Understanding Nutrients: Good Food Gone Bad

With our busy schedules and lack of time for preparation, one often finds themselves relying on convenience foods such as pre-packaged meals & fast food restaurants. These foods contain higher amounts of sodium and other preservatives to allow for greater shelf stability.

According to leading nutritionists, however, eating boxed, packaged and canned foods has significantly decreased our consumption of fiber, as well as other healthy nutrients like antioxidants, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.

To prevent the possibility of nutrient deficiencies, experts today recommend a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables. The American Dietetic Association is calling on Americans to eat between 25-30 grams of fiber per day, and produce is encouraged as an excellent source.

Since healthy dietary choices are often thrown aside when time for food prep is unavailable, and quality ingredients are difficult to preserve, we'd like to share with you a few easy suggestions for keeping good food from going bad.

• Be Prepared: How many times have you bought the jumbo bag of lettuce, only to find it rotting in the bottom of your fridge? Prepping and chopping things in advance is one of the best ways to make sure you make use of the produce you buy. Set aside time one or two nights a week to cut up your veggies & have them ready to eat in small containers. This can save money too, as buying ready-to-eat baby cut carrots, for example, can be as much as three times the cost of a pound bag of the full size variety.
  
• Proper Storage Technique: With the summer season here, and temperatures rising, food spoilage due to improper storage is not uncommon. It can help if you keep the very fragile things in the crisper so they don't wilt as quickly. Air, heat, moisture, cause the most spoilage. A full fridge uses less energy to keep cold. Opening the fridge will also let out cool air, and let in the heat.
  
• Apply Ice: If you have to carry your food home on a long drive you can ask for a bag of ice at the deli or produce counter where you shop. This can help you tote your things home safely from the grocer. If you are buying a lot of temperature sensitive items, pick those out last, attempting to get in, get out, and get home quick.
  
• Shop often: Schedule your grocery shopping spread out to several days throughout the week if your schedule allows. By buying small quantities more often, you will use them up, and have less waste.
  
• Organic Hints: If buying organic, be prepared that things won't last as long. They are not sprayed with the pest control to keep fungus down, and therefore, though more hardy in nutrients, won't last as long as the conventional produce which may contain preservatives.

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About the Author: Cassandra Cox is a 10-year veteran of the natural products industry. Having received her credentials as both a Nutritional Consultant and Digestive Care Specialist, she is passionate about nutrition and optimum digestive care. Free Weight Loss Program



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Cholesterol: Good Or Bad?

These days when it comes to your diet it seems that everything is free... not in the sense that it costs nothing; rather that it is free of something that you don't need anyway. On your next trip to buy groceries, take a look at just about any product and see what they are offering for free.

You've got all kinds of choices of fat free yogurt, look at all your choices of fat free foods, oils that are cholesterol free, and on and on.

Don't get me wrong... this is not necessarily a bad trend. We all know that we have to be more concious about what we put into our bodies. But, let us not assume that everything that is free is therefore also healthy.

Our bodies need a variety of compounds in order to completely function at a healthy level.

Take cholesterol for example. Very simply put, cholesterol is a fatty substance that occurs naturally in your body. It is a product of the liver that is enabled by foods that you eat that are rich in saturated fat.

If you've heard anything these days about cholesterol you've probably heard the terms 'good cholesterol' and 'bad cholesterol'. Just as the terms imply there is the cholesterol that your body needs to function and there is the cholesterol that if present in too high of levels can damage your blood vessels and lead to heart problems or stroke.

Cholesterol - At a glance:

Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) is the "bad" cholesterol. Think of the 'L' being low life or bad. This is the substance in which cholesterol is carried into the blood and is the primary cause of the fatty build up that causes problems in the arteries.

High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is the "good" cholesterol. Think of the 'H' as being the happy cholesterol or good natured. This cholesterol carries the cholesterol back to the liver where it can be filtered for elimination and prevent the build up in the arteries.

Essentially what you should know is that your body does need cholesterol. It is used to repair cells, to produce hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, and is converted to aid in digestion.

So, you don't want to just arbitrarily jump on a complete cholesterol free diet. As with any dietary consideration and change you should work with your healthcare provider to arrive at the best and healthiest long term solution.

Online Pharmacies Canada, a Canadian Internet-based pharmacy intermediary (license #BC Q37),offers long term prescription drugs for low cost canadian online pharmacy prices. Online Pharmacies Canada facilitates the review of your prescription drugs and your general health. We forward all prescriptions to affiliated CIPA certified licensed Canada pharmacies to be filled. A professionally registered pharmacist fills all discount canadian prescriptions.

For more information on how you can order your Canadian drugs call 1-877-536-8162 or visit http://www.onlinepharmaciescanada.com/.

About the Author: For more important information on weight loss be sure to visit weight-loss-won.com where you will find product reviews and tips on weight loss, dieting, and more.

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Types Of Allergy Medication

If you have done everything you can think of to avoid the allergens but you still continue to have problems the time has come for you to explore the different types of allergy medication.

There is allergy medication that can be bought over the counter, there is prescription medication, and let's not forget that there are natural supplements that can boost the immune system and help to bring the body back into balance.

Antihistamines are one of the most popular allergy medication choices. Antihistamines counter the effects of histamine which is what is released when you are having an allergic reaction. They are sometime combined with decongestants. Popular over the counter choices includes Benadryl, Actifed, Tavist-D, Triaminic, and Drixoral. Prescription medicines include Allegra, Zyrtec, and Clarinex.

Decongestants are the right choice if you have stuffy nose. You might consider the oral or nasal spray for optimum relief. Decongestant allergy medication is even found in eye drops. Decongestants constrict the blood vessels which then reduces swelling. You need to make sure you don't use them too long and then get hit with what is called the rebound effect.

Corticosteroids are an ant-inflammatory allergy medication that are used to treat swelling and itching that are a result of an allergy disorder. Nasal sprays are the most common use including Flonase, Nasonex, and Nasalide.

Cromolyn Sodium and Nedocromil Sodium are also an anti inflammatory allergy medication and it is usually in a nasal spray which can be used to treat allergic rhinitis. It prevents the release of histamine. It is available in both over the counter and prescription strength.

Epinephrine is the big guns that are used for emergency treatments in cases where anaphylaxis is occurring. It is usually administered with what is called an Epi Pen. This pen lets you self-inject your epinephrine.

Natural allergy medication uses nutritional supplements to strengthen the body. The use of higher amounts of various nutrients help support the body function. To boost the immune system take CoQ10, Vitamin B12, grape seed, and AHCC. To improve adrenal function take B5, and to reduce inflammation you need Vitamin A.

Allergy medication can be taken once a day, every four hours or as ordered by your doctor. Much depends on the medicine strength, the seriousness of the allergy what he or she is trying to accomplish.

You might find yourself in serious condition without even thinking about it. You won't be alone if you don't realize the seriousness of a peanut allergy or any other medication that is like the epi pen used for allergy medication treatment in serious cases.

There are so many different medications to choose from. What's really important is that no matter what allergy you have the allergy medication is going to be expensive. They all are. So be prepared to dig deep into your wallet.

You should always consider natural supplements before trying any other medications. You might also consider mixing natural with either a prescription or an over the counter drug that will treat the symptoms while your natural works to restore your body's health and wellness. Your allergy medication will make you feel better but do work to treat the real cause of your allergy.

Online Pharmacies Canada, a Canadian Internet-based pharmacy intermediary (license #BC Q37),offers long term prescription drugs for low cost canadian online pharmacy prices. Online Pharmacies Canada facilitates the review of your prescription drugs and your general health. We forward all prescriptions to affiliated CIPA certified licensed Canada pharmacies to be filled. A professionally registered pharmacist fills all discount canadian prescriptions.



For more information on how you can order your Canadian drugs call 1-877-536-8162 or visit http://www.onlinepharmaciescanada.com/.



About the Author: Get all the latest information about Allergies from the only true source at http://www.1allergyinformation.com Be sure to check out our allergy medication pages.



Source: www.isnare.com