Shopping list idea for superfoods

Superfoods are those foods that support your weightloss purpose. They are like friends who cheer you on and also like coaches who push you off the couch when all you want to do is lie in all day.

When you incorporate superfoods into your weightloss plan, you will find that it is easier to eat the right food to lose weight than indulge in only rigorous exercise or wonder diet. This is so because eating good food will help you maintain your new shape, unlike if you had used only exercise and stopped.

What are these superfoods that help weightloss?

Superfoods are foods — mostly plant-based but also some fish and dairy — thought to be nutritionally dense and thus good for one’s health. – Livescience

Do not buy into the idea that superfoods are a class of food. Instead, they are foods which contain nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants, all of which keep diseases away from the body.

Here is a shopping list idea for superfoods you should look out for when next you are in the food market.

1. Vegetables

Vegetables top the list of foods that are mostly beneficial to the body. They help in detoxification and contain doses of vitamins such as vitamins A, K and B6. Some vegetables you should add to your list include:

  • Asparagus
  • Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Lettuce
  • Beets
  • Cucumber
  • Leak
  • Spinach
  • Cabbage
  • Bell pepper

2. Berries

A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Berries are usually juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet or sour, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. – Wikipedia

superfood ideas

Some berries such as strawberries are full of nutritional values such as vitamins C and E, fibre, magnesium and copper. Others such as blackberries contain vitamins and ellagic acid which helps fight cancer. Cherries are high in anthocyanins and bioflavonoids, which are related to reducing joint and muscle discomfort. Examples of berries you should add to your diet include:

  • Strawberries
  • Raspberries
  • Black currant
  • Blue berries
  • Cherries
  • Black berry

3. Fruits

Taking 5 servings of fruits per day is highly recommended, so it is just natural that fruits are superfoods. Fruits are full of dietary fibres, folic acid and nutrients which help with the maintenance of your body. Examples of fruits are:

  • Banana
  • Orange
  • Apricots
  • Pawpaw
  • Pineapple
  • Almonds
  • Lemon
  • Kiwi
  • Watermelon
  • Honeydew melon

4. Poultry, fish and diary

Under this category are greek yogurt, eggs, salmon and skinless chicken breasts. These foods are full of proteins and omega 3 fatty acid which are needed for normal body function and good heart health.

Now that you have an idea of what to buy when you go shopping for superfoods, which foods would you like to add to the list? Share with us in the comments section.

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10 health benefits of avocado

Health benefits of avocado

Fruits have so many nutritional values for the body which justifies why doctors always advise their patients to always take one fruit per day. One of such fruits with high nutrients is avocado.

Avocado is the fruit of the avocado tree majorly found in South Central Mexico. It is also known as an alligator pear and classified as a member of the flowering plant family called Lauraceae. Avocados have a green-skinned, fleshy body, which is mostly seen in a pear shape.

Over the years, numerous studies have shown the health benefits of avocado. Below are some of these health benefits.

1. Avocado is loaded with healthy fat

Avocado is one of the fruits that contains the highest amount of fat (which is 77%). The fat in avocado is from Oleic acid which studies have shown is heart friendly (i.e. it does no harm to the heart). This acid has also been linked to helping reduce inflammation and providing a lot of beneficial value on genes linked to cancer.

2. Avocado contains fiber

A large amount of fiber can be found in avocado. Fiber is a part of plant food that is indigestible, it passes through the digestive system, absorbing water along the way and it also helps bowel movements.

Research has also shown that fiber in avocado has helped people to achieve weightloss and also maintain a healthy weight. Fibre in avocado is also useful for the following:

  • It helps to lower risk of contracting many diseases
  • Controls blood sugar level,
  • It helps to prevent a heart attack
  • It also helps to prevent acne and skin rash.

3. It prevents the risk of eyes disease

Avocado contains lutein and zeaxanthin which are good for the eyes. They protect your eyes from dangerous high-energy light waves like ultraviolet rays in sunlight. They also decrease the risk of eyes infection.

4. Avocado contains potassium

Potassium is a component that we cannot ignore its beneficial effects because it plays a key role in helping us to attain good health.

According to Lawrence Appel (MD, MPH), a professor of medicine, epidemiology, and international health at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, he mentioned that: “Potassium in the diet lowers blood pressure. High blood pressure is the major risk factor for stroke and heart disease.” Furthermore, potassium reduces the risk of kidney failure and heart attack.

5. It contains vitamin C and vitamin A

Vitamins C and A are essential vitamins​ for the body. “Vitamin C has received a great deal of attention, and with good reason. Higher blood levels of vitamin C may be the ideal nutrition marker for overall health,” “the more we study vitamin C, the better our understanding of how diverse it is in protecting our health, from cardiovascular, cancer, stroke, eye health [and] immunity to living longer”, says study researcher Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, of the University of Michigan.

The above statement has helped explained the benefits of vitamin C.
On the other hand, vitamin A is also as important as vitamin C because it helps to provide good sight, fights against inflammation and helps to prevent cancer amongst other benefits.

6. It is also good for pregnant women

Avocado provides a vitamin called folate, which helps to prevent birth defect as well as heart defects during pregnancy.

7. It reduce symptoms of arthritis

Avocado reduces the symptom of arthritis in the body. Avocado provides food supplements that help to treat and also suppress the symptoms of arthritis, mostly in the knee and hip area.

8. Avocado prevents liver disease

It contains glutathione, this helps to prevent chronic liver disease. Avocado is also rich in vitamin C and E, these two nutrients help to deactivate free radicals. By deactivating free radicals, you protect your liver cells from damage. Avocado provides anti-inflammatory properties which support your liver health.

9. It helps to get rid of bad breath

Studies have shown that the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of flavonoids found in avocado have helped to get rid of bad breath. This is because flavonoids have the ability to kill the bacteria in your mouth.

10. It helps to prevent oral cancer

Studies have also shown that avocado can help prevent oral cancer due to its overall nutritional contents.

With the above-listed health benefits of avocado, do yourself some good and get one today!

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HighIights from the last Health Lunch with Hafsah — April Edition

The programme held on Sunday, 2nd April, 2017 at 8, Aderibigbe Shitta Street, Maryland in Lagos State of Nigeria between the hours of 12pm to 4pm.

The purpose of the programme — Health Lunch with Hafsah — is to bring together women who are on the same mission of a healthy lifestyle under one conducive environment to discuss food and fitness.

In case you missed this edition, here some of the activities:

Arrival

The attendees arrived early and I was impressed by their punctuality. early. Everyone got seated and we started on discussions​.

Discussions

The attendees talked about how they have been coping with their new lifestyle viz a viz, exercising and eating right, and how it has affected their lives positively. They all had one thing in common, exercising is not easy! I reassured them that nobody ever said exercising was easy, it is work. For any activity to count as exercise, it has to elevate your heart rate. I went further to say that exercising gets easier with time. However, when it gets too easy, it is time to intensify.

Health talk

Below is the summary of the health talk we had:

  • Exercising must be done consciously and it must raise the heart beat rate. Also, that we exercise for 30 — 60 minutes does not mean we should become a couch potato the remaining 23 hours in the day. You should be active all day.
  • I also explained that exercising alone cannot effect weightloss. We have to cut the calories they consume, every time we eat.
  • They were advised to change their exercise routine. So that the muscles do not get used to the same exercise, to prevent plateau and boredom.
  • I commended all the attendees on their efforts to eat healthy, avoid junks and exercise daily. I also reiterated the fact that eating healthy meals requires planning just as we plan every other aspects of our lives. Avoiding junks, fizzy drinks is achievable once we are determined to change.

Fitness session

A short fitness session followed where we worked out by performing different exercises for various body parts.

Lunch

We had a sumptuous lunch of porridge with vegetable sauce and grilled chicken which we washed down with a bottle of chilled tiger nut drink.

Closing

A brief chit chat session followed and the attendees got to know themselves better. The programme ended on a satisfactory note.

Next edition

If you missed this edition, watch out for the next one.

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Eight foodie tips for staying fit

Fit

Do you just love good food and can’t help it with your cravings but you are scared of adding some pounds in the wrong place? Here are some tips to help you with your foodie lifestyle and help you stay fit.

Water it down

The water therapy offers the easiest and simplest way to cut down your weight gain. It is the go-to choice for healthy living because it hydrates you without adding any extra calories to your daily consumption. According to research, drinking water before you eat helps to boost your metabolism by 24 -30% and reduces the quantity of food that you tend to consume.

Do not skip breakfast

Are you in the habit of skipping breakfast? Then you need to stop because weight gain is the end result of skipping breakfast. When you don’t eat breakfast, it leads to a drop in your metabolism and increases your hunger. This causes you to eat more than expected which adds up to more calories in your body.

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Go on a beef fast

Do you feel your meals are not balanced without a chunky piece of meat? You are not alone. However, different research studies in the UK and United States have confirmed that people on plant based diet tend to have a significantly lesser body weight and lower body mass index (BMI).

So for people who love their beef why don’t you try a beef fast? Strike off a day of the week, you decide go vegetarian. Is it possible? Yes you can.

Exercise portion control

Have you ever thought about using smaller bowls when you want to eat? It helps you to pay attention to the size of your daily intake. This may not be easy at first but you can take baby steps by reducing your food portions by 10 – 20%. Cutting your servings to half with fruits and vegetables can also help to trigger the desired weight loss.

Eat more fruits and vegetables

This combo is rich in fibre and helps to control blood sugar and cholesterol level. Switch up your diet with fruits and veggies to replace other foods that are high in sugar, fat and salt. You will be surprised at how delicious some vegetables taste. Making this transition will allow you to reduce the risk of obesity related diseases and diet-related problems. Why not try a combination of three to four fruits daily.

physiotherapy-595529_1920-1

Get your fitness groove up

Many of us do not like the sound of exercise or workout but the keyword here is consistency. Do not be restrictive with your exercise routine. Even during work hours, instead of taking the elevator, you can take the stairs.

Walking comes in as a thoughtless way of keeping the body moving and alert. You can also get an accountability partner to keep you focused on your fitness goals.

Snack wisely

We all love to relax after work, munching on something maybe in front of the laptop or television. But snacking can be done in a healthy way with substitutes such as nuts, whole grain cereals and even fruits instead of candy and pastries.

There you have it. Eat your cake and have it, the drink is on us.

Images: Pixabay

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How to consume slimming tea for best results

There is so much buzz about slimming tea, thanks to our celebrities who post pictures of #Postbabybod, everyone is in the rat race for a slimmer waistline and hourglass figure. It has become the latest diet fad among women to lose weight fast without going through any strenuous exercise.

Slimming tea contains herbs which burn fat by acting as a fat blocker which cleans out the colon and gives you a trim and slim body figure. It also improves metabolism by lowering calorie intake and prevents the conversion of carbohydrates and sugar into fats.

It contains antioxidants and amino acids which helps to slow down aging by fighting free radicals.

The catechins present in it reduce the formation and growth of tumors, thereby inhibiting the risk of cancer.

Slimming tea also has some dental benefits by killing bacteria that cause bad breadth, tooth decay and bleeding gums. It helps to keep your heart in a healthy condition through polyphenols which blocks the absorption of fat and cholesterol by over 50% to prevent stroke and heart attack.

As much as there are many benefits of taking slimming tea, when it is abused it can be dangerous to the body.

A major component of slimming tea is Senna which is laxative in nature. It is a natural medicine that contains sennosides which irritates the lining of the bowel thereby causing a laxative effect.

Senna has been used in alternative medicine to aid constipation but if overused, it can lead to problems in the gastrointestinal tract and severe diarrhea.

Here are some helpful tips on the consumption of slimming tea:

Choose a slimming tea product based on its effectiveness and find ways to create a healthy tea drinking habit. Substitute tea for morning coffee and chill it for iced tea on hot days.

Drink your tea without adding anything to it, cream and sugar will reduce the weight-loss benefits earned by the tea.

Drink slimming tea only in moderation because it may contain laxative element. Experts warn against drinking too much because it can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps dehydration and even fainting.

Always read the content labels, if it has sugar or sweetener put it back on the shelf. To get the best result, balance your tea intake with a healthy diet. Team it with fruits, vegetables and protein.

Know the right time to have your tea. Some experts believe that some teas should be consumed at different times of the day to get the maximum weight loss results.

To get your metabolism going, drink green tea in the mornings while white tea can be taken before lunch to block absorption of fats.

If you need expert help on your meal planning or you are finding it difficult to maintain a healthy diet, contact me for assistance.

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Five food habits you should form at age 30

Habits

With age comes change. Not just in your career, or finance, or relationships, but also in your body. And when the rules of a game change, successful players know to change their strategy.

The same is true for your body. At 30, your body is changing and you probably should not expect it to go at full steam as it was wont to. Sadly, this is one of the realities of life.

So at age 30, what nutritional habits should you form in order to age gracefully?

Cut down on the sodas

Yes, it could be difficult, but quitting sodas, or soft drinks, should be priority. At 30, you should be working on reducing your sugar intake as sodas are loaded with tonnes of sugar. You also get some dose of caffeine too from them.

Endeavor to replace soda with homemade fresh fruit juice. Keep it chilled and you won’t miss soda a bit.

Be sober

Sometimes, and if possible most times, say no to that tempting bottle of alcohol. Celebrate your soberness. Studies have linked alcohol with a higher risk of kidney or liver failure, or both. Some other studies also named alcohol as a risk factor to some types of cancer. You cannot be too cautious when it comes to maintaining your good health.

Limit the tasty fries

Even the less tasty ones, all fries should be consumed with measure. They contain loads of calories and your schedule at 30 might not afford you the level of physical activity needed to burn them. So, why gain the weight in the first place. Your bones are not getting any stronger, you should therefore limit the weight you are putting on them.

Bid chocolates and confectioneries farewell

Wake up! This is thirty, not thirteen. Chocolates, though yummy, are not your friends. Beyond adding to your baggage of calories and blood sugar, they are also damaging you oral health. If you would rid your diet of chocolates and sweets, you teeth can actually last you a life time.

What about pancakes, doughnuts, and other junks? They all add up to give you an overload of calories. You should focus on eating food with plenty fibres, and that does not include refined products.

Reduce you consumption of canned foods

Canned foods may contain unhealthy measure of preservatives. Instead of canned foods, look for fresh alternatives. You should also form a habit of eating homemade meals a with balanced diet. A meal planner could help you through this.

At 30, you should make healthier choices with respect to your health.

How are you maintaining your youthfulness in order to age gracefully? Share your tips with us in the comment box. Cheers!

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