Eye On Carrots

I'm sure many of you have been told from an early age that carrots improve your eyesight because of the beta carotene. Well that's not entirely true. Even though carrots ARE a prime source of beta carotene. It's the beta carotene that, when consumed in excess rather than moderation, can cause more harm than good.

You see, your body converts carotene into Vitamin A. Vitamin A is a top player in eye health and is responsible for good and bad eye sight. Many of the diseases and eye illnesses result from a Vitamin A deficiency. But before you go on a "What's up Doc" carrot eating marathon, too much Vitamin A is toxic to your body.

Hypervitaminosis A is a fancy way of saying you've taken in too much Vitamin A. This causes, amongst other things, liver problems, hair loss and jaundice. Remember being told if you eat too much of something you'll turn into it? In the case of jaundice, you'll turn into a carrot or squash...at least the same color.

For those kiddies reading this, no use trying to tell your moms and dads that I've told you veggies are bad. I'm not saying that at all. Just eating in moderation is the way to go!

Little known carrot fact: Carrots are a highly refined version of the weed, Queen Anne's Lace and are native to Afghanistan. Who'd have thought?

There's Something In The Water

I'm sure you've heard by now that Coca Cola has purchased the Center for Responsible Hydration aka Glaceau. What in the world is a "glaceau"? They're the makers of VitaminEnergy, SmartWater, FruitWater and my absolute favorite drink in the world...VitaminWater.

If you haven't tried VitaminWater, I encourage you to give it a sip...or guzzle...whichever you prefer. Why? This is one of the most complete drinks I've ever had the fortune to hydrate with. In fact, this is my choice for getting my vitamin supplements in. Yes, vitamins in pill form are readily available but since you only get about 10% of the vitamins in those pills (90% goes undigested), I for one prefer to ingest them already broken down. This pretty much ensures that your body will get what it needs without having to "overextend" itself.

With 15 flavors to choose from (11 of which I love, the other four I haven't tried yet) you are sure to find something that you just can't seem to hydrate yourself without. This water not only makes drinking water hip (who would have thought?), it also says being healthy is in!

Thatsa Mighty Good Pizza

Contrary to popular belief, pizza is actually one of the healthier take out foods. That's a good thing for me especially since I love me some pizza. YUM! With so many varieties, I'm willing to bet you can eat pizza everyday for a year and not have the same combination twice.

For healthier pizza choices you want to stay close to loads of veggies, no extra cheese (as hard as that is), shrimp, clams, chicken and fruit (you've got to try pineapple chicken pizza!). Tofu and tempeh actually make pretty good additions to your healthy pizza choices as well.

Pizza is also a quick and easy, fulfilling meal. Feel free to express your creativity with pizza dough as your canvas. Trust me, you won't be sorry. One of my favorite "make your own pizza" recipes is Pineapple Citrus Chicken with Spinach and Feta Cheese. I know it sounds like there's a lot going on but the first time I "accidentally" made this I was smacking my lips for days. It's real easy to make too. Here's what you'll need:

A Pizza Shell (Di'Giorno or Boboli)
Tomato Sauce
Shredded Cheese
Feta Cheese
Grilled Chicken Strips marinated in Orange Juice, cut up
Pineapple Chunks, drained
Frozen Spinach, thawed

You know what to do: throw everything together and bake for about 20 minutes or so. DELICIOUS!

Me Want Healthy Donut...Mmmm

Apparently, I'm late since I'm just finding out about a couple donuts on the market that are proclaimed to be healthy/good for you. You know me, I had to dive in and find out all that I could about these delicious little bits of healthy goodness.

First on the list is the Whole Wheat Glazed Donut from Krispy Kreme. I know, I know, you're salivating at the thought of a Krispy Kreme donut that may actually be good for you. Right? I know the feeling. So just how "healthy" is this donut? Bottom line? Not much.

Here's how it stacks up versus their Original Glazed Donut:
Total Calories: WWG-180 OGD-200
Calories From Fat: WWG-100 OGD-100
Total Fat: WWG-11g OGD-12g

I could post more nutritional information but really, what's the point? Lesson learned here? Naming something "Whole Wheat" doesn't necessarily mean that it's healthier for you. Just think, I was even bent on forgetting about the "sugar shake" that overcomes me whenever I bite into a Krispy Kreme donut for this. Blah!

Now for the second healthy donut "Super Donut", brought to us by former Pittsburgh Steelers star, Franco Harris.

The Super Donut (retails for about $2.69/box of 6) is chock full of vitamins, minerals and protein. They don't contain preservatives, trans fats, artificial flavors or colors. What's the nutritional breakdown here?
Total Calories: 240
Total Fat grams: 13
Carbs: 24
Protein: 7g
14 vitamins and minerals including Vitamins A, C, E and Bfamily, folic acid and calcium.

Of the two of course the Super Donut is the healthier choice. In fact, you can find these donuts in school cafeterias all over the United States, nursing homes, health care facilities, even on our military bases! Come to think of it, as of now, those are really the only places you'll find them unless you live in the Pittsburgh area (pick them up in your grocers freezer. I've always wanted to say that).

What To Eat When You Can't Sleep

Insomnia has many causes including stress, depression, over excitement, overeating too late too close to bedtime and jet lag. Another cause may be just plain old nosiness, being afraid you'll miss something. But I don't know if that's scientific enough to be an "on the record" cause.

If you're one of the many people who suffer from insomnia, you know how hard it is to fall asleep and stay asleep. What you may not know is what happens as a result of you not being able to sleep. Some common complications of insomnia are developing psychiatric problems, taking unnecessary risks, traffic accidents, developing diabetes and also hypertension.

Also as an insomnia sufferer, you've probably tried different things in hopes of finding a remedy. Help is on the way. Today's post is all about foods you can eat that are supposed to be solutions for insomnia.

Just what exactly can you eat that will send you on a roundtrip (yes roundtrip...one way would mean you're dead) journey to "LaLa Land"? According to this list found on Healing Food Reference, the foods that are terrific for calling the hogs are:

• Wheat
• Mulberries
• Zucchini
• Kava
• Chia seeds
• Oysters (hmm now I thought oysters were an aphrodisiac too...)
  
• Pumpkin
• Lettuce
• Oats
• Barley

If you're surprised that turkey didn't make the list since it contains L-tryptophan, don't be. Don't know what L-tryptophan is? It's an amino acid known to have a sleep inducing effect. Don't be surprised because turkey also includes other amino acids that somewhat counteract tryptophan's effect. If you're still skeptical and thinking that you know you feel lethargic on Thanksgiving after eating your delicious helping of turkey, keep in mind that Thanksgiving is normally a carbohydrate, fat filled feast. That certainly contributes to a little sheep jumping over the fence action.

Ok, soon to be sleepy heads, grab a couple slices of Zucchini Nut Bread, Oat Barley Soup or Pumpkin Dip and see how long it takes before you're watching the back of your eyelids. Ahhh, sleep at last, sleep at last, thank God Almighty, sleep at last!

Health Myth: I'm Too Busy To Eat Healthy

Have you ever said this to yourself (or someone else) "I'd love to eat healthier, but I'm just too busy"? Great! This post is just for you.

For me, eating healthier has become a normal routine in my life, without me even realizing it. My brother and I joked about this a few weeks ago saying that growing up without a lot of money pretty much dictated a healthier eating menu. That's not to say that I was always a healthy eater though. Ok enough about me, you're reading this to find out how you can eat healthy on the go.

Does the picture accompanying this post have you salivating? It should. But before you get all worked up thinking there must be way too many calories to be healthy, think again. Those are actual menu offerings at a healthy, "good for you", fast food place called b.good based in Boston, MA. I have to applaud them with their menu offerings because I was starting to think that the food bigwigs were taking the "overweight people don't want to buy fashionable clothing" approach to healthy fast food.

Remember BellyBytes, the website I "hipped" you to a couple days ago? They have a great list of fast food/brand name food that's good for you. Then of course you have my Top 10 Healthy Snacks list from earlier this month. So go on have a "looksee". See how easy it is to eat healthy on the go?

Oh and just in case you're wondering, my personal fast food favorites are Red Robin's Grilled Turkey Burger and their Teriyaki Chicken Burger.

BellyBytes.com Says It's All About Food

During my search for post worthy topics, I came across a little site that sure enough packed a wallop of information. What site was it? It was none other than BellyBytes.com. This site gives you a great wealth of information without being "showy" in its presentation. Upon arriving you may even be tempted to just skip over it. STOP!! Step away from the mouse... Trust me, you'll learn more in a few paragraphs than what you'd imagined. BellyBytes has information on healthy fast and brand name foods which I absolutely love because we may not have time to always cook healthy for ourselves and our families. Sometimes we just have to get food on the go.

Another "wealth of information" article that made my "I'm grateful for this..." list is The 29 Healthiest Foods On The Planet. From fruit to seafood, it lists what's good and what's good about them. Definitely check out that article. I'm sure you'll learn something...just like I did.

Did I mention this site also has a wonderful "Recipes" section? They even have recipes for zinc-ful foods and healthy BBQs. I can't wait to try those out.

Now where did I put that chef hat?.....

Children's Nutrients Get Licked

I feel that I've been blessed with one of the non pickiest eaters in the world when thinking about my soon to be 12 year old child. I never had any trouble with veggie eating, fruit eating and not eating (or wanting) lots of candy. I do realize that many a parent would trade places with me in a heartbeat. Sorry...I wouldn't give my baby up for the world. Anyway on to the point of today's post. In their growing years, children essentially need more nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants) than we adults do.

Many of us know this and typically try to get our children to eat certain nutrient enriched foods. We usually have a hard time getting them to eat these "good for you" foods so we turn to children's vitamins as a supplement. Now I'm not going to say children's vitamins aren't any good because hey, I myself, am a product of Flintstone Chewables. I will say that 90% of vitamin supplements taken orally pass through the digestive system unprocessed. So doing the math, that means only 10% of these supplements are processed and used.

This means that many times our children are left without the proper amounts of Vitamins A, B6&12, C, K, D or Riboflavin, Thiamin, Iron, Calcium and Zinc. These are the vitamins and minerals that they need most. How can we get these essential vitamins to our growing children? One innovative way is to give them a vitamin filled lollipop. That's right you heard me. There really is a lollipop that boasts having the nutrients growing children need. This little innovation, KidsPops, comes from the makers of PowerPops (the weight loss lollipop). The idea behind these pops is giving your children one a day (as a vitamin tablet alternative) will allow your child to now get 99% of these needed nutrients because the nutrients are now basically absorbed instantly since the digestive system is bypassed. Now it seems that you won't have to fight with your children to get them to take their vitamins. Especially since these tasty pops come in a variety of flavors and your little ones are getting a healthy treat that they don't seem to mind eating. You won't mind giving them these pops because they're made from only natural flavors and sweeteners. How about that?

Cheating Is Good, Mmmmkay

So you've started your "diet", have successfully lost a few pounds and have discovered your weight loss/body tone groove. APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE. Way to go! Now if only you could stop those stuffed manicotti, fried chicken, baked macaroni and cheese, chocolate cake, cookie dough ice cream, cherry pie cravings. You've been tempted to gorge yourself on your favorite foods but you're afraid the pounds will pile back on and all your hard work will be in vain. Fear no more, mi amigo. Let me hip you to a little known diet aid: Cheat Day. Let me tell you...this day will save you more than you realize.

Now this doesn't mean have a free for all just because you've secured a spot in your regime for Cheat Day. You do need to manage this "reward" properly. Corey Ritter of Fitness Factor/Body Design encourages you to "go for it" when thinking about incorporating a cheat day. He also says that on your cheat day, you should still eat five meals a day making sure to eat some form of protein at each meal. The trick to managing your free for all day is to follow it up with a lean day. This "change up" kick starts your metabolism by getting it to work harder.

You're probably thinking how can that possibly be good for you, right? I thought so. Really it is a good idea both mentally and physically. Correctly managed cheat days help you mentally because you're no longer "longing" and salivating over foods you had to give up or wish you could eat. Physically it gives a big assist because now your metabolism is working harder, initially on your cheat day since those aren't foods it's used to breaking down, then on your "normal" days since your metabolism has now been revved up. Without cheat days your metabolism can become "lazy" since there isn't anything to shock it awake. Aren't you glad you now have a Cheat Day (personally my cheat day is in the middle of the week. This makes for a nice half way point for me) to thank for that sexy, toned new you and for staying on track? See, even cheating has its purpose.

Top 10 Healthy Snacks

Anyone that knows me will tell you that I'm a professional snacker. Not being careful could seriously lead to dunlaps disease (where my stomach "done lapped" over my jeans). That's definitely not a good look at anytime, much less with summer fast approaching. I knew in order to "preserve my healthy", I either had to rein in the snacking or find healthier snacks. I guess this list pretty much tells you which of those options I chose. Without further ado, (in no particular order) I present to you:

My Top 10 List of Healthy Snacks

Bear Naked Granola
Fruit (Fresh, Frozen, Dried)
TasteGreatJerkyNow (JD) Jerky
Veggies (Raw, also with a light dip)
Popcorn (no, extra butter and bright orange doesn't count)
Nuts/Sunflower Seeds
Power Pops (actually stymies over snacking...very good in my case)
Organic Dark Chocolate (Remember the Chocolate For Health post?)
Terra Chips
Sorbet

As you can see, I like variety, which really is the "spice of life". The great thing about healthy snacking is that there are many options. An important component to staying healthy is that you actually change it up a bit. Eat what you like. If you have no idea where to begin this list is a good starting point. I don't mind. I share information but rarely do I share my snacks. I've been known to give you just a taste and watch you salivate over the rest. Ok, I'm not really that bad. Or am I?

Chocolate For Health...Really

Although I'm not a big chocolate eater, I do like to get my chocolate on every now and again. OH am I happy that I engage in this little indulgence! Believe it or not chocolate, more notably the dark variety, is actually good for you. You see, chocolate is made from cocoa and cocoa is a great flavonoid source. Just what is a flavonoid? Well, a flavonoid is an antioxidant (molecules that slow down oxidation/oxidative stress which can cause dangerous reactions in the body's cell structure). Antioxidants aside, chocolate contains essential vitamins (A, B1, C, D and E), Magnesium, Iron and Potassium. It's also an aphrodisiac and is known to lift depression, since it releases endorphins and raises serotonin levels. All you ladies who crave chocolate just before your cycles start, go ahead and "break off a piece of that Kit Kat bar". Especially because the high levels of magnesium in chocolate raise the progesterone levels that drop right before your monthlies start aka "The PMS Days".

When looking for the most health beneficial chocolate, look for plain chocolate that's made from at least 70% cocoa solids (the darker the chocolate, the more cocoa solids). Trust me, amongst other things, your heart, blood pressure and blood sugar will thank you.

A New Way To Live

I'm sitting here at approximately 230a EST thinking about health and why we're so obsessed with it all of a sudden. Well not really all of a sudden but it's attention grabbing enough to be noticed. Right? Right! Anyway, I found that as I read an article (ok, ok a blog post) regarding the longer lives of Black folk (uggh I don't particularly care for the term African American referring to African descendants in America but that's another topic altogether), I couldn't help but think that much of this newfound life longevity is due to this "health craze". Don't get me wrong, I'm a recovered junk food/fast food junkie myself...you won't catch me near two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun (mmmmmm Big Mac....let me go dig out those Boca Burgers). Look at that...mention food and I get all off track. Maybe continuing this discussion on another line will help me regain focus.

Ahhh....perfect. So yes, between little changes like the "New Vegetarianism Movement", "Spiritual Clarity", getting rid of the "Creamy Crack Addiction" and a little "Herbal Healing" this health thing is proving to have a decidedly profound effect on our lives (and not just Black folk not having as high a rate of "sugar" aka "Diabetes" to the Ebonically challenged). I can honestly say it's no longer a trend or a fad. It's become a way of life....