Food Health Info Under Threat

The official emblem of the European Parliament.

Image via Wikipedia

I want to pass on this important request for support in fighting censorship about health matters that affect you.  I want any readers in the European Union to support the efforts of the Alliance for Natural Health.    This is a critical free speech and freedom of access to information issue concerning your health and what you can find out about food and how it affects your health.  If you care about freedom of speech, and if you feel that it should be legal and reasonable for companies to be able to publish plausible basic information about health please take action and support this campaign to stop the EU commissars once again interfering where it is not needed.  They have already stopped us accessing certain herbs that had been used for centuries for health and nutritional benefits and now they  want to restrict how you can describe the benefits of healthy foods.

CLICK ON THE ALLIANCE FOR NATIONAL HEALTH:

DEFEND FREE SPEECH IN FOOD HEALTH INFORMATION

In the 10 years of our history campaigning on natural health issues in Europe, never before have a few minutes of your time had the potential to cause such a dramatic effect on our ability to use natural foods and ingredients to manage our own health!

We’re asking you simply to write to your relevant MEPs. Yes, many of you won’t know who they are, but links on the campaign pages we’ve produced will enable you to find them quickly.

Find out how and why this matter is important via our campaign pages, which are currently available English French and German

If we do nothing, we will be plunged into a world where the vast majority of statements that point to beneficial effects of foods and natural health products will have to be removed. In this more or less health claims-free environment, people will find it much more difficult to choose healthy foods, and companies with huge advertising budgets will do better simply because they can give their products more exposure.

None of us want a situation where misleading claims, or claims with no supporting evidence, are allowed. What we want is a fair environment, which reflects the fact that evidence for claims about the health benefits of foods and food ingredients isn’t back and white. Neither can such evidence rely exclusively on the same kind of clinical trials used for pharmaceutical drugs.

We’ve launched the campaign today, as you’ll see below. Now, we’re just asking that European citizens use their democratic right and write to their MEPs, regardless of political party. This is quite simply a numbers game, so it’s important to write to all MEPs that are in your regional constituency. Getting the European Parliament to block a piece of European legislation is not easy, and in fact it’s only happened once before: when approval of the meat glue thrombin was stopped.

But if we don’t try, it will be us who will have to tell future generations that we sat back and let the ban happen.

Why all this weird suppression of information?
Isn’t freedom of speech a basic tenet of the EU?

Most of you will not be shocked to learn that it all comes down to money for the big boys. In other words big corporations are the drivers

The real motivation behind the EU’s so-called ‘consumer protection’ laws is to create a harmonised EU-wide regime that only benefits the biggest players – in this case Big Food, and even Big Pharma. The latter is increasingly getting in on the act.

A reminder that Big Food acts as the prime mover is the fact that its biggest trade association, FoodDrinkEurope, has been an ardent supporter of the regime from the outset. We have consistently opposed this position. Strangely, however, while some of the other trade associations were also long-time opponents of the health claims list, now that we’re at the eleventh hour, they have decided not to support a veto.

And at the end of the day, it’s not necessary

Every EU “Member State”* already has its own legal mechanisms to stop false, dubious or unsubstantiated advertising. But this EU law preventing virtually any health claim about any food or food supplement will make them redundant.

* Incidentally, do you remember when Euriopean “”Member States were still known as “European countries”. We are not sure when the UK and other “member states” ceased to be independant countries, but apparently this has now ocurred in the People’s Undemocratic Republic of Europe. Anyway, we digress.

European citizens – please write to your MEP urgently

Click on Campaign Pages and Find Out How To Write To Or Email Your MEP’s.

Please don’t leave it to others to do that which you can’t be bothered to do if you care about your right to take the supplements of your choice, and your right to be given information about foods and the health benefits of foods freely and how you want to be informed.

Don’t sit on the fence this time.  Stand up for your rights against the unelected busy bodies trying to control your life.  Thank you.

 

 

Published in: on February 18, 2012 at 7:55 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , ,

Gout Gone!!

The recent attack seems to be in the past and maybe it was just a wake up call – a warning to have a look at my diet before anything more serious happened.  Perhaps  we should all be more aware of our body’s needs and listen to our body more.  Don’t ignore a pain or something that is different about your health.  Whether it is like me a mild attack of gout or something else (headache, constipation, muscle ache or joint pain) , things that are not an everyday event and should be looked at and resolved before they develop into something more serious.  As far as I can tell simply making sure I drink alkaline water has been enough to stop the gout.   I stopped some gout promoting foods (liver) and sure my diet was more alkaline but in general have gone back to my same eating habits, except for the water.  I did not realise until I had to look closer that a lot of bottled water is quite acidic.  In fact the bottle we have in the house at the moment has a ph of 5.5!  No wonder I was getting gout.  Thank goodness for alkaline water drops.  Minor dietary changes may also be all that is necessary to stop other problems you may have before they escalate.

As for gout, like other health problems the more you look into the information available on a subject the more confusing it appears.  Gout was said to be caused by too much red meat, especially offal and rich heavy wines.  But not necessarily.  Sugar could be a hidden cause, and various studies seem to point to fructose and the high fructose corn syrup found in many processed foods as being the culprit.

This still doesn’t solve my reason for getting an attack of gout.  I had stopped my occasional glass of wine and the liver (once a week) but once recovered and after 3 or 4 weeks re-introduced both and have no relapse.  I don’t take sugar, so the mystery continues except for the bottled water which I now make sure has a good alkaline level.

Gout notwithstanding, sugar and fructose are a big problem in todays foods, especially processed and junk foods which also contain other chemicals, additives etc.

We are then back to making sure we have a healthy diet with a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, beans, meat from organic grass fed sources and oily fish such as sardines, herring and salmon.  Avoiding all packaged foods, and high sugar content foods is best.  If the food comes in a packet and has a list of ingredients (especially ones you don’t understand) avoid it.

Like everything else in life, diet is a balance whether it is ph balance, nutrition balance or whatever.  I don’t say stop eating liver if it does not appear to harm you and you like the occasional treat but it is acidic so make sure you also eat high alkaline vegetables with it to balance the meal.  Anyway so far so good and I don’t want a repeat of the pain from gout so will continue to watch what my body tells me it needs.

Published in: on February 14, 2012 at 7:10 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , ,

It Can Happen To Anyone – GOUT!!

English: Severe gout complicated by tophi (exu...

Image via Wikipedia

Now a bit of a conundrum.  Here I am advocating a healthy lifestyle and a diet of nutrient rich food.  I follow (more or less) my own recommendations on healthy eating which can be found on my website at www.thenutritiondietclub.com where you can download my book The Nutrition Diet and Recipe Book completely FREE.  I don’t expect anyone to be perfect, least of all me.  I eat healthily most of the time, exercise and walk up to 1 1/2 hours daily and consider myself reasonably healthy at 66 years.

As I said I practice what I preach though not perfect – who is.  I may have a couple of glasses of wine 2 or 3 times a week and the odd bowl of crisps.  I don’t eat sugar (except fruit) and avoid all processed and junk foods.  I only eat small portions of meat once twice a week, fish the same and the other days none at all just vegetarian.  So why did I wake up one day at the end of November with GOUT!!  Yes gout in my left foot.  

That’s the conundrum.  Gout is supposed to be caused by too much purine high foods.  Red meat, offal (liver etc), alcohol (beer more than wine) all of which I ate in moderation.  So if diet is to be the cure how to improve the diet and keep it practical and realistic.  Trying to get any information is confusing as it is in anything to do with diet and health.  One study will say one thing, another the opposite.  We are told to eat more oily fish, yet sardines, mackerel, herrings are in the list of foods to avoid if you have gout.

In my book  I point out that we are all different and variety of foods should be taken, eating more fruit and vegetables, avoiding processed    and junk foods most of the time.  Everything in moderation.  I can’t pinpoint a particular cause for the gout attack.  However the initial flare up and pain has subsided after a few days of self treatment.  So far no repeat of the problem.  I was not as bad as the picture thankfully.

After a search on the web for answers and getting lots of good ideas I think I solved the problem by drinking a large glass of water with the juice of fresh lemons then a little later a glass of water with bi-carbonate of soda. I did this every 1/2 hour for a couple of hours to make my body more alkaline.  This was meant to help flush out the uric acid crystals from the joint.  Then resorting to modern medicine (anti- inflammatory tablets) for two days.  Together the problem seems to have been solved quickly. 

I am now looking again at my own diet and drink alkaline water.  In fact finding it difficult to change my diet, drinking alkaline water seems to be the main difference and presumably enough to solve the problem.  I drink mainly bottled water and what I did not know until I looked into things, bottled water is in fact generally acid.  Now I add PH drops to my water to make it alkaline.  You can also buy alkaline water filters.  Hopefully this will stay a one off attack and I will keep you informed.

Published in: on January 10, 2012 at 7:30 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , ,

New Year – New Diet

Fresh vegetables are important components of a...

Image via Wikipedia

Well the holiday/festive season is over and a new year 2012 is upon us.  Many people will be thinking of all the things they will be doing in the new year and a new diet is usually top of the list.  A new year resolution to lose weight or eat more healthily is the first thought especially after the guilt of all that food and drink over Christmas and New Year.

The papers and magazines all had their diet stories and diet plans for a new you and of course a new diet pill is out to make it easy for you to lose those pounds.  Once again it is an attack on fat.  The new pill like many others is supposed to work by interfering with the body’s ability to absorb fat. This is not the answer.  The body needs fat for various reasons but the right fats.  Stop using cooking oils and margarine and spreads.  Cut out the fried foods and use olive oil and a little butter. The brain is made up of a high proportion of fat and we need the fat soluble vitamins – Vitamin A, D, E, K and essential fatty acids.  Why do we keep getting told to take our omega 3 oil.  Vitamin D is also important for many health reasons including heart health and there are always stories about the need for Vitamin D.

The other problem with a pill is that even  if it worked it does not change your diet.  Which is why you got fat in the first place.  If you have also changed your diet, well forget the pill.  A diet of healthy highly nutritious foods as I keep recommending is the way to achieve a healthy weight loss.  Plenty of fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains if you tolerate grains and legumes.  Eat a wide variety of foods and as many as possible raw.   You can  learn more about a healthy nutritious  diet at www.thenutritiondietclub.com and also download my book The Nutrition Diet and Recipe Book for FREE.  No need for a pill and so you save money as well!  Happy and Healthy New Year.

 

Published in: on January 6, 2012 at 11:36 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , ,

Enjoy Christmas

A Norwegian Christmas, 1846 painting by Adolph...

Image via Wikipedia

Christmas is coming and you don’t have to be afraid of enjoying it.  We associate Christmas with ‘eat, drink and be merry’ and there is no reason why you can’t have a guilt free festive season.  I am all for healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle.  In my book The Nutrition Diet and Recipe Book (available free from my site www.thenutritiondietclub.com as a download) I stress the need for a nutritious diet and the importance of nutrition as the basis of any diet.  At the same time we are all human and need a treat.  Me included.  I have the occasional lapse but as long as that is all it is then enjoy the chips, chocolate or even a Big Mac as a special treat and not a regular occurrence.  You can always make sure you make up for it and get back on to the straight and narrow of your nutrition diet the very next day.

Better to be relaxed about the Christmas excesses if they happen.  Getting stressed out about all that food and drink and what to eat or not to eat is just as bad for you as the over indulging or maybe worse.  Stress is one of the big causes of ill health including high blood pressure and also poor digestion which can interfer with the absorption of vitamins and minerals and other nutrients.

Anyway a traditional Christmas dinner is not all bad.  Turkey (good for protein, B vitamins, low sodium, zinc, selenium), plus healthy vegetables (brussel sprouts, carrots, peas, broccoli) and potatoes.  Cut down on the Christmas pudding (though it has plenty of dried fruits), the chocolate gateaux and but enjoy what you have.

So not much harm done there.  Then like other traditional nibbles – nuts (good), dates, figs, etc again not much harm done as it is only once a year.  Of course if you are happier being strict with yourself even at Christmas don’t worry either as you don’t want to get stressed about having to eat something you don’t want to either.

Drink is the possibly most harmful part of Christmas and may need more willpower.  Though if you are generally health minded you probably don’t drink much even at Christmas and can still enjoy things.  You can always pretend as well – tonic water with ice and lemon looks like a gin and tonic!

So all is not lost.  Go out and enjoy Christmas and have a good time.  Afterwards make sure you are extra strict with the nutrition diet for a few days and you will be back to normal.  Give yourself a Christmas present with my book and have a good Christmas and a healthy New Year.

Published in: on December 20, 2011 at 7:18 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , ,

Ten Ways To Better Diet

Fresh vegetables are important components of a...

Image via Wikipedia

1.  Record daily everything you eat and drink.  Everything – snacks and drinks  as well not just meal content.  Do this for at least a week and include snacks and meals out.

2.  Go through your list and highlight with a green highlighter all the ‘good’ healthy foods on the list.  Then highlight in red all the ‘bad’ unhealthy foods on the list.  Healthy foods would be fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, whole grains, water, herb teas etc.  Unhealthy foods would be snacks – crisps, salted nuts, anything processed and full of sugar – cakes, biscuits, puddings, coffee, alcohol, etc.  Be strict with yourself.

3.  Then start changing some of the red highlighted bad foods for healthier options.  You may be able to start simply by cutting out some of the ‘red’ bad foods and eating more of the ‘green’ good foods you are already using.  Make things easy for yourself.  For instance if you have chips with a meal, replace them with a baked potato.  If you are busy and need to have more vegetables use frozen vegetables or a side salad which may include grated carrot for an added benefit.  Start in simple ways which is better than doing nothing.

4.  When buying food read labels if it is packaged.   If you don’t understand the ingredients or there are a whole list of unpronouncable items don’t buy.  Someone once said if there are more than 5 ingredients listed on a product don’t buy the product.

5.  Further reduce the ‘bad’ foods by cutting the portion sizes.  Meat is healthy and you don’t have to try and be vegetarian, but you don’t need a an 8 oz steak.  Have half that and save the other half for another day!  Add more vegetables to the meal for more health and so you don’t feel you are starving yourself.

6.  Change to healthy snacks if you must have a snack  -  mixed fruit and nuts (not salted), fresh fruit or vegetables like carrot sticks, celery or even raw cauliflower ( which is delicious and totally different taste to cooked cauliflower).  Seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin are also a healthy snack and again not salted ones.

7.  Exercise more.  Leave the car and walk to the local shop if just going on an errand.  Park further away from you work and give yourself a little bit extra walking everyday.  Do exercises at home, even if you don’t want to miss your favourite tv programme do them while watching the tv.  Not ideal as you should be thinking about the exercises but better than nothing.

8.  Don’t tell yourself that you can eat anything in moderation.  If that includes bad foods they are still bad even in moderation.  If you have to have a treat change to a more healthy on – dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.  But don’t get stressed out by falling by the wayside.  If you go to a party or dinner with friends and can’t stick to your new regime don’t worry.  Just make sure you are even more strict with yourself the next day.

9.  Begin in simple stages – one step at a time and get used to the change, then take another step.  It doesn’t matter how small the step, each step is forward and is a success.  With success comes better health and well being.   You will feel better, look better, have more energy and feel better about yourself.

10. Finally (and optional) my free book is available for download via my website at www.thenutritiondietclub.com and has more information on diet and nutrition and lots of food tips and recipes for healthy nutritious eating. 

 

Published in: on December 8, 2011 at 10:14 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , ,

Cures?

One of my pet hates is the drug industies attempts to provide miracle cures for illness and of course obesity and its related problems.  There have been various diet pills, fat burners, fat blockers, etc.  Get the latest pill that stops you getting fat, and the obesity epidemic is solved.  It doesn’ t seem to be working.   Just this week the UK is top of the list for obesity in women.  Like most health related problems just taking a pill is not a cure all.  You have to change your diet and also your lifestyle.  But that is too difficult for most.

There is now another wonder drug in the pipeline to cure obesity.  This time it is a daily jab that attacks the blood supply of fat cells.  The supposed obesity solving drugs on the market all have side effects and this new one is no different.  At the moment only being trialled on animals but the drug causes some kidney related problems which the researchers think can be overcome.

Regardless of that, we have fat cells in our body for a reason – we have fat soluble vitamins and fat is a large constituent of the brain.  So why would scientists/experts think blocking the blood supply to fat cells will be any safer than previous attempts at curing obesity with a miracle cure.  Of course if the product sells there is a large profit.

Diet and lifestyle changes are the only way and it does not have to be difficult.  My nutrition based diet does not deprive you of food but concentrates on small changes that add quality to your diet.  You can read more in my book The Nutrition Diet and Recipe Book which is available free from www.obooko.com (under heading of Health and Self Improvement).

Just to confirm the benefit of diet instead of a pill new research has now shown that obese people with type 2 diabetes, can be overcome by diet.  A low calorie diet can help with the diabetes and show results in 4 months.  This is good news for those with type 2 diabetes and would mean they don’t take a pill for the rest of their lives.  How much this news is taken up is of course another matter.  People seem to prefer taking a pill to changing their ways unfortunately.

Published in: on November 29, 2011 at 8:00 pm  Comments (1)  
Tags: , , , ,

How Much Water

There are often questions about whether there is any benefit in the accepted advice that we should drink up to 6 to 8 glasses of water daily. Scientists have  studied all the studies into the benefits or not of drinking water and came to the conclusion that there was no measurable benefit for the average person to drink large quantities of water. They went on to say that the average person obtained plenty of liquid from tea, coffee and diet etc.  But tea and coffee especially are not always good for you in large quantities so water is better. 

They did though in my opinion contradict themselves a little by saying that there was a need in certain instances to drink more water. Such as sportsmen, workers who sweat a lot, people with certain illnesses, people living in hot climates and elderly people who don’t always realise they are thirsty, etc. So in fact there are benefits from drinking extra water. Whether it is measurable in the average person is another matter. There are arguments among some experts as to what is acceptable as water. Most say coffee and alcohol are not counted and some say that tea, especially herbal teas can be counted. 

We are all different and have different requirements and in an ideal world a healthy diet such as The Nutrition Diet can provide plenty of water. The diet emphasises the importance of fruit and vegetables and these have a high water content. But if you don’t eat much fruit and vegetables and live on junk or processed food that is one source of water gone. Coffee is a diuretic and so if you count that as water you need more water to make up for the diuretic action. In some coffee drinking societies it is normal to take a glass of water with the coffee, perhaps there is a reason. Also liquids like coffee and fizzy drinks interfer with other nutrients and nutrient metabolism whereas a glass of water is ‘clean’. 

Once again listen to your own requirements. Watch your diet and carry on drinking water, but as with food don’t be fanatical or worry about whether you have had 5 glasses or 7 glasses of water that day. You should in any case cut down on stimulants such as coffee and alcohol and drinking water regularly soon becomes natural and cuts down the need for other forms of water.

Published in: on November 14, 2011 at 2:53 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , ,

Do We Need Supplements

Dietary supplements

Image by Andrei Z via Flickr

There is always talk about supplements and sometimes adverse articles decrying the effect of supplements and that money is wasted on them. This has been happens quite often with studies being quoted as to the benefit or not of certain vitamin supplements. The reports, like all statistics, can be made to suit the author and if the studies are looked at closely there are actually benefits from supplements. If food was produced naturally and not tampered with and we improved our diets to a more nutrition based diet the need for supplements may not be seen to be necessary. 

Ideally we should be able to get all our nutrients, vitamins and minerals from our diet. This blog’s aim is to promote nutrition as the norm for a healthy diet. Whether we can actually achieve that with diet alone is sometimes open to question when modern industrial farming is considered. If we can grow our own vegetables and /or buy all organic meat, fruit and vegetables etc, this may be possible, but a lot of hard work. For most people though that is not easy, especially in our modern frantic lifestyle today. 

Buying mass produced, industrially grown fruit and vegetables is not the same. They may look good – perfect in shape and colour but do they do you good. Take tomatoes for instance. Many are now grown hydroponically without soil. The roots are in water and fed nutrients to promote growth. The tomato however never sees the sun which is important in ripening the fruit and vegetables and to develop nutrients naturally. In the case of tomatoes the sun promotes lycopene development which is an important nutrient for our health. 

Fruit and vegetables are also picked half ripe and that means nutrients have not had time to develop plus the produce is often stored for months and artificially ripened again affecting nutrient quality. So without realising it we can be missing or short of the vitamins and minerals we need for good health. Though we buy lots of fruit and vegetables it may not be enough. 

This is just another reason to consider supplements. I recommend using a good multi vitamin tablet plus omega 3 and maybe vitamin C supplements as a matter of course. The more ways industrial farming finds to provide food further away from what nature intended the more we may have to look at supplements to maintain good health. I should also repeat that nutrition supplements are just that – supplement to as good a diet as you can manage. There are actually supplements for a whole range of health matters and in many cases they do help in the long term. Here though we are talking general diet and healthy living and if you have a specific problem and need for nutrition help then you should consult a qualified practioner. 

If you want to know about supplements have a look at my site www.thenutritiondietclub.com  where you can get a copy of my book The Nutrition Diet and Recipe Book as a free(!!) download or click here to get the book FREE from Obooko under the heading Health and Self  Improvement. A variety of suppliers providing a wide range of supplements to suit all pockets can be found on the products page of this site. Also one of the books in my recommended reading provides an A-Z of vitamins and minerals.

Published in: on November 3, 2011 at 7:20 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , ,

Enjoy Fruit and Veg

Everyone agrees on the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables, but not enough people are following this important advice to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables – or more. Increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables is one of the easiest changes you can make to increase your level of health, lose weight and gain fitness. 

No matter what your reason for pursuing a healthier diet, eating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to enjoy a delicious varied diet while enjoying greater levels of health.  Adding more fruit and vegetables also gives you more variety which gives you a more varied source of nutrients. 

Everyone knows the importance of a healthy diet to a healthy body, and fruits and vegetables are rich in the vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other micronutrients that make a diet healthy. In addition to all these advantages, fruits and vegetables are colourful, easy to use, abundant and inexpensive. Fruits and vegetables are great in soups, salads, as side dishes and as main courses.  Plus they can be juiced or made into smoothies.  There are so many varieties of fruits and vegetables, and so many different ways to use them, that it is almost impossible to get bored with them. 

One reason for the recommendation that everyone increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables is that many of these foods have been shown to have strong antioxidant qualities. Antioxidants are important to good health due to their ability to bind with and neutralize harmful elements called free radicals. These free radicals are thought to play a role in cancer, aging related illnesses and other conditions. 

Normally, free radicals are neutralized automatically as part of the body’s natural processes. However, when the immune system has been weakened, or if you are just feeling run down, these antioxidant fighters may not be working at peak efficiency. Many fruits and vegetables have high amounts of many antioxidant vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C.

 Since there are so many fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is important to choose the best ones for your diet. Of course the perfect fruits and vegetables for you are the ones you like the best. After all, you will have a hard time taking advantage of all that nutrition unless you actually eat the fruits and vegetables you buy.  But don’t stick to the same old fruits and vegetables, try something new for more variety. 

Getting the most fruits and vegetables for your limited food budget is an important consideration for most people. Fruits and vegetables are usually plentiful and inexpensive, but in some cases they can be somewhat pricey, especially in the winter months when most fruits and vegetables must be shipped long distances.  In addition to the supermarket and local grocery store, farmers markets can be places to find the freshest fruits and vegetables at the lowest possible prices. Farmers markets and roadside produce stands are often excellent sources of fresh, high quality fruits and vegetables.  

Even when there is no farmers market nearby, it is still possible to get great, high quality fruits and vegetables at some excellent prices, simply by buying those fruits and vegetables as they come into season. Buying in season fruits and vegetables is usually cheaper than buying produce that comes from far away, and locally grown produce is often fresher and more nutritious as well.

 Many people recommend buying a variety of colours when shopping for fruits and vegetables, and not just because they look good on the plate together. Different coloured fruits and vegetables have different nutritional qualities, so eating a wide variety of colours will give you the best selection of flavors, textures, tastes and nutrients. 

Cooking vegetables properly is important as well, since overcooking can destroy some of the nutritional value of many vegetables. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are particularly vulnerable to nutrient loss due to overcooking.  It is best to lightly steam vegetables in the microwave or on the top of the stove. When steaming vegetables for maximum nutrition, it is important to use as little water as possible. Use only enough water to keep the vegetable from burning, and remove them from the heat source as soon as possible.  Alternatively eat more raw vegetables as well as fruit. 

No matter what your reason for following a healthy diet,  you will find that eating more fruits and vegetables is a delicious, as well as a nutritious, way to get the vitamins and minerals you need every day.

Published in: on October 30, 2011 at 6:52 pm  Comments (2)  
Tags: , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.