Ode to Carrots

I think that we will never see, a veggie grand as carrots be…

Okay, so I am not a poet… but I would like to sing the praises of carrots, however ineloquent that praise may be.

Last night, while in a rush to prepare dinner during a busy afternoon and evening of activities, I finished up the main course and reached for a bag of carrots to serve my boys.  “Carrots are awesome!” I thought to myself.  No matter how rushed we are, I can always count on carrots, ready-to-eat baby carrots  in this case, to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.  They are tasty, nutritious, and low in calories and my boys (ages 11 and 13) love them.  Who doesn’t love a veggie that your kids love?  If we are on the run, everyone can have their own little container or baggie of carrots to snack on in the car, boat, or at any activity where quick and easy nutrition is needed.  I count out a predetermined number of baby carrots for each serving.  They sit in their own little bowl, a testament to their reign of greatness as the veggie of choice in our home.

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Why Skipping Meals is Not the Way to Lose Body Fat

People often ask me about skipping meals as a way to lose weight and, more specifically, to lose body fat.  Many people feel that they can skip a meal without even missing it.  Skipping meals is a big “no-no” and here’s why:

Skipping meals actually does just the opposite of your goal and makes it harder to lose weight. Skipping meals lowers your resting metabolic rate (how fast you burn calories at rest), lowers your energy level (no fuel to burn), and makes your body think it is in a state of starvation (therefore “rationing” the fat on your body). Skipping meals also creates cravings, throws off your hormone levels, and alters the chemicals in your brain. Rather than skipping meals to lose weight, use healthy snacks, like fruits and vegetables, to fill in the time between meals to boost your energy levels and your body’s metabolism.

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Why You Should Drink More Water: The Real Facts

Most people know they should drink at least eight to ten eight-ounce glasses of water each day. We keep hearing “Drink more water,” but here are some “cold, hard facts” from the American Institute For Cancer Research about why increasing your water intake is important.

1. Water helps your body get moving by helping to relieve dry mouth and by refreshing the rest of your body.

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Seven Tips for Avoiding Processed Foods

Most of us eat way to much processed food. We eat much more processed food today even than just 10 – 15 years ago.  The MSN article, 7 Tips for Avoiding Processed Foods, makes some good suggestions on how to avoid processed foods.  It is based on suggestions from the book, Unprocessed, which details a 26-year old grad student’s year of eating nothing but unprocessed foods and even doing it on a salary of just $16,780 per year.  (She did spend about 27% of her income on food…)

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Scientific Links Between Processed Foods and Depression Keep Getting Stronger

I just came across an article by Dr. Joseph Mercola about the link between certain foods and depression. The article is interesting and certainly makes you think about what you put into your body. The old, “You are what you eat,” seems to certainly apply here.

Foods and additives that are linked to promoting depression include sugar, genetically engineered ingredients, glyphosate, artificial food additives, and gluten.

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