Truth About Vegetarianism and Its Benefits

Living by good health principles is an important element in your realization of success. 

Depending upon your definition of success, the realization of it inevitably will require mental concentration, a certain level of endurance, and considerable stamina. A healthy diet plays a major role in this effort.

In recent years a significant percentage of the population here in the U.S., have began to understand the considerable health implications of consuming red meat and realizing the need to eliminate it when choosing a healthy diet. Vegetarianism is now being viewed as a real and viable choice.

Vegetarian Meals
To answer the question, what is a vegetarian? Here are the basics.  Meals for vegetarians consists of a diet in which no flesh foods are consumed. Therefore, even if you have eliminated red meat entirely, but you consume fish, chicken, turkey and other so-called white meat, then you are not a vegetarian. 

To repeat, a vegetarian is one who does not consume any kind of flesh foods.

Types of Vegetarians
To go a bit further, if you consume dairy products and eggs, without the flesh foods, you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian. And, if you eliminate dairy products and eggs, and only consume fruit, grains, legumes and vegetables, you are a strict vegetarian or a vegan. . 

A strict vegetarian, however, has the challenge of getting adequate protein in a balanced diet whereas the lacto-ovo vegetarian does not have that challenge at all.

Once again, the purpose of choosing a healthy diet is to keep health problems at a minimum as you pursue your definition of success. It would be to your advantage to take a serious look at the vegetarian option and make your choice. 

Personally, my choice for the last 54 years has been the lacto-ovo option with no regrets.

What do you thinks about vegetarianism? Leave your thoughts below.

Learn the 7 Ways for Healthy Living and Aging

The aging population in the US is growing larger and living longer. While it is worthwhile to live to a ripe old age, it is even more gratifying if you are aging in a healthy way.

What you habitually do everyday has a significant bearing on healthy aging as opposed to being old and sickly.

In my view, there are 7 Ways for Healthy Living and Aging that you should acquire if you don't have them already.

1. Get a good night's sleep every night. It can be as little as six hours. But, it should be one in which the lights are turned off with the full intention of sleeping and feeling relaxed in the morning,

2. Acquire and maintain a few friends with whom you can share good conversation, enjoy going to events, dinner, etc and giving each other mutual support.

3. Keep the mind active. Find a mental activity that is absorbing and gratifying. It can be learning a new skill, regularly surfing the internet for new learning experiences and the like.

4. Get daily exercise. If you can't join a YMCA or a health club, get an exercise bike and some weights and work out for at least 3 to 5 minutes a day and walk regularly.

5. Eat a balanced diet. It is not necessary to eat three meals a day. Two meals will suffice. However, if you do choose to eat three meals, make them light and nutritious.

6. Control your thinking. Your mind can easily drift into a pattern of thinking that can make you sad and depressed if you are not careful. Think constructive thoughts -- thoughts that are optimistic and forward looking.

7. Go to the doctor less frequently unless you have an illness that need to be monitored. Most doctors are trained to prescribe medications for any type of illnesses, real or imagined, and tests can sometimes give you false positives. 

Study to get to know your own body. Recognize symptoms that can be the precursors to a real illness. Then, when you go to the doctor, tell him specifically what your concerns are. Try not to get addicted to any type of medication.

Acquiring and maintaining these habits will be a great help in assuring a long and healthy life. If you don't already have a lifestyle based on these habits, reread this, and begin integrating these habits into your life. 

Remember any specific action repeated daily and consistently for at least 21 days will become a habit. Do this and acquire good habits.


Have you tried to change any habits lately? Leave your comments below

Your Health is at Risk. Here's What to Do About It

Exercise work zones 

If several of your close blood relatives have had heart at­tacks before the age of sixty, you're likely to have one too unless you eliminate all the other possible risk factors. 

Don't have a fatalistic view about heart disease because so many of your close relatives died young from heart attacks. 

Chances are your ill-fated parents or siblings smoked, were overweight, were diabetic with poor sugar control, had el­evated cholesterol levels, and rarely exercised. 

Genes are only part of the story. Regardless of your genetic vulnera­bility, correcting any obvious abnormalities will improve your outlook considerably.

Regular exercise. Regular exercise that's sufficiently rigorous protects the coronary arteries. 

However, you've got to pay attention to the other risk factors as well. Dr. William Castelli, the di­rector of the Framingham Heart Study, estimates that half the doctors running in the Boston Marathon have abnormal cholesterol levels—and don't know it!

You're most likely to stay with your exercise program if you enjoy it. Few people will continue for very long with a regimen that they find boring. Brisk walking for thirty minutes a day or vigorous gardening are enough. 

If you prefer, you may also run, jog, dance, bike, or swim, pro­vided your doctor has cleared you to do so. 

Walking briskly for about three miles (you can pick any other form of ex­ercise) was found to reduce the risk of a heart attack by 64 percent in male Harvard alumni. (Graduates of Princeton, Yale, and Cornell can probably expect the same good re­sults.)

Aerobic exercises Aerobic exercises such as walking or running (as opposed to stretching and weight-lifting) exert their beneficial effect in several ways: 

• they lower your resting heart rate and blood pressure, thus easing the burden on your heart; 
• they reduce cholesterol and triglycerides
• raise the good lipoproteins and lower the bad lipoproteins; 
• they drop the blood sugar in diabetics; 
• they help prevent osteoporosis; 
• they decrease the proportion of body fat; they reduce stress and improve mood. 
• All in all, exercise is a good prescription against heart attack.

Besides improving your physical health and increasing your longevity, exercise can have short-term and long-term psychological benefits. Physical activity can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and improve mood and well-being.

What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below.

3 Things You Should Know About Eating More Fruits, Vegetables, and Legumes.

Consuming more fruits, vegetables, and good sources of fiber, including all types of nuts  and reducing or even eliminating all flesh foods completely is the best action you can take to assure yourself an long and healthy life.

Last year, I went to a birthday party for a 90 year old acquaintance who has a "girl" friend 20 years younger. He's happy and she's happy. He's been a vegetarian for over 40 years. I've been a vegetarian for over 50 years.

Consider the following: 

1. More than 90% of all Americans do not eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. Eating more vegetables everyday as a part of a healthy diet may lower your chances of getting cancer, heart disease, stroke, in other diseases.

2. Current recommendations for healthy adults are to get 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day through dietary food sources. However, Americans on the average just get about 10 to 30 grams a day.

The following food items are good sources of fiber: beans, all types of berries, whole grain cereals and breads, sweet potatoes, peas, and nuts. There are many health benefits to eating enough fiber including lowering blood cholesterol levels and assisting with digestive disorders.

3. Reducing the amount of saturated fat such fat found in meat, high-fat dairy products, and in some processed foods should coincide with the increase in the amount of fiber in your diet. You should limit your intake of saturated fats to 10% or less of your daily fat calories.

The reduction of saturated fats help prevent many chronic diseases, such as heart disease or stroke; it helps prevent clogging of the arteries; it helps with weight control and management; and it helps to lower cholesterol levels. Healthier fat sources include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated sources of fats such as olive oil, canola all, nuts, and other vegetable oils.

Above all making these changes in your diet will help you to realize a longer and healthier life span. 

What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below.

Stay Healthy. Here are your 20 Common Everyday Super Foods

Here are the 20 Common Everyday Super Foods you must incorporate in your diet regularly and the reasons why. 

I've been a committed vegetarian for over 52 years, so you will not see any flesh foods listed here. 

  1. Bananas

      Filled with fiber and potassium  and may even help with a hangover

  2. Brown Rice

     The whole grain version is full of fiber and may cut the risk of diabetes.

  3. Grapes

      High in antioxidants, which may help reduce cholesterol 

  4. Oatmeal

      High in fiber, low in fat, and may even help lower cholesterol                      

  5. Tomatoes
      Contains exceptional amounts of the antioxidant lycopene that remains in the              flesh of the tomatoes even after cooking and canning. Choose the ones with no            sodium added.

  6. Sweet Potatoes

      High levels of vitamin A, contains beta-carotene (which may help prevent cancer and protect you from the sun) and also helps keep your skin silky smooth 

  7. Spinach

      Nutrient dense with vitamin A, K, and calcium

  8. Black Beans

 Packs a ton of fiber and has a solid amount of calcium, fiber, potassium, and folic   acid

  9. Eggs

      When in need of protein, eggs are quick and delicious

10. Pinto Beans

      Full of protein and fiber 

11. Lentils

More protein per pound than beef. Lentils are a filling food with antioxidants (and quite tasty, too).

12. Low-fat milk.

One-calcium filled glass can help keep teeth strong and even help keep off those excess pounds.  

13. Low-fat Yogurt

      Filled with protein and calcium

14. Low-fat Cottage Cheese        

      Surprisingly high in protein, and tastes great in both sweet and savory  dishes.

15. Whole Grain Pasta

      Full of fiber, antioxidants, and protein, and may help lower risk of heart disease.

16. Apples

      Get this super food for a serving of vitamin C and cancer fighting antioxidants.

17. Onions

      Onions pack a surprising nutritious punch, including a hefty dose of  antioxidants. 

18. Oranges

      Oranges aren't just about their vitamin C, it is also filled with fiber, and                          potassium.

19. Coffee
      This morning pick-up contains antioxidants to help protect the heart, and is a              great pre-workout fuel to help increase endurance.

20. Tea

      Go for the green tea if you're looking to maximize your antioxidant intake.   

The varying health benefits of tea are plenty, ranging from their antioxidant powers to helping maintain a healthy weight.    

These are feel good foods that are great for the body and even better for your budget. 

What do you think of these foods? Leave your comments below.

    

7 Ways to Stop High Blood Pressure from Killing You

High blood pressure is called the "silent killer." Most people who have it do not feel sick and don't know that they have it. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack, and kidney failure.

If you've ever tried to run water through a garden hose that's been hardened by age or gunked up with hard-water deposits, you know how hard it is to get a good water flow. Blood flow through your arteries works the same way. 

Stiff or blocked arteries can make your heart strain to push blood through all your blood vessels. The result is high blood pressure, which damages both your heart and your blood vessels. You can control high blood pressure through healthy lifestyle habits and taking medicines.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), almost 67 million Americans have high blood pressure and more than half do not have it under control. Almost 1 in 4 Americans with uncontrolled high blood pressure do not take their medication regularly.

A blood pressure reading can tell you whether you have high blood pressure. The reading uses two numbers, the systolic and dias­tolic pressures, written one above or before the other. A reading of:

• 120/80 or lower is normal· 
• 140/90 or higher is high blood pressure.
• 120 and 139 for the top number, or between 80 and 89 for the bottom number, is pre-hypertension.

If you have high blood pressure (consistently higher than 140/90) and see a conventional doctor, chances are pretty good that the doctor will tell you that you'll have to take drugs, probably for the rest of your life.

If you frequently feel stressed, angry or sad, you may be at higher risk of having a heart attack. Have your blood pressure checked each time you go to the doctor. And, talk to him or her if you cannot get your blood pressure under control.

Here are the 7 ways to stop high blood pressure from killing you:

1.   If your blood pressure is not where it should be, work in close partnership with your doctor to control it. Get your blood pressure checked regularly.

2.  Take all blood pressure medications as prescribed by your doctor.

3.  Request 90-day prescriptions for your blood pressure medication.

4.  Let your doctor know if you experience unwanted side effects from your blood pressure medication.

5.  Eat a healthy, low-salt diet and consume alcohol in moderation. Maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly.

6.  Smoking can increase your blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about a smoking cessation plan for you.

7.   Identify causes of stress, then work to minimize or eliminate those things that cause stress for you.


Your Thoughts? Leave your comments below.

12 Ways to Eat More Vegetables and Fruits

Deciding what to eat is one of the best ways to control your destiny. 

It shouldn't be necessary to talk about the importance of eating more vegetables and fruits, but as I shop for food and casually look in the shopping carts of others in the supermarkets, I have concluded that it is necessary.  

To get your health in better shape, change your diet by following these 12 steps:

 1.      Include a small salad with one of your main meals each day.

2.      Add banana, strawberries, or another favorite fruit to your cereal or yogurt at breakfast.

3.      When eating a full meal, work on your vegetable portions right away, rather than reserving them for the end after you finish the other items.

4.      Use fresh fruit and fruit sauces as toppings on desserts and pancakes.

5.      Liven up your sandwiches with vegetables such as tomato, lettuce, onion, peppers, and cucumbers.


6.      When you have a craving for chips, have a small handful with lots of fresh salsa.

7.      For dessert, have baked apples, grilled pineapples, or a small bowl of berries or grapes.

8.      Make a fruit smoothie by blending fruit with low-fat yogurt or skim milk.

9.      Dip partially cooked vegetables (carrots, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower) in cottage cheese, hummus,  low-fat ranch dressing, or yogurt dip.
  
10.  Cut fruit in slices or halves and dip the pieces in low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt.
 
11.  Incorporate fruits and vegetables and your diet with other foods or recipes.  Add vegetables to a your favorite soup, green peppers and onions to your pizza, include  fresh fruits with your morning cereal, and stir fruit in with yogurt or cottage cheese.
 
12.  If you don’t care for raw vegetables, lightly cook them and see if you prefer them with a softer texture. Sprinkle them with herbs for flavoring.

Go to 15 Ways to Eat Well, Keep your Energy Level Up, and Your Weight Down for more useful information.  

What do you have to share about eating healthy? Leave your comments below.

What You Need to Know About Strokes

A stroke occurs when arteries that supply the brain with blood becomes blocked , preventing blood flow. I had first hand experience with this situation when my  mother had a stroke. After being in a coma for nearly ten days she recovered completely and lived ten more years without any after effect.  The doctors and I agreed, it was a miracle.

Of the approximately 795,000 strokes that occur in the United States each year, about 610,000 are first strokes, and 185,000 are recurrent attacks. Although the incidence of stroke has declined significantly since the 1960s, the strokes that do happen are just as severe. In fact, stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States.

The odds of having a stroke more than double every 10 years after age 55. More than two-thirds of strokes involve people over 65. If you have a stroke, the risk of dying from it also increases with age: 88% of deaths from stroke are in people 65 and older.Women have about 55,000 more strokes than men each year, and women make up about 60% of stroke deaths. Race is another risk factor. African Americans, for example, are almost twice as likely to suffer a stroke as are whites.

Although you can’t change your age, gender, or race, you can take steps to reduce other risk factors for stroke, especially ischemic stroke. The most common risk factors for both ischemic stroke and TIAs are high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, unhealthy cholesterol levels, obesity, and cigarette smoking. All of these factors affect the health of your blood vessels—increasing the risk not only of stroke, but also of heart disease. That’s why medications and other steps you take to reduce the risk of an ischemic stroke will also benefit your heart.

Some types of hemorrhagic stroke are more likely to occur in people with chronic high blood pressure.. But other types of hemorrhagic stroke seemingly strike out of the blue. Although abnormal blood vessel conditions such as an aneurysm (a bubble in the blood vessel wall that could rupture) or an arteriovenous malformation (an abnormal tangle of blood vessels) increase the risk, these conditions may only be discovered inadvertently while you are undergoing testing for something else—or may not be discovered until a stroke occurs.

Here are the warning signs and symptoms of stroke:

• weakness in an arm, hand, or leg
• numbness on one side of the body
• sudden dimness or loss of vision, particularly in one eye
• sudden difficulty speaking
• inability to understand what someone is saying
• dizziness or loss of balance
• sudden, lasting, excruciating headache.

If you or a loved one experience any of these symptoms, immediately dial 911 or go or get that person to an emergency room immediately.



Have you had an experience like this? Leave you comments below.