Food tip of the day.
New Potatoes and their health benefits.
Sorry folks this does not include McDonald's French Fries....
Just what is in your spud?
Calories
A single cooked new potato contains only about 26 calories. Since new
potatoes can vary in size and specific variety, the calorie content of a
100-gram serving of plain, steamed new potatoes can range between 70 to
100 calories. About 86 percent of a new potato's calories come from
carbohydrates, while nearly 10 percent is provided by protein and 4
percent or less from fat.
Fat
Steamed new
potatoes served without butter, cheese or cream sauce contain a
negligible amount of fat. The USDA National Nutrient Data Laboratory
reports that a small potato measuring between 1.75 inches and 2.5 inches
in diameter provides only 0.21 grams of total fat.
Carbohydrates
One serving of new potatoes, steamed with the skin intact, contains
approximately 30 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance of
carbohydrates for a healthy adult. These carbohydrates can be broken
down into two main categories: sugar and dietary fiber. A new potato
serving can provide between 8 percent to 11 percent of your daily fiber
intake. Diets high in fiber-rich produce, like potatoes, are linked to a
decreased risk of colon cancer, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol.
People trying to lose weight often avoid potatoes since nutritionists
typically categorize them as having a high glycemic index. Foods with a
high glycemic index contain sugar carbohydrates that are digested
quickly and can leave you feeling hungry shortly after eating. However,
researchers reported in the "British Journal of Nutrition" that new
potatoes have a medium to low glycemic index when the potatoes are
steamed whole and eaten cold, making them a good food choice for people
trying to lose weight.
Vitamins
Steamed new
potatoes contain significant amounts of essential vitamins, particularly
if they are prepared with the skin left on. One serving of potatoes
provides almost 45 percent of the RDA for vitamin C, and 10 percent of
the RDA for vitamin B6, a vitamin required for neurotransmitter
synthesis and cardiovascular system health. New potatoes also contain
approximately 2.2 milligrams of niacin, 37 micrograms of folate, 14
grams of vitamin A and 3.9 micrograms of vitamin K per serving.
Minerals
New potatoes contain a high concentration of potassium -- 620
milligrams, or 18 percent of the RDA, for a single serving. They also
contain 6 percent of the amount of iron needed daily for optimal health,
as well as 99 milligrams of phosphorus, 39 milligrams of magnesium and
12 milligrams of calcium in a serving.
Antioxidants
New potatoes are a good source of antioxidants, compounds that prevent
DNA damage by inhibiting the function of free radicals. Potatoes are
highest in kukoamines, and flavonoids like anthocyanins and carotenoids.
Consuming foods rich in kukoamine compounds may help prevent
hypertension, while flavonoids may protect against heart disease and
cancer.
1. Eating potatoes can reduce inflammation. How?
Potatoes are wholesome, nightshade vegetables, loaded with
carbohydrates, protein, calcium, niacin and Vitamin C. Because of the
fiber in potatoes, they are soft and easily digested. The Vitamin C in
potatoes make them great antioxidants which repair cells in the body.
Potatoes can relieve inflammation in the intestines and digestive track.
Raw potatoes can also be mashed and applied to relieve external burns,
inflammation, and so forth.
2. Eating potatoes can increase
brain function. The brain or nerve center of your body relies on several
things to function, including balanced glucose levels, oxygen, Vitamin B
complex, amino acids, Omega-3 and other fatty acids, among others.
Potatoes contain these elements and so much more to keep your brain
performing as it should.
3. Eating potatoes can help prevent
cardiovascular disease. Potatoes are a great source of carbohydrates,
protein, calcium, niacin and Vitamins C and B-complex. These properties
help fight heart disease and keep blood pressure at normal levels.
Potatoes also contain carotenoids, key to heart health and overall
health and wellness.
4. Potatoes may offset incidence of kidney
stones. There are an increasing number of studies that indicate that
potatoes may have protective health benefits. For example, potatoes are
rich sources of magnesium which can offset the accumulation of calcium
in the kidney.
5. Potatoes advance skin care. Potatoes have all
the right stuff to optimize health and wellness. Potatoes contain
Vitamins C and B-complex, potassium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus, all
excellent vitamins and minerals for your skin. Raw potatoes can be
mashed and mixed with honey to make a masque for your skin. Raw potatoes
can also be applied to burns and rashes to ease the swelling and pain.
The many benefits of eating Salmon.
This protein is loaded reasons to eat more fish.
Salmon is the common name used to denote the various species of fish
belonging to the family of Salmonidae. Salmon is born in fresh water and
it gradually migrates to the ocean.
However, it comes back to the fresh water to reproduce. Since times
immemorial, people have been using salmon as a tasty and nutritious
food. The fish can be consumed fresh as well as in the form of preserved
types, like smoked salmon or salted salmon. Today, most of the salmon
comes from Alaska, Eastern Canada, The Pacific Northwest, Greenland and
Norway.
Here is a detailed list of the many benefits of eating this awesome fish!
1. Salmon is rich in Omega-3, which has several health benefits to
its credit. Its Omega-3 content, along with the niacin and vitamin 12,
is extremely beneficial for cardiovascular health.
2. Omega-3 and the trace mineral selenium, present in salmon, have defensive action against colon, prostate and breast cancer.
3. The omega-3 in salmon helps in reducing depression and thus, keeps a
person in good mood. Depression and stress are the principal causes
that boost the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. As the level of
pro-inflammatory cytokines increase, the depressive symptoms accelerate
simultaneously.
4. Omega-3 improves the electrical
properties of cells present in heart and is also defensive against the
deadly abnormal heart rhythms.
5. The omega-3 present in
salmon prevents obesity and increases the response towards insulin. It
is also beneficial in reducing the formation of cytokines, which causes
the inflammatory response lined with atherosclerosis.
6.
Omega-3 helps in lowering the level of triglycerides, which increases
the risk of cardiovascular diseases in case of its high accumulation.
7. The omega-3 present in salmon also comes into limelight for the
protection it provides from both early and late age-related muscular
degeneration.
8. Omega-3 is also known to have
anti-inflammatory effects. It has the ability to protect the skin
against sunburn and most possibly, skin cancer also.
9. Salmon,
like any other fatty fish, is helpful against kidney cancer. It is
effective in defending against renal cell carcinoma, which is the most
common kidney cancer.
10. Consumption of salmon works effectively in lowering the risk of multiple myeloma, leukemia and non-hodgkins lymphoma.
Even a small amount of salmon fish is healthy for protection
against digestive tract and ovarian cancers. People eating salmon have
less chances of getting cancer in pancreas, ovaries, mouth, stomach,
colon, rectum, esophagus and pharynx.
11. Salmon promotes the health of your heart, by accelerating the heart rate variability (HRV).
12. Salmon prevents and controls high blood pressure. It gives more
protection against heart attack. It has a vital role to play in
protection against ischemic stroke as well
13. Eating
salmon helps prevent deep vein thrombosis. Deep vein thrombosis is a
condition in which blood clot develops in the deep veins of thighs,
pelvis or legs.
14. Salmon also is protective against
pulmonary embolism. Embolism is formed in case of the breakage of a part
or a whole of the blood clot from its site of creation, following which
it starts moving through the venous system. The condition in which the
clot resides in the lung is called pulmonary embolism.
15.
Salmon offers cardiovascular protection for postmenopausal women
suffering from diabetes. It also facilitates better functioning of brain
cells.
16. The risk of Colo-rectal cancer decreases to a considerable extent with the intake of salmon.
17. A person suffering from dry eye syndrome (DES) will find relief by eating salmon.
18. Salmon proves highly beneficial in destroying the Alzheimer’s plaques.
19. It also proves highly helpful in protecting against childhood asthma.
20. When cooked properly Salmon tastes great!!!!!
I know that's allot to think about right? Salmon is better at healing the human body than the drugs the doctor gives you.
Here's something to really think about....
Eating healthy foods like Salmon is so beneficial, yet so many people
complain that eating foods like this is far too expensive.
Well
yes and no, you see eating fast foods may be a little cheaper and much
easier to obtain than Salmon, however the damage the fast food causes
will cost you much more money in the long run. Fast food is poison to
our bodies! You may not see the effects right away but the damage is
happening and slowly but surely it will catchup with you in the long
run.
Want proof?
Fact: Obesity is now an epidemic and
along with that is cancer, diabetes and a host of other diseases and yes
it's caused by the junk food industry.
Benefits of eating Chicken Breast.
Chicken soup, chicken stew, chicken chili, chicken breast on
salad…chicken in almost any form is great for your health—unless you’re
the chicken of course!
All kidding aside, the health benefits of eating
poultry are plenty. When this fowl comes in a lean breast, it’s low in
fat and calories and high in protein, which makes it ideal for weight
maintenance. Not to mention that this bird is jam-packed full of
essential nutrients and vitamins.
Plus, with so many ways to
prepare this plucky protein, you’re family won’t tire of chicken as a
frequent weekly menu staple. Here are the top ten healthy benefits of
eating chicken:
1. High in Protein
If you’re looking
for a great source of lean, low fat protein, this bird is the word. The
protein in chicken lends itself to muscle growth and development, and
help support a healthy body weight and aid weight loss.
2. Natural Anti-depressant
Chicken, like its brother fowl the turkey, is high in an amino acid
called tryptophan, which gives you that comforting feeling after
consuming a big bowl of mom’s chicken soup. In fact, if you’re feeling
depressed, eating some poultry will increase the serotonin levels in
your brain, enhance your mood, blasting stress, and lulling you to
sleep.
3. Prevents Bone Loss
If you’re entering your
senior years and you’re concerned about Osteoporosis or arthritis,
eating chicken will aid in your fight against bone loss thanks to the
protein punch it packs!
4. Poultry for Heart Health
Homocysteine is an amino acid that can cause cardiovascular disease if
levels are high in the body. Fortunately for us, eating chicken breast
suppresses and controls homocysteine levels.
5. Phosphorus
Chicken is also rich in phosphorus, an essential mineral that supports
your teeth and bones, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous
system function.
6. Selenium
Chicken also abundant in
selenium, an essential mineral involved in metabolic performance—in
other words thyroid, hormone, metabolism, and immune function.
7. Metabolism Booster
Vitamin B6 (or B-complex vitamins) encourage enzymes and metabolic
cellular reactions (or a process known as Methylation), which means
eating this bird will keep blood vessels healthy, energy levels high,
and metabolism burning calories so you can manage a healthy weight and
activity level.
8. Rich in Niacin
Chicken also happens
to be rich in niacin, one particular B-vitamin that guards against
cancer and other forms of genetic (DNA) damage.
9. Promotes Eye Health
Chicken is high in retinol, alpha and beta-carotene, and lycopene, all
derived from vitamin A, and all vital for healthy eyesight.
10. Essential for Healthy Tissue Growth
Many of us are plagued with chapped lips, cracked mouths, tongue sores,
or dry skin in winter. However, a boost in riboflavin (or Vitamin B2),
found in chicken livers, will drastically reduce your skin problems and
repair dry or damaged skin.
So make sure you include chicken
breast as a part of your nutrition program. There are so many different
ways to cook chicken too.
EAT MORE - WEIGH LESS!
Part 1 of 3.
So many of us get so caught-up in losing weight we fail to completely
understand the consequences of not eating enough food each day. You see
it's not so much of caloric restriction as it is calorie management. So
many times we feel like if I just stop eating I will lose weight. Well I
wish it were that easy, if it were we would all be in great shape.
The trick to dropping
unwanted body-fat may sound a bit confusing at first but once you
understand how the metabolism works you will have a much better
understanding.
Here's the facts
First we must understand why we eat and when we eat.
The obvious, "I'M HUNGRY" is NOT why you should eat. In fact if you
wait until you are hungry you have waited far to long to eat and proper
caloric management is disrupted.
(GOLDEN RULE: EAT FOR WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO DO, NOT FOR WHAT YOU HAVE JUST DONE)
I'm sure you've all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of
the day....and this is true. But have you ever really wondered why?
Let's examine the word, "breakfast" separate the word and you have two words and it simply means, "break the fast"!
Most people will eat their last meal between 5-8PM and then we relax a
while and typically go to bed between 10PM and 12AM. Then we sleep
between 6-8 hours. In many cases allot of us have not eaten for 10-12
hours by the time we have gotten out of bed in the morning.
Understand this, if you have a healthy metabolism your blood sugar will
be very low in the morning because you have not eaten for a long time.
We are not always hungry simply because there is no caloric demand from
waking up. Your body has been is a resting and rebuilding phase while
you were asleep.
We all get our day started by waking up and
hitting the floor with both feet just like everyone else does. But in
many cases that's where the similarity stops. What everyone should do
upon waking up is break the fast they have been in before they get
hungry and keep feeding the body all day long so it never gets hungry
and the facts are you will melt body-fat away.
However if you
are like many Americans you will skip breakfast grab a drug called
caffeine and get your day started with a stimulant. So let me tell you
what happens when you chose either situation.
First lets go with the benefits of breaking the fast and eating breakfast.
1. (And this is KEY throughout the day) You will elevate your blood
sugar to normal ranges. You see by not eating for 6-14 hours your
glycogen storage will be low, yes you do still burn calories while you
sleep. (I will get into that later) So it is important to get blood
sugar into normal ranges first thing in the morning and maintain normal
blood sugar levels all day long.
2. It prevents your body from
going into the catabolic phase. Providing the body with proper nutrients
upon wake-up will prevent the body from pulling nutrients from muscle
tissue. You see our body behaves much like us, the last thing it wants
to eat is fat, the nutrients your body craves are all found in the lean
muscle tissue throughout our body. Once you blood sugar has bottomed out
the body goes into starvation mode and will start wasting muscle
tissue. The saddest thing about this over a long period of time is you
are destroying your metabolism because muscle tissue and it's activity
is the only thing that burns calories. Think about it for a minute, how
many of you have had a steak with a ring of fat on the side and
purposely eaten the fat first because you love fat? The answer is very
few if any at all! The body acts the same way, just for different
reasons. You see fat is our reserve energy source and if you do not feed
the body the first thing that will happen is the body starts reducing
its need for more calories by getting rid of the cause for more calories
and that is your muscle tissue.
Here is the biggest problem we
have, our body is very efficient at saving itself from us (LOL) by being
able to store fat so easily and in many cases we are our own worst
enemy and we aid our bodies into hanging onto stored body fat by
starving ourselves.
3. Eating breakfast automatically elevates your metabolism for the rest of the day!
4. Eating breakfast also aids in brain function and sets the tone for a
better day. Yes eating breakfast stimulates a hormonal release to
energize your day.
The key is keep blood sugar in normal ranges and it becomes impossible to store body-fat.
Tomorrow I will explain why it's more calorie management than it is calorie restriction.
Here is what you will need to know more about.
1. The Glycemic index and how you can use it to maintain your blood sugar.
2. Proteins and the Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER)
3. Fats and their key role to a healthy metabolism
4. Feeding the lean body mass, not total body weight (your true BMR)
Food for thought, is resistance exercise the key to maintaining low body fat more so than cardiovascular exercise???
