The Healthy Ostrich meat

Whenever we talk about exotic foods and all, Ostrich meat would be one of the first thing that will comes up to your mind. It's not a scare-your pant's-off kind of ingredient, yet not as plain as typical as your cow, lamb or duck meat.

Ostrich meat is actually very similar to the color, texture and even the taste of your everyday beef, only much healthier. So instead of choosing the beef, Ostrich meat is a good alternative.

So what are the health benefits of this best alternative to red meat.

- It is very much known to have lower cholesterol content compared to beef, chicken, lamb and turkey.

- It has less fat than a skinless chicken or turkey.

- This ostrich meat is definitely high in iron and rich in protein.

- and one of the best thing about this meat is that it doesn't attract bacteria like E-coli or salmonella, which are very harmful to our health. This is because ostrich ideal is PH- balance so it doesn't attract these harmful bacterias.

Best of all you'll end up with a very lean meat which you can cook and prepare practically the same way as you would with beef. It's also available in a wide range of cuts and forms - from ground to diced and steaks- This will give you a lot of ways to experiment with this meat with a little help with different flavors and spices.

Migraine trigger foods

There are many people that whenever they eat certain foods they get a migraine. Maybe some people drink wine and all of sudden they are having a migraine. But what are the foods that causes migraine.

The most common migraine triggers are red wine, chocolates, other alcoholic beverages, even healthy foods such as yogurt, bananas, citrus fruits, onions. And take note that for each different people it's a different set of fruit, If you have migraine. you have to stop eating all of these foods, It's a way to find out what triggers your headache. One of the best way to prevent and know which food cause your migraine is to keep a notebook and whenever you are having a headache. Try to write down everything you eat before you got the headache( the previous 8-12 hours). So if you see a pattern every time you had a headache whenever you eat bananas, then maybe that's your trigger.

For many people food doesn't play a role at all, they can eat anything, they can drink anything they want, and not get a headache from food, for some people it's dramatic that is if they stay on a very strict diet they will not get a single headache. For most people it's in between. Foods contribute to the migraine but it's not the only or the major trigger for their headaches.

There are still a lot of foods that causes headaches such as raisins, cheese, peanut butter, tofu, nuts, soy sauce, avocado etc, All of these are healthy food. Anything smoked, cured, pickled anything that has preservatives, all that can trigger headache. For some people it's MSG. some people are other preservatives such as artificial sweeteners. Again it depends on the individual so you can't generalize the list. So if you usually have migraines, check the food you ate in the past 12 hours.

Still skinny after eating a lot all the time

Are you still bothered with your sister, friend, neighbor who eats a lot but stays slim and never gain a pound? Here's something that you must read


Our body shapes and sizes vary because we have different metabolic rates or metabolism. The determinants of the metabolic rates are sex, the amount of exercise that we do everyday, age and the amount of muscle compared to fat. These are the main reason why our body shapes differs from one another. So don’t think that if one is so skinny, he probably is choosy when eating. There are times that our metabolism are affected by the hormonal factors or genetics. So no longer wonder if you know someone who eat like there’s no tomorrow, and stays very thin.


Males and Females have different metabolic rates, Women have lower metabolic rates than those of the men, and testosterone is the reason behind it. We learned from school that the responsible for the “manly matters” among their aspect when it comes to physiological is none other than testosterone. This includes the muscle growth. We also know that Women has lesser muscles than men, this is the reason why men has lower metabolic rates. Women have progesterone and estrogen as sex hormones.


When it comes to age, The children, infants and teenagers have higher metabolic rates, because children, infants and teenagers are the age groups that have active growth hormones. Now, these human active growth hormones are not given to matured adults this may lead to some problems. These are only given to children who are suffering from abnormal growing rate.


Pregnant women have higher metabolic rates and especially those breastfeeding, I so agree with this as I’m a living proof of how fast my metabolic rates nowadays. And to maintain these higher-than-normal metabolic rates, an exercise daily is such a great help.

Do you think that exercising in the evening better than other times of the day?

Doesn’t matter, There is no studies that prove that time does affect the effects of exercise in our body. The best idea is to exercise at your own convenient time. Try to do this three times a week and you will definitely see results. So don’t worry or don’t bother if your sister never gain a pound even if she eats like there’s no tomorrow. Metabolism differs.

Travel and Diet

One of the hardest things for other people to do when on a diet is to stick with it while traveling, but honestly if you only know how to choose the smart way, you might find it not really that difficult. Traveling may not be the best time to start a healthy diet, but if you already started in anyhow, then this wouldn’t be that hard.

If you are going to travel by airplane, you have to include a healthy diet in your food, I mean the airplane food is not always bad, but you can always have an advance research before you book. When booking your flight you can always ask the customer service about the options of the airplane food, you can always try vegetarian, they have vegetarian dishes, so at this point this would be a very good choice for your healthy diet, nutritious balanced diet. But of course it still depends on the servings. Well you can always try to eat in advance, try to eat a large meal before your scheduled flight, so when it’s time to eat, you don’t need to eat the whole plate.

When you are going to drive or just taking a bus. Most people are really having that feel of hunger while traveling so you might stop at fast food restaurants, and you have no choice but to eat the food that you can buy there. Well you have to avoid this whenever possible! If you are on a vacation and you like to spend a bit, but don’t go overboard. Don’t eat fast food more than one in a week, this is not going to do god in your health, but if there’s no choice, you have to choose the healthiest food available, go on a diet soda, and choose the chicken breasts.

Of course one of the safest and the healthiest is to bring your own food when you travel, some lean lunchmeat, low fat cheese, whole wheat bread, these are good alternatives to junk food meals that are high-cholesterol. Oh another tip, you can always ask in advance if there’s a fridge in the hotel, so you could bring healthier food if you want.


And finally always be smart when choosing the food you eat whenever you are eating out, if you are going to eat pasta ask about the low-carb options they usually have those for health conscious ones. If you are choosing a salad, try to get the dressing on the side.
Lastly, make smart choices when you eat out. If you choose salads or pasta get the dressing on the side, nowadays many restaurants had the diet options in their menus so it won’t be hard for you. When you’re eating with friends you can always ask a friend if you can split the meal. Or order a small options like “solo” or lunch sizes.

Now you don’t need to always worry about your healthy diet whenever you are traveling. All it takes is a little discipline and smart choices.

Skin Care for Free

Best and cheapest skin care, Actually it's not cheap it's free.. 5 years ago, I'm one of those women that was so vain when it comes to skin, I had my beauty rituals, i took food supplements, i applied so many stuffs on my face. And yes. It's all worth it.
But now that I'm one of the busiest mom in the world, I must say, i have so little time for myself. But i make sure that I'm still healthy and pretty. We're not getting any younger right?.
There are 6 skin care essentials that many of us WAHM just take for granted. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my super duper cool Dermatologist, Dr. Salonga, Who takes care of my skin and hair too, Who never forget to remind of these 6 things:

1.Eat a lot of fruits and veggies.
2.Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
3.Avoid fatty foods.
4.Get enough sleep.(When sleeping, try not to sleep face down)
5.Wash your face before you go to bed. Don't try to sleep with your make up on. Why? Believe me, you'll see zit city very very soon.
6.Finally. Moisturize and block. try to use a moisturizer that suits your skin. And apply sun block when you know you'll be staying longer under the sun, remember, our skin still needs sunlight.SO don't SPF yourself too much.

Yes, I know you might be saying these are very common, But the best skin care products would never be better if followed by these skin care essentials.

The Health Benefits of Durian Fruit

Is this a healthy food to try or a fruit to avoid?

Durian. The first time i tried this was when i was 11 years old, The smell is really bad, and i just don't like it.. But that was then,(when i was young i tend to hate odd looking fruits) Well, I like it now more than before. My sister often tells me that people has only two views for this fruit " Hate it or Love it" All i can say is that I'm in between. It is known in South and East Asian Countries as the "King of all fruits".

Tracy asked me last time about the fruit with porcupine type skin. Well, there were 3 fruits on my mind that day. But for now I'll post Durian first. The smell may repel you but it really tastes good. So, What are the health benefits that you could get from Durian?

Durian is packed with proteins, minerals, antioxidants and other phytonutrients.

I can still remember my granny used to tell me that you can't just pick this fruit from a tree and eat. You have to wait for this fruit to fall from the tree. And wait for few more days until it ripened before you can actually eat it. This fruit is known to be high in Tryptophan,

Tryptophan increases brain levels of serotonin and melatonin, both are known as sleep-inducing hormones. So it helps to relaxes your brain and get sleepy. This fruit maybe consider as a good sleeping aid. If your travelling to South East Asian Countries, you may want to give this fruit a try. Expect that the smell would be unpleasant but it's worth the try.

3 Health tips to Add more years to your life

Healthy food and exercise? People are doing anything just to look young feel young or just to extend their live. There are three things you shouldn't take for granted and you never know it might just add up more years to your life without actually knowing it.

1.Drink tea for a longer life-Green tea has long been touted for its high levels of antioxidants and other healthy nutrients; now a large study shows that drinking a couple of cups of the beverage daily might actually extend your life. Researchers tracked some 40,000 Japanese men and women for up to 11 years and found out that those who drank warm green tea daily had lower death rates than those who didn't.

2. Work out, stay sharp. - Exercise not only keeps your body trim , It can also keep your brain young. Starting in your 40's mental functioning naturally drops off, making it harder to remember phone numbers, for example, or to multi task. But aerobic exercise for three hours a week can slow the decline.

3. Think positive- Everybody has different problems and worries that make us think think and think not knowing that we are actually stressing ourselves, Try to think positive in everything you do. be happy! Healthy body can never be healthy without healthy mind.

Tea a Health Treat

Tea. Whether it's green tea, black tea, white tea, red tea, name it i like it. I got this habit of drinking all sorts of health drinks, fruit juices, coffee, tea, milk etc. from my grand father. I admire him for having a healthy body and maintain it for such a long time. Even if he already passed away. He left our world not young. But very old and wise.

There are so many benefits of tea. but when is the best time to take it? My grandpa used to tell me that the best time to take tea is in the morning. It will help you boost your metabolism. It will also help you to feel better when your sick.

I still think that you can drink tea anytime you want but it depends on what type of tea you drink, Most green teas has caffeine, so if you'll love this type and like to drink a lot in the evening, you may want to drink less in the evening. but i think it would be ok to drink tea anytime of the day. If the tea is decaf then maybe a cup or two in the middle of night won't hurt your eyes. but if you love sweetened tea, A cup in the morning may be good for you but not too much at night.

So for all those who are not sure what time to drink tea, You may want to check what type of tea are you drinking and you can adjust from there. And you can host your own tea party. Have a great tea time!

How to choose a Healthy Salad

There are many salads nowadays but how would you actually make the most of it. Here are pointers from the experts, It will change the way you make your salads.

1. For the citrus fruits, make sure they are firm and fragrant upon smelling.

2. For the meat, as long as it's vacuum packed. Or if buying pre-packed meat, it should be pink and to red in color.

3. For the prawns, go for those that are gray and firm.

4. For the salad greens, go for leaves and herbs that are fresh and crisp.

With salads it's nice to try out the different textures like crunchy and soft, This can also be something chewy, Having different textures, as well as different flavors gives dish some variety, Making it more enjoyable. Because usually if it is vinaigrette or a vinegar or a citrus-based dressing, you would want to balance the acidity to something sweet. So a balance of sweet and sour is nice, and if you can put a little bit of a bitter taste, a little bit of salty taste, even better.

Salads are a versatile type of dish, and aren't just measured by dressing and lettuce. Experimenting is a good way to spice things up. There are different ways to of doing the dressing, and not just the usual oil or vinegar, fruits or vegetable purees are options. For starters try mango or raspberry puree.

Healthy foods that we always have!

Most of us know which food are healthy and which food are not, but sometimes we tend to forget the real nutritious food. so here's a list of top ten most nutritious food:


1. Tomatoes- tomatoes are rich in lycopene an anti-oxidant. It maintains healthy cells. You can also try Ketchup and tomato juice. Tomatoes are well known to prevent cancer.

2. Citrus fruits - Oranges, lemons, calamansi and other citrus fruits are all high in Vitamin C. That helps to prevents Colds, Asthma and arthritis.

3. Green vegetables- Vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, cauliflower and other green leafy vegetables are very significant in maintaining a healthy body. It is rich in vitamins and minerals. In my opinion if you love veggies or let me say you eat veggies daily, you don't need to take too much of vitamins. Not just being practical but you save money right? It is also good in prevention of different diseases such as heart problems, diabetes, stomach problems, colon cancer and other cancers.

4. Fatty fish - Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines has omega-3. Omega-3 takes care of our heart. It prevents stroke and lowers bad cholesterol in our body.


5. Carrots - Carrots are good source of Vitamin A promotes better eyesight. A,d for those who are trying to lose weight, try half cup of carrots it only has 35 calories. Sol let's teach our children to eat carrots.

6. Bananas - This is the most nutritious fruit for me. It can help cure ulcer and other stomach problems. If you are suffering from diarrhea bananas can help. It can calm stomach cramps because it is high in potassium. If you sweat a lot and needs energy. Try to eat bananas.Many athletes consume bananas in the middle o a game or before a game. It provides energy and alertness.

7. Apple- an apple a day keeps the doctor away. It has vitamin c and pectin that flushes out toxins in our body.

8. Water- it may not be food but it is still part of our daily diet. It can prevent UTI, stomach acids and promotes healthier skin.

9. Milk, Cheese and Yogurt- Dairy products are products that we can call "complete foods" Milk has proteins, carbohydrates, fats and calcium for women. but for those who are on a diet. try low-fat milk.


10. Garlic- garlic lowers cholesterol, but just be careful with your consumption too much garlic can give you upset stomach.


These are just 10 of the most nutritious but there's a lot more. Just keep in mind that This list is just a reminder that you don't need to buy very expensive supplements to be healthy. We just need discipline and proper diet. So check your daily meal and be sure to include these foods to your list. Happy eating!

Simple Substitutes for Salt and Sugar

Yes there are some food that we can substitute with Salt and sugar. We don't need to give away the taste of our favorite food sacrifice the flavor just to be healthy. There are some alternatives to choose from to have a great flavor to our food.

First why do we need to minimize or eliminate the Sugar we take? here's the thing, excess energy intake, including excess sugar can cause weight gain or worst obesity, especially combined it to poor physical activity. And of course there is no way we could be healthy if we suffers from obesity. Foods with plenty of refined sugars are very energy dense and often have less of other nutrients. Eating foods high in sugar can displace more nutritious foods from your diet. So minimize your sugar intake watch on sugary foods like cakes, ice cream, chocolates, soft drinks, etc... aiming for more than a moderate in your diet. Here is one best example of substitutes for sugar, Honey is a healthier sweetener, as artificial sweeteners available in the market.

And why do we need to minimize or eliminate the Salt we take? Too much salt can raised blood pressure in some people. Be wary of overly salty foods, such as commercial sauces, soy sauce, fish sauce, and fish paste. Stay away from snack foods, cured meats and takeaways or if you have no choice at least limit these to at least once a week or less. Packaged foods often need no added salt on cooking or as condiments on the table. Just check the label for salt content. Substitutes for Salt, use herbs and spices in cooking and be very sparing with salt and salty sauces on your plate. Go for dill, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, or basil leaves to get a fuller flavor or a little zing.

Dietary supplements: 5 signs of false claims

Image via WikipediaThere are many food supplements and dietary supplements out there in the market, and you don't know what to choose and what product is telling the truth ,or they just telling some "good to hear" claims about there product to make there product sell. While some food and dietary supplements have been documented, those of other supplements have not been proven. There are five signs of false claims:

• Personal testimonials by consumers or doctors claiming amazing results. For example " My wife has Alzheimer's. She began eating a teaspoonful of this product each day. And now in just 22 days, She remember now every member of our family; we take our morning walk together."

• Promotions use words like "scientific breakthrough," miraculous cure," "exclusive product," "secret ingredient," or "ancient remedy." For example "A scientific breakthrough formulated by using proven principles of natural health-based medical science."
• Statements that claim the product is "totally safe," "all natural," or has "definitely no side effects."

• Statements that suggest that the product ca treat or cure diseases. For example "Shrinks tumors" or "cures impotency." Actually this are drug claims and should not be made for dietary supplements.

• Statement that the products is a quick and effective "cure all." For example "Extremely beneficial in treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, infections, prostate problems, ulcers, cancer, heart trouble, hardening of the arteries, and more.
  

Benefits of Raw Food Diet to our Health

After a big feast or other heavy meals, we usually push back from the table, yawn and feel so tired we're impelled to take a snooze. We put that tired feeling down to overeating, and that's a part of it. But there's a further explanation. When we feed on cooked food, the body fights back. The stomach and intestinal tract reacts to the mass of cooked food by rushing white blood cells to the scene resulting to swelling and bloating. The temperature in the localized area rises and a fever develops. In case you didn't recognized this reaction, it is the same one the body exhibits in the presence of an infection and around a tumor.

Cooking destroys all the living digestive enzymes in food. The body is forced to secrete an extra supply of digestive enzymes in order to process the dead mass. Research in Europe tells us that the body reacts in the same way when just part of the meal is eaten raw- if the cooked food is ingested first. However, if we first eat some raw foods before consuming the cooked portion of the meal, the reaction does not occur.

Very few foods are not good for us in their raw state. Raw potatoes are just not tasty, even though their nutritional value is high. raw beans contain a protein like substance which can cause indigestion. Raw eggs eggs white contain another protein like element which inhibits the absorption of important B vitamins.

But it's delightful to begin a meal with a big salad of leafy greens and raw vegetables. Make sure your salad contains shredded carrots, garlic green or red bell peppers, hot peppers radishes and onions along with dark leafy lettuces, Spinach is one of the best. Dress your salad with linseed oil and cottage cheese based salad dressing and give your long suffering stomach a rest.

3 simple ways to get your kids to eat healthy foods

Nowadays Kids always want junk foods, greasy burgers, MSG-laden potato chips, artificially sweetened beverages, and other flavorful but lack of nutrition goodies. How can we encourage kids to choose healthy and eat healthy? Maybe this simple tips on how to get your kids to eat healthy can help.

1. Cook food the same way as your child's favorite food is cooked. If your child doesn't like to eat vegetables but loves grilled food, try making grilled vegie patties. Simply mash carrots or peas and prepare like you would a meat patty.
   
2. Change the way food is presented by using simple arts and crafts materials scuh as ribbons, gift wrappers, colored plastic sheets, and others. Tie a ribbon around fried chicken legs, served mashed potatoes in paper cones designed with stickers, or wrapped food in gift wrapper with your child's favorite cartoon character printed on it.
3. Mix fruits and vegetables to cupcakes, cookies, and cake batter so thay also get their nutritional fix.

Hope this tips help enjoy!

Healthy Eating Plans to protect from Cancer and other diseases

Its really not that difficult to make the right food choices. we might already did some of it, but we need to introduce a wider variety of plant based foods into our diet. Add lots of fruits and vegetables to your meals brown rice and whole wheat bread are better. Keep in mind that plant based foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains,legumes, pasta, nuts, and seeds are always good for us.

Dr. Florentino scientific director of the International Life Services Institute. A leading authority on nutrition and a long time advocate of healthy eating, has devised an easy to follow healthy eating plan which will help protect us from cancer as well as other lifestyle diseases.

Eat the following foods liberally:

• Dark green leafy and yellow vegetables.
• Vitamins C-rich fruits and vegetables.
  
• Legumes (peas, beans, lentil, barley and others.)
• Other fruit and vegetables.
• Whole grain cereals such as oatmeal unpolished rice, and corn.

Eat the following food moderately:

• Lean meat, fish poultry (all fatty portions removed).
• Milk and milk products cheese and eggs.

Eat the following foods in limited amounts:

• Medium fat meats such as beef flank, brisket, plate fish, and poultry.
• Sausage, hotdog, ham, bacon, corned beef, canned and pickled vegetables
• Charcoal broiled foods.
• Smoke foods
• Peanuts
• Fats and oils
  
• Butter and margarine
• Table salt and other salty condiments

Eat the following foods sparingly:

• Alcoholic drinks
• Softdrinks and candies they are empty calorie foods
• High fat foods such as cream and whipped cream, gravies , pastries, rich cakes, coconut, and deep fried foods.

Eat right, Eat healthy.

8 lucky tips to be healthy this august 8, 2008

To some of us this coming august 8, 2008 is a lucky day, but i think if really want to be lucky this day we have to do something for ourselves, not just waiting for that miracle to happen to us, so i decided to do a list of 8 healthy things that we can do on this coming lucky day. Maybe, it can help us not just on that lucky day :)


1. Have an 8 minute exercise - After you wake up do some stretching and some basic exercise for 8 minutes or if you want, run on the treadmill for 8 minutes.

2. Eat 8 Healthy foods -Try to eat this foods for the rest of your day tuna, eggs, beans, cocoa, citrus, cereal, banana, and brown rice. why? because all this food have the best vitamins and minerals you can have on that day, and they are all good for our diet.

3. Drink 8 glasses of water - I know this is a very common thing in a healthy tips but does everybody do drink 8 glasses of water? maybe not, maybe we can start to this lucky day and do it everyday.

4. Laugh 4 8 seconds -Laughing releases endorphins. Endorphins make you feel good. "Laughter is the best medicine"

5. Hug your love ones for 8 seconds - Hugging is the best way to tell someone that you care for them. So lets Hug

6. Relax for 8 minutes - If you have a busy day try to relax for 8 minutes, Its good to have a peace of mind on this lucky day

7. Tell yourself 8 good things about you - Go to the mirror and tell yourself 8 things you like about yourself. It helps us to appreciate on what and who we are, and can build us some self confidence.

8. Get 8 hours of sleep - Last but not the least after we accomplished the lucky healthy tips its for us to gets some rest and 8 hours of sleep is a good way to have that lucky sleep.

Related Article: 12 tips to be healthy

Artificial Food Pro's and Con's

There are artificial foods that doctor's also suggest to eat or use to his patients, because there are some reason's why they suggest it. For example a diabetic patient, diabetic patients are often prohibit to eat foods that are rich in sugar, so how can a patient eat sweet foods, here the doctor advise the patient to use aspartame. Aspartame is a kind of artificial food that is alternative for sugar, like sugar it taste sweet.

But base on studies they have suspicion in the short term safety on using aspartame, because they receive medical complaints like allergic reaction hives and rashes, there are also complaints of behavioral disturbances like sleep disorder, hyper acidity, depression, loss of vision, headache, diarrhea abdominal pain, menstrual irregularities and intense thirst.

Another kind of artificial foods are fake fats, example of fake fats are simplesse and olestra. Fake fats are made for intentionally make calories we eat are less than fats. There are fake fats that are made from starch like corn starch, cellulose gel, whey and oat bran, there are also fake fats from the combination of sugar, protein and edible fatty acids from egg white and whey that can make make big molecules that is passing through digestive system without changes.

But the side effects of eating fake fats is the deficiency on fat soluble vitamins A and E.

Ways to use Onion for common disorders

Onion what are the things you can think of about onion aside from eating it or to saute. Onions can be used, usually sliced or chopped , in almost every type of food, including fresh salads and cooked foods, and as a spicy garnish; they are rarely eaten on their own but usually act as accompaniment to the main course. A lot of people don't know about the benefits ad use of onions, there many types of disorder that can cure by onions. Examples of disorders that in can cure are joint problems, headache, rheumatism, hypertension, and even insect bites.

Here are the ways how to use onion for:

Headache = Mince two to three grain of onion, massage the extracts of onions to part of head were it aches most, massage circularly, repeatedly until it penetrates the skin. repeat this until you feel relief.

Hypertension = Every breakfast, lunch and dinner try to eat at least two to four grain of onion, cook or fried it first so it can eaten easily. If you have hypertension always keep in mind to eat onions everyday, avoid eating onion if you have ulcer because it can make your ulcer severe.

Insect Bites = Slice the grain of onion horizontally, then place it where insect bites you, this is effective in sucking the impurities that carried by insects.

Rheumatism and joint problems = Mince three to five grain of onion, apply the mince onion on affected areas of your body, you could also try to cover the specific area with bandage for effective penetration .

Onion contains chemical compounds believed to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol, anti-cancer, and antioxidant properties such as quercetin.Onions is one of the oldest vegetables known to humankind.
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