Fact: Animal meat is a source of complete protein.

Fact: Soybeans and soy are also a complete source of protein.

Soy is a very healthy superfood

What are complete proteins? Wikipedia defines complete or whole proteins as “a source of protein that contains an adequate proportion of all of the essential amino acids for the dietary needs of humans.” Soy’s complete proteins are similar in composition to egg whites and milk protein and are also easy to digest.

Soy is also low in saturated fat and contains zero cholesterol. It’s important to keep your cholesterol count low as it can clog your arteries and put you at risk for heart disease, a major killer. Soy is also a great source of fiber, which is key for a healthy digestive system and can actually help lower cholesterol.

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There are now a lot of recipes with turkey bacon as an ingredient.

I once met a vegetarian who told me, with a rapturous expression on her face, that the only meat she missed since going vegan was bacon. For many people bacon represents the best in taste and the worst in health. Sweet, sugary, honeyed and dripping in fat, ordinary bacon is just one recipe for either heart failure or diabetes. But my family still ate it occasionally, until the day I discovered turkey bacon.

Tasty Alternative

Turkey bacon is delicious. It’s lower in fat, but can be found cured, uncured, smoked or made into strips just like your regular pork bacon. Cured turkey bacon made from dark meat can even be 90% fat free. However, if you have a recipe that normally calls for frying bacon in its own drippings, you need to reduce the cooking time as turkey bacon doesn’t contain enough fat to do that, and you may end up drying out your dish.

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The benefits of olive oil have been proclaimed far and wide. Even if you are already aware of some of them, this list goes through the most interesting facets of olive oil. If you aren’t a fan of olive oil already, I think this post may more than convince you to incorporate olive oil into your diet.

1. There Are 4 Types of Olive Oil

Use olive oil as much as possible.

Olive oil is made by pressing the core of olives to extract the oil, and extra virgin olive oil is made with the first press. Because olive oil is expensive, it’s often used sparingly to drizzle over carpaccio, bruschetta and other Italian delicacies or salads where the oil can really be tasted. When looking for quality “E-V-O-O,” go for the cold pressed variety, as heat can change the taste.

The second type, virgin olive oil, is a bit more acidic and good for when you want a tart flavor for pomodoro sauces or maybe even a quick pasta with fresh tomatoes, lemon juice and a good Parmigiano Reggano.

Pure olive oil, despite its name, is actually a blend of refined leftovers from the virgin olive oil extraction process and virgin olive oil. It’s cheaper, so it’s best for frying.

Light olive oil is actually the worst quality, so watch out for bottle labels that say ‘100% pure olive oil.’
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Asparagus contains many vitamins & minerals.

Today’s power food under the microscopic spotlight is the mighty asparagus, the tightrope-balancing, one-act wonder of the nutritional world.

Asparagus is one of the most nutritious, well-balanced vegetables around, containing considerable vitamins and minerals that can supply what the body needs. You might never reach for a supplement again. For one, asparagus is a great source of folic acid. A 5.3 ounce serving of asparagus can provide 60% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for folacin.  Folacin is needed for blood cell formation, growth and the prevention of liver diseases. Folacin has also shown to play an important role in the prevention of neural tube defects like spina befida, which causes paralysis and death for 2,500 babies every year. So if you’re expecting children, make a note of this power food.

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Tomatoes are good for the body.

Tomatoes are a wonderful fruit, and are essential to any weight loss regimen. Say you decided to have steak and potatoes for dinner, but you want to lose weight. You eat a half portion of what you were originally planning to eat, but you replace the remainder with insalata caprese, a delightful salad of tomato slices, paper thin mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves. Voila! You’re on your way starting your healthy diet!

Tomatoes can’t be beat for versatility. You can eat them raw, add them to a salad, put them in your sandwich, make them into pasta sauces and pizza toppings, and toss whole or pureed into soups and stews, or even make them into juice. They’re cheap too, and can even be grown at home. Normal garden tomatoes are easy to grow on the vine, but cherry tomatoes are harder to cultivate.

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If you’re not on the miso bandwagon already, jump on! You might remember miso soup from your last trip to a Japanese restaurant. A bowl filled with dashi stock, silky tofu and seaweed is set in front of you. Inside that bowl floats a cloud of flavor, a fog of salty richness that disperses with a gentle stir of your chopsticks. That, my friends, is pure delicious and nutritious miso.

Oh, Okinawa!

Have you heard about how the residents of Okinawa island are the longest-living people in the world? Here are some facts about the Okinawans from About.com[1]. Okinawans have…

- more people over 100 years old per 100,000 population than anywhere else in the world

- the lowest death rates from cancer, heart disease and stroke (the top three killers in the US)

- the highest life expectancy for both males and females over 65

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Whole grains have been identified as one of the healthiest foods.

When people consult with me on what to eat for healthy weight loss, I tell them that one of the best health moves they can make is to replace refined food products with whole grains alternatives. Whole grains have been identified as one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Disassembled, whole grain is made up of bran, endosperm and germ. Unlike books, you can actually judge whole grain by its cover, as its outermost layer, bran,is rich in iron, riboflavin, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, thiamine and zinc. When you eat white rice and white flour, the nutritious outer layer has been husked off and all you’re eating is endosperm. What a waste of goodness!

‘Ingrained’ In Your Diet

Eating bran cereal, white cereal, oats, whole wheat bread and whole-wheat flour is one of the most effective ways to lose weight because of the high fiber content. Fiber rich food requires prolonged digestion, which prevents frequent over-eating because you feel full. You’ve probably felt how short-lived fast food sustenance is; you could eat one junk food meal now, but in 2 hours you’d just be looking for more food again.

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Do Tortilla chips with flax seeds have any health benefits?

If you look around in your grocery store these days, you’ll see a wide range of products that tout the fact that they’re healthy because they are fortified with flax and/or flax seeds, such as tortilla chips, cereals, breads, baked goods, and more. The question is, does this really mean all of these products are healthier?

Flax in Two Forms

Let’s start by discussing the actual health benefits of flax. Flax is an excellent source of fiber and Omega 3 fats, a.k.a. “the healthy good-for-you-fat.” These fats actually help you lower your cholesterol, but like all food, should still be eaten in moderation and balance. According to the National Cancer Institute, flax also has potential cancer fighting properties, although further study is needed.

Flax and all of its nutritional benefits can be absorbed in the body in two ways. It can either be ground up or sprinkled into foods, or it can be used as flax seed oil. However, flax seed oil has a very delicate chemical nature. Because of this, it must remain refrigerated and lasts only approximately 90 days. This oil can be used as a topping on vegetables or added to salads and dressings. However, it cannot be cooked.

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They may not be in the Guinness Book of World Records, but these foods are deserving of accolades and recognition. Be sure to add these to your diet to give yourself a much needed nutrition boost.

Salmon is not only nutritious but delicious as well.

1. Salmon

Salmon is a great source of Omega fatty 3 acids.  This health booster is great at lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol while increasing “good” HDL cholesterol. Salmon is also a very versatile protein source and can be a good substitute for meat.

It is recommended that you consume 2 servings of salmon a week. Wild salmon is considered the healthiest, and can be sold canned or frozen too.

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It’s like giving an award speech only to find yourself in your underwear. It’s like realizing your home looks like a frat house after beer night and your mother in law just rang the doorbell. It’s like a tedious party in your pants where the guests just won’t leave. It’s uncomfortable, embarrassing and internally painful: welcome to the world of constipation.

Oh No!

Constipation is something most people go through once or twice a year. Older people can be more prone to this difficult condition as their bodies change. If this happens to you often, then you need to make drastic changes to your diet and exercise routine, as the main causes of constipation are dehydration, lack of fiber and a sedentary lifestyle.

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