Finding Balance

Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

Guest post written by Kurt Robertson

”Top Chef” has been one of the great reality shows that’s really risen to the top while dregs like “The Hills” have finally sunk to the bottom of the huge reality show mix. But the funny thing is, I hate to cook. I just love to eat.

The location of the different seasons doesn’t really bother me. I guess it gives them some new challenge ideas and flair. But the game seems to stay the same. If it’s not broke, why fix it?

But a lot of the sites that they show of the area in clips make me want to visit DC again. I went a few years ago with my kids and went to the requisite Smithsonian and various presidential monuments. However, we didn’t explore the city as much as I would like to.

I’m thinking of planning another trip there for when the kids are out for winter break in December. Actually I’ve already started looking up information on wild blue internet service so we can get some great deals of flights and hotels. Maybe I can try and find some restaurants that have food as great as the food on the show looks.

We all need certain nutrients and vitamins in our daily diets in order to make sure that we are healthy and strong. This is particularly true of women who are pregnant. A pregnant woman needs more vitamins, minerals and other nutrients than normally, in order to make sure that she and her baby are healthy and that the unborn baby is developing properly.

The Need for Iron

Many women who are pregnant find that their iron is low and it may be recommended to them to take supplements that are rich in iron. Pregnancy can make it difficult to maintain a proper level of iron in the body and using dietary supplements that contain iron are a good idea. Not only do these supplements have plenty of iron, they are also loaded with many other important vitamins and nutrients. Another important mineral is zinc and it is also another one that pregnant women do not always have enough of. Supplements that are rich in both iron and zinc are ones that you should be looking for.

Vitamin Supplements Are Also a Good Idea

In a perfect world, everyone would be able to get all of the vitamins they need from dietary sources. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. Because pregnant women need to have more vitamins in their diets than others, they are at even more of a risk of not getting what they and their babies, need. In many cases, dietary vitamin supplements are used. During pregnancy, women are at risk of not getting the proper nutrients, due to such factors as morning sickness, a sudden dislike for certain foods and cravings for food that they really should not be eating. Vitamin supplements can make up for what they are not getting in their diets.

If you are pregnant and are considering using dietary supplements of any kind, it is vital that you speak with your physician before hand. After all, you are not only putting these supplements into your body, but into that of your baby, so you want to be sure that anything you use is not going to hurt it. Your physician will be able to recommend a supplement that is good for you and your baby as well. There are supplements that are not good for pregnant women, especially those that contain caffeine, vitamin A and ephedrine. Again, your physician will be the best person to help you figure out which supplement is the right one for you to use.

Article written by Jason Byrd of Ultimate Fitness Gear, your top source for Shaun T’s Insanity Workout online.

The herb oregano   is mainly known for it’s culinary contributions. It’s used world-wide for cooking and the dried herb is more flavorful than the fresh. It’s mainly associated with Italian dishes and is used in tomato sauces, fried vegetables and grilled meats. Oregano adds flavor to Greek salads and is used in Turkey for flavoring lamb and mutton. It can also be purchased as oregano oil and offers health benefits too. It’s high in antioxidants and has proved to have antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens (infectious organisms).

We’ve all heard about osteoporosis and other bone issues and there is one thing that can help prevent/slow down bone deterioration: vitamin D. Bio-D Mulsion  (vitamin D-3) can help with this as it has an excellent absorption ability and helps calcium absorption and bone metabolism. Vitamin D is important especially in winter when some people suffer from “sunlight deprivation” and people with inflammatory or autoimmune disorders.

Thanks to guest blogger Lorraine Clemons for the post.

There are few things in life I enjoy more than food. I love everything about it from the cooking and preparation to the enjoyment of eating a delicious meal. Naturally, this has lead to an obsession with watching cooking and food shows on my tv by direct. My favorite station of course is the food network, but I will watch anything dealing with food, creative preparation secrets, and recipes.

Some of my favorite celebrity chefs to watch are Rachel Ray and Paula Deen. They both are just very casual and respectable women who really know how to connect with the average viewer. They mix great food ideas with an inviting and entertaining method of delivery, which keeps me coming back for more. Recently, I have also begun to watch Ace of Cakes. Baking is one of my favorite things to do, and I view my cooking as an art form. This show inspires me to do that with my cakes, which gives me a great sense of personal satisfaction to create something beautiful, with the added bonus of being able to eat it later. One other show that I watch out of pure entertainment is Man vs. Food. It is amazing to see some of the things that man will eat. I have tried spicy foods many times, so I know how painful some of those peppers he eats can be. So as you can see, I will watch anything and everything that deals with food. I just can’t help myself; it is my vice!

Having retired recently after 40+ years in Education, the last 6 years with Early Head Start, I have seen numerous children who are obese at a very young age. Much of the problem stems from parents who do not oversee what the children are eating and buy unhealthy snacks and food. Many children do not participate in a after school physical activity. As soon as they get home, they grab a snack (usually something fattening that the parent has purchased) and either sit in front of a TV or computer and play sedentary games.  Children spend a great deal of time by themselves and there is no structured program  either at home or school to keep them active.

School districts are having to do sever budget cuts and one of the areas that is usually cut first is the physical education program. Sadly, this is an area  where a  major overhaul is needed to get children back on track but it’s easier to eliminate the problem that to address it.

Children need help to get healthy and stay healthy and elementary PE lesson plans would make a huge difference. If children are encouraged to be active at an early age and enjoy it, the desire to stay active will remain with them as they get older.

Every day, we see magazines that have the latest and greatest fad diet that is guaranteed to help you lose a lot of weight in a short period of time. Sure, you may lose a little bit of weight, but these diets are usually very low calorie, and once you go off the diet and start eating your normal diet, you are going to gain back the weight you lose and often, more. If you really want to lose weigh and do it in a healthy way, forget the fad diets. They are no good and often, they can be extremely unhealthy, because you are not getting the proper nutrition.

A healthy, well-balanced diet should consist of a certain amount of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. According to the American Heart Association and other health organizations, the ideal diet would have 50% carbohydrate, 15% fat, and 35% protein, give or take a little bit of each.

The Craziest Fad Diets Ever

Throughout the years, there have been all kinds of crazy fad diets that do not provide the proper nutrition for healthy weight loss. Some of the craziest diets ever include:

The Grapefruit Diet – Sure, grapefruits are really good for you and are an excellent source of vitamin C, this diet does not provide enough food for you to get the nutrients you need. Grapefruits should be included in a healthy diet, but there should be more in your diet besides grapefruit, lean red meat and vegetables.

The Baby Food Diet – There are many people who enjoy having a bit or two of their babies’ food when they are feeding them, but this is no reason to live on the stuff. Basically, this diet involves eating baby food rather than other foods for one or two meals a day. Yes, this is a good way to lose weight quickly, but it is not the healthiest, because we all need a certain amount of calories each day.

The All-Liquid Diet – For a while, all-liquid diets were popular and those using them were often living on protein and other dietary supplements. Supplements are great to incorporate into a diet, but they should not be your only source of nutrition. Again, once you go off a liquid diet, expect to gain any weight you lost back in a very short period of time.

The only way to have a truly healthy diet that will promote weight loss is to have a healthy, well-balanced diet that provides you with the nutrients you need. Make sure that you are getting enough vitamins and other nutrients, and if you need to, go ahead and use supplements once in a while. Just make sure that you are getting plenty of food as well.

By Scott Anderson of Get Insanity Workout Site, the webs top site to Get Insanity from Shaun T.

Guest posted from Tim Timson

It is almost lunch time and I have a hankering for Chinese food. After flipping through the phonebook I come across a Chinese place called The Rice Bowl that I have never experienced. I decide I’m going to the Rice Bowl for lunch. Luckily the Rice Bowl is just a couple miles down the road from my place. I quickly shut all the windows and enable my adt security security alarm and I am on my way. If I would have asked around I would have probably discovered why the Rice Bowl only had 2 patrons at lunch time. Nevermind that though, I am hungry and don’t have time for such trivial things. The waitress shows me to a nice corner booth that only has 1 stain on the table cloth. After giving me what seemed like 45 minutes alone, my waitress appeared ready to take my order. I opted for a simple chow mein, rice, and sesame chicken. I should have opted for just a glass of ice water. When my food finally arrived it was actually cold. I don’t mean a little cold, I mean it was like just came out of the refrigerator type cold. So after my chow mein defrosted I choked down as much of it as my body would allow. I will say though, that the rice is excellent at the Rice Bowl. After feeling remorse over my restaurant selection I flagged down the waitress and requested my bill. I was overcharged! I couldn’t believe it. After going back and forth for a few minutes we got everything worked out and I paid my bill and then went my way. Overall, the food was edible.

If you’re thinking of using fruit in floral arrangements, choose fruit varieties that compliment flowers that you’ll be using. Lemons, berries and peaches are excellent summer fruits when arranged with yellow or white flowers. Add vegetables for more vibrant color; eggplant and bell peppers are excellent choices.Be sure the fruit that you choose is fresh and firm.

Decide how the fruits (and vegetables) will be displayed: will they be nestling in the flowers or draped over the edge of the bowl or vase? Will you try to conceal the flower stems? Cranberries can be used like glass marbles to cover foam. Support fruit with heavy gauge floral wire with the bottom of the wire stuck into a foam block.