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Magnesium

After oxygen, water and basic food, magnesium may be the most important element needed by our bodies. It is vital for heart health, bone health, mental function and the overall body. It is often an element that is deficient in our bodies as well.Lack of magnesium may put your heart and your overall health at significant risk and that magnesium deficiency may be linked to cognitive dysfunction and mental decline.

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in our body. It regulates calcium, potassium and sodium in our systems. It also activates over 300 different biochemical reactions necessary for the body to function properly. And, contrary to popular misconceptions, it is magnesium that is actually most important in building strong bones and preventing bone loss.

Called the “The Forgotten Mineral” and the “5-Cent Miracle Tablet” by researchers, magnesium is a muscle relaxant and low magnesium intake is associated with muscle spasm, tremors and convulsions. Magnesium protects against heart disease and heart attacks, high blood pressure and stroke, type II diabetes and much more.

It has been reported that adequate amounts of this mineral in the population at large would greatly diminish the incidence of kidney stones, calcified mitral heart valve, premenstrual tension, constipation, miscarriages, stillbirths, strokes, diabetes, thyroid failure, asthma, chronic eyelid twitch, brittle bones, chronic migraines, muscle spasms and anxiety reactions.

Magnesium deficiency has also been associated with the following:

Insomnia and other sleep-disorders
Body-tension
Muscle tension, cramps and spasms
Headaches
Irregular-heartbeat
High blood pressure
PMS
Backaches
Constipation
Kidney stones
Osteoporosis
Accelerated aging
Depression
Anxiety and irritability

What can we eat naturally to obtain magnesium? Here’s a list of food that contains good amounts of magnesium:

Pumpkin and squash seeds
Brazil nuts, soybeans, pine nuts, almonds
Bran cereal
Quinoa
Spinach
Buckwheat flour, Oat bran
White beans
Pollock, walleye

Magnesium is also a powerful antioxidant that keeps cell membranes flexible and protected against the onslaught of cancer-causing free radicals. Since our increased consumption of processed foods, fast foods, and our depleted soils, there has been a steady increase in mineral deficiencies. Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral found in the body and is essential for good health. It is mostly found in the bones, teeth and red blood cells (approximately 50%). The other half is largely found inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of magnesium is found in blood. The body takes magnesium from the diet and excretes the excess through urine and stool. A balanced diet contains enough magnesium for the body’s functional requirements. There are many benefits to magnesium in our diet. Be sure to talk with your trainer to make sure you fit it into your diet safely.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: body function, diet, health, magnesium, nutrition

Don’t Stop Wining

Red wine has long been hailed for its health benefits and not just for its alcoholic content. The amazing array of varieties and tastes of red wine means many people drink it for pleasure, but research has shown a distinct difference in the health of people who drink a glass or two a day.It helps with sleep – while people are usually cautioned about alcohol actually interfering with sleep, red wine which contains a key ingredient called melatonin can help with sleep. This anti-oxidant helps to regulate one’s internal clock and besides helping with sleep, melatonin can also help to prevent cancer.

It’s good for the heart – consuming moderate amounts of red wine can do a number of good things for the heart. Because it contains antioxidants called flavonoids, drinking red wine can raise HDL levels, which is the good cholesterol that everyone wants; it can also lower LDL levels, which is often described as bad cholesterol. Drinking red wine can also act a blood thinner which can prevent dangerous clotting.

It may reduce the risk of disease – red wine contains antioxidants that are not only good for the heart but for the rest of the body as well. Antioxidants can actually repair cells that have been damaged by free radicals and can reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes, macular degeneration and certain types of cancer.

It contains resveratrol -of all the antioxidants, resveratrol is probably the one getting most of the attention. Resveratrol is found in the skin and seeds of grapes and can also help to prevent some types of cancer. But another benefit of this powerful antioxidant is that it can help reverse aging helping one to have increased longevity. Resveratrol may also help to prevent age-related disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Men can benefit from drinking red wine because the resveratrol it contains may also help to prevent prostate cancer. In fact, some experts suggest that men who drink one glass of red wine a day can cut their chances of getting prostate cancer in half.

Red wine contains vitamins and minerals such as:
Potassium
Fluoride
Phosphorous
Choline

Red wine is also known for providing energy, aids in digestion, stimulates the appetite and can help to restore nutritional balance. Like anything, you want to drink red wine in moderation, not to get drunk. So, if you want to reap the benefits of red wine then add it to your healthy well-balanced diet, drinking plenty of water and getting your exercise.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: antioxidant, benefits of wine, health, healthy wine, red wine, wine

Healthy Inside, Healthy Outside

The healthy look of our skin and hair is directly related how healthy we are on the inside. Many of the healthy foods that we eat can also provide excellent benefits to the skin and hair. Diet plays a big role in maintaining healthy skin and hair. Your diet needs to have the proper protein, fats, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals. Foods containing omega 3s are key to healthy skin and hair.

When it comes to the skin, omega 3s in the form of fish oil or flax oil can help maintain its good healthy state. One of the major concerns in skin is aging. Wrinkles tend to appear in the face as we age. Omega 3 increases the level of essential fatty acids in the body that helps in the prevention of wrinkle formation. Without these fatty acids, the skin may turn dull and eventually lead to eczema or psoriasis. Taking in enough of these vital supplements can help maintain healthy skin thus helping to prevent many negative skin conditions.

When it comes to hair, omega 3s can also prevent many problems. This fatty acid can help prevent and even reverse hair loss which is one challenge that most do not want to experience. The fatty acids can also prevent the inflammation of the hair follicles or what is better known as folliculitis. Dandruff can also be largely prevented with a diet that includes the omega oils. An added benefit is that is also makes the hair shinier and keeps it more moisturized.

Foods rich in vitamins such as vitamins A, B, C, D, and E aid in keeping your skin healthy. Vitamin A foods include dairy products, eggs, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, melon and papaya will help with healthy blood circulation and give your skin healthy glow.

The vitamin B family is very important in skin health. B1 aids in circulation while B2 can stop the formation of liver spots and B6 will improve eczema. Foods rich in vitamin B include green leafy vegetables, nuts, whole grain cereals, meat and liver.

Rich vitamin C foods such as broccoli, green peppers, tomatoes, lemons, oranges, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi, potatoes, cherries, black currents and grapes works in conjunction with protein for the production of collagen which helps keep your skin from sagging and wrinkling as well as essential for healthy hair. It will strengthen the capillaries so that your skin has a nice even tone and will reduce dryness. Vitamin E is helpful to prevent wrinkles and premature aging. Whole wheat breads, milk, asparagus, broccoli, egg yolks, olives, nuts and leafy green vegetables are all great sources of vitamin E. Avocado is truly a super food for the skin. It is packed with oil and high levels of vitamin E both which are essential for soft skin and shiny hair. Avocado oil is also gentle enough to use with eczema without causing any skin irritations.

In creating diets for healthy skin make sure that you eat a variety of foods so that you get all the nutrients you need. A diet for healthy skin and hair is also a diet for healthy organs and an overall diet for health which will not only keep you young and healthy on the outside but also on the inside too.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: health, healthy diet, healthy hair, healthy skin, vitamins

Cinnamania

It’s not just a topping on your oatmeal, Cinnamon has numerous health benefits. Cinnamon is one of the world’s oldest known spices. The tree is native to Sri Lanka where it was found thousands of years ago. It is the best spice available in terms of its nutrition and health.. It contains unique health and healing properties which come from the active components in the essential oils found in its bark. Cinnamon has extremely high anti-oxidant properties which has numerous health benefits. A little teaspoon of cinnamon can give your body a surprisingly high amount of nutrition benefits.

Cinnamon offers several mineral benefits such as manganese, iron and calcium. It also offers a healthy dose of vitamins C and K. And most surprisingly, a teaspoon of cinnamon contains over a gram of fiber.

Aside from being packed with powerful nutrients, cinnamon also has the ability to combat a wide array of digestive problems. Some of the health benefits from cinnamon are how it fights indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and upset stomach. The scientific and medical communities are beginning to see the benefits of cinnamon and it has recently been found to process anti-inflammatory effects. The health benefits of cinnamon do not stop with digestive health. In fact it is believed and now proven that cinnamon has a rather large effect on cholesterol as well as blood glucose levels.

A positive attribute for the health properties of cinnamon are that it may actually improve Type 2 diabetes as well as insulin resistance. Insulin sensitivity as well as naturally monitoring blood glucose levels are some of the strong health benefits from cinnamon that caused the justifiable attention after several studies. It only took a half of a teaspoon of cinnamon to get these results. If you improve your insulin resistance it can positively impact your health in a few ways. You may be able to lose some weight. You could also stand a much lesser risk of developing heart disease. Another finding from the studies was, alongside improved blood sugar levels, good improvements in triglycerides as well as blood pressure. Most notably the studies concluded that the LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in the study participants had dropped as well.

Here’s a List of Health Benefits from Cinnamon:

Lower Cholesterol Reduces blood sugar levels and treating Type 2 Diabetes
Heart Disease
Fights Cancer
Tooth Decay and Mouth Freshener
Cures Respiratory Problems
Brain Tonic
Infections
Eases menstruation cycles
Birth Control
Breastfeeding
Reduces Arthritis Pain
Digestive Tonic
Reduces Urinary Tract Infections.
Anti Clotting Actions
Natural Food Preserver
Headaches and Migraine
Pimples and Blackheads
Thinning of the Blood and Improves Blood Circulation
Toning of tissue
Muscle and Joint Pain Relief
Immune System
Itching

Cinnamon has ample health benefits as highlighted above that can be used to improve your health and boost your immune system. This is a great reason to keep some cinnamon in your cupboard and sprinkle it in your tea, coffee, over oatmeal or a sweet potato – it will do wonders for your health.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: benefits of cinnamon, cinnamon, diet, health, metabolism, nutrition

Healthy Choice or Bad Diet

A healthy diet is an integral part of any weight loss program. Generally, a balanced diet composed of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and lean meat will give an individual the necessary energy to perform the daily activities and function at their most optimum level. More than this, well-planned meals protect against diseases. It also aids in tissue and muscle repair to enable an individual to rapidly recover from illnesses. However, society has put such importance on losing weight that people desperate to see a drop on the scale will go on “crash diets”.

The best thing is to look at dieting as part of an overall fitness plan to stay healthy physically, psychologically and emotionally, and choose foods from all sources and keep them in moderate proportions because that’s what’s good for our bodies. Meals for a healthy diet will be spread out evenly throughout the day. Drinking sufficient amounts of water will keep metabolism running helping to burn fat. A healthy diet would be coupled with exercise.

A diet that is seen as a mere means to losing weight as opposed to a lifestyle change, will result in unhealthy dieting practices that will wreck havoc on the dieter’s systems. Crash diets will literally starve the body of the most basic nutrients needed to function. Unhealthy diets are usually the ones that make outrageous claims. If it is too good to be true, then it is most likely not true at all. If any diet claims it is, then be prepared to do your due diligence and thoroughly investigate what the diet involves. Do not go on a diet that suggests you eat certain foods or certain quantities of foods that would result in you being malnourished.

Some of the biggest risk factors for unhealthy dieting are high cholesterol, kidney damage, lack of important nutrients, metabolism can slow, loss of energy, anxiety, acne, headache and depression. Unhealthy dieting practices may include crash diets, fasting, the use of laxatives or pills and self induced vomiting.

Some Dieting Tips to ensure you stay on a healthy track:

Forget strict fad diets (Atkins, Zone, South Beach, Low Fat, Low Carb, etc).
More fruits, veggies, lean meats and fish.
Fewer simple carbs and less grease (white-flour breads, pastas, fried foods etc).
Exercise – move your body more.
Change your habits, change your life – make the healthy choices your new habit.

A responsible approach to dieting would be to help dieter’s understand the risks associated with unhealthy dieting and then provide them with the proper information needed to ensure proper dieting. Important to this game plan would be eating fresh fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of water each day, and enjoying a balanced meal plan consisting of 40% carbohydrates, 40% protein, and 20% healthy fats.

There is no secret to dieting and losing weight. Unhealthy dieting can be avoided. If you eat three meals a day all of which provide you with all the nutrients that you need and add some exercise to your daily routine, you can lose the weight that you need to over time. Patience and a healthy lifestyle will shed those unwanted pounds.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: diet, fad diet, health, healthy diet, weight loss

At Home Facial

Maintaining a healthy, youthful face is a big concern for many women. You can easily keep up with your appearance by performing at home do-it-yourself facials. DIY facial masks are not only inexpensive; a majority of them are natural. Many of them are made from the food and beverages that you eat and drink daily.

Give some of these facials a try:

Honey & Egg Mask – mix an egg with 1 table spoon of honey. Apply the mask to your face around bed time. Wash your face with lukewarm water after the mask is dried. Do it twice a week. This mask is suitable for normal skin types. It can help tighten pores, reduce wrinkles and nourish the skin.

Apple Mask – mix an egg, 2 teaspoons of honey, half of an apple, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 5g of flour. Peel the apple and crush it into apple mud. Then add in all other ingredients. Stir the mixture until it becomes pasty. After cleansing your face, apply the mask for 10-15 minutes and wash off. The apple mask increases skin metabolism and therefore revitalizes your skin cells. It also nourishes and whitens your skin.

Honey, Yogurt & Banana Mask – mash ½ a banana and mix it with 1 tablespoon of honey and a small cup of yogurt. Apply the mixture onto the face for 5 minutes and then wash off with lukewarm water. This mask will help tighten pores and peel off the dead skin. You will find your skin immediately brighten up after applying the mask. It is most suitable for dry skin types.

Grape Moisture Mask – using seedless grapes, place in a juicer to turn them into grape juice. Mix the grape juice with flour. Apply to the face for 10-15 minutes and wash off with warm water. Grape is a strong anti-oxidant and therefore this mask will help reduce fine lines while replenishing the skin’s moisture.

Papaya Mask – 1 papaya, 2 tablespoons of milk and 2 teaspoons of honey. First mash the papaya to a pulp-like consistency. Add in the milk and honey and mix well. After cleansing your face, apply for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water. Papaya can deep clean the dirt in the pores. It contains vitamin B which can rejuvenate the tired skin.

Tomato Mask – mash tomatoes and several pieces of lemon. Add some flour and mix well. Apply to face for a longer time at around 30 minutes. Both tomato and lemon are rich in vitamin C and therefore this mask is good for fighting spots. This mask is especially suitable for oily skin. Apply to your face 2 to 3 times a week and you will notice significant skin improvement.

Coffee & Cocoa Mask – 2 tablespoons of freshly ground coffee, 2 tablespoons pure cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon of honey and 3 tablespoons of yogurt or sour cream. Blend all ingredients together and spread evenly over skin. Allow to set for 10 minutes then rinse off while gently massaging your face to gently exfoliate it as well. This mask will detox your skin while replenishing lost moisture making your skin look plump, healthy and hydrated.

Natural skin care rituals are extremely beneficial. With easy to find ingredients, there is really no reason for you to take care of your face and adding a facial to your home beauty routine.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: diy facial, facial, health, home facial, natural facials

Frozen Vs Fresh

We all know how important it is to include vegetables in our daily food intake. Is there a difference between fresh and frozen vegetables? Fresh vegetables are always a great choice, but frozen veggies are a great way to add vegetables to your meal when fresh just isn’t an option.Frozen vegetables can be a great way to add veggies to your meal, especially if you don’t have fresh vegetables on hand. A main advantage of using frozen items is the fact that you don’t have to worry about the foods spoiling in the fridge. Frozen ingredients will keep longer than fresh refrigerated foods, and the freezing process does not deplete the nutrition very much.

Also, fresh vegetables may not actually be as fresh as we think. By the time you bring some of these fresh vegetables home they have already lost a good deal of the vitamins that they once had. In order to reach your grocery store, many fresh vegetables have in fact spent a considerable amount of time in transit as well as time on the supermarket shelf. In reality true fresh vegetables would be those that you plant in your own garden or buy direct from the farmer. If you prepare these on the same day that you buy them then you would receive the maximum nutritional value.

Frozen vegetables are easy to keep on hand and inexpensive to purchase. A bag of frozen veggies can be stored in your freezer for long periods of time and can be a quick ingredient to add to any meal with ease. Frozen vegetables are more easily and cheaply available all year round unlike their fresh counterparts. Fresh produce may be limited and/or more expensive. Some vegetables are difficult to get in some areas or on a seasonal basis. Frozen vegetables can make these difficult-to-find fresh vegetables available when they otherwise may not be. This also gives more variety to your diet making eating healthier a tastier task. Frozen vegetables will remain consistent in both quality and price. This is great if you live in a place that is difficult to get around in the winter with icy road and or long distance driving.

Buying frozen will not only save you some money, but time as well. A bag of frozen carrots will only involve cooking them by steaming, microwaving or boiling them for a short period of time. It becomes fast and easy to add vegetables to your meal and may encourage you to add more vegetables to your meals rather than skipping them all together for convenience. Fresh carrots require you to peel, clean, cut/dice and then cook. Cooking time will also be a bit longer for fresh vegetables.

To keep the most amount of nutrition in the frozen vegetable, they must be prepared carefully. Over boiling is one of the most common mistakes that can actually occur with fresh or frozen. Also, ensure when you are purchasing frozen vegetables that the listed ingredients are only the vegetable itself.

Stock up on vegetables, buying frozen will last longer and will be one less thing you have to buy on a regular basis. The ease and convenience of frozen vegetables will make eating healthier more enticing. There tends to be an attitude that the fresh vegetables in the store aisle are better, but frozen vegetables are healthy, can provide more variety and are convenient for those with busy schedules. Don’t skip out on your daily veggie intake when they can be so easy to add to your meals.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: food, frozen food, frozen vegetables, health, nutrition, vitamins

Butting Out – For Good

We all know the health effects of smoking. Smoking cigarettes can result in a large number of health problems including lung cancer. Smoking can also cause cancer of the mouth, larynx, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, cervix, stomach, pancreas, and even some leukemias. It is estimated that 1 out of 10 of moderate smokers and close to 1 out of 5 of heavy smokers will die of lung cancer. These should be reason enough to help you quit the habit. But quitting smoking is hard to do for many people.

There are many nicotine replacement therapies out there for you to try. Some of the top choices are Zyban and Chantix (Champix). There are herbal treatments, acupuncture, hypnosis and laser treatment and always the choice of just cold turkey. The best way to quit smoking is simply any method that works for you. Everyone is different and will find a different solution for them.

Whichever method of smoking cessation you choose; here are some tips to help you butt out – for good:

You need to WANT to quit. The decision to stop smoking has to be your decision alone. You may be pressured by family, friends, employers, government ads, but ultimately to have success it has to be your decision to WANT to quit.
Avoid thinking that you quitting or giving up. Those are negative words. Instead, look forward to what you are gaining from not smoking anymore. For example, the money you’ll save, the taste of food, not having to endure bad weather to have a cigarette.
Set a stop smoking date. Smoke without guilt until that stop date. Then look forward to your new lifestyle.
Identify what makes you or triggers you to smoke. Certain places, times of day, people, etc. encourage smoking. If you can, remove the triggers from your life. If you can’t, break the routine. Find new ways to achieve the feelings or satisfaction you used to get from smoking.
Accept that there will be problems. Every day is full of ups and downs. Realize that smoking did not fix the problems that came up in life. Use a positive outlook to get yourself out of stressful events instead of lighting up a cigarette.
Prepare and plan on how to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Get active, drink water and eat healthy foods.

As a summary, you will need to find something that will take your mind of smoking, replace the pleasure you got from smoking and give you something to look forward to and NEVER quit trying to quit smoking.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: cigarettes, health, lung cancer, quit smoking, smoking, tips to quit

Staying Young

People exercise for many different reasons. Some want to lose weight, reach a fitness goal or because their Doctor said they should, but did you know that exercise is one of the best ways to stay young? Feeling and looking young is an attitude and part of that is feeling healthy and having minimal stress. Exercise can help with both of these states of mind. Exercise will also help you to look younger which can improve your confidence. What exercises should you do to stay young? Here are a few examples.

One of the best ways to stay young is to protect yourself from disease. This includes obesity and heart disease. Cardiovascular exercises are crucial to fighting these diseases that will not only make you feel older but will make you look older as well. Depending on your level of fitness there are different options for cardiovascular exercises including running, jogging, walking, aerobic classes or swimming. Find something you enjoy doing and try to do it three times a week.

Another disease to consider, particularly in women is osteoporosis. As women age and their hormones change their bones can become weak and lose density. Osteoporosis will affect your physical age in many ways. It affects your mobility and can leave you looking weak and frail. Surprisingly, strength training is the best way to combat osteoporosis. Start with light weights if you’ve never done strength work before and I recommend working with a trainer who can teach you proper form to avoid injury.

Stretching and working on flexibility will also help you feel and look younger. When our muscles and joints are weak or tight we walk more laboured and find it difficult to bend and reach. Yoga or other forms of stretching are great ways to improve your mobility. Start with a beginners class and let the instructor know of any injuries or weaknesses that may hinder your exercise.

It’s important to remember that whatever your age if you are starting a new exercise program you should always consult your Doctor or a fitness professional prior to starting. A trainer will work with you to develop the most suitable program for you and your goals and will also ensure that you don’t injure yourself. Trainers are also great at motivating you and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you can accomplish.

To stay young use diet and exercise to keep your physical age lower than your chronological age. Exercise will help with your posture, muscle and bone density, flexibility and will fight off disease. Linked with the right diet you’ll be feeling and looking much younger than the number of candles on your Birthday cake.

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Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: exercise, fighting disease, health, looking young, staying young, young

Healthy Baking

The best part of the holidays is indulging in the yummy baked goods. However, they don’t all have to be unhealthy. Believe it or not, there are actually some good choices out there that won’t you leave you feeling guilty for having a little too much.Granted most of them are full of refined flour and sugar, so you still must eat them in moderation, healthier choice or not. However, if you are doing the baking, making the right ingredient choices will also help in making healthier baked goods.

Here are the Top 5 healthiest baked treats you can choose from:

Biscotti is one of the best choices that you can ever make. Each slice is only 100 calories and the nuts that are added, usually almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts, add protein, monounsaturated fats, and fibre to your diet which keep you in good shape. A daily serving is about 4-6 nuts, so a slice or won’t do that much damage to your diet. Stay away from the biscotti with chocolate or caramel chips, though. These are simply extra calories and extra sugar. Opt for ones stuffed with dried fruits instead.
A favourite with oranges, cranberries and apples, these make for delicious cakes and muffins. So if you’re offered a slice of cranberry-orange cake, say yes. But this doesn’t mean you can have cakes with white chocolate chips in them.
Although the classic fruitcake weighs in at about 80-100 calories a slice, most people may opt for a nut-free slice of carrot cake instead. They’re both low in fat and have lots of fibre . It’s the icing that is the unhealthiest part of the carrot cake, so use low fat icing and don’t put too much on.
Choose a square or a regular-sized muffin of chocolate-chip banana bread. With a sprinkling of chopped walnuts, they’re high in fibre and monounsaturated fats. Plus, semi-sweet chocolate chips are also a better option.
Cookies are generally thought of as an unhealthy sinful treat, but sometimes you just have to have them. Your best bet would be oatmeal cookies with added dried fruit and chopped nuts.

Choose the right ingredients when making your baked goods.

Bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate and raw cocoa have less sugar, plus the high percentage of flavonoids make it an anti-oxidant. They also contain resveratrol, which is an antimicrobial that is believed to lower blood-sugar, enhance physical performance and potentially prolong life.

Use bran instead of refined white flour to make healthier cakes and muffins. You can also try options of oat flour, whole wheat flour, almond flour, hazelnut flour or coconut flour. Oat, almond and coconut flours are great options as they are also gluten-free. They’re all also high in fibre which helps to keep you full and satisfied for longer periods of time.

Replace refined white sugar with other options such as coconut sugar, raw sugar, agave nectar, maple syrup, honey or fruit puree. All healthier options to limit your sugar intake.

Dried fruit, seeds and nuts are healthy baking additives. They are rich in minerals, vitamins, healthy fats and linked to promoting good digestive, bone and oral health. Dried fruit adds natural sugars and can give a little moisture and texture to your favourite recipe as well.

There is no need to deprive yourself of baked goods just to stay healthy. Just like everything, moderation is the key as well as choosing the baked goods made with the right ingredients.

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Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: baking, diet, good diet, health, healthy baking, snacks