Discovering different flavors and textures would be a good idea and this would certainly open a new window to nutrition. It is like adding new colors to the health. To improve the health and to protect the bodies from chronic disease bright colored fruits and vegetables provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients. Eight to ten servings of fruits and vegetables a day is the recommendation of newly revised ‘Dietary Guidelines for Americans’. This type of diet is discouraging but it becomes practicable when it is divided according to some meal guidelines. Example is given below:

• Serve the breakfast with one fruit or 4-6 ounce of juice or ½ cup of frozen fruit or ¼ cups of dried fruit.
• Serve the lunch with 2 cups of salad.
• Serve the snacks with one fruit or vegetable.
• Serve the dinner with 2 cups of cooked vegetable or 1 cup salad and 1 cup cooked vegetable.
• Serve the snacks with 1 fruit or vegetable.

Have Pleasure with Taste Buds

One of the greatest pleasures in life is food. In standard diets favorite foods are banned. The defeat of diet is due to the deficiency that leads to intense desire and cheating. To stay healthy and have a balanced diet it is sensible to take in a sensible amount of the favorite food. Food should be eaten tastily and enjoyably. Blindly following a diet pattern designed without studying an individual’s health status could be even more harmful. So better be sensible in selection and take good advice from an expert.

continue reading Importance of Nutrition

It is the difference of using internal and external cues that makes huge difference between the health status of the Americans and the French.

French are habitual of using the internal cues and that is why they do not feel hungry for a longer time. It helps them stop eating more frequently. On the contrary, the Americans are dependent on external cues. Their plates must be neat and clean. The stock of beverages should never go out. Their favorite TV show should not be over. Americans generally need adverse conditions, just opposite to these, to stop eating more.

A recent study conducted by the Scientists at the ‘Cornell University’ has revealed that more weight is directly related to the external cues. A heavy person, either French or American, will rely more on such external cues for stop eating more. These people will never rely upon their feeling as full.

continue reading Scientists Explain Why Americans Gain Weight While French Do Not

If you are over 60, go take a hike or at least a brisk walk on a regular basis.
It may help you live a few more years, even if you are a bit overweight or even obese, says a study recently conducted by at the University of South Carolina.

This study puts forward specific evidences in addition to the number of studies conducted before. There are several studies available establishing the fact that there are benefits of being fit even if you are a little too fat.

“You cannot tell just by looking at someone if they are fit”, says Dr.Steven Blair, Professor in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. Dr.Steven Blair further adds, “You can certainly be fat, even obese, and still be fit”.

Dr.Steven Blair and his colleague researchers at the Arnold School of Public Health made an assessment of certain measurable parameters including the aerobic fitness, Body Mass Index (BMI), and the waist circumference.

continue reading Key to Healthy Aging is Being Physically Active at Any Weight

“Childhood-Obesity” increases the probability of premature heart attacks and strokes. Children are growing with obesity and this has become a worldwide concern now. “Childhood-Obesity” is no less than a growing epidemic.

Findings of two successive studies brought out recently reveal that the potential impact of childhood obesity must be viewed with two inter-related perspectives. One of these two studies examined and analyzed the effects of excess weight from childhood to the adulthood. This study evaluated the track records of more than 250,000 youngsters who were examined in the year 1930.

Second study applied latest techniques including digital crystal ball of computer modeling. Findings of this studies resulted in to the predicting that the probability of increase of the deaths due to heart attacks could rise up by 1.9%.This increase in the rate of deaths may have a beginning at an average age of 35 years.

continue reading Childhood-Obesity Enhances the Risks of Heart Attacks