Elements Of Good Nutrition

You would think good nutrition is a mystery if you looked at the amount of information available about it. The truth is, there is no mystery involved in receiving the proper nutrients that your body needs. Why should you anyway care about getting the proper nutrients? 

Many people are under the misconception that the young have to eat healthy because they are growing. In fact, tissue and cells are constantly being renewed in both children and adults. The failure of these elements to repair themselves can result in diseases of lifelong misery or worse, death. To lower your risk of developing a disease, you need to follow three simple steps of good nutrition.

Proper Hydration

It is very simple. Your body needs water. Drinking lots of water will benefit you from head to toe. Water keeps your cells hydrated and flowing throughout your body. The benefits of drinking sufficient water are visible very quickly. Just a week of being hydrated and your skin will have a new glow. If you need to lose weight, water can help you achieve your goal. In many instances, people misinterpret thirst for hunger. Unless it's been a few hours since you have eaten, have a glass of water the next time you have hunger panes.

There are numerous guidelines on how much water you should drink. Consuming eight glasses of water each day is the most popular guideline. People have different needs. Your urine is a better indicator of how hydrated you are. When you are properly hydrated your urine is almost clear.

Eating Healthy

In addition to being hydrated, you need to eat a variety of foods. Say good bye to fat diets that restrict certain foods. The key to healthy eating is to eat in moderation and variety. Your food choices must include a large percentage from multifaceted carbohydrates, which is sufficient for energy. 

You should also consume several servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy every day. You should limit your servings of protein and fats to two or three servings in a day. By including all of these food groups in your diet, you are less likely to be hungry or have cravings for sweets and other non-nutritional foods.

Vitamin Supplementation

As long as you live in a country where food is abundant and produced safely, you should have no problem obtaining the amount of vitamins and minerals your body needs. However, food allergies, dislikes, and illness may prevent you from eating certain foods, resulting in an inadequacy of vitamins in your body. 

Some people, for example, are lactose intolerant and cannot consume dairy products. In these instances, supplementation should become a part of a plan for healthy nutrition. You don't need a prescription to purchase vitamins, but it is always advised that you consult your doctor to discuss your specific needs.

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Herbal Teas - A Gentle Way To Assist Your Health

Herbal teas are a great alternative to the usual black tea cuppa. However they are more than just a nice warm drink on a cold night. Herbal teas can have a wonderful positive effect on your immunity and help prevent illness. Herbs have been used in various ways for centuries to help people improve their health. Why not try a few on this list to see how they can help you?

Rosehip will help raise your immunity as it is full of Vitamin C.

Ginger is well known for helping nausea and to settle the stomach but it is also good for colds and flu.

Chamomile will help you sleep better as it calms your nervous system. It is also good for digestion.

Green tea has become a substitute for normal black tea with many people. Green tea will help boost your immunity as it is an anti-oxidant. If the taste is not to your liking then add a bit of lemon to give it a bit of a lift.

Fennel is a great tea to help you with controlling that sweet tooth. It tastes like liquorice so it can satisfy your cravings for sweet feeds as well as help suppress your appetite.

Lemon grass tones your skin and is also good for digestion and fever.

Peppermint is a great stomach tea for digestion and to help with bad breath, congestion and fluid buildup. Peppermint is a stimulant so is a great tea to have in the mornings instead of that cup of coffee.

Spearmint is a good stand in for peppermint if you find peppermint too strong. Or you can add spearmint in with peppermint and chamomile if you want to make a great mix.

Brahmi tea will help your memory become a lot clearer

Dandelion is for fluid buildup and puffiness as it helps cleans the liver. If you feel unsettled when you drink it though see a naturopath as your liver function may need attention.

Raspberry leaf tea is for expectant mothers suffering from morning sickness and can also make for an easier delivery when baby is due.

So as you can see there are many teas to choose from each with their individual way of assisting you to get healthy. Maybe tomorrow instead of that cup of coffee or black tea, which both contain caffeine, which can be bad for you, try a cup of herbal tea and help clean up your body at the same time.

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Aloe Vera Juice Benefits

Aloe vera is known primarily for its cooling and soothing properties, especially for treating burns, irritation, and various skin conditions. But this herb has other uses, which are not as popular but certainly no less beneficial. Aloe vera juice benefits include improved digestion, blood circulation, detoxification, and pain relief.

Aloe vera gel is obtained from the leaves of the aloe plant, and may be applied topically or added to drinks. Aloe vera juice contains various vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, B-complex, iron, copper, calcium, potassium, and manganese. It is also safe to drink daily - in fact, experts recommend drinking at least two glasses every day to obtain maximum aloe vera juice benefits. Here are some of the most common aloe vera juice benefits:

Digestive aid

Aloe vera juice stimulates colonic irrigation, the process of loosening and washing out waste materials from the digestive system. These include food residues, toxins, and bacteria. These wastes can clog the intestinal lining and prevent nutrients from getting fully absorbed. Studies show that taking aloe vera juice regularly over several weeks can help break down residues and improve colonic irrigation. It also regulates the production of stomach acids, preventing digestive problems like ulcer, acid indigestion, colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Anti-inflammatory and pain relief

Aloe vera juice benefits people with rheumatoid arthritis analgesic and anti-inflammatory abilities. It helps relieve joint pain, reduce stiffness, and improves joint movement to prevent waste buildup. It also contains mucopolysaccharides, which are basic sugars essential in cell regeneration. This helps rebuild muscle tissues and disperse damaged cells. Its cooling ability also alleviates pain and inflammation.

Cancer and blood disease prevention

Another important element in aloe vera juice is acemannan, which is believed to increase the production of white blood cells. This helps the body fight bacteria and viruses, as well as prevent the growth of cancer cells. It is currently being studied for potential use against breast and ovarian cancer, leukemia, and diseases caused by low blood cell counts.

IMPORTANT: Aloe vera juice is considered a dietary supplement, so it is does not follow the same regulations as standard medicines. Some aloe vera products contain silica, starch, gluten, or other extenders that can hinder aloe vera juice benefits and even harm your health. To stay safe, buy only products that are GMP-compliant and avoid those that contain artificial additives, such as food colors and flavorings.

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Choose The Right Foods For Weight Loss

If you are thinking about reducing your weight the first thing you think about doing is reducing the amount of food you eat. You have read articles about losing weight and understand that your weight has increased because you are ingesting more calories than your body is burning up. The simple remedy therefore is to reduce your food intake again and the weight will disappear. Although this is a fact cutting your intake of food is not easy.

If you have been used to eating a certain quantity of food the moment you cut down you will suffer from hunger pangs between meals. For the majority of people feeling permanently hungry is too much to cope with and they begin to let their diet slip. As a result their weight does not go down.

There is however ways to slim down without feeling perpetually hungry.


The very first thing you need to do is to consider the sorts of food you are currently eating. You will in all probability find that a lot of your usual foods contain large amounts of calories. These are the sorts of foods you need to keep away from. 


The majority of processed foods and ready meals are all high in calories and ought to be removed from your diet. Fizzy drinks, colas and alcohol all contain lots of sugar and should also be avoided if possible. You should also think about what types of dairy products you are buying and strive to substitute your normal selection with the low fat alternative. Food substitution can cut your calorie consumption considerably.


There are also foods that you can consume that have very few calories but will fill you up quickly. 
Green leafy vegetables are more often than not low in calories but do have a high concentration of nutrients and will help to fill you very quickly. Green leafy vegetables should be included in as many of your meals as possible.

Salads are also extremely good for weight loss. It normally takes roughly 20 minutes for your brain to receive signals from your stomach telling it that it has had sufficient food. Eating a small dish of salad as a starter before your main meal you will be able to reduce the size of your portions considerably without feeling as though you still need more. It is imperative that you do not cover the salad in any form of dressing as even the ones that are allegedly for weight loss tend to have quite high quantities of calories. If you simply can't eat salad without some form of dressing simply put a small amount in a dish alongside your plate so as that you can control just how much you actually consume.


Eating more fish is an extremely good way to lose weight. Fish such as herring,tuna and salmon are extremely high in omega-3 which helps by increasing the volume of leptin in your system, which is acknowledged as being a natural hunger suppressant.

Fresh fruit including apples are excellent for losing weight. Despite the fact that apples are not especially low in calories they require quite a bit of chewing and a large percentage of the calories are burned up whilst the apple is being consumed. In addition they also contain a great deal of soluble fibre and pectin which help to make you feel fuller and boost your levels of energy. 


Drinking lots of water is an excellent way to control your appetite and obviously it does not contain any calories at all. It is an excellent substitute for fizzy drinks and colas. 

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The Health Benefits Of Juicing

Juicing raw fruits and vegetables is by far the best way to give your body the nutrients it needs for youthfulness and disease-free living.

Much of the foods people eat, such as french fries, fried chicken, microwave popcorn, doughnuts, margarine, cookies and pastries contain an artery-clogging fat called Trans fat. This fat can lead to type two diabetes, high cholesterol and other health problems. If you desire to live a long, healthy, vibrant life, you have to take care of your body by giving it the proper nutrition. That is why I am such a strong advocate for Juicing.

Health Benefits

The benefits of consuming these freshly made, health drinks are many. They aid in keeping organs such as heart, liver, and kidneys strong and healthy. They also help prevent colon cancer and keep your digestive system in tiptop shape. This is because they are a great supplier of protein, vitamins and minerals.

These drinks also boost the immune system and promote good-looking healthy skin.

Another health benefit to consuming these drinks is they help you lose weight and lower cholesterol naturally.

Nutritional Health Begins On The Inside

I am a firm believer that if you work on being healthy on the inside it will show-up on the outside.

Sometimes when I run into old friends they tell me that I  look very healthy. I believe the juices that I drink has a lot to do with this.

I know a woman who smoked for many years. When she finally quit smoking I noticed in a short period of time, the skin on her face look healthier. There was almost a glow to it. Can you visualize what would happen if more and more people would work on being healthy from the inside out? I can!

Raw Vegetable juice Verses Cooked Vegetables

You might be saying to yourself I eat a lot of cooked vegetables with my meal why then should I consider juicing? Well allow me give you two reasons:

1. When you cook vegetables at temperatures above 114 degrees, heat destroys the enzymes. (Enzymes are naturally occurring chemical substances in the human body that help a chemical reaction take place). In other words enzymes are important because they aid in the digestion and absorption of food in your body.

Fruit and vegetable juice that are sold in a shop or supermarket must go through a pasteurizing process before they can be sold to you the customer. The reason for this pasteurizing process is to give these drinks shelf life. However during this process heat reaches about 120 degrees thus destroying the enzymes.

In contrast enzymes in raw vegetable or fruit drinks are live. So they are able to do the job they are intended to do.

2. When you juice, you separate the liquid from the fiber. Thus food value is available to the body in much larger amounts than if the piece of fruit or vegetable were eaten whole.

If you ate one raw carrot, your body would only be able to absorb about 1% of the available vitamin A (beta carotene). That is because most of the nutrients in a carrot are locked in its fiber. However if you separate the liquid from the fiber, your body would be able to assimilate 90% of the nutrients. Pretty amazing!

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Do You Know The Benefits Of Kefir

It is clear that commercial kefir does not come close to the benefits the home-made variety has to offer as commercial Kefir is made from either a freeze dried powdered form of the culture which means it has considerably less healing power.

On the other hand homemade kefir contains billions of friendly organisms per millilitre, and the organisms are reproducing right up until the kefir is consumed along with ample amounts of kefiran and variations of the polysaccharide.

Kefir benefits from an abundance of tryptophan which is one of the essential amino acids and is, well-known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Therefore kefir has a particularly calming effect on the nerves. Rich in the B Vitamins: Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin B7 (biotin), which aids the body's absorption of other B vitamins, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) B3 (niacin), B6 (Pyridoxal phosphate), B9 (folic acid), and B12 (cobalamin).

As an experiement the bacteria E. Coli was injected into Kefir. Within 24 hours the E. Coli was destroyed by Kefir whey's beneficial bacteria. Kefir has also demonstrated the ability to kill H. pylori infections when bacteria alone could not. 

In addition, the complex micro flora of Kefir has also shown a keen ability to greatly stimulate our immune system, ward off infections. This is because when Kefir is consumed as a drink, it creates a healthy mucous lining in the colon, which acts as a good medium to support the growth of beneficial bowel flora which helps to prevent parasitic infections and cancer as well as constipation. This means Kefir is beneficial in preventing many gastrointestinal disorders.

20 of the known health benefits of live Kefir:

1. Strongest natural remedy against any allergy

2. Strongest natural antibiotic without side effects

3. Treats liver disease

4. Treats gallbladder, dissolves gall bladder stones

5. Clears the body of salts, heavy metals, radionuclides, and alcoholic products

6. Cleans the body of chemical antibiotics

7. Treats kidney stones

8. Good bacteria in kefir are able to fight off pathogenic microorganisms

9. Lowers level of LDL cholesterol

10. Cleans the gastrointestinal tract

12. Treats gastritis

13. Treats pancreatitis

14. Treats ulcers

15. Prevents and treats colon cancer

16. Improves digestion

17. Improves the body functions

18. Improves the human immune system

19. Cures Candida

20. Cures hypertension

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Simple Homemade Natural Yogurt

You need no complicated equipment or yogurt makers.  At home with little cost you can make delicious, healthy natural yogurt for your family.

Yogurt has been a very nutritious food for centuries.  It is a great way of preserving milk a little longer.  The benefits of regular natural yogurt consumption are huge.  All the yeasts and bacteria found in natural yogurt improve our intestinal tract making us digest everything else we eat, more efficiently.  Many people (such as those with colitis) who find it hard to digest milk have no such problem with natural yogurt.  For them, yogurt is a great way to get some dairy into their diet without causing any problems.

Yogurt making at home is a fun activity.  It is a great way to supply your family with the health benefits of yogurt without the expense.  All you need to pay for is the milk and a few minutes of energy consumed by your cooker.

There is absolutely no need to buy a yogurt maker or any other expensive kitchenware!  All you need to make your own yogurt is a pan, bowl, sandwich box or similar and a blanket!  This is the traditional and simple method to make natural yogurt:

• Boil up some milk
• Allow to cool
• Mix with a 'starter' which is just a small amount of natural yogurt
• Keep warm for 8 hours (in the blanket)
• That's it - your yogurt will be ready!

The 'yogurt starter' is just a way of giving the batch of milk all the right yeasts, bacterias and enzymes to encourage it to turn itself into yogurt.  Once the yogurt is made you can refrigerate it to prevent it becoming more sour.

You can use any milk but full-fat milk will give you a more creamy yogurt.  Ultra heat treated (UHT) or 'long life' milk is perfectly fine.

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Your Vegan Breakfast - Easy Ideas And Recipes To Kick-Start Your Morning

To all you vegans out there - be aware that there are many tasty, healthy and easy vegan breakfast recipes that you can prepare in no time and enjoy nutritious meal at the start of the day.

Easy & Healthy Vegan Breakfasts Ideas & Recipes:

Fresh Juice - If you have a juicer, be aware that making a vegetable and fruit juice for your breakfast is fast, easy and super healthy. You can juice celery, beetroot, carrots, apples, ginger, parsley, or any other fruit or vegetable of your fancy.

Vegan Smoothie - This is another easy and healthy vegan breakfast drink, however, you do need a blender.

For a chocolate banana smoothie, blend together 1 Cup rice/soy milk, 1 Tbsp. cacao powder, 1 very ripe banana, 2-3 Tbsp. soy yogurt, a drizzle of agave nectar and a pinch of sea salt. Add more milk if the smoothie is too thick for your liking.

For a berry smoothie, blend together 1 Cup rice/soy milk, 3-4 Tbsp. soy yogurt, ½ Cup frozen or fresh berries, a pinch of sea salt, and some ice-cubes.

To create your own vegan smoothie, blend together your choice of the following: soy/rice/coconut milk, soy/coconut yogurt, dates, raisins, sultanas, goji berries, crushed nuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, linseeds, maple syrup, agave nectar, sea salt, peanut butter, bananas, grated vegan chocolate, cacao powder, molasses, berries, and some ice-cubes.

Fruit Galore!
You can enjoy your fruit in so many wonderful ways, and if not in a juice or smoothie - some other delightful way!

Seasonal Fruit Salad - You can eat a large bowl of fresh, seasonal fruit by itself for a wonderful, fresh and easy vegan breakfast! Or you can fancy it up a bit with soy yogurt, chopped walnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, macadamia nuts or almonds, and a drizzle of maple syrup or agave nectar! Your taste buds can really be treated with a gourmet fruit salad!

Fried bananas - Heat a couple of Tbsp's. Of olive oil in a frying pan and add some sliced bananas (sliced length-ways), along with a good drizzle of maple syrup or agave nectar. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side. Serve warm on top of toast, with some crushed walnuts and an extra drizzle of maple syrup!

Vegan Cereal - The supermarkets and health food stores offer a wide range of vegan cereals nowadays, so you should try as many as you can and find your favorites! Enjoy your cereal with rice or soy milk and a dollop of yogurt. To make your bowl of cereal healthier, more sustaining and more delicious, add your choice of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, linseeds, chia seeds, nuts, goji berries, raisins, sultanas or chopped dates! This will turn an ordinary bowl of cereal into a sustaining, healthy (and still easy!) vegan breakfast!

Toast - Many vegans find that they are stuck in a rut when it comes to their morning toast. But be aware that there are tons of toppings to enjoy! You are probably frequently eating your toast with vegan spread and jam. Try the following toppings also:
- Sliced avocado, sea salt and pepper
- Sliced tomato, sea salt, pepper, vegan cheese (put in the grill or jaffle maker to melt cheese)
- Vegan chocolate spread (from health shop)
- Brazil nut spread, almond spread, cashew spread, peanut butter with a drizzle of maple syrup or agave nectar
- Sliced banana, vegan chocolate spread, peanut butter (all three together = to die for! If you want you can put a slice of bread on top to make a sandwich, and toast it. The banana will cook and your chocolate spread will melt into a pool of taste-bud heaven!)

As you can see, if you let your imagination go wild there are an infinite variety of delicious, healthy and easy vegan breakfast recipes and ideas! Your morning never has to start off boring again! If you are still stuck on ideas, you can find a wide range of vegan recipes online, either on websites, blogs, you-tube, or professional vegan recipe e-books containing tons of yummy recipes!

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