Healthmad » snack

Dried Fruit: How It Can Save Your Waistline and Your Pocketbook

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:13:23 +0000

While for the most part I think fresh fruits and foods are always the best first choice to make, I do believe there are times when it’s more convenient and nice to have options and variety in those choices. Along these lines, recently, I’ve become more interested in trying different dried fruits. When I was a little girl, you couldn’t get me to try anything new for all the money in the world, now, I’m realizing that your tastes do change and inviting new potentially wonderful treats into your life can be a fun interesting journey.

I have a big sweet tooth. Now, I’ve researched this subject and have discovered that when a person craves sweets or feels hungry, it’s typically because they are actually dehydrated. In fact, studies indicate that approximately 60-70% of people are dehydrated on a regular basis which, quite interestingly, correlates directly with the fact that about the same percentage of the population is considered overweight or obese.

To counteract this phenomenon, be sure the next time you feel hunger pangs to give yourself and your loved ones a couple of glasses of water first, wait about 10 minutes and then see if you or they are still hungry. Often the body is simply just alerting you to the fact that it needs to be hydrated. I believe if more people start doing this with their children, especially, the percentage of obesity in American will drop, dramatically. The cost of your grocery bill will do so as well as your dentist and doctor bills. It’s all interrelated.

But, if you’re anything like me, for the times that you still have the need to snack on something sweet to satiate your cravings, dried fruit is a wonderful option to add to your diet. In my opinion, not only does sweetened or unsweetened dried fruit taste sweeter than its fresh counterpart which makes you feel like you’re eating candy, it also gives you the feeling that you’re actually eating food, because of its solid texture. I actually love it now because instead of turning to sugar candy when cravings strike me, which has absolutely no nutritional value, now I turn faithfully to dried fruits which offer me the vitamins I need and at the same time satisfying my hunger pangs.

In addition to that, they’re easy to travel with especially if you like to shop sparingly. With dried fruit you don’t have to worry about them perishing like you do with fresh fruits. While the price might seem a bit hefty for some packages, you will save money in the long run because they store longer, thus you won’t find yourself throwing out spoiled fruit, your health will be better saving on doctor’s trips, making exercising easier and so much more.

Right now, my favorites are raisins, very affordable and dried mangos, yum!

What are yours?

For more health related articles:

Do you have a story, poem, artwork or photography you’d like to share and earn residual income for life? Please check out this site to earn limitless income for life: Triond

Stop Eating Unhealthy Snacks: What They are & Why You Should Stop and be Careful

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:18:35 +0000

Image Link

All these snacks can be very delicious and savory, but are you making the right decision by eating these snacks? Instead of eating these snacks, eat healthy food such as fruits, meat, cereal, bread and many others. Do you want to know why these types of snacks are unhealthy? Read the next paragraph to find out more….

Image Link

All of these foods contain Monosodium glutamate; a food additive that enhances the flavor of foods. We don’t really know how it affects our system, that’s why we need to be careful with snacks. You know those preservatives; those are the ingredients keeping the food ‘fresh’. With color ingredients that create the color of the snacks, those are artificial. You know how it says in the ingredients list: Other flavorings, umm… No one knows what on earth those are.

Why buy something you don’t know what’s made from, while instead you could cook up the same thing but healthier? These kinds of foods can be very addictive, so you should be careful when deciding if you should buy one at a nearby super market, or cook one up yourself.

I don’t think those snacks are handmade; if they are they would need a mass number of workers working their hands to death, by trying to put some flavor in someone else’s mouth. I really think they use machines when making these kinds of snacks. Who knows if the machine has rusts, bacteria, unknown substances, and workers touch them too? Who knows?

Image Link

From this article I am merely trying to help readers to be careful at things they don’t know of. That’s the moral behind this article. Whether its chips, websites, people, just try to be careful.

Thanks for reading, hope you learned a lot from my article!

Bananas: The World’s Most Perfect Fruit

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 10:47:36 +0000

Picture Source

There are countless reasons why I wholeheartedly believe bananas are truly the world’s most perfect fruit. First of all, economically you can always count on them being very affordable. For the most part, you can find them at grocery stores for less than $1 per pound. In addition, they are readily found at any local 7-eleven or liquor store located at every other block along your commute for about $1. Snack on a couple and your hunger is quickly satisfied.

Conveniently bananas come in their own packaging that is completely biodegradable and au natural for the planet. No need to feel guilt for disposing of the peel and no need to worry about the expense. And, no need to worry about carrying them with you anywhere you go.

Bananas are overflowing with nutrition as well.

Do you want an energy booster? This fruit is packed with carbohydrates infusing your body with natural long sustaining energy. In addition they contain natural sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) which give the body instant energy. In the end, natural sources of energy will always be your best choice for maintaining consistent energy and health levels throughout your life.

Not yet convinced? Bananas also contain high amounts of potassium and fiber. Potassium works to help prevent fat build up in the arteries, allows the heart to function normally and prevent high blood pressure. Do you want to remedy the uncomfortable feeling of bloating? Potassium also helps prevent this problem because it counterbalances sodium which is known for creating water retention and bloating. And, if you are suffering from an ulcer, surprisingly, bananas act as natural antacids stimulating the stomach to create a protective mucus lining. This wonderful fruit also makes elimination and digestion easier.

Do you think the benefits end there?

You’ll be happy to know they don’t! Bananas also help prevent vision loss, protect against unfriendly bacteria, and helps the body absorb calcium ensuring that your bones will remain strong and durable. Vitamin C is another wonderful nutritional benefit that is found in bananas. This vitamin helps the body absorb iron, create connective tissue and form blood.

Do you want to lose weight?

Bananas are free of cholesterol, sodium and fat. They are sweet, convenient snacks or meal additions. Studies also suggest that eating at least one or two pieces of fruit before a meal can help prevent overeating and support weight loss.

Integrating bananas into your diet is not only simple, for those who get like variety in their diet; they can be added to many meals. Cut one up and add it to your yogurt or your morning bowl of cereal. Open a jar of your favorite peanut butter and enjoy it with your delectable fruit.

So take a minute to save money, lose weight and protect your body with the world’s most perfect fruit, the banana.

I am so in love with them that I eat them everyday!

For more articles by Liane Schmidt:

Do you have a story, poem, artwork or photography you’d like to share and earn residual income? Please check out this site to earn limitless income for life: Triond