Many people are working hard to lose weight and wondering if there is something that can help them in what seems like an uphill struggle. It may sound strange, but something as simple as drinking certain kinds of tea known as “super teas” can really make a difference in the fight against flab.

Okuma’s authentic Wu-Long Tea is one of the world’s finest-quality super teas, and it has been scientifically proven to aid weight loss, which is just one of its many benefits.

It revs up the metabolism, helping you naturally burn calories and therefore shed those pounds at a faster rate. But first, you may be wondering…

What Are Super Teas?

There are several teas known for their amazing properties not only in accelerating weight loss but also in preventing disease and maintaining a vibrant and healthy appearance.

These are some of the healthiest teas in the world:

1. Green Tea - Made from the leaves of  the Camellia sinensis plant, this tea reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease.

2. Black Tea - It’s made from the same plant as green tea, but the leaves undergo more oxidation when they’re processed. This tea also reduces heart problems and is rich in antioxidants.

3. Oolong Tea - This semi-fermented tea is about half-way between green tea and black tea in terms of its level of oxidation. It boosts the metabolism, helping the body to burn fat faster and more efficiently.

4. Dandelion Tea - Many people think of dandelions as little more than weeds, but dandelion tea can in fact act as a liver cleanser.

5. Ginger Tea – Derived from ginger root, this tea has a huge number of benefits, from combating the common cold to relieving digestive discomfort.

Why Wu-Long Tea Stands Out for Its Weight Loss Properties

Oolong Tea is rich in antioxidants called “catechins” and “polyphenols,” which help to boost metabolism and speed up weight loss. But not all oolong tea is created equal…

A special kind of Oolong tea called Wu-Long is grown in very high altitudes and has a super-high concentration of polyphenols.

So, while regular Oolong is just okay for weight loss, Wu-Long actually burns over 2.5 times more fat than any other variety of Oolong.

No wonder Wu-Long is considered a “medical grade” tea in China.

This Wu-Long Tea comes straight from Anxi County in the Fujian Province of China. Why is this significant, you might wonder? Anxi’s claim to fame is being the Tea Capital of China. It’s a place where some of the world’s best tea is grown, and it is especially famous for its high-quality Wu-Long Tea!

The easiest way to get access to this tea, outside of going to China, is ordering it online from Okuma Nutritionals. This is a company that has been in business for 13 years and was even mentioned specifically by Bill Phillips, author of Body For Life.

Scientific Research Confirms Wu-Long’s Ability to Help Burn Belly Fat and Upper Arm Fat

Although some scientists were skeptical of Wu-Long Tea can truly bring results, a series of experiments revealed that this tea really does have amazing potency.

One study, conducted by scientists from Japan’s University of Tokushima School of Medicine and published in the Journal of Medical Investigation, compared drinkers of Wu-Long tea with those who drank authentic Japanese green tea.

Both groups dranks the same amount of tea, but the study found that the people who drank Wu-Long experienced a 10% energy expenditure increase compared with only 4% for the green tea drinkers.

Other studies show that Wu-Long is better than black tea at burning stubborn belly fat and upper arm fat in particular.

According to Livestrong.com, “In a study by Kevin Maki, president of Provident Clinical Research and Consulting, a private research firm in the United States, participants who drank the equivalent of five cups of Wu Long tea lost significantly more abdominal fat than people who drank black tea, according to a report in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Nutrition.”

Also, “Nine of 12 oolong tea drinkers lost fat in their waists, and eight of 12 lost fat in their upper arms in a study led by Japanese researcher Masatoshi Nakoma, who presented his findings at the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity in October 2001.”

As if this amazing weight loss wasn’t enough to recommend Wu-Long, this tea may also reduce signs of aging and give the skin a healthy glow. This is not surprising, considering that this tea helps reduce free radicals by 50 percent in just 15 days, according to a study performed at University of California, Davis.

Are you ready to start on your way to a healthier weight and an overall feeling of well-being? Click here to begin your weight loss journey with Okuma’s authentic Wu-Long Tea.

Order Okuma’s Original Wu-Long Slimming Tea Today

Ordering a package of this amazing tea could be the first step in achieving a healthy weight. You would be joining thousands of satisfied customers who are now slimmer and healthier thanks to making this tea a part of their daily routine.

You will receive these four free information booklets with any order:

•  Melt More Fat — Your Workout Guide
• It’s Not If You Make Mistakes, It’s How You Recover
• 51 Recipes to Melt Away Those Pesky Pounds
• 5 Easy Lifestyle Changes That Will Guarantee You Lose Weight

Click the banner below to begin your weight loss journey with Okuma’s authentic Wu-Long Tea.

Article Sources:

• http://www.livestrong.com/article/308263-wu-long-tea-diet/#ixzz2UHgDt8VH
• http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/consumer/food/article/-/16097803/super-teas-enhancing-health/
• http://www.glycemicgourmet.com/wu-long-tea.html

Read the full post here: A Super Tea That Helps with Fat Loss? Here’s the Facts

While there’s a lot of talk in today’s nutritional community about the full range of fruits and vegetables and their respective health benefits, the lemon sticks out as a type of citrus fruit with a specific health profile. Sure, lemons include many of the same antioxidants and vitamins as similar fruits, but they also have their own unique properties that are generally associated with better health.

You can hear about a lot of these specific health benefits in all kinds of media, from talk television to the health pamphlets on display at your local doctor’s office. Many different kinds of professionals are talking about how to utilize whole foods to get the right vitamins and nutrients in a diet, and also to promote the specific kinds of body responses that help individuals to achieve personal objectives like muscle tone, weight loss and gastrointestinal health.

Still, a lot of people are confused about exactly how different foods help the body, and how lemons stand out as a citrus fruit with a range of benefits for everyday living.

Lemons and Molecular Metabolism

Some science suggests that lemon juice can help break down fat molecules, which could contribute to weight loss. Lemon juice has also been used as a healthier alternative because of its flavor profile; for example, as a type of salad dressing.

Some point out that lemon juice is also a diuretic, which can help flush out toxins from the body. All of these are common ways that lemons work as a kind of dietary health aid where medicinal and therapeutic uses converge with regular dietary changes.

Health Uses of the Lemon

Lemon juice is also what’s called an astringent, which means that it has a cleansing and healing effect on the body and in particular on the skin. In some holistic treatments, lemon juice is rubbed on the skin in order to rejuvenate and tighten facial areas.

Another use of lemon for its health benefits is for relieving a sore throat and other cold and flu symptoms.

Lemon in tea is often seen as a therapeutic use of this citrus fruit; many recipes that call for lemon in a tea or infusion include the use of other balancing ingredients like honey, ginger, and specific kinds of herbs such as mint or basil, partly in order to curb the sour taste of raw lemon juice, and also to provide additional nutrients in one single cup.

The Health Benefits of Lemons and Master Cleanse

Some who have studied the properties of lemons and lemon juice in detail have found other great health and wellness uses, including the master cleanse, where the lemon works with the body’s gastrointestinal system to promote a healthier digestive tract.

Lemon isn’t the only type of astringent that can be used for related health goals; some nutritionists also promote the use of different kinds of vinegar for some of the same objectives, including metabolic assistance, and other superfoods like garlic are similar in that their strong natural tastes are connected to key health benefits promoted by health experts as a way to achieve better health through a good diet.

Natural Engineering

In short, there’s a lot of “natural engineering” happening in the lemon that, in some ways, mirrors the elaborate ways that human engineers have developed all kinds of consumer items. The way that lemon traps metabolic components at a molecular level is just one good example.

Consider using lemons along with other holistic remedies to feel better and improve overall health. Whether your goal is to cleanse out your system, match your diet to a workout regimen, or just change your menu to affect better general health, this small yellow citrus fruit can work its magic in various ways, as a natural alternative to some of the chemical cocktails on the market that promise health benefits.

It’s worth doing some in-depth research and matching what’s out there with the advice of a qualified medical professional who can assist in developing the right menu for you and your individual health needs. Always consult a family doctor or other qualified physician before making dramatic changes to a diet or lifestyle, in order to avoid hidden dangers of drug interactions or other potential problems.

It’s also important to give your doctors a list of all known allergies and current medications in order to study how any natural remedies might interact with what you’re currently taking. With the right oversight, lemon juice can be a powerful health tool for taking control of what goes into your body and how it works.

Read the full post here: A Citrus Astringent: the Health Benefits of Lemons

Following a nutritious diet is undoubtedly the most critical component in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. With all the fad diet trends surfacing each day, picking a genuinely healthy diet to abide by can be challenging at times.

It’s easy enough to tell a fad diet from a real diet since fad diets are not sustainable over the long haul and do not provide you with enough nutrients.

As you read this article, you’ll learn more more about diet trends and which ones actually work.

The Paleo Diet

Many speculate that the paleo diet is built on ideals that are unrealistic because it’s based on our diet from the Paleolithic era and conditions today are of course much different than they were during the cime of the cave men.

However, this diet actually offers several valid benefits, both in terms of weight loss and better health.

Essentially, this diet emphasizes consuming primarily veggies, lean cuts of protein, nuts, seeds, and fruit. It also advocates avoiding dairy and sugary, carbohydrate-heavy foods is stressed to prevent insulin spikes, decreased energy levels, and excessive fat storage.

Studies have shown that this diet works because lean protein keeps you fuller longer than carb-heavy meals and that combined with fruits and veggies supplies an abundance of vitamins and minerals.

Weight Watchers

While Weight Watchers isn’t considered to be the best approach by some nutrition experts, it is a popular diet program that has been proven effective over time. Weight Watchers is often a perfect starting point for those seeking to lose weight without strictly limiting their diet and setting themselves up for failure. Weight Watchers operates primarily by controlling the calorie intake through their point system. With fruits and veggies costing dieters 0 of their daily point totals, this can be a very healthy way to go if undertaken properly.

The Mediterranean Diet

Similarly to the Paleo diet, the Mediterranean diet stresses the importance of consuming fruits, veggies, and nuts. Unlike the Paleo diet, this diet suggests limiting meat intake to avoid excessive fat consumption and increased cholesterol. For protein, this diet recommends eating a sufficient amount of fish to obtain various vitamins.

This diet has proven to be successful because it revolves around wholesome, raw foods and limits fatty foods.

The Smoothie Diet

One of the healthiest, trendy diets around is undoubtedly the smoothie diet. Nutritionists often agree that replacing your oatmeal or eggs with a fruit and veggie filled smoothie is the best bet because you’re getting a plethora of vitamins and nutrients.

Not only does the smoothie diet assist in obtaining a nice dose of essential vitamins, it also contributes to improved digestion. Improved digestion allows your body to function better, helping in weight loss.

Compiling your preference of fruits, veggies, almond or coconut milk, and a scoop of protein powder and blending it all up in a personal blender is an unbeatable breakfast in terms of nutrition, taste, and simplicity.

Read the full post here: 4 Diet Trends That Are Actually Healthy

At times it might seem that eating healthy and living a hectic life are mutually exclusive. This is simply not the case. It does not have to be overwhelmingly expensive either. A healthy breakfast made of whole ingredients will usually be cheaper than a processed, fast food one.

It is within the realm of possibility to maintain a healthy diet as you commute to work by car, subway or foot. Simply take a few minutes of your morning to make one of these delicious and healthy breakfasts, or even prepare it the night before.

1. Breakfast Bowl

The breakfast bowl is an all-time favorite for healthy eaters on the go, and it allows for a ton of creativity based on your taste buds.

All you must do to create this bowl is to mix a few ingredients together to ensure that you are fulfilling several nutritional zones. You can include fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates and protein.

One favorite breakfast bowl includes a hard-boiled egg chopped into pieces, small bits of ham and apple slices. You might even sprinkle a small amount of cheese on top.

A vegetarian bowl might include peanut butter, granola and various fruits.

Other ingredients might include avocado, nuts and oranges.

2. Yogurt Parfait

It is also very simple to throw together a yogurt parfait, especially with Greek yogurt.

This fruity concoction is full of antioxidants and omega-3 fats that will give you brain a much-needed boost before the monotony of a work day. This is easy to eat in the car, while walking or at your desk.

All you must do is layer Greek yogurt with any other ingredients in your container of choice. Potential mix-ins include blueberries, strawberries, nuts, granola and basically any fruit that you please.

3. Smoothies

If you own a blender, you have a great breakfast tool at your disposal. Not only are smoothies delicious, but they are also nutritious. Smoothies are full of antioxidants. Like the other options, this breakfast dish is customizable as well. Throwing strawberries bananas, protein powder and nuts into the best blender with some water and ice is enough, but there is much more you can do to make it suit your tastes. Mocha and coffee flavored smoothies are great alternatives for drinking a coffee loaded in calories and sugars. Peanut butter is another great addition for an added protein kick.

Enjoy a Fast, Healthy Breakfast without the Guilt

If you are looking for affordable ways to eat breakfast before work, you do not have to resort to greasy fast food. You can eat healthy food in a hurry without spending hours of precious time over the stove, and you must not resort to microwave foods to have breakfast fast. You will soon be on your way to eating healthy on your way to work.

Read the full post here: On The Go: 3 Healthy Breakfast Ideas You Can Eat While On The Way To Work

While evaluating super foods, Kale doesn’t instantly come to mind for most folks. Nonetheless, this leafy green plant is a nutritive dynamo that should be on every Top Ten Superfoods list. The nutritional benefits of kale are truly extraordinary.

Just like its counterparts broccoli and cauliflower, the kale plant originates from the wild cabbage and was consumed by Celtic communities as far back as 600 B.C. According to author Stanley Mortinsen, “there are quite a few variations of kale. Each variety has a distinctive taste and consistency but all of them are overflowing with nutritive value and a ton of fiber.”

Nutritionally Dense

Over the past few years, scientists have revealed that kale and other vegetables like cabbage and Brussels sprouts are loaded with calcium, beta-carotene, iron, lutein and Vitamins K, A, and C.

One serving of Kale delivers 192 percent of the recommended daily amount for Vitamin A, which has been shown to be guard against some lung diseases.

“Any vegetable that has a very deep color the way kale does, that means there is a high concentration of nutrients, and that translates into a range of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the body,” says Deirdre Orceyre, a naturopathic physician at the George Washington University Medical Center.

Studies in Australia have discovered that people who consume a diet that contains ample amounts of beta-carotene rich foods such as kale can lower the likelihood of developing skin cancer.

Supports your Immune System

The remarkable concentration of vitamins and nutrients found in kale reinforces the immune system and battles viruses, germs and bacteria.

Kale contains more iron than beef, which makes it a very good source of iron for people who don’t eat meat. In case you didn’t know, iron helps to get oxygen into your blood.

Body Purification and Weight loss

The fiber and sulfur content in kale helps to support digestion and liver health.

The high amounts of vitamin C that kale provides works to hydrate your body and makes your metabolism faster. This often leads to weight loss and the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels. The fiber in kale has also been proven to lower bad cholesterol.

According to WebMD, “Eating a variety of natural, unprocessed vegetables can do wonders for your health, but choosing super-nutritious kale on a regular basis may provide significant health benefits, including cancer protection and lowered cholesterol.”

Improves Hair, Skin & Nails

The wholesome amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in kale help to keep your body strong, vibrant and attractive from the inside out. Kale’s high nutrient content gives the appearance of your hair, skin and nails a boost.

Improves Vision and Bone Health

The vitamin A content kale helps to keep your eyes safe from optical conditions that tend to come with age. Vitamin A also helps to stockpile vitamins inside of the retina. Meanwhile, the high levels of calcium and vitamin D and K keep your bones healthy and strong.

Fights Inflammation

Kale contains omega-3 fatty acids that help to combat and relieve arthritis, asthma and autoimmune conditions. Additionally, the vitamin C levels helps to mitigate rigid joints.

Improves Sleep

A great article recently came out about the power of Kale to induce sleep for those struggling with sleep apnea, insomnia, and other sleep related problems. Other sleep-inducing foods include fish, bananas, yogurt, and chickpeas. Read the full article to learn more.

Combats Illness

Kale and other species of dark green vegetables may possibly be beneficial in averting various cancers. The rich vitamin K found in kale is essential for bone health and preventing the effects of osteoporosis. The folic acid and vitamin B6 provide circulatory system support and helps to guard against heart disease.

Read the full post here: Eight Nutritional Benefits of Kale That Make It a Superfood

Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year approximately 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States alone – that is a shocking one out of every four deaths.

Yet while murder and tragic accidents get national news coverage, there is rarely any mention of this epidemic sweeping the nation. Is it because heart disease is considered a “natural” cause of death? Or is it just because it has become so incredibly common? The truth is that heart disease is no more natural than deaths caused by car accidents – it’s the product of lifestyle low on physical activity, and a diet rich in processed foods but low in nutrition. In traditional societies where individuals eat natural foods, heart disease is actually a rare killer – not a disease that is responsible for 25% of all deaths.

So what can you do to minimize your chances of succumbing to heart disease? Exercise and activity are important, but the single most important thing you can do to fend off heart disease is to take a look in your kitchen. A heart healthy diet should be based around a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and lean meats, like those found in the 17 day diet. Here are 5 of the top heart healthy “superfoods” to get you started:

Kale

Remember when your mom said you had to eat those dark, leafy green vegetables? Kale is the ultimate vegetable – research has shown that it is one of the great heart healthy superfoods.

Kale is rich in anti-oxidents, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin e, folate, lutein, fiber, glucoraphanin, as well as potassium.

While you can still get benefits from Kale if you incorporate it into your cooking, eat your Kale in a salad to get the most benefit out of its rich nutrients – just make sure not to coat it with Caesar dressing.

Alternatives: arugula, spinach, romaine, swiss chard.

Oranges

Oranges contain a soluble fiber that is great for blocking the absorption of cholesterol. The potassium found in oranges also helps in reducing blood pressure by counterbalancing sodium.

Recent studies even suggest that the Citrus pectin found in oranges can have the effect of neutralizing a protein – known as galactin-3 – which can contribute to congestive heart failure.

The heart healthy pectins found in the pulp and pith of the orange, so it’s important to eat oranges, not just drink gallons of orange juice. If you’re drinking orange juice, choose 100% natural juice with pulp, not from concentrate.

Alternatives: Strawberries, bananas, apples, grapefruit, kiwi, blueberries.

Garlic

Most of us know that garlic is a great flavor enhancer in cooking – and that it’s also great for slaying vampires. But taste and vampire repelling properties aside, research has shown that garlic can target an enzyme known as angiotensin, which can constrict the blood vessels. This means that a diet rich in garlic can have a positive effect on plaque buildup – a study at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that taking garlic extract slowed the progression of plaque buildup by over 50%.

Since eating garlic cloves is a painful proposition at best, to increase your garlic intake, you can try incorporating more garlic into your cooking or taking garlic extract supplements. But alas, eating more garlic bread won’t help your heart.

Red wine

Alcohol (in small amounts of course) has been shown to increase the body’s HDL cholesterol – the good cholesterol that aids in plaque prevention.

However, red wine has been shown to hold additional benefits for the heart thanks to compounds in red wine known as polyphenols. Polyphenols reduce the chances of blood clotting and keep blood vessels healthy.

However, this research is certainly no excuse to justify excessive drinking. Chronic drinking and binge drinking can have detrimental effects on the liver and heart, and having just more than one glass of wine a day increases the chances of breast cancer in women. If you’re looking to drink red wine for the health benefits, limit yourself to one glass a day.

Alternative: Dark beers (Guinness stout)

Dark chocolate

While the heavily processed, sugar-infused chocolate that most Americans enjoy doesn’t have any health benefits, a few squares of dark chocolate – which carries higher quantities of cocoa and the blood vessel aiding compounds called flavonols – can have positive benefits on blood pressure and hypertension.

However, the key here is to find dark chocolate where the flavonols haven’t been destroyed through food processing.

You want to look for the purest forms of dark chocolate, and avoid chocolate infused with caramel, cookie crunch, or other common sweets.

Alternative: Carob

Enjoy a Variety of Heart Healthy Food

These are just a handful of the heart healthy foods you can start incorporating into your diet, but they’re certainly not the only ones.  Some other heart healthy and versatile superfoods include lentils, almonds, walnuts, pomegranates, sardines, salmon, mackerel, extra virgin olive oil, and avocado. 

Read the full post here: 5 Heart Healthy Superfoods To Improve Your Cardiovascular Health

Everyone wants to lose weight and feel great. Diet and exercise are obviously the keys to unlock those feelings but it can be tough.

When you are navigating through the world of healthy eating you are bogged down by get-rich quick schemes and other nonsense. You will never be able to escape the books, seminars, DVD’s that pledge quick results and a better life.

But when it comes down to the root core of diet and exercise, building a habit is the real key.

What Is a Habit?

A habit is something that you can do with no effort. Every day we are completing different tasks that are ingrained within us.

Driving is a great example. Do you remember when you first started driving? How challenging it was? How much time and effort you put into it? Nowadays, you have to pass a number of different tests and put in long hours of drive time before you can get your license. All of this is serious conscious effort.

But six months to a year after you receive that license, driving seems like the easiest thing in the world. Why is this? It became a habit. From all that effort you put into driving, you got good at it. You no longer had to think about how fast to go on the highway. You no longer had to think about putting your blinker on before you turn right. It becomes muscle memory.

This is a habit, and if you apply it to diet you are unstoppable.

Forget Fast Results

Before we move forward and show you the step-by-step process to creating a good eating habit and sticking to your diet, you must forget about fast results. Yes, there are numerous programs out there that promise amazing results in two, four, or six weeks. Sometimes these programs do work. They are designed to be a complete lifestyle change in which you eat specific foods. Obviously, these foods are healthy and the program will help you lose a lot of weight. But the major flaw is that it isn’t helping for the long-term.

To get long-term results you need to focus on slow and gradual changes. This may be hard for some as we live in a culture built around instant gratification. But to truly see lasting change, you need to commit for years to come, not just for a few weeks.

How to Develop Healthy Eating Habits

Now that we understand what a habit is and how it is formed, it is time to make the change you have been looking for. Let’s get started.

1. Find one fruit you like to eat: There are literally hundreds of fruits. Some are sweet and some are sour. Just pick one you like. Once you have a fruit that you enjoy eating, it is time to implement it into your diet. Take that desired fruit and eat one a day for the next two weeks. You can eat it with any meal you like or even as a snack. Just make sure you eat one a day. No more. No less.

2. Find one vegetable you like: Just like with fruits, there are hundreds to choose from. Just find one. Now add this to your daily diet. Eat your desired vegetable once a day for the next two weeks.

At this point one month has passed. You have been eating one piece of fruit for four weeks and one vegetable for two weeks.

If at this point you are getting tired of your fruit because you have been eating it for so long, then it is okay to switch to a new fruit. Just make sure you keep eating one a day.

3. Pick one healthy meal: For the next month, you will still be eating one fruit and one veggie every day. But you will also pick out one healthy meal to eat. This can be any meal you like, whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner. The internet is filled with recipes for healthy meals you can choose. Just find one you like and eat it on any day that first week.

4. Pick one more healthy meal: The next week, pick out one more healthy meal you like. Cook it on any day and eat it.

5. Expand: Continue to do this every week. As each week passes you are adding one more healthy meal to your daily eating habits.

Once two months have passed, you have been eating one fruit a day for two months and one veggie a day for a month and a half. You are also up to four healthy meals a week. This is tremendous progress from where you started.

Positive Side Effects

By starting off so slowly and simply you are making it impossible to fail. It requires almost zero will power to eat one piece of fruit every day. As you expand you will need a little bit more will power but the habit is slowly being formed.

It won’t be long before you notice positive changes in your life. A healthy diet means a renewed vitality. You have more energy and just feel better. Feeling these positive side effects will help motivate you to continue forward.

You will also notice that your taste buds are starting to change. Fast food no longer seems as tempting. Instead you rather have a delicious meal of lean chicken and black bean soup.

All of this is possible. Living healthy doesn’t have to be an excruciating endeavor. By making very slow and simple changes to your life over time you can retrain your body. There is no magic formula to sticking to a diet. If you just bide your time and use minimal will power to assist you anything is possible. Embrace healthy foods one step at a time and make the change to a better life.

Read the full post here: Healthy Eating Habits: How To Stick To Your Diet Forever

Being a vegetarian may be challenging in the beginning, but you can still find a way to enjoy your food. A lot of people would ask you: “how do you get enough proteins if you don’t eat meat?”

That’s a fair question, as your body cannot survive without proteins. However, this issue should not affect your lifestyle and food habits, you can find your way around. You can be a vegetarian and still get enough protein from different non-meat products.

Protein rich foods for vegetarians don’t have their own section in most stores, so how do you find them?

The list of protein rich veggie products would make your life easier:

Chick peas

Hummus is one of the most delicious meals you can make out of chickpeas. Add some chickpeas, feta cheese and lemon juice to your salad, and enjoy the meal full of proteins and vitamins. 200 grams of chickpeas contain about 30 grams of protein.

Tofu

Tofu is one of the leading protein sources for vegetarians. Iron, magnesium and proteins from tofu make it a great meat substitute. You will get 11 grams of proteins from 150 grams of tofu. Tofu is a great universal product that would complement the taste of any meal.

Avocado

Avocado is one of my favorite fruits. Many people think it is a vegetable, but it really is a fruit.

You can add it to your tuna salad, have a bowl of guacamole or simply make a nice sandwich with cheese and tomatoes.

One avocado fruit has about seven grams of proteins. As a matter of fact, proteins from avocados are better for your body than proteins from any meat as your liver cannot process all the cooked proteins.

Avocadoes are also rich in fiber, folic acids and zinc.

Peaches

It may sound surprising, but peaches are one of the high protein fruits. Every peach would give you two grams of proteins. Buy several kilos of peaches when the season comes and enjoy the great source of vitamins and proteins.

Kidney beans

200 grams of kidney beans would give your body 30 grams of proteins. You can always add this great source of proteins to any vegetable salad and have a healthy meal.

Peanut butter

Many people love peanut butter for its great taste and texture. You need to eat it in moderation to control your calorie intake.

Soy milk

This is another product rich in proteins. Add some soy milk to your cereals in the morning to boost your protein level.

Find Protein Rich Foods That Work for You

If you enjoy cooking, you can experiment with various vegetarian recipes rich in protein. People with busy schedules need to find a right diet rich in amino acids. Make it a habit to add some protein powder to your milkshake or smoothie.

There are a lot of protein-rich food options for vegetarians – also, a number of bodybuilders consider products like grass fed whey a vegetarian option to help their efforts in exercise. A vegetarian diet does not have to be plain and boring, but you probably already know that. However, the good news is that it is not necessarily a problem if you plan on starting your career in bodybuilding (or just like working out).

Regardless of your food choices, you need to consult your doctor before making any changes in your daily diet. Your doctor may also recommend some protein rich solutions.

With some effort, you can enjoy the combination of fruit, vegetables, and nuts and still get enough protein on a daily basis!

Read the full post here: Protein Rich Foods for Vegetarians

As a health-conscious person, you probably rely on the products sold in stores such as Whole Foods and similar retailers that sell plenty of vitamins and supplements. You probably don’t think of anything you buy there as “toxic foods.”

But what if we told you not all of these products are safe?

Natural health activist and journalist Mike Adams has recently published an article detailing some shockingly dangerous additives that can be found even in supplements and foods labeled as healthy.

“I know this because I’ve been an investigative journalist and activist in the natural health industry for over a decade,” says Adams.

I’ve walked the floors of countless trade shows, conducted hundreds of interviews and spent tens of thousands of dollars on laboratory tests to determine what’s in these products. On top of that, I’m deep into organic product formulations and certified organic food production, serving as the supervisor of a USDA-certified organic food production and packing facility.

Here are some of the most harmful toxins contained in foods labeled as natural and healthy.

MSG Labeled as “Yeast Extract”

Most of us think this well-known dangerous chemical is only added to burgers and potato chips.  However, hidden MSG (monosodium glutamate) is prevalent in supposedly healthy foods such as veggie burgers and other vegetarian products.

MSG occurs in yeast extract, so anything labeled as “yeast extract,” “autolyzed yeast extract,” “torula yeast,” “yeast hydrosylate,” or even “hydrolyzed vegetable protein” very likely contains MSG.

According to LiveStrong.com, “As with MSG, the industry claims that yeast extract is a natural substance with no harmful effects, and opponents claim it causes a variety of health problems.”

Some reported symptoms of MSG include headaches, heart palpitations, nausea, and chest pain. It has also been linked to helping the growth of cancer.

Vitamin C

That’s right, good old reliable vitamin C is on this list. Just like so many junk food companies who try to cut corners and use the least expensive food available, many natural food companies will use genetically modified corn.

“Nearly all the “vitamin C” sold in vitamins across America right now is derived from GMO corn,” says Mike Adams on the Natural News website.

This includes even the supplements from Whole Foods or Amazon, and of course the ones sold in supermarkets and grocery stores. This type of vitamin C is usually labeled as “ascorbic acid.”

“Sourcing non-GMO vitamin C requires you to go outside the United States,” says Adams, “There is no existing supply chain of certified organic, non-GMO ascorbic acid available anywhere in America (at least not to my knowledge). You can’t even run batches of non-GMO ascorbic acid production in the USA because all the facilities are contaminated with residues of GM corn.”

A good alternative to taking vitamin pills is camu-camu berry powder, rose hips, or citrus fruit juice.

Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin is similar to glucose in that it has practically no nutritional value and passes very quickly into the bloodstream. Most of the maltodextrin used in natural products is derived from genetically modified corn.

The only way to make sure corn maltodextrin is safe is to look for the “USDA organic” label. Alternatively, there is also tapioca maltodextrin, which is also usually found in organic products.

Soy and Rice Proteins

“Nearly 100% of the “natural” soy proteins and rice proteins sold in the USA are extracted in China using a hexane extraction method. This is true for brown rice protein superfoods as well as the soy protein used in nearly all so-called ‘protein bars.’” says Mike Adams.

“My understanding is that hexane extraction is not allowed in certified organic proteins, so if you have a choice, go for certified organic instead of just “natural” (which means nothing anyway).”

So many of today’s popular protein bars contain soy protein. Just a few examples are Luna, Zone Perfect, Balance, and Cliff bars.

Lead and Arsenic in Chinese Supplements

Chinese medicine holds a certain mystique in the minds of health-conscious people, and of course, it does offer many powerful remedies. Unfortunately, China also happens to be the most heavily polluted country in the world.

It appears that high levels of heavy metals such as mercury, lead and arsenic are often detected in many Chinese products, including foods, herbs, and other supplements.

“Astonishingly, many of the small and medium-sized companies that import and retail products from China conduct no metals testing whatsoever,” says Adams, ”I know this as a fact because I’ve talked to people doing this.

Acrylamides

Acrylamides are chemicals produced as a result of cooking carbs on high heat. As something that is produced during the cooking process, they are not really considered “ingredients” and therefore don’t have to appear on the label.

However, acrylamides do cause cancer, and they are present in many foods from french fries to breakfast cereals.

As there are many natural foods that are supposedly healthy alternatives to junk food, it’s important to remember that they could still contain acrylamides. Organic potato chips, for instance, will be almost as unhealthy as regular chips for that reason.

It’s best to avoid deep fried food such as chips, or at least take lots of superfoods such as cholorella to compensate if you are going to indulge in these foods.

How to Protect Yourself from These Toxic Foods

The manufacturers of these foods conduct their own lab testing, but they often lie about the test results. This is how contaminated products are usually sold since the importers and retailers don’t do their own testing and simply trust the manufacturers to tell the truth.

This is why as consumers we should look for authentic lab testing on any foods we purchase.

Fortunately, products from retailers such as Natural News, Mercola, Gaia  Herbs, Gary Null, and others are all tested for contaminants, and the raw materials they use are safe.

Another problem is certain products being labeled as organic when in fact they are not. So, looking for an official logo like the USDA for those living in the U.S. is one more step you can take to protect yourself.

The bottom line is there are many crooks out there, but there are still some companies that care about the products they sell. It’s not always easy, but the best thing to do is find those companies and buy products that are truly safe and healthy.

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com/039638_toxins_ingredients_nutritional_supplements.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/71755-autolyzed-yeast-extract/

http://benjimester.hubpages.com/hub/Maltodextrin-Side-Effects

Read the full post here: Toxic Foods, Vitamins and Supplements Touted as Healthy

There is something about soda that makes it hard to resist. Maybe it’s the carbonation, maybe it’s the caffeine or the sugar. But whatever it is, we simply have to ignore its siren call and find healthier alternatives to soda.

There are other delicious drinks out there that will not be harmful to your health. All you have to do is find a favorite and, who knows, maybe you will even end up liking it better than soda.

Seltzer

If you’re craving carbonation, seltzer water is very satisfying in that department. There is nothing so refreshing as pure carbonated water without the addition of sugar and chemical flavors. Seltzer water can also come in different flavors (check the ingredients to see whether it’s naturally flavored), and its taste is usually sweet and subtle.

You can also create your own flavors by mixing three parts seltzer with one part pure fruit juice.

Flavored Water

This comes with a caveat, as flavored water that is purchased in supermarkets can be almost as bad as soda. It often contains sugar or aspartame, so check the ingredients carefully. Or better yet, you can make your own flavored water by adding a few slices of fruits and vegetables and letting the water soak up their flavor.

Green Tea

If it’s caffeine you’re craving, you’ll find plenty of it in green tea, which you can drink hot or iced. Of course, there is much debate about whether caffeinated tea is in fact healthy, but there is no doubt that green tea is healthier than soda. It has no calories, is rich in antioxidants and has been linked to cancer and heart disease prevention.

To read more about healthy alternatives to soda, head over to SavingAdvice.com

Read the full post here: Healthy Alternatives to Soda