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  • Benefits of Plant-based Diet that You Must Know

    Benefits of Plant-based Diet that You Must Know

    Apart from weight loss, a plant-based diet offers numerous health benefits. Plant-based diet focuses more on the quality of plant food and less of animal food consumption. This article will help you understand what is a plant-based diet and its benefits to one’s health.

    The Difference Between Being Vegan and Plant-Based Diet

    Both meal plans have been popular in recent years. Vegan diet pertains to eliminating all animal products to your meals while a plant-based meal plan reduces animal products and focus more on plants.

    “With a plant-based diet, you can decide whether or not you want to consume animal products, and the focus is on eating mostly foods that come from plant sources,” says Dr. Christine Kirlew.

    This type of diet emphasizes the consumption of whole-grain food,vegetables, nuts, and fruits. Usually, it encourages to eat natural foods than processed ones. There are that studies revealed that eating more vegetables without eliminating animal products can make people healthier.

    Incredible Benefits of Plant-based Meal Plan

    A lot of people shifted to a plant-based diet due to its exceptional health benefits in the long-run. Others preferred this meal plan due to the flexibility it offers. Here are the great benefits of the plant-based meal plan.

    1.Lowers the risk of having heart diseases and diabetes

    In the long period, eating more quality of plant improves one’s health and lessen the risk of acquiring heart diseases and diabetes caused by too much cholesterol and bad sugar.

    “Epidemiological data shows that the more plant foods someone eats, the lower their risk for certain chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers,” Taylor Wolfram, a dietitian said.

    2. May help you live longer

    A study from the Journal of the American Heart Association showed that a plant-based diet can lower the risk of mortality to 25%. Moreover, as you focus more on naturally-grown foods, you will more likely to increase health outcomes.

    3. Reducing the risk of acquiring cancer

    “The best way to source cancer-protective nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, is to eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and some animal foods,” the American Institute for Cancer Research said.

    4. Improves Brain Function

    Sticking to a plant-based diet can lessen the risk of having Alzheimer’s disease. Interestingly, according to  Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (2017), “eating an extra 100 grams of fruits and vegetables per day (about one-half cup) led to a 13 percent reduction in the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia”.

    5. Improves digestion

    Best foods for the gut are common in a the plant-heavy diet because it is full of fiber. Eating foods that are rich in fiber can improve your digestion.

    6. Boosts Energy

    Most of the plants have vitamins and minerals providing the human body more energy. Plus, plants consist of antioxidants, phytonutrients, and proteins that do not only provide health benefits but can also enlighten your mood.

    Sources:
    (1) https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/scientific-benefits-following-plant-based-diet/
    (2) https://www.simplyquinoa.com/7-amazing-benefits-of-a-plant-based-diet/

  • 5 Natural Ingredients to Boost Metabolism

    5 Natural Ingredients to Boost Metabolism

    One of the best ways to lose weight is to boost metabolism. Metabolism is the ability of the body to burn calories and turn it into energy. One’s rate of metabolism depends on different factors such as age, sex, body, mass, and weight. Here’s a helpful guide that will help you on how to boost metabolism using natural ingredients.

    Natural Foods to Boost Metabolism

    1. Drinking Green Tea

    The most common way to boost metabolism is drink green tea. Since time immemorial, studies revealed that green tea consists of antioxidants that fasten metabolism and reduce one’s appetite. As cited in Cohen’s blog, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a catechin which is a super-natural ingredient of green tea that burn fat and improves metabolism.

    2. Food rich in Vitamin B

    Foods that contain vitamin B can improve one’s metabolism. This vitamin is essential for fats and proteins metabolism.

    Medicalnewstoday recommended foods that attain Vitamin B:

    • bananas
    • baked potatoes
    • eggs
    • orange juice
    • peanut butter
    • peas
    • spinach
    • whole-grain foods

    “The ability to process fats, proteins, and carbohydrates is essential. A healthy metabolism ensures that the body uses these nutrients for energy rather than storing them as fat,” Cathleen Crichton-Stuart said.

    3. Citrus fruits

    Citrus fruits are known for boosting immunity. But these superfoods are essential to increase body’s ability to burn fats. If you’re looking for a healthy snack that will boost your metabolism, citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit are best to consider.

    “You only need 60 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C a day to meet your body’s basic needs, but increasing your daily intake to 500 mg can boost your fat-burning potential during exercise by 39 percent,” Tanya Zuckerbrot said.

    4. Food with Vitamin D

    Foods that has Vitamin D do not only strengthen bones and boost immunity but also speed up body’s metabolism.

    Some studies showed that deficiency of Vitamin D is a risk factor that attributes to obesity. Body with higher levels of Vitamin D enhances to reduce body fat. Plus, Vitamin D suppresses the storage of fat cells.

    Interestingly, Vitamin D can increase the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter affecting one’s moods and sleep. Serotonin controls appetite and improves satiety, reducing calorie intake.

    5. Water

    Water is most natural ingredient in boosting metabolism. It is also the key factor for optimal metabolism.

    “One study found that adding 1.5 liters of water to the usual daily consumption of water reduced the average weight and body mass index in a group of overweight women aged 18–23,” Rachel Nall said.

    Importance of Metabolism

    Apart from eating natural foods to boost metabolism, exercising, reducing stress and sleeping can also fasten your body’s ability to convert calories to energy. It is important to remember that metabolism is not only beneficial for people who want to lose weight but for everyone that needs protein, lipids, nucleic acid, and carbohydrates.

  • Benefits of Eating Green Leafy Vegetables

    Benefits of Eating Green Leafy Vegetables

    Eating vegetables and fruits is one way of strengthening one’s immunity. But, ingesting more green leafy vegetables obtain incredible benefits that most people do not know. To learn more, check out the list of green vegetables that you should include in your daily meals.

    Kale

    Eating kale is best for fighting free radicals that damage cells since it contains high antioxidants such as lutein and beta-carotene. Plus, it is the most nutrient-dense food present in the world. This vegetable is ideal for people who want to lose weight but do now want to compromise a high nutrient consumption.

    According to Gunnars (2018) of Healthline, one serving of kale offers exceptional benefits:

    • Vitamin A: 206% of the Daily Value (DV) (from beta-carotene)
    • Vitamin K: 684% of the DV
    • Vitamin C: 134% of the DV
    • Vitamin B6: 9% of the DV
    • Manganese: 26% of the DV
    • Calcium: 9% of the DV
    • Copper: 10% of the DV
    • Potassium: 9% of the DV
    • Magnesium: 6% of the DV
    • It also contains 3% or more of the DV for vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), iron and phosphorus

    Further, kale is known for containing a high amount of calcium than meat.

    Spinach

    Spinach is commonly encountered when you eat soup, salad and sometimes in sauces. People who are health- conscious love to include spinach in their smoothie. Why? Because it is an alkalizing food that is best to detoxify human body.

    Are you familiar with Popeye the Sailorman, a 90’s TV series? Popeye is a cartoon character that consumes spinach to strengthen him. Spinach is known to be loaded with many nutrients like Vitamin A, C, K1, iron, calcium, and folic acid.

    Romaine Lettuce

    Looking for a vegetable that prevents you from acquiring heart diseases? Romaine lettuce is the best vegetable to consider. It has a high level of potassium which improves cardiovascular health. Folate found in this vegetable can also prevent heart-related complications.

    Even more, romaine lettuce protects the cell from damaging. It is high content in antioxidants that prevents human to acquire diseases.

    Interestingly, based on the article of Medical News Today, romaine lettuce can reduce one’s risk of acquiring cancer because of the presence of folate and antioxidants.

    Cabbage

    Cabbage is an immunity booster vegetable. It obtains Vitamin C which protects the body from getting sick. What’s more, the Vitamin C that is being contained by the cabbage helps the body absorb the non-heme iron that can be found in plant-based food.

    Cabbage can also improve digestive system because it contains fiber. If you are having a problem in your bowel movement, try considering cabbage in your everyday diet.

    Cilantro

    If you are having trouble stabling your sugar levels, Cilantro is the ideal green for your problem. It is best for people who are suffering from Diabetes. It releases enzymes that can significantly reduce blood sugar.

    Apart from reducing blood sugar, this kind of green can protect brain’s health. According to Dr. Lauren Panoff (2019), the anti-inflammatory property found in Cilantro prevents individuals to inhibit brain ailments such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis.

    Importance of Green Leafy Vegetables

    Green leafy vegetables acquire disease-fighting chemicals. Eating these type of vegetables do not only immunize your body ,but also obtain nutrients that enhance the ability to absorb other vitamins and minerals that the human body needed. These vegetables can easily be bought in the market but little do people know about the benefits that these greens can offer.

    Sources:

    (1) https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/leafy-green-vegetables#section1
    (2) https://shop.ora.organic/blogs/news/how-to-detox-your-body-green-leafy-vegetables

  • Guide for Maintaining a Healthy Diet

    Guide for Maintaining a Healthy Diet

    Do you experience difficulty in maintaining a healthy diet? Well, you are reading the right guide on how to be committed in eating healthy food. There are strategies provided that will help you how on to live and become healthy.

    Why do we need to be healthy?

    Most people strive to live healthily. We do this by mainly eating the right kind of food. We strive to eat good foods to prevent unwanted diseases like cancer, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. This is possible when we can maintain a healthy weight.

    Another factor why we want to be healthy is to obtain more energy that can boost our productivity. With all these reasons in mind, maintaining a healthy diet is not that easy for most of us. Here are a few tips on how to keep yourself dedicated on consuming the right kinds of food.

    Tips on Maintaining a Healthy Diet

    1. Make your environment healthy

    When you are building a habit, it is easier and effective to do it when you have primed your environment. As humans, we often choose options that are obvious to us than being determined. We choose what’s available for us rather than what is not. A good example of this is buying apples. However, when you reached home, you put them inside your refrigerator. With your busy schedule, you have forgotten about your apples.

    Similar to the scenario, if the unhealthy snacks are visible to you, you can put them away and place fruits and nuts instead. When you get hungry, the first thing that you will grab are snacks that are visible. The environment can significantly affect one’s behavior. That’s why you really need to surround yourself with healthy food to consume.

    One thing that will also motivate you to eat healthy food is to cultivate your food. Learn how to plant. With this, you will be able to acquire healthy food easily. Putting your own garden nowadays is therapeutic.

    2. Practice mindful eating

    Some people wanted to maintain a healthy diet because they wanted to achieve a good figure or to lose weight. But the next question is, what’s next when you already achieved your goal? Keep in mind that you should also learn to love the process of doing your diet than acquiring the outcomes.

    A study revealed that obese and fat women significantly lost their weight after they practiced mindful intervention. Mindful eating can be achieved when you enjoy and appreciate eating healthy food.

    3. Learn to monitor the food that you are eating

    As you write the food that you are consuming, you become conscious of what you are eating and this can also remind you that you should eat healthy food. This method helps you to discipline yourself on eating healthy food. A study found out that people who track down their calorie intake lost twice as much weight than those who did not.

    4. Find an accountability partner

    Having a diet buddy to be with you on this journey is fun and effective as well. Grab your workmate, friend, or a family member. Influence the person to live healthy as well. One day you will be surprised that both of you have not just achieved your goals, but both of you also influenced other people who have witnessed your journey.

    5. Learn to adopt the 2-day rule

    A 2-day rule is a method that will discipline you in maintaining a healthy diet. This rule allows you to engulf some unhealthy food and beverages that you like such as pizza, burgers, and alcohol for a day. Some coined it as a “cheat day”. But never allow yourself to skip another day after doing this.

    When you decide to eat some unhealthy food today, make sure to eat healthy meals tomorrow.

    Summary

    Planning to eat healthy food is easy than doing it. As you follow these strategies, do not forget as well on why you are practicing a healthy eating habit. I hope this guide will help you to stick to your healthy meal and snack plans.

  • Fruits that can Boost Immune System to Fight COVID-19

    Fruits that can Boost Immune System to Fight COVID-19

    With the ongoing globally pandemic, Coronavirus (COVID-19), it is very important to boost immune system.

    Some rush to the pharmacy to acquire the most effective immune booster. But you don’t have to spend more money just to boost your immune system.

    Here are some immune-booster fruits:

    1. Apple

    Apple is a good source of vitamin C ,and also rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, and dietary fiber. Eating this everyday will surely keep the doctor away.

    2. Orange

    Citrus fruits like orange is one of the common fruits that can combat viruses. Eating fruits that are rich in Vitamin C can increase white blood cells. Fruits with Vitamin C also have antiviral and antibacterial properties.

    3. Avocado

    Avocado has Gluthatione, an antioxidant that fight free radicals and can build one’s immune system.

    Avocado does not only fight viruses and diseases but also regulates blood pressure.

    “The high levels of monounsaturated fats in avocados can help stop insulin resistance, which helps to regulate blood sugar levels,” as cited in the Rise of the Vegan.

    4. Papaya

    One serving of papaya contains the recommended daily amount of Vitamin C that you should take.

    Papaya is also rich in antioxidants like beta-carotene; phytonutrients and flavonoids. Apart from those, papaya has digestive enzyme that has anti inflammatory effects. Health experts recommend papaya if you have digestion problems because papaya is rich in fiber.

    5. Guava

    Like papaya, guava can also be found in our backyards. Guava is known to be powerhouse of nutrients and minerals. It can fight different kinds of diseases. Guava contains Vitamin C, A, and fiber. Plus, it has calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium,protein, and folate.

    Why Boost Immune System?

    It is important to strengthen your immune system so that you will not easily get sick especially now that COVID-19 is rapidly spreading in the country.

    With strong immunity, toxins in your body will be lessen. Aside from eating immune-booster food. You should also sleep 8 hours a day, get some regular exercise, reduce stress, and get some sunlight.

    References:

  • Which Coffee has the Most Calories?

    Which Coffee has the Most Calories?

    Have you ever wonder which kind of coffee has the most calories? This article will guide you on the calorie count of the common coffees that most people drink.

    A perfect cup of coffee is a great way to begin your day. But it is also essential to track down the calorie count of your go-to beverages, especially when you want to lose weight.

    Here are the calorie count of the common types of coffee that most of the people drink:

    1. Black Coffee

    Among the all types of coffee, black coffee has the lowest calorie count. It only obtain five calories per cup. Unlike other coffee, brewed ones do not have milk fat and sugar.

    2. Instant Coffee

    In the Philippines, instant coffee is the most convenient go-to beverage every morning because of its affordability and accessibility. Based on the article of Molok, this type obtains five calories per cup. However, the Nescafe 3-in-1 coffee that most Filipino prefers amounted 72 calories (See full report here Nescafe – 3 In 1 Instant Coffee Mix).

    3. Iced Coffee

    Iced coffee, on the other hand, has varying amount of calories depending on your add-ons.  Frappuccino has 140 calories while whipped cream obtains additional 100 calories. According to Starbucks, Mocha Frappuccino has 410 calories per  grande (16 fl oz) serving (See report here: https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/426/iced?parent=%2Fd). It is also the type of coffee that has the most calories.

    4. Cafe Mocha

    For other coffee lovers who love their coffee to have a little taste of chocolate, Cafe Mocha is what they prefer. This kind of coffee attained 197 calories yet prepared commercial mocha coffees typically have 250 calories depending on the milk.

    5. Latte

    Tightening pants can also be attributed in drinking latte.  An average small latte with 220 ml of milk has 120 calories and additional 16 for every teaspoon of sugar.

    6. Kopi C

    Another type is Kopi C, wherein coffee is mixed with evaporated milk with sugar, has a calorie count of 90. On the other hand, coffee with condensed milk has 135 calories.

    7. Cappuccino

    What’s more, cappuccino with skim milk has 68 calories while regular milk possess 150 calories. If you’re wondering what’s the difference between cappuccino and latte, the answer is the ration. Cappuccino has lesser milk but has more foam while latte has more milk and lesser foam. (See article here Cappuccino vs Latte Showdown).

    Inducing coffee while studying or having conversation with your friends is not an issue. Too much of anything is bad. That’s why it is important to control what you eat and drink to become healthier.

    Sources:

  • McDonald’s to Limit the Antibiotic Usage in Beef

    McDonald’s to Limit the Antibiotic Usage in Beef

    MCDONALD’S Corp said on Tuesday it plans to reduce the use of antibiotics in its global beef supply, fueling projections that other restaurants will follow suit.

    Objective of McDonald’s

    The move by the world’s biggest fast-food chain addresses concerns that the overuse of antibiotics vital to fighting human infections in farm animals may diminish the drugs’ effectiveness in people.

    McDonald’s becomes the biggest beef buyer to tackle the issue in cattle, potentially creating a new standard for livestock producers and threatening sales by drug companies such as Merck & Co and Elanco Animal Health.

    “McDonald’s iconic position and the fact that they’re the largest single global purchaser of beef make it hugely important,” said David Wallinga, a senior health adviser for the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council.

    McDonald’s said it will measure the use of antibiotics in its 10 biggest markets, including the United States, and set targets to curb their use by the end of 2020. The markets cover 85 percent of the company’s global beef supply chain.

    Under the McDonald’s policy, medically important antibiotics cannot be used to routinely prevent disease in food animals in the supply chain.

    Issue

    According to Fantozzi, “in 2016 in announced that it had removed antibiotics important for human medicine in chicken products in the U.S. and later expanded its efforts with stricter guidelines for its global suppliers.”

    Respectively, he also imparted to his report that “the World Health Organization has identified antibiotic resistance — accelerated by the misuse or overuse of antibiotics, particularly as an immunity defense mechanism in livestock — as a high priority public health issue for the organization.”

    Future Prospect

    The company does not expect the policy to raise hamburger prices, although franchisees set their own menu prices, spokeswoman Lauren Altmin said.

    Franchisees operate about 90 percent of McDo’s restaurants.

    Written by Reuters

    Sources:

  • Incentives of Home-Grown Food #OrganicFood

    Incentives of Home-Grown Food #OrganicFood

    The demand for organic produce is attributed from the ongoing concerns of the effects of the chemical used for food. Brought about by urban lifestyle, people consume instant food which off-sets the importance of nutrients. Today, farm should not be staying in the rural areas anymore but to come to the city. Despite the modernization, there are still things which opt to stay, and it is to go back to green basic, gardening.

    Here are the underrated “ORGANIC” reasons why setting-up your own garden at home is beneficial.

    1. Optimizes time and resources

    Having your own garden will help you save time in going to the market to buy what you need to eat. It is also a source of family time, where you can bond through gardening.  Home-grown food will also cut-off economical cost in buying fresh produce.

    2. Relaxes your mind

    Studies show that gardening reduces stress, and a good exercise while enjoying the vitamin D from the sun will generate happy hormones.

    3. Go Green

    Cultivating will not only address health concerns but also environmental issues. Waste management can be controlled while gardening through using plastic containers for pots and biodegradable waste for compost that will lead to healthier plant growth.

    4. Acquires healthy food

    With farm to table movement, you will not worry about the cross-contamination. According to the scientist, vegetables from own gardens are 50% healthier than vegetables that are being traveled.

    5. Nurturing knowledge

    Basically, planting will fill you up information that will help you grow healthy crops.  Art Veneracion together with his wife influenced people in Bulacan to have their own backyard garden. He was inspired by the idea that children of today’s generation are not familiar with the various plant. For him, backyard gardening is not just for sustainability but to educate Filipino families especially in urban areas. Planting can also equip children’s self-reliance and will appreciate the importance of vegetables. This will address the concern of children’s early cases of obesity. While you are working under the sun, you will be able to know the healthy nutrients and the benefits of the home-grown food that you have.

    6. Improves livelihood

    Setting-up your own garden will exceed the fresh produce that your family needs.  In areas in Sasa, Davao City, there are households which make their urban farm as another source of income through selling or use the crops as an ingredient for food eateries. Also, there are also opporunities that usage of organic fertilizer will free of organic certification, license and registration imposed by the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA). This a filed bill of Senator Nancy Binay.

    7. Connects within the community

    People can be easily be influenced into the community where they belong.  What you are passionate about will radiate in your action that will touch other people. An exchange of vegetables from your own garden enables communication within the community that can lead to a peaceful environment.

    Similar to the Huni Farm in Davao, an educational destination, which demonstrates how organically grown produce is beneficial to families when they grow their own food.

    The ‘ORGANIC’ reasons are not just the only advantages you can get from having your own garden. There are a lot of reasons which await when you start tilling. You will never know unless you will try.

    References: