A great meal can feel incomplete without something sweet to round it off, but cakes and sweets are packed full of sugar and fat which do nothing to help us stay in shape. If you just can’t stay away from those after-dinner sweets then try one that is good for you. Healthy desserts can taste just as delicious as chocolate covered treats and they make finishing your vegetables worthwhile.

Breads

Sweet bread like banana bread or pumpkin-seed bread is much healthier for the body than sugary cakes. Cook fresh dessert bread and eat it warm this winter. Alternatively bake some fresh banana, bran or blueberry muffins. Adding icing, toppings or butter to your bread just adds unnecessary calories to this sweet treat.

Fruit

The obvious choice for a healthy dessert is a piece of fresh fruit but sometimes you feel like a little something extra. Consider mixing some berries with some low-fat yoghurt and serve it in a nice glass topped with some organic honey – after all, we eat with our eyes first. Baked apples also taste great with honey or make an open apple pie by simply leaving off the crumble topping.

Smoothies and lollies

Mix your favourite fruits, some fresh juice and ice in a blender to create the perfect healthy, after-dinner smoothie. If smoothies aren’t your thing then mix some fruit and juice in an ice lolly mould and leave overnight – they taste great and are much healthier than the store-bought version.

Planning

The trick to eating healthily is in the planning. Research healthy recipes online (BBC food has a great selection) and plan your weekly shopping list accordingly. When you’re shopping be sure to stick to your list and avoid aisles that stock tempting chocolates and sweets. Taking time to make healthy desserts for you and your family will leave you all feeling great.

As we become more and more health conscious, we think about not only our diet and how much exercise we get, but also about what we can do to improve our lifestyle in general. You may not realise that an essential part of a more relaxed lifestyle is a good wardrobe. Comfortable shoes and clothes increase our feeling of well-being. If you’re interested in ditching your high heels now and then for a healthier alternative (and you really should to avoid damaging your legs and feet), Look into shoes specifically designed to improve posture and muscle use.

How they work

The idea behind these shoes is that they are designed to make our bodies think that we are walking barefoot. According to the brands that make these shoes, our bodies are designed to walk on soft surfaces and the hard tiled and concrete surfaces of the modern world cause us to walk in an unnatural way. It’s said that wearing these shoes will re-train your body to walk naturally.

The soles of the shoes make your body think that you are walking on a surface that is soft and irregular. This forces you to walk in an upright manner, using your muscles in an optimally. The shoes create an uneven surface at the base of the foot which makes your muscles work harder and at the same time protects your joints from the hard impact of a normal shoe on a firm surface.

The shoes

A number of companies have brought out products that promote more natural walking. MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) shoes come in a range of styles from boots to formal shoes to sports shoes. Prices range from £69 to £190. The Skechers Shape Ups brand ranges in price from £44 to £110 and also comes in a variety of styles.

If you consider that a pair of running shoes can cost you anything from £29 to upwards of £120, depending on brand and quality, these shoes are quite reasonably priced. Plus, some of them come recommended by podiatrists.

Levels of childhood obesity in the UK are soaring, and with a lack of exercise largely to blame, making a difference might only involve taking a few steps. That’s just what thousands of children did during Walk to School Week, an initiative that sees school kids in travelling to school on foot rather than in their parents’ cars. There are plenty of good reasons to make the change, not least of all the difference that walking can make to your health.

Healthy habits

It’s important to get children into the habit of exercising from a young age, and driving them a short distance to school isn’t the way to do it. Set a good example by walking short distances to work or the shops yourself, and encourage kids to get outside and play. Just taking up walking or jogging a few times a week promotes healthy habits.

More focused

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Children who walk to school don’t just reap long-term benefits: on a day-to-day basis, they’re calmer and more focused in the classroom, meaning that their stress levels are lowered and they’ll able to concentrate more effectively on their schoolwork.

Need more convincing?

If the health benefits of a good walk aren’t enough to get you or your child off of the couch or out of the car, then consider the other reasons why driving isn’t the best way of getting to your destination. There’s the fact that every car on the road produces harmful emissions that pollute the environment. Then, there’s the fact that driving to work or school over a short distance can actually take longer than walking there, thanks to traffic congestion – which, of course, would ease up if fewer people left their cars at home. Sounds like walking is the only way to go.

Chef Jamie Oliver has announced he is planning to spend millions of his own money on a 10-year plan to improve meals in UK primary schools, as well as educate children and parents on healthy eating. Oliver said that, after learning that the UK is the most unhealthy country in Europe, with a generation of kids expected to have a shorter lifespan than their parents, he is determined to improve the situation – even if it means money out of his pocket.

Feed Me Better – please

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The Feed Me Better campaign initiated by Chef Jamie Oliver, who, appalled by the food served in UK schools, was started in 2004 and has been a resounding success. He collected 271,677 signatures in a petition that was handed over to Downing Street. In what might have been a response to his School Dinners programme on Channel Four, on 30 March 2005, the government announced they would dedicate £280 million pounds to tackling England’s school meals programme.

Better food, smarter kids

Last month, a study found that Chef Jamie Oliver’s Feed Me Better campaign had boosted school children’s test results by an impressive 15 per cent. The number of ‘authorised absences’ (usually due to illness) fell by 15 per cent in Greenwich, south London, according to a study in the London borough. Researchers estimated that the proportion of school kids who got level 4 in their English Sats at key stage 2 increased by 4.5 percentage points and the percentage that got level 5 in science was up 6 percentage points.

A percentage of profit form every company

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Chef Jamie Oliver told the BBC, ‘Probably what I am going to do over the next 10 to 15 years is literally have a percentage of profits from every single company that I have which hives cash down.’ He added, ‘If, in terms of parents and teachers, they can put all their ducks in a row then literally hundreds of thousands of pounds will be spent on that school. It will build gardens, build school kitchens, give them seeds and fruit trees as well as teaching collateral including web sites, DVDs and conferences.’ Oliver would have mentors on hand to provide food education support.

The food revolution is officially underway in the UK. Do your bit by cooking healthy meals for your families. Grill, don’t fry; steam, don’t boil. And take-out – well, is out!

In the past, myths about vegetarianism have abounded, vegetarians were thought to be pale and sickly, limited to a diet of bland vegetables and strange grains. But now a new myth is surfacing; the myth of the healthy vegetarian. Studies, including the massive 25-year Oxford Vegetarian Study in the UK, are suggesting vegetarianism may be a good option for the health conscious. Lowered risks of cancer, lower levels of bad cholesterol, and a longer lifespan are just some of the benefits offered by a vegetarian diet.

Vegetarian or vegan?

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While vegans don’t eat any animal products at all, most vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products. Fancy a margherita dripping with mozzarella? Falafel? Roast vegetable lasagne? These are all foods that vegetarians enjoy. And, apparently, these foods are making healthy vegetarians.

What the scientists say

Scientists are very interested in the idea of the healthy vegetarian, and for good reason. The biggest survey of its kind, the Oxford Vegetarian Study, looks at the health of 6,000 vegetarians and 5,000 meat eaters over twenty-five years. Two recent papers released by the study show real benefits in having a vegetarian diet. Vegetarians have lower levels of bad cholesterol because they take in less animal fats and more fibre, vegetarians are far less likely to have to undergo emergency appendectomies, and excluding meat from your diet can result in a massive 15-25 per cent decrease in your risk of having a heart attack.

Making the switch

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If you also want to be a healthy vegetarian but live on a meat-rich diet, making the switch to a vegetable- and grain-based diet may be difficult. The most important thing for the new vegetarian to do is get informed – and get into the kitchen. The UK Vegetarian Society is a great place to start, with recipes, food facts, and a list of campaigns you can get involved in.

It’s possible to be a happy, healthy vegetarian then. The best way to get started? Grab some recipes and get out that steamer.

A number of reasons for Britain’s obesity problem have been suggested: hidden sugar in food, a lack of exercise, and even addictive junk food. The answer to the question of why we’re getting fatter could be a lot simpler: we’re just eating too much. A recent study published in the Journal of Obesity offers further insight into what we’ve long known – that people around the world are eating more and more, out of larger food containers that make the temptation to overeat that much greater.

The obesity problem in Britain

Obesity levels in Britain are at alarming rates, and its links with diabetes make obesity an ever more worrying problem. A 2009 report suggested that by 2050, 90 per cent of today’s children could be obese, and stressed the importance of thinking of weight loss as being about health as well as about trying to look good, as being overweight can have serious health consequences. Solutions such as weighing food have long proved effective in weight loss, but solving the problem could be even simpler than that.

New research: growing portion sizes since the Last Supper

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Analysing depictions of the Last Supper, researchers have compared portion sizes shown on the table to the size of the disciples’ heads. They’ve found that far smaller food portions were shown in images created almost a millennium ago, and that portions have become steadily larger since then. It makes sense, then, that the world’s population is getting fatter, too, and that they’re wondering how it happens. The good news is that it’s not difficult to cut down on portion size, and it might just be the solution to your weight problem.

What’s the best way to control portion sizes?

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Controlling how much you eat is largely about common sense, but that doesn’t mean that we always think of the ways to convince ourselves we’ve had enough to eat. When you’re serving food, take smaller food portions and think about whether you’re full before going back for more. Use smaller crockery and serving utensils, and consider ordering half portions in restaurants – and if the food’s delicious but you know you’re full, have it packaged up to take home. If you’re eating from a package – don’t. Take the amount that you’d like from the container and take it away with you.

End of overeating

Avoiding unhealthy food entirely doesn’t just leave you unsatisfied in terms of taste, but it’s also difficult socially – teenagers can’t avoid fast food in many situations, and set menus and dinner parties make it difficult to always have a fat-free dinner. It’s for the same reason that we’re eating more – rather than thinking about how much we want, we just have whatever everyone else is having. Thinking about portion sizes as well as what it is that you’re eating could allow those who struggle with their weight to see the end of overeating – without the struggle.

Read on to know what all is essential to maintain your fish tank to give a healthy environment to the fish.

• Make it a part of your routine to check the tank. If any fish has died, immediately remove it from there with the help of the net.

• All the electrical plugs also need to be checked daily. If any of them is lose or removed, your fish may die early.

• As soon as you notice damage in the equipment, quickly fix it to avoid any further issues.

• It is also important to remove the uneaten food from the tank.

• Once in a week, trim the plants in your tank. This is essential to remove the excess growth.

• Remove all the algae from the tank walls with a scrubber. This exercise should be followed on a weekly basis.

• Change one fifth of the water every week to ensure the release of chlorine.

• Get a gravel cleaner, like the Eheim gravel cleaner, to do away with the dirt that is accumulated among the small pieces of gravel.

Apart from these daily and weekly care exercises, your fish tank also requires some monthly cleaning tasks. You must clean the filter tubing and also wipe off dust from the tank. Take care to create a clean and healthy environment for your fish.

So if you are following a regular work-out schedule, you must go for a diet plan that not only helps in attaining your weight-loss goals but is also beneficial for your skin and hair.

• You must ensure that your diet includes the necessary ACE vitamins in sufficient quantity. Instead of depending on the tablets and dietry supplements, look for the natural stuff. Carrots, peppers, strawberries, spinach, grapes, oranges and broccoli, among other fruits and veggies are great for fulfilling your vitamin requirements.

• Biotin is another essential nutrient that will make your skin glow while burning more calories. Biotin is present in things like peanut butter, liver and eggs.

• Dairy products, wholegrains, nuts, fish and beans are the best sources of minerals like zinc. So add them to your food, but in a healthy form.

• Instead of skipping your meals, substitute the sinful desserts and fried food stuff with soups, juices, fruit-salad, muesli, mixed-grain bread and vegetable pizzas.

I’m sure these tips will help you in planning a health-oriented diet plan. Whenever you are preparing a diet chart for yourself, take some advice from a professional. Also create your own healthy receipes and make sure that you look slim yet great.Of course, often a diet alone will not be enough for achieving your weight loss goals. In these case you must compliment your diet with a regular exercise regime, such as running daily on a treadmill, like the Nautilus T518 LC treadmill. Following the above nutrition advice, in conjunction with an active fitness schedule, will surely be enough to get you healthy and looking your best.

Specific hair problems can be taken care of with a good diet. It is however important to break the myth that nutrients can help repair chemically damaged or split hair, which is actually not the case. Moreover, in certain cases, such as with dandruff or dry air, professional products like the Neutrogena T/Gel-Anti-Dandruff-Shampoo, are necessary. Nevertheless, you can effectively handle other hair issues with a fair amount of success with a more structured eating habit.

People who have oily hair should avoid foods that usually increase the oil levels like chilli or curry. The depressing point here is that if you are genetically born with oily hairs the options are realistically limited.

Dull hairs are also a cause a serious depression. This usually happens if you frequently expose it to chemically rich substances like bleaching and perming. Lack of protein in your diet is another cause of dry and lifeless hair. You can get rid of the problem by eating foods like lean meat, poultry, fish, nuts seeds or pulses.

Dry hairs; on the other hand, signifies a deficiency in essential fatty acids. Naturally, you should increase the intake of foods that are rich in fatty acids such as nuts, seeds, and oily fish like mackerel. These foods are also rich in proteins which help in reviving the glow back to your hairs.

There is also this peculiar problem faced by people where the hair just stops growing, and is caused by the lack of B Vitamins in your diet. Vitamin B apart from providing the body with a great deal of energy, are crucial for the normal growth of hair. If you have low energy levels hair growth may come to a standstill. It is helpful if you take small meals at frequent intervals. Vitamin H is also a necessary ingredient in accelerating hair growth, and is available in eggs, fish, milk, nuts and pulses.

]]> http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/health-beauty/400/eat-healthy-to-have-healthy-hair.html/feed 0 http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/meal-preparation/352/making-a-healthy-pizza-high-in-nutrition-and-low-in-fat.html http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/meal-preparation/352/making-a-healthy-pizza-high-in-nutrition-and-low-in-fat.html#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:11:56 +0000 Kyle http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/?p=352 We all love eating pizzas but many times every pizza slice brings guilt of not eating healthy. If one is on a diet, a pizza seems to be a sinful food that can instantly boost your calorie intake. Despite of such thoughts it is difficult to resist as pizza is a part of our very favorite foods. So instead of avoiding these delicious slices, lets us convert them into a healthy food. Yes, it is possible to prepare a healthy pizza that is delicious yet very nutritious.

Make your own pizza base with the whole wheat dough that is free on trans fats and make healthy toppings with veggies and even fruits. Instead of using the regular cheese, you can go for low-fat mozzarella. You should substitute the meat toppings with onions, sweetcorn, black olives, spinach, mushrooms and even herbs. To enhance the taste, you may also add few nicely cut slices of apples, pineapples and pears. These toppings are high in fiber and also fulfill your vitamin requirements. Above all, they reduce your calorie intake by substituting sausages, bacon and meatballs.

Ideally, you are the best person to prepare a healthy pizza for yourself and your health-conscious friends. However, if you still have to buy one from outside, always go for a pizza from the fridge/freezer section that is low in calories.

So spice your nutritious pizza with the spices of your choice and stay fit while enjoying a great taste!