Ostrich meat's health benefits.

Whenever we talk about exotic foods and all, Ostrich meat would be one of the first thing that will comes up to your mind. It's not a scare-your pant's-off kind of ingredient, yet not as plain as typical as your cow, lamb or duck meat.

Ostrich meat is actually very similar to the color, texture and even the taste of your everyday beef, only much healthier. So instead of choosing the beef, Ostrich meat is a good alternative.

So what are the health benefits of this best alternative to red meat.

- It is very much known to have lower cholesterol content compared to beef, chicken, lamb and turkey.

- It has less fat than a skinless chicken or turkey.

- This ostrich meat is definitely high in iron and rich in protein.

- and one of the best thing about this meat is that it doesn't attract bacteria like E-coli or salmonella, which are very harmful to our health. This is because ostrich ideal is PH- balance so it doesn't attract these harmful bacterias.

Best of all you'll end up with a very lean meat which you can cook and prepare practically the same way as you would with beef. It's also avilable in a wide range of cuts and forms - from ground to diced and steaks- This will give you a lot of ways to experiment with this meat aitha little healp with different flavors and spices.

image from: stockmann.fi

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Stop the sugar cravings

Ok, so one of the hardest thing to resist is sweet. And yes most of us has sugar cravings. There are just some people who can't stop this and there are ones that ended up in sugar addiction. I myself is sometimes guilty of these cravings. But how are we going to control this very unhealthy habit?


One of the things that will help you to stop this is to not take sodas. Soft drinks maybe one of your favorites but you really have to stop drinking it. Soft drinks does taste good but they are just not healthy so just cut them out. Remove them from your list and you are definitely helping yourself.

Another thing is to avoid Artificial sweeteners. Why? Based on research studies, these artificial sweeteners actually increase your sugar cravings, they increase your appetite, and it has aspartame, known to be very bad for your health.

Try not to buy those junk food and take it home. why? simply because if you have sweets at home, It's so hard to avoid it. You will end up sneaking for that candy bar at night. Especially if in your head you know that it would be really easy to just walk to your pantry and get one. Now try to take home fruits like bananas, apples grapes and oranges. So whenever you are craving for sweet you have no choice but to grab one of these healthy fruits of course. Now give your body some time to adjust with those fruits and when it happens, Your body is now used to having those fruits instead of those sweet junk foods.

Keep a well balanced diet and exercise, this will not only keep your body fit but it also help the blood sugar level stable.

image from: 3stepsadd.com

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The Philippine Mango

Image by koalie via Flickr

Why I love this fruit? it's sweet and delicious and I just can't get enough of it. My children would go crazy whenever I make mango shake or smoothies, It's just one of the fruits that aren't very hard to fell in love with.

Way back in 1995 the Guinness book of world records listed the Philippine Carabao Mango as the sweetest fruit in the world. This fruit is eaten raw, dried, preserved, frozen, juiced, concentrated( I was once addicted to this) you can do anything with it, Baked with cake, you can make shakes and smoothies and I'm 100% sure it would be the biggest hit, especially during summer.

What do we get from mangoes?Mangoes are very rich in Vitamin A,C and potassium, We all know that Vitamins C and A are antioxidants, it helps prevent free radical injury and therefore , reduce the risk of certain cancers. My mother would always tell me. " who ate the mangoes?" I really can't help myself. Anyways, to be able to determine if the mango is sweet and right. Make sure that the peel is smooth and has some imperfections like black discolorations, but if the peel is too perfect. It's not sweet. Smell it it does smell sweet.

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The healing water

There are so many juices, health drinks, smoothies out there already. But of course Water is still the best for everyone. 50% to 60% of our body is depending on our gender and our age is made out of water. We really can't survive without water, we all know that. Just imagine yourself stuck on an island or dessert without water, You may last for few days but after that.... From a Chinese Herbal Doctor point of view, water is what allows a communication between the different parts of the body, between the different organs.

It smoothes things out, it lubricates everything in the body. It allows a better flow, through the blood, through the body fluids and other aspects that are really made out of water. The reason why water is so important to our health. Especially in these days, is probably majority of people are chronically dehydrated. Chronically do not drink enough water on a regular basis, and why is it that is so importance? We all lived in a fast-phased world. We are on a run as part of the society which is very much goal-oriented. And what happen with this kind of lifestyle?

We get a dramatic surge in heart disease, Arterial sclerosis, in diabetes, In Cancer. Inflammationa nd over heating is even part of it. And something simple thing that we can do is to drink enough water. maybe from 8 cups to 16 cups of water. It depends on our age, on our activity, and on the weather, well of course we need much more water when it is very hot outside. When is the best time to drink water? The nest time to drink water on its own and not while were eating, The reason is that when we drink water while we're eating. We are diluting the juices of the stomach, the digestive enzymes. And we are making our stomach less acidic. Which can interfer with the digestion of the food, especially the digestion of protein.

So even if you are drinking one or two glasses of water 5 to 10 minutes before your meal, a lot of it will get absorb quickly enough, best to drink it 15 to 30 minutes before. but if you are sitting on a meal and you feel thirsty, drink your water and wait for a few minutes. In many cases if you have a headache ,before you take a pain killer just take a few glasses of water. You may find that if you drink 4 to 6 glasses of water, in more than 50% of cases the headache will simply go away.

And when we are not dehydrated our headache goes away, ou body feel less tight,we lubricate our body, We nourished simply by drinking enough water.

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Food for the brain.....mmm, delicious

Just as diet affects your heart, diet can affect your brain. Diet has a major impact on our brain not only in our body. Fruits and vegetables are high in anti oxidants, and they're perfect for information in our brain.

If we eat our fruits and vegetables for to five times a day everyday, You make your brain about five years younger, but we all know that it's hard to get fruits and vegetables everyday, but in general I think you should make an effort to eat or reach for an apple or reach for a pear, get some grapes when you want some snacks. Seafood is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids such as DHA and DHA is the best brain food, so make sure you eat fish 2 or 3 times a week.

High-fiber diet reduces the bad cholesterol, and increase your good cholesterol, good for treating the atheroscelrosis, it increase blood flow, so it's absolutely. make sure that you also add a glass of wine every night in your diet but not too much. Remember one glass of wine in dinner is actually good for your brain.

Another tip is to reach for baked potatoes instead of those french fries. Use common sense when it comes to food. If you look at the food and it looks like the food is not good at you then it's not got for you. the bottom line is if you eat fruits and vegetables everyday and eat fish 2 to 3 times a week, your do wonders for your brain, Your brain stay healthy and younger.

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Organic-Learn to read the labels

Whenever you are buying your groceries like maybe meat, milk, fish. It can be a little tricky. There are so many signs that are posted there saying "organic" and other stuffs, but how would you really know the difference, Knowing the meaning of those specific names, will actually help you in your buying decision. If you are going to spend or save on something worth buying or maybe not.

The term natural is always associated with vegetables and fruits, Honestly this is just a marketing strategy to tell you to purchase their products, Fruit and vegetables are natural right? Well, Unless it’s a new kind of food that has been developed and processed, the product is natural. But are you looking for Organic?


Remember organic are foods that are grown without fertilizers or pesticides or any other chemicals, You might be asking why many people are so into organic? Because it has benefits.

Here are the main benefits:

First and foremost, Our mother nature is thanking you for helping her, because no chemicals are being used to grow those plants, thus helping to protect the environment from harmful chemicals. Second, is that your helping yourself because you don't let those chemicals get into your body (through those food of course). Healthier food means healthier you.

But Organic food maybe a little pricey, So if you are in a very very tight budget, you have choices whether your going to buy organic or not. For example:
You don't need to buy organic fruits and vegetables that you can peel, like bananas or oranges, because you are actually peeling the chemicals off from the fruit or vegetables, so if you're going to buy organic, go for fruits like apples because you eat its peel. Just always make sure that you always wash your food before you eat and cook them

You probably heard or see a very tricky sign that says. no "hormones". This is usually associated with dairy products, meat products, well this is false, why? beacuse hormones are naturally produce by all animals, It is very essential to all animals, it regulates body organs, so what does " no hormones" means, Some hormones are given to the animals unnaturally, to increase the production of the milk, so if they say no hormones, maybe it means no hormones were unnaturally given to the animals.

There is this another label that tells if the animals in this meat was penned or caged, doesn't have any difference when it comes to nutritional value of the meat or the quality of it, Well. it matters with the animal rights.


All of these products may be a little expensive than the usual, but it's still up to your so learn to read the labels. and know what it means!

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Is Organic Worth It?

Image by kumasawa via Flickr

When you head to the grocery store, shopping for products like eggs, meat, fish, milk, and produce can be very tricky. Signs are posted everywhere labeling food as natural, organic, and a number of other things—but what’s the difference, really? Learning what specific names mean can help you decide if you should shell out extra money on a product of it is simply a marketing ploy.

Natural is a turn associated with a number of fruit and vegetable product. Typically, this is simple a marketing ploy to convince you to buy the product. After all, all fruits and vegetables are natural, right? Unless it’s a new kind of food that has been developed and processed, the product is natural. What you really probably want is organic. Organic foods are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. There are two main benefits to organic foods. First, you are helping the environment because those chemicals are not being introduced into nature. Secondly, you are avoiding ingesting chemicals and are therefore healthy more healthy foods. However, organic products are usually more expensive. If you’re on a budget, skip over organic fruits and vegetables that you can peel, like oranges and bananas. After all, once you’ve discarded the peel, you’ve also discarded the chemicals. Instead, opt for organic items like apples, where you eat the peel. No matter what you buy, however, make sure that you rinse off the food when you get home.

Another tricky label you will see is “no hormones.” This is usually in regards to milk or meat products and is false, since all animals naturally produce hormones. Hormones are what helps an animal (even a human) regulate body organs, have young, and otherwise function. All meat products have hormones. What the labels really mean is that no hormones were unnaturally given to the animal, which is sometimes done to increase milk production. Regardless of hormones, however, the milk and meat is safe for a person and not a violation of an animal’s rights.

Lastly, a label on eggs and meat can indicate if the animal was caged or penned. This does not make a difference in the quality or nutritional value of the meat, but is simply a matter of animal rights. These products may be a bit more expensive, but if you want to make human decisions, that is the way to go. Reading the label and making healthy choices can sometimes be difficult, but learning how to do so can help you make the best choices for you diet.

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Nurture yourself everyday.

There are days that we tend to forget ourselves. We are so busy that we even forget to change clothes or eat dinner. Give your self some time to breathe everyday.

Relax that vacation is useless if you can't take your mind off your work(guilty!) Be in the moment. Meditate. Its' an excellent way to let go of worries, concentrate and free up your activity.

Let go of guilt, guilt, every mom's constant companion, can ruin your self-nurturing plans. Think of yourself as a cellphone: If your battery is drained, you're absolutely useless. Go and recharge.

Manage time. Examine your day and minimize, if not eliminate, time wasters, such as mindless TV watching; e-mails; purposeless web surfing; video games; chatting on the telephone or endless texting and commuting or driving in traffic ( try leaving the house earlier to minimize travel time, and getting stuck in traffic jam)

Next time you tell yourself that you don't have time, remember: You can find the time.

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How to lose the holiday weight gain.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, New year. So many holidays and of course........ feast! who doesn't love to eat right? especially when everybody is enjoying eating and having fun. But of course sometimes we tend to forget our diet, counting calories, food portions. etc. I'm sometimes guilty of this too.

Here are some tips that hope to help you lose some holiday weight gain.

1. Eat fruits and vegetables. They'll give you more food and less calories. You just came out of holiday feast so better start eating healthy foods and gain power not fat.

2. Spice things up. A little salsa can add a lot of flavor to a baked potato-and for few calories. I know, many people may not like to eat boring or bland healthy foods. So spice up your food a little.

3. For sweets. just grab low-fat yogurt instead of ice cream. There are many low fat yogurts around nowadays. You might thought of grabbing a low fat ice cream, but better not.

4. Besides cutting calories, a high fiber diet help prevent cancer, heart disease and digestive illness. So wake up with an oatmeal breakfast or just get a high fiber lunch and your off to lose weight.

5. Exercise everyday. Oh yes! You ate a lot last holiday, so lose that fat!

Everything may seem to be very hard, but i still think that if you put your heart to it. I mean discipline is one major key to lose weight! We still have few more holiday feasts to come so if you think you are having a hard time to lose weight. Then control yourself.

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Sleepy? Why lack of sleep may harm you.

Do you get better sleep? well, you must.

Just right after i finished college. The first job i got was in a call center, An outbound agent. And i was on a grave yard shift. That was (9pm until 6am) It was ok at first but after just 2 months i felt that i was lacking of sleep.

Even though i knew that i was sleeping around 7 hours a day, it wasn't easy sleeping in the morning. I tried to closed the door of my bed room and pulled down my curtain, but the broad day light was just peeking at my windows.

Of all the health complains i had while i was on that job. There was one thing i learned while working in that kind of environment that up to this moment, I still apply in my daily life. That is to complete your 8 hours of sleep. Why? Because there might be dangers waiting for you especially if you are working.

So what happens when you never complete your 8-hour sleep very often.

Poor vision. this is so true to me. I got blurry vision at work, or just when I'm walking to the elevator. It sucks so much. Short term memory, People tend to lose some parts of their memories due to lack of enough sleep.

Your reaction is slow. Have you ever felt that when everyone is laughing, you seem to be just smiling? why because you don't get it. because you don't understand. Or if somebody is talking to you. You seem to be somewhere else.

Never drive yourself to work if you think you can't focus. My dad caused a very long traffic when he doze off on a green light few years ago. That was humiliating so he got his self a driver.

Moody. you switch moods so easily. Poor performance. Your work suffers because you can't concentrate. So if you feel that you are stating to see these signs. better take a goodnight sleep. or tale some power naps in the afternoon.

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