HEALTHY EATING WHEN DINING OUT

HEALTHY EATING WHEN DINING OUT

YOU SHOULD ASK!

Does the restaurant serve ?

• Serve margarine rather than butter with the meal?
• Serve fat-free (skim) or low fat milk rather than whole milk or cream?
• Trim excess or any visible fat from poultry or meat?
• Leave all butter, gravy, or cream sauces off a dish?
• Serve salad dressing on the side?
• Accommodate special requests?
• Use less cooking oil when cooking?

YOU SHOULD ACT!

Select foods that are:

• Steamed in their own juice 
• Steamed
• Sauteed
• Stir-fry
• Grilled
• Broiled
• Baked
• Roasted
• Poached
• Lightly sauteed

 

FOODS TO BOOST IMMUNE SYSTEM

ANTIOXIDANTS

Beta-carotene and other carotenoids 

Apricots

asparagus

beets

broccoli 

cantaloupe

carrots 

corn 

green peppers

kale

mangoes

turnip  

collard greens

nectarines

peaches

pink grapefruit 

pumpkin 

squash 

spinach

sweet potato 

tangerines 

tomatoes

watermelon

Vitamin C

Berries

broccoli 

Brussels sprouts 

cantaloupe

cauliflower 

grapefruit 

honeydew

kale 

kiwi

mangoes

nectarines

orange

papaya

red, green, or yellow peppers

snow peas

sweet potato

strawberries

tomatoes

Vitamin E

Broccoli

carrots

chard

mustard 

turnip green

mangoes

nuts

papaya

pumpkin

red peppers

spinach

sunflower seeds

These foods are also rich in antioxidants:

Prunes

Apples

Raisins

All berries

Plums

Red grapes

Alfalfa sprouts

Onions

Eggplant

Beans

Zinc

oysters

red meat

poultry

beans

nuts

seafood

whole grains

fortified cereals

dairy products

Selenium

tuna

beef

poultry

fortified breads

grain products

***Sources: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/antioxidants-your-immune-system-super-foods-optimal-health

HOW TO FOCUS ON FRUITS & VEGGIES

Hye there :)
Do you ever wonder why do we seldom eat more fruits & veggies in our daily diet?
Well, I guess, all we have to do is just to try some tips to focus more on fruits & veggies.
So, I just want to share a little bit of tips and more practical tips for us to practice. Happy trying guys!

HOW TO FOCUS ON FRUITS & VEGGIES

Firstly, you don’t have to count the amount to enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables. It is generally safe to eat as much as you want, whenever you want. The high water and fiber content in most fresh fruits and vegetables makes them hard to overeat. In fact, you will feel full long before you have overdone it on the calories.

• Eat vegetables raw or steamed, not fried or breaded. 
• Dress them with herbs and spices or a little olive oil or cheese for flavor.
• Add nuts and cheese to salads but be careful to not to overdo it. 
• Use low-fat salad dressings, such as the one which is made from olive oil.
• Pour a little less cereal into your morning bowl to make room for some fruits such as kiwi, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, or sliced bananas. 
• Indirectly, you will have a full bowl of wonderful food but with a lower calorie count.
• Try to replace some of the meat, chicken or cheese in your sandwich with healthier vegetables choices such as lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, or even avocado.
• Instead of a high-calorie snack, like chips and dip, you can simply try baby carrots, cherry tomatoes or celery.
• Add more vegetables to your favorite main courses to make your dish taste better. 
• Try starting your meal with a salad or soup to help fill you up and feel full, so you will eat less of the rest of your meals.               

Thank you for reading loves <3

BREAK THE CURSE OF EMOTIONAL EATING

Assalamualaikum and hello peeps :)

Do you know what is meant by emotional eating? If you do not know, let me share some info about emotional eating. Emotional eating is the practice of consuming large quantities of food usually comfort or junk foods. This is due to the response to feelings instead of hunger.  Needless to say, many of us learn that food can bring comfort, at least in the short-term. As a result, we often turn to food to heal emotional problems. Besides, eating becomes a habit preventing us from learning skills that can effectively resolve our emotional distress.

On the other hand, depression, boredom, loneliness, chronic anger, anxiety, frustration, stress, problems with interpersonal relationships, and poor self-esteem can result in overeating and unwanted weight gain. By identifying what triggers our emotional eating, we can substitute more appropriate techniques to manage our emotional problems and take food and weight gain out of the equation.

So friends, how do we identify the emotions that can trigger us to overeating? Shortly, there are 5 main categories of situations and emotions that trigger us to eat.

1. Social

~ Eating when around other people. 

~ For example, excessive eating can result from being encouraged by others to eat, eating to fit in, arguing or feelings of inadequacy around other people.

2. Emotional

~ Eating in response to boredom, stress, fatigue, tension, depression, anger, anxiety, or loneliness.

3. Situational

~ Eating because the opportunity is there. 

~ For example, at a restaurant, seeing an advertisement for a particular food, passing by a bakery.

~ Eating may also be associated with certain activities such as watching TV, going to the movies or a sporting event.

4. Thoughts 

~ Eating as a result of negative self-worth or making excuses for eating. 

~ For example, scolding oneself for looks or a lack of will power.

5. Physiological

~ Eating in response to physical cues. 

~ For example, increased hunger due to skipping meals or eating to cure headaches or other pain.

BENEFITS OF OATS

 BENEFITS OF OATS

1.    Helps to lower cholesterol level in blood.

• Beta-glucans, a soluble fiber present in oats has been proven effective in lowering blood cholesterol.
• Thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). 
• A study confirms that having a bowl of oat meal everyday reduces the CVD risk by 10%.

2.   Reduces high blood sugar

• Being a low glycemic index (GI) food which helps to control your blood glucose.
• It is high in fiber content.
• Type 2 diabetes patients can benefit a lot from a morning breakfast of oatmeal as it reduce cholesterol level.

3.     Stronger bones

• Oats are rich in calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.
• Regular consumption of oats helps keep bones strong.
• Thus, reduces the risk of osteoporosis. 

4.   Excellent for Pregnancy

• It is a good source of folic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin.
• Pregnant women need 400mcg of folic acid a day.
• A bowl of oatmeal can reduce the chances of having a baby with fetal defect such as spina bifida.

5.   Good for skin

• Oatmeal bath helps heal dry & flaky skin, eczema and other skin conditions.
• Skin rashes and insect bites are also healed with mashed oats.
• Oatmeal scrubs exfoliate your skin and are very beneficial to oily skin.

6.Good source of Protein

• Protein is used to build, repair, and maintain all body tissues and provide the body energy.
• Oats have a higher concentration of well-balanced protein (100 gm of oats have around 17 gm of protein) than other cereals - 100 gm of oats contains twice as much protein as 100 gm of wheat or cornflakes).
• The quality of the protein is superior to the quality of protein found in wheat or other grains. 

 7. Improves digestion

• The high fiber content of Oats makes it an ideal medicine-food for individuals suffering from gastritis, colitis, and other digestive problems.
• Oats promote healthy bowel movement.
• It also can cure constipation.

 8. Boosts Immune system

• Selenium, and Vitamin E present in Oats significantly enhances the human immune system's response to bacterial infection.
• This makes oatmeal the perfect food to have on the table during flu season.
• Zinc, present on oats, helps in metabolism, healing wounds and growth of new cells.

9. Reduce weight

• The high amount of soluble fiber in oats forms a bulk when digested.
• This causes the viscosity of the contents of the stomach and small intestine to be increased. 
• The bulk delays emptying of the stomach making you feel full longer which helps you to loss weight.
• Oats are low in fat content.
• A new research found that the children who ate oatmeal were 50% less likely to become overweight, when compared to those children that did not eat it.

10.   Reduces the risk of cancer

• Phytochemicals present in oats are thought to reduce a person's risk of getting cancer.
• Lignan, a type of phytochemical especially abundant in oats has been linked to decreased risk of breast cancer and colon cancer.
• Whole oats result in bulky stool, which in turn dilutes carcinogens.
• Carcinogens is any subtances that able to cause cancer.

11. Reduce stress

• Oats is very suitable in cases of depression, insomnia, and physical or nervous fatigue.
• A mixture of oats, milk and honey reduces stress in the morning and boosts concentration.

12. Energy booster

• Oats are high is carbohydrate, they are excellent when it comes to boosting performance.
• Other nutrients present in oats like Phosphorus, vitamin B, magnesium and iron help in energy production.
• The lipids present in oats contain a good balance of essential fatty acids, which has been linked with longevity and general good health.