As everyone has heard, an apple a day keeps the doctor a way.  But is this saying really true?  Well according to recent research the noble apple deserves its healthy reputation.  The apple is a terrific source of vitamins and nutrients and eating just one a day can therefore be a great way to reap a variety of health rewards.

Apples are a great source of vitamin C and especially in the cold and flu season, this is a very, very important vitamin.  Vitamin C can help boost immune function as well as speed healing.  Vitamin C is essential to healthy gums as well.  Bruising easily is also a sign that you may be lacking in this nutrient, so pick up an apple and enjoy.

Apples are also a great source of flavanoids.  Flavanoids help to prevent heart disease, lower the risk of coronaries, and improve cardiovascular function overall.  As such, these are important little nutrients for keeping your heart and body healthy.  Flavanoids are also vital for antioxidant effects, so eating an apple can help increase antioxidant power.

Apples are also important for keeping cholesterol levels in check.  Apples contain something called phenols, which are capable of reducing the bad cholesterol while increasing the good kind.  This is important for many reasons, of course, including the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.  Apples help to prevent cholesterol from oxidizing which is a very serious effect.

Apples are also good for the lungs.  Research reveals that those people who ate apples regularly, five or more apples a week, were less prone to respiratory problems like asthma.  Again, just one apple a day can be enough to help prevent these issues.

Finally, apples are low in calories.  Most apples contain somewhere between seventy to one hundred calories.  B use they are sweet they can also satisfy that sugary craving.  Opting for an apple instead of candy or chocolate will therefore not only help prevent a host of diseases, but will also keep your waistline slimmer.

Apples are a great snack food.  They are flavourful and healthy and offer a host of essential vitamins and nutrients.  Pair an apple with a handful of almonds or walnuts and you have a protein and vitamin rich snack.

Much of the day we reach for our favourite drinks and often this includes those favourites that are not exactly the healthiest choice for our bodies.  Mounds of coffee and caffeinated tea can be terrific tasting and can help us get through that afternoon slump when we’re tired, but they can also have a negative effect on our immune function and general health.

B use these caffeinated beverages dehydrate us, we tend to get into a vicious circle whereby we reach for more of the same dehydrating beverages to quench our thirst.  Instead what we need to do is to think about what drinks are going to help us in the long run.  Instead of a quick caffeine fix, think about adding in some of these drinks to your day for long term health.

Water.  Well of course water is the best and most healthful drink you can drink.  We all need to drink at least 8 eight ounce glasses of water a day.  Few of us however manage even to get three glasses in each day.  B use so many other beverages like juice, pop and coffee and tea are available, water tends to get crowded out.  Yet there is simply nothing more thirst quenching and cleansing for the body than this humble drink.  So next time you find yourself reaching for a juice or coffee, think twice and fill up your stainless steel water bottle instead.

Green tea.  Ok, so if you do need a little pick me up during the day and are already hydrating yourself well with water, then there is nothing wrong with adding a little green tea stimulant to your day.  Green tea is packed with antioxidants and has therefore been found to have cancer preventing effects.  More than this though, green tea is also a thermogenic beverage.  What this means is that drinking lots of green tea can help boost your metabolic function and increase the calories burned during the day.  This is certainly a terrific bang for your buck.

Carrot juice.  Carrot juice can be made fresh or store bought (just be sure it is fresh).  Carrot juice is also loaded with vitamins and minerals, particularly beta carotene and can be a great way to get a juice fill without all the sugar found in fruit juices.

Green drinks.  If you need something a little bit more filling and tasty, why not try one of the green drinks available on the market today.  These can even act as meal replacements assuming they have all the necessary vitamins, minerals and nutrients.  Choose a non-dairy, vegan kind from a reputable company for best results.  Mix with water or a little almond milk for a good protein boost.

Opting for nutritious drinks is an important component of a healthy diet.  Instead of high calorie fruit juices or worse yet soda pops, try to keep your drinks as healthy as your meals in order to reduce the likelihood of filling up on empty calories.

So maybe it’s family games night or your weekly date night, but whatever the case you’re thinking that it’s time to chuck the high fat Chinese food take out and/or popcorn and candy binges for something a little healthier.  If your usual family night consists of ordering pizza and guzzling gallons of pop, or your date night consists of a calorie rich meal followed by movie theater desert, then you will want to keep reading.

A great way to keep to your diet resolutions is to add activities into your regular life.  Instead of opting to add a whole new fitness regime on top of all your other chores, you should instead work towards changing some of your unhealthy habits and replacing them with healthy alternatives.  Opting for healthier family nights or date nights can be just such a method of upping your fitness game without sacrificing quality time with your loved ones.

Add Activities.  Taking the family to the local swimming pool or skating rink instead of sitting in front of the boob tube can be a great way to spend quality time together while still getting some exercise in.  The pool, the skating rink, the baseball diamond or even family yoga are just some of the ways to turn your stationary family into a family on the move.

When it comes to more romantic times, you can still opt for a fun packed and healthy trip to the gym without necessarily sacrificing romance.  Getting all hot and sweaty and then hitting a co-ed steam room can be a great way to get relaxed and steam things up.  Working out sends endorphins to your brain and can have a very positive effect on your mood and mojo.  Going to the gym, a hot yoga class, or going out dancing to live music together can be a great way to connect with your partner and get you both in the mood for romance.

Cooking in.  Eating in doesn’t have to mean ordering from your favourite high fat restaurant.  Instead, turn cooking a healthy meal into part of the family fun.  You can make healthy low fat pizzas with the kids loaded with veggies and skim mozzarella or make a tasty, but healthy aphrodisiac appetizer with your date.  Remember to keep it light when it comes to both the mood and the food.  Making healthy eating fun will ensure that it becomes something to look forward to rather than a chore.

Finding healthy alternatives can be an important way to teach your family that having fun doesn’t have to involve junk food and stationary activities and so too when it comes to date nights.  Whether it’s an intimate night out with your loved one, or a whole family affair, adding activity and cutting the calories will ensure many healthier, happier days to come.

With today’s jam packed days, most people are looking for a little edge to help them cope with the stresses of the week.  As most westerners are getting less and less sleep yet working more and more hours, it makes sense that we tend to be feeling a little more sluggish and less alert.  If this sounds like you then you will want to keep reading to find out how you can better cope with the challenges of modern life without sacrificing that much needed brain power.

Some of the best foods for building better cognitive function are pretty tasty too.  Below you will find a list of the top brain foods.  These foods are not only great for your brain, helping you to boost cognitive function, memory and r ll, but they also tend to be good for your whole system as well.

Wild Salmon.  Well talk about tasty and good for you all in one.  Wild salmon provides some of the highest concentrations of omega 3 essential fatty acids, known to be a terrific brain boosting nutrient.  Salmon is also low in saturated fat and contains less contaminants than many other fish.  That means less mercury and more brain power.  Salmon and its essential fatty acids can help to improve brain matter as well as your mood.  The nutrients in this delicious fish have been shown to increase synaptic connections, help your arteries and reduce the chances of developing serious conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Acai Berries.  So you’d have to have been living under a rock to have missed the latest berry craze, the noble Acai berry.  However, while these berries contain just as many antioxidants, vitamin and minerals as blueberries and blackberries, they are also—believe it or not—a source of essential fatty acids as well.  So if you are not a salmon lover, or are a vegetarian, opting for some acai berries is a terrific idea.

Acai berries are a great way to go if you’re looking for a bang for your buck.  Be sure though to opt for fresh frozen berries rather than dried or pill form berries.  Flash frozen or flash-freeze dried is the best way to maintain all the healthful nutrients of the berry.

Mixed Nuts and Seeds.  Both nuts and seeds contain high levels of protein and are therefore terrific for your overall health.  More importantly perhaps though, these flavourful little treats are also great for fighting insomnia and boosting mental functioning.  Walnuts are rich in fatty acids and also have mood enhancing effects.  Other nuts can help to build the memory and keep you sharp.

Seeds too especially flax seeds or hemp seed hearts are good for building the cerebral cortex’s functioning.  Adding a few of these to your cereal or your favourite muffin recipe can help give your brain the nutrients it needs to keep you alert and strong.

Taking care of your brain is a great way to stay young and to keep on top of your game.

Drying fruit is one of the most effective, practical, and oldest methods of preserving fruit.  By evaporating much of the moisture out of the fruit you’re left with fruit which is much lighter, yet more concentrated. The sugars in particular tend to be concentrated nicely in the dried fruit, meaning dried fruit not only tastes very nice and sweet but it also provides a great boost of energy as well. Dried fruits can be a rich source of vitamins, though depending on the method of drying some of the nutritional content can be lost. If you want to make sure your dried fruit is as nutritious as possible, and you wouldn’t mind saving some money on dried fruit, consider getting your own food dehydrator. Dehydrators can be relatively inexpensive and are very easy to use yet also very effective. This article will consider some of the more popular dried fruits and see what kind of nutritional value they provide. Read the rest of this entry »

Calories obviously get a lot of attention when it comes to weight loss strategies, which explains why low-calorie foods and drinks are ever popular. The term calorie is actually used as a measure for the energy content of foods, so we need to consume enough calories to get through the day, but excess calories turn into fat if the body doesn’t use them. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, for the body is trying to store the energy for future use instead of wasting it, but many people understandably do not appreciate the body’s foresight in this regard. Read the rest of this entry »

Pine nuts are very small beige seeds which come from pine trees. Shielded from the world by the tough outer layer of the pine cone, these seeds are little gems which pack a powerful combination of nutrients and flavor. The great flavor of these nuts makes them a favorite of many chefs, in fact they are one of the key ingredients in the delicious pesto sauce, and the oil derived from the nuts is used for many things. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone should be paying more attention to the food they put in their body.  It’s a great luxury of the modern age that we rarely have to worry about how we’re going to get our next meal. In fact, we generally take food for granted, it’s all around us and we almost view eating as an inconvenience, something we must attend to throughout the day so we can keep going about our lives. With this attitude in mind, many people just eat whatever they have around them, whatever tastes good, and never put much thought into their overall dieting behaviors. Unfortunately this is a grave mistake, food is fuel for our bodies, and the quality of the fuel has no small effect on the performance of the body. Read the rest of this entry »

Proteins are integral to the basic structure of all living things on the earth, and are one of the key essential nutrients required to maintain the overall health of the human body. Apart from water proteins take up the biggest portion of our bodily mass. Proteins are made from amino acids, of which there are two kinds: essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids. The latter is produced automatically within our own bodies while the former is not and we therefore need to acquire them through our diet. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s understandable that many people find it very hard to get all the vitamins and minerals they need everyday. Eating healthy is often unfortunately not always convenient or affordable, two realities which lead us to make poor diet decisions and leave us lacking in required nutrients. Many people therefore opt for vitamin supplements, but it is always important to ensure that you chose quality vitamin and mineral supplements. Organic and good quality vitamins provide a solution to this problem b use they are free from many of the artificial chemicals used in the production of low-end vitamin supplements. Now that is not to say that other kinds of vitamins simply do not work, it’s just that they will not be as readily absorbed as higher quality vitamin supplements and organic vitamin supplements in particular. Read the rest of this entry »