Promoting Healthy Food Habit

Many food habits are formed during youth and closely linked to the natural environment in which people live. In other words, the child learns food habits in the environment in which he is brought up, from parents, siblings and other children in the home and the school. The food habits we form as children can affect our health for the rest of our lives. For this reason, parents should encourage positive food habits for each family member.

It is our responsibility as parents, teachers, nutritionists and society as a whole to encourage healthy eating habits among kids. There are several important things we can do to encourage healthy eating habits in children.

• Be a role model - First of all, parents act as role models, modeling food choices and eating habits. Children watch what you are eating, so to be a good role model for them, try to give up some of the junk food you are used to having in your pantry such as packets of biscuits or bags of crisps.
• Regular family meals - Eating regular family meals helps the parents to catch up with their children and to figure out what children are actually eating.
• Eat breakfast - Make sure you and your children start the day right with a well-balanced meal.
• Provide healthy snacks - Snacks are an important part of your child's daily food intake. There are many healthy snack alternatives these days, so finding one that is both nutritious and tasty should not be a problem. Keep plenty of fruits and raw vegetables, yoghurt, celery, and crackers on hand.
  

Healthy eating for pregnancy

For all pregnant women, you should understand that what you eat during pregnancy can also profoundly affect the health of your baby when that baby becomes an adult--for better or for worse. In other words, by eating the right kinds of foods and gaining weight in pregnancy you can make a significant difference in your babies' health and well-being. For this reason, healthy eating patterns should be established before pregnancy.

Inadequate nutritional intake is associated with preterm birth, low birthweight, and congenital anomalies. Pregnant women should avoid too many high-fat or high-sugar foods and should focus on obtaining adequate amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy sources. For prevention of iron deficiency anemia and protection of maternal iron stores in pregnant women, supplementation with 30 mg of elemental iron per day is recommended for all women during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Food Safety Storage Tips

All food must be stored properly to prevent contamination and keep food safe for eating. Foods maintain their quality, safety, and nutrients when they're stored properly and used within a certain time.

Most foods store best at refrigeration temperatures when the relative humidity of air is between about 80% and 95%. Each part of a refrigerator has a different temperature and humidity factor. Refrigerate meat in the coldest part of the refrigerator as soon as possible after purchase. Refrigerated fruits and vegetables should be kept in bags or containers, to minimize the chance of cross contamination between other foods and surfaces.

If cooked food is not intended to be eaten straight away, it must be cooled quickly and refrigerated or frozen to reduce the chances of recontamination or germination of spores. It is important to store cooked food in a separate cabinet or storage facility to raw food. Refreezing of food is generally not to be recommended as it will invariably cause a reduction in the quality of the product while the risk of contamination increases with the length of time stored unfrozen.

Food Safety Guide

Sometimes even healthy foods ca make you sick. It is a known fact that millions of people each year are affected by eating contaminated foods. Food handling and preparation procedures determine whether or not the final diet is safe for consumption. Kitchen cleanliness and personal hygiene are important when food is being prepared, cooked and served.

There are several kinds of rules addressing the handling of food. Before you prepare a meal, it is important that you know how to handle food so that you and those who eat your food stay safe. Wash hands thoroughly with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before beginning food preparation and every time you handle raw foods, including fresh produce. Nearly half of all cases of food-borne illness could be eliminated by proper hand washing. It is also important to wash knives, utensils and counter tops in hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before going on to the next one.

Unhealthy eating

Today, unhealthy eating habits continue to be a big problem in our society. Unhealthy eating behavior takes many forms, ranging from not eating enough to eating too much too quickly. There are several key reasons why people develop unhealthy eating habits. Placing too much emotional importance on food or having a negative body image can lead to unhealthy eating behaviors.

Large numbers of American adults have unhealthy eating patterns. And unhealthy eating habits are prevalent among female adolescents. Unhealthy eating habits can lead to illness and disease.

Learning About Calories

The body requires a certain number of calories to run normal body functions. The foods you eat contain calories that your body uses for energy. The more calories you eat, the more energy your body will be able to call on. A calories measures how much energy a food gives the body. Calories from food that are not used right away are stored either as glycogen, a complex carbohydrate that is found in liver and muscle, or as triglyceride, a fat that is found in adipose tissue located on the body.

Calories needs vary from person to person. The amount of calories your body needs depends on your age, weight, height, health, and activity level. To maintain a healthy weight, it is important to balance the calories in the food you eat with the calories used by the body every day. In most cases the cause of obesity is a combination of a calorie surplus and an inactive lifestyle. Too many calories and you will gain weight. On the other hand, taking in fewer calories than your body needs can result in weight loss. But an extremely low calorie diet will not cause harm to your body.

A balanced diet for a balanced body

The body requires a certain amount of energy each day to function properly and this energy comes from food. What you usually eat and drink, day after day, is your diet. A diet that has the right amounts of all the nutrients is called a balanced diet. Nutritional requirements vary according to age, sex, physical activities and other physiological conditions.

Maintaining a well-balanced diet is one of the cornerstones of healthy living. A balanced diet is one which is varied and contains enough proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals to keep the body in perfect health regularly and also helps to tide over lean times. This balanced diet provides energy to our body in turn provides us the power for our routine work. If you ate only sweets, or cream buns, or crisps you would stay alive for a time. But you would not stay healthy, because you are not eating a balanced diet.

The super six nutrients you need

Every day your body needs certain essential nutrients that it cannot manufacture for itself. Six nutrients that you need are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. All the nutrients have specific functions and are found in a variety of food items. By eating lots of different foods, you will get the nutrients you require to stay healthy.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for all body function and muscular exertion. Carbohydrate is stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen.

Proteins
Proteins are the basic material of every body cell. Proteins are used for building and maintaining body tissues. Proteins are composed of amino acids, nine of which are essential to the body. It's broken down by the body as a source of energy when the supply of carbohydrates and fats is inadequate.

Vitamins

Your body needs at least 11 specific vitamins: vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin C, and the members of the B vitamin family. Vitamins are essential for growth, vitality, and health and are helpful in digestion, elimination, and resistance to disease.

Fats
Fat is nutrient necessary for your health. Fats carry fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K along with some phytochemicals, and assist in their absorption. Fats provide about 60 percent of the body's energy requirement during rest.

Minerals

Many minerals have been proven essential to human nutrition, and there are others with unknown essentiality. At least 16 minerals are essential to health; among them are sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.

Water
Water is an essential component of body structure. Water is our most important nutrient, and we cannot survive long without it.

Healthy Eating for Kids

It is important to ensure your kids get a balanced diet to help boost their concentration, resist illness and increase their energy. It is also important to remember that how your child eats today will have a striking impact on their health throughout adolescence and adulthood. For this reason, you should preparing healthy foods as often as you can and ordering healthy selections when you and your kids eat out. Fortunately kids can learn to love healthy eating. Let your children see you preparing, eating and enjoying nutritious foods and they'll do the same. Families can work together to plan healthy meals and encourage each other to stick to healthy eating habits.

Encourage your children to eat a decent breakfast before they go to school. Kids who eat breakfast are more likely to be at school. The more often the kids eat breakfast, the better their school performance. When it comes to lunch at the school canteen, encourage them to choose wholegrain sandwiches and rolls filled with things like crisp salad, tuna, eggs and chicken. Eating dinner early at consistent time, between 5 and 6 P.M., is great for children.

Foods For Healthy Skin

A healthy skin is moist, flexible, acidic and is free from blemishes and disease. Healthy skin is a sign of a healthy body, and it is important to keep it well nourished and hydrated so you stay healthy. Because skin is in a dynamic state of growth, they constantly require large amounts of nutrients. Eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of fluids daily are practices that can assist the skin to remain healthy.

To maintain healthy skin, your diet must be rich in antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and the A, B and D vitamins. Essential fatty oil can be found in many oils, such as olive and linseed oils.

Vitamin A is also important for healthy skin — both your outside skin and the inside skin of your lungs and gut. Eat green and yellow vegetables and salad greens for Vitamin A, which helps correct dry skin, blackheads, and acne. If your skin bruises easily, you may need more vitamin C.

Healthy Eating Habits While Breastfeeding

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that infants receive breast milk for at least the first 12 months of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child. The time you spend for breastfeeding your baby is a relatively brief and very special period in your life that you will remember with fondness and pride. Breastfeeding provides an excellent opportunity to enhance a true symbiotic bond between mother and child.

For breastfeeding mom, your body will provide your baby with all the nutrients she needs, even if it means taking them from you. Even mothers who are nutritionally deprived can nurse their babies, but mothers who have better diets can provide better-quality milk to their babies. As long as you eats a variety of nourishing foods and gets 15 minutes of sunshine on most days to ensure that you body manufactures sufficient vitamin D, you can be assured that your milk will satisfy the vitamin and mineral requirements for healthy baby. Keep eating lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and be sure to get plenty of lean protein.

Benefits of Healthy Eating

Most of us know that we need to eat a variety of foods for good nutrition. Nutrients are the special parts of food that a body needs to live, grow, and stay healthy. The body needs the right mix of foods to stay healthy and work its best.

There are plenty of benefits of eating a healthy diet. Choosing healthy foods can leave us feeling more energetic, healthier and better able to cope with our busy lives. It also helps people to look their best and fight illness. Eating the right kind of foods can help to prevent cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension and much more.

It is useful skill to recognize the foods which make us feel energetic and positive and those which can make us feel fatigued and negative. With the variety of food products available, eating healthfully can be simple, delicious, and satisfying.

Promote Healthy Eating Habits in Teens

Poor eating habits are commonplace. Because the majority of eating disorders develop during adolescence, early prevention and intervention are critical. As a parent, you have an influence on your teens and their development. To promote healthy eating habits in teens, encourage them to eat breakfast and more meals with the family. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because the body has been without food for so long. When teens skip breakfast and begin their "foods for the day" with lunch, they often begin a higher fat, saturated fat, and sodium exposure.

With their high energy and nutrient needs, teens often need snacks as a "refueling stop." On average, teens probably eat more snacks than regular meals. That makes healthy snacks important because snacks can furnish a good part of the day's nutrition. Don't keep chips, pretzels, cookies, crackers, and other junk foods in the house for snacks. Other important things to promote healthy eating habits in teens is encourage your teens to drink water, and then drink more water than soda.

Nutrition Tips for Breastfeeding Moms

Most women are physically able to breastfeed if they wish. There are many good reasons why women should consider for breast-feeding. The obvious reason is that there is no better food for the mind and body of the human infant than the warm milk of his or her mother. Mother's milk provides the infant with temporary immunity to many infectious diseases. Most

Most women throughout the world need to do a little to prepare their breasts for nursing. The more informed and prepared you are, the more successful and satisfying your breastfeeding experience is likely to be.

An adequate and balanced diet is needed by breastfeeding women for their own health and stamina, to replenish nutrient stores called upon during pregnancy, and to produce an ample supply of breast milk. Daily calorie requirements can vary widely, though, depending on your height, normal weight, and level of activity. In general, women use approximately 500 calories above their normal total daily calorie needs to produce breast milk.

Drink Plenty of Water

Our bodies are made up of about 70% water and we must drink water constantly to stay alive. Water prevents constipation, cushions your joints, protects organs and tissues and cools down the body. You can survive more than a month without food, but without water, the human body can function for only about a week. Yet most of us do not drink our daily requirement of eight to ten glasses of water each day.

There are a variety of reasons to drink plenty of water each day. Water helps carry essential nutrients to all our cells, aids in circulation and digestion, and helps carry away the metabolic waste products, such as lactic acid, urea, uric acid, and ammonia.

Mild dehydration can cause fatigue and difficulty concentrating. The best way to prevent dehydration is to have plenty of water to drink before starting any activities. It is also a good idea to drink a glass of water when you get up and one at bedtime, and have water with your meals instead of soda and coffee. On hot summer days you should drink more plenty of water, especially if you are outdoors in the sun and heat.

Nutrition for infants and babies

Producing healthy children is one of the most important roles we have as parents. Nutrition is the key to growth and development of an infant. Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for infants. Until solid foods are introduced - breast milk can be a complete source of nutrition for infants. There is no question about that in the mind of anyone. Breast milk is easy to digest, always available, comes at the rigth feeding temperatures, and carries little infectious risk. A mother's milk has amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development.

At 4 to 6 months, infants require additional iron, preferably in the form of iron-fortified cereal. Although such young infants are unable to swallow much of the food or to digest completely what they do swallow, solid foods were thought to help the baby grow and sleep through the night. Iron is essential for growth and development, and iron-deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency in the United States.

Garlic for Heart Health

To tap into the heart-healthy effects of garlic, consider choosing the freshly crushed herb over the dried variety. In a recent study, researchers found that fresh-crushed garlic may be richer in hydrogen sulfide (a compound said to relax the blood vessel and stimulate circulation).

For the study, investigators fed freshly crushed garlic and processed garlic to lab rats recovering from simulated heart attacks. While both types of garlic reduced damage to the heart, the fresh-crushed form more effectively restored blood flow to the aorta. The study's authors attribute this effect to the presence of hydrogen sulfide, a substance that dried garlic is unable to produce.

Past studies have shown that garlic may moderately cut cholesterol and help keep blood pressure in check. A popular cold remedy, garlic has also been found to possess virus-fighting properties.

Healthy Food for Diabetics

Diabetes has become an epidemic, affecting millions of Americans. A person with diabetes takes insulin to control the blood glucose. Diabetics must strictly control their intake of calories and macronutrients and balance their food consumption and exercise against their insulin intake or their body's production of insulin. Sugar-heavy foods such as candy, soft drinks, desserts, cookies, syrup, honey, and jams and jellies are usually avoided.

Healthy Fast Food

Today obesity became epidemic in the world, with fast food as one of its factor. The obvious reasons fast food become popular is consumers want fast, easy, and flavorful food to fit their busy lifestyles. Fast food is fun to eat occasionally, but it is not healthy to eat too much of it. Easy access to fast food and limited access to healthy food options can contribute to overweight and obesity.

Whether at a fast-food restaurant or at home, making healthy food choices is important. I know healthy fast food sounds like an oxymoron, but there's no reason fast food can't taste food and be nutritious at the same time. Although the typical fast food meal remains a burger, fries, and a carbonated drink, many restaurants increasingly offer other, more healthful options, such as baked potatoes and salads. Healthy fast-food choices include lean meats, whole-grain breads, low-fat or fat-free milk, fruits, and vegetables.

Healthy Foods to Keep a Heart Healthy

The basic rules for keeping your heart healthy are simple; eat low-fat foods, and avoid being overweight. Fat intake puts you at risk for a heart attack, high blood pressure and other serious health problems. Eating foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol is a crucial piece of a heart healthy diet.

There are different ways that foods help decrease the risk of heart disease, including lowering blood lipids so fatty plaque is less likely to be deposited in the arteries, making components of the blood less likely to stick together, and making our arterial walls more flexible.