Tag Archives: Lifestyle

Lead a Healthier Lifestyle With Protein Rich Vegetables

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A lot of people today are trying to lead healthier lives and are becoming more conscious about their diet. If you are a vegetarian or just a person who chooses not to consume meat or fish products, getting sufficient protein in your diet may seem difficult. There are however, plenty of other sources of protein aside from meat where you can get your protein from such as protein rich vegetables.

As the name suggests, a vegetarian has a diet that has no meat products. The absence of meats from the diet means that most of your protein consumption must come from vegetables, fruits, nuts and cereals and grains. Unlike meats, protein found in vegetables tend to be less so a wider variety of these foods will need to be consumed in order to get a sufficient intake of the essential amino acids requires for correct bodily function.

Some protein rich vegetables that you may consider including in your diet are alfalfa sprouts, green beans, mung beans and sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, aubergine, cabbage, carrots, dandelion greens, squash and pumpkin. Other packaged vegetables such as lentils, kidney beans, chick peas and baked beans also contain plenty of protein.

One benefit of eating protein rich vegetables is that they don’t have as much fat and cholesterol which is generally present in meat and dairy products. Keep in mind though that everybody, even non-vegetarians, can benefit from eating vegetables that are rich in protein. If you want to lead a healthier life and lower the risk of heart diseases, indulge yourself in meals using vegetables that are high in protein.

Easy Steps to Following a Whole Foods Lifestyle

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Anyone that wants to challenge themselves to a better way of living should consider following a whole foods lifestyle. Everyday there are people fighting with themselves trying to balance the desire to eat healthy foods with the desire to eat what tastes good. This can be quite a struggle for some people. Even with the large number of people that have health issues and are required to change their eating habits, adopting healthier eating habits is just not as simple as some people would like to think it is. Those that want to improve their health for the long term should know that only a commitment to eating foods that are natural or whole will change their health status and lower the risk of obtaining certain diseases. The process of adopting a whole foods lifestyle is only as hard as one makes it. Below are some easy steps to following a whole foods lifestyle.

1. Speak to Your Doctor- There are times when people are more likely to see the significance of a certain activity if they have the advice and support of a professional. Speaking to a doctor about the decision to adopt a whole foods lifestyle is a good decision particularly if the person has health concerns. A physician can offer candid information about one’s current state of health and how improving eating habits can drastically improve one’s overall health. A person can also consult with a nutritionist to discuss what whole food is and the many benefits that are derived from adopting a whole foods lifestyle.

2. Removing and Avoiding Temptation- As with any lifestyle change, the best way to obtain to stick to a whole foods lifestyle is to avoid the temptation of processed foods. Many people say this is easier said than done, but it is possible. Instead of buying groceries form traditional markets it may be best to switch to markets that specialize in carrying healthier food options. There are a number of health based food stores where people can shop. Likewise, it is also recommended for people to seek out their local farmers markets. The food at the farmers markets are usually picked straight from the farm that day to ensure freshness.

3. Get Creative- Just because a person is following a whole foods lifestyle doesn’t mean that the joy of eating is now diminished. There are multitudes of ways in which an individual can create wonderfully delicious foods options. With the increasing popularity of whole food living, there are more cookbooks, recipes and ideas that are available to assist a person in making the most of the all natural foods that are around.

4. Adopt Other Healthy Habits-People are more likely to follow a whole foods lifestyle if they have committed to being healthy overall. This means coupling healthy eating with an active lifestyle. People that exercise are more likely to support the exercise they obtain on a regular basis with healthy eating habits. This makes sense being that being healthy in a physical sense would also make a person want to be healthy in other ways too.

5. Be Patient and Strong- All lifestyle changes take time and such is the case with a change in the way one eats. It would be foolish to deny the fact that there will be cravings to eat processed food in the beginning. However, a people must remind themselves why they are dedicated to a whole foods lifestyle. The prospect of improving one’s health for the rest of one’s life is more appealing than indulging for a brief moment.

Living For Optimum Health: Why Did I Choose This Lifestyle?

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I like to think that I’m just like everyone else. I love to eat. I mean I LOVE to eat. Except, I’m not one of those people who “eat to live”. I “live to eat”. And, I can eat a lot.

It started when I was a kid having contests with my dad to see who could eat the most. I often times would win. What a thing to teach a kid: eat till you’re so full you can’t eat any more.

As you might guess I didn’t exactly have the best relationship with food. And, as an adult I’ve struggled with keeping the weight off. And, the last few years I’ve been told my cholesterol is too high. Of course my doctor wanted me to take statin drugs to reduce the cholesterol. After doing some research I decided that the side effects of statin drugs outweighed the benefit of taking it.

Instead, I made the decision that I needed to change some habits. I lost about 20 pounds, I increased my exercise, I started drinking green smoothies and eating more fruits and vegetables. I eat less meat and eat more fish. I don’t eat all that I want. When I eat out I take at least half of my food home. It hasn’t been easy.

You might ask me why? Why do I do this? The answer is simple: I’m afraid not to. Many of the illnesses in our country today are diet and nutrition related. I look around me in my city and I see overweight children, obese parents, people who are sick with diabetes, cancer, & heart disease. The list goes on. I decided that if I was going to live, I want to live healthy. I want to feel good when I wake up in the morning. I want to have enough energy to make it through my day. I want to grow old maintaining strength and balance. I want strong muscles so I can walk unassisted. I want a strong heart and circulatory system so I have stamina to pursue an active life. These are choices I’ve made, changes I’ve made, and I’m confident they are the right choices so I can live a rich and active life well into my 80’s or 90’s.

Is this the right choice for you too? Well, that’s a good question. Only you can decide that. My hope is that my reasons will inspire you to eat healthier, eat less, exercise more, exerciser harder, and ultimately live a healthier life.