Healthy Lifestyle–How To Get More Protein In Your Diet

We all know that your body needs protein. Every time you work out, you break down your muscles a little bit, and you gain muscle as your body rebuilds itself – and compensates for your newly increased activity level. Not to mention that your body also needs protein to maintain bone mass and your immune system. And, the main building block for all of this - is protein!

Yet, at the same time, the protein that you may be getting in your diet up until now, may not be enough to fuel the “rebuilding”. How, then, can you increase the amount of protein in your diet – in a healthy way?

Well, one way of increasing your diet’s protein is to look at how some vegetarians have done it! And, if you are a vegetarian, the following ideas are of even greater importance.

Eggs – That’s right – add an extra egg to your breakfast! And, if you’re worried about how healthy that might be, don’t. A quick and easy solution is to buy Egg Beaters (or their equivalent). These aren’t egg substitutes – they are 100% real eggs. Yet, they are low in cholesterol, easy to store & use, and allow you to truly measure the protein you’re adding to your diet. And, they don’t cost that much more – check Trader Joes or Costco for great deals on eggs!

Cottage Cheese – It seems that every time we try to improve our diets, one of the first things that gets cut out is cheese, due to the fat content. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pick up some non-fat cottage cheese! Cottage cheese actually has a full complement of amino acids – and is a great source of protein.

Legumes – This includes beans, peas, and lentils. These not only provide a good secondary source of protein, but also are a good source of fiber for your diet as well. And, they are nutrient-dense, which means you get a good source of nutrients without having to over-eat! For example, 1 cup of black beans gives you 15gm of protein, and if you really want to go high on the protein scale – try cooking up some soybeans! (Think edaname – simple, healthy, and tasty!) 1 cup of cooked soybeans can give you up to 31gm of protein – similar to what you would get from a small chicken breast – and they make for a great snack between meals!

Keep in mind that if you are a vegetarian, you can risk deficiencies in certain dietary minerals and vitamins, such as iron, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12, which is found only in animal products. Vitamin B, including B12 and folate, is found in green leafy vegetables, fortified cereals, grains and soy milk. Some experts recommend that vegetarians take a multivitamin to get enough B vitamins. Calcium can come through green leafy vegetables, including mustard and collard greens and broccoli. It's also found in soy milk and soy products. Iron-rich foods include dark green vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grain and fortified breads, and cereals.

Diet – Foods You Really Should Be Eating!

You walk through the produce isle every time you go to the supermarket, yet how many times have you passed by the following superfoods without a second glance?

Cabbage – You don’t find this veggie in many American diets, but you do find it in many Asian and European ones. One cup has only 22 calories, and it’s loaded with sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is thought to reduce your risk of cancer, by increasing your body’s production of enzymes that get rid of free radicals that cause cell damage. And sulforaphane has been found to boost your levels of cancer-fighting enzymes better than any other plant chemical!

Cinnamon – OK…this doesn’t mean go and grab a Cinnabon! But the USDA has found that people with type-2 diabetes (the type most often associated with obesity) – if they consumed 1g of cinnamon per day for 6 weeks, they drop both their blood sugar, as well as their triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. That ¼ of teaspoon of cinnamon each day actually helps your body’s cells metabolize sugar by a factor of 20! Just sprinkle a little in morning coffee at Starbucks each day – and help decrease your risk of heart disease!

Pumpkin Seeds – So…come Halloween, all those seed you pull out and throw away – bet you didn’t know that roasting them in the oven gives you 150mg of magnesium per ounce! French researchers have found that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood had a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels. The USDA recommends that you get about 420mg of magnesium in your diet daily – so the next time you’re in the snack or health food section of your grocery store, look for them!

Pomegranate Juice – Have high blood pressure? Well, Israeli scientists have found that drinking just 2 ounces of pomegranate juice a day decreased blood pressure by over 20% (systolic pressure – the top number in your blood pressure reading). And, it also improves blood flow to your heart! And, that 2 oz. also gives you 25% of your daily vitamin C requirement. Look for Pom Wonderful juice – no added sugars, either!

Beets – Sweeter than any other veggie (beet juice makes a great substitute sweetner in recipes), beets contain both folate and betaine. These nutrients do a wonderful job of lowering homocysteine – a compound that damages your arteries and increases your risk of heart disease. On top of that, the pigments in beets that give it that natural red color – well, they are a great cancer fighter as well! If you had beets as a kid (those picked ones in a jar) – well, avoid them, as cooked beets loose much of their antioxidant power. Instead, just wash and peel a beet, then grate it with the widest blade of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil combined with the juice of one half a lemon! The leaves and stems are also loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and minerals – just cut the stems below the point where the leaves start, and wash!

Healthy Living - How Foods Affect Your Moods

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

Did you know your eating habits have a huge effect on your state of mind? If you're like many people, you may find that you feel sleepy after lunch. Or, if you haven't eaten in awhile, you're impatient and angry. When it comes to the food-mood connection, we're just beginning to understand how the quality and quantity of the nutrients available in our food impact our emotional resiliency and stability. Yet, what we eat affects our production of neurotransmitters and hormones, as well as our overall eneregy levels, and the quality of our synaptic connections. Plus, stress boosts levels of epinephrine (adrenaline), and other stimulating neurotransmitters, while suppressing calming ones. Skipping meals, consuming caffeine and sugar for energy, and fast food meals make this effect worse.

How can you make sure that what you eat helps your moods in a postive way? Brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters, regulate your moods. Serotonin and gamma aminobutyric acid (GAMA) calm us, while dopamine stimulate us. Keeping these in balace also balances our mood. And, certain foods can impact this balance. Proteins like those found in meats like chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, and legumes-these provide chemical units known as amino acids. Amino acids form the foundation of your neurotransmitters.

Serotonin: This keeps your mood upbeat. Fish, egs, chicken turkey, and other meats all contain the amino acid tryptophan, which your body makes serotonin from. Iron, zinc, and the vitamins B3, B6 and C help the enzyme reactions for this process.

GABA: This neurotransmitter keeps your mind calm and focused. Halibut, legumes, brown rice, and spinach contain the amino acid glutamine, which your body converts into GABA. Vitamins B3, B6 and B12 help the enzyme reactions for this process.

Dopamine: This is the neurotransmitter that makes you feel like you're full of energy. Your body converts the amino acid tyrosine (found in protein) to dopamine, and you can find extra tyrosine in almonds, avocados, dairy products, and pumpkin & sesame seeds. Vitamin B6, magnesium and zinc help the enzyme reactions for this process.

Norepinephrine: This is also a simulating neurotransmitter, which your body makes from dopamine with the help of the mineral copper, and vitamins B6 and C.

How to fuel your brain

First - eat whole foods that are rich in protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

Second - eat a protein rich breakfast every day, such as eggs with whole-grain toast or fresh fruit.

Third - cook foods lightly (saute' or stir fry) - overcooking alters foods protein structure, making it harder for your body to process.

Fourth - avoid fast foods.

Fifth - eat regular meals and make sure you get good quality protein.

Lastly - add supplements to your diet. A good quality, high-potency multivitamin or B-complex vitamin. You want to look for 10 times the recommended daily value of vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6. And, add fish oils (omega-3's) to your diet as well. Omega-3 fats also are essential for normal brain function. Your brain is about 70% fat, and needs omega-3's to help assist brain cells in communicating with each other. Plus, three different studies published in June 2006's issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry found that omega-3 fish oils can ease depression and mood disorders, and lower suicide risk. Just keep in mind that if your using blood thinners and other medications, omega-3 supplements might interfere, so you might want to talk to your doctor first.

Just remember - what you fuel your body with..also is what you're feeding your brain!