg breakfast every morning isn’t going to be too healthy either but it will at least give you the energy you need. If you do like a hardy meal in the morning make sure and check your fat content because that’s the part that will kill you. Control your portion size and don’t over indulge yourself. The idea is to eat the amount of food you body will need until you have time for that next meal. Steak and eggs isn’t necessarily bad for most people, it’s just when you eat too much of it that it’s bad.
When you are looking for healthy breakfast foods, take the time to compare the nutritional facts. They are hard to read sometimes, but if you take the time to learn a little about it and actually compare you will quickly learn how to pick out the good stuff from the garbage. Keep in mind that the advertisers are trying to convince you how healthy their products are, so don’t listen to the loud screaming ads on the box, look at the facts. Many of the vitamins and minerals are there because they can be put in in supplemental form but the hardy ingredients that will give you the substance you need will be those higher in protein, fiber and whole grains.
In your search for healthy breakfast foods please consider the experience and expertise of Doctor Grandma. DoctorGrandmas.com has been a provider of excellent healthy breakfast foods and healthy eating advice for a very long time. Discover recipes and great eating tips for FREE at www.doctorgrandmas.com
Tags: breakfast food, eating healthy, Food, Health, health and nutrition, healthy breakfast food, healthy eating, Nutrition
Colloidal Gold is a Supplement with Super Food Qualities
Colloidal Gold is gaining recognition as a super nutrient valuable for its broad spectrum support of a healthy high performance body, mind and mood.
Commonly Reported Experiences and Benefits:
Increased sense of optimism and motivation
Increased overall sense of well being
The ability to focus, remember, and concentrate is stronger
Coping and releasing stress becomes easier
A deep night’s sleep
Calm zen-like awareness
Greater dream recall
Mood support through the “winter blues”
Helps with addictive cravings
How was Gold Used as a Supplement in History?
For centuries, gold tonics have been sought for rejuvenation and over all well being.
For thousands of years, the Mayan culture revered gold and used this metal to make their eating utensils.
Could this be based on drinking glasses, plates, and bowls made from gold enabling microscopic amounts of gold to be absorbed by the human body?
Paracelsus a well known physician and forefather of Pharmacology was into the art of alchemy and created medicines made from gold and other metallic minerals.
Paracelsus had a reputation for curing patients who were considered to be beyond the help of the physicians of his time.
Is this Super Food Safe Even Though it’s a Metal?
Yes, some of the fourteen essential nutrients involved with our metabolism are metals such as iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and manganese.
Gold does not interfere with medications or other chemistries within your cells as it is a non-toxic noble element.
This fact is why people who are sensitive to allergies must wear jewelry made of pure gold. Allergies to gold are extremely rare.
Is Colloidal the Best Form of Gold to Supplement with?
Yes, particle size is a consideration. Chunks of metallic gold would be inedible and not absorbable at the cellular level.
Your cells can absorb colloidal forms of gold easily.
However, ionic gold supplements are smaller than colloidal and some claim ionic to be better.
It is true that ionic forms of gold (Angstrom Gold for example) have an even smaller particle size than most colloids.
This fact does not make ionic forms more desirable to us.
Because ionic gold’s shape and energetic qualities have been altered by the removing of electrons, this form of gold acts more like a drug inside your body.
This results in an imbalanced atomic charge (called ionic) that causes the atom to be attracted to and bond with atoms having negative charges within the cell.
The good feeling that this form of gold gives you eventually turns into nerve cell toxicity.
Elements For Life has Pure Colloidal Gold!
Gold Rush is made in small batches with maximum commitment to the creation of an exceptional product that exceeds the expectations of even the most educated and discriminating element connoisseur.
The concentration of this gold is 10 ppm or parts per million and has a particle size of 1.2-3nm which makes it almost 100% bioavailable.
Gold Rush is not an ionic gold supplement.
True Colloidal Gold of the highest quality is light ruby pink in color.
This product requires no refrigeration and is basically tasteless.
If you would like more information on the topic of Super Foods and Colloidal Gold, check out 10 Super Foods. To locate the greatest source of Pure Colloidal Gold and healthy food, visit Destination Healthy Foods.
Tags: Colloidal gold, Health, health and nutrition, healthy diet, healthy eating, healthy foods, super food, supplement, Supplements
Fruit Packed With Free Radical Fighters
Aside from the acai berry being an unsullied, mouth-watering, organically grown fruit- it is also rich with antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients as well as substances that slow the oxidation damage to our body.
The process of the body’s cells consuming oxygen, creates a by-product known as a free radical that can do lots of harm to the body. Antioxidants play a huge role in preventing and repairing the damage done by these free radicals. Adding antioxidants to your daily diet is the best way to protect yourself from these free radicals.
When free radicals are left unchecked, they can wreak all kinds of havoc to our bodies. Free radicals are responsible for the breakdown of our DNA as well as causing cancer. These by-products can invade our cells and cause them to break down or even worse stop functioning all together.
Free radicals have been the factors behind various types of neurological problems to hormonal damage. Acai fruit has been found when taken on a regular basis to contain enough antioxidants to fight off these dangerous by-products.
Antioxidants have shown for years that they are the optimal way to maintain, repair, and strengthen the body from free radicals.
Dr. Perricone is the one who introduced the mainstream audience to this amazing fruit by writing a book entitled, the Perricone Promise. In this book he writes that the acai berry is the most perfect food on the planet.
In this book, Dr. Perricone also states that the acai fruit berry has every ingredient needed to look and feel younger. Also, according to Dr. Perricone the fruit contains everything needed to revitalize your health and hinder the process of aging.
The acai fruit is known as a super food that contains every nutrient your body needs in fighting harmful free radicals. If your goal is to improve your overall health, as well as strengthen and maintain your body, then you should look further into the numerous benefits of the this amazing fruit.
In conclusion, if you are looking for a diet that will fight off free radicals, improve your health, and reduce aging, then looking further into the benefits of this miraculous super food could be just the next step for you.
Tags: acai berry, acai fruit, age, diet, health and nutrition, Nutrition, slimming pills, weight loss
How Foods Change Your Life
A USDA study done by scientist recently discovered that top foods with the disease-fighting compound of antioxidants were the acai berry, beans and artichokes.
It was also confirmed that already well-known high antioxidant foods such as cranberries and blueberries–the researchers also found that Russet potatoes, pecans and even cinnamon are all excellent–although lesser-known, sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants are thought to fight cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.
“The bottom line is the same–eat more fruits and veggies,” says Ronald L. Prior, Ph.D., a chemist and nutritionist with the USDA’s Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center in Little Rock, Ark., and lead author of the study. “This study confirms that those foods are full of benefits, particularly those with higher levels of antioxidants. Nuts and spices are also good sources.”
This is the most comprehensive and complete study ever done on foods with antioxidants as the USDA used high tech equipment and analyzed more foods than in the previous studies. The researchers analyzed over 100 foods like acai berry, fruits, vegetables, spices and nuts.
The foods were analyzed and measured for the concentration levels of antioxidants and the capacity per serving of the antioxidants. Research showed the top fruits were the acai berry, cranberries, blueberries, and black berries. The highest levels found in the nut category were walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans–Russet potatoes, beans, and artichokes were found to have the highest level antioxidant concentration in the vegetable category.
ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and oregano were found to have high amounts of antioxidants. Spices are usually consumed in small amounts, even though many are high in antioxidants.
This study should prove helpful for people who are looking to add antioxidants to their diet. Please note that the total capacity of antioxidants found in foods does not indicate necessarily the potential health benefit–this depends on how the food is absorbed by the body.
There is currently no guideline by the government for which antioxidants to consume as well as how many to take as part of their daily diet–this is also the case for vitamins and minerals. A major reason to this is due to a general consensus amongst researchers.
It is encouraged for the time being to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables that have a high concentration of amino acids like acai berry.
Tags: acai berry, diet, diet pills, excercise, fitness, Health, health and nutrition, loose, nutitional supplements, Nutrition, Supplements, weight, weight loss
The Super Food for the Body
The acai fruit berry is one of the worlds most powerfully nutritious foods. Harvested from a special palm tree in the Brazilian rain forest, this purple fruit holds the magic of the Amazon.
A Dr. and best selling author wrote a book called, “the Perricone Way” where in it he states that the acai fruit is the #1 super food in the world. The berry is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fatty acids that fight harmful free radicals in the body.
The acai fruit has in it the following:
A very high concentration of antioxidants that help fight premature aging (10 times more than red grapes and 10-30 times the anthocyanins of red wine)
A nearly perfect vital amino acid complex combined with important trace minerals, both critical to proper muscle contraction and regeneration
The perfect blend of healthy fats, fiber for your diet, and nutrients that help lower cholesterol help promote that digestive system
Antioxidants have long been known to be an essential part of any diet. Antioxidants are substances that protect the cells against the damaging effects of free radicals
Harmful substances such as radicals are produced when the body breaks down food. the toxins can also be found in tobacco smoke as well as the water we drink. As these harmful free radicals enter our body, they can create problems such as cancer, heart disease, and other types of serious health ailments.
Acai fruit is rich in vitamins A and B and contains as much protein as an egg. This is crucial in fighting off disease.
The only other rich content of healthy fatty acid in the acai fruit can only be found in olive oil. these acids aid in getting into the cells membrane. This is how cells remain supple. By this happening, the neurotransmitters, hormones, and receptors to function at a more efficient level.
In summary, the acai fruit is a powerful source of many essential nutrients the body craves. There are a variety of acai fruit products available online and at some specialty natural foods or nutrition stores.
Tags: acai berry, diet, diet pills, exercise, fitness, Health, health and nutrition, loose, Nutrition, nutritional supplements, Supplements, weight, weight loss
