As super healthy inexpensive foods like quinoa and amaranth are getting more popular the need for facts and great recipes are increasing.

The first thing to say about quinoa is that it is a seed, not a grain.
The plant grows to about 2 meters high and the seeds are born on flower clusters. The leaves can be eaten like spinach and in fact quinoa and spinach come from the same plant group. The most common type of quinoa is the cream colored quinoa but you can get purple, red, orange or black. There is no nutritional difference between the different types of quinoa.

Quinoa Nutrition Facts

Quinoa has long been a favorite for vegans since it has all nine essential amino acids supplements. Lysine in particular in crucial for repairing the body and bringing recovery to your body. It also contains magnesium ,iron, copper, phosphorus and magnesium. In fact, quinoa has one of the highest concentrations of these elements in the plant world.

Quinoa carbohydrates are slow releasing which means that it satisfies your hunger for longer. For diabetics this is ideal as you can maintain the correct blood sugar levels for longer with high level carbohydrates such as quinoa. It’s also great for anyone following a low carb or low-GI diet.

Quinoa is almost a “complete” food and was used by the Incas tribe by mothers while pregnant as well as when nursing infants. It is thought to help improve the quality of milk mothers produce while feeding.

Quinoa has plenty of Calcium, Fat, Iron and phosphorous and a high amount of vitamin B2.

Sprouted quinoa has even more fiber since the seed germ has sprouted from the seed. You can mix sprouted quinoa with chopped raw vegetables for a healthy salad full of fiber and goodness.

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Flowers in your salad is not only very pretty it can also give your food a health boost.

Dr Jim Duke is a famous ethnobotanist. He was recently featured in the Daily Health News letter with these great ideas on edible flowers. Make sure to pick the right once though we don’t want you to add a non-edible flower to your summer salad.

• Violets, kin of the vivid Johnny-Jump-Up, add a grassy flavor to garnishes and desserts. These are a good source of rutin, believed to reduce capillary fragility.

• Squash blossoms contain Vitamin A precursor carotenoids.

• Borage, which hints at cucumber, is good in salads. It should be used sparingly, but can be helpful when you have a cold or cough.

• Lavender petals taste sweet and contain chemicals thought to benefit the central nervous system.

• Roses have a sweet, astringent flavor. Rose petals are rich in antioxidant-like polyphenols that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Different colors have different bioactive pigments — and white has the least. Eccleston cautioned against eating the ones you buy in stores as they are grown with chemicals and dipped in fungicide.

• Nasturtiums, lemon gem marigold and calendula (petals only) are all delicious in salads, each bringing its distinct earthy flavor and color to the table, so to speak. The orange calendula (marigold) petals contain lycopene and other cancer-fighting nutrients, while the yellow ones are rich in lutein, which is good for the eyes.

• Daylilies contain Vitamin B and chemicals associated with reduced risk of heart disorders.

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Three ounce raw fruits and vegetables a day cuts the risk of a stroke with over 30%.

If you boil your veggies they have no such effect.

This is the result of a Dutch research that will to be presented today in San Fransisco.

Linda Oude Griep from the University of  Wageningen studied the routines of over 20.000 men and women for over ten year. She did not take into account the effects of different types of fruits and veggies, just whether they were raw or cooked.

Burger, fries, another burger, chicken nuggets and tacos….

Traveling can be devastating for your diet. Get off the highway and all you see is junk food. Fast, cheap and ….. junk.

It makes you wonder if there is no place that actually cooks food anymore.

After many many hours on the interstates I’ve figured out how to find the fast, cheap places that serve Real food. Homemade food, if they live in the restaurant..

Go for the Ugly!

It’s true! It works every time. This is how you recognize a good, ugly restaurant.

1. It is located further away from the highway.

2. It has an old-fashioned sign that you’ve never seen before.

3. The building could do with some maintenance.

4. There are no or very few cars parked outside.

5. When you walk inside you feel like you’ve traveled back in time.

6. The tables and chairs are plastic and probably brown.

7. When you ask them what they serve they answer: “We serve a little bit of everything.”

Congratulations! You’ve found an inexpensive restaurant that serves REAL food. Now you can relax and enjoy.

Thanksgiving is soon to come. I’m sure everybody’s already excited. So am I! But, do not forget to always eat healthy and in moderation. That includes snacks and side food items. They too can add up to your weight gain if you’re not careful.

My Fitness Hut shares with us some common sense eating rules during the 4 day fest and some healthy snack ideas to keep healthy and avoid weight gain.

Common sense Thanksgiving holiday eating rules:

1. Use no more than a pat of butter on whole wheat bread or rolls.

2. Use natural sweeteners like cinnamon instead of sugar.

3. Use condiments like mustard instead of ketchup or mayonnaise.

4. Drink only water or unsweetened drinks, like tea. Cranberry juice and pomegranate juice are not that healthy if they are loaded with sugar!

5. Limit alcohol consumption which has 7 calories per gram.

6. Sweet potatoes are very healthy (limit the butter and marshmallows). Try them roasted to seal in the flavor without adding fat! Sweet potatoes are full of fiber, vitamin A, potassium and one of the best snacks around. Plus, they satisfy my sweet tooth!

7. Turkey is a healthy source of protein. If you deep fry it or smother it in gravy, you will add alot of calories! Turkey also provides folic acid, vitamin B, zinc and potassium. I love white turkey sandwiches on wheat bread for weeks after Thanksgiving day!

Here are some healthy snacks to eat during Thanksgiving holiday:

1. Popcorn is high-fiber and low calorie. Skip the butter and excess salt! I like to pop it on the stove in canola or olive oil. On the run, I eat natural, microwaved brands.

2. Nuts. Peanuts, pistachios, pecans and almonds are all good. A handful of nuts goes a long way! They are high-calorie so be careful. Skip the excess salt! Nuts have heart-healthy fats, fiber and vitamins.

3. Fruit is always a healthy, filling snack. I’ve never heard of anyone getting fat from eating fruit! We all know the health benefits of eating fruit so enough said.

4. Green, leafy salads. Eat green salads on most days with very little dressing. You can’t go wrong with green, leafy veggies for the health benefits!

5. Low-fat yogurt is a great snack! Yogurt smoothies are also great options (especially after a strength workout).

So there you go. I hope you enjoy the holidays and stay healthy!

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DietWhy.com introduces 8 kinds of food to combat influenza:

1. Yogurt

Probiotics protect the gut. Yogurt contains probiotics to protect intestinal tract to prevent disease-causing bacteria production. In addition, some yogurt contains lactic acid bacteria which can promote the growth of white blood cells in the blood.

2. Sweet potato

Sweet potato increases skin resistance. Skin is the body’s immune system, a member of the body against bacteria, viruses, etc. The first barrier against the outside world. Vitamin A in the connective skin tissue plays an important role in the process. the best way to obtain vitamin A is through β-carotene from food, sweet potato is the quickest way to obtain this nutrient, which is rich in β-carotene and low in calories.

3. Tea

Tea is anti-bacterial and anti-influenza. Immunologist found that people who drink five cups of black tea a day for two weeks will produce a large number of anti-viral interferon, its content is 10 times more than people who don’t drink tea.  This protein could be effective against infections help the body against flu. At the same time, it can reduce food poisoning, wound infections, athlete’s foot and even the symptoms of tuberculosis and malaria. Of course, drinking green tea also has the same effect.

4. Beef

Zinc enhance immunity. Zinc in the diet is very important, it can promote the growth of white blood cells and thus help the body against viruses, bacteria and other harmful substances. Even mild zinc deficiency can increase the risk of infectious disease risk. Beef is an important source of human zinc supplementation.

5. Mushroom

Mushroom promotes anti-inflammatory white blood cells. For a long time, people take mushroom as food for enhancing immunity. Nowadays, researchers have also found that eating mushroom can promote the production of white blood cells and enable them to be more preventive.

6. Fish and shellfish

Selenium can be used against virus. British experts research indicates that adequate supplementation with selenium can increase the number of immune proteins and thus help clearing the influenza viruses from the body. Selenium comes mainly from oysters, lobsters, crabs and clams and other seafood. Fish such as the Omega -3 in Atlantic salmon can help the blood cells producing large amounts of anti-influenza, but also help to enhance human immunity.

7. Garlic

Allicin can be used against inflammatory and bacteria. British researchers’ experimental results show that consumption of garlic may reduce the chance of catching cold to 33%. Regular chewing  garlic will greatly reduce suffering from colon cancer and stomach cancer risk. It is therefore recommended two raw garlic every day, and when cooking adding some large minced garlic in your dishes.

8. Oats and barley

Healthy fiber is antioxidant. Oats and barley contain β-glucan, which has anti-bacterial and anti-oxidation of cellulose role. Consumption of oats and barley, can enhance immunity, accelerate wound healing, but also help the antibiotics to play better results.

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According to Madeline Bohannon, a tropical fruit expert from Bonita Springs Tropical Fruit Club, this generous fruit may not be the best known of its kind but it deserves to be. That is because they yield 3 or 4 times as much juice as a regular lemon.

It is even better because they are in season now. They are typically harvested from November through winter. Meaning, they’re just right in time when we need an immune system boost. FYI, vitamin C is known to reduce the growth of free radicals or build up of toxic substances in the body that cause diseases ranging from flu to cancer.

In case you want to try Meyer lemon food recipes aside from the basic lemon juice or lemonade, here are a few of my healthy choices:

Meyer lemon pasta salad with asparagus, almonds and goat cheese
Meyer Lemon ‘Custard’ Island Parfait
Meyer Lemon – Ricotta Muffins

Read the rest of the report about Meyer lemons from News-Press.

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Kelly Velotta, a dietitian, believes that if you know how to shop wisely and cook your own food, you can make sure that you’re eating a balanced diet at a reasonable price.

Watch this video to learn more tips from Kelly on how to eat healthy on a budget.

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If you’ve been used to eat anything that tempts your palate or anything that is readily available whether it is healthy or not, switching to a healthy eating habit will be a challenge.

I know! You really want to have a healthier lifestyle, but changing old habits is not as easy as a snap of a finger. However, if you are really determined to leave the old ways, here are 4 steps to help you start and eventually keep incorporating healthy foods into your meals.

STEP 1: Make it a habit to eat healthy. It’s so much easier to grab junk food as a snack because it’s usually pre-packaged and easy to grab when we’re too hungry to make something healthier. Instead of eating that bowl of ice-cream or sugary cereal every night, try replacing that snack with something healthier like a fruit bar or even just a healthier cereal than the one you’re currently eating. If you crave chocolate you could also look for low calorie fudgcicles to replace that regular candy bar you might be eating!

STEP 2: Make an eating plan for the whole week. Google “healthy foods” and “healthy meals” to find ideas for your meal plan. Make sure you pick good foods and meals that you can easily prepare yourself without too much trouble. If you feel lost in the food jungle, here’s a simple guide to make a healthy eating plan.

STEP 3: Use Tupperware, coolers, and other lunchbox-type containers to make your healthy foods available to you no matter where you travel.

STEP 4: Try new ways to prepare your food. Oftentimes, people don’t like healthy food because they get bored eating the same things over and over and don’t feel like there are enough healthy options. BUT you can solve this easily by taking those same foods and just finding a million different ways to prepare them.

If you have other tips about motivating yourself in keeping a healthy eating habit, feel free to share them with us. We’d love to hear from you!

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Mother Nature has particularly designed each season to have different food produce. And all for great and healthy reasons! Isn’t it a wonder that nutrients present in season foods are exactly what our bodies need to stay fit, healthy and strong? Well, yes!

Take pumpkin for example. It’s a traditional feature of autumn and it is rich in vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and folates – all  needed to fight seasonal cold and flu.

The Organic Supermarket gives us more reasons why we should eat in season.

Some other key factors encouraging us to eat seasonally include:

Freshness
All fruit and vegetables taste their best and are nutritionally highest when harvested fresh from the field close to where they were grown in their prime harvest month. Buying local also is also better for the environment due to lower transportation costs.

Tastiness
Just try the difference! Strawberries taste great in the summer months, but eating them in February is not what nature intended.

Healthiness
Trying new and exciting seasonal fruit and vegetables encourages you and your little ones to get that essential five a day portion in. Try delicious Swede soup in autumn, it’s hard to beat!

Buying seasonally also stops us paying a premium for food that is scarcer out of season.

Seasonality also helps support the local economy with local farmers and independent stores benefiting from your food purchasing decision, thereby ensuring our next generation is not left with only a hand full of mega stores with no alternative.

If you haven’t given this any thought before, then now is the right time to start eating fresh and healthy season foods. This way, you and your family will be reunited with nature and its purpose once again.

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