Top Healthy Food for Autumn Cooking

As summer comes to an end, so does the availability of British grown seasonal foods such as berries and crisp salads. But foodies shouldn't fear - while Autumn may bring with it long nights and cold weather, it's also the perfect time of year for some of the very best fresh produce the UK has to offer, many of which contain disease fighting nutrients.

Autumn is a great time of year for English apples, and not only do these taste amazing but they are full of flavonoids, potent antioxidants that are known to lower the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and some cancers. They are completely versatile, and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, including apple pies and crumbles and sauces to accompany Sunday roasts. Apple's aren't the only fruits Autumn gives us - pears are almost as versatile as apples, and are high in fibre, lowering blood cholesterol levels and improving blood sugar control. They can be used on salads or in sandwiches or can be poached for a warm, sweet dessert.

Often ignored until Christmas day, parsnips have a sweet, delicate flavour and are a great source if of fibre, vitamin C, calcium and iron. The best flavour comes from smooth and firm, small to medium sized parsnips, and these can be boiled and mashed together with carrots or steamed, boiled or roasted a side vegetable. They also make a great addition to soups.

Autumn is the perfect time of year for pumpkins and squashes, but too often pumpkins are thought of as a Halloween decoration rather than a food full of beta-carotene, an important antioxidant, as well as vitamin C. Even the seeds of pumpkins are packed with nutritional value, and can be roasted from a fresh pumpkin in a hot oven.
Winter squashes are one of the few vegetables that do not loose quality after picking and can be stored for months on end. In fact, during storage, the vitamin A content increases, making them a great source of heart-healthy nutrients.

Turnips, or swede depending where in the country you live, have a tough outer skin with a white flesh that's bitterer in flavour than potatoes. They are a member of the mustard family and are a great source of fibre and cancer fighting toxins. They can be cooked in a number of ways, including boiling, roasting or mashing.

Finally there's the sweet potato. Not normally associated with British gardens, the sweet potato is easy to grown in sheltered spaces and contains one and a half times the amount of vitamin C found in an ordinary potato. However the name is slightly misleading - sweet potatoes are not related to the traditional potato, and is in fact a root vegetable rather than a tuber.

Firm, smooth skins are a sign of a good quality sweet potato, and as well as vitamin C, they contain four times the recommended amount of vitamin A and are an ideal choice diabetics since they are full of slow release carbohydrates, helping to steady blood sugar levels.

Simple steps to good nutrition

Though the importance of good nutrition has been elevated in recent years, a vast number of people continue to neglect the basic principles of a sound and healthy diet. What we eat and how much plays a great role in determining our longetivity and likelihood of developing life threatening illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. More importantly, this is one facet of the health equation that we are in control of and have the power to change for the better. Just being conscious of important facets of good nutrition are the first step toward a healthier and happier life.

Good nutrition can be broken down into several simple guidelines that most people neglect:

1. Eat a well balanced meal
2. Only eat during the normal times and avoid snacking
3. Take Vitamins and Minerals on a regular basis
4. Drink Water
5. Know what you are eating and make sure it is healthy
6. Monitor your weight and overall health and know that when these two are out of line you need to adjust things

WELL BALANCED MEAL
As we all know by now a well balanced meal consists of the four basic food groups consisting of: dairy products, meat/protein, fruits/vegetables and breads/cereals. Because of individual taste and propensities we often find that one of these is not to our liking. However, they are all essential and if one of the groups does not appeal to you because of taste or a medical condition (lactose intolerance etc.) then you must find another way to get the essential proteins and nutrients contained in that food group. Often it is simply a matter of doing a bit of researching and finding something that you like.

EAT AT THE PROPER TIMES
The first of these has been well known for some time now. Eating meals at the normal times of breakfast, lunch and dinner and avoiding snacks is by far the healthiest approach and leads to a much less likelihood of excess weight gain or unwanted calories. Eating when you are hungry easily turns into a habit and when this happens it is much harder to break than simply being disciplined in the first place. A caveat to this rule is that in some instances snacks are necessary and recommended. This is often found in glucose tolerance/intolerance illnesses such as hyper and hypoglycemia and diabetes mellitus. Check with your Doctor if you feel you may have one of these illnesses.

TAKE VITAMINS AND MINERALS
Vitamins and minerals play an important role in health care because even when following the guidelines of a balanced meal important minerals and vitamins are often left out. Therefore almost all of us will need dietary supplements of some kind. If you want to know exactly what you are deficient in then you should schedule a consultation with a dietician or Physician.

DRINK WATER
Just drinking several glasses of water daily can do wonders for our health and digestive system. Though many like to think other beverages are equivalent to water, this has been proven to be false. There are many views of how much water is recommended for the average person. Simple research and self-monitoring can help you find the right amount.

KNOW WHAT YOU EAT
Most people have acquired the habit of reading the ingredients of the foods they eat. If you have not then it is time to start. You need to know what additives are in your food and how it has been processed and grown if at all possible. Many additives are unhealthy and detrimental to good health. Inquire, ask questions and find out what is in the food you eat and how it affects your overall health. You owe it to yourself.

MONITOR HEALTH AND WEIGHT AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY
The last step to healthy nutrition is to simply monitor yourself and determine if what you are doing is giving you the results that you want or not. If not then it is likely something needs adjusting. Be aware, that good nutrition is not enough by itself for a healthy life. We also need exercise and other facets of general healthcare that cannot be neglected. Nutrition is a very important part of the picture but don't neglect other aspects of healthcare.

Belly Dancing for Weight Loss and Other Benefits

Since the Seventies, belly dancing has grown extremely popular around the world. Not only can the exercise be fun and stimulating, the dances are also ideal for your weight loss management. There is no question that belly dancing can help you lose weight fast, build lean muscle and become more flexible.

To enroll Bellydance with Saeeda please visit her website

Most individuals never considered that belly dancing can effectively help to quickly eliminate belly fat. However, 300 calories or more can be burned by doing the dances for 60 minutes. After all, you are exercising a number of muscle groups, both large and small. The movements make your body more coordinated; build arm and leg muscles, as well as burn fat. Of course, it is always possible to burn even more calories by speeding up your dance to make it more intense. Since most classes only meet once or twice a week, you should enrol in two or three different groups. Otherwise, find other techniques to add to your weight loss management, like running, swimming and biking, for the days you do not get to get to dance.

Every time you bellydance, your arms get a fabulous work out. After all, it is not so easy to keep your hands moving slowly and elegantly above your head, performing lifts, circles and rippling motions for a long period of time. Meanwhile, you are also working out your torso when you do the sensual dances. Not unlike ballet, tap or jazz dancing, your upper body makes wave-like movements. Meanwhile, your shoulders move back and forth, as you exercise your back muscles. As a direct result, you can improve your posture, as well as prevent back injuries.

Not only do the dances assist with weight loss management, the erotic hip movements allow you to work out your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. All the while, there is minimal impact, if any, on your knees and ankles. In other words, your body does not grow sore from belly dancing for an hour at a time. There is no one standard form of belly dancing music, but the sounds of the Middle East are most commonly used. Similarly, there is no special attire, despite the popular picture in most folks' minds of a belly-flaunting genie coming out of a magic lamp. A number of men and women do wear tight clothes, like leotards and hip belts, but others prefer loose fitting clothes with scarves. Basically, you should just wear whatever you are the most comfortable in when you belly dance for weight loss management.

The special dance routines make your bones stronger, and tone your body. It is also known to fight off osteoporosis. Even your mental state can benefit too from the relaxing dance moves. Injuries are minimal, and there are no guidelines for age, sex or dancing experience. You can start bellydancing to work out your body and assist with weight loss management in no time.

If you fed up with the same old aerobics class, day after day, week after week, and would like to try something new, fun and exciting to help with your weight loss management. Then bellydance is ideal for you as even doctors advise bellydance as an easy and fast way for weight loss.

To enroll Bellydance with Saeeda please visit her website