Healthy Living Magazine

Sometimes we tend to think of healthy food as boring, tasteless and unappealing. But, healthy food doesn’t have to be boring! Ahead is some information on four healthy foods for your diet that taste good, are readily available at the grocery store, and are very good for your health.

Beets

It is surprising, but beets are one of the best foods you can include in your diet. Two items that reduce homocysteine in the blood stream are folate and betaine, and these things are found in beets. It is believed that homocysteine can damage arteries and cause heart disease. If you add beets to your diet, you will lessen the chance of developing any of these problems. By feeding lab mice beets, it has been proven that they help fight cancer. It is best to eat beets raw for the maximum health benefit. Try shredding them, soaking them in the juice of a lemon and some olive oil, and then toss them in a salad.

Cinnamon

Most people only eat cinnamon when it is on top of a bun or sugary muffin. In addition to tasting good, it also helps control blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of heart disease. Eating two grams of cinnamon each day for six weeks reduced sugar levels in the blood stream, as well as lowered cholesterol in people with Type Two Diabetes, USDA research found. Methylhydroxychalcone polymers are the active ingredients found in the spice, and these help your body metabolize sugar better. It is best to eat it sprinkled on oatmeal, cereal, or in your coffee.

Goji Berries

Tibetans have been using Goji berries for medicinal reasons for centuries. Research has found that a small berry contains more antioxidants than any other fruit that has been analyzed so far. Research has also found that the berry can reduce insulin production, which is a risk factor for patients with diabetes. An easy way to add the benefits of these berries to your diet is to sprinkle them on your morning hot or cold cereal, or even yogurt.

Cabbage

This vegetable is popular in Asia and Europe and is quickly becoming popular in America as well. The most valuable nutrient in cabbage is sulforaphane, which is thought to decrease the risk of cancer. The way it does this is by neutralizing free radicals and by ramping up the productions of natural enzymes that work to decrease cell damage. A good way to enjoy this delicious addition to your diet is to shred it and add it to your sandwiches or burgers as a topping. Or, you could mix up a delicious salad of cut up carrots and apples.

We all know the hardest thing today is finding the time, energy and money to exercise and stay healthy. Pilates classes offer a fun, affordable and time effective solution suit any lifestyle. Most people today have gotten used to being tired, stressed and frustrated while thinking it was due to them getting older but that is definitely not the case. Remember being a kid and having the energy to do everything and just wanting to go out and experience everything life has to offer? Yes it is because they have no stress or responsibilities but most of it is because they are constantly on the move and their bodies are healthy and efficient.

What we do with our bodies has a great effect on our minds and leaving our bodies to waste away makes our bodies produce less energy which makes an adult tired, stressed and grumpy. Pilates classes focuses on the Core Movement of our bodies using mainly resistance training which tones one’s body while reducing stress and increasing focus and overall well-being. Just an hour at a Pilates studio can change your entire outlook on life whether it’s to relieve stress, increase stamina and strength or just to improve your image.

You will wake up in the mornings feeling refreshed and energized because your body is feeling lighter, stronger and more relaxed due to the simple but very effective exercises and movements that the Pilates Classes will run it through. The instructor ensures that your body and mind in receiving the exercises it needs to maximise tension and stress relief while not straining your body beyond its limits. Pilates really is for anyone and everyone, you don’t need the largest weights or the most strenuous exercises to lose unwanted weight or tone the body.

Simple exercises are the best way to relieve stress, anxiety and frustration because endorphins in the brain are released when the body exercises and the focus training used in Pilates helps you improve your concentration, patience, focus and your self-image which in today’s busy society is something everyone needs. Regular exercise has been proven to be one of the best ways to relieve stress, anxiety and depression in both adults and children. Pilates has been designed to optimize these benefits for people any age and gender. So if you want wake up in the mornings feeling refreshed and energized pop into your closest Pilates studio sign up and start your new life being healthy, calm, happy and relaxed with a smile from ear to ear and ready to take on anything life has to throw at you.