Health Benefits of Flax seed

Flax seed is very nutritious and it is easy to add in your diet. Grind it for best absorption and add a tablespoon to your meals. You can easily mix a tablespoon to a bowl of oatmeal with dried/fresh fruits or a cup of yogurt with fruits or a glass of smoothies/shakes or pancake/muffin/cake batter...

Flax seed is rich in omega 3 fatty acids (ALA) and anti-cancer compounds (lignans) so it benefits the heart and the brain plus can prevent cancer. It is also high in fibre so has been shown to lower the level of bad cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar level and prevent constipation.

So what are we waiting for? Go ahead and try, the taste is not bad and the benefits are tremendous.

By:
Salina M. Hamdan

In Shape for 2011

Perhaps it is not yet too late for you to start your 2011 resolution. It's February and 2011 is just the beginning.

Diet trend changes every year but the concept of achieving your ideal weight stays the same. The formula is simple. You need to burn more calories than intake. Eat more healthy and increase your physical activities.

A fad diet is a weight loss diet that enjoys temporary popularity. It works temporarily because it gets you to change your lifestyle temporarily. as soon you revert to your old lifestyle the weight will return. In 2010 we heard about the popularity of the Acai Berry Diet brought to you on Oprah. The list goes on... Cabbage Soup Diet, Grapefruit Diet, Low Carb Diet, New Atkin Diet, Hampton Diet, Grapefruit Diet etc etc. The most shocking Diet in 2010 was the Tapeworm Diet. Yes you heard me correctly "Tapeworm Diet". It is undeniable that people will go to that extreme to shed the extra weight by ingesting tapeworm not only it is not a radical method but also an extremely dangerous one.

To keep in shape is easy but hard to commit. It may take your time and your lifelong commitments. You may need to do a few changes here and there. You can never do it alone so a get your friends and relatives to join and support you. And the result is an amazing new healthier, trimmer and happier you.

A Step Towards A Healthy Balanced Diet

Eating a balance diet is important. Ideally we need to eat frequently in small portions. Whether you are a full-time housewife, a student or a career woman the common mistake that we normally do is skipping our breakfast or lunch due to our hectic schedules. Skipping breakfast or lunch will make you gain extra weight! Also skipping meals will make you cranky and unhappy!

Perhaps 2011 is the best time to make the necessary changes in your life and it will not cost you that much.Why not spend about an hour per week at the supermarket, but not for the usual groceries shopping to stock up your kitchen. Instead shopping for something special for you alone...special food items that you need to keep yourself healthy and kicking for the week.

10 items in your shopping list to help you start a healthy day each week.

1. Low fat natural yoghurt. It is a good source of protein and calcium. A cup of yoghurt with nuts, fresh or dried fruits is easy to prepare and is indeed a nutritious breakfast.

2. Fresh fruit juices (no sugar added). A glass per day for breakfast will provide you with an instant energy to kick-start your busy day.

3. Plain oatmeal from Quaker Oats or similar brand. A bowl of oatmeal each morning with dried fruits or berries will prevent cancer and heart disease.

4. Plenty of fresh fruits.Fresh fruits provide you with vitamins, fibres and anti-oxidants.The saying that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" is true. Why not make a habit of putting at least one fruit in your handbag a day. It would become handy when you are stuck in a meeting or a traffic jam.

5. Frozen or fresh berries. They are potent sources of vitamins, anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Daily intakes can prevent cancer and prevent aging.

6. Mixed nuts (unsalted). A handful per day can reduce stroke.

7. Good quality dark chocolate bar, no sugar added (35 g each). Keep one or two bars in your handbag per week. A chocolate bar with warm cup of tea for a morning or evening snack will make you happy regardless of how stressful the day is.

8. Low calories snacks like oat bars, fortified fruit biscuits, whole grain crackers and low fat cheese. they are very handy when you have a busy week. Keep one or two bars in your handbag per day. In a worst case scenario when you do not have the time to prepare or go out for lunch, one bar with one fruit can satisfy your hunger.

9. Plenty of 100ml drinking water. Always carry your water bottle wherever you go. You need to drink plenty of water during the day.

10. Multi-vitamins. Buy the all-in-one tablets. take one tablet per day after meal as a supplement to your dietary needs.

As a compliment to the above practice, try to add more vegetables to your main meals during lunch or dinner. Now you are heading towards a healthy balanced diet and a happy new you!

Stevia vs Sugar

Think about a teaspoon of sugar contain about 15 calories. So if 2-teaspoons per cup and 3 cups per day...you'll end up getting 90 calories daily just from sugar in your tea/coffee alone. Not to mention the risk of cavities from sugar and the risk of the onset of diabetes.

Getting rid of sugar from your tea/coffee daily would actually do justice to your body. However, we can only do our best to keep our body healthy but sometimes the bitter taste of unsweetened tea/coffee can be intolerable. Why not try Stevia? It is 300 times as sweet as sugar and it has no calorie.

I have tried Stevia myself. But as a reminder please be careful! Choose the pure Stevia extract, if not you'll end up taking the cheaper version of Stevia added with maltodextrin or maltose (sugar).

I have used the pure white powder Stevia extract and a small pinch is enough to make my tea sweet. Adding a bit more would result in a bitter taste. A small bottle of 10g of pure stevia extract would last for a month or more...

So what are you waiting for?

The Story of Stevia

In November 2010 I had the chance to attend an educational seminar organized by Dubai World Trade Centre in partnership with Dubai Municipality and Euromonitor International. I am glad that my question about the status of Stevia in the U.A.E has been answered. It is confirmed that there is no ban on Stevia in the U.A.E. In fact, during the seminar it was encouraging the growth of Stevia trade not only in the U.A.E but globally.

Let me do a bit of introduction on Stevia...

Stevia is a no-calorie herbal sweetener that is said to be 300 times as sweet as sugar. It grows wild in Paraguay where it has been used for hundreds of years. Nowadays, it is grown in most parts of the world.

In the early 1980s, the "Father of Stevia" Jim May took the interest on Stevia due to its health benefits. He then began to import Stevia to the U.S until the FDA enforced a ban regardless of the fact that it has been safely used for over 25 years in Japan and South America.

However, in 1994 Stevia could be sold in the U.S as "Herb and Botanical Extract". Then in 2008, the FDA has accepted Stevia as "food additive" and can be sold in the U.S as "sweetener".

Now according to a report by a food and agribusiness financial institution from the Netherlands, sales of Stevia-based sweeteners are expected to reach USD700 million within the next five years.

Fruits and Veggies Matters

It is recommended for us to consume at least 9 servings (about 4½ cups) of vegetables and fruits a day, and potatoes don't count. It is best to eat fruits and vegetables in their "whole" forms.

Fruits juices contain the more readily available fruit sugars. In other words, drinking fruit juices will drastically increase your blood sugar and insulin levels. The habit of drinking fruit juices frequently can contribute to weight gain in some people.

Below is an example of how easy it is to achieve the 9 servings daily requirement for fruits and vegetables.

Breakfast: equivalent to 1½ cups
- 1 small banana + ½ cup dried prunes in a bowl of oat or cereal

Lunch: equivalent to 1½ cup
- Mixed salad comprising of 1 cup lettuce, 6 baby carrots, ½ cup cucumber as side salad

Dinner: equivalent to 1½ cups
- ½ cup stir-fry broccoli as side dishes
- 1 apple or 16 grapes

A Healthy Breakfast

It is true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is also the most neglected. A study showed students who ate healthy breakfasts paid better attention in school. They even scored higher on math and reading tests.

A healthy breakfast helps to achieve and maintain an ideal weight for both adults and children. Finding time in your family's busy schedule for breakfast will make both you and your kids happier, smarter and healthier.

If you are running late, a smoothie made with fruit and yogurt is a super-quick, healthy option. Just throw the ingredients in the blender, puree until smooth, pour into a cup and hand it to your love ones as they run out the door.

Try the recipes below.

1. Healthy Berries Smoothie (2 portions)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen strawberries or any berries
- 1 ripe banana
- 1/2 cup low fat plain natural yoghurt
- 1/2 cup low fat milk
- 1 tablespoon honey
Combine all ingredients together in a blender and puree until smooth.

2. Healthy Dates Smoothie (2 portions)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dried dates, thickly sliced and frozen
- 1 ripe banana
- 1/2 cup low fat plain natural yoghurt
- 1/2 cup low fat milk
- 1 teaspoon honey
Combine all ingredients together in a blender and puree until smooth.