How To Stimulate Your Children To Eat More Fruits And Vegetables?

Fruit and vegetable enjoy deserved reputation as great helpers in our daily attempt to stay healthy and slim and these food products are associated with the reduced risk of many serious diseases.

Studies have shown that there is a connection between increased fruit and vegetable consumption and reduced risk of cancer (including cancer of the oral cavity, throat, stomach, colon and respiratory system). Thus, diet rich in fruit and vegetable is associated with the reduced risk of developing diabetes type 2, stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure (hypertension).

Fruit and vegetable help prevent various diseases, but they are also an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, contain little fat and contain folic acid (green leaf vegetables).

Experts say that it is not true that children do not want to consume fruit and vegetable, which is a common excuse. In countries where fruit and vegetable are traditionally consumed in large quantities, parents have no problem make their children eat their healthy five portions of fruit and vegetable per day.

Since children learn from their parents and they are consuming enough fruit and vegetable, then without any problem, their children will consume these meals, too.

It is best for children at the age of 2-10 to consume fruit and vegetable served in “relaxed” atmosphere, i.e. not to do “drama” about it. As addition to any other food, serve fruits and vegetables to your children with their favorite food.

Just Be Creative

Here are some creative tips on how to make children eat more fruit and vegetables:

Combined with Vegetables: 

• Make mashed pumpkin or sweet potatoes instead of regular mashed potatoes. 

• Power up your pizza with tomato, peppers, mushrooms, pineapple, young garlic and spinach. 

• Add vegetables in the soup. 

• Fill roast potatoes with wheat grains, young garlic, mushrooms and red pepper. 

• Be creative when serving a salad. Do not just make a tomato and cucumber salad, add paprika, shredded mushrooms, grated ginger, onion chopped circles, spinach or any other favorite vegetables. 

Combined with Fruit: 

• Add fruit in green salads – try with pieces of pear, apple, grapes, mango, strawberries, almonds or blueberries. 

• Add blueberries or grated banana in pancakes dough. 

• Add exotic fruits such as papaya, mango or pineapple in fruit salad. 

• Mix apples, ginger, carrot and orange in blender and serve it as a refreshing drink. 

• Pack fresh fruit in a plastic box, so the child can take it to school. Drain a little lemon juice over apples and pears so they would not turn brown. 

With a little creativity and effort you can stimulate your children eat more fruit and vegetable and enrich their diet which will strengthen their body.

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What Can Having 5 Walnuts a Day Can Do for Your Health?

A new research study from Yale University is showing an amazing benefit of adding just 56 grams of walnuts a day to your diet. Researchers chose 46 adults between the ages of 30 and 75.

All participants had a body mass index (BMI) higher than 25 and a waist circumference of at least 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women. All of the participants had a heightened risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a factor of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Half of the participants were assigned a diet that included 56 grams of shelled, unroasted walnuts. The other half were given a diet that did not include walnuts. The results showed that people on the walnut enhanced diets showed improved function in endothelial cells that make up the inner lining of blood vessels.

These cells help with blood clotting and the formation of new blood cells, as well as regulating inflammation and controlling blood pressure.

The lead author of the research study, Dr. David Katz, says, “We know that improving diets tends to be hard, but adding a single food is easy. Our theory is that if a highly nutritious, satiating food like walnuts is added to the diet, there are dual benefits: the benefits of that nutrient rich addition and removal of the less nutritious foods.”

As amazing as the benefits of Walnuts can be, sadly according to a recent study has determined that only 5.5% of all adults (ages 19-50) consume tree nuts of any kind! This small percentage of people actually do a pretty good job of integrating tree nuts (including walnuts) into their diet, and average about 1.25 ounces of tree nuts per day. But the other 94.5% of us report no consumption of tree nuts whatsoever. 

In a recent look at the nutritional differences between tree nut eaters and non-eaters, researchers have reported some pretty notable findings: on a daily average, tree nut eaters take in 5 grams more fiber, 260 milligrams more potassium, 73 more milligrams of calcium, 95 more milligrams of magnesium, 3.7 milligrams more vitamin E, and 157 milligrams less sodium!”

SO, now that you know, go out and grab a bag of fresh walnuts and get cracking! Your heart will thank you for it.

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Early Symptoms of Liver Damage that Everybody Ignores

The liver is the largest solid organ in the human body and it is responsible for doing many different jobs. Some of the primary functions of the liver include: 

• Cleaning the blood 
• It creates bile, which is vital to digestion 
• It stores glycogen, a form of sugar that produces energy 

Being that your liver is so important, if problems develop with it, your health could be in serious jeopardy – and there are many ways that the liver can become damaged; but, many people don’t realize that there is a problem with their liver – until it’s too late. As a result, your health and your overall well-being can be greatly impacted.

Paying attention to your liver and recognizing the warning signs that can indicate a problem is developing is crucial. Not sure what the signs of liver damage are? Here’s a look at several telltale signs that you should never, ever ignore.

Your Skin and Eye Color is Yellowed

One of the first telltale signs of liver damage is discoloration of the skin and eye color. Because a damaged liver is unable to properly filter out toxins that you consume, you could build-up a Bilirubin, which could cause your skin and eye color to turn yellow.

Bilirubin is a form of bile pigment. Bile is produced by your liver and it aids in digestion. When your liver is damaged, it can’t remove the Bilirubin, and as a result, it collects in your blood. When Bilirubin flows through the blood, the skin starts to turn yellow. You can first notice this yellowing in your fingernails and on the tips of your fingers and toes, as well as your eyes.

Changes in Stools and Urine

It may not be something you do on a regular basis, but you should examine your urine and your stool. If either is discolored or changes in the consistency, you could be suffering from liver failure. If the urine is dark in color and frothy, or your stool is pale and thin, get to a doctor as soon as possible.

You’re Bloated

If you notice that your stomach is suddenly bloating, you could have a problem with your liver. When the liver is damaged, it retains fluid, and as a result, that fluid makes your stomach appear bloated.

You Feel Pain

If you start to notice cramping in your abdomen or a sharp, shooting pain, you could be suffering from problems with your liver. When the liver isn’t functioning the way that it should, it can cause pain in your abdomen. If you feel that pain in the left side of your abdomen, don’t write it off; go to the doctor.

Acid Reflux and Vomiting

If you notice an increased amount of acid reflux, you could be experiencing liver trouble. A damaged liver can push digestive juices up into your esophagus, which causes acid reflux and indigestion. Over time, excessive indigestion could lead to vomiting.

You Feel Fatigue and No Appetite

You will feel muscle weakness and tired all the time. You even feel no urge of hunger and no desire to eat.

If you are noticing any of these signs, make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible to have your liver assessed.

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