As much as we love the onset of the holiday season every year, most of us know that one of the pitfalls of Christmas is the extra weight we put on, from eating all that wonderful food. There are so many parties and gatherings, with so many gorgeous and sugar-filled treats, most of us tend to sigh and accept the fact that we’ll gain a few extra pounds.

This is the one time of year when we should be able to overindulge a little, and enjoy the delicious and traditional foods that we find at all of the Christmas season’s events. Still, we can make the season a little less destructive to our belts and waistlines, if we spend a little time considering how we eat.

Avoiding alcohol at parties is one way to avoid overeating. Alcohol lowers metabolism, also lowering the rate at which calories are burned. So our bodies tend to turn more of that delicious holiday sugar to fat. Alcohol also affects judgement, which leads to less consciousness about what we’re eating.

When seeing a spread of holiday food on a buffet table for the first time, we instantly want to taste everything. But that’s just not practical. Look at the food, carefully, and decide what you really want to have, then help yourself. Just don’t take large portions of everything offered-you can’t possible enjoy it all, equally.

If you know you’ll be attending a party with good food, don’t starve yourself all day, so that you can eat more. Arriving hungry is a perfect way to guarantee that you’ll eat too much. Remember, the food is the party’s enhancement, not its purpose.

Many people tend to congregate around the food table, at parties. Next time you’re at a party with a spread, observe the people who settle themselves far away from the table. Chances are, they’re the ones with the figures everyone else envies. Train yourself to enjoy party food, then move away from the spread.

Your children are especially vulnerable to the temptation of over-indulging this holiday season. Most of the food we associate with Christmas is filled with sugar and fat, and is presented in a beautiful, appetizing manner. Chances are, your kids will eat too much of the wrong stuff this year. Try and make sure they get plenty of exercise to burn off some of those extra calories.

When faced with all of the glorious food you’ll see, this Christmas season, don’t punish yourself-enjoy it. But remember that the food will vanish. The extra pounds may not, unless you understand, ahead of time, that January will be a time for a few extra visits to the gym.

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The most commonly drunk beverages today are water and green tea. Both of which are more often consumed than any other kind of beverage that you can think of. For many centuries now the Japanese and Chinese have realized the importance of including green tea in their dietary requirements. Although used for centuries in Chinese and Japanese cultures green tea has only recently been acknowledged by Western societies of being a beneficial substance for their health.

Although there are plenty of different types of tea a person can choose to drink many are opting for green tea, simply it has a much more refreshing and subtle taste to it. Yet even though both the Chinese and Japanese have been drinking this particular beverage for many centuries the are both different in their taste and color. Where as the tea when being prepared will be baked in an oven in China the tea produced in Japan is produced by steam drying it.

There are many benefits to be had from drinking green tea but it does have some disadvantages as well. The main one being is that it can cause insomnia in those people who drink large quantities of it because it contains caffeine. But certainly the benefits of drinking it far outweigh the disadvantages.

A large number choose to drink green tea because it contains such high levels of vitamins and minerals which their bodies need to remain functioning properly. It also contains anti oxidant properties which help to improve a person’s digestive system and remove unwanted toxins and substances that can cause problems to their health. The other advantage many have found from drinking green tea is that it contains a chemical called thiamine which seems to have a calming effect on the brain and they find they are much better able to cope with the stresses and strains of modern living.

Not only is green tea beneficial in helping the body to function property but because of the polyphenols contained within it this particular beverage has become popular with those trying to lose weight. The polyphenols are a group of chemical which contain anti oxidant properties and which help to remove substances and toxins from the body that are unwanted. The main reason why this particular tea seems to be beneficial in helping those wishing to lose weight is that is not fermented like other beverages so does not contain high levels of sugar in it.

Although today you can actually purchase green tea in tea bags it is best to buy it and brew it in the whole leaf form. This allows the properties contained with in the leaves to be infused more easily into the water. But actually choosing the right green tea to use can be somewhat of a challenge as there are so many different varieties now to choose from.

When initially choosing to include green tea into your dietary requirements it is best to start with one such as Sencha from China. This is the most popular of all the green tea types and not only is it affordable but it has a taste that everybody can easily recognize.

However if you want something which may provide a little bit more robust flavor than the Sencha you should consider trying Myou-Kou which is produced in Japan. As well as having a much stronger flavor to it this particular tea from Japan actually produces a much thicker liquid once the leaves have been infused with water. But at the end of day which green tea you choose to drink will come down to the taste and look of the tea that you prefer. It therefore may be wise to try out several different types before making your final decision.

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People who consider eating organic foods, do so because they want to be healthy and help the environment. Because of these benefits, organic foods are easier than ever for people in general to purchase. The solution is simple — eating organic food is good for you, and good for nature.

A lot of people talk about organic foods, and even see them in grocery stores, but do you know exactly what it means if a food is labeled as organic?

When dealing with meats or crops, organic food has to meet strict regulations before it can be classified as organic. All organic food must be raised naturally.

Animals that are not given any growth hormones, or extended use of medications, are some qualifications that meet has to go through in order to be labeled organic.

Avoiding pesticides and artificial fertilizers is how crops can be labeled organic. Also, avoiding human waste and sewage sludge is required. And lastly, no use of radiation, or the addition of preservatives, is required as well.

It’s simple to tell if the food is organic. All organic food is certified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA places a seal of approval on food that is organic.

Most food is not organic, because it is filled with artificial chemicals. These artificial chemicals and preservatives in our food are hurting our bodies in ways that we don’t even know, according to many well-educated people.

There are many foods being cultivated which have proven destructive to nature, and questionable for human consumption. The longer we eat foods that are not organic, the longer we are hurting the environment and ourselves.

It’s a good idea then, to choose organic foods instead. You should cook with organic foods whenever you have the chance. There are many different types of organic foods available to you, if you look around the market.

It’s very fun to cook with these foods, you will be surprised to find. In addition, it’s easy to make meals tasty when using organic foods.

To be healthier, and help preserve our environment, choose organic foods. You will enjoy eating healthy meals, and appreciate nature even more knowing that you’re making a difference.

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Heart disease and strokes are usually linked to high cholesterol so it has always had a bad press. Recent figures point to the alarming fact that a lot more younger people are now on drugs to lower their cholesterol. These figures do nothing to reassure us that the obesity epidemic is abating.

Normally older people take these drugs but there has been a big increase among the younger age group (20-44). In fact the increase is just under 70% in the last five years. One way of looking at these figures is that more and more young people are taking heart disease prevention more seriously. But the general consensus is one of alarm.

The most effective and widely tested cholesterol drugs are called the statins, which block the formation of cholesterol in the liver and increase the production of the receptors on liver cells that clean the bad cholesterol from the blood. If you are worried about the side effects of statins, you may want to consider lowering your cholesterol levels a more natural way and that is through a healthy diet. Here are my four top foods which will definitely lower your cholesterol without having to take any drugs.

Top of the list are tomatoes. They contain a very valuable substance called lycopene which acts to stop the oxidation of LDL which is the bad cholesterol. Once this oxidation occurs, it starts to form plaque in the arteries and that is dangerous. There have been studies on this and they have confirmed that lycopene is a valuable ally in the fight against high cholesterol.

My second one is fish, preferably baked or grilled rather than fried in oil. Look out for high fat fish such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, etc. These are great sources of omega -3. Lots of studies done on the Eskimos who eat a lot of fish and they have a much lower rate of heart disease and blood pressure problems. Flaxseed and canola oil are also good sources of Omega -3

My third one is soy because it contains fibre and lots of vitamins and minerals. Recently the American Heart Association stated that the effects of soy on blood pressure and on triglycerides was actually minimal. But it is a great source of low-fat protein and that is why I eat or drink it all the time.

Any type of nuts from walnuts, almonds, cashews and so on, come in fourth place. The first reason is that nuts are great sources of the healthy kind of fat and also contains Omega-3, not to mention some valuable minerals. I try to aim for 20% of my daily calorie intake. I am on 1,200 claories a day so nuts will account for about 200 of those. Actually researchers have shown that if you do that, it can reduce your cholesterol by about 12% – just with one small adjustment to your diet.

These top foods I have outlined are just a few of those mentioned in the Mediterranean Diet which has been the at the centre of attention for a long time now. Studies show that people living in the Mediterranean basin actually have a lower rate of cholesterol and heart disease than many other nations. It has nothing to do with the sun – it is what they eat !

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Simple is often the best and I think you’ll find this recipe easy to cook and very healthy for you too. If you want more flavour try stuffing the chicken slices with slivers of garlic.

Time to prepare: 10 minutes

Time to Cook: Around 35-45 minutes

Chicken Breast Recipe Ingredients:

* 4 lean pieces of chicken breast

* Butter (or margarine)

* Salt and pepper (as required)

* 1 bulb of garlic (which is optional)

Recipe Cooking Method:

Cut the chicken breasts lengthways to create a pocket.

Stuff the pockets with bits of garlic (if necessary) and coat the top of the chicken with butter or margarine.

Dust the chicken very lightly with salt and pepper and then bake in the oven at 350 degrees. This chicken breast recipe should serve around 4 people.

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