It is my belief that starting the day with a breakfast of sufficient protein and healthy fats, sets you up for a positive and productive day. This essential resource fuels your body, giving you the power to move, think, and keep on living, but achieving the complex needs of your body can be harder than you expect. The first meal of the day will always influence the way you feel for the hours that follow, with a lot of people feeling bad without realizing that it’s because they’re not taking their first meals seriously. A good first meal keeps you from experiencing an energy dip and being ravenous by mid-morning.…
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- Appetizers/Snacks, Entertaining at Home, Food For Better Health, Healthy Eating, Recipes, Vegetables
Reasons to Try a Plant-Based Diet for Christmas
After we get our fill of Christmas treats and family dinners, we start thinking about our health and making New Year’s resolutions. Why are you waiting till January to take up a health challenge? Indeed, that does seem to be the best month to try out your Veganuary, or start my 12-week Eating Smarter and Getting Healthy plan, but why not start for Christmas? Do you have a friend or someone in the family who is already vegan or vegetarian? Could veganism be a lifestyle you might appreciate? While it can seem to be a sacrifice at first, embracing a plant-based diet can offer several benefits, which might prove to be…
- Bread, Chicken, Edible Gardening, Food For Better Health, Healthy Eating, Main Course, Recipes, Vegetables
Growing or Buying Lettuce and Leafy Greens
Most of us do not eat as many vegetables as experts recommend, especially lettuce or leafy greens. But they are so important because they provide healthy fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other substances, many of which prevent disease. In my neck of the woods, (zone 8, maybe 7), it is time to plant leafy greens for a late fall, early winter harvest. Considering the prices and all the recent health recalls for leafy greens, I am looking forward to eating some specimens grown in my own backyard. Growing leafy greens It is not difficult to grow your own fresh, leafy greens if you pay attention to timing. These delicate vegetables do…
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Simple Strategies for Battling Food Cravings
Do you snack or struggle with food cravings? Finding and mastering the art and science of self-control is a constant struggle. Seemingly minor and unhealthy desires such as food cravings can overpower even the strong-willed. The uncontrollable urge to eat, mostly unhealthy foods, can lead to serious health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Whether selective or non-selective, an intense craving for junk food can also lead to unhealthy weight gain. However, with the right mentality and technique, food craving is conquerable. Conquering Food Cravings Food cravings can put a big dent on your health or fitness goals. Successfully fighting off those relentless unhealthy and uncontrollable food depends…
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Food for Better Mental Health
Yes, it is true, the food we eat is intertwined with our emotions, there be it, our mental health. What we eat can change our behavior, mood, and change our moral outlook. We develop a personal relationship with food, influencing relationships we have with ourselves, society, and each other. Of course, I could write an entire book on our upbringing, culture, and accessibility to food that affects our daily lives, but an excellent book is available, Why You Eat What You Eat by Rachel Herz. However, this week, let’s examine how food can influence your state of mind and why. Food Cravings What do you usually crave? Does it depend…
