The Busy Body's Guide To Healthy Eating

Setting the Scene

 You want to stay fit and be healthy, right? Of course! Well, I'm going to give you some tips on how you can do this anywhere!

Plan Ahead

 This is one of the best decisions you can make. Make sure you keep a cooler or something to store your meals and snacks into. Not only will you be ready when hunger turns up, but you can also get rid of the excuse to go eat somewhere unhealthy.








Drink Plenty of Water

  Not only does water keep you full longer, but it helps you speed up you metabolism too! 









Make Smart Choices


  Don't pack things that can easily perish or will not benefit you. You should pack snacks that keep you full and provide long-lasting energy. Snacks such as nuts, seeds, whole-grain bars, or healthy trail mix will greatly benefit you. The carbohydrates and the protein combined in these and other snacks will help to keep you from making unhealthy choices later on during the day.


Healthy Snack Examples:   

 Clif Bars, Luna Bars, Lara Bars, Oatmeal, Soy Milk, fresh vegetables, homemade trail mix, and nuts.

                                          
Healthy Meal Examples:

Fruit Salad
Hummus with Garden of Eatin' Chips
Pasta
Rice and Beans
Peanut butter, banana, and apple sandwich
Baked potato
Vegan quesadilla


The Benefits  
  
 The options I mentioned above have many healthy benefits and they are all vegan. Eating healthy will contribute to better weight control, a more youthful appearance, more energy, mental alertness, stable emotions, reduce illness, and slow aging. 

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MAGNIFICENT MUSHROOMS

Mushrooms are amazing. They contain a variety of nutritional substances. Among these substances are amino acids and polysaccharides.
There are more than 10,000 varieties of mushroom.

They can be split into four different categories:
Saprotrophic - decomposers
Mycorrhizal - unified alliance with plants
Parasitic - affects the plant host
Endophytic - invades the plant host tissue

In China, the mushroom,Ganoderma Lucidum was reserved for the emperor and has long been associated with longevity and spiritual energy. The benefits of this mushroom are endless.
Mushrooms are definitely one of the strangest, most fascinating creations on this Earth. Not only are they beneficial to your health, but they taste good too! This is a recipe I came up with, try it out for yourself!

                                    MAGNIFICENT MUSHROOM MEAL

INGREDIENTS:
2 large Portabella Mushrooms                        
1 cup of beans
1/4 cup of onions
1/4 cup of green onions
1/4 cup of minced garlic
1 tbsp of olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 of oregano
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1/2 cup of red pepper
1/2 cup of green pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Cook beans for 15 to 20 minutes until soft.
2) Mash beans up in the blender.
3) Chop onions, red pepper, green pepper, and oregano.
4) Cook all vegetables until roasted, throw in the minced garlic.
5) Cook mushroom for 5 to 10 minutes.
6) Put vegetables in mushroom, top it and enjoy!

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STRESSED OUT? HERE'S SOME TIPS:

1) KEEP A JOURNAL: Keeping a journal helps you keep track of your thoughts. Often times we tend to think about 100 things at once and writing them down will help you organize your thoughts.

2) EXERCISE: Do something you enjoy; whether it's running, dancing, swimming, or hiking. This helps release any tension and manage stress.

3) BE POSITIVE: Having a positive attitude will not only make you feel good, it'll make others around you feel good too.
                                            

4) BE THANKFUL: Developing a thankful attitude towards life and others will make you feel good and have a new perspective on life.
                                           

5) EAT HEALTHY: Eating properly is essential to feeling and looking your best.
                                           
6) SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY/FRIENDS: Spending some quality time with family and friends always helps ease my stress away.
                                           

7) RELAX: Take some time each day to just unwind. Whether it be reading a good book, watching a movie, or taking time out each day is important.
                                                

Credits:
 photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiuko/6206206131/">"KIUKO"</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
 photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23881436@N05/4537175786/">cheerytomato</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
 photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/415651103/">Pink Sherbet Photography</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>
  photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfala/2848824545/">pfala</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
 photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/grandvelasresort/1131688192/">Grand Velas Resort</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

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VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS: NOT ALWAYS THE BEST OPTION

Vitamins, we all know they're needed in our bodies. But, most of us think were doing our bodies a favor by taking dietary supplements. Now, im not saying that ALL vitamin supplements are harmful, just most. If you read the label on most vitamin supplements you'll notice numerous ingredients. These ingredients can be harmful and even toxic.

CHEMICALS

You probably wouldn't think that a natural supplement would contain chemicals. If you notice though, the same ingredients that can be found in many vitamin supplements are also used in these:

• sweeteners
• preservatives
• printing inks
• flavors
• fillers
• colors

 We all take vitamin supplements for the same purpose, to be healthier. It could be doing the opposite, though. These supplements shelf life gets extended, but at what cost?
Your body knows the difference between what's real and what's fake, but it always prefers the real thing.
Although there are many harmful supplements, there are beneficial kinds as well. When you read the label on these supplements you'll notice the difference right away. My favorite brand is Garden of Life. This is an excellent brand. Not only are the ingredients ALL NATURAL but they're also RAW! Garden of Life also makes nutritional shakes and snacks.
Heres the label for Garden of Life; RAW Meal:
 


Check out these links for more info on vitamin supplements:
 

http://www.naturalnews.com/033702_chemicals_vitamins.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/033217_confectioners_glaze_shellac.html

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NATURE HOLDS THE KEY

---

"When I behold thine heavens, even the works of they fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained, What is man, say I, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than God, and crowned him with glory and worship. Thou hast made him to have dominion in the works of thine hands, thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen: yea, and the beasts of the field: The fowls of the air, and the fish of the sea, and that which passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy Name in all the world!"
                                                                               Psalm 8:3-9 (Geneva Bible)

Nature is amazing. Most of us don't realize how amazing nature really is. Nature holds the answers to all of our questions. We can see the pattern of nature in everything in life. From how plants grow to how birds fly. All of the Earth's deepest secrets lie in nature.
For centuries the worlds brightest minds have looked at nature to find their answers. They have discovered things that no one else would have ever imagined. One of these bright minds was Galileo. He built his first telescope and made spectacular observations with it. He discovered different planets and developed a greater awareness of this planet from it. Galileo said," All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." You can check out the video, Galileo's Battle for the Heaven's here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnEH9rbrIkk

Nature has a secret life that we aren't even aware of. It's a world that we are truly blessed to be a part of. In nature our minds can unravel things that go beyond our normal boundaries. If you realize it moreover, nature's secret messages are hidden in plain sight! Albert Einstein said,“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”

We all must become aware of what society is doing to nature.We must learn to care for nature, just in the same way it cares for us. There are so many ways we all can make a difference. Whether it be growing your own garden, not using pesticides, using alternative methods of transportation, and learning more & sharing your knowledge with others.
Just like Michael Jackson said, "WE ARE THE WORLD, WE ARE THE CHILDREN."

MICHAEL JACKSON - WE ARE THE WORLD

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THE SKINNY GENE

We all know at least one person who can eat whatever they want, whenever they want and still stay skinny. Now, research has shown that this can be greatly influenced by a gene in our bodies. That's why some people have a difficult time losing weight, while for others it may be a breeze.

The gene in our bodies that is normally responsible for what rate we lose weight at and is called the adipose gene.
Research has shown that this gene can be turned on or off.
When this gene is turned down, your more susceptible to gaining weight. When it's turned up, you can burn fat faster.
This means that a variety of factors can cause this gene to be activated or deactivated.
This probably could be done by exercise, diet, or other methods.

Credits:
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hermida/249513096/">Alfred Hermida</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

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MEANING OF NUMBERS ON PLASTIC BOTTLES

Have you ever wondered what the little number on the bottom of your water bottle means?
The truth is that these numbers are the label of what type of chemical the plastic is made out of.
Anything under 5 is a safer bet, but most of the plastic water bottles and containers used today are harmful.
Most plastic bottles and food containers are made using the number 1, this number indicates that the plastic leaches out a chemical into the water called PET, polyethlyene terephthalate.
These chemicals are cancer causing and may be released in different ways.
One of these ways is freezing them. Don't freeze your plastic bottles, this causes dioxins to be to be released from the plastic. Dioxins are toxic to the cells of our bodies.
It's also not a good idea to drink water bottles left in the car. Drinking water that has been exposed to high temperatures can release phthalates. These are chemicals that are added to plastics to make them more sturdy and flexible. These chemicals are dangerous because they can disrupt your natural hormone balance. It's been shown also that baby bottles BPA(bisphenol A), a chemical that could cause early puberty in girls and changes in behavior.(see below for a list of bpa-free baby bottles).
Not only are these chemicals in plastics, they're also in your beauty supplies. Its a good idea to limit your lotions, perfumes, sunscreens and other products.

So overall, in my opinion, the best choice is stainless steel or glass.

BPA-Free Baby Bottles

Credits:
*photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike9alive/2339889236/">Michel Filion</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a *href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
*http://babyproducts.about.com/od/feedingdrinks/tp/BPA_free_baby_bottles.htm
*http://www.pslc.ws/macrog/work/recycle.htm

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