Liver Fat

There is no excuse these days to live unhealthily as there is abundant information about exercise, eating well and living well for anyone who wants to find out more. Unless you are in the unfortunate position of having to spend a lot to overcome a major health issue, most of us can stay reasonably healthy by applying some simple and inexpensive rules in their lives.

Waking up to another day should be considered a blessing the moment you open your eyes. The fact that you have been given another day to make that difference in your life is something to smile about when you get out of that bed. Stretch your self as you wake up and give yourself a chance to wake up properly before you stumble in the bathroom. Have you ever watched a cat and seen how they take their time to wake their body up by stretching before they do anything else? Well, try it, it is a good idea.

If you want a day that is full of energy and vitality then try and do half an hour of yoga or some form of exercise that you enjoy. This will pay dividends for the rest of the day and you will have a spring in your step. Open the window as you exercise and breathe in that wonderful air to refresh your lungs. If you can go for a walk, do so as this is a wonderful way to start your day. Once you finish do some relaxation exercises and if you have the time do some meditation to focus on a positive and rewarding day. Treat this as a prayer time to bring your body and mind into alignment and peace.

Do not neglect your diet as you are basically what you eat. Make your breakfast a nutritionally charged meal to start your day. Choose options like porridge, or a brown toast with an omelette. Or just make yourself a fruit smoothie with low fat yogurt. Take time to shop for the foods that are healthy like brown bread, brown rice, fruits, and vegetables and avoid junk food as it has a high calorific value with zero nutritional gain. Remember the saying one minute on the lips and a lifetime on the hips’. Try out different salad recipes and incorporate nuts and seeds in your life. Have lots of fresh fruit juices and invest in a juicer during summer. You will not regret it!

Having a job that you enjoy and look forward to is a gift that not many people enjoy. Most of us moan and groan about work and do not look forward to facing that workplace, either due to heavy work loads or due to some personalities at work that clash with yours. Maybe it is time to move on and find something that you will enjoy

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JUICING IS KEY TO A HEALTHIER YOU

Getting into the juicing habit is one of the best things you can do for your overall health says the “Godfather of Fitness, Jack LaLanne.

Now 92 years young, LaLanne says that nutritious fresh foods are the key to longevity and vitality, stating simply “cooking kills.” He is credited with premiering the first modern health spa in America in 1936 and brought the fitness movement to television in 1951 with a daily exercise program. “No wonder people today are fat and sick when you read the labels and all the artificial additives in the processed foods they are eating. I just bought a new Corvette, but do you think it would run without the right fuel? Putting the right fuel into your body works just the same. And raw fruits and vegetables that are juiced for 30 seconds will help your body feel great.”

LaLanne and wife Elaine created their own Power Juicer machine (www.jacklalanne.com) and special juicing cookbook, “Secrets of Power Juicing”. Their juice cocktails including such fresh ingredients as carrots, beets, watercress, pineapple, grapefruit, apples, strawberries and passionfruit. LaLanne recommends including the peels and seeds when juicing “because that’s where a lot of the nutrients are.” He also suggests saving the expelled pulp to add nutrition to other recipes including meatloaf, vegan cookies, soups and sauces.

Juicing can also be helpful in weight loss and LaLanne recommends “juicing three times a day if you’re trying to lose weight or using freshly squeeze juice as a complete meal substitute for at least one meal daily.”

Among the fitness guru’s own favorite power foods are eggs whites (he calls them “a great source of protein”), carrots (“very high in anti-oxidants”) and apples (“good for fiber”).

“Women especially spend so much money on hairdos and facials, nips and tucks, when what they really need is to realize that the food you eat today is walking and talking tomorrow.”

Some of his favorite juicing creations include a zesty “South of the Border” beverage featuring red bell peppers, celery, lime, cilantro and apples; an “Energy Boost” of carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, spinach and tomato; a “Raspberry Rush” blending raspberries, oranges and lime; “The Rainbow Surprise” made with celery, carrots, cucumbers, squash, zucchini and apples; and the ever-popular “Love Potion” that combined peaches, grapes, strawberries and apples.

“The great thing about getting in to the juicing habit,” says LaLanne, “is that it benefits the most important person in the world – YOU!”

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Whatever your blood cholesterol level, you can make changes to help lower it or keep it low and reduce your risk for heart disease. These are guidelines for heart-healthy living that the whole family (including children ages 2 and above) can follow:
1) Choose foods low in saturated fat. All foods that contain fat are made up of a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fat raises your blood cholesterol level more than anything else you eat. The best way to reduce blood cholesterol is to choose foods lower in saturated fat. One way to help your family do this is by choosing foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains–foods naturally low in total fat and high in starch and fiber.

2) Choose foods low in total fat. Since many foods high in total fat are also high in saturated fat, eating foods low in total fat will help your family eat less saturated fat. When you do eat fat, substitute unsaturated fat–either polyunsaturated or monounsaturated–for saturated fat. Fat is a rich source of calories, so eating foods low in fat will also help you eat fewer calories. Eating fewer calories can help you lose weight–and, if you are overweight, losing weight is an important part of lowering your blood cholesterol. (Consult your family doctor if you have a concern about your child’s weight.)

3) Choose foods high in starch and fiber. Foods high in starch and fiber are excellent substitutes for foods high in saturated fat. These foods–breads, cereals, pasta, grains, fruits, and vegetables–are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. They are also lower in calories than foods that are high in fat. But limit fatty toppings and spreads like butter and sauces made with cream and whole milk dairy products. Foods high in starch and fiber are also good sources of vitamins and minerals.
When eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, foods with soluble fiber–like oat and barley bran and dry peas and beans–may help to lower blood cholesterol.

4) Choose foods low in cholesterol. Remember, dietary cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol, although usually not as much as saturated fat. So it’s important for your family to choose foods low in dietary cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is found only in foods that come from animals. And even if an animal food is low in saturated fat, it may be high in cholesterol; for instance, organ meats like liver and egg yolks are low in saturated fat but high in cholesterol. Egg whites and foods from plant sources do not have cholesterol.

5) Be more physically active. Being physically active helps improve blood cholesterol levels: it can raise HDL and lower LDL. Being more active also can help you lose weight, lower your blood pressure, improve the fitness of your heart and blood vessels, and reduce stress. And being active together is great for the entire family.

6) Maintain a healthy weight, and lose weight if you are overweight. People who are overweight tend to have higher blood cholesterol levels than people of a healthy weight. Overweight adults with an “apple” shape–bigger (pot) belly–tend to have a higher risk for heart disease than those with a “pear” shape–bigger hips and thighs.

Whatever your body shape, when you cut the fat in your diet, you cut down on the richest source of calories. A family eating pattern high in starch and fiber instead of fat is a good way to help control weight. Do not go on crash diets that are very low in calories since they can be harmful to your health. If you are overweight, losing even a little weight can help to lower LDL-cholesterol and raise HDL-cholesterol.

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The liver is the organ responsible for filtering toxins from the bloodstream. To have a healthy liver, it is advisable to go on a liver cleansing detox diet. Studies show that a liver cleansing detox diet can improve health, immune system and also aids in establishing a healthy and normal body weight.

For people who are suffering from a disease that makes them lose some pounds inadvertently, enhanced function of the liver through liver cleansing detox diet can restore the normal appetite and healthy body weight. For people who want to lose some pounds intentionally, the same detox diet also helps.

Liver cleansing detox diet also helps treat skin disorders like acne. This is because everything that we eat goes directly to the liver through our bloodstream. A lot of toxic substances will pile up in our liver since its function is to remove pollutants from our blood and if the liver is unhealthy, it will become congested. Congested liver is a major cause of many health problems.

Before you begin with the liver cleansing detox diet, it is important that you write down any symptoms that you are currently experiencing, if there is any. Afterwards, check your records every month and write down the changes in your body that you have noticed. Keeping track of your liver cleansing detox diet is a good way to watch your healthy developments.

Basically, the liver cleansing detox diet obliges you to eat whole healthy foods. This includes fruits and vegetables high in fiber. Intake of raw and fresh fruits and vegetables can give your body enzymes that help create healthy and strong cells and drinking fresh vegetable and fruit juices also provides enzymes and vitamins without straining the liver in the absorption process.

In eating vegetable salads, make sure that choose dark leafy greens with a salad dressing that is low in fat and sugar. For a low-fat protein source, you can eat fish at least twice a week. You should also avoid foods high in cholesterol, sugar, caffeine and preservatives. Drinking plenty of water also aids in flushing away toxins from the body. It is crucial that you drink at least eight glasses of water a day to keep you completely hydrated.

Liver cleansing detox diet is a good way to lose excess body weight. However, this type of diet may have unpleasant results that can last for several days up to a few weeks. Symptoms of detoxification include dizziness, headache, nausea, irritability, diarrhea and loss of appetite. However, you should never let these symptoms stop you from revitalizing your liver. The benefits of having a healthy liver can overshadow the discomforts of dieting and detoxification. Before trying out a new dietary program, it is best that you consult a certified dietitian to avoid risks.

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