Simple Health Cures

   You are what you eat. This is something which our parents and elders have been saying ti us for all our lives. The healthier food you eat the healthier your body is likely to be. It is actually common sense, but how many of us actually make that effort to stay healthy.

   On a ypical day it is easier to grab an energy bar and dump it in the bag than it is to pack a bunch of grapes. You can take a swig out of an earated cold drink bottle with much more ease than you can get fresh fruit juice to drink. It is the bane of modern living.

   We have a lot of things around us to eat and drink. However in that abundance of food there is hardly anything which is health or good for us. That is why we eat the wrong things all the time. Then we develop lifestyle disease such as diabetes and obesity.

   The simplest way to prevent lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity or hypertension is by paying attention to you diet. The better your nutrition the stronger your defence against developing diabetes. So make sure that you eat healthy, nutritious food no matter how tempting it is to take the easy way out.

   Very often when we get stressed we start eating what is called “comfort food”. Such foods are generally high in fats such as ice creams or chocolates. This means that when you get stressed you eat food that makes you fat! Instead wouldn’t it be nice if you could eat something that made you more relaxed and did not make you gain pounds?

   Milk is high in antioxidants and can give a stress fighting start to the day. The proteins, calcium and vitamins B2 and B12 also give you a boost. Dairy product like cottage cheese is also a good way to get proteins without worrying about a blood sugar spike.

   Almonds are a great food to dig into when you feel stressed. The crunching will help you lose some aggression on a physical level and the Vitamin B2, Vitamin E will help solve the stress on a chemical level in the brain. You also get minerals like magnesium and zinc from almonds. Since they are high in fat don’t go overboard eating them.

   Tuna is also high in stress busting vitamins B6 and B12. It is also a good low fat protein source. Just don’t eat it with a dollop of mayonnaise. That would be over kill where fat and blood sugar are concerned.

   As a diabetic person you have a primary concern for eating healthy. It is natural to worry about your diet and read labels on cans and packages to see if what you are eating is healthy enough. There is also a tendency to browse the section where special diabetic foods are sold.

   There is really no need to go in for special food as a diabetic. Those suffering from diabetes can eat the same food that normal people can rather than go in for artically processed foods. In fact the simple fruits are the best way to get nutrients into your body.

   Here are a few fruits that a diabetic person can eat and benefit from:

   Strawberries are the best way to get Vitamin C into your body. They are readly available and do not need much consideration to buy.

   Peaches are again rich in minerals and vitamins. Just don’t stew them in sugar syrup before you eat them. Consuming them raw is the best way to go.

   Pomegranate is a rich source of iron. Also if you eat the seeds you will never suffer from constipation. If you do not like to much on the seeds go for juice from the fresh fruit.

   It may easy to rip off the seal of a packaged food and eat thinking that you are providing enough calories for your body. Unfortunately the calories that you get from artificially processed food are not nearly as nutritious as the real food that you would eat even if you have diabetes.

   The real food, which you eat fresh or in as unprocesses a form as possible, is far healthier for you as a diabetic. Take the humble apple for instance. It is to be found stewed in cans, candied in sugar, baked in pies and cooked as sauce. Yet it gives you the most minerals and vitamins if you simply bite into it raw.

   This is true of most fruits and vegetables. Consider yet another example. Even if you intend to have orange juice, it is better to make it fresh at home and retain the pulp than to drink it from a tetra pack where it will have added preservatives and oxidized nutrients.

   Not all vegetables can be eaten raw and so some amount of processing is needed for them. Still keep in mind that repeated washing and long cooking times are all draining away the nutritional value of the food that you are cooking. So cook with care and eat with pleasure to get nutrition from real food.

   There are a few basic types of food that you need to eat and avoid as a diabetic. Since they say there is no real treatment for the diabetes all you can ever done is keep the blood sugar levels under control. This is best done by manipulating your diet.

   Here are the kinds of foods that you need to avoid as a diabetic person:

1. Food high in fat

2. Food high in sugar

3. Food high in salt

4. Food low in fiber

   For examples of such foods take a look at these cake, jelly, jam, ice cream, pastries, doughnuts, cookies, in fact most bakery products would fall under the foods to avoid with diabetes category.

   Other food examples would be aerated drinks which give you 8 spoons of sugar in one glass and no nutrition at all.

   Also try and cut down on nuts, for awhile they have vitamins and healthy fats and fiber they do contribute to weight gain. So avoid hogging on walnuts, pistas, cashew nuts and ground nuts.

   Fruits which are rich in fructose such as Banana, Custard Apple, Dates and Coconut must also be restricted if not totally avoid.

   Mosts meats are also high in calories and fats so try to stick with white meat rather than red meat. Which means you need to avoid Mutton, Pork, Beef, altogether.

   An alkaline body is one where disease cannot feature while an acid body is one which is hospitable to diseases. To develop an alkaline body it naturally follows that you need to eat an alkaline diet. Foods which produce an alkaline effect in the body include fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, roots and tubers.

   However one has to remember that acids are also needed in the body. They do have their own role to play. For instance the stomach acids aid in digestion of food. So the key here is to get the alkaline and acid balance in the body right.

   A neutral solution would have a PH of 7. PH is potential of hydrogen and is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. Water is a neutral liquid and has a ph 7. It is also the most abundant compound in the human body. This is why we need to ensure that we get enough to drink.

   You can test the acidity or alkalinity of your body by using ph strips. These can be used on your urine or your saliva. It can be done in the privacy of your home and is not intrusive at all. A measure from 6 to 8 is usually found for most of us.

   Blood glucose needs to be controlled if you are suffering from diabetes. Being a diabetic person it is usually upmost in your mind on. some foods are better suited to keeping lower blood sugar levels than others. Given here is a set of seven such foods that tend to lower your blood glucose.

   French Green Beans- These legumes are best eaten steamed with salt and pepper. That way you will not miss out on any of the nutrients as they will not have been over cooked.

   Brussels Sprouts- Again best eaten with minimal processing or cooking. This is one healthy breakfast choice for the full family.

   Bean Decoctions- You can consumke bean decoctions and be sure to know that your carbohydrate level will not rise drastically or cause of glucose surge in the body.

   Lettuce- Don’t eat it as part of a burger and you will be fine. Tear up a head of lettuce and add some low fat dressing to eat and eat raw as a salad.

   Tomatoes- This is one versatile little food. You can use it cooked or chomp into to raw and still gain a whole lot of vitamins and minerals and practically no fat from it.

   Soya Bean- In the news recently thanks to a number of scientific research projects, this is one healthy food to log onto. Even if you don’t much care for tofu.

   Onion- It has anti inflammatory, anti viral and anti bacterial properties and it also lowers your blood sugar level. So get these into your plate right away.

   Eating Healthy is always a good idea. No matter what your age, your gender or your constitution eating right should be a priority all your life. The right diet can help your body stay healthy and fit. It will help you regulate your own metabolism and be energetic all through the day.

Cabbage:

   The hubble cabbage is not a very popular vegetable. Yet it is one packed with very powerful nutrients and cancer fighting anti-carcinogens. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, glutamine and indole 3-carbinol. Cabbage does not need to be always eaten to be useful. Cabbage leaves can also help treat acute inflammation when a paste of the raw vegetables leaves are placed around the affected area.

Garlic:

  That tiny pod of white garlic can be one of the most medicinal and useful parts of food you could ever eat. Garlic is well known for its medical properties such as being anti bacterial, anti viral and anti fungal. Documented studies have proved that it also good for preventing heart disease as it helps in lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure

Onion:

   The onion is effective against everything from a common cold to coronary disease. It is beneficial in diseases such as diabetes and osteoporosis. Onion are often prescibed to women who are at a higher risk of bone disease. It is also a powerful antioxidant and has alleged aphrodisiac properties.

   There are some foods that you will find healthier to eat when you have diabetes. Think of it as a natural healing treatment taking place via your diet. This alternative healing takes place on your body’s cellular level helping you control your diabetic problems better. Here are five super foods that you should include in your diet if you are diabetic.

   Poultry Breast- This is one of the leanest cuts of meat that you can eat. There is little or no fat here and you must already be aware that white meat is way better than red meat in terms of cholesterol.

   Nuts- Most people feat the high calories that nuts can provide you with, however they fail to understand that these are the good fats that your body needs.

   Olive Oil- It is one of the lightest and healthiest oils to use for cooking. You may already be using it in some salad dressings, now stick to olive oil instead of the refined oils.

   Yogurt- The lactobcillus bacteria present in yogurt is an excellent aid to digestion. This good bacteria and its cousins are also found in the number of pro-biotic drinks that are flooding the market these days.

   Cinnamon- This simple tree bark has some great medicinal properties. It can actually help a diabetic person regulate blood sugar. So be sure to power some cinnamon and sprinkle it on top of your salads and food.

   Dietary needs of diabetics differ from the dietary needs of regular healthy people. How ever diabetics also require the same levels of nutrition as everyone else. Maybe even more so as they must carefully consider what they eat.

   Nutrition is one of the easiest and also the most important elements for controlling diabetes properly. Following a raw food menu will fit in with diabetic nturitional recommendations but you cannot make a complete switch so combine all elements. Here are some basic tips on eating right when you are diabetic.

   Choose a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Diabetics may need to limit starchy vegtables such as potato and yam. Pick citrus fruits over those rich in fructose.

   Avoid processed grains such as white flour and white rice. Opt for whole grains instead. This helps build bulk of fiber and will prevent constipation too.

   Add lentils and beans like pinto, garbanzo or kidney beans to your diet. Making sprouts out of beans and lentils is a great way to eat healthy foods.

   Eat fish a few times a week. Consume non-fat dairy products. Reduce high-calorie snacks and cakes, cookies, chips and ice cream. Avoid all the junk food that you can. Eat as close to the natural state and avoid process foods.