How to eat healthily at a barbecue

Whether you have a posh www.weberbbq.co.ukhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif barbecue or a humble disposable one there is no doubt about it, food tastes better cooked out of doors. The only problem is that if you are on a diet or trying to watch your cholesterol levels a lot of food traditionally cooked at a barbecue can be unhealthy.


by alisdair

Too much red meat can increase the likelihood of heart disease and certain cancers so many people are avoiding steak and burgers when it comes to choosing their meat for the barbecue. Pork on the other hand is high in protein and low in fat and Vit B, so long as you choose a lean cut such as tenderloin or loin chops. There are many delicious marinades which make your pork taste even better on the barbecue. Have a look for recipes for barbecues online or buy a bottle of marinade from the supermarket.


Chicken too is a good healthy choice for a barbecue so long as you remove the skin before eating as this is where you will find most of the fat content. Make sure that your chicken is thoroughly cooked to avoid salmonella issues. The easiest type of chicken to cook safely on the barbecue is boned.

We all know that we should eat more fish and what better way to enjoy it than on the barbecue? Monkish is a nice firm fish so excellent for using in kebabs. If you are using wooden skewers soak them in water to avoid them burning. Salmon too is good grilled on the barbie either as it is or wrapped in a foil parcel with a bit of lemon.

Even if you are watching your waistline it is easy to fall prey at a barbecue to the temptation of potato salad and coleslaw, both of which are full of mayonnaise. You could try using a low fat mayonnaise or serve an alternative such as a green salad and boiled new potatoes or couscous.

Asian food barbecue ideas

Barbecues are an increasingly popular way of cooking food in the summer. Gone are the days of somewhat primitive rickety contraptions and now manufacturers such as www.weberbbq.co.uk offer a wealth of sophisticated gas grills, making life even easier for the outdoor cook.


by victoriapeckham

If you’re looking for a change from the usual sausages and burgers that are served at barbecues why not add an Asian touch to your food?


Instead of your favourite marinade you could add flavour to your chicken or pork with teriyaki or hoi sin sauce. Alternatively spice rubs, such as five spice or a tandoori mix can be rubbed on to your meat to add extra flavour. Either rub the spices on dry or mix with a small amount of oil to make a thick paste.

Spareribs are great on a barbecue and there are recipes galore on the internet. One of my personal favourites contains black beans, chillies, soy sauce and brown sugar.

If you like your food to have a kick then look out for jars of Szechuan peppercorns which, combined with chilli in a marinade, gives your food a hefty kick. Lamb cut into chunks and marinated for a few hours can be threaded on to skewers and alternated with jalapeno peppers before barbecuing. Serve with a yogurt and cucumber dressing to temper the heat if you feel you may have been heavy handed with the spices!

The Asian influence needn’t stop with your meat either: instead of a green salad, potato salad or coleslaw you could prepare a noodle salad, a Chinese potato salad with chilli paste and sesame oil or a coleslaw made with bok choy instead of your usual cabbage and a rice vinegar dressing. If you like Indian food you could make a batch of spicy basmati rice or a side dish of aubergines cooked with tomatoes and a selection of spices, as accompaniments to your main dishes.

Save money on your Christmas dinner

It’s lovely to have the whole family with you for Christmas dinner but in these hard economic times it can be a worry when you work out how much it is all going to cost. Christmas is the one day a year when, regardless of the fact that you might normally be a fan of quick meals, you have to pull out all the stops and put on a spread fit for a king.


by tastingsf

Here are our tips to have a fantastic day but come out of it with the bank balance still intact.

- Whilst it is nice to have a glass of bubbly before the meal it needn’t be champagne. Try a bottle or two of prosecco or cava instead or forsake the bubbles and make a jug of mulled wine. Have a look on the internet for printable coupons and you could save on your drinks.
- If you have the money, then a starter of dressed lobster is delicious. However, prawns or smoked salmon are equally tasty and if you put them on a bed of lettuce or on top of blinis they also look very attractive.
- Not everyone can afford a fresh turkey and there is nothing wrong with cooking a frozen bird. Just make sure that you get it out of the freezer in plenty of time.
- Cooking it slowly, covered in foil, on a rack over a tray of stock makes sure that it does not dry out and the stock makes scrumptious gravy which will compensate for the fact that frozen birds are sometimes less tasty than fresh.
- You’ve done the hard work so why not ask a guest or two whether they would mind bringing a pudding (traditional Christmas pud or something else) or a cheese board?

Healthy hair and healthy skin advice

We are what we eat and this holds true for our hair and skin too. If your diet is poor then expect symptoms such as hair that is too dry or too greasy, dandruff, hair loss, skin that is spot prone or too dry, rashes and liver spots. Having plenty of fluids is important too, especially water, fruit juice and vegetable juice. Cut back on alcohol, caffeine and fatty food if you want to improve the health of your hair and skin.


by o5com

A little TLC will benefit your hair enormously. Don’t overdo the chemical treatments that it is subjected to and, even if you condition every time you wash, it will still appreciate a deep conditioner twice a month. If you live in a hard water area use a product, such as Pantene’s Pro V Clarifying Shampoo every week to get rid of the build up of minerals. Whilst on the subject of washing your hair, wet hair is more likely to stretch and break than dry hair so be careful to use a wide toothed plastic comb rather than your normal hair brush. If you use a hair dryer use the diffuser attachment so that your hair is less likely to be damaged by excessive heat.

For healthy skin adequate sleep is essential as it is during this time that skin cells are renewed. Aim for at least eight hours a night. One of the most damaging things for your skin is excessive exposure to sun. Always use a moisturiser with a factor 15 protection, even in the winter, and if you are out in the sun for prolonged periods use a sunscreen of at least factor 30. Stick to a good cleansing, toning and moisturising regime. This needn’t cost a fortune with many products available from the likes of Nivea and Olay for between £2 and £7.

Homemade sandwiches

We all know that making your own sandwiches can at times become very boring and repetitive; often it seems as though you’re always left eating the same sandwich with the same old dull filling. However, with so many different sorts of bread and filling available on the market now, there’s no excuse not to indulge in this most convenient of lunchtime meals!

That said, don’t think that just because you’re eating a sandwich that you’re opting for a healthy lunch choice. If health is high up on the agenda for you when it comes to midday munchies, the first thing to do when making a sandwich is to change from white bread to wholemeal or seeded bread.

For the main ingredient, meanwhile, try using leftovers from yesterday’s dinner. This will save both time and money. You could try using roast chicken or beef, and mix these staple ingredients in with some salad leafs. Add some low fat mayonnaise or roast vegetables with cottage cheese or houmous for that extra special touch.

If there’s one thing that a good old Sunday roast can teach us, it’s that last night’s roast dinner can be used to make a yummy sandwich the next day. However, if cold roast beef doesn’t float your boat, other types of filling that are both quick and simple to put together include hardboiled eggs with chopped watercress and low fat mayonnaise, avocado with low fat cream, chopped tomatoes with some lemon juice, tuna with chopped parsley and spring onion drizzled with some balsamic vinegar, and prawns with ketchup, low fat mayonnaise and watercress.

The healthy sandwich fillings mentioned above are just a few examples of what you could put in a sandwich. So, just remember if you don’t have a great deal of money, making sandwiches as part of a packed lunch or as a light snack is a great way of saving money and being super-healthy at the same time. Experiment yourself with different foods and try creating your own filling today!

Heart Health: Everything You Need to Know

There are so many factors that contribute to heart health-even more than often advertised. Yes, we know of the usual genetics and overall health, but there are a great many things that you can do to improve your heart health-things that may even override those factors which you cannot control-heredity, environmental factors, etc.

First, let us look at those factors which are beyond our control. You cannot very well control your family's medical history, or your genes. If you have a family history of heart disease, you are automatically on a course to develop the disease yourself. However, much of the reason that multiple generations in a family have a particular condition is that the family chooses lifestyle habits that make them more prone to a certain disease. These lifestyle habits are learned by the kids in the family, who in turn teach their kids, and the pattern continues. So while you cannot control your family's lifestyle choices or medical history, you can choose to life more healthily today than your parents did in the past. You can choose to reverse those bad eating habits and lifestyle habits of your youth, and live better today.

Your gender is another thing that cannot truly be changed. We all know that certain operations can alter the appearance of a person, and seem to alter their gender, but the chromosomes and DNA which either makes you a man or a woman will never suddenly reverse. Men have been shown to have higher incidences of heart attack than women, and they also have the heart attacks earlier in life than do women. Therefore, men must especially watch their heart health, even earlier in life, to ensure a long, healthy life. Women, on the other hand, while they have heart attacks less frequently than men, and later on in life than men, have a higher chance of dying from those heart attacks, especially after menopause. So it is also equally important for women to carefully watch their heart health and choose healthy lifestyle choices.

Heredity is the last factor that is unchangeable. Like it or not, we cannot change from African descent to French, or from Norwegian descent to Mexican. Certain nationalities have sometimes shown a predilection for certain conditions and diseases. For example, those of Asian or Caucasian descent have a lower chance of developing heart disease as opposed to people of Mexican, Polynesian, and Native American descent. African Americans have an increased risk of high blood pressure when compared to Caucasian Americans, and thus have a higher chance of developing heart disease. This factor, heredity, cannot be changed, but at the same time, it may be the lifestyle of those nationalities which increases their risk of disease. An excellent example of this is the Japanese, who typically have lower blood pressure and chances of heart disease than Americans. This is usually accredited to their high intake of sea vegetables, which are among the healthiest foods available.

Now that you know the unchangeable factors of heart disease in your life, it is important to focus on what you can do to prevent or treat heart disease.

Heart failure is the final result of heart disease, but there are many signs and conditions that will show themselves before heart failure occurs. Among these are high blood pressure, or hypertension; obesity; high cholesterol levels; and diabetes. These symptoms, or conditions, are now being grouped together and called "Syndrome X". Syndrome X is being exploited as an incurable, unpreventable disease that Americans develop, and which requires drugs to heal. That simply isn't the case, though. All of those conditions are preludes to heart disease, and through healthy lifestyle and eating habits are very preventable and treatable.

Most likely, the first thing you will need to do is to lose weight. Almost 90 million American adults are considered obese, which is having a BMI of 30 or higher. That doesn't include the millions of American adults who are overweight, or those who have a BMI of 25 or higher, which is estimated at 30% of the population. Seventeen percent of adolescents are considered overweight as well. So out of the approximately 300 million Americans currently residing in the United States, 180 million of them are either overweight or obese. This figure is well over half of all Americans. With this enormous number of Americans overweight, or extremely overweight, not only are diseases on the rise, but the lifestyle of Americans in changing drastically as well. On a whole, we are becoming more sedentary, less active, and yet eat more than necessary. The growing number of office or internet based jobs are supporting the sedentary lifestyle of Americans, and in a country that hardly ever stops, fast food, high in calories and deficient in nutrients, is supporting the obesity rate as well.

A change needs to occur in order to promote longevity in the lives of Americans. The old mantra, eat less, exercise more, can be very unappealing, but can literally save your life, by helping you to shed those extra pounds, strengthen your heart and lungs, and improve blood circulation. The fact is, though, that you cannot simply "eat less", you must eat better. That means less fatty, "junk" foods, and more whole grains, vegetables, lean meats and fruit. Do you ever wonder why this is important, though? If it provides your body with energy, why would it matter what it is made of, right? The truth is that there are many different components to nutrition, and everything you eat should be for a purpose.

The foods you eat should promote alkalinity. A byproduct of every single function in cells and of cells is acid. Acid, though, will harm your cells if left in the body. To counteract this, it is important to eat lots of alkaline foods, as alkalinity is the opposite of acidity. As you put more alkaline foods into your body, the alkalinity will counteract the acidity and cause a balance in your body. If you put acidic foods into your body, such as coffee, soda, fried foods, etc, then the acid will only build up and cause sickness. As a natural preventative to acid destroying cells, the body builds special fat cells which hold the acid away from other cells and organs, thus protecting your body. However, when your body protects you in this way, it is increasing the number of fat cells, which promotes weight gain. Eating lots of green, chlorophyll-heavy foods is an effective tool against fighting acidity in the body.

The foods you eat should promote muscle gain. It is important to eat lean, low fat meats in order to give your body the amino acids it needs to build muscle. That's not to say that if you are not concerned with having big muscles you should avoid meat. Having muscle in the body is beneficial not only with movement and strength within the body, but also with fat burning, as having more muscle will result in a higher metabolic rate. Having more muscle promotes a leaner look, while keeping you strong and fit.

The foods you eat should promote cellular activity. Cells, as the foundation upon which your body is made, need to be healthy in order to complete the various necessary tasks to keep your body functioning and healthy. Cells do everything for your body, including receiving nutrition, helping to excrete waste, participating in enzymatic reactions. If you think your organs do much for you, just remember that your organs are made of cells, and thus, it is really your cells working together that allows your body to function properly.

In addition to adopting more healthy eating habits, it is important to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Note, daily, not weekly. You should be getting about thirty minutes of exercise every day in some form, whether it be strength training, cardio exercise, or aerobics. You should be rotating the type of exercise you do every day. For example, you might do aerobics and strength training with your arms on one day, cardio and stretching the next, and aerobics with leg strength training the next. Keep rotating so as to get three or four days of aerobics a week as well as strength training with every part of your body at least once a week.

We do not only strength training, but also aerobics, cardio, and stretching for a reason. If you only did strength training, day after day, sure, you may have great muscles and a high metabolism, but you will also have very weak lungs and a weak heart, which in the end will not benefit you much at all. For that reason, we incorporate many difference exercise techniques into the routine, to keep your body's overall health at an optimum. Exercise benefits your overall body in numerous ways, not only building your stamina and endurance, but helping to lower your cholesterol, fight diabetes and high blood pressure, and reduce overall body weight.

Diet and exercise are two factors that need to be carefully watched when heart health is a concern. Today, however, much of America's food, even fresh food, is almost nutritionally empty. It is for this reason that many people are deficient in necessary vitamins and minerals. In fact, a great majority of Americans are nutritionally deficient. You may want to consider using supplements to keep your body healthy. Vitamins that you would normally be getting through your food that are great for heart health include vitamin E, C, and B. Studies have shown that those who supplement with vitamin E show a 40% decrease in chance of developing heart disease. This is due not only to the fact that vitamin E is an antioxidant, but it also keeps blood cells from "sticking" to each other and clogging arteries, and also prevents artery damage. It is important to remember that vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, and therefore depends on fat to be absorbed. This isn't to say that you should eat a hamburger with your vitamin E supplement, but taking the supplement when eating a meal that uses olive oil or another "healthy fat" is beneficial. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that works with Vitamin E and keeps blood vessels healthy. It also raises HDL cholesterol and lowers LDL cholesterol. Vitamin B is another vitamin which helps to control cholesterol levels in the body.

While vitamins are essential to health, the truth is that minerals are even more needed by the body. Not only can vitamins not be used without the aid of minerals, but minerals by themselves work wonders in the body. Undoubtedly the most important mineral for heart health is magnesium, which is actually known as the heart mineral. Magnesium helps to prevent heart disease by preventing diabetes, improving cholesterol, and preventing heart attacks. Magnesium helps to prevent hypertension by relaxing the smooth muscle surrounding the blood vessel walls, keeping arteries open, and magnesium works with potassium to lower blood pressure as well. Magnesium helps to prevent blood clots, and lower the risk of stroke. A lack of magnesium can result in heart arrhythmias. Magnesium also helps to improve heart health by relieving overall stress in the body. All in all, magnesium is a great mineral for heart health, and is, in fact, the most important mineral in preventing cardiovascular disease.

Selenium is also an important mineral for heart health, as it acts as an antioxidant in the body. Selenium, in addition, is a component of an enzyme which helps to protect arterial walls. Potassium, Magnesium, and Calcium work together as electrolytes to regulate blood pressure and keep your blood healthy.

When looking to improve your heart health, what is not put in your body is just as important as what is put in your body. Smoking is something that many people engage in, and yet is quite probably the most harmful thing you could do to your body. Smoking decreases oxygen in the blood, restricting oxygenation to body tissues, which will, in time, kill those tissues. Let's not forget that tissues compose muscles, and the heart is a muscle, so by smoking you are slowly killing your heart muscle. It is vital that if you do smoke, you stop today, in order to improve your health and start reversing the effects of smoking.

All of these things-heredity, gender, lifestyle, diet, supplementation- affect your chances of developing heart disease. In order to prevent cardiovascular disease and improve your heart health, it is important to take charge, to do research and know what your body needs for optimum health, and then do act upon that knowledge to better your heart health today.

Tips on Improving Heart Health

The heart is the hardest working muscle in the human body and every day it pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood. It never stops and is always working. Such a diligent muscle needs to be in the best condition it can be, and with a few changes in lifestyle, you and your heart can be feeling much better. Heart disease is one of the major killers of men and women in America, but most of the causes of heart attacks are preventable and are largely due to poor lifestyle and diet choices.

A build up of cholesterol and fat in the arteries is the main cause of heart disease and failure. This build up is known as plaque. Once built up to a certain level, the plaque can break open, causing blood clots to form. This can cause a complete blockage in the artery and stop oxygen rich blood from reaching the heart, resulting in heart failure.

Diet

Because the major cause of heart disease is the build up of cholesterol and fat in the arteries, this should be an indication that heart health and diet are directly related. Research has shown that a diet rich in olive oil, Omega-3, garlic, whole grains and fresh vegetable will significantly reduce heart complications. In fact it has been proven that people who consume a Mediterranean diet are at far less risk from heart disease.

Over-processed foods are a major dietary concern. When food is over-processed it looses the majority of the essential nutrients. Processed grains found in white bread, and the sugars present in soda and the sodium in fast food greatly increase the risk of heart complications. Not only is unprocessed food better for your heart, it tastes better as well.

Physical Activity

The heart is a muscle and like all muscles it needs to be exercised. When the heart is strengthened it will become more efficient at distributing the flow of blood around the body. The best exercise you can do for your heart is aerobic. This can include swimming, bicycling and walking.

If you are new to exercising, it is important that you take things gradually. The recommended daily amount of exercise is 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times per week. But do not feel that you need to do this amount straight away; the most important thing with exercise is consistency. Do what you can, but keep at it. Over time you will be able to go longer and do more.

Smoking

If you smoke, your chances of heart disease are greatly increased. Smoking increases the chances of your arteries becoming clogged because the smoke damages the cells that line the blood vessels and heart. A year after you quit smoking, your chances of heart disease are cut in half and 15 years after stopping smoking, you are at the same risk as a non-smoker. If you want to quit, your heart health care provider can offer support and recommend programs that will improve your chances of success.

Healthy meals on a budget

If you are looking for healthy and delicious recipes but don’t have a huge deal of money to spend then don’t despair, it is perfectly possible to make tasty and nutritious meals without spending a fortune on lots of expensive ingredients.



The key is to make sure that you always have the staple ingredients and seasonings in to form the basis of lots of different dishes. If you have the basics in stock, you will need to spend very little in order to create delicious and appetising meals.


A key ingredient that you should always have in the cupboard is pasta. Pasta is cheap and filling and can form the basis of a number of different dishes. Whether fusilli, spaghetti or linguine, make sure you have a good supply in at all times to make dishes such as pasta bakes, Spaghetti Bolognese, pasta salads and lots more.

The same is true of rice; it’s cheap and filling and can make lots of different tasty meals. Rice dishes you can create include risottos, paellas, chilli dishes and cold rice salads. Experiment with rice and your favourite meat, fish or veggie protein to find your favourite dishes.

Potatoes make another great staple ingredient, and can be used to make home-cooked chips, potato wedges, jacket potatoes, toppings for cottage or shepherd’s pies, roast potatoes, mash... the list goes on! Make sure you always have a potato or two in and you should never be stuck for food ideas.

As with potatoes and pasta, bread can form the basis of lots of light meals and snacks. From garlic bread pizzas to cheap and nutritious beans on toast, bread needn’t just be for healthy sandwiches. It can even be used to create delicious desserts when past its best, including bread and butter puddings and fruit crumbles.

Great healthy eating tips

Whether you’re looking to lose weight or simply want to feel better by filling your body with the right nutrients, healthy eating can seem like a minefield.



There’s so much advice and choice out there these days that it can be daunting embarking on a new healthy eating plan. Which advice should you listen to? Who’s talking sense? Will this mean a diet of chickpeas and seaweed smoothies for the rest of your life?!


Well, the good news is that healthy eating can actually be pretty simple. You don’t need to undergo a massive overhaul to your entire diet to start feeling the benefits of eating healthily; you can start making small changes to your diet right now!

The good old sandwich is one of the most popular foods around. Whether we make our own or grab one from the local service station, café or supermarket, it’s the perfect, versatile food on-the-go. And it’s really not tricky to choose healthy sandwiches these days.

If you’re a fan of fried bacon or egg sarnies in the morning for example (and who isn’t from time to time) then try swapping the white bread for wholemeal bread and the oil for a low calorie cooking spray. By doing this you will instantly be cutting down on the sugars and fat, as well as choosing a bread that will keep your energy levels up for longer and leave you feeling more satisfied, without giving up one of life’s little pleasures!

For those of us who grab sandwiches on the go, avoid mayonnaise-rich options and instead plump for something with lots of salad in the filling. As fillings go, chicken and prawn (without the mayonnaise) make healthier choices than cheese or sausage.

Making small changes to your diet in this way will soon see you eating much healthier, without giving up all of the things you love or becoming a food bore!

Channel Your Energies for Better Growth of Your Unborn Baby… Listen to music.

A woman undergoes several emotional and physical changes as she becomes conceive. Begetting life is certainly not an easy task. It is natural to feel anxious and comprehensive regarding pregnancy. So it is important to be safe. This safe mode however, sometimes takes away all joys from would be mother’s life and makes her feel low.


Photo: kenudigit

Psychiatrists say there is a difference between being pregnant and being diseased which is often neglected by over protecting spouses and family members. Pregnant women are often treated like patients. Even after it has been acknowledge that exercise during pregnancy decreases labor complications, families do not let their expecting daughters work-out.

This treatment also has adverse effects on mental health of conceiving mothers, trapped in a room they think about their months and feel anxious. In order to ensure peace of mind to would be mothers, families add on to their agitations.

Doctor Erick Britson explains the over protective behavior of families as: “families don’t understand that thoughts are impulsive, it is tendency of human to think, and that’s how we exhaust body generated energy. No work does not mean no thoughts rather no work means an ideal state, which instead means a lot many thoughts. So rather than focusing on eliminating thoughts, they should direct energy of thoughts into positive and productive usage.”

Hence it is always healthy for a mother to indulge in things that affect baby’s growth positively. Meditation, reading some good books, listening to pregnancy tips music etc can be a productive channel for conceiving mothers to spend their energies on. In fact these are some channels that unborn babies also respond to. It has been observed that women pregnant with five month baby, listening to classical music like, pleasant ragas, Mozart and Tchaikovsky feel movements within, and babies respond to such tunes within months of their birth.

Music sooths the soul and so it helps expecting mothers to relax, it can be any taste and any music it works the same. Mothers prefer listening religious songs, jazz, country music, classical and easy listening. These are top five favorite of would be mommies.

Gestation period is long but it shouldn’t be monotonous, after all it is the time a women can endow all she wants to in her baby. Since what a mother does directly affects the baby and his tastes, listening music can be soothing, relaxing for the mother and also inspiring for her baby.

Although, choice of music depends on musical taste of mother, anything from classical, to jazz can be soothing for the soul. It gives tranquility to the mother and makes her journey towards attaining complete motherhood a cherished one.

Pregnancy is blissful, pregnant women should not be treated as patients, at conceiving they become highly charged up with emotions and undergo hormonal changes. With a lot of stuff happening on physical and mental front music helps them relaxing. It helps them stay positive about the whole thing.

3 Ways a Holiday Is Good for Your Health

Humans need balance. There’s something intrinsic in our makeup that drives us to seek out light and shade, calm and excitement, work and play. If we tip the scales too heavily to one side or another, things start going awry. For this reason, holidays are not only a lot of fun and great experiences, they’re also good for our health. The benefits of relaxation are well documented, and while we’re not quite at the stage of Fiji Holidays being covered by Medicare, more and more people are realising that a holiday can be exactly what the doctor ordered. Here’s how:


Photo: Alex [ www.bytefish.com ]

1. Stress reliefOf all the problems we humans suffer these days, so many can be linked back to stress. Stress is a funny thing—the effect it has on our bodies was originally designed to help us in times of need. That familiar racing of the heart and drying of the mouth we get when we’re under stress is actually a biological tool called the flight or fight reflex. It’s a little evolutionary trick that helps us pull out those extra adrenalin reserves when we need them most—which in prehistoric times, would have been when we were eye-to-eye with a sabre-tooth tiger, for example.


These days, we’re rarely in the kind of life-threatening situation that requires the flight or fight response, but our bodies and brains haven’t figured it out yet. Instead, any old thing—like getting a bill in the mail or being stuck in traffic when you’re running late—can trigger that process in our bodies. This means that our bodies are under a constant state of stress and pressure, and that as a result, our health suffers. Getting away from it all on holidays and allowing ourselves to relax gives us some much-needed recuperation from the constant stress our lives put on our bodies.

2. Vitamin D
Holed up in the office all day, it’s amazing how often it can happen that we leave for work while it’s dark and return home when it’s dark, having very little time during the day to experience the sun on our skin. While skin cancer and Melanoma are problems in Australia, Vitamin D deficiency is on the increase, and it can have all kinds of health affects from depression to brittle bones. Getting away to a spot in the sun means soaking up that Vitamin D for a while, something most of us probably don’t even realise we’re missing out on.  

3. Perspective
Sometimes, a bit of geographical distance from our everyday lives gives us the emotional distance we need to put things into perspective. If you’ve been running yourself into the ground or making poor health choices, getting away on holiday and having some time to think can give you the opportunity to put some plans in place for a healthier, happier you. Whether you’re living it up in Vietnam hotels or trekking through the forest in Canada, the sheer difference of your holiday experiences to those of your everyday life can be enough to spark a change.

TOP 5 Chinese Tea

It’s not straight forward. Different Chinese tea books and tea drinkers have different lists and THE 5 Most Famous Chinese Teas list doesn’t seem to exist. The following Chinese teas are ranked by the frequency they appear on 20 lists from various references.


Photo: ROSS HONG KONG

Longjing tea , also known as Dragon Well tea, is a variety of roasted green tea from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China where it is produced mostly by hand and has been renowned for its high quality, earning the China Famous Tea title.According to many tea experts, the Longjing tea is amongst the finest and most representative of green teas.It has been described as the “ideal” beverage for “quiet, contemplative times.”


Bi Luo Chun is a famous Chinese green tea originally grown in the Dong Ting mountain of Tai Hu, Jiangsu Province, China. Also known as Pi Lo Chun, it is renowned for its delicate appearance, fruity taste, floral aroma, showy white hairs and early cropping.Today, Bi Luo Chun is cultivated in Dong Ting, Jiangsu Province. Bi Luo Chun from Dong Shan (East Mountain) is considered the best. Bi Luo Chun tea is also grown in Zhejiang and Sichuan provinces. Their leaves are larger and less uniform (may contain yellow leaves). They taste more nutty than fruity and smooth.

Tieguanyin tea plucking very chic, it is not picking immature Brussels, but we have to wait until all the new leaves start to bud formation when picking. Tieguanyin combination of the production of fermented black tea and green tea is not fermented characteristics of the species are semi-fermented, mining back to the leaf integrity, and then cool blue, sun-and shake Green.China Fujian Anxi West Township area, “Tieguanyin Tieguanyin” origin. Anxi have both inside and outside the sub-region, Tieguanyin mainly produced in the western “Anxi” Here the hills, fog shrouded the Red acidic soil, it is ideal for the growth of Tieguanyin. Therefore, “Anxitieguanyin” Yaye fat, Zhang Prix branches, dark green color. Since the formation of the Qing Dynasty Yongzhengnianjian processing So far, more than 200 years of history.

Huangshan Mao Feng tea is a green tea produced in the Anhui province of China. The Tea is one of the most famous teas in China and can almost always be found on the China Famous Tea list. The tea is grown near Huangshan (Yellow) Mountain, which is home to many famous varieties of Green Tea. Huangshan Mao Feng Tea’s English translation is “Yellow Mountain Fur Peak” due to the small white hairs which cover the leaves and the shape of the processed leaves which resemble the peak of a mountain.


Photo: bentza

Da Hong Pao Tea is one of the most famous Chinese teas. Belonging to the Oolong category of tea, the tea has a long history and some wonderful legends surrounding it. The English name for the tea is Big Red Robe. The tea was first produced on Wuyi Mountain in the north of China’s Fujian Province. Of the four Oolong Teas which grow on Wuyi Mountain, Da Hong Pao is unquestionably the most famous. The other three are; Tie Luo Han, Bai Ji Guan, and Shui Jin Gui.

With more information about Chinese green tea, pay a visit to our online store. You will buy it with high satisfy.

Top Spots for Eating and Drinking in Brisbane

Brisbane is a beautiful and vibrant city, filled with friendly locals and enjoying an enviable climate all year round. If you’re planning a visit to Brisbane, you’re probably up to date with the tourist attractions you want to see and where you’re going to stay.


Photo: Andrew Scott

What you might not know, however, is that apart from the many wonderful tourist attractions that Brisbane has on offer, it boasts a large selection of entertainment venues that keep locals and tourists entertained. All you need to do is buy your travel insurance and book your tickets because we’ve got you covered with the best places to eat, drink and play in Brisbane.


Eat

• Brisbane is one of the most exciting cities in Australia for food, and more and more innovative chefs are coming to Brisbane each year.
• If you’re looking for high-end cuisine, the Brisbane institution Montrachet is a must.
• Grasshopper Asian Kitchen blends funky modernism with traditional Asian fare to great effect.
• Run by celebrity chef Matt Moran, Aria is a sophisticated and modern restaurant that embodies all of the elegance and style of big city dining with the unique atmosphere that makes Brisbane so special.
• Enoteca is an Italian restaurant that makes a meal of its wine list. With a downstairs cellar and top quality ingredients, you’ll be having one or two vinos here for sure, so it’s best you don’t drive.

 Drink

• When it comes to going out on the town, Brisbane is definitely the place to be. At the forefront of the Australian music scene and with a strong passion for electronic and dance music, Brisbane is just waiting to show you a good time.
• For dancing, good music and a lot of fun, Family Nightclub is an iconic place to shake a tail feather
• For a more relaxed, laid back vibe, the Story Bridge Hotel is a quintessentially Aussie pub—so much so that it even features cockroach racing on Australia Day!
• If you want some good live indie music, The Zoo is a Brisbane icon, having played host to some of the best alternative music acts since opening in 1992.
• For a top-quality brewski, the Archive Beer Boutique on Boundary St is a must-visit. Taste your way through the nectar of the gods with a brilliant ambience to go with it.
• The Victoria Hotel, after a devastating fire in 2008, is back open for business and features one of the best beer gardens in the state. Perfect for whiling away those steamy tropical nights with a cold drink in hand.

Brisbane’s nightlife and entertainment scene has undergone a revival in the last few decades. Once ironically nicknamed ‘Brisvegas’ for a perceived lack of nightlife, the locals have taken the insult and made it their own, turning Brisbane into a thriving hot spot to rival any major city. With most Brisbane apartments and hotels central to the city and all the action, it’s possible to simply duck outside any night of the week for a bite to eat, a boogie, or a quiet drink with some friendly locals.

How to be Healthier

Our personal health and wellbeing affects every aspect of our life: our happiness, our relationships, our work and our physical health. It is easy to neglect our health when we are feeling stressed, or money is tight, or we are just too busy to focus on it. But the fact is, we can’t afford not too. Practicing healthy habits will improve all these aspects of our lives. Here are some ways to help you work on this.


Photo: HaoJan

1. Think about what you eat.

Frequently relying on convenience food and takeout is a habit that most of us can easily fall into, especially if we are really busy, too tired to cook, or trying to be careful with money.


However, what we put into our bodies has significant effects, not just in terms of weight, skin and other aspects of our physical appearance, but mentally and emotionally as well.

Too much sugar, caffeine can cause jitteriness and headaches and really negatively affect your mood. If you don’t always have the time to cook, see if you can share the cooking duties around, or prepare meals in advance and freeze them.

Frozen vegetables and healthy staples like brown rice are inexpensive and much better for you than 2-minute noodles or potato fries.

2. Where you live.

Our physical surroundings can affect our health in ways you may not have realised. Make sure where you live is always clean and airy – too much mold and dampness can cause you to be chronically sick. Being cooped up in a windowless apartment will give you headaches and make you moody.

Consider your furniture as well – if your bed or your couch is really uncomfortable you could be getting back pains and ruining your posture.

You may find you need to move houses or take steps to improve your living environment. Fast loans for small amounts of money (usually up to $3000) if you don’t have the savings could be an option – you can’t afford not to take action.

3. Medical and dental care.

It is really easy to shrug off medical and dental check ups, but it’s a habit we need to change.

Often we don’t go to the doctor when we are sick because we think it will go away; only we wait too long, and before we know it, we’ve spent two weeks being miserable, missing work…and visiting the doctor in the end anyway!

And of course no one is ever excited about visiting the dentist, but avoiding this could end up costing you dearly in the long run. Tooth aches, root canal, losing your teeth – these are all things that can be avoided.

If you don’t have private health insurance and worry about what you would do if something were wrong, you can always apply for cash loans to help you afford the initial treatment.

4. Fresh air and exercise.

You are reading this article online right now – where are you? How long have you been staring at the computer?

Whether you are a student studying furiously away, stuck in an office with stale air, or inside looking after the kids: make an effort to get that fresh air and exercise wherever you can.

Go for a walk during your lunch break, study in the park, take the kids outside to the garden. Being in one place too long fosters feelings of restlessness and anxiety.

5. Positive relationships.

Surround yourself with people you love, people who inspire and motivate you. If you don’t have friends like this in your life – make an effort to meet some!

Great friends can provide a supportive network and you could help each other in your efforts to get healthier: exercise together, go for walks on the weekends, cook for each other. We can all get into bad habits together, but we can also get out of them together. Good luck!

How to Stay Healthy when Travelling

Keeping healthy whilst on a business trip or a vacation can be very challenging. For some people it is hard enough to stay motivated to do enough exercise and eat healthily when at home. But with motivation and preparation it is as easy to stay fit when travelling as it is elsewhere. This short guide will help you to achieve a healthier style of living when travelling.


Photo: Piero_Castellano

1. Get it done early

When you wake up in your serviced apartment in Sydney it is far too tempting to head down to the breakfast bar for an all you can eat buffet. It is important to exercise first because you will not wish to afterwards. If you really need to then pick up some fruit to eat as you go for a morning walk or jog. At first it will be hard to motivate yourself in this new environment, but forcing yourself out into Sydney early in the morning has its benefits. The streets, parks and roads are all empty early in the morning and you will soon find yourself longing for the peace and tranquillity of a summer’s morning walk in the city.

1. Exercising can be fast
   Remember that exercise does not have to be very time consuming. A fast sprint for a mile in a few minutes will burn as many calories as a mile long walk, and vice versa. If you are short on time you can achieve the same results by working out more intensively for a shorter period of time. Languishing in the gym between workouts just wastes time that you could be spending exploring your destination in Australia.
2. Follow a Routine
   In addition to following a daily routine, starting early at the same time each day, it is good to follow a workout routine when you are travelling. This routine will keep you motivated as you get to know it and it will allow you to monitor your progress and improvement each day. Take a workout DVD to play through your laptop or download one onto your iPod so that you can follow the instructions for a healthy workout.
3. Try the free gym
   If you ever find yourself short of somewhere to run outside, which is very unlikely in Australia, then try out the free hotel gym. If there is no free gym nearby then ask for a trial session at a local gym and enjoy short-term gym use free of charge.
4. Try something new
   When staying in a Gold Coast apartment it is good to try a new and unfamiliar type of exercise to keep yourself interested in the exercise instead of dreading monotonous repetition. Try running on the beach. If you have not done so before then you will be surprised at the extra effort needed to propel yourself forward. Other than the enjoyment gained from exercising on Golden beaches, a new workout may provide you with the motivation to keep exercising each day.
5. iPhone Apps
   In this technological era it is now possible to download applications which will help to monitor your exercise each day. Most fitness applications are very cheap and will enable you easy access to a workout plan whilst travelling.
6. Maintain your diet
   Possibly the most important aspect for keeping fit when abroad is maintaining your diet. It is very easy to be lured into easting unhealthy foods when abroad, but the combination of plane food and an unhealthy diet will quickly take its toll on the unwary business traveller.

So You Think You Can Cook

So you think you can cook do you? Family meals a breeze, weekend entertaining an absolute pleasure – but how about dinner for 200 produced out of your very own kitchen – no? well why ever not! These days even ‘amateur’ chefs are a very serious breed. We are as a country food obsessed from the diet queens to the faddie foodies to the down right greedy monsters! Cooking is a national pastime and has become the ultimate hobby to show off.


Photo: massdistraction

The kitchen is fast becoming the most remodelled room of the house, and the demands on our food preparation spaces are increasing all the time. Kitchen worktops are no longer just the surface above our cupboards, they are an essential area on which to hone our craft that needs to be made of the right material and lit perfectly! Storage is also an issue due to the number of culinary gadgets the average household possesses and kitchen designers are forever having to come up with ingenious ways to maximise space.


Kitchen cabinets are the least of our worries too. Along with most remodelling projects there is a requirement to upgrade appliances and this can be a huge headache in its own right. Making sure you stick to your budget, achieve all the desired elements and find something which quite simply you like the look of is never an easy task. On a positive note there is a huge amount of choice out there if you can take the time to do your research properly – and try to enjoy the process. These kinds of purchases are often only made every few years so treat the decisions with appropriate importance.

Whatever the direction of your kitchen remodelling project, a chef-like kitchen where dinner for 200 would actually be achievable is within your reach so happy cooking and get planning that menu!

Healthy Curries for Dieters

As an avid curry fan I felt the end of the world was fast approaching when I decided a few years ago that something had to be done about the gradually expanding waistline. How could I get through the week without cooking at least one curry and would I ever be able to eat at my favourite curry house again? My impending holiday to Rajasthan did not bode well either. Surely I was not going to turn into one of these people who order a salad regardless of where they are in the world?


Photo: Thai Jasmine

Well I am glad to say that like most problems there was a solution. With a little bit of thought about what constituted my favourite dishes I was able to make sensible choices both when eating out and when in India. Out went the creamy dishes like lamb pasanda but luckily tandoori dishes, especially chicken and prawn, are pretty healthy and delicious into the bargain.


As for cooking curries at home it is even easier to make the right choices since you are following a recipe and have complete control about what goes into the dish. Where online recipes called for ghee (clarified butter) I found that using a small amount of sunflower oil or even the minimal calorie spray oil did not affect the flavour of the food. Many Indian dishes use yoghurt and, whereas I may previously gone for the full fat yogurt, I found that the reduced fat yogurt tasted no different and had no impact on the cooking process.

Sadly a lot of my favourite Indian dishes use lamb (and often a somewhat fatty cut too!) but with a little discipline and will power I ditched the lamb and turned instead to vegetarian recipes. Serving a healthy vegetable curry as a side dish and just a little rice rather than my usual mound, I found that I was still able to enjoy a curry and lose a few pounds as well.

We are what we eat

We all know the old saying “we are what we eat” but it is easy to ignore this fact especially when we all lead such busy lives. Gone are the days of the man of the house going out to work, whilst the wife stayed at home planning nutritious meals, shopping for the fresh ingredients on a daily basis and spending hours cooking.


Photo: jakerome

Nowadays we are all out at work and, with so many ready meals available in the supermarket, the temptation is to fill the freezer with something we can shove in the microwave when we get home after a busy day. However, with a little planning and an occasional bulk cook-in we can do wonders for our health.

Take time at the weekend to plan the week’s meals in advance rather than wondering on the train home what on earth you are going to have for dinner that night. Work out exactly what you are going to need and make a list for your supermarket or online shop. Knowing precisely what you are going to be using saves money too as it stops you buying things that end up being thrown away.

Dishes like spaghetti bolognaise, chilli, and casseroles of all types can be made in bulk when you have time and frozen in individual portions. Soups are good for freezing too and are an excellent and healthy thing to take to work in the winter as a change from your usual sandwich. If you have time to cook something from scratch when you get home then why not coat a couple of salmon fillets with a Schwartz rub and cook in a foil parcel in the oven? Served with tzatziki and couscous this makes a delicious and nutritious meal.

Healthy eating is key to feeling well. Bad eating habits can result in low energy, low mood, poor sleep patterns, inability to cope with stress and general malaise. It is also difficult to lose weight or sustain a healthy weight if you are feeding your body with junk, so do yourself a favour and start fuelling your body with healthy food instead.

New Kitchen, No Clue How To Cook

So your brand new kitchen is freshly installed, you have a beautiful array of state-of-the-art appliances and shiny new work surfaces – and absolutely no clue what to do with any of it! A can’t cook, won’t cook attitude is never more apparent then when someone has a new kitchen and the rest of the family is waiting for Michelin star style food to start emerging. Newsflash – just because we bought a new oven doesn’t mean we are any better at cooking!


Photo: limonada

The panic starts to set in and the excuses you have been living off whilst the builders were in – bliss – for eating out or microwaving ready meals in the front room have exhausted themselves completely. The kitchen cabinets are crying out to be stocked with culinary delights, and the tape on the new hob has got to come off sometime. Well, take a deep breath and see if any of the following can help you.


First of all, don’t run before you can walk. No-one is expecting your maiden voyage around the kitchen worktops to include you producing a complicated soufflé. Try and master some basic dishes which the family will enjoy and build up your repertoire from there. Mostly getting it right is about not panicking and preparing the elements of the meal in the right order. If in doubt ask for a competent friend or relative to work with you the first time and guide you along your way.

To get you out of having to run the kitchen gauntlet every night then cook in large quantities. Freezing portions of casserole, bolognaise or curry for example will not spoil the enjoyment of the food and will mean that you only have to prepare the accompanying vegetables, rice or pasta in order to produce a complete meal.

If you can plan menus and shop accordingly you won’t go far wrong, and at the end of the week I think you will definitely deserve a meal out to celebrate!

Healthy Salads

There are times, especially in the winter, when a huge bowl of spaghetti bolognaise hits the spot and other times when you just fancy a salad. Luckily the days when a limp lettuce leaf and a tomato constituted a salad are well and truly over and nowadays you can really go to town and make an unusual and tasty 21^st century salad.


Photo: Chandra Marsono

Not all salads need to have meat or poultry in them but if you have a chicken breast in the fridge this makes a good base for a salad. A nice piece of organic chicken needs no added flavour but if you are on a budget and feel that the chicken might be a little tasteless then don’t worry as help is at hand. Schwartz for instance do a range of rubs for poultry so if the chicken needs a bit of tarting up that is a quick and easy way to do it. Add some papaya along with your other salad basics for a tropical taste and make a tangy dressing out of vinegar, oil, sesame oil and finely grated root ginger.


If you are looking for something a bit different from the usual range of cold meats and poultry then why not experiment with some smoked duck? This is delicious with toasted nuts such as pecans and walnuts and if you like dried cranberries they are rather tasty in a smoked duck salad too.

Chickpeas are a good source of protein for vegetarians and are a delicious alternative to meat in a salad. Tyr them with a medley of salad vegetables such as raw carrot, cucumber, tomatoes, rocket, spinach and red or yellow peppers. For a dressing with a difference blend a ripe avocado with a dash of Tabasco sauce and combine into a normal vinaigrette dressing.

Posh Picnics

This is definitely the season for outdoor concerts and theatre. Whether you live in the south and are looking forward to seeing Katherine Jenkins at Audley End, or in the north and have enjoyed the recent performance of Macbeth at Ripley Castle, there is no doubt that despite our often inclement weather in the UK we have well and truly taken these outdoor summer events to our hearts.


Photo: scribbletaylor

The first time we attended a summer prom we were well and truly humbled by many of our fellow picnickers who seemed to have half their dining room with them and a feast that looked as if it had been prepared by Raymond Blanc. Vowing to do better the following year we got together with a group of friends for a classical extravaganza at Warwick Castle. We all took our own collapsible chars and sat around a wallpaper pasting table whose humble origins were cunningly disguised by a smart white table cloth and enjoyed an impressive meal.


With a group it is easy to share the shopping, preparation and cooking but even if there are just two of you it is still possible to have a memorable picnic. If you are doing this in style you will want a nibble with your glass of champagne and things like olives, posh crisps, and cheese straws are ideal. For starters some rustic rolls with pates, dips, potted shrimps, dressed crab and the like are all easy to transport and delicious. You will probably think along the lines of a salad based main course. There are some delicious pasta recipes for pasta salads with chargrilled vegetables.

You may well decide to raid the deli and have a selection of cold meats or alternatively something like a coronation chicken always goes down well. As well as the usual mixed salad why not check some vegetarian recipes and supplement it with a Waldorf salad, coleslaw and potato salad? If you have room then a selection of cheeses is a great way to round off the meal or for those with a sweet tooth perhaps a punnet of strawberries and some clotted cream.

Italian Ingredients You Need for the Perfect Italian Recipe

There are really several non-Italian people who determine Italian cuisine with popular dishes like pasta and spaghetti. These people also share the concept that Italian dishes are pretty significantly alike; nevertheless, people who have gone to Italy would discover the differences in each and every dish as well as the eating routines in between metropolitan areas, although they are only a few miles apart.


Photo: roboppy

Each region in Italy has its very own style and preparing food method of Italian meals. Italian cooking is varied but you can nonetheless get that Italian taste inside your dishes via using Italian ingredients that authenticate each cooking.


With the large selection of ingredients made accessible by food markets for Italian cooking food, how will you figure out the crucial ingredients you’ll need? Here is really a short list of substances to acquire inside your kitchen.

• Pasta sauce – Pasta sauce could be made with many distinct substances. With all of its varieties, look for a tasty sauce offering the garden fresh flavor of basil and tomato vegetables. It provides any recipe of Italian pasta a dash of taste identified by all Italians.


• Marinara sauce – When you are searching for Italian food products like marinara sauce, you need to locate one that features a great traditional experience. Incorporating marinara sauce to the pasta recipe will give it an Italian flair. This makes it a perfect choice.


• Balsamic vinegar – This vinegar is brownish in color and sweet in flavor. It really is made from the juice of a boiled-down white grape. As regulated by Italian law, balsamic vinegars labeled as aceto balsamico tradizionale need to not consist of any wine vinegar and ought to become aged for 12 years, at the least. Use comparable Italian ingredients should you want the best blend of Trebbian grapes and Lambrusco di Sorbara.


• Olive oil – Its top quality is dependent upon the level of acidity, fragrance, and flavor. Olive oils that contains higher acidity levels could be dealt with or rectified with chemicals to reduce its level of acidity. They are known as refined and not virgin olive oil. Normally, olive oil is extremely unsaturated and is considered as a healthier option to saturated oils. Additionally, it really is extremely flavored, allowing you to utilize it much less in comparison to making use of oils with lighter flavors. There are various kinds of olive oils: extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, pure olive oil, cold-pressed olive oil, and extra light olive oil.


• Lime and lemon juice – There are Italian food products offering lime and fresh lemon juice in a bottle. This provides you the convenience of adding fresh juice to our Italian dishes. Make use of this to include zest flavor in your pasta, meats produce, beverages, and fish dinners.

Photo: PetitPlat

There are many on the internet Italian food shops offering these Italian food goods. Search for trustworthy names identified for delivering natural Italian flavors in a bottle. Adding them suitably to your dishes makes each and every dish unique as it provides real Italian flavors. Exhibit your Italian cooking skills by making use of these crucial ingredients you have to have inside your kitchen.

Larry McBride is a sous chef covering Italian food products found over the internet. He tends to buy online for Italian ingredients because he usually locates the items he’s trying to find.

Discover Why You Should Eat Organic Tomatoes

Growing organic tomatoes can have a lot of benefits. One, it provides you with fresh tomatoes without the harmful side effects of pesticides and chemicals that are common in growing tomatoes commercially. Second, it offers you a lot of savings. You do not have to buy them from the market, as you can have unlimited supply in your garden. Third, it relieves stress.


Photo: Darwin Bell

Gardening is one of the productive ways of spending time. It relieves tension and stress. If you want to grow tomatoes organically, you would only use organic matters especially in feeding your plants with fertilizers. Synthetically-manufactured fertilizers may do harm to your health, as you would consume the remnants of the chemicals from the synthetic fertilizers.

No matter how many times you wash the crops, the impact of the chemicals is irreversible and irrevocable. You may really have greater chances at eating chemicals which can be toxic. Now, your soil is very important. It should be organic.

To make your soil organic, you will need compost. Compost is the by-product of composting, the natural process of turning your kitchen and garden wastes into plant food and soil modifier. Compost or humus is a black substance, resembling the soil in appearance and odor. It is rich in nutrients essential to plant growth. Your tomato plants will no doubt benefit from the compost’s nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous.

You can make your own compost at home through composting. The garden nursery may also sell some you compost by the pound. If there is no compost available, you can use peat moss. It can also be an effective soil conditioner and soil modifier.

If you are planting directly in the soil, you will have to amend that area with organic fertilizer such as compost or peat moss. Dig deep into the ground and fill it up with compost, almost to ground level. You will fill it up to the ground level as soon as you have planted your seedlings.

If you are planning on growing organic tomatoes in a container, then you will have to select the bins for the garden bed. A 30-gallon garbage can make a nice garden bed. You will also fill it up with organic matter. But of course, the foundation of the garden bed should be pure soil.

Selecting your tomato cultivar is important. The varieties of tomatoes are many. But the best type to grow is that which is ideal for your zone. You can consult the local garden nursery to determine which tomato cultivar will have the best growth in your area.

It is important that you feed your plants with food-fertilizers. The compost is a good source of all the nutrients needed for them to grow healthy. You may need to apply humus around the base of your plants every two weeks or whenever necessary.

Organic tomatoes are similar to the ones grown for commercial uses. The air birculation should be monitored, and the distance between plants should be enough as well. Do not forget to water the plants regularly. Of course, you need to select the area that provides a good amount of sunlight.

About the Author
At http://www.naturehills.com/ we have the largest selection of plants on the internet. We have organic tomatoes seed of high quality. You can choose from a variety of seeds, such as cherry, beefstake, or ace tomatoes. Go to Organic tomatoes and make your selection now.

Eat Well And Stay Healthy

On any given day, one in five Americans skip breakfast. And for those who do not eat, is mostly recover and go: a muffin pan, muffin or a bowl of cereal. You have all day to eat well, what's the problem?


Here's the bad: Studies have shown that people who eat a healthy breakfast is more energetic and mentally alert than those who eat little or nothing at all. They are also less likely to become diabetic or have high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks. And guess what? Breakfast for anyone trying to keep unwanted pounds off (and who does not?), Is essential.


Photo: Ministry of Health



It 's simple physiology. Each night, a long fast, you need to download. If you eat processed foods and refined carbohydrates such as bagels and donuts, glucose enters the bloodstream too quickly. Peak blood sugar and then crash, taking energy with it. Three hours later, when it is too early for lunch, you're hungry again.


So grab a quick snack, say a cookie or a coffee cake, and the whole process starts again. Repeat cycle every day for years and you are just asking is diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, a precursor of diabetes, heart disease, immune disorders, obesity and cancer.




The key is to have breakfast with the resistance. A meal rich in nutrients and fiber, complex carbohydrates, moderate protein and good fats have more time to digest. You do not have experience running accidents in the vending machine of a high-energy pick-me-up. That support energy and thereby will.


Healthy carbs found in whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables that are naturally full of fiber. Not just a way to stay regular, a high fiber diet is a cornerstone of a healthy diet. Fibre keeps our cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar in check. (Ideally, we should eat 25 grams of fiber per day, but most of us only get 15th)


Whole grains are a convenient way to increase our fiber intake. But choose wisely for cereals in the hallway. Cereals contain most supermarket corn syrup, white flour and high in sodium, none of which is good for you. Find cereals that are low in sugars, protein and fiber, and made from whole grains. A bowl of high fiber cereal sprinkled over the berries will give us at least 12 grams of fiber. Not a bad start!


Although the "good" carbohydrates are the basis for a healthy breakfast, be sure to include foods that contain lots of protein. As it slows down the rate at which food passes from the stomach to your intestines, the protein makes you feel fuller. Studies also show that the protein prevents the hormone ghrelin to induce appetite.


You do not have a lot of protein for breakfast. About 10 grams is enough to balance your meals. You can get a cup of low fat yogurt, almonds 1 / 3 cup or egg. The eggs were given a bad reputation, but as a protein source they considered the gold standard because they contain a perfect balance of amino acids and choline.


As for healthy fats, choose unsaturated fats such as nuts, flaxseed, and salmon.


No time for breakfast? Break the rules. You do not need to eat when getting out of bed, wait an hour or two after sleeping. It does not need to eat a whole meal all at once. Why do not you nibble on in the morning? Also, do not limit yourself to a traditional oatmeal, eggs, whole turkey sandwich bread and slices of tomato to meet nutritional needs.


It's not too late to add it to your 2010 resolutions. As you brush your teeth and get dressed, promise to make breakfast an automatic part of your morning routine. You will feel, look and perform better all day!


About the Author:

Angelina Christy is a writer who has written numerous articles that continue to guide people around the world. Angelina is an avid traveler who has traveled more than 22 countries. She also writes about Online Diary and Father of SEO blogs.

How to Lose Weight and Stay Healthy

If you are trying to lose weight it is important that you do it in a safe and healthy way. Dropping too much weight too quickly can be unhealthy and there are a lot of fad diets out there that might make you lose weight fast, but they don't give you the right nutrients that you need to stay healthy. There are certain foods and even drinks that can help you stay healthy as well as lose weight. Green coffee is one such drink that can help deliver all the nutrients you need and lead to genuine weight loss when used along with a healthy diet.


Photo: garryknight

Exercise
Exercising is one of the best things you can do to help you stay healthy. If you haven't exercised for a long time or if you are new to exercising you need to start slowly and build up to a more difficult exercise regime. Don't try and rush into it otherwise you will do yourself more harm than good, such as ending up with strained muscles or other injuries. Try doing thirty minutes of moderate exercise a day to start with, with walking being a great way to start. Try to build up to around an hour or more of vigorous activity. Whether you join a gym, go swimming, take up running or join a sporting club and play an organised team sport, as long as you are active for at least thirty minutes a day then you are going to make a difference to your overall health. You will start to notice changes in your body as you begin to lose weight gradually.


Diet

Altering your diet will have a big impact on your weight, but you need to be careful that you continue to eat all the right foods. Cut out foods that contain lots of sugar and try not to eat too many processed foods as these often have large amounts of sugar and preservatives in them. Eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you can, aim for a diet high in fibre and avoid fast food. Have moderate amounts of dairy to make sure you are getting enough calcium in your diet. You might want to have low fat varieties of milk, cheese and yoghurt instead of full cream.

Organic foods and beverages
To optimise your health you might want to try consuming organic food and beverages. You can buy organic fruit and vegetables as well as organic chicken from most supermarkets or specialised grocery stores. Beverages such as Green Coffee 800 will help improve your health as well as assist you with dieting and weight loss.

Water
Make sure that you drink plenty of water. People often forget to drink enough water and become dehydrated without even realising it. Once you are feeling thirsty it actually means that you are already dehydrated. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times so that you remember to drink. Take small sips of water all day if you find it hard to drink lots of water. Buy yourself a nice bottle that you can carry with you to encourage yourself to keep drinking.

Are you a fruit salad lover and want to trial with a few modern fruit salad recipes every day? Well, in that case, you're at the right web page. Here you will definitely get some of the most exciting and creative ideas to experiment with your regular fruit salad recipe. People generally consider some quite simple and common recipes while preparing fruit salad, such as fruit cocktail smothered in whipped topping or fruit suspended in brightly colored Jell-O.


Photo: Dilip Muralidaran

One can attempt making a few multicolored fruit salads by concentrating merely on fruits such as grapes. Choose grapes of assorted colors and prepare a pleasant and colorful fruit salad. Also, try to utilize a light dressing for this grapes fruit salad. Apart from grapes, you can also make use of several seasonal melons and combine them with other light tropical fruits to produce a nice, refreshing fruit salad. Among the most appropriate seasonal fruits to combine with melon and grapes are pineapple, mango, star fruit and papayas. These light and colorful fruit salad would be most cherished when served along with a few humble complementary dressing. One may serve these like a side dish or even a dessert.


Further, feel free to make use of some of the weirdest combinations of fruits in the fruit salads as sometime even the weirdest combinations taste great. Try mixing a light dressing with fruits like avocados, peaches and tomatoes. This offers you a colorful innovative salad which also promotes wellbeing. Also, it isn't necessary that you have to make use of only sweet fruits to make a nice fruit salad. You may even employ fruits with different tastes for making good fruit salad recipes. Furthermore, you may as well try combining vegetables and fruits in order to create a fruit salad recipe with a twist. Among the most generally valued mixtures of vegetables and fruits is pears and any form of green vegetables. Also, if you are looking to experiment a little too much then you definitely should also try making pasta fruit salad with a few soft fruits. The most suitable choice of fruit is apples to make a firm textured subtle past fruit salad.

There are actually utterly no limits for playing with fruit salad recipes. You are able to try using any of your preferred flavors to make a nice and impressive fruit salad recipe. One can even add spices like black pepper and curry powder to create the recipe spicier. The most effective alternatives of fruits for this purpose are blueberries, strawberries and peaches.

About the Author
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Metabolic Cooking Review to Burn the Fat and Feed the Muscle

In the last sixty years, interest in body care has grown exponentially. Being overweight is not only an aesthetic problem but also a doctor, since many conditions such as diabetes, increased blood pressure, cholesterol and heart diseases are related to the amount of body fat. That’s why for many people is important to know how to burn body fat. Here are some tips.


Photo: massdistraction

• Incredibly, drinking cold water away from meals and helps burn body fat. Like all substances we eat, it must be metabolized. In this process our body uses more energy than it receives, and therefore affects energy expenditure that must be replenished from the body’s reserves. It also helps detoxify the body by purging the kidneys.
• Another way of how to burn body fat is to remove one meal a day for a banana or banana smoothie. This fruit is generally considered taboo. However, a glass of shake contains about 130 calories (when prepared with skim milk), which represents 10% of daily requirements, yet makes you feel full and stay away from food for several hours. It also helps to purge the bowels. It is well explained in burn the fat feed the muscle review.
• The last advice we give on how to burn body fat is to give up soft drinks or soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. In the first case, the gas to have (carbon dioxide) makes INCHEM us while we bring many unnecessary calories, despite being dietary. Alcoholic beverages, on the other hand, provide what is known as “dead or empty calories” because the alcohol in our body is mixed with blood sugar and fat is going directly to store in the body’s reserves, and So make us fat.

Workouts:
Here are two workouts to burn fat. Of course a good diet should not be out for losing weight, but if you really want to get positive results, you have to do is exercise. Make just 15 minutes a day is enough to achieve your goal.

The first of these workouts to burn fat is practiced pull back on the floor. Place the legs at 90 degrees to the ground. Start spreading and legs together. Make sets of 10. In this way will work the inside of the leg. Supplement this exercise with squats. If you have trouble running them, stick the back of a chair and begin to lower your body by bending your knees forward while keeping his feet wide apart.

Complete this routine to burn fat by turning on its side and flexing both arm and leg on which it rests. Start up and down the leg that has been freed up to an angle of 45 degrees to the ground. Dating the sides to complete 20 years, 10 each, keeping the leg extended.

If you want are routines to burn fat thighs and buttocks, can from this position and instead of going up and down the leg flexing or fanning it and bring the knee toward your chest. Another way to burn fat in the legs is to stand with hands on hips and legs apart, one foot forward, bend one knee and started down the body, but keeping your torso rigid, while the other leg is extended straight ago. Alternate the position between the legs.

There is a guaranteed way to burn fat quickly. If you are in a state of desperation to lose weight, please read metabolic cooking review.

Food for pregnant and nursing mothers

Today we’re not going to give you specific recipes. Instead, we want to talk a bit about the diet of a pregnant or nursing mother. Maternity is an amazing time in a woman’s life, and taking care of a baby starts during the pregnancy months. This article will list the nutrients that you require, and foods you can obtain these nutrients from. Since you are the source of nutrients for your baby, you have to consume them for him or her. Your usual diet should not change much, and you only need to consume an extra 200 to 300 calories (contrary to popular belief). So let’s look at the basics for your pregnancy and nursing diet.


Photo: futurestreet

Vitamin D. A baby takes all its vitamin from the mother. If you don’t have enough, then the baby won’t have enough, and you are at risk of osteoporosis. However, taking too much vitamin D might elevate the risk of birth defects. So simply have a regular diet, and make sure you get these vitamins from your food: eggs, milk, cheese, and fatty fish like salmon. If you’re vegan, take a supplement or make sure that your soy or almond milk has a vitamin D supplement.


Vitamin E. Vitamin E is essential for the growth of tissue. What’s neat about this vitamin is that the amount your baby needs is the equivalent of one egg a day. So it’s really not hard to have enough vitamin E for yourself and your baby: make yourself your favourite omelette for breakfast!

Vitamin C. During pregnancy, most of your vitamin C will be absorbed by your placenta. Your baby needs a lot of it, and yet all you need is to add one portion of vitamin C-rich food every day. These foods include zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes and, of course, oranges. Don’t settle for orange juice: go for the fresh stuff.

Vitamin B2 or riboflavin. This nutrient protects your baby from heart defects and other potential problems. Again, it is simple: have one portion of whole grains every day through whole grain bread or cereal, and you’re set!

Folate. Folate protects the baby from spinal cord defects such as spina bifida. If your pregnancy is planned, supplement your folate intake by 400 milligrams two months before your pregnancy, and maintain that level throughout. You can get folate through whole grains, green vegetables and nuts.

Vitamin B12. This is an essential nutrient for normal foetus and newborn growth. You can find it in meat, eggs, fish, and dairy. If you’re vegan, make sure you take a B12 supplement since it only comes from animal sources.

As you can see, a healthy pregnancy and nursing diet isn’t too complicated; in fact, all you need is an all-around healthy diet and you should have everything you need. Taking a multivitamin can’t hurt, either, especially if you’re not sure you’re consuming everything you should. All you’ll need to worry about is where to get a nice, trendy diaper bag!

6 Foods Essential for Great Hair Growth

A hair transplant will be the last option available for some people. Most balding is actually hereditary, but many people both men and women, will experience some form of hair loss during their life. What we eat and drink has a great influence on how well our hair will grow. It is not really surprising. Sometimes a change in diet will slow down your hair loss, or even stop the process permanently.


Photo: gkdavie

When eating particularly for the health of our hair, we are looking for certain types of foods and super-foods, that contain protein, iron, essential fatty acids, vitamin E and sulphur. Many food additives don't actually contain real vitamins and so make sure you speak to nutritionist to fully understand. The best way to get the nutrients our bodies need, is from real food. A look at some foods that are particularly good for growing and maintaining healthy hair.

• Salmon. Salmon is loaded with essential fatty acids, quality protein and vitamin B. Why are orange coloured foods always good for us? Salmon is particularly good for combating a dry scalp and hair with no shine.
• Beans. Yes, beans means... good hair growth. They are loaded with iron, zinc and other minerals that are extremely good for even more hair growth. Kidney beans are particularly good. Biotin deficiencies are rare, but can result in damaged hair.
• Green Vegetables. Another favourite for some, and the most despised by us as children. We all know we are supposed to eat green vegetables because they are loaded with what it takes to get our hair growing strong. The darker the better. Broccoli is loaded with vitamins A and C, which our bodies needs to produce the body's natural hair conditioner. Sebum is secreted from your scalp. Over washing of our hair can rob it of the natural oils it needs.
• Nuts. Eating nuts for healthy hair? Maybe it is time to. Nuts contain many of the oils and proteins your hair craves. Other nuts contain essential fatty acids that help condition your hair. They are also a source of minerals, as with pecans, cashews, and almonds. Almonds are particularly good and very affordable.
• Poultry. Great for those on a diet, or just on a budget. Chicken and turkey are packed with high quality protein essential for healthy hair. Brittle hair is also often caused by a lack of protein in your diet. Eggs are also packed with a protein punch.
• Oysters. More commonly known for their aphrodisiac qualities, oysters are very good for promoting more hair growth and hair shine. Loaded with all the minerals and proteins you need. The amounts they contain almost put them in the super-food category.

We all know that too much coffee, fats and sugars are not good for our health. Why is it surprising to think that is not related to hair? Your hair condition is actually a good indicator of your general health and well-being. Changes to your diet will lessen the need for hair replacement in many cases.

Follow A Healthy Diet Plan For Men And Turn Into A Man of Fitness

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