yoga74017

When I was a child, I spent a few years being terribly overweight. Thanks to the many hours I spent learning about how to make better food choices and several degrees later, I was able to come up with a fantastic way to eat for energy and good health.

It's not easy for me to stay trim. When you are overweight as a child, the fat cells have a tendency to plump up in no time.

now, I eat to be trim and stay healthy. Plus, I like to feel energetic. And my grocery shopping trips are no longer overwhelming. There are so many processed foods that should be avoided...especially when it comes to our health!!

Yesterday, I had the fortunate experience to be able to meet and talk with clinical nutritionist, Beatriz Gallager, CNS. I wanted to hear what she had to say about food. So, I asked her to tell me what two foods I should avoid.

Her reply was just as I had hoped for. She told me to stay away from the artificial sweetener, aspartame. In fact, I don't use any artificial sweeteners. I would never feed them to children, either!

Secondly, she said to avoid any or all foods that have been microwaved. (In fact, I have my microwave hidden behind cabinet doors. If my spouse didn't purchase the microwave, it wouldn't be there at all...)

Then, Beatriz Gallagher, told me to try the following experiment: Put two potted plants on your counter. water the first plant with tap water. water the second plant with water that has been microwaved to the boiling point- and then cooled to room temperature. water and take care of the plants, as needed. Yet, water each one the same way for 7 days. The first one should receive tap water. The second plant should receive the boiled/microwaved water.

One of the plants dies. Can you guess which one that would be?

The bottom line is that we have to feed our bodies good, nutritious foods. Unfortunately, in America many of the food choices we have been hoodwinked into believing are good for us...are not! And, in turn, they make us look and feel worse.

Kristen Colello is the author of an exceptional ebook entitled, No Strawberries, Please! This amazing ebook helps you understand food choices, how to select healthier foods, and takes the agony out of food shopping. You'll walk out of the grocery store knowing so much about the foods you have chosen. This ebook is simple, yet informative. Kristen struggled with her weight for years. And, now, after working with families for over ten years, her tips and strategies for better health and keeping trim are in this eye-opening ebook. See http://www.organicfeelsbest.com for more information.

Our body is made of mostly water which helps to keep it refreshed and hydrated. Fluids, especially water, carry oxygen and nutrients to the cells, remove waste matter and regulate the body's temperature.

And while fluid intake is so important to our health, about 500 ml of fluid can be lost a day due to perspiration and excretion. Furthermore, up to 4 liters a day can be lost during exercise in very hot conditions. Good hydration with a variety of fluids, therefore, is a means of providing an ongoing supply of fluids which our body needs. There are a number of healthful ways in which to hydrate the body and give it the fluids that it needs and some of those ways are discussed below.

Vegetable Juices

Freshly made vegetable juices are an excellent way to add fluids to your body. drinking lots of fresh vegetable juices is also a great way to add vitamin C and a range of other nutrients to your diet. Because the majority of the vegetable is included in the juice, all of the health-giving components remain intact when you drink vegetable juices.

One of the most important benefits that one gains from drinking vegetable juices is the chlorophyll it contains. Chlorophyll, which is often referred to as the very blood of the plant, is the substance in vegetable juices that accounts for the green color. Moreover, chlorophyll is a marvelous healer to the body and not only helps to rejuvenate it but also helps the body to purify the blood, build red blood cells, and protects the body from cancer.

Vegetable juices are also abundant in enzymes as well. Called "the spark of life" by researcher and physician Edward Howell, a pioneer in enzyme study, enzymes help in almost every metabolic function of our body. Enzymes assist in the breakdown and digestion of our food, as well as help in weight loss, detoxification of the body, slowing down the aging process, building muscles and strengthening the immune system. Fresh juices are a tremendous source of enzymes. In fact, the fresher the juice the more potent and powerful the enzymes will be.

green Tea

green tea is another good way to keep your body hydrated and to give your body the fluids it needs each day. According to a number of published studies, green tea contains a number of common antioxidants including vitamin E, vitamin C and Vitamin A. Antioxidants are substances found in the food that we eat that protect the body from a variety of diseases including breast cancer, prostate cancer and a host of other diseases. Moreover, green tea has been shown to be about 200 times more powerful than all of the aforementioned vitamins. Furthermore, green tea helps to strengthen the immune system, increases the friendly bacteria in the intestines and prevents tooth decay.

Water

Of all the benefits of the fluids mentioned formerly, nothing compares with the benefits of water. Water is the very fluid of life - without which we would cease to exist in a very short time. Water helps our body to digest food and absorb vitamins and minerals which come from our food. It aids in the detoxification of our blood, liver and kidneys. The very waste matter which we excrete everyday is carried out with the assistance of water. In fact, even our very energy level is greatly affected by how much water we drink. research shows that even a small drop in water levels in our body will cause a significant drop in our energy level. Although many doctors recommend 8 glasses of water per day, this is a case where more is better - especially if you are an active person.

In addition to water and other fluids mentioned above, there are many food sources that help to hydrate the body including fruits like watermelon, which is made of mostly water, oranges, grapes and grapefruit. Another good source of hydration and nutrition is SenSatiaFruit. Additionally, foods such as cottage cheese, soups, yogurt and carrots all contain a good amount of water as well.

Patricia is a health focused content writer. To see why Patricia advocates drinking SenSatiaFruit

Okay, so it sounds a bit ridiculous, but there truly is such a term as sleep hygiene. As you truly understand the meaning of sleep hygiene and it is quite likely that your quality of sleep will be significantly improved.

While personal hygiene is known to be that thing we all do in order to keep clean and fresh smelling and dental hygiene involves keeping our teeth clean, healthy, and in our mouth, sleep hygiene is about those things that you can do in order to have a healthier and more restful sleep life.

Sleep hygiene encompasses all of those things that you can do which can help you to get ready for a restful nights sleep. It involves getting ready for bed, and preparing to easily fall asleep and stay asleep.

There are several tips that you can initiate if you are looking to improve your sleep habits by improving your sleep hygiene.

First of all it is important that you establish set times for sleeping and getting up each and every morning. This even includes the weekends. Regularly scheduled bedtimes are important for children and are equally as important for adults.

Unfortunately, there are many nights in which we get caught up trying to catch with the things that did not get taken care of during the day and we force ourselves to stay up later and later. But, this really does not solve the issue since by doing this we began to create a sleep deficit.

Without a set time for you to go to bed and wake up it's hard to get your body in the habit of sleep.

Not only do you want to establish set times for going to bed in getting up every day you also want to learn how to relax your body if you want to work towards improving your sleep hygiene. It is never a good idea to simply throw on your pajamas and leap into the bed.

Typically if you try this approach your body may revolt as it is probably not ready for bed. You simply cannot go from exercising or eating or reading a racy novel to jumping into the bed closing your eyes and going to sleep. Your body just does not work that way! If you don't learn how to relax, you will learn that it takes you much longer to fall asleep even though you feel totally exhausted.

So when you are trying to improve your sleep hygiene, it is important that you make the decision to relax at least an hour before you plan to go to bed. Begin to settle down and allow your body to be quiet and calm. Both meditation and yoga are excellent examples of ways in which you can take your body, mind, and soul into a state of relaxation.

Good sleep hygiene can also come when you will learn how to relax your body through deep breathing. So when you are busy focusing your concentration on your breathing, your body automatically begins to relax.

There are many techniques, such as progressive relaxation, in which you begin relaxing one part of your body and continue moving throughout the body parts until you are fully relaxed, that can help you to relax as you prepare for bed.

Having a plan for an effective sleep hygiene routine is critical for you to get the restful sleep that you need in order to obtain the restorative sleep your body craves.

For more important information on getting a good night's sleep be sure to visit http://www.sleep-good.com where you will find advice and tips on sleep habits insomnia, sleep apnea, snoring, and more.