Eating & Drinking for Health / The Required Daily Amounts of some Essential Nutrients / Organic Food / Yin Yang Health / Berries & Health / Tea & Health

Eating & Drinking for Health

Choose the foods that gives your body what it needs. It needs to grow and repair itself, provide you with energy, carry out important chemical processes and then some. Thus, the food that we consume is of vital importance and we should pay attention to our eating.

Our bodies need proteins, vitamins,minerals and fibre - obtained from foods. To get the most out of your mealtimes and foods keep to regular mealtimes, sit and eat slowly, chewing thoroughly for good digestion. Aim for interesting menus that has been thought about lovingly and an eat-space away from the television.

Super Health Foods are rich in nutrients in relation to the number of calories, are not processed, organically grown and are not 'added to'. They are everyday foods like fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, spices and herbs, fish, olive oil and meat and readily available. Every continent and region has foods that in their rainbow aspect, are highly nutritious. These foods are tasty, flavour-enhancers and textured - a pleasure to the palate.

Foods for Energy
This food group include Carbohydrates in their natural and unrefined forms like oats, rice and barley, vegetables such as carrots, green leafy types and beetroot, fruits like figs and berries plus sweeteners such as honey that doesn't require insulin during the metabolism of. Pulses like beans and peas are great too.

Foods for Growth and Repair, Hormones and Enzymes
Varying from children to adults, proteins should be eaten less of than carbohydrates and can usually be measure by the individual's palm. A palm-sized cut of meat, fish, eggs etc. is adequate. Best protein options are fish, eggs, meat, milk, cheese and yoghurt, beans, peas, bread, oat/wheat breakfast cereals and nuts. Vegetarian winners: beans, peas, lentils and bread.

Foods and Nutrition
Minerals and Vitamins are required in small doses for efficient bodily function. The are best obtained from fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, fish, eggs and meat, cereal foods and dairy products. Steaming is the preferred cooking method and start with washing and cooking preparation right before it goes on the stove. Vegetarian winners: yeast extract and milk for Vitamin B12 (appearing only in animal foods) or supplement-pill. Vegetables and fruit contain much of the vitamins and minerals but watch your Vitamin C intake as it makes iron-intake easier. Green vegetables and beans plus bread will spike calcium intake and wholegrains will provide zinc.

Foods and Fibre
Fibre doesn't get absorbed by our bodies but are vital for absorbing toxins and pushing waste products through the system faster and cleaning the digestive tract in doing so. Unrefined foods such as beans, peas and pulses, bread, rice and other cereals, root and leafy vegetables, fruits and dried fruits are great fibre providers.

Foods & Combinations
Combine-able Foods are: Vegetables and animal foods, such as cheese (or beans) on wholegrain bread, lentil and bean stew on brown rice or fish & chips.

Foods & Fats
Your body needs a small amount of fat for the cell structure, insulation and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. It is important to get the right fats into your body such as olive oil, oily fish like salmon, sunflower and grapeseeds. Avoid saturate-containing foods such as dairy products, hard margarines, eggs, peanuts and peanut butter, products containing coconut and palm oil.

Servings of a Balanced Diet
3 Servings a day of nuts, beans, peas, lentils, fish, meat or poultry.
1 Servings a day of yoghurt, milk or cheese.
4 Servings a day of barley, brown rice, muesli, bread or whole-wheat pasta.
4 Servings a day of fresh vegetables, fruit or salads.
3 Meals a day and a snack is enough.

Serving Sizes - roughly
Protein - the size of your palm
Liquids such as milk - glass
Carbohydrates - the size of one's fist of cooked rice for instance
Fruit and vegetables - the size of one's fist

Grow Your Own Vegetables...
http://www.gardeningeden.co.za/plants-kitchen-gardens-vegetables.html