Vegetable Eating

Gray Rollins asked:


The Benefits of Raw Vegetables

We’ve been told since birth to eat our vegetables and yet far too few of us actually do it. Even when we do get around to eating our vegetables it’s only after we’ve cooked out most of the natural nutrients that our body is desperately craving.

Keep in mind, as you proceed, that while all raw vegetables are incredibly beneficial, raw green vegetables actually serve as the basis of nearly all life on this planet. That may sound a bit extreme to you, but stop and consider for a moment that almost every organism on this planet survives by either eating raw green vegetables or by eating an animal that eats raw green vegetables…they really are that important.

I know, you’ve probably eaten most of your vegetables cooked since you can remember. Simply put, just because something has “always” been done a certain way doesn’t mean that it’s the best way to do it. You will get a lot more out of your vegetables if you consume them raw.

I specifically used the word “consume” because, in reality, you get the same benefits from raw green vegetable juice as you do from eating them whole and usually you get it faster. This is because raw vegetable juice takes less internal work to digest and is absorbed into the body almost instantly.

It seems that most people only know that they should eat vegetables because they remember mom telling them to; very few people seem to have a grasp on the amazing nutritional value of vegetables.

Raw vegetables are extremely rich in minerals, vitamins, trace elements, enzymes and natural sugars. All of these are things that your body needs to function properly and the raw veggies will help stabilize and normalize your natural bodily functions. They actually help pretty much ALL of your natural bodily functions operate.

You’ve probably heard about the necessity of vitamins and nutrients to your overall health your entire life, but the concept of enzymes may be new to you. Basically, the enzymes in raw vegetables help your body digest food. This is one of the reasons that green vegetables are sometimes considered “nature’s laxative,” because they get your stomach working properly.

The average American diet is actually comprised of quite a few foods that are incredibly difficult for our bodies to digest properly. When we aren’t digesting properly, the food sits in our stomach longer than it should and we miss out on any nutritional value it did possess.

Okay, so at this point, you may have started to become convinced about the necessity of vegetables…but why raw?

All of our cooking methods have been shown in scientific studies to reduce the amount of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes in vegetables. Of the cooking methods, steaming has been shown to retain the largest amount of vitamin content although it still reduces it.

Vegetables begin losing their valuable nutritional elements as soon as they are plucked, pulled or picked from the ground. For this reason, the additional loss of nutrients during cooking would be a smaller problem if we grew our own vegetables and cooked them the same day we harvested them.

However, most of us don’t live that way. The largest majority of us purchase our vegetables at the grocery store after they’ve been shipped hundreds or thousands of miles. During that time, the nutritional value has been seeping out of them.

Finally, to make matters worse, repeated studies have shown that commercially grown vegetables, right out of the ground, aren’t as rich in nutrients as they were 50 years ago. One large contributing factor to this is that farmers have found so many ways to make their crops grow faster that we aren’t receiving the full benefit of naturally mature vegetables.

It is admittedly extreme, but not that extreme, to state that any vegetable you get from the grocery store and then cook at home probably has the nutritional value of cardboard by the time it hits your stomach.

Start eating (or drinking) raw vegetables as soon as you can. Whenever possible, grow them yourself or purchase them from local farmer’s markets.



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Yuki Shoji asked:


I’m wondering if you’re already aware of what I’m about to share with you? There is some good news for people trying to lose fat and slim down to a healthier and more attractive lifestyle: there are actually foods you can eat with will burn fat for you with any effort on your part. Even better, they can easily be assimilated into any diet; in fact, you may already be eating them on a regular basis and not even know it.

These types of foods actually burn more calories than their own caloric content. They are natural plant food and certain dairy items, and they are as follows:

Foods That Help Burn Fat #1: Citrus

These foods include limes, lemons, grapefruit, tangerines, and oranges. To get the most benefit from them you need to eat them in their freshest form, which means all by themselves. Don’t attempt to cut them up and use them for a marinade because you will lose the calorie burning benefits. In addition, don’t assume drinking them in juice form will work. Most juices bought at the store are filled with preservatives that negate the calorie burning benefits.

Foods That Help Burn Fat #2: Fruits and Vegetables

Not just any fruits and vegetables though, but fruits and vegetables that are rich in Cellulose. These include watermelon, cabbage, asparagus, carrots, broccoli, apples, and blueberries. Again, remember that certain food preparation can negate the calorie burning benefits of these foods, especially when it comes to the vegetables. To fully achieve the best benefits from vegetables you should only steam them. In addition, don’t slather them in butter for taste.

Foods That Help Burn Fat #3: Dairy

Unlike the other foods mentioned above, which you can eat as much of as you want, you have to ingest dairy in moderation. These products include low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, and white cheese. Make sure and follow the recommended daily allowance on the package closely. Dairy products can be helpful in burning calories, but they also contain other nutrients that you don’t want to get too much of, such as carbohydrates.

While eating these foods alone will help you burn calories, if you really want to exacerbate their effects you should combine an exercise routine with the diet. This way you get twice the calorie burning effects. In order to lose one pound per week it is a scientific fact that a person must cut their caloric intake by as much as 500 calories per day. This can be hard to do, but if you work out at least 30 minutes a day and eat these fat burning foods, the process becomes much easier. You’ll find that you’re less hungry and that you also feel much better about yourself.

Living healthy and looking attractive are goals that everybody can obtain. It is not food that is the enemy, but the food choices people make. And by making the food choice above, people are making the right decision for reaching these goals.



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Carole S. Guinane asked:


While LAP-BAND surgery is the first step on the journey towards weight loss and healthy living, there are many dietary guidelines that patients need to follow to ensure long-term success. During the first few weeks after surgery, patients will be limited to clear liquids and soft foods. After the initial recovery period, patients will be encouraged to eat three healthy meals each day and develop healthy eating habits. To help you make the most of your LAP-BAND experience, utilize both the guidelines featured here and the advice offered by your bariatric surgery center to develop lifelong eating habits.

The First 4-6 Weeks after LAP-BAND Surgery

Immediately after LAP-BAND surgery, patients may suck on ice cubes or take small sips of water. The next day, you should be able to increase the amount of fluids you consume. However, to prevent nausea, your doctor will instruct you to limit how much you drink at one time for a few days after surgery.

Approximately one week after surgery, you will be able to incorporate other liquids and some soft foods into your diet. Many LAP-BAND patients use clear broths or soups - without any type of vegetables or meats - as diet staples from the first week after surgery until they are cleared by doctors to consume more traditional foods about 4-6 weeks after the procedure. Your doctor will help you determine both how much fluid to consume and how often for the first few weeks after surgery.

LAP-BAND patients are encouraged to incorporate very soft foods into their diets as they prepare to transition into their healthy diets. Foods such as gelatin, yogurt, skim milk and certain fruit juices or purees can be enjoyed by patients within the first few weeks of surgery.

New Foods, New Eating Habits

About 4-6 weeks after LAP-BAND surgery, your doctor will allow you to begin consuming more regular meals with solid foods. Beginning with foods such as creamy soups, you will soon be able to transition into meals with fresh fish, chicken and pork.

As you begin eating new foods, you will also be directed by your doctor to follow several new healthy eating habits. The most important guideline to follow for a lifetime of healthy eating will be three small daily meals, each consumed without any beverages. The focus should be on building regular meals with fruits, vegetables and lean protein and to avoid snacking throughout the day. With a properly adjusted LAP-BAND, this should not feel like a diet but rather very satisfying and energizing.

In addition to learning about healthy ways to prepare your meals, you will also need to develop the ability to take tiny bites of food and chew slowly and completely. After LAP-BAND surgery, you might have difficulty digesting certain whole foods if you eat too quickly or fail to chew each bite approximately 15-20 times.

Between your meals, it will also be important to stay hydrated. While you may enjoy occasional cups of coffee (without cream or sugar) or tea, you should spend most of your day drinking water. Both free of calories and cost, water is the best thing to drink between meals as a lifelong healthy eating habit.

Good Foods for LAP-BAND Patients

The staple of any healthy diet should be an assortment of fruits and vegetables. LAP-BAND patients should try to incorporate 1-2 servings of fruits and 2-3 servings of vegetables each day as part of the three recommended meals.

One of the three daily meals should also include one small serving of lean protein. After removing the skin and fat, meats should be grilled or steamed to ensure that the protein remains low in fat.

When your meals include dairy products, you should use low-fat yogurt or skim milk instead of full-fat alternatives. However, try to limit your dairy consumption to 2 cups of skim milk, 2 cups of low-fat yogurt or 1 ounce of low-fat cheese each day.

In the morning, you can also enjoy simple cereals without added sugar. When shopping, look for cereals such as corn flakes, but check to ensure that your choice is free of excessive sugar. Whole wheat and rye bread also represent healthy options for grains. One or two slices of bread can be enjoyed as part of a healthy breakfast or used with fresh vegetables for a lunchtime sandwich.

Bad Foods for LAP-BAND Patients

To remain committed to healthy eating and meet your weight loss goals, there are a number of foods that you’ll need to avoid after LAP-BAND surgery. The most obvious exclusions from a healthy diet are items with high fat content. As high levels of fat can be found in many foods that may seem healthy, it is important to track your consumption of fat and choose low-fat alternatives whenever possible. For instance, purchase only low-fat salad dressings and sauces and limit your use of items like margarine and olive oil to only 3-4 teaspoons daily.

Another obvious item to avoid when pursuing healthy eating habits is sugar. Generally speaking, most pastries and sweets include large amounts of sugar and should be avoided. Yet, items such as jam, honey and soft drinks also pack a sugary punch and should be eliminated in favor of healthier foods.

Foods that are fried in oil represent the last obvious exclusion from a healthy diet. While it is easy to recognize unhealthy foods like French fries and fried chicken, there are plenty of fried foods that can fool us. If you are dining out and can’t determine how an entrée is prepared, ask the waiter or chef for healthy recommendations.

Lastly, there are two more types of food that should be avoided by LAP-BAND patients, but these items often seem like healthy options. Tough meats - such as certain cuts of beef or pork - should be avoided as it is difficult to chew these foods well enough for healthy digestion. Also, fibrous vegetables- such as asparagus - should also be avoided because they can be difficult to breakdown enough for easy passage through the LAP-BAND.

Though preparing healthy, delicious meals might seem like a challenge for many LAP-BAND patients, establishing new lifelong eating habits can also be enjoyable. After learning about all the healthy options and practicing your cooking techniques, you will be able to immerse yourself in new, exciting flavors every day and look forward to a lifetime of healthy living.



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LiveWellNow asked:


 

Despite aggressive public campaigns urging a more healthful diet, Americans still aren’t eating the recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables, two new studies found.

 

Since the 1990s, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have stressed eating at least two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables every day. But, Americans are still falling far short of that goal, according to the reports.

 

“We used National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys dietary data to determine the trends of fruit and vegetable consumption between 1988 and 2002,” said Sarah Stark Casagrande, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and lead author of the first report.

 

“We found that there was no trend for increased fruit and vegetable consumption over time,” she said. “Only 11 percent of U.S. adults meet the guidelines for both fruits and vegetables.”

 

In the study, the researchers collected data on 14,997 adults from 1988 to 1994, and 8,910 adults from 1999 to 2002.

Casagrande’s team also found that 62 percent of the study participants didn’t eat any fruit daily, and 25 percent didn’t eat vegetables daily. Overall, there was no improvement in Americans’ fruit consumption, and there was a small decrease in vegetable intake during the study period.

That means just 28 percent of Americans meet the guidelines for fruits, and 32 percent meet them for vegetables.

 

Not eating enough fruits and vegetables is a serious public health concern, Casagrande said, because a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of obesity and certain chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers.

The study is published in the April issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

 

 

The findings mirror a report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found only 32.6 percent of adults eat fruit at least two times a day, and only 27.2 percent eat vegetables at least three times a day. That falls well below the national goal of getting 75 percent of Americans to eat fruit two or more times a day and 50 percent to eat vegetables three or more times a day by 2010.

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So how can consuming 2 to 4 ounces of MonaVie daily impact your health? 

 

The U.S. National Research Council recommends that we consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day to maintain a proper supply of food derived antioxidants for our body, and research shows that only five percent of the U.S. population does. 

 

MonaVie freeze dried açai is unparalleled in its antioxidant strength.  It boasts more than 15 times the antioxidant capacity of whole blueberries and more than 20 times the antioxidant capacity of whole raspberries.   And the juice blend

contains the antioxidant equivalent of 13 servings of fruits and vegetables in just 4 ounces a day.

Visit my website www.theacaistory.com to learn more about Monavie and it’s amazing health benefits.



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