Written by Elaine Zuo

Looking to improve your diet and eat healthier? Try these simple changes for a better you:

Opting for fruit and vegetables can lead to a healthier you

• Buy smaller dishes and taller glasses. Optical illusions abound even in what we use to serve our food: People tend to overestimate vertical lengths and underestimate horizontal lengths. When asked to pour equal amounts of liquid into a short, wide glass, people poured more than when they did the same for a long, tall glass. Regarding a similar principle, the same amount of food in a large dish compared to that in a smaller dish was regarded as less food than the amount in the smaller dish.
• Chew slower. Many of us have busy lives to run and do not have time to eat leisurely, but don’t let scarfing down your lunch on a short work break completely impact your eating habits. Try to take any opportunity to savor the meal and let your digestive system do its job. You’ll be more likely to stop eating while letting your stomach achieve the same amount of satisfaction.
• Sneak fruits and veggies into your daily diet. Although it would be best to consume fruit and vegetables on their own, you can easily add these excellent sources of vitamins, fiber and antioxidants to your usual meals as tasty, healthy accents. Top cereal or yogurt off with fruit slices, or choose a vegetable drink to accompany your lunch. Carrots and broccoli can accentuate the taste of a meatloaf, soup or even pasta sauces.
• Keep food in the kitchen and healthy foods at eye level. Don’t bring your food into the living room or your work space. You will eat less if snacks are not placed all over the house and within easy reach. Healthy foods, on the other hand, will seem more appealing if easily accessible.
• Drink water. Substitute sugary sodas with a tall glass of H2O. Not only do you miss out on unwanted calories, but you will be fuller before the meal and thus prevent overeating. It’s also important for digestion and gives you a boost of energy along with combating dehydration.
• Choose fish and beans. These two underrated food items help keep your health and weight in check. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish can lower your bad (LDL) cholesterol and reduce risks of cancer, so be sure to indulge in a fillet. Beans are not only fibrous, but contain iron,  folic acid and protein as well. Mix the two for a delicious fish and beans taco, and your body will have a ready arsenal of health-promoting nutrients.

Although these tips will certainly better your diet and lifestyle, the most important thing to have backing them up is a healthy mindset. Keep your goals in mind and you will kick any bad dietary habits that may arise.

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The interior of Mayahuel, a gourmet cocktail bar specializing in mezcal.

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As technology develops new methods of crop production and preservation, the environment struggles to keep up, from the destruction of the honey bee to the effect of changing weather conditions on crops.

While the wind is responsible for pollinating many crop staples like wheat, corn, and rice, domesticated honey bees are crucial to the pollination and production of nuts, many fruits and vegetables, coffee, and cocoa, among other things. Unfortunately the development of new pesticides causes death and demolition of honey bee populations, which could have untold effects not only on crop production, but also on the price of food.

According to numbers by agri-business lender Rabobank from earlier this year, failure of honey bee colonies to survive the winter in the United States is up to 35%  and up to 20% in Europe from a previous average of 10%. Although there were no reported effects on crop production due to declining bee numbers this year, denying that further measures need to be taken to monitor the effects of pesticides on honey bees could produce devastating results. Countries abroad like Germany, France, and Italy have already taken precautions and banned chemicals known to affect the lifespan of the honey bee, and the United States as well as other countries may learn and benefit from this example.

Despite the declining honey bee population, there are other factors threatening food production. Extreme weather conditions in the last year have caused great damage to corn and soybean crops, which are much more than food sources for humans. Both provide critical components of the processed food industry, a major source of food-driven income, in the form of high fructose corn syrup and soybean oil. Also, they provide feed for animals that produce meat and dairy products for the rest of the food industry. With the availability of such important crops at a low, the cost of production is driven up, which is often handed off to the consumer in the form of higher food prices.

So what can you do to avoid the higher prices? Stick to whole, unprocessed foods for both health and lower prices. When eating out or grocery shopping, look for places that include locally grown and produced ingredients which will give back to the local farmers and eliminate extra costs accrued by long shipping distances.

Despite the threatening conditions, the agri-business industry remains optimistic that new regulations and preventative measures will help to counteract the negative experiences of the past year.

Technorati Tags: food prices, honey bees, unprocessed foods

In June the United States Department of Food and Agriculture released a new version of the food pyramid in the form of a plate guideline to help Americans make healthy choices when deciding what to eat.

The latest version, called MyPlate, features a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, with less of an emphasis on proteins and grains. Instead of the original food pyramid which provided daily recommended servings of grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, protein, and sweets, the new design shows a plate divided into four portions with a small optional side dish. One half of the plate is dedicated to equal portions of fruit and vegetables, while the other half contains one portion of protein and another portion of grains, with the optional side dish being a serving of dairy.

The new initiative was backed strongly by the Obama family, who have launched several other programs to encourage children, as well as adults, to engage in physical activity and make healthy choices. The hope is that the unveiling of a new program will remind Americans what healthy eating means by capturing their attention which may have wandered over the years. Also, the newer guidelines explain how to lay out a healthy plate at each meal, whereas the older pyramid gave vague suggestions to be followed throughout the day.

Perhaps the biggest change between the two, other than the obvious format transformation, is the movement towards an emphasis on fruits and vegetables and less of a focus on grains which previously formed the base of the pyramid with the largest recommended servings per day. While carbohydrates should remain a vital component of every diet because they are the basic building blocks for energy and brain power, the new program changes up the main source of carbohydrates from grains to fruits and vegetables. This not only will help to reduce the number of calories consumed, but also provides a greater amount of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in addition to the numerous other health benefits associated with higher intakes of fruit and vegetables.

The new image and guidelines themselves will not automatically solve all of the problems related to food intake like obesity and high blood pressure, the USDA hopes that they will be combined with portion control and physical activity to create healthier lifestyles for all Americans.

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A new study shows that caffeine in moderation is safe during pregnancy

A new study has emerged that tell us it is fine for pregnant women who love their morning coffee to be able to consume a moderate amount of caffeine at maximum of 200 milligrams per day.

The new findings could bring some elation to women who suffer from fatigue and really miss that latte or cup of joe to get the day started.  Scientists warn, however; not to consume too much caffeine in the early stages of pregnancy in order to avoid a miscarriage.

Chocolate lovers may also benefit from the new results.  The maximum amount of consumption recommended is now approximately six candy bars per day.  This is for the dark chocolate variety, which contains antioxidants and less fat and sugar.

A great way to enjoy your coffee while pregnant is in a blended iced drink like the revamped Starbucks Frappuccino.  Those who are sensitive to the lactose in milk can make their drinks with soymilk.  Other alternative includes rice milk, almond milk, goat’s milk, and hemp milk sold in the natural section of most grocery stores.  It has also been reported by many coffee drinker that organic blends reduce any adverse affects on the stomach.

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These pecan date balls go perfect rolled in shredded coconut

Ingredients

½ cup chopped pecan pieces

1 small sliced crystallized ginger, chopped

¼ cup chopped dates

¼ tsp orange zest

1/8 cup maple syrup

½ cup shredded non-sweetened coconut

Directions

Put all of the ingredients, minus the coconut, in a food processor and hit the pulse button.  Then finely grind the mixture.  With wet hands or gloves, roll into ½” balls, then roll in the shredded coconut.

Makes approximately 24 coconut pecan date balls.

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The mango smoothie is easy to prepare and sweet to taste

This easy to make mango smoothie is a great way to cool off this summer and also meets your fruit requirements for the day.

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen mango chunks

1 cup orange juice, low sugar

1/3 cup agave syrup

½ cup plain lowfat yogurt

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Place the mango chunks in a blender and use the pulse setting to chop, then blend for a few seconds.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Add more agave syrup to taste.  Yields 4 cups.

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Fruits watches, produced by Fruitz, have been creating quite a buzz lately, not only because of the brand’s fashion appeal and fun image, but also because of the natural frequency technology embedded in each watch.

The concept behind Fruitz is that just as fruits provide our bodies with nutritional value, so do these watches. How so? The Natural Frequency Technology disks on each watch contain the same frequencies at which the earth resonates (7-9 hz). Through the disk these key frequencies flow into the body of the watch wearer. It communicates with the bio field, and helps regulate the biorhythm of the wearer. It is truly a breakthrough technology, developed by Philip Stein.

In particular, it is the Fruitz Classic collection that represents a large range of Fruits. There’s the Grapefruit Fruitz Classic Watch, the Organge Fruitz Classic Watch and the Lemon Fruitz Classic Watch representing citrus fruits. Then there is the Blueberry Fruitz Classic Watch, the Blackberry Fruitz Classic Watch, the Raspberry Fruitz Classic Watch and the Strawberry Fruitz Classic Watch representing the Berry family. Fruitz range from the typical, such as the Red Apple Fruitz Classic watch, to the atypical, such as the Lychee Fruitz Classic Watch, taking fashion watches…and nutrition to a whole new level!

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Starbucks is now offering free Wi-Fi Internet to customers

Recently McDonald’s made it’s Wi-Fi Internet service available free in around 12,000 locations in the United States.  This trend is has been growing over the last few years, and now Starbucks has decided to go in on the deal in its locations in the United States and Canada.

Starbucks hopes to encourage patrons to stay longer and purchase more products through offering free Wi-Fi.  Over the last year coffee sales have been way down as the economy has driven consumers to make their own drinks at home.  As a result Starbucks has had to close down a large number of its smaller stores.

The free Wi-Fi service at Starbucks is welcome to customers who utilize various venues to operate their own ventures.  Those who just want to visit for coffee and socializing are concerned they may not have a place to sit as tables are taken for long periods of time.

Many coffee shops already offer free Wi-Fi, including Borders, Tulley’s, and various locally owned businesses.  While there may be less seats available in certain locations, the company could increase its product sales and keep customers coming back for more.  It doesn’t look like free Wi-Fi will be going out of style anytime soon.

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There are over 1200 varieties of watermelon in the world

Enter a beautiful summer day in a neighborhood full of playing children with a large cut up watermelon and you are sure to be surrounded by new friends eager to grab a slice of the sweet and juicy fruit.  This is why this tropical plant, which originated from Africa, has become one of the most popular picks of the season.

Watermelon can be found in just about any country these days, and is grown in places like Asia, Africa, Mexico, the United States, and even Russia. This amazing fruit contains six percent sugar and the rest is water.  But the nutrition and fiber is pretty high.  Watermelon is high in beta-carotene and lycopene, which are great cancer fighters.

When you think of the watermelon it is common to imagine a large, round green fruit with a red flesh interior and black seeds.  But that is not the only variety available.  In fact there are over 1200 different types of watermelon that exist today.  A popular find in most grocery stores is the seedless watermelon grown in Mexico, which can range anywhere from a cantaloupe size up to one larger than a basketball.  You can also find yellow watermelons, which are sweeter than red ones and have a slight honey flavor; and oblong watermelons that are also super sweet.

Whichever variety of watermelon you choose you will be sure to please just about any palette.  This is also a very versatile fruit that goes great with any barbecue, wedding, or any other occasion.

Technorati Tags: Fruit, party food, seedless watermelon, summer fruit, tropical fruit, watermelon, watermelon varieties