Even if you stick to healthy eating principles most of the time for yourself and your children, it's harder to keep this up when it comes to giving a birthday party for your child. Most party food is a dietary nightmare, but you still want your child to have "treat food" that makes the party special. What are you going to do?
Some experts say that you should take some time off the diet - after all, a birthday doesn't happen every day and if you're eating healthily the rest of the time, one day of not-so-good food won't be the end of the world. There's something to be said for this point of view, as it does make for less stress for a parent, especially as kids' parties take enough organising as it is. Another school of thought suggests that you should try to stick to your healthy eating plan, presenting healthy treat foods (they exist). If this sounds like something you'd like to try, or if you'd like to take the halfway option of having mostly healthy foods but with a few "baddies" thrown in, the following suggestions may come in handy:
Instead of:
Saveloys/cocktail sausages
Potato crisps/chips
Sweets
Regular ice cream
Bright coloured fizzy drink
Try this:
Grilled chicken wings or nibbles
Oven baked spicy potato wedges (easy enough for a 10-year-old to make)
Mixed nuts, salted or unsalted
Dried fruit (apricots, raisins, cranberries) and chocolate, preferably dark
Frozen yoghurt (ordinary yoghurt thrown into the freezer overnight will do)
Plain lemonade or mineral water mixed with fruit juice or chilled herbal tea (peppermint's popular)
You can also try these healthy party foods:
raw vegetables and bread sticks dipped into hummus or guacamole
fruit kebabs in a chocolate fountain (dark chocolate, of course)
old-fashioned cubes of cheese stuck on a toothpick with a square of pineapple
mousetraps (slices of bread spread with Vegemite and a slice of cheese and popped under the grill; chutney or slices of tomato can substitute for the Vegemite)
garlic bread, preferably home made and/or wholemeal
cherry tomatoes
a salad of edible flowers - popular with little girls
It's probably a good idea to make the cake yourself. You'll probably want to ice it, which means food colouring and icing sugar (but you can get away with decorating a cake with plastic animals, if you have a good imagination, or with edible flowers). You can control the flour and the other ingredients that go into the cake and icing (e.g. instead of butter or margarine in the batter, you can use rice bran oil).
If you are throwing a party with a theme, you can try to include healthy foods that fit the theme. For a Western/cowboy party, baked beans fit the theme (chilli optional, except among older boys who want to take a dare). Edible flowers suit a princess or fairy theme, while an animal themed party can include foods that the animal would eat (e.g. carrots and apples for horses, meatballs made of mince for cats, dogs and tigers).
October 22, 2014
7 Best Foods For Healthy Joints
It is always important to maintain good joint health because the joints are used in everyday movement. There are some ways to help strengthen these joints and consuming certain foods is one of them. Following are 7 best foods that can help improve joint health.
1. Salmon
Salmon is great for your joints because it is an excellent source of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, one of nature’s best anti-inflammatory compounds. This essential fat has been found to reduce chronic inflammation as well as help to relieve joint pain. So you should include salmon in your diet for healthier joints.
2. Broccoli
Broccoli, along with other dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, swiss chard and mustard green, is a gold mine of essential vitamins and minerals. Apart from vitamin A and vitamin C, broccoli contains vitamin K and vitamin E. These nutrients can keep the joints strong and healthy as well as heal joint pain caused due to aging.
3. Cherries
Cherries have so many benefits and one of them is improving joint health. They are packed with antioxidant compounds that have been linked to high antioxidant capacity and reduced inflammation.
4. Almonds
Almonds are rich in vitamin E, which helps in maintaining the strength of the joints. This vitamin protects the outer covering of joint cells, making it a first-line defender against free radicals. Other sources of vitamin E include peanuts and sunflower seeds.
5. Papaya
Another food that is good for joint health is papaya. This fruit is rich in vitamin C that helps keep away problems like arthritis. It penetrates into cells, where it protects DNA from free-radical damage. Plus, papaya is loaded with other antioxidants such as beta carotene that can help maintain joint health.
6. Ginger
Not only is ginger a stomach soother but it is also used to reduce joint pain and swelling. This spice contains gingerols and can clamp down on production of COX-2, a key enzyme in inflammation.
7. Turkey
Turkey has tryptophan, which may boost your immune system, help you sleep and improve your mood. Besides, it is high in protein, which plays a critical role in building and repairing muscle and cartilage for joint health.
1. Salmon
Salmon is great for your joints because it is an excellent source of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, one of nature’s best anti-inflammatory compounds. This essential fat has been found to reduce chronic inflammation as well as help to relieve joint pain. So you should include salmon in your diet for healthier joints.
2. Broccoli
Broccoli, along with other dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, swiss chard and mustard green, is a gold mine of essential vitamins and minerals. Apart from vitamin A and vitamin C, broccoli contains vitamin K and vitamin E. These nutrients can keep the joints strong and healthy as well as heal joint pain caused due to aging.
3. Cherries
Cherries have so many benefits and one of them is improving joint health. They are packed with antioxidant compounds that have been linked to high antioxidant capacity and reduced inflammation.
4. Almonds
Almonds are rich in vitamin E, which helps in maintaining the strength of the joints. This vitamin protects the outer covering of joint cells, making it a first-line defender against free radicals. Other sources of vitamin E include peanuts and sunflower seeds.
5. Papaya
Another food that is good for joint health is papaya. This fruit is rich in vitamin C that helps keep away problems like arthritis. It penetrates into cells, where it protects DNA from free-radical damage. Plus, papaya is loaded with other antioxidants such as beta carotene that can help maintain joint health.
6. Ginger
Not only is ginger a stomach soother but it is also used to reduce joint pain and swelling. This spice contains gingerols and can clamp down on production of COX-2, a key enzyme in inflammation.
7. Turkey
Turkey has tryptophan, which may boost your immune system, help you sleep and improve your mood. Besides, it is high in protein, which plays a critical role in building and repairing muscle and cartilage for joint health.
Best Recipe Ever - Quick Healthy and Delicious Tuna Spaghetti Sauce
The Italians call this dish 'Pasta al Tonno' - Pasta with Tuna. This is one of the tastiest and best recipes ever for a healthy tuna spaghetti sauce. However, this is one of those recipes that can easily be dismissed as it is so quick and easy to make. You know what they say, 'the simple things in life are often the best', and in this case it is definitely true.
Mediterranean diets are considered very healthy due to the inclusion of lots of seafood, vegetables and, of course, olive oil. Contrary to popular belief, the pasta element in that diet is very healthy as well, as most good pasta is made from durum wheat. Now, durum wheat is no ordinary wheat. It is also referred to as 'semolina wheat', an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and is low-GI as well.
With only a few ingredients from your pantry and fridge, you can whip this dish up in around 30 minutes or less. You get to decide on the amount of olive oil you wish to include, for a low-fat version of this sauce, use tuna in brine or spring water, and only use a tablespoon or two of oil. This recipe makes quite a lot of sauce, simply freeze any leftovers for another quick and healthy meal.
Here's what you will need:
425g Tinned Tuna
2 x 800g Can Crushed Tomatoes
3 to 4 Anchovy Fillets (optional)
1 Onion
Bunch of Parsley
1 Carrot
¼ Cup Olive Oil (use less for low-fat version)
500g Packet Spaghetti
Here's how to make it:
Dice onions, grate carrot, sautee in olive oil, when onions are transparent add anchovies if you're using them. You don't actually taste the anchovies in the finished sauce, but it adds a certain depth of flavour.
Add Chopped Parsley. Then add Tuna and sautee for a few minutes.
Add Crushed Tomatoes and cook on low heat until you see a little of the oil rising to the top of the sauce.
In the meantime:
While the sauce is cooking - Cook Spaghetti according to packet instructions.
Finally:
Serve the sauce over the spaghetti and enjoy!
Once you've tried this sauce, I hope it will become one of your best recipes ever as well.
Quick Tip: All good Italian tomato based sauces need to be cooked until the tomatoes 'curdle' and some of the oil separates and rises to the top - then you know it's done.
One More Tip: In case you were wondering where the grated parmesan went - It is not usual to have parmesan cheese on seafood based pasta sauces.
Mediterranean diets are considered very healthy due to the inclusion of lots of seafood, vegetables and, of course, olive oil. Contrary to popular belief, the pasta element in that diet is very healthy as well, as most good pasta is made from durum wheat. Now, durum wheat is no ordinary wheat. It is also referred to as 'semolina wheat', an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and is low-GI as well.
With only a few ingredients from your pantry and fridge, you can whip this dish up in around 30 minutes or less. You get to decide on the amount of olive oil you wish to include, for a low-fat version of this sauce, use tuna in brine or spring water, and only use a tablespoon or two of oil. This recipe makes quite a lot of sauce, simply freeze any leftovers for another quick and healthy meal.
Here's what you will need:
425g Tinned Tuna
2 x 800g Can Crushed Tomatoes
3 to 4 Anchovy Fillets (optional)
1 Onion
Bunch of Parsley
1 Carrot
¼ Cup Olive Oil (use less for low-fat version)
500g Packet Spaghetti
Here's how to make it:
Dice onions, grate carrot, sautee in olive oil, when onions are transparent add anchovies if you're using them. You don't actually taste the anchovies in the finished sauce, but it adds a certain depth of flavour.
Add Chopped Parsley. Then add Tuna and sautee for a few minutes.
Add Crushed Tomatoes and cook on low heat until you see a little of the oil rising to the top of the sauce.
In the meantime:
While the sauce is cooking - Cook Spaghetti according to packet instructions.
Finally:
Serve the sauce over the spaghetti and enjoy!
Once you've tried this sauce, I hope it will become one of your best recipes ever as well.
Quick Tip: All good Italian tomato based sauces need to be cooked until the tomatoes 'curdle' and some of the oil separates and rises to the top - then you know it's done.
One More Tip: In case you were wondering where the grated parmesan went - It is not usual to have parmesan cheese on seafood based pasta sauces.
Avocado Butter for Beautiful and Healthy Skin
There are many benefits to use avocado butter, not the least of them that it makes your skin look alive, vibrant and full of health. Add to that the fact that it is completely natural, and it becomes a very attractive choice as an addition to your range of preferred skin care products.
There are several synthetic alternatives you could choose, each of which claims the same benefits as avocado butter, but have you really considered their benefits and the truth of what they claim? Do you understand the meaning of that large ingredients list? Let's digress for just a short while and discuss the vitamin and supplement industry.
Supplements are available in almost any shape and form: vitamins, minerals and even complex mixtures known as athletic supplements are marketed as being effective in improving fitness, stamina and just about any other health benefit you can imagine. Yet the experts are still out on the difference between the actual benefits claimed for these and those realized in practice. They are not necessarily the same, and there are some real biochemical reasons for that.
The reason is synergy. That word relates to different substances working better together than either could apart. Take the example of a secretary and the guy that delivers her letters by courier. To outsiders, the secretary is great at getting these letters and invoices delivered on time. However, that is meaningless if the courier is not on duty - it gets delivered a day late.
In the same way, many vitamins and minerals are well known for their beneficial effects, but there is no point in taking a calcium supplement if the couriers - magnesium and vitamins C and D - are missing! They are the substances that actually take the calcium into your bone structure. That is why natural sources are better: they have the courier and the secretary provided in the one package, just as they should be. That is also why avocado butter is a far superior skin care substance than any synthetic product.
It contains the antioxidant vitamins A, E and D that kill of the free radicals that age your skin. A very scientific and comforting explanation of how it works, unlike that of the synthetic emulsified oils, containing surfactants that can damage your skin, rather than help it, and other even more toxic substances. It contains a natural sunscreen that protects your skin and hair from the damaging effects of the ultraviolet radiation of the sun.
Avocado butter also contains lecithin and unsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial to your skin, and it melts at only 30C - 35C making it very easy to apply tom your skin.
It can be used to moisturize dry skin ad it can also help to reduce the appearance of age spots, sometimes referred to as liver spots, caused by the oxidation of fatty deposits just under your skin.
So, don't use these potentially toxic artificial labeled products, but try pure avocado oil next time you are looking for a skin care product. You won't regret it, and will likely be hooked on it for life: your skin certainly will!
There are several synthetic alternatives you could choose, each of which claims the same benefits as avocado butter, but have you really considered their benefits and the truth of what they claim? Do you understand the meaning of that large ingredients list? Let's digress for just a short while and discuss the vitamin and supplement industry.
Supplements are available in almost any shape and form: vitamins, minerals and even complex mixtures known as athletic supplements are marketed as being effective in improving fitness, stamina and just about any other health benefit you can imagine. Yet the experts are still out on the difference between the actual benefits claimed for these and those realized in practice. They are not necessarily the same, and there are some real biochemical reasons for that.
The reason is synergy. That word relates to different substances working better together than either could apart. Take the example of a secretary and the guy that delivers her letters by courier. To outsiders, the secretary is great at getting these letters and invoices delivered on time. However, that is meaningless if the courier is not on duty - it gets delivered a day late.
In the same way, many vitamins and minerals are well known for their beneficial effects, but there is no point in taking a calcium supplement if the couriers - magnesium and vitamins C and D - are missing! They are the substances that actually take the calcium into your bone structure. That is why natural sources are better: they have the courier and the secretary provided in the one package, just as they should be. That is also why avocado butter is a far superior skin care substance than any synthetic product.
It contains the antioxidant vitamins A, E and D that kill of the free radicals that age your skin. A very scientific and comforting explanation of how it works, unlike that of the synthetic emulsified oils, containing surfactants that can damage your skin, rather than help it, and other even more toxic substances. It contains a natural sunscreen that protects your skin and hair from the damaging effects of the ultraviolet radiation of the sun.
Avocado butter also contains lecithin and unsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial to your skin, and it melts at only 30C - 35C making it very easy to apply tom your skin.
It can be used to moisturize dry skin ad it can also help to reduce the appearance of age spots, sometimes referred to as liver spots, caused by the oxidation of fatty deposits just under your skin.
So, don't use these potentially toxic artificial labeled products, but try pure avocado oil next time you are looking for a skin care product. You won't regret it, and will likely be hooked on it for life: your skin certainly will!
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