Healthy eating tip 8: Add calcium for strong bones

Calcium is one of the key nutrients that your body needs in order to stay strong and healthy. It is an essential building block for lifelong bone health in both men and women, as well as many other important functions. If you don�t get enough calcium in your diet, your body has to take it from your bones, and that can leave them weaker and more prone to developing osteoporosis. But you can�t absorb calcium properly unless you�ve got enough vitamin D, so it�s vital that you get enough of both.

Strong Bones

You and your bones will benefit from eating plenty of calcium-rich foods, limiting foods that deplete your body�s calcium stores, and getting your daily dose of magnesium and vitamins D and K�nutrients that help calcium do its job. 

Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if you are over 50 years old. Take a vitamin D and calcium supplement if you don�t get enough of these nutrients from your diet.

Good sources of calcium include:

Calcium rich foods

• Dairy: Dairy products are rich in calcium in a form that is easily digested and absorbed by the body. Sources include milk, yogurt, and cheese.
• Vegetables and greens: Many vegetables, especially leafy green ones, are rich sources of calcium. Try turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, fennel, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and crimini mushrooms.
• Beans: For another rich source of calcium, try black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, black-eyed peas, or baked beans.

 

Healthy eating tip 3: It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat

Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate�it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.

• Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social and emotional benefits�particularly for children�and allows you to model healthy eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating.
• Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of our food. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
• Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.
• Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.

Daily Healthy Habits

�We first make our habits, and then our habits make us� these are the golden words by John Dryden.  So here is a list of  healthy habits to make your healthy living easier. The habits are organized to guide you through out the day from your morning caffeine fix to bedtime, with a few general habits that are important for any time of day. With better awareness you can make better choices and when you make better choices, you will see better results, Here they are:

Wake Up Early: Wake up at 5.30am thank the 'Almighty Creator' for the sweet nap you enjoyed and spend some time for working on yourself before going to work. Don't hit the snooze button continuously on alarm and try to get up on the first ring. Here you may ask? Why wake up early? Well let me explain why ...............click here to read more

Good morning

 
Exercise Daily: You may be exercising 4 times a week or thrice a week but tell me frankly how often you tell yourself I Will Exercise Tomorrow Instead, It is very easy way to bunk your exercise routine. But setting the expectation of daily exercise will remove this potential excuse and within weeks you will see the benefits of this daily habit. People who exercise live longer on average than those who don't. According to dozens of studies, regular physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some forms of cancer, and depression. Exercise may even help you stay mentally sharp in your old age. 10 to 20 minute spurts of activity are fine, as long as they add up to about 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate exercise per week.

Review or Rewrite Your Goals: Doing this you will get closer to achieving your goals each day. Starting the day by reviewing or rewriting your goals means that you have better awareness of them throughout the day, also Write a �To Do� list about your important tasks in your pocket diary or type it on your mobile phone. put a mark on them as they are completed. So simple, yet so effective. You will feel in control and much organized.

Visualize the Day Ahead: Take a few minutes to shut your eyes in the morning and visualize what you would like to happen in the coming day a whole day of endless possibilities lies ahead. Doing this often you will see some of your desires become reality, Isn't it amazing.

Check The News Headlines: I think it�s important to have an idea of what is happening in our community and the world. If you don�t like reading much at least check the main stories, read some motivational materials or listen to some ,you will feel inspired throughout the day.

Make Your Morning Drink Healthy: Chances are you have a favorite early morning caffeine routine � but is it a healthy habit or a noxious fix? Try some of these, Regular or flavored brewed coffee (black), Espresso, Americano (espresso topped with hot water),
Misto or cafe au lait with skim or low fat milk (half regular coffee, half steamed milk) If you read more in the morning try some of these.

• Latte with skim or low fat milk (a shot or two of espresso that has been poured into a cup filled with steamed milk and then topped off with foamed milk)
• Cappuccino with skim or low fat milk (usually one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk, and one-third foamed milk � more foam than a latte)
• Macchiato with skim or low fat milk (an espresso with a small amount of milk on top)
• Tea (plain black, green, white, and herbal teas; hot and iced)

The goal is to avoid sweetening your drink, but if you have to, try using just one teaspoon of real sugar (it only has 20 calories) and forget the chemicals that come with artificial sweeteners. Also, try sprinkling your drink with spices available at many coffee joints. Cinnamon and nutmeg add sweetness and flavor to your favorite brew without any calories.

Take Time to Look Good: it�s a reality of life that people judge us by our appearance. I take a few minutes each morning to ensure I go out into the world looking the best I can.


Connect With Nature: Spending time outdoors in nature is great for your sense of well-being. Try to feel it......as we are a small part of this amazing universe, change in nature affects our body.

Put First Things First: Many people have their day controlled by tasks that are urgent , but not necessarily important. Examples include interruptions, some email and some phone calls. The habit of putting first things first is about organizing and executing your life around your deepest priorities.

Help your partner in daily house hold chores: Scientists in the U.S. tested over 100 working men and women and found those who took on most of the responsibility for running the home had significantly higher blood pressure than those who left it to their partner.The strongest link with high blood pressure came from worries over how to get domestic chores such as cooking, cleaning and shopping done.

Be Proactive: being proactive means showing initiative and taking the responsibility to make things happen. Whenever I you something to happen,  ask yourself: what can I do to make this happen?

Follow a Mediterranean Diet: The Mediterranean diet is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and fish. An analysis of 50 studies involving more than half a million people shows the impressive benefits of this diet. The findings show it significantly lowers the risk of metabolic syndrome � a combination of obesity, elevated blood sugar, increased blood pressure, and other factors that raise your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Snack Well: Substitute your chips, candy and chocolate with fruit, nuts, vegetables (carrots and celery are great to chomp on.

Quit Smoking: While it's no secret that giving up cigarettes can lengthen your days -- the amount of extra time may surprise you. According to a 50-year British study, quitting at age 30 could increase your lifespan by an entire decade. 

Save Money: Try to save at least 10% of each paycheck. A great way to find the money to save is to break it down to a daily amount, for example $10-15. One of the keys to getting rich is to take control of your spending. By taking account of your daily spending you will find it easy to save this much.

Have Time With Family : On a typical workday you won�t see much of your partner and children or your parents, so it�s important to, at the very least, be there most evenings. Say I Love You to your Family Members: don�t just assume that your family members know you love them,  say these words to your partner and children at least once per day and don't forget your parents.

Happy family

Read More: To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life. Reading provides positive escapism from the real world, which can help detract from the stress of daily life, amongst others: develops your mind, develops your brain, teaches, activates and sharpens the eye, Improves IQ, Improves vocabulary and word power, brightens your mind generally Just makes sure it�s a relaxing book, and not one about physics laws....oopss

Wind Down: Try to switch off the computer and the TV about 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime and let your brain have some down time after a long day. You will sleep far more peacefully when you do this.

Go to Bed At A Reasonable Time: The first habit of this list (waking early) begins by going to bed at a reasonable time and getting a good nights sleep & don't forget to remember and thank the 'Almighty Creator' for keeping you safe and healthy with your family.

That's all my friends.......

feel free to comment if you want to add up some of your good healthy habits

thanx