20 Detox Friendly Foods

I don’t necessarily believe in detox only diets, but I do think that adding more detox friendly foods into the diet can help with over health, energy, skin health, good digestion, weight management, and quality sleep. Below are 20 of my favorite detox foods which I consume on a weekly basis and absolutely love!

Lemon: Lemons have strong antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers and can be used as a weight-loss aid because lemon juice is a digestive aid and liver cleanser. Lemon juice can also help manage acid reflux and reduce the acidity in the stomach. 

Cayenne Pepper: Peppers are one of the richest sources of Vitamin C. All hot peppers contain capsaicin, a compound known for it’s ability to regulate body temps, improve circulation and help reduce appetite and burn more calories.

Ginger: Ginger is perfect for getting your metabolism moving and flushing waste and toxins out of the body. Ginger is also a natural stomach ache cure.

Grapefruit: Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin c which helps to support the immune system. Vitamin C-rich foods like grapefruit may help reduce cold symptoms or severity of cold symptoms. Vitamin C also prevents the free radical damage that triggers the inflammatory cascade, and is therefore also associated with reduced severity of inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis

Green Tea: Green tea can help increase and even change your metabolism, so you burn more calories from fat. Studies show that green tea can also help you keep weight off once you’ve lost it.

Kale: Kale contains powerful antioxidant compounds that can help cleanse the body of harmful substances and potentially prevent cancer causing free radicals. It is also high in fiber, which helps cleanse the intestinal tract. 

Asparagus: Asparagus is a natural diuretic that can help rid the body of excess water weight and toxins seeking to rid the body. 

Turmeric: This powerful root is both an anti-inflammatory—great for sore muscles—and contains antioxidant properties. It’s one of the top ingredients in immune boosting shots, juices and supplements. I’ve also noticed smoother, clearer skin from my daily dose of turmeric. 

Broccoli: Broccoli has a strong, positive impact on our body’s detoxification system, and is able to support all steps in the body’s detox process, including activation, neutralization, and elimination of unwanted contaminants.

Cucumber: The high water content and dietary fiber in cucumbers are very effective in ridding the body of toxins from the digestive system, aiding digestion. Daily consumption of cucumbers can be regarded as a remedy for chronic constipation.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Raw apple cider vinegar is alkalizing, helps with digestion, and can help with fat metabolism. Look for raw, 8 unfiltered apple cider vinegar to get the most benefits. 

Cinnamon: Studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar which is great for people trying to lose weight or manage diabetes. Cinnamon can also help lower cholesterol in the body and is heart healthy.

Pomegranate: Pomegranates are high in antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, minerals. With potassium, vitamins C and K, this winter fruit is great for your heart, skin, immune system and it’s great for post workout recovery. 

Chia Seeds: These tiny seeds are high in essential fatty acids like heart healthy, Omega 3, in addition to vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and fiber. They are one of my favorite ways of adding heart healthy protein into my diet. 

Garlic: Garlic contains manganese, vitamin B6, antioxidants, anti- inflammatory properties, as well as valued sulfur compounds that contribute to heart health! 

Probiotics: Probiotics are an excellent way to add good bacteria back into the intestinal track and help with digestion. 

Blueberries: Blueberries contain natural aspirin that helps lessen the tissue-damaging effects of chronic inflammation, and also act as antibiotics by blocking bacteria and thereby helping to prevent infections.

Strawberries: Berries are high in antioxidants like resveratol, essential vitamins and also contain fiber to keep you feeling full! Strawberries are also a great source of folate which has been shown to help keep your heart healthy. 

Fish Oil: Some experts believe that getting fish oil can help you regulate your cholesterol in the body, because fish oil has high levels of omega 3 fatty acids. Besides cholesterol regulation, fish oil benefits include anti inflammatory properties and positive effects on the bodies composition.

Water: Water is the bodies best form of detox. Since our bodies consist of primarily water, increasing water intake is like feeding the body in its most natural state. If you really want to feel great and flush out toxins, drink up!

http://www.eatsimpleloveyoga.com/20-detox-friendly-foods/

Top 10 Habits That Can Help You Lose Weight

Weight control is all about making small changes that you can live with forever. As you incorporate these minor adjustments into your lifestyle, you'll begin to see how they can add up to big calorie savings and weight loss. Here are my top 10 habits to help you turn your dream of weight loss into a reality:

1. Evaluate your eating habits. Are you eating late at night, nibbling while cooking, finishing the kids' meals? Take a look around, and it will be easy to identify a few behaviors you can change that will add up to big calorie savings.

2. If you fail to plan, plan to fail. You need a strategy for your meals and snacks. Pack healthful snacks for the times of day that you know you are typically hungry and can easily stray from your eating plan.

3. Always shop with a full belly. It's a recipe for disaster to go into the grocery store when you are hungry. Shop from a prepared list so impulse buying is kept to a minimum. Eating right starts with stocking healthy food in your pantry and refrigerator.

4. Eat regular meals. Figure out the frequency of your meals that works best in your life and stick to it. Regular meals help prevent bingeing.

5. Eat your food sitting down at a table, and from a plate. Food eaten out of packages and while standing is forgettable. You can wind up eating lots more than if you sit down and consciously enjoy your meals.

6. Serve food onto individual plates, and leave the extras back at the stove.Bowls of food on the table beg to be eaten, and it takes incredible will power not to dig in for seconds. Remember, it takes about 20 minutes for your mind to get the signal from your belly that you are full.

7. Eat slowly, chew every bite, and savor the taste of the food. Try resting your fork between bites and drinking plenty of water with your meals.

8. Don't eat after dinner. This is where lots of folks pack on the extra pounds. If you are hungry, try satisfying your urge with a non-caloric beverage or a piece of hard candy. Brushing your teeth after dinner helps reduce the temptation to eat again.

9. If you snack during the day, treat the snack like a mini-meal. The most nutritious snacks contain complex carbohydrates and a small amount of protein and fat.

10. Start your day with breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day. After a long night's rest, your body needs the fuel to get your metabolism going and give you energy for the rest of the day.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/top-10-habits-that-can-help-you-lose-weight

Fat Burning Foods & Drinks! 9 Delicious Healthy Eating Foods & Recipes

How to Lose Weight, Without Losing Your Mind

With all of the oodles of dietary theories out there and their conflict with one another, it is a wonder that we are able to remain sane. However, accomplishing a weight loss goal, achieving optimal health and vitality should not be reserved to the select few who seem to have it all figured out. These are gifts that we all deserve to reap the benefits from without having to follow an arbitrary strict set of dietary guidelines.

Below are 8 tips that will fit into any diet and lifestyle while setting one up for success in weight loss, greater health and over all wellness. Implement these tips and achieve your weight loss goal without losing your mind.

 1. Keep it simple. Stop stressing about what diet to follow. What to eat should not be so complicated. Although, there are food allergies that call for the elimination of certain foods, after that, it really should boil down to Michael Pollan's manifesto: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

 2. Ditch the guilt. I know this is easier said than done, but guilt gets people in some serious trouble. Guilt tends to set one up for a binge and can cause one to abandon any healthy goals they have for themselves. The more one binges the guiltier one feels and so the cycle ensues. Instead, acknowledge the behavior and move on.

 3. Breath. Before embarking on any meal or snack take 3 deep breaths. Breathing not only calms you down (this allows for better digestion), but it puts you in the present moment, so you are aware of the edibles that you are about to consume. Shoving handfuls of chips in your mouth becomes a lot more difficult when you take the time to breath.

 4. Clean up the kitchen before you eat a meal. When there is a task that you are dreading it can take away from the enjoyment of the meal you just worked to create. Furthermore, people tend to pick at the meal's leftovers or sweet treats during the clean up process. If there is less to clean up, there is less time to pick. If you are not in the habit of doing this it may take a minute to get the hang of, but I assure it is simple and worth it.

 5. Sit. This tip elaborates on tip 4. Only eat when sitting. This eliminates a lot of "picking" that occurs as what most think of calories that don't count. They count. They add up quick. They offer very little satisfaction.

 6. Have fun. When your life incorporates activities that ignites your passion you are far less likely to use food as your source of pleasure, so sign up for that sewing class, cooking class, dance class or go out to dinner with your friends more often. It really isn't a waste of time.

 7. Pay attention. After, you finish eating pay attention to how you feel. Do you feel tired? Energized? Foggy? Alive? If you really tune in to the way foods make you feel, your body will direct you to towards the foods that fuel you and away from foods that drain you. After noticing that macaroni-n-cheese makes you feel grumpy and groggy, I guarantee its appeal will wane.

 8. Move. Movement ignites feel good chemicals in the brain the suppress hunger as well as igniting your inner fire (i.e. your metabolism) and it is a wonderful stress release. Pick a movement that inspires you. Believe it, or not, not everybody loves logging hours at a gym, so if the gym does not tickle your fancy, find something that does. Any movement counts.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Lose-Weight,-Without-Losing-Your-Mind&id=7735213

8 Healthy, Pre-Packaged Snacks Perfect for Losing Weight or Building Muscle

Quick, healthy, and tasty snacks are an easy and enjoyable way to meet your dietary numbers every day. We all wish we could always have fresh, delicious, low-calorie foods within arm's reach... but that's just not the case. Packing fresh foods and transporting them around every day is a hassle, and especially so among those of us that travel quite a bit.

Therefore, I decided to put together a list of my 8 favorite pre-packaged snack foods... and all are under 150 calories, so you can decide how much to eat based on your weight goals. 

1. Fage Total 0% 100 calories, 18 g protein, 7 g carbs, 0 g fat I'm pretty much obsessed with this stuff. Rich, creamy, delicious, and nearly 20 grams of protein and 0 grams of fat per serving. How do they do it? Magic, I tell you. Mix in some honey or agave and it tastes like dessert.

2. StarKist Ready-Made Albacore Tuna Salad Packet 90 calories, 10 g protein, 5 g carbs, 3.5 g fat Tuna packets rock for quick, easy protein. You can mix it with all kinds of stuff to give taste. Here's one of my favorite recipes: Spicy Tuna: Mix 6 ounces tuna with 1 tablespoon diced pickled jalapenos, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, 4 tablespoons diced tomatoes, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.

3. Stretch Island Fruit Co. Fruit Strips 45 calories, 0 g protein, 11 g carbs, 0 g fat Carrying around fresh fruit isn't always feasible, but all-natural fruit leathers are a great alternative. A couple of these is the same amount of carbs as a piece of fruit, and satisfies your sweet tooth.

 4. Sweet Potato Pop Chips 120 calories, 1 g protein, 20 g carbs, 4 g fat (per serving) Sweet potatoes are a tasty, healthy option for carbs, and I like this brand a lot. They're all natural-no fake colors or flavors, no preservatives, no GMO ingredients, and no trans fats. 

5. Bare Fruit Cinnamon Apple Chips 29 calories, 0 g protein, 8 g carbs, 0 g fat (per serving) How is this for simple ingredients: organic apples, and organic cinnamon. And it's delicious. Great on-the-go carb option.

 6. Barney Butter Squeeze Packs 90 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g carbs, 7.5 g fat (for.6 oz packet) If you haven't experienced the heavenly taste of good almond butter... watch out-it's addictive. Almond butter is one of my favorite snacks, period. It's high in protein and fats and low in carbs, and it's downright delicious. Highly recommended.

 7. Eden Foods Brown Rice Crackers 120 calories, 3 g protein, 22 g carbs, 2 g fat Brown rice crackers are the next best thing to eating the grain itself, and I like this brand. They don't use any artificial ingredients or trans fats, and they're quite tasty.

 8. Organic Valley Stringles 80 calories, 7 g protein, 0 g carbs, 6 g fat I don't eat much dairy, but these are a healthy, easy source of protein if you're on the run.

http://ezinearticles.com/?8-Healthy,-Pre-Packaged-Snacks-Perfect-for-Losing-Weight-or-Building-Muscle&id=7670866

Ideal Weight for Healthy Living

Usually our idea of ideal weight is dictated by the images of the beautiful shapely bodies of models and celebrities. The size zero bodies of beautiful women may look attractive on magazine pages or on television screen. However, when you realize the harm that these women do to their health while creating the skinny body, you will be forced to reconsider your concept of ideal weight.

What is an ideal weight? An ideal weight is one that keeps you healthy and fit. Health professionals do not emphasize on the term ideal weight, instead they focus on healthy weight. While diet and physical activities primarily contribute to the body of a person, there are other factors such as age, race, genetics, family history of body weight, environmental factors, behavior and metabolism rate that help to determine the body of a person. Body weight vs. Body Mass Index The ideal weight varies according to the stature of a person. Therefore, while measuring the body weight, it is necessary to take into account the height of a person.

While the weighing scale displays your body weight, to determine the amount of fat in your body, you must calculate your body mass index (BMI), which is defined as the weight, measured in kilogram or pound, divided by the square of height, measured in meters or feet. The body weight is considered healthy, when the BMI is between 19 and 24.9. People whose BMI is below 19 and above 24.9 are considered underweight and overweight respectively.

How to attain ideal weight To attain the ideal or healthy body weight you need a healthy diet and regular physical activities. Balancing energy consumption and energy expenditure is prerequisite for attaining the healthy body weight as well as for maintaining it. You gain weight when your energy expenditure is less than your energy consumption.

By increasing the level of physical activities you burn the unused calories that are stored as fat. A person is underweight when the amount of calorie intake is less than the amount of calorie used during physical activities. To attain the ideal body weight, an underweight person should slowly increase calorie consumption.

A healthy lifestyle will help you to maintain a healthy body mass index. A diet containing sufficient whole grain, fruits, vegetables and moderate amounts of animal protein is considered beneficial for health. A balanced diet combined with regular physical activities will keep you healthy and happy.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Ideal-Weight-for-Healthy-Living&id=7249019

Fun and Your Health

What do you do for fun? Doctors don't often ask you this question in regards to health care, but maybe fun plays more of a role in health than we openly acknowledge.

Think about how you feel after spending a weekend doing something that interests you, whether that is playing frisbee outside, seeing a new movie, or whatever activity that you enjoy doing. Fun has great effects on both the body and mind. It gets your blood pumping, neurotransmitters flowing, and healthily engages your body and mind.

Sometimes when life gets stressful, there is a tendency to skip fun because of all there is to do or think about. During these stressful times, your body will start hinting to you that it's time for a dose of fun. You may start to experience sluggishness, your mind may feel foggy, and your mood may throw more anxiety and irritability your way. You might feel just generally out of balance. What your body's telling you is that it's time to shake things up a bit and distract yourself from the stress and worries.

What is fun? These days, fun may conjure up images of watching videos online, playing on a tablet or smart phone, and catching up with social media. While these are all common forms of distraction and fun, it can be helpful to step away from the screens temporarily to try out other types of fun. Fun can involve doing something new, surprising yourself by using a new talent, getting creative, or hanging out with friends.

While these activities may seem obvious, they're some of the first ones we can neglect when stress enters the picture. Fun helps you grow, learn new things about yourself, and stretch your imagination. Even though doctors don't ask how much fun you have, it's a good idea to ask yourself once in a while. Is there an activity that you enjoy that you haven't had a chance to do much lately? If so, rearrange your schedule a bit or write a reminder on a post-it note so that you hold yourself to getting back to it. See if a friend wants to join you if you think that would be fun. And for extra fun, ditch the screens for a day.

You'll most likely find that after having some fun, the daunting nature of stress, work, and other responsibilities softens around the edges. You'll feel renewed energy for dealing with the challenges that are on your plate and any others that might pop up. And you can say to yourself, "Hey--I had fun and feel better. I deserve it!" So, the healthy question for this week is: What do you want to do for fun?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Fun-and-Your-Health&id=7594039

Fat-Free Pasta Salad : Healthy Salads

How To Develop Healthy Eating Habits