Healthier foods every woman should know - Part 4

We are finishing the series on healthier foods for women today (managed to do it in 4 posts rather than 5). Below are foods that will help you to reduce your cholesterol.
* Wholemeal bread: get rid of white bread and switch to whole meal/ grain which lowers cholesterol
* Oatmeal: a great food for reducing cholesterol, oatmeal also has lots of vitamins E, C, potassium, and Omega 3-EFA's.
* Soy: soy has been shown to not only significantly lower bad cholesterol, but also to raise good cholestoral. Use soy milk, tofu or edamame for best results.
* Almonds: with lots of polyunsaturated fatty acids, almonds will help to lower cholesterol in your body.
* Fish: find fish rich in omega-3 EFA'ssuch as mackeral, salmon, tuna and trout.
* EVOO (extra Virgin Olive Oil): this variety of olive oil is less processed, and will help lower cholesterol and is high in anti oxidants.
* Unsaturated fats: replace saturated fats in your kitchen. try using canola, corn, safflower, or soybean oils.
* Garlic: raw garlic (and lots of it) will help you lower your cholesterol. Make sure your partner is sharing WITH you though - lol ;)
* Cranberry-grape juice: Cranberries raise good cholesterol while grapes slow down the bad cholesterol's oxidation. * Pomegranate juice: reduces cholesterol plaque build-up and reduces plaque in your arteries.


***Thanks to the "Hills LIfe" magazine and www.nursingdegree.net for running this article. I found it fascinating and have learned lots of new little facts :)

Healthier foods every woman should know - Part 3

Achieving a Healtier Cadiovascular System:
* Skinless Poultry: leaving off the skin will greatly reduce the fat in poultry, making for a more heart smart diet.
* Cabbage: This vegetable is a great food for a healthy cardiovascular system. Eaten raw is best.
* Grapes: Easy to get and loved by most, this fruit is also good for a healthy heart.
* Raspberries: High in anti-oxidants this fruit offers benefits to your heart too.


Bone Health:
* Leafy greens: the calcium in leafy greens absorbs much better in the body than calcium in dairy products.
* Beans: beans are low in fat, high in fibre, inexpensive, and have a high amount of non-animal proteinthat helps prevent calcium loss.
* Low fat yoghurt: it is high in calcium and is easier to digest than most other dairy products. It also contains lots of vitamin A and protein.
* Tofu: Also high in protein and a great source of nutrition for your bone health, tofu is very versatile.
* Eggs: not only are eggs loaded protein, they are also full of vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcuim more efficiently.

Healthier foods every woman should know - Part 2

For Healthier Looking skin:

* Avacadoes: they have ots of B-complex vitamins and are an anti-inflamatory, which is great for the skin.
* Green Tea: technically a drink, green tea has polyphenols which are an anti inflamatory.
* Carrots: full of vitamin A which helps your skin to repair itself
* Spinach: it is loaded with vitamins and minerals. especially high concentrations of vitamins K and A and manganese and folate. It also helps fight against osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, ovarian cancer and arthritis.
* Rockmelon: plenty of vitamins A and C - two vitamins your skin needs to stay healthy.
* Citrus fruit: oranges and grape fruit are full of vitamin C which helps to keep wrinkles at bay.
* Bananas: these have the B vitamin biotin, which helps build healthy skin, hair and nails and helps to prevent skin irritations such as dermatitis.
* Tomatoes: like bananas, tomatoes have biotin and also lycopene, which helps prevent cancer.
* Hazelnuts: Another great source of vitamin E which also offer protection against cancer andf heart disease.
* Olives: these provide both vitamin E and anti-inflamatory properties which help promote healthy skin. Also very high in iron.
* Brazil Nuts: these are high in selenium, which can reduce the chance of sunburn on the skin, slow down the aging process and aid in treatment of skin cancer.
* Cottage cheese: Eat this to get loads of calcium and selenium for your skin. You can use in place of ricotta in recipes.
* Walnuts: these are packed with omega-3 and omega 6 EFA's which promote skin repair and elasticity.

Healthier foods every woman should know - Part 1

I found this article in a local magazine that comes into our letterbox. When flipping through I found this article entitled "Healthier foods every woman should know..." I was fascinated reading about this stuff. Some of it i knew, but it is interesting anyway. This will be a 5 part series with chapters on how to have younger looking skin, healthier cardiovascular system, reducing cholestorol, bone health and healthy desserts. I can't think of a better way to be healthy than eating your way there!!!! I might use some of these articles to post some healthy recipe ideas later. I hope you learn some new things here like I did.

Overall Health:
* Flax Seed: high in omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids and lingnans (an important fiber for women)
* Pumpkin : beta carotene in pumpkin reduces risk of breast cancer and helps body repair its own skin
* Sweet Potatoes: Full of vitamins A and C and well as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and iron.
* Dark Meat: Lean red meat and dark meat from poultry are high in iron, which is essential for women of child-bearing age.
* Broccoli: High in calcium, potassium and B vitamins.
* Salmon: this super food is high in omega -3 EFA's and protein, low in cholestorol and contains lots of B vitamins, calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium.
* Mangoes: high in Vit A and C and help harm against cervical cancer.
* Figs: high in fibre, B vitamins, iron, potassium and calcium.
* Kiwi: These tasty fruits pack more vitamin C than oranges.