The Great Start To Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy lifestyle is not limited to taking the the right food, exercise and absence of addiction or vices. Cleanliness on surroundings and personal hygiene plays a big role too. Why not start to make it a habit to wash your hands every now and then?

Proper hand washing could not just keep you away from colds and flu but from other illnesses as well. Transmission of food-related infectious agents such as  E. coli and Salmonella could be due to poor hand hygiene too. Teach your kids by being a model as early as possible the importance of proper hand washing. They easily learn and habit of the things parent’s teach if people around them do so.

How to Effectively Prevent Wrinkles

Best wrinkle cream helps a lot in erasing wrinkles. But, did you know that what you eat could delay or even prevent wrinkle formation? Food rich in antioxidants such as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E could protect your skin from environmental damage. Diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and polyunsaturated oils helps a lot not just against skin aging but good health in general. Especially if you limit yourself from processed foods, butter and sweet goodies. Why not start to eat right today to prevent wrinkle formation tomorrow?

The Importance of Choosing Food to Eat

When there are lots of foods in a table for you to eat. You have choice between what tastes good and what is good for you, which will you choose?

In the past few posts, I really emphasize the importance of making a choice in what kind of food to it. As we all know, processed, oily and sweet foods are so tasty compared to the healthy ones. Will you choose boiled sweet potato over a slice of cake or carrot sticks (raw carrots shaped like french fries) over french fries?

If you love your health and your family health, why not start preparing simple yet healthy meals for your family than tasty ones? It’s just a matter of training your taste buds to like healthy foods.

Tips to Those Who Are Suffering From Mouth Sore

I have simple tips to those who are suffering from mouth sore. It is not easy to suffer a mouth sore. I met a patient months ago who lose weight because of mouth sore. She takes in limited amount of food only, and most of it are liquid just for her to have something for her stomach not to be sore as well. If a centimeter wide of mouth sore made me miserable for few days, how much more for her who got not just one but four mouth sores. I meet the said lady at the laboratory for a blood examination. Unfortunately, I have not seen her after that for me to ask  about her doctor’s suggestions and the medications her doctor prescribe for her problem.

Here are my simple tips to those who are suffering from mouth sore for them not to starve themselves:

Eating food at moderate temperature is not irritating compared to taking them at extreme temperature (hot or cold). So, eat food at room temperature.

Acidic foods like pineapple and grapefruit may cause a burning sensation to your mouth. So, better choose mild food and drinks than the acidic one.

Hardened foods like cookies does not just take time for you to chew but may come in contact to your mouth sore as well that may lead to much more pain. So, better avoid hardened foods or dunk them in soup or milk to be softer.

Choose easy to swallow foods while you are suffering from mouth sores. Never starve yourself because of mouth sore.

And, if will not heal after few days of treating using home remedies better consult it to your family doctor.

Educational Free Cooking Games Online

It is really nice to know that there are educational free cooking games online that are included in girl games. I tried it myself for curiosity reason, it was fun! As for me it was not made just to entertain bored kids. It gives children a chance to make same type of creations that adult do in the kitchen. It helps the kids to be imaginative while developing their motor skills that they need throughout their lives. These educational free cooking games online will definitely stimulate your child to learn to appreciate and value foods they eat.

I introduced my six year-old niece to these  food games just few hours ago, and take note, she really appreciate it. She loved the “easy bake” cooking game. It triggered her imagination how she would decorate the cake, she imagined that it is her own birthday cake she decorated. It teaches kids to sort things out and not just accept everything that anyone tells them. She told me that she would tell her mommy that she want to bake a real cake and decorate it. She also love the “Pancake Day” cooking game, she is now eager to cook pancake with her mom’s supervision.

Food games like “Hot Dog Bush” and “Burger Restaurant” teaches children how to  meet the immediate  or ‘on a hurry’ demands of life, it also teaches patience. Is it not great to know that your child will learn a real life lessons from food games they play?

I really appreciate that these educational free cooking games online were included on girl games. It would be best if parents, especially the moms, out there to try all the games that their children are playing for them to know what are the best games for their kids, and stimulate their children to play educational games. Games that  kids could learn lessons that are applicable to real life situations like cooking game .

Sources of Food Poisoning

Nowadays, people become more aware that food poisoning could take place in any food. Eggs, poultry, shellfish, and unpasteurized dairy products are the most common source of food poisoning. But, contamination of plant foods from food poisoning bacteria takes place when vegetables, legumes or nuts are grown closely to the ground, especially when farmers uses manure as fertilizer. Food handling is another issue. Food from farm are free from  food poisoning agent but the one that sells the unsealed food products in the market or the person that processed the product or the one that cooks your meal harbors the harmful microorganism and has poor hygiene, possibility of transmission from the food handler to the food products is possible.

If animals are ill, usually they were given  antibiotics, giving antibiotics without following the minimum number of days to  give the antibiotics to the animals may lead to resistance of bacteria to the said antibiotic. When these infected animals (with antibiotic resistant bacteria) were utilized as meat or their products such as eggs or their manure are utilized in the farm as fertilizer, infection of antibiotic resistant food poisoning bacteria to human will be a big problem. The problem of antibiotic resistance food poisoning  bacteria is not the main issue, but the difficulty in treatment of such strain may occur.

Another possible source for food poisoning are foods that has been improperly processed or stored are the ideal habitat for growth of bacteria and fungal elements (in the laboratory, it is equivalent to a culture media – it is where we let the bacteria and fungal elements multiply from thousands into hundred thousands or more). So, be careful in processing and storing your food at home. Most of the microorganisms  if it multiplies, usually causes spoilage of food, others may just give light discomfort to those have consumed the food but some of this bacteria are dangerous, especially those that contains toxins (poisons).

Contaminated water and utensils are good source of possible infection. In this case usually the food handler harbors the harmful microorganism then he practice no proper hygiene. Including the right cleaning of utensils used due to limited amount of water to use by the time he is selling his food products. Good example for this are the street foods. I am not condemning  street food vendors here. We just need to face the fact that lots of people have been hospitalized from eating contaminated street foods.

Remember this, cooking could kill viruses, bacteria and fungal elements present on the food but it is not an assurance that the toxins present are destroyed, toxins in bacteria  that could create variety of problems in the body.

Why We Consider Junk Food an Unhealthy Food

“Why we consider junk food an unhealthy food and why it is called junk Aunt Midas?” my niece asked me yesterday afternoon while we are buying some stuff at the supermarket. I simply answered her that junk foods are bad foods especially those that are preserved, they are not good for the body. Junk food is an unhealthy food, not fit for eating. But she insisted that there are healthy junk foods too because of some nutritional value you could find on its packs that is why eating junk foods is fine. She made me smile that time, yes, all foods have some value but it does not mean that it has a little nutritional value you could categorize it as healthy or nutritious food. I explained to her that junk foods effects, could not be seen immediately, that it takes time before she could see its bad effects.

Why we categorize junk foods as unhealthy foods? Not just because of its low nutritional value that it was called unhealthy food but because of junk foods effects, the hazards it could cause to one’s health. Junk foods are usually high in fats. As we could see on the back label of a junk food, the fats they mostly use are hydrogenated oils, the common term for trans fatty acids or trans fats (could cause cancer). Manufacturers hydrogenate the healthy unsaturated fats so that it will last long. Unfortunately, hydrogenation causes the healthy unsaturated fats to become unhealthy saturated fats which could result to clogged arteries and heart problems. That is just one reason why eating junk foods is not advisable.

And what are some of the junk food effects why junk foods were called an unhealthy foods? High level of salt in a junk food could cause hypertension and, or kidney problems because of its sodium content. If it is a sweet junk food, too much sugar could not only ruin the teeth but could cause obesity and diabetes in the long run. Other junk foods uses aspartame or saccharin as sweetener. These  sweeteners has been linked with other health problems including certain cancers in laboratory animals. Have you seen monosodium glutamate (MSG) listed on the junk food content? This additive is flavor enhancer, as we all know it has bad reputation and been controversial that it could cause cancer. Antioxidants such as Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and  Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) that are widely use in oils of junk food has been linked with certain cancers in laboratory animals too. Now, tell me, is eating junk foods good for the health? Is there such thing as healthy junk foods or you will consider junk foods now as a group of bad foods? Yes, junk food may contain low nutritional value but junk foods effects are so hazardous to ones health.

Television advertising, greatly affects child’s desire for food, especially on unhealthy foods like junk food. Relatives and friends that gives food to the children is another great factor that influences the child’s choice of food. Parents, just bear in mind that your influence in choosing the right food for your kids is still the greatest influence of all. Though it is a little bit difficult to have complete control over what your children are taking in (especially when they are with friends or relatives) but you can and should control the foods that are available at your home. If junk food or any high sugar, high fat, high salt, low nutrient and preserved foods are not available at your home, the child would be force to eat the nutritious food available. So, the best thing is do not keep foods that you do not want your child to consume, those you consider unhealthy foods for your family like junk food.

Training Kids On Their Appetites and Tastes of Food

kids eating

No, we will not be talking about monsterbelly appetite today, we will be talking about good food, good taste and healthy appetite for kids.

As your child grow and now permitted to eat foods that are eaten by an adult, make sure to teach them as early as possible to increase kids appetite on good food by training them on their appetites and tastes of food. Parents should inculcate their young minds of the nutritional value of what their kids eat for them to appreciate and have a good taste of food they are taking in.

We have seen lot of kids on their early years of life that has increase appetite for their favorite foods only from breakfast up to dinner and take in unhealthy foods like fries, chips and candies as their in between meals. Parents should know what is the best and good food for their kids and they should train their child to eat that right food on their early stage of life and not base their diets on their appetites and taste of food.

It is not just a taste, kids taste buds can be trained for them to have appetite for good food. When me and my siblings are on that early stage of life, our mom teach us the importance of the food we eat. We have been trained to have a healthy appetite for natural juices like oranges, lemon, tomato and carrots instead of commercial juices in a pouch. We have been trained to eat variety of foods in a day especially fruits and vegetables. Instead of chips or biscuits, we are taking in boiled root crops, home made cookies and fruits. Even a bitter gourd which is unpalatable to kids tastes, we are proud to tell you that we have been eating that since our early years. It just proves that we can train  kids  taste buds on their sense of taste and having a healthy appetite.

It may take a lot of patience to teach your kids to have a good taste and healthy appetite but when parents has an aim for his or her kid to live a healthy life, everything is possible. By the way, have you heared about monsterbelly apetite? Kids love it.