Being a healthy eater requires you to become both
educated and smart about what healthy eating
actually is. Being food smart isn’t about
learning to calculate grams or fat, or is it
about studying labels and counting calories.

Healthy eating is all about balanced and moderate
eating, consisting of healthy meals at least
three times per day. Healthy eaters eat many
different types of foods, not limiting themselves
to one specific food type or food group.

Eating healthy requires quite a bit of leeway. You
might eat too much or not enough, consume
foods that are sometimes more or less nutritious.
However, you should always fuel your body and
your brain regularly with enough food to keep
both your mind and body strong and alert.

A healthy eater is a good problem solver. Healthy
eaters have learned to take care of themselves
and their eating with sound judgement and making
wise decisions. Healthy eaters are always aware
of what they eat, and know the effect that it
will have on their bodies.

When someone is unable to take control of their
eating, they are also likely to get out of control
with other aspects of life as well. They could
end up spending too much, talking too much, even
going to bed later and later.

You should always remember that restricting food
in any way is always a bad thing. Healthy eating
is a way of life, something that you can do to
enhance your body or your lifestyle. If you’ve
thought about making your life better, healthy
eating is just the place to start. You’ll make
life easier for yourself, those around you, and
even your family.

The human brain is a multifaceted organization of cells and around fifty million neurons that work with utmost complexity in order to keep you going healthy and strong. It is believed to be five times bigger than an average brain of a mammal with the same body size. In human beings, the frontal lobes and the forebrain are especially expanded since these parts are the ones responsible for self-control, planning and reasoning. Thus, in order for you to have a stronger and healthier body, try to better you brain. Healthier mind means healthier body.

It is during our childhood, or the early stage of our lifespan that the development of the brain and the central nervous system is critical. As we grow older, the body’s capacity to absorb nutrients is weakened. Thus, it becomes more difficult for us to protect ourselves from illnesses, injuries and stresses. Simultaneously with our aging process, we also lose neurons, or commonly called as the brain cells. Unlike the other body cells, the neurons do not regenerate nor do they replicate; and they do not have the capacity to repair themselves. Because of this, our brain is not able to perform as well as when we were younger.

Thus, in order to keep our brains performing well, we have to follow some do’s and don’ts. This way we can help our brain maintain its fitness and strength.

What to do:

See to it that you exercise regularly and that you engage yourself in physical activities that can help you maintain your vitality.

Your mind is exercised more if you participate in active learning. Try new experiences so that you can learn from such experiences firsthand.

Maintain your social life as well. Do not isolate yourself from your social groups; instead, you should keep in touch with each of them. A happier life would mean a healthier life.

You should always be in control of your life. Do not feel as if you have no power over things. Maintain a positive self-image and a positive outlook on life.

Do not be overwhelmed by stress. You should know how to handle them all.

A balanced diet will definitely keep you healthy. So, as much as possible, you should eat a balanced meal and foods that are rich in antioxidants and vitamins.

You should get enough rest and sleep. Professionals believe that you should sleep for at least six to eight hours a day.

If you have any health problems, you should give attention to them as early as possible. Never take your health for granted.

What not to do:

Avoid drinking excessive alcohol and smoking too much cigarette. Also, do not do illegal drugs!

Never forget to inform your doctor of your mental condition. Important changes should always be reported.

Do not miss a visit to your doctor when these changes occur.

Never self-medicate because some drugs may interact negatively with your mental status, especially if you are taking more than one drug.

Do not live alone by isolating yourself from the others.

Never stop yourself from experiencing new things.

Most importantly is the fact that in order for you to have a healthy mind, you need to always have a positive attitude. Be ready to face all the challenges that life may bring, and never lose hope! Be in command of your life. Better your brain by having a better attitude about life.

You cannot measure every morsel that passes your lips, but it is a good idea to measure most foods and beverages until you get a feel for portion sizes.

It is a supersized world out there, and most people are surprised to find that their idea of a single serving is actually two or three.

If you are into bells and whistles, there are food scales that are preprogrammed with nutritional information, as well as scales that will keep a running total of your daily food and nutrient intake for you. The only tools you really need, however, are a simple and inexpensive gram scale, dry and liquid measuring cups, and idea on reading food labels.

Among all of the mentioned tools, reading food labels seem to be the most effective way of determining the right kind of food to be bought in the supermarket. It lets you make sensible food selections. Through the “Nutrition Facts” section in a particular item in the grocery, you can identify the amount of serving sizes provided in that product.

With food labels, you can clearly understand the amount and kinds of nutrients that are provided in the item. Usually, it contains the information on saturated fat, sodium, total fat, fiber, and cholesterol amount “per serving.”

However, understanding and reading these food labels can be very perplexing. A typical consumer would definitely ask what those numbers mean and how it will affect her diet intake if ever she will religiously follow the serving guide as stipulated on the food label.

To further have a clear and more comprehensive understanding of the items stated in the food label, here is a list of things that you need to know:

1. Serving size

This is the primary item you will see in a food label.

The amount of servings stated in the food label refers to the quantity of food people usually consume. However, this does not necessarily mean that it reflects your very own amount of food intake.

Moreover, serving size determines the amount of nutrients that enters the body. This means that if you will follow strictly what the serving size is, you will obtain the same amount of nutrients according to the serving size that was given in the label.

For instance, if the serving size says one serving size is equal to 54 grams, that would mean you have to measure 54 grams and eat that and you have just eaten one serving. So to speak, the amount of nutrients stated in the food label is the same amount that has entered your body considering the fact that you have just eaten 54 grams.

However, if you have eaten everything, and the food label says that each pack is equivalent to 4 servings, you have to calculate the amount of nutrients that have entered your body. This means that if the food label says 250 calories per serving that means you have to multiply it to four to get the total amount of calories you have taken.

2. Nutrients

This refers to the list of available nutrients in a particular item. It is also where the nutritional claims of the product based on the recommended daily dietary allowance are stated. Usually, the nutritional amounts are based on both the 2,500-calorie diets and the 2,000 recommended dietary allowances.

In order to understand the numeric value of each item, you should know that the “% daily value” that the food label indicates is actually based on how a particular food corresponds to the recommended daily dietary allowance for a 2,000 calorie.

If in the event that you have purchased an item that has a dietary allowance different from the 2,000-calorie diet, you just have to divide the stipulated amount by 2,000 and you will be able to identify the “%daily value” for the nutrients.

3. Ingredients

This refers to the list of the ingredients that were used to manufacture the product. The listing is usually arranged from the main ingredients that have the greater amount by weight up to the smallest quantity. This simply means that the actual quantity of the food includes the biggest quantity of the main ingredient or the first item and the minimum amount of the very last ingredient.

4. Label claim

This refers to the kinds of nutritional claims of a particular food item. For instance, if an item says it is sodium-free, it has less than 5 milligrams per serving or a low fat item actually contains 3 grams of fat or less.

Indeed, reading food labels can be very tedious and confusing. Nevertheless, once you get the hang of it, it would be easier for you to watch your diet because you can already control the amount of food that you take.

Men and women are different on so many levels. That includes the types of cancers they can get. There are certain cancers only men get and there are certain cancers only women get. There are certain cancers which plague women more than men and vice versa. It’s important to know which cancers you should be concerned about.

Cancers Only Women Get

This is probably pretty obvious. The cancers that only women get are gynecological cancers – which of course are cancers which start in places like the cervix, uterus, vagina, vulva, ovaries, and sometimes the fallopian tubes (very rare). It goes without saying that these cancers are only found in women because women are the only ones with these parts.

And while you might think only women get breast cancer, this is not the case. Men have breast tissue as well and can develop breast cancer. So the only cancers women get that men can’t get are gynecological cancers of the reproductive organs.

Cancers That Are Most Prevalent in Women

There are some cancers which strike women very fiercely. The most common types of cancers that really affect women are breast cancer, colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, skin cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer women get aside from skin cancer, but it’s followed closely by lung cancer and then colorectal cancer.

However, breast cancer has a better survival rate amongst women than lung cancer does. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women who are white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Indian/Alaska Native women.

Lung cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women. The number one most fatal cancer for Hispanic women is breast cancer. And the third leading cause of cancer deaths among all women, no matter what nationality, is colorectal cancer.

Surely the great screening and early detection techniques we have to screen for breast cancer is why the survival rate is higher. Caucasian women have the best survival chance when it comes to breast cancer. African-American women and Hispanic women are at a greater risk of succumbing to breast cancer than Caucasian women.

Low income families are more at risk from breast cancer. This likely has to do with the limited access they might have to screenings like mammograms. This is why it’s so important to support breast cancer non-profits. With the survival rate increasing exponentially with early detection, providing necessary early screenings to low income family is of the utmost importance.

Across the board (male or female), lung cancer remains the top killing cancer amongst patients. Oddly enough it’s the easiest to prevent getting. It is estimated that 87%-90% of all lung cancer deaths are related to smoking. It seems simply enough – if you stop smoking, you decrease your chances of dying from lung cancer.

Because lung cancer doesn’t have a reliable early detection test like breast cancer does, it’s hard to diagnose early. This is why more people die of lung cancer; once you begin showing signs you are already so far into the progression of the disease that saving you from lung cancer is much more difficult.

Finally colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women. This appears to be on the decline, though. With better testing, polyps are being found and diagnosed early, leading to earlier treatment. Plus the treatment for colorectal cancer has improved, so the survival rate from this type of cancer is on the rise.

These are the kind of cancers that plague women the most and what you have to watch out for. Remember, early detection is key in increasing your survival rate. So don’t blow off that mammogram or colonoscopy. A few minutes of discomfort just might save your life.

It has been said that through meditation, you are able to calm not only your body but your mind as well. It may sound too difficult to try, however, there are ways to make meditation as simple as possible. This article for those who are hesitant to meditate because of the perception that meditation is a difficult process. It may be true that in order to perfect your meditation skills you need to practice it for years, however, you can still begin with the simplest relaxation techniques. This will surely make you feel better, your brain relaxed a little and your whole being is rejuvenated.

Meditation is a good way to reduce stress; and as you all know, we can think better if we are not stressed. As many researches have pointed out, you can suffer from brain damage if you are exposed to constant stress. Now, isn’t meditation just the right boost to your brain power?
Through mediation, your concentration will be strengthened, thus you can fully focus on any mental activity that you are working on. So you should learn to control your mind and use it efficiently for your own goals, do this by starting with breath techniques moving further to simple meditation.

Breath Watching

Find a spot where you can sit and relax comfortably. There, give close attention to your breathing for a few seconds. Basically, you just have to clear your mind for a moment and have a quiet time on your own. Here are a few tips to assist you.

1) Find your spot

Since you are only a beginner, you may want to find a quiet place where you can meditate. As you become more expert in meditation, you will notice that you can already meditate anywhere you want to. For the mean time, find a spot where you can feel at peace.

2) Be comfortable

Look for your position which will keep you at ease but not asleep. For most people, crossing their legs is their meditation position. If you are the kind of person who can lie down without falling asleep, you may also try lying down for this may be your most comfortable position. Just keep yourself perfectly still and comfortable but not asleep – this should be your meditation position.

3) Let Go of the Tension

Observe which part of your body is most tensed. You should learn how to tense up those parts and then release the tension in such part. You may experience the release as your body begins to be drained from all the tension. If you repeat the process, you will later on learn how to relax easily.

4) Breathe properly

Breathe properly through your nose. In doing so, the air can easily pass through your lungs. You may notice that your diaphragm, abdomen and chest expand more when you breathe through your nose. This is how you should breathe.

5) Pay attention

There may be instances when your mind may be disturbed by other thoughts, but you should always remind yourself to go back into paying special attention to your breathing. With constant reminder, the thoughts that may disturb you will soon fade away.

You may want to perform this meditation for at least five minutes. And then as you practice it more and more each day, you may want to perform it for a longer time. You should then be able to realize that these meditations can really help you clear your mind and increase your focus. By feeling better, your brain also performs better.