Are you in the market to shop for your family's food? If you are, it is advisable that you think about how those food stuffs you place in your grocery cart affect your family's health. Aside from that, you should also consider how these food choices will influence your children's mind-set about nutritious foods.
So before paying for your groceries, take some time to scrutinize first the things loaded in your cart. Did you put in healthy foods? Or you just filled it with processed foods containing additives and preservatives as well as drinks that are less or not healthy at all?
Parents who want to provide their family with a healthy diet should begin checking up their grocery list. Whether you want to eat healthy for the purpose of weight loss, or you merely want good nutrition for your family, you should start changing the types of food you are purchasing. Here are some tips on shopping for healthy foods:
• Make a Shopping List
This is one of the most significant things you should bring along when shopping for food. This will keep you on the right track especially if you formulated the list from your meal plan. Since your purpose is to provide your family with a healthy diet, your menus for the week must be made of nutritious ingredients like fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fresh fish, poultry, dairy products, and whole grains. You can also include several raw foods and healthy snacks to perk up your kid's appetite.
• Follow a Good Path When Shopping
This is a good strategy if you really want to spend your shopping budget wisely. The first area you must go to are the aisles where the healthiest foods are placed. Lean meats, fresh fish, and dairy product are usually found in the same area of the grocery stores. Then, go to the aisles where you'll find fruits and vegetables, whole grains, cereals, baking supplies, and sauces. Then make the sections for less healthy foods your last drop-off point. This will reduce your chance of overdoing it on unhealthy processed foods and snacks.
• Shop at Food Co-ops and Local farmers' markets
These are the best areas where you can find the freshest produce. Foods from these sources are usually safe because food co-ops usually sell produce that are pesticide-free and organically-grown.
• Find out What Produce are In-Season
No matter where you're going to shop, it's better to know first the fruits and veggies that are in season. Shopping for in-season produce is usually a great deal not just in taste but also in price. One thing to remember, though, avoid buying more than your family can eat.
• Choose Fruits and Vegetables Carefully
If you aren't given the chance to personally pick those fruits and vegetables, then at least be careful enough in selecting what to buy. Fruits and vegetables do give a clue about their condition so it will be way easy for you to determine if they are fresh and ripe. When choosing vegetables, pick the ones that are firm and crisp. Do not get those with signs of decay. For fruits, avoid getting ones with bruises.
Article source : Reid Marilyn
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
8 Best Exercises To Lose Weight Quickly
The best exercises to lose weight quickly are not secrets reserved for a mere few. They are quite common, yet they are overlooked by many. People seeking to lose weight might think there's some magic program or exercise that will get it done.
Would it surprise you to know that you probably already participate in some of these exercises? The real secret is in knowing how to do those exercises for maximum benefit.
If you walk or climb stairs, for instance, you are utilizing the best exercises to lose weight quickly. You just need to make the most of them by upping the frequency and time you commit to these heart-thumping activities.
Unless you spend a vigorous 45 to 60 minutes every day on these exercises, you won't lose weight quickly. You'll just get tired. The key is consistency and that you work your system regularly. Muscle-building exercises are most effective to lose weight quickly.
Whichever exercise you choose, make sure you put all your energy into it. You want to keep your heart rate up and your blood pumping throughout the exercise period, with a proper cool down afterwards.
If you're brisk walking, for example, walk slowly for the final few minutes to give your body a chance to cool down. Stopping suddenly can cause muscle cramps and really isn't good for your heart. Give it time to fall back to normal while you're moderately active.
Make sure you drink lots of water while exercising to replenish your reserves and to help prevent cramping.
When you're ready, here are the 10 best exercises to lose weight quickly. Start gradually and let your body adjust to the workouts.
1. Squats: This exercise is great for building leg and buttock muscles. Stand with your feet at shoulder width apart and squat down and then up 10-20 times through two or three sets.
2. Jumping Jacks: You probably remember these from your school days. They provide one of the best whole body aerobic workouts. Do four or five set of 20 jumping jacks for best results.
3. Stepping: If you've made numerous trips upstairs while moving or cleaning, you'll know how much energy this exercise takes. The benefits are multi-fold: burns calories, boosts heart rate, great aerobics workout, builds leg and buttock muscles. You can use your stairs for this. Step up and down 20 times, rest and repeat two or three times.
4. Walking: Fast walking is better than slow walking, but both are beneficial. If you want an exercise to lose weight quickly, walk briskly for half an hour and you can burn up to 180 calories.
5. Bicycling: The outdoors can be more enjoyable, but stationary indoor cycles can provide an equally good exercise to lose weight quickly. In fact, if you apply the right amount of resistance at the right speed, you can lose between 250 and 500 calories in half an hour.
6. Swimming: This is a great, fun exercise for many people. It provides an excellent cardio workout that uses your entire body. Doing the breast stroke for half an hour can burn 400 calories.
7. Cross Country Skiing: Another fun activity with the same benefits as swimming.
8. Jump Rope: This isn't just a kids' game. Adults can get a terrific, unparalleled total body workout by jumping rope for as little as 15 to 20 minutes.
That gives you eight of the top workouts you can try. They are just some of the best exercises to lose weight quickly.
Article Source : Marcilio David
Would it surprise you to know that you probably already participate in some of these exercises? The real secret is in knowing how to do those exercises for maximum benefit.
If you walk or climb stairs, for instance, you are utilizing the best exercises to lose weight quickly. You just need to make the most of them by upping the frequency and time you commit to these heart-thumping activities.
Unless you spend a vigorous 45 to 60 minutes every day on these exercises, you won't lose weight quickly. You'll just get tired. The key is consistency and that you work your system regularly. Muscle-building exercises are most effective to lose weight quickly.
Whichever exercise you choose, make sure you put all your energy into it. You want to keep your heart rate up and your blood pumping throughout the exercise period, with a proper cool down afterwards.
If you're brisk walking, for example, walk slowly for the final few minutes to give your body a chance to cool down. Stopping suddenly can cause muscle cramps and really isn't good for your heart. Give it time to fall back to normal while you're moderately active.
Make sure you drink lots of water while exercising to replenish your reserves and to help prevent cramping.
When you're ready, here are the 10 best exercises to lose weight quickly. Start gradually and let your body adjust to the workouts.
1. Squats: This exercise is great for building leg and buttock muscles. Stand with your feet at shoulder width apart and squat down and then up 10-20 times through two or three sets.
2. Jumping Jacks: You probably remember these from your school days. They provide one of the best whole body aerobic workouts. Do four or five set of 20 jumping jacks for best results.
3. Stepping: If you've made numerous trips upstairs while moving or cleaning, you'll know how much energy this exercise takes. The benefits are multi-fold: burns calories, boosts heart rate, great aerobics workout, builds leg and buttock muscles. You can use your stairs for this. Step up and down 20 times, rest and repeat two or three times.
4. Walking: Fast walking is better than slow walking, but both are beneficial. If you want an exercise to lose weight quickly, walk briskly for half an hour and you can burn up to 180 calories.
5. Bicycling: The outdoors can be more enjoyable, but stationary indoor cycles can provide an equally good exercise to lose weight quickly. In fact, if you apply the right amount of resistance at the right speed, you can lose between 250 and 500 calories in half an hour.
6. Swimming: This is a great, fun exercise for many people. It provides an excellent cardio workout that uses your entire body. Doing the breast stroke for half an hour can burn 400 calories.
7. Cross Country Skiing: Another fun activity with the same benefits as swimming.
8. Jump Rope: This isn't just a kids' game. Adults can get a terrific, unparalleled total body workout by jumping rope for as little as 15 to 20 minutes.
That gives you eight of the top workouts you can try. They are just some of the best exercises to lose weight quickly.
Article Source : Marcilio David
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