Tag Archives: healthy living

Is drinking coffee bad for your health

So you think your morning coffee an OK option on your healthy eating plan? Is drinking coffee really bad for you or is it actually good?

Healthy Caffeine in Coffee?, I get these questions about coffee and health all the time and as a coffee drinker myself, it is smart to take a look at both the good and the bad and learn how to drink coffee safely..

Now, I’m not here to tell you that coffee is good for you. (I’m here to tell you the facts). If I did, I would be telling only the good side of the story and I’m no politician. I am here to give you the good and the bad and tell you how you can incorporate your favorite coffee or tea into your healthy meal plan.

The bad side of Caffeine

Most coffee and tea contains a lot of caffeine. This is usually the primary reason people make coffee their drink of choice in the morning. Caffeine is a drug and comes with a long list of side effects. Have you ever tried not having your coffee in the morning? The headache that comes on when you try and kick this habit can be brutal (just like with any other drug), and creating a dependency and addiction like this is harmful to the body.

Second, coffee is extremely acidic. Our bodies function at optimum levels when they are slightly more alkaline (the opposite of acidic). It is best for us to greatly reduce any foods that will drive our body’s pH to be more acidic and eat more foods that are alkaline (like fruits and veggies). An acidic body pH is like a magnet for all kinds of illnesses. Also, an alkaline body has a much stronger immune system, thus making illness much less likely to occur.

Last but not least, the caffeine in coffee and tea is abuse to your adrenal glands. Your adrenals release your “fight or flight” hormones basically giving you a nice “boost” when needed. Unfortunately, people who drink coffee all day long are consistently beating on their adrenals. This is the equivalent of whipping a tired horse even when he is exhausted. Eventually he will not move at all, the result is adrenal fatigue, leaving you with no energy, think of chronic fatigue.
Research on the effects of caffeine on the adrenal glands

The good side of Caffeine

Coffee tastes so nice and makes me feel great in the morning.

Many studies have shown that drinking coffee can help towards the prevention, and treatment of diseases and illnesses as varied as Alzheimer’s disease, liver disease, skin cancer, diabetes, parkinsons’s disease and many more. Although, I don’t believe coffee is the cure all to these diseases, many ancient cultures did rely on the coffee bean to cure a long list of ailments. But also, small doses of caffeine can increase performance and mental focus.

Green tea is a great drink with a long list of benefits. Green tea is a wonderful source of antioxidants which are important in cancer prevention. Green tea has even been found to raise the body’s metabolism and aid in fat burning. However its effects are really minor when compared to the effects of sound nutrition and a good exercise plan. Now that I’ve said that, don’t think you can eat junk food and just wash it down with green tea!

What is a coffee and tea drinker to do?

1. Limit your coffee and tea intake to 2 – 8 oz cups per day. Not 2 of each, 2 in total. Any more than that is considered as a addict.

2. If you are currently dependent on a lot of caffeine each day, replace at least 1 of the cups of coffee with green tea instead. Green tea is lower in caffeine than coffee, and will help combat the ugly detox symptoms.

3. Do not jack up your coffee with sugar, milk, syrup and whip cream . Use stevia or xylitol to sweeten and avoid all the empty, harmful calories. A teaspoon of half and half won’t hurt either. Please do not use any of those flavored creamers. They are closer to a students chemistry experiment than they are to real food.

4. Make sure that your food choices are healthy. Avoiding other acidic foods like sugar, artificial sweeteners and processed foods will lighten the acid load on the body.

5. Make sure the coffee you drink is organic. Conventional coffee is contaminated with pesticides and various chemicals and should be avoided.

There is no need to pass on your morning coffee but it is important to drink the right types of coffee, without the added unhealthy extras and, as with most things, in moderation.

Lose weight without getting hungry

“I really need to lose weight but I hate feeling hungry nearly all the time,” I suppose this has to be one of the most common statements, made by people who follow many of the so called fad diets. If your diet leaves your stomach rumbling every hour on the hour, your body is telling you it’s time to make a change. I used to believe losing weight meant starving yourself. It took me a a very long time to accept the fact that I could actually eat heartily and still drop a few pounds in weight.

The times I spent starving myself in the name of losing weight were miserable. When I did manage to shed a few pounds, I would sadly put it all back on, in a matter of weeks. Sometimes I’d even gain a few extra pounds. Now that’s what I call depressing!

What I learned through many years of research (trial and error) is that when you follow a healthy eating plan, you can eat until you’re full, and still see amazing weight loss results.

What Are Healthy Foods?

Healthy foods are not created in factory’s where food is processed to death. If the food is dried, dehydrated, canned, frozen or filled with ingredients you can’t pronounce. I suggest that you stay away from it. Some good examples of healthy foods include fresh fish, naturally raised meats, legumes, seeds, organic poultry, organic eggs, raw nuts, along with fresh fruit and vegetables.

There’s nothing more miserable than having to deal with hunger pangs all day. If your meals aren’t satisfying your nutritional needs, this is exactly what’s going to happen. Here are some tricks to make your meals more filling:

Add a source of good quality protein and a source healthy fat (yes, fat) to each of your meals. Doing this should make your meals more appetizing and curbs the hunger. Sources of healthy protein include natural meats, organic whole eggs, organic poultry and fish. Sources of healthy fat include avocados, fish, beans, raw nuts, coconut oil and olive oil.

Fill your plate with veggies. They help to divide your plate into three sections, and fill the larger section with veggies. Leave the other two sections for meat and other foods. Veggies are full of fiber, so they expand in the stomach, digest more slowly so keeping you full longer. Try eating green leafs such as cabbage, spinach, broccoli which are rich in magnesium. (at least 57% of the US population does not meet the US RDA for dietary intake of magnesium)

Drink a glass of bottled water before each meal and throughout the day. This will help you feel full faster and reduce hunger.

Examples of Healthy, Filling Meals and Snacks

At Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, 1/3 cup of oatmeal with cinnamon and a small pear.

Snack: 1 medium apple, 1 cup of cucumber slices and 1 oz of raw nuts.

For Lunch: 4 oz ground turkey, 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice, 8 oz carrot sticks, and a small green salad with vinegar and olive oil dressing.

Snack: 2 tablespoons of almond butter, 2 slices of rye crisp bread and 8 oz of celery sticks.

For Dinner: 5 oz boiled halibut steak, 1/2 cup of green beans sauteed in garlic, small baked sweet potato and a small green salad with apple cider vinegar and olive oil dressing.

Diet plans that leave you hungry all the time (or even some of the time) are useless, why are you making life so miserable. Why not ditch the diet altogether and eat healthy instead? If you do it this way, you can eat delicious, filling foods and still lose weight.

Why not check out Mike Geary’s Fat Burning Kitchen Program for more great advice and recipes.

Treatment methods for Bacterial Vaginitis

Bacterial Vaginitis also known as Vaginosis, is an infection of the vagina which is caused by
excessive growth of the bacteria called Gardnerella vaginitis. Which is already present in the vagina. Gardnerella vaginitis is not solely responsible for this problem. When these different species of bacteria are imbalanced the vaginal discharge gives out a foul fish like odor.

The vagina should have a certain amount of lactobacillus (lactic acid bacteria), which makes the vagina slightly acidic which prevents other bacteria from growing.

Excessive discharge and foul fishy odor are the most common symptoms of this disease.

Even though the exact cause is unknown this disease mainly spreads through sexual intercourse, douching, use of intrauterine birth control device (IUD), sometimes a vaginal deodorant can cause this.

It is one of the most common types of vaginal infection found in women. Even though there are quick remedies and medicines for this disease. If not treated on time it can be very dangerous. It may cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometritis, cervcitis, pregnancy complication and post-operative infection.

Home Remedies for Bacterial Vaginitis

• A good hygiene regime becomes very important if you want to stay away from bacterial vaginitis.

• Wear clean and properly washed cotton underwear because the detergent residue may just cause an itching problem.

• Always wipe from the front to back whenever you visit the toilet to avoid the transfer of germs from rectal to genital area.

• If you like to soak in the bathtub see to it that it is properly cleaned and disinfected as it is
a great place for germs to live.

• Have a warm bath, if possible without soap as the scented additives may cause irritation to the genital tissue. Soap removes natural oils from your body and also makes you defenseless against the germs. This aggravates your problem of vaginal infection.

• Drink at least a cup of pure cranberry juice everyday to fight this bacterial disease.

• Having eight-ounces of yoghurt everyday, keeps women away from frequent problems of bacterial vaginitis or vaginosis. The acidophilus bacteria present in the yoghurt helps to create a healthy slightly acidic bacterial environment. Consuming kefir would be even better as this has a wider range of bacteria species.

• If your vagina is swollen you can use plain tea bag soaked in water, cooled in refrigerator to be applied externally to prevent itching. The tannin in tea gives a soothing touch.

• You can also use a cold compress which will reduce the swelling and any itching of the vagina. The cooling factor squeezes the blood vessels and prevents it from swelling and turning red.

• Avoid tight clothes, try to wear cotton underwear which absorbs moisture and provide good air circulation. This keeps your skin dry, bacteria love moisture.

By reverse engineering how we became ill, we can help to prevent reinfection in the future. Use this common sense method, and you can be sure to stop the recurrence of bacterial vaginosis. Next time I will recommend some home remedies to get rid of bacterial vaginosis, without the mess and expense of going to the doctor! Bacterial vaginosis alternative treatments. Alternatively you can click on the image below to access my Ebook BV Straight Talk by Mary Malone.

Ebook-246x365-MainPage

Important: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following the instructions on the home remedies from this article. Don’t use any of these products if you are allergic to them. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site this article is published on or the writer.

Try Wheat free foods for better health

The gluten contained in wheat products can cause or contribute to digestive disorders and joint problems. If you suffer with either of these conditions, a wheat free diet may be just what you need to ease those uncomfortable symptoms. Do you need another reason to consider going wheat free?.

Eliminating this food out of your eating plan can also help you drop those unwanted pounds (I guess that got your attention).

Millet for Gluten Free Diet
Millet is commonly used as a wheat substitute in both gluten free and wheat free diets, as well as foods such as quinoa, brown rice, and sprouted grains.

A wheat free diet is often confused with a gluten free diet. Although wheat products contain gluten, these two types of diets are not the same thing. When you’re on a wheat free diet, you are simply eliminating all foods that contain wheat. When you follow a gluten free diet, you not only give up wheat, you also need to eliminate barley and rye as well.

Digestive problems and wheat consumption

The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome vary from person to person, and they can come and go. Gluten intolerance has been shown to make IBS symptoms. Since gluten is discovered in wheat, eliminating it from your diet can help decrease the symptoms.

You don’t have to have irritable bowel syndrome, for wheat to cause digestive problems. When you consume wheat, it can clog up the intestines and make digestion difficult. A wheat-free diet can encourage a wholesome digestive tract by allowing nourishment to flow through easier.
Go Wheat-less and Drop a Few Pounds

Wheat is found in bread, pasta, baked goods, pasties, cereal, beer, ice cream, pizza’s, gravies and other processed foods. These types of foods have no nutritional value and they make it hard for you to lose weight. On top of all those empty calories you get when you load up on processed wheat products, you ingest all kinds of unhealthy chemical additives, think insecticides pesticides etc.

When you boot wheat out of your diet, there’s nothing left to eat but lean meats, fish, poultry, fruits, beans, nuts, legumes and vegetables. These foods are nutrient rich and are lower in calories than processed foods. When you choose healthier foods, you automatically reduce your calorie intake, so you have an easier time slimming down.

Eliminate the Wheat to Reduce Joint Pain

Gluten can hinder your body’s defenses against joint pain initiated by osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. If you have either of these ailments, a wheat-free diet may help decrease discomfort. Also, when you suffer from joint pains, being overweight will intensify the pain, there’s more pressure on the joints, they wear out faster. The reduction in weight from a wheat free diet will take some of the force off of your joints and help alleviate the agony and increase your mobility.

When you’ve been consuming wheat all of your life, the prospect of eliminating it from your diet can be daunting. If going wheat-free is difficult for you, try taking small steps. Start by cutting your intake by half. After you have done this for a while, continue to reduce the amount of wheat you consume. Before you realise it, you’ll be wheat-free and on the route to better health.
As a treat and delicious meal, try the following wheat free recipe:

MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Serves 6

1 litre of stock-either chicken or vegetable – ensure that any stock cubes are gluten free
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 finely chopped shallots
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
400g risotto rice
255g mushrooms, cleaned and slices.
Small handful of thyme, picked and chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
a handful of parsley freshly chopped
100ml dry white wine
25g unsalted butter
50g freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

First prepare the mushrooms, by heating a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Once hot, add the mushrooms and the thyme. Toss them for about a minute, until cooked, which should take approximately three minutes and then season with salt and pepper. Place to the side off the heat and prepare the risotto.

Heat the stock. In a separate pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add the shallot, a pinch of salt and sweat for about three minutes. Add the garlic, fry for another minute and then add the rice.

While you’re slowly stirring the rice so that they’re all warm, add the wine, stirring continuously. When the rice has absorbed the wine. Add the mushrooms and stir until the rice again absorbs the moisture from the mushrooms.

Add a cup of stock and stir continuously, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue doing this until you use nearly all the stock, and the rice is soft, but with a slight bite, rather than mushy.

Remove from the heat and season to taste, add the butter, cheese, most of the parsley, leaving a bit for garnish and stir gently.

Serve with the remaining parsley sprinkled on top.