Healthy Habit # 6 Prevent Diabetes? Stop Sipping Soda

Researchers link soft drinks, sugar drinks to diabetes

Drinking a sugar drink a day led to weight gain in medical school study of 90,000 women

1. One or more sugary drinks a day had an 83 percent greater chance of developing
type 2 diabetes.

2. Weight gain was highest among women who increased their soda consumption from one or fewer drinks a week to one or more a day.

3. An average 12-ounce can of soda contains 150 calories from 10 teaspoons of sugar.

You wouldn't eat candy all day, why would you drink soft drinks, energy drinks, gourmet coffee's or juice?

Study: Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School conducted the study, which is based on the decadelong Nurses Health Study II.

Read more: San Francisco Chronicle August 26, 2004
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/08/26/MNG088EJSU1.DTL#ixzz0Od1ivYQe

Healthy Habit # 5 Depressed? Avoid fat, sugar, caffeine, processed foods.

Depression is sometimes related to the foods we eat.

Have you ever noticed after eating turkey (triptophan) you feel sleepy or when eating potatoes (serotonin) you feel better? Everything you eat is either good for your or bad for you. There is no middle of the road when it comes maintaining a healthy body.

So the next time you are feeling depressed you might want to consider avoiding these foods:

1. high fat
2. sugar
3. caffeine
4. processed foods
   

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Healthy Habit # 4 Add Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Your Diet

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends a serving of fish two times per week.

Besides being a good source of protein and a food relatively low in the bad type of dietary fat called saturated fat, fish has omega-3 fatty acids -- which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Fatty fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon, are rich in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Foods such as tofu, soybeans, canola, walnuts, flaxseed, and their oils contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which convert to omega-3 in the body. Even though the benefits of ALA are controversial, the AHA still recommends foods containing it as part of a healthy diet.

In addition to their heart-health benefits, there is some evidence that omega-3 fatty acids may also soothe an overactive immune system, says Johnson. Even though this benefit is still being studied, she says there appears to be a link between getting more omega-3s in your diet and reducing allergies, asthma, eczema, and autoimmune disorders.

Source: www.webmd.com

Health Habit #3 Variety is the Key

Eat one new fruit, veggie or whole grain per week. The key is variety. You will be adding 52 new foods per year!

You may be eating plenty of food, but your body may not be getting the nutrients it needs to be healthy. Nutrient-rich foods have vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients but are lower in calories. To get the nutrients you need, choose foods like vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products and fat-free or low-fat dairy products most often.

1. Vegetables and fruits are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber — and they’re low in calories. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables may help you control your weight and your blood pressure.

2. Unrefined whole-grain foods contain fiber that can help lower your blood cholesterol and help you feel full, which may help you manage your weight. - www.americanheart.org