Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are organic compounds that are the body’s main source of energy. Carbs are more readily converted into glucose, (a sugar that is the body’s primary fuel), than fats or proteins are. Simple carbs (sugars) are too easily converted to energy, flooding your bloodstream with glucose in a “sugar high” which leads to a crash when all the sugar is metabolized. Complex carbs contain vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber. Fiber slows digestion, leading to a more uniform release of energy.

Eat: Unpolished (brown) rice, whole grains, cereals, fruits and veggies

Avoid: White bread, white rice, sugary drinks like soda, candy bars

How much to eat: Starchy foods should make up the bulk of your healthy diet. About half of your daily calorie requirements should come from complex carbs.

Proteins

Proteins are large molecules made up of long amino-acid chains. Our bodies need protein for growth, maintenance and repair. Proteins are a component of every cell in our bodies. Muscles, organs and our immune system are mostly made of protein.

Eat: Fish, tofu, soybeans, legumes, chicken, nuts

Avoid: Red meat, processed meats

How much to eat: About a third of your daily caloric needs should come from a quality source of protein.

Fats

Fats are a concentrated source of energy and are needed for the body to absorb and digest fat-soluble vitamins. Every healthy diet needs some amount of fat. Fats are needed for normal growth and development and are needed for a healthy immune system. Numerous studies have linked saturated fats (which are mostly from animal sources) and cardiovascular disease.

Eat: Foods with unsaturated fats like nuts, avocados, canola oil, olive oil

Avoid: Foods high saturated fats like butter, cream, cheese, lard, fatty meats and meat products

How much to consume: Unsaturated fat should not exceed 30% of your daily calorie intake

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are essential micronutrients needed for the body to function properly. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) may be stored in the body, while water-soluble vitamins (C and B complex) and excreted when excessive amounts are consumed. Minerals are inorganic substances needed to build strong bones and teeth and are necessary to metabolize food into energy.

To ensure that you get all your vitamin and mineral requirements, a good supplement would be in order. Pure resveratrol has been shown to have antioxidant properties as well as cardioprotective benefits.

Eat: A rainbow of fruits and veggies, mushrooms, lean meat, nuts, seeds. All natural foods contain some amount of vitamins and minerals.

Avoid: “Enriched” processed foods that claim to have added nutrients but are in fact full of sugars and unhealthy fats.

How much to consume: You can eat as much vitamin- and mineral- rich foods as you want, as long as you stay within your daily calorie needs.

Stick to healthy food options to get all the good nutrients your body needs!

Thiamine (B1) and niacin (B3) are necessary for carbohydrate metabolism (the breakdown of carbs into glucose, which is the body’s source of energy). Both thiamine and niacin are found in high protein foods like eggs, legumes, nuts and lean meats.

Quick recipe: Hummus. In a blender, whiz a can of drained chickpeas with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, a couple of tablespoons of tahini, salt and pepper. Serve with raw veggies and some flatbread.

Folic acid (B9) is needed to synthesize and repair DNA. It is essential in rapid cell division and growth, which is why babies and pregnant women need a lot of this vitamin. Spinach is an excellent source of folic acid.

Quick recipe: Cold spinach soup. Blend together until smooth some fresh spinach, milk, chopped onion, chopped dill, salt and pepper. Add yogurt and whiz until smooth. Chill before serving.

Riboflavin (B2) is used for many of the body’s processes. It boosts immune function and helps maintain healthy skin and hair. Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) is needed for the brain and nervous system to function normally. It is also essential in blood formation. A healthy diet with moderate amounts of milk and cheese will help prevent a deficiency of either of these two vitamins.

Quick recipe: Asparagus omelette. Whisk two farm fresh eggs, a couple of tablespoons of milk and a dash of salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour into a preheated, lightly oiled pan and cook until the eggs are barely set. Add a few spears of steamed asparagus, fold the omelette and serve immediately.

Pantothenic acid (B5) and biotin (B7) are used by the body to synthesize and metabolize proteins, carbohydrates and fat. Pantothenic acid is used in hair and skin care products and is also used to treat acne and obesity. It might be possible to lose weight fast and healthily with an adequate intake of pantothenic acid. Broccoli and avocados excellent sources of these vitamins.

Quick recipe: Classic guacamole. Mash an avocado with lemon juice and crushed garlic. Stir in a finely chopped tomato, minced onion, a bit of ground cumin and a few drops of hot sauce. Serve with whole grain chips.

Pyridoxine (B6) is essential in maintaining the body’s sodium-potassium balance. It also promotes red blood cell production and is linked to a healthy cardiovascular system. Include nuts and grains in your healthy diet to ensure adequate intake of this type of vitamin B.

Quick recipe: In a large bowl, mix a slightly beaten egg white with a teaspoon of water. Add 4 cups mixed nuts, half a cup of sugar and a tablespoon pumpkin pie spice. Spread on a sheet pan and bake for about 20 minutes. Cool and break into clusters before serving.

I hope these recipes help you eat a well-balanced, healthy diet to ensure that you get all your vitamin B requirements!

Berries, citrus fruit, strawberries. These foods are high in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps promote a healthy cardiovascular system. And now new research suggests another benefit of vitamin C: mood enhancer. One serving of fruit (about a cup) is enough to reap the mood-enhancing benefits of vitamin C, but go for four or five  servings of fruit a day.

Suggested preparation: Wash berries, de-hull strawberries and eat fresh! You may also top your morning oatmeal or muesli with a cup of berries.

Grapes . Grapes are technically a berry, and they contain lots of vitamin C, but they deserve their own category because they are a good source of resveratrol which is thought to promote longevity and have cardio-protective benefits. Resveratrol supplements are now widely available to those who want to further increase their intake of this valuable phytonutrient.

Suggested preparation: Add grapes (or raisins) to a green leafy salad for a taste and textural contrast.

Nuts and seeds. High in protein and vitamin E, these nutrient powerhouses help stabilize blood sugar levels and may also help prevent heart disease. Their high fat content, however, makes some people hesitant to include them in their healthy diet.  But the fats in nuts and seeds are healthy monounsaturated fats which help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol, while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.

Suggested preparation: Add chopped walnuts to plain yogurt, bake cashews into a loaf of bread or add sunflower seeds to your favorite poultry stuffing recipe.

Good carbs. Sure, that candy bar will make you feel better, but the sugar high from simple carbs will just as quickly lead to a crash, leaving you as down as you were before. Reach instead for some whole grains, legumes and cereals.  Complex carbohydrates increase the body’s levels of serotonin, the calming anti stress neurotransmitter. Foods that take longer to break down provide a sustained release of energy, so your blood sugars levels don’t spike and crash.

Suggested preparation: Top whole wheat pasta with a simple homemade tomato sauce, or make your favorite sandwich with whole wheat bread instead of regular white bread.

Spinach, broccoli, asparagus. These foods rich in folic acid may help you beat the blues. Some studies associate low levels of folic acid with depression. Folic acid is essential in the production of red blood cells is needed in neonatal development, which is why pregnant women are advised to take a folic acid supplement.

Suggested preparation: Steam asparagus and serve with a lean protein like fish or tofu, or add broccoli to a quick stir fry with oyster sauce and some cooking wine.

Carrots, sweet potatoes, squash. Yellow and orange vegetables are excellent sources of beta-carotene, which enhances immune systems function and plays an important role in reproductive processes.

Suggested preparation: Cut up all these veggies, toss with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in an oven to caramelize their natural sugars.

Chocolate. The ultimate feel-good food, chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins and boosts serotonin, making you feel calmer and happier.

Suggested preparation: Eat straight out of the package! But remember that chocolate has a high fat and sugar content, and limit your intake to half an ounce per day.

Eating these natural anti stress foods will make your body healthier and your day brighter!

If you aren’t yet, consider taking health supplements to further boost your health and increase your well-being.

Here are my top health tips for beginning a health supplement regimen.

Decide on which supplements you want to take.

Vitamin C, one of the safest and most commonly available antioxidants boosts immune function, and may help prevent cardiovascular disease, combat allergies and prevent infections.

Resveratrol, a substance found in red wine and other plant sources, is thought to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer attributes.

A calcium-and-vitamin D combo is great for maintaining strong bones and preventing osteoporosis and keeping fractures at bay.

Read the label.

Vitamin C should come from a natural source and not be synthetic or laboratory-produced. The best form is derived from fruits and vegetables, real food we eat. Vitamin C is available as a chewable tablet or a regular tablet, so pick the formulation you’d rather take.

Resveratrol supplements should be the more stable trans-resveratrol form, which is more readily absorbed by the body. It is also best to choose micronized resveratrol, because the small particle size leads to an increased rate of absorption.

Calcium and vitamin D may be taken separately, but try to find a formulation that contains both. It would even be better if you use a supplement that has both, plus zinc and magnesium as well. Vitamin D helps your body effectively utilize calcium, and zinc and magnesium contribute to bone health as well.

Follow instructions.

If you are considering taking many health supplements, add them to your routine one at a time. This will help you identify possible side effects caused by any of them.

Take your supplements regularly. This usually means taking them at least once a day, everyday. It is important to be consistent to ensure that your body has the necessary supply of nutrients it needs to function well.

If the instructions say “Take on an empty stomach” then don’t eat before, and up to 30 minutes after taking the supplement. If you find that this upsets your stomach, it would be fine to take a bit of food with your health supplement, but know that this would probably decrease absorption. You might not achieve the maximum effect, but you would still get benefits.

It is also best not to take health supplements right before bedtime, because lying down immediately after taking them might lead to heartburn or nausea. Allow a bit of time to elapse between taking the supplements and going to bed.

And finally, remember that taking supplements is not a substitute for a healthy diet. So please continue to eat healthy foods with lots of whole grains, lean meat, and fruit and vegetables.

It is always a good idea to consult your doctor or health care practitioner before starting on any supplement.

In contrast to the hype and specious claims of these dubious items are tried-and-tested products that have been intensively studied by scientists and researchers. These health products include formulations of essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, and resveratrol, a substance found in the skin of red grapes and other plant sources that is thought to have anti-aging effects.

Among the many health products with scientifically-proven benefits is vitamin E. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant, a fat-soluble vitamin that has long been touted for its immune function – protecting cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.

(Free radicals are constantly present in the environment – from cigarette smoke, air pollution, and UV radiation. They damage cells by reacting with cellular components like DNA, causing a chain reaction which leads to poor cell function or cell death. Antioxidants terminate the damaging chain reaction by neutralizing the free radicals and converting them to harmless waste products that are then eliminated from the body.)

Antioxidants are also thought to have anti-aging properties. Researchers are still determining their exact role in the mechanism of slowing the aging process and the prevention of heart disease but early results look promising.

Given all the potential health benefits of antioxidants, everyone should strive for a diet rich in vitamin E and other antioxidants such as vitamin C. Good sources of vitamin E include nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables and fortified cereals.  But in cases where dietary sources do not provide enough of this essential nutrient to reach recommended levels (or in the case of deficiency*), supplementation is advisable.

Much more than just a pretty face, fruits and veggies are packed with valuable nutrients that we need on a daily basis and in the right amounts to achieve optimum health and well-being.

The recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables is 10 servings (half a cup is one serving). Phytochemicals are basically responsible for the lush colors found in fruits and vegetables. They often work together to give you all the healthy benefits, so it’s important that you pick fruits and vegetables from all the color groups:

Reds

The energetic red color is known for its appetite stimulating effect. As energetic as the color itself, red fruits and veggies contain important phytochemicals – lycopene, ellagic acid, and flavanoids – that fight several cancers and diseases.

Lycopene, which has more than twice the antioxidant capacity of other carotenoids, has been shown to protect the human body against cancers including prostate, cervical, and rectal cancer. Ellagic acid has also been shown to protect against various chemically induced cancers, along with its antiviral and antibacterial abilities. Lastly, flavanoids are good antioxidants that protect cells from free-radicals and have been linked with fighting heart disease.

Fruits and veggies: Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, watermelons, tomatoes, red bell peppers, red pepper, red grapes.

Oranges and Yellows

Tasty looking orange and cheerful sunny yellow fruits and veggies are rich in carotenoids, bioflavanoids, and Vitamin C.

Carotenoids and bioflavanoids have promising anti-aging benefits and have been found to prevent heart disease, protect against cancer and improve eye health. Vitamin C, on the other hand, is effective in cell repair and the healing process.

Fruits and veggies: Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons, tangerines), apricots, mangos, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapples, carrots, sweet potatoes, corn, yellow bell peppers, squash.

Greens

Often associated with nature, health and abundance, the green color comes from a pigment called chlorophyll – a photosynthetic pigment that plants use to harness solar energy and convert it into sugars and carbohydrates.

Green fruits and veggies contain anti-cancer phytochemicals that include lutein, indoles, and xeanthin. These phytochemicals are also thought to strengthen bones and teeth, and help prevent cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Fruits and veggies: Kiwi, green grapes, avocadoes, mustard greens, spinach, zucchini, collard greens, kale, chard, lettuce, celery, broccoli, okra, asparagus, soybeans, artichokes, green beans, green bell peppers.

Blues and Purples

Strongly associated with tranquility and calmness, blue and purple colors are considered beneficial to both mind and body. Blue and purple veggies are packed with powerful anthocyanins, phenolics and resveratrol.

Anthocyanins, phenolics and resveratrol can protect our cells from damage, help fight cancer, slow down the signs of aging, and prevent heart disease.

Fruits and veggies: Purple cabbages, blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes, raisins, eggplant, plums, prunes, figs, blue corn, black beans.

Whites and Tans

The light and neutral white is often overlooked, yet white fruits and veggies are important, too. The white/tan food group contains sulforaphane, quercetin, and allicins.

Sulforaphane is thought to have cancer-fighting abilities, while allicin has been found to have anti-microbial effects and anti-tumor effects. Quercetin and allicin are often associated with reduced risk of heart disease and strong immune function.

Fruits and veggies: Bananas, mushrooms, onions, garlic, shallots, cauliflower, cabbage, parsnips, button mushrooms, black-eyed peas, turnips, ginger.

Ensure a diverse intake of fruits and vegetables and start living a healthy, colorful life!

Health and Love,

Summer

Osteoporosis is tagged as “the silent disease” because there are often no symptoms of bone loss until the bones become so weak that a sudden bump, twist or fall causes a fracture. Such fractures typically occur at the hip, vertebrates, and ribs. This progressive disease typically worsens with age and primarily affects females (80% of people with osteoporosis are women). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has revealed that about 10 million Americans over the age of 50 have osteoporosis, with treatment costs skyrocketing at $17.9billion annually.

Taking synthetic calcium alone is not enough to avoid osteoporosis. Your bones are active organs that are gradually affected by the food you eat and the lifestyle choices you make. Maintaining healthy bones begins with adopting a healthy living lifestyle.

Osteoporosis can be a devastating disease, but the good news is “you can prevent it”. Here are four basic measures that may reduce bone loss:

mple Fruits and Vegetables – Fruits and vegetables are good sources of magnesium and potassium — two essential nutrients for bone protection. A recent study found that women who consumed three and a half servings of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis had greater bone density than those who did not.

one Exercises – If you are physically active, your body works to make your bones as strong and flexible as possible. Bones are like muscles; they get stronger when they get sufficient pressure, tensile stress, and shear stress. Your bones react to exercises in a similar way to muscles – they increase in mass. Jogging, weight-lifting, hiking, aerobics, dancing and other weight-bearing exercises are the best exercises for building strong bones.

alcium – At the age of 30, your bones stop growing. And at this point, it’s very much important to increase your calcium intake. Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in your body and is primarily responsible for maintaining strong bones. In fact, 99% of your body’s calcium is stored in bones and teeth, basically for structural support. Milk, yogurt, tofu, and cheese are good sources of calcium. However, since most people don’t get enough calcium in their diets, physicians often recommend calcium supplements.

3 – Vitamin D3, commonly known as Vitamin D, boosts absorption and maintenance of the calcium and phosphorus levels that your body needs to build healthy bones and teeth. This fat-soluble micronutrient is produced by your body when exposed to sun, but is also available in some foods like boned fish and grains.

PureandHealthy offers a proven mix of natural minerals for efficient calcium absorption, such as Calcium Magnesium Zinc with D3 supplement. This all-natural, pure supplement promotes growth and maintenance of bones and bone density and aids in proper bone development and muscle function.

Take charge of your health, prevent osteoporosis now for a stronger and healthier you!

Health and Love,

Summer

Our lips go through quite a bit, especially during cold winters and dry months. Unlike the skin that covers the rest of our body, our lips lack natural oils that help retain moisture during low humidity and cold winters. That’s why we find ourselves stuck with chapped lips during these times of the year.

Dehydration, vitamin deficiency, use of soaps with harmful chemicals, and excessive smoking are some other factors responsible for dry, cracked, and chapped lips.

Here are some helpful tips to help maintain those soft, healthy lips:

Hydrate your lips. Dehydration or lack of water in the body makes your lips dry. Keep your lips hydrated and supple internally by drinking sufficient amounts of water. Excessive intake of diuretics like coffee and tea has a dehydrating effect, so cut down on those.

Protect you lips from sun damage. If you love the outdoors, use lip balm with a decent SPF to protect your lips from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Lips have little melanin, making them susceptible to UV sun damage. Refrain from using lip balms with phenol and camphor — these are strong antiseptic chemicals that could harm your lips.

Don’t lick your lips. If you feel like your lips are drying out, resist the urge to lick them. Contrary to popular belief, saliva dries your lips further, which then leads to painful cracking.

Eat vitamin rich food sources. Good lip care means taking care of yourself from the inside out. Curb cracked and chapped lips by eating plenty of nutritious foods, especially those rich in Vitamins E and A such as:

- whole-grain cereals

- bread

- brown rice

- red meat

- egg yolks

- green leafy vegetables

Follow these tips to make your lips look beautiful and healthy, with or without your lipstick on!

Health and Love,

Summer

People experiencing hair loss often find that they begin to lose their individuality. Physical beauty is one of the cornerstones of self esteem, and when hair loss occurs, self-esteem levels and other measures of self-worth drop significantly.

Causes of hair loss:

Protein deficiency. A well-known cause of hair loss is protein deficiency. This reduces linear rate of hair growth and the diameter of the hair shaft, causing hair to shed easily.

Diseases. Hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease such as diabetes, cancer and lupus. Chemotherapy related hair loss is an unfortunate side effect for most cancer patients.

Stress. It may not necessarily come as a surprise that stress is another factor of hair loss. Severe stress causes the white blood cells to attack the hair follicle, stopping hair growth and causing hair to fall out. In other cases, emotional and physical stress pushes a large number of growing hairs into a resting phase. In time, the affected hairs may easily fall out when combing or washing your hair.

Genetics. Unfortunately, hair loss can be passed down from either parent’s side. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, genetic hair loss (androgenetic alopecia), which is the most common type of hair loss, affects around 80 million people in the United States.

The good news? You don’t have to resort to hair growth chemicals and expensive hair treatments. Proper hair care and nutrition can help prevent hair loss.

Hair care tips:

Don’t shampoo too often. Clean hair, of course, is what we always want. However, while using shampoo is the conventional way of cleaning hair, it still has its shortcomings. Too much shampooing can wash away the essential nutrients that your hair needs for healthy growth. It also obliterates the oil your body produces to naturally moisturize your hair and scalp. And when your hair dries up, you are forced to replace the natural oil with another product, conditioner.

Say no to the blow dryer. Many hair experts suggest you consider putting away your blow dryer. High heat from a blow dryer boils the water in the hair shaft, leaving the hair brittle and prone to breakage. Allow your hair to air dry instead. If your hair dryer has a “cool shot” button, use this instead to dry your hair at a lower temperature.

Eat healthy. Your diet and eating habits are important factors that help you get healthy and shiny hair. More occurrences of hair loss in Western society are due to the lack of nutrients in our diet. You need to get a wide variety of essential vitamins and minerals from your diet to ensure that your hair loss is not caused by nutritional deficiency. Here are some sources of vitamins and minerals essential to preventing hair loss:

• Chickpeas. You can get both zinc and Vitamin A from chickpeas. Zinc plays an important role in protein build-up, which works well with Vitamin A. The absence of these two causes dandruff, which could possibly cause hair loss.
• Soy beans. Adequate amounts of iron and Vitamin E are found in soy beans. Iron is important in hemoglobin production, while Vitamin E increases blood circulation.
• Almonds. For vegetarians, almonds are a perfect source of Iron, Vitamin E, and protein.
• Oranges. Vitamin C found in citrus fruits like oranges (as we all know) promotes faster absorption of iron. It also helps in the formation of collagen necessary for hair growth.

Remember, staying healthy means taking care of your entire body. Get in the habit of eating a healthy diet and keep that head of hair healthy!

Health and Love,

Summer

When we hear the word “synthetic”, what usually comes to mind? Man-made. Artificial. Fake. But when we hear the word “natural”, we relate it to something pure and essential.

Synthetic vitamins and supplements are quite different from natural ones when it comes to purity, quality and nutritional value. Natural supplements contain the total complex family of micro-nutrients made from concentrated natural whole foods, while synthetic supplements only contain “fragments” of the whole vitamin complex.

So what’s the big deal?

Synthetic vitamins can actually force your body to work harder to absorb them. The “fragments” of the whole vitamins found in synthetic supplements are “non-food fractions” which are often unrecognizable and go unabsorbed by our body, unlike the whole natural ones that are absorbed and used by our body just as natural foods would be. Synthetic vitamins also encourage depletion of the body’s natural nutritional reserves.

Unfortunately, scientific studies show that more than 90% of vitamins and supplements on the market labeled as “natural” actually contain synthetic chemicals. Most of these supplements are less effective.

Benefits of natural vitamins:

• Higher absorption. Natural supplements are fully absorbed by our body as they contain micro-nutrients that are indispensable for proper vitamin absorption and maximum utilization.

• Reduced risk of allergic reaction. Unlike synthetic vitamins, natural vitamins are less likely to cause an allergic reaction. Synthetic supplements, however, are made of several cheap chemical compounds and artificial substances that may cause allergic reactions.

• Increased purity. Most of the synthetic supplements contain dangerous levels of unnecessary substances. Discoloration of urine alongside a bad odor indicates that your supplements are synthetic or comprised of foreign substances, which are not recognized by your body.

PureandHealthy now offers natural supplements made from 98% natural ingredients. We take pride in producing natural supplements that are safe, pure, and are completely beneficial to your health.

Health and Love,

Summer