DietForLife.biz

4 Weight Loss Tips for the Family

2009-08-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

As a parent or grandparent, setting a good example is important. This is especially true around the dinner table, since children tend to pick up eating habits from the family routine. Try the following - your family may not even know they are eating more healthful meals

Incorporate a vegetable into every meal. Peas, broccoli, asparagus, red, yellow or green bell peppers, spinach - you name it, vegetables provide nutrients and fiber.
Use more beans and legumes, and less meat. Chickpeas, lentils and beans of all types are good sources of fiber and protein. Use the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid below.
Serve up whole grains. Brown rice and bulgur wheat provide a delicious, grainy taste and texture - and have more fiber and protein than their white counterparts. Choose true, relatively intact whole grains like these over grains that have been ground into flour.
Switch sweets. Instead of soda, stock the pantry with sparkling waters. Pour fruit juice into a pitcher and dilute it to lessen the sugar content. Stock your kitchen with fresh, whole fruits, and leave the cookies in the store.

3 Reasons to Eat Tomatoes

2009-08-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

This fruit, which many still consider to be a vegetable due to its lack of sweetness, is a seasonal staple. Chopped in salads, sliced with fresh buffalo mozzarella, pureed for gazpacho or eaten fresh off the vine, a ripe tomato in summertime is a delicious and healthful treat. Tomatoes are:

Low in calories.
Excellent sources of vitamin C, and provide vitamins A and K, potassium, manganese and fiber.
A source of lycopene - researchers have linked the lycopene (a carotenoid that gives tomatoes their color) with a lowered risk of heart disease and cancer (including prostate, breast, colorectal and lung), as well as being helpful in lowering high cholesterol.

To get the full health benefit of tomatoes, including their anti-cancer potential, remember that carotenoids are fat-soluble and are better absorbed when eaten lightly cooked and paired with fats such as extra-virgin olive oil.

What items should you throw out when cleaning your Kitchen.

2009-03-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

An important step in creating a healthy kitchen is to read and understand food labels. When you begin restocking your pantry, food labels are your best resource to assess what to keep and what to toss. This practice will also give you an overview of your choices in the supermarket, and is a good starting point to modify your shopping habits. Use the list below to determine which items to discard. Many of these ingredients are considered pro-inflammatory and therefore unfavorable to healthy aging. If the list of ingredients contains one or more of these undesirables, toss and don't buy again!

Note that high-oleic versions of sunflower or safflower oils are acceptable, as they have fatty acid profiles closer to that of olive oil.

Supplementing Your Diet
Diet For life has long considered taking supplements to be good insurance against those times when you can't eat right. Visit www.dietforlife.biz to receive FREE shipping with any Supplement purchase totaling $60.oo or above.

How to Avoid Transfats!

2009-01-28T08:06:00.000-08:00

Trans fats have been linked to many health issues, especially heart disease. If you want to avoid trans fats when dining out or cooking at home, follow these simple rules:

Avoid margarines. Most contain trans fats. Good Alternative Butters are Earth's Balance or Smart Balance with Omega 3.

Read snack food labels carefully. Stay away from items that list "partially hydrogenated oil" or " partially hydrogenated soy bean oil" on the label, and opt for baked or air-popped versions instead.

Limit heavily processed foods and focus on fresh, whole foods.

I recommend using extra virgin olive oil as your main cooking oil or Grapeseed oil. For a neutral-tasting oil, use expeller pressed, organic canola oil.

Are you getting enough sleep?

2008-11-19T07:40:00.001-08:00

Getting enough sleep can help you re-learn tasks that you might have forgotten. Research at the University of Chicago showed for the first time that people who had "forgotten" how to perform a complex task 12 hours after training found that those abilities were restored after a night's sleep.*

"Sleep consolidated learning by restoring what was lost over the course of a day following training and by protecting what was learned against subsequent loss," said Howard Nusbaum, Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago, and a researcher in the study. "These findings suggest that sleep has an important role in learning generalized skills in stabilizing and protecting memory."

If you want to take a all natural supplement to improve your sleep try " Health For Life Quick Release Melatonin".

* If you would like to read more about this study Click here:

Is your plastic safe to drink out of?

2008-08-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

There is a wide known chemical called Bisphenol-A also known as BPA that has been widely researched and is used in many of our plastics including, sippy cups, the epoxy linings of canned food, baby bottles, nalgene bottles and countless other items (#7 on the bottom).

The FDA just ruled that this chemical is not dangerous when many legitimate scientists and other independently financed studies (unbiased studies) have proved it's direct connection to obesity, developmental problems, risk for heart attack, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and increased risk of type II diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia. This is scary seeing how the FDA should ban any chemical that is linked to any health risk and they haven't. The two most recent studies performed by the FDA were both paid for by the plastic industry.

When the plastic that contains BPA is heated up, ran through the dishwasher, or exposed to boiling water the chemical breaks down and BPA seeps into the food contents in the container.

Last night I just through away about 10 bottles with the #7 on the bottom, containing BPA. I will look through my Tupperware this weekend!

7 Ways to beat BPA, in order of Importance:

1. Ditch the clear plastic baby bottles, right now. All the research that says there are problems point at the effect of the estrogen-like BPA on children as being the most significant.

2. Tin cans are often lined in plastic BPA and sit around a long time; get rid of older tin cans, particularly if they contain tomatoes and other acidic fruits.

3. Don't use your polycarbonate bottle for hot drinks.

4. Polycarbonate bottles get crazed and cracked as they get older; that increases surface area. Get rid of old ones.

5. Replace your Polycarbonate bottle with a Sigg, Kleen Kanteen, or the new BPA free Camelbak, particularly if pregnant or pre-pubescent.

6. Replace jugs where water sits around a long time, like Brita knockoffs. (Brita says they are BPA free)

7. Stop using jugged water cooler water, get a filter and cooler that uses city water. It is a big jug so there probably isn't much of a problem, but why are you drinking bottled water anyways?

Here are just a few of the hundreds of studies that have been done on this chemical:

http://www.chej.org/BPA_Website.htm

http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola

http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/reports/environmental-health/envi ro...

http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Plasticizers/Phthalates-Bisphenol-A-D ev...

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/01/30/bisphenol-study.html

Ap Article and Sources:

http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NewScience/oncompounds/bisphenola/2005/2005-0921alonso-magdalenaetal.htm

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/fda-decision-on-bpa-outrages-h ea...

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/bpa-in-water.php

http://greenopolis.com/myopolis/blogs/david+d/big-plastic-paid-off-the-fda

Miracle Fruit!

2008-07-31T13:10:00.001-07:00

MIRACLE FRUIT!

Here is a West African berry that we should all get our tongues on. Local tribes would pick these berries and eat them before meals. Each berry contains an active glycoprotein molecule that binds to the tongue's taste bugs. When the fleshy part of the berry is eaten, it causes bitter and sour foods to taste sweet! The effect lasts between thirty minutes to two hours.

* An attempt was made in the 1970s to commercialize the ability of the fruit to turn non-sweet foods into sweet foods without a caloric penalty, but ended in failure in controversial circumstances with accusations that the project was sabotaged and the research burgled by the sugar industry to prevent loss of business caused by a drop in the need for sugar. The FDA has always denied that pressure was put on it by the sugar industry, but refused to release any files on the subject. Similar arguments are noted for FDA's regulation on Stevia now labeled as a "dietary supplement" instead of a "sweetener".

For a time in the 1970s, US dieters could purchase a pill form of miraculin. It was at this time that the idea of the "miraculin party" was conceived. Recently, this phenomenon has enjoyed some revival in Bacchanalian-like food tasting events, referred to as "flavor tripping parties" by some. The tasters consume sour and bitter foods, such as lemons, radishes, and beer, to experience the taste changes that occur. A blog dedicated to the phenomenon of "flavor tripping" describes the miracle fruit "like a candy WillyWonka would have invented."

*Information from Wikipedia entry on Miracle Fruit

... after eating [miracle fruit] stout beers taste like chocolate milkshakes, grapefruits taste like pixie sticks, cheeses taste like frosting, it will make even the crappiest tequila taste like lemonade (and strangely enough, it will make all wine taste like Manischewitz).
- Flavor Tripping blog, entry "mad flavor science".^[8]

There's Always Room For Gelatin !

2008-07-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

According to a recent study at Ball State University, gelatin supplements have a positive effect on joint pain and stiffness in athletes.

David Pearson, associate professor of physical education, said Ball State athletes suffering knee pain were tested last year. Male and female athletes in all sports were included. One group received a placebo while the other group received a gelatin supplement for eight weeks.

"Post-test evaluation indicated the gelatin supplement had a significant positive effect on reduction of knee pain," Pearson said. "If there's one thing that sidelines an athlete quicker than anything else, it's a joint problem. This shows that a food supplement such as gelatin can reduce joint pain in athletes."Pearson believes the results are also encouraging to older adults suffering joint pain. "It's possible that gelatin can repair minor cartilage damage that may result in greater joint problems later," he said.

"It's also encouraging to be able to use a food supplement in alleviating joint pain rather than have to resort to prescription drugs."Pearson states that "The supplement has a greater concentration of gelatin than you would find in the common dessert," he said.

Diet For Life offers 4 delicious flavors of high protein gelatin: Cherry, Lime, Raspberry and Strawberry/Banana. Enjoy and be healthy !!

A great, easy to prepare, summer Salmon Recipe!

2008-07-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

Crunchy Wasabi Salmon with Lime
This is one of my favorite summer recipes!
It is fast to prepare and really empresses people if you are serving others.

Crunchy Wasabi Salmon with Lime - 4 servings

This recipe calls for the following ingredients:

3/4 cup of dried wasabi peas (about 3 ounces) - you can find these in most supermarkets. The peas are dried and then coasted in wasabi paste. They come in either a can or bag.

4 (8-ounce) salmon fillets with skin (each about 1 inch to 1 1/4 inches thick)

1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 6 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (about 1/2 large head) 1 (8-ounce) package trimmed sugar snap peas 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Lime wedges

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Blend wasabi peas in processor until ground but with some coarsely crushed pieces, or put them in a plastic bag and crush them.

Lightly oil rimmed baking sheet. Arrange salmon fillets, skin side down, on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle fish with salt. Press ground wasabi peas onto tops of salmon fillets to adhere, covering tops completely. Sprinkle grated lime peel over salmon; drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Roast salmon just until opaque in center, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and sugar snap peas; sauté until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer 1 salmon fillet to each of 4 plates. Drizzle with lime juice. Mound cabbage-snap pea mixture alongside. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Viola and Serve!

NATURAL AND DIETARY ASTHMA TREATMENTS

2008-06-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

This summer seems to be especially problematic for asthma sufferers. Many of my co-workers and my poor husband suffer terribly from asthma all year round, but this spring and summer seem to be particularly hard on them.

Asthma is an ancient Greek word meaning "panting or shortdrawn breath". It is in allergic reaction due to one or more allergens. It is the most troublesome of respiratory diseases. The asthma patient gets frequent attacks of breathlessness, in between which, he is completely normal.

There are all kinds of allergy medications available by prescription and over-the-counter but sometimes a simple thing like changing your diet or trying a more holistic approach is also helpful.

Here are a few of the more popular natural remedies and some dietary considerations:

Honey (shahad) : Honey is one of the most effective home remedies for asthma. It is said that if a jug of honey is held under the nose of the asthmatic patient and he inhales the air that comes into contact with honey, he starts breathing easier and deeper. The effect lasts for about an hour or so. Honey usually brings relief, whether the air flowing over it is inhaled or whether it is eaten or taken either in milk or water. It thins out accumulated mucus and helps its elimination from the respiratory passage.

Garlic (Lahsoon) : Garlic is another effective home remedy for asthma. Ten cloves of garlic should be boiled in 30 ml of milk. This makes an excellent medicine for the early stages of asthma. The patient should take this mixture once daily. Steaming ginger tea with minced garlic pods in it, can also help to keep the problem under control and should be taken both, in the morning and evening.

Turmeric (Haldi): Turmeric is valuable in asthma. The patient should be given a teaspoon of turmeric powder with a glass of milk, two or three times daily. It acts best when taken on an empty stomach.

Bitter Gourd (Karela) Root: The roots of the bitter gourd plant have been used in folk medicine since ancient times. A teaspoon of the root paste, mixed with an equal amount of honey or juice of the holy basil, is an excellent expectorant, and is a remedy for asthma. It should be taken once every night for a month.

Figs (Anjeer) dry: Dry figs help clear mucus from bronchial tubes and are therefore a valuable food remedy for asthma. Phlegmatic cases of cough and asthma can be treated with success. It gives comfort to the patient by draining off the phlegm. Three or four dry figs should be cleaned thoroughly with warm water and soaked overnight. They should be taken during morning time in an empty stomach, along with the water in which they are soaked. This treatment may be continued for about two months.

Indian Gooseberry (Amla) : This fruit has proved valuable in asthma. Five grams of gooseberry mixed with one tablespoon of honey, forms an effective medicinal expectorant and tonic for the treatment of this disease. It should be taken every morning. When fresh fruit is not available, dry gooseberry powder can be used, mixed with honey.

Linseed (Alsi): A decoction made from linseed is considered useful in curing congestion in asthma and to prevent recurrence of attacks. Simultaneously; linseed poultice should be applied externally at the lung bases for reducing internal congestion.

Mustard (Rye) Oil: During the attack, mustard oil mixed with little camphor should be massaged over the chest. This will loosen up phlegm and ease breathing. The patient should also inhale steam from boiling water mixed with caraway seeds (siya jeera). It will dilate the bronchial passage.

DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS: The patient should avoid the common dietic errors. Ideally, it should contain a limited quantity of carbohydrates, fats and proteins which are acid-forming foods, and a liberal quantity of alkaline foods consisting of fresh fruits, green vegetables and germinated gram. Foods which tend to produce phlegm such as rice, sugar, lentils and curds as well as fried and other difficult-to-digest foods should be avoided. Asthmatics should always eat less than their capacity.

Other measures: The patient should take an enema at the beginning of treatment to clean the colon and prevent autointoxication. Other helpful measures include an application of a mud-pack to the abdomen, wet chest packs and steam bath. Fresh air, breathing exercises, dry climate, mild physical exercises and correct posture are also helpful treatments.

CREATE YOUR OWN DIET FOR LIFE GIFT BASKET!!

2008-06-12T06:56:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest gifts we can give our family and friends is the gift of health. Why not try giving a personalized gift basket filled with Diet For Life products.

A Protein-To-Go chocolate drink, sample packets of our delicious amaretto cocoa, a carmel shake/pudding packet, cream of mushroom soup, perhaps some protein snacks including our wonderfully healthy AND tasty barbecue crunch O's.

You might also want to add some protein snack bars in different flavors for folks on-the-go this summer.

We also have some wonderful entrees that can be added for a tasty meal such as the fettucini alfredo or sloppy joes. And for an extra little touch, perhaps some multi-vitamins!

Top off your basket with a few balloons or a red ribbon and a nice bottle of your favorite wine. This is not only a healthy gift but a delicious and healthy way to enjoy the summer !!

Order now and receive a bonus of our delicious Diet For Life Strawberry Fruit Dip recipe and our Dark Fudge recipe for that surprise dessert at your next barbecue!!

New Food Pyramid!!

2008-05-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to introduce to you the new Harvard School of Public Health "Healthy Eating Pyramid" which replaces the old USDA Food Pyramid we are all used to referring to. The new food pyramid is called the "Healthy Eating Pyramid" and it incorporates weight control and exercise into a structure of healthy eating guidelines/bricks. “This new pyramid fixes fundamental flaws in the USDA pyramid and offers sound information to help people make better choices about what to eat”.

It is about time that the food Pyramid’s structure reflects the true factors that comprise of creating a healthy lifestyle. The foundation brick in the Healthy Food Pyramid combines the important health elements of; daily exercise, food calorie intake and weight control, displaying their relationship with one another (“Weight change = calories in – calories out”). If you burn the same amount of calories you eat then there are no fat cells left for your body to store so your weight remains the same.

The other HFP bricks are: Whole Grains/Carbohydrates, Healthy Fats and Oils, Vegetables and Fruits, Nuts Seeds beans and Tofu (about time), Fish, Poultry and Eggs, Dairy or Vitamin D/Calcium Supplements, and Multi Vitamins with Extra Vitamin D, Alcohol in moderation.

The “Healthy Food Pyramid” clearly outlines the suggested use for each brick. For more information on the new "Healthy Eating Pyramid"

Great Healthy Chocolate Gifts For Mothers Day!

2008-05-05T09:49:00.001-07:00

Mothers Day is right around the Corner!
How about giving her something Healthy over this Mothers Day!

If you are looking for some great healthy gift ideas look no further you will find them here!! Remember if you purchase anything totaling over $60.00 you will receive FREE shipping and FREE samples!

Our wonderful low fat, low carbohydrate, high protein fruit and chocolate smoothies are a wonderful addition to your summer diet:

The Diet For Life Hormone regulator and any other products in our Women's health Category would be a wonderful gift!

Diet For Life Hormone Regulator

Diet For Life rich Chocolate drink is available sweetened with sucralose or aspartame: You can purchase these in convenient packets or Protein To Go bottles :

Chocolate Drink Packets

Chocolate Protein To Go Bottles

Diet For Life Chocolate Mini Crisps are a great treat for any time of the day - each serving contains: 12 grams of protein, 13 grams of Carbohydrates, 130 calories, and 3.5 calories from fat.

High Protein Chocolate mini Crisps

The Diet For Life Shape Wise Chews are offered in Chocolate or Lemon flavor - they are amazing! They increase fat loss, block the absorption of fat while keeping your sweet tooth satisfied!

Shape Wise Chews

I hope all of you have a great, safe and fun Mothers Day!
Julie

Don't lose Your Calcium!

2008-04-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some important facts on Calcium and Dairy!

Dairy might not be as healthy as you think it is. Most of us are told, while growing up, to drink our milk and we will grow up strong and healthy. This statement doesn’t hold ground with all the dairy consumption research at our fingertips today. Looking at this research we have a better understanding of how dairy truly affects our bodies.

Many people think they need Milk/Dairy to protect themselves from Osteoporosis or bone loss. In order to understand Osteoporosis one has to look at a process called negative Calcium balance – this is when more calcium is excreted in the urine, than absorbed through digestion. Some published data clearly links increased urinary excretion of calcium with animal-protein but not with vegetable protein intake. Animal protein ingestion releases a heavy acid load into the blood creating a reaction in the body where calcium is released in the bones to help neutralize the acid from the animal protein.

• A Nurses and health Study found that women who consumed 95 grams of protein a day had a 22 percent greater risk of forearm fracture than those who consumed less than 68 grams.

• A comprehensive epidemiological survey involving hip fractures was done in 1992 and the survey revealed that diets high in animal protein had the highest correlations with hip-fractures.

• Vegetables are alkaline, not acid-producing, so they do not induce urinary calcium loss. Vegetables have calcium-absorption rates of over 50 percent, compared with about 32 percent for milk.

• A majority of the American diet consists of animal foods, refined grains, and sugar consumption, which all are devoid of calcium. Fruits and vegetables strengthen bones while providing potassium, magnesium and other nutrients essential for bone heath. Researchers have found that those who consume more fruits and vegetables have denser bones.

• Dietary factors that induce negative calcium balance are:

Animal Protein
Salt
Caffeine
Refined sugar
Alcohol
Nicotine
Aluminum-containing antacids
Drugs such as antibiotics, steroids, thyroid hormone
Vitamin A supplements

• The way to prevent Osteoporosis is to exercise regularly and to stop the causes of high urinary calcium excretion.

Here are some new statistics on Dairy – it is best to keep milk to a minimum. There is a clear association between high-growth promoting foods such as dairy products and cancer.

• A Nurses and Health study, sampling 80,326 Women, (performed by Dr. Kathleen Fairfield and her associates) revealed the more women that consumed higher amounts of lactose (milk Sugar), had a 44 percent greater risk for contracting invasive ovarian cancer. Women, who ate lower amounts, 3 or fewer dairy servings monthly, decreased their chances considerably. Skim milk and low-fat milk were the largest contributors.

• In April 2000 a Harvard study reported that having 2.5 servings of dairy (cow’s milk) each day boosted prostate cancer risk by more than 30 percent.

• Another controlled study in Greece reports a strong association between dairy products and prostate cancer.

• There is a strong association between dairy lactose and ischemic heart disease.

• Dairy fat is loaded with a toxin called dioxin which is a highly toxic chemical compound that the U.S. environmental Protection Agency admits is a prominent contributor to many types of cancer.

Dairy alternatives:

• Rice Milk – this is a great dairy alternative and the Vanilla flavor tastes wonderful with everything – on cereal, in oatmeal, in coffee or tea.

• Soy Milk – it has a strong taste. It works for some people and not for others.

• Soy Cheese

• Tofu cream cheese - it is called Tofutti cream cheese and it comes in many flavors. You would not know the difference between regular cream cheese and tofu cream cheese. Per serving it has 85 calories, 9 carbs, and 45 calories from fat.

You don’t need to consume dairy to get sufficient calcium in your diet. Many vegetables have a higher percent of calcium than dairy products.

Check out this comparison: Calcium in 100 calories

Bok Choy 1,055
Turnip greens 921
Collard greens 559
Kale 455
Romaine lettuce 257
Tofu 236
Milk 194
Broccoli 182
Sesame seeds 170
Soybeans 134
Cucumber 108
Cauliflower 88
Carrots 63
Fish 38
Eggs 32
T-Bone Steak 5
Pork Chop 2

* Much of the above information and research statistics came from Eat to Live by Dr. Fuhrman

Going Bananas for Bananas!

2008-03-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

The reason why I am posting this research about Bananas is from an experience I had yesterday attending a yoga class on an almost empty stomach. The Bikram yoga practice suggest not eating 3 hours before a 90 minute yoga class but not starving your self all day. My day was full of errands so I didn't get a chance to eat anything all day before my yoga class. I had enough time before class to go home, change my clothes, and eat something. I was concerned that I would feel week if I didn't eat something, or my stomach would get upset during class if I did eat something - I chose to eat a banana. My class was successful, I didn't feel week, my energy levels were high and my stomach didn't get upset. The below research proves that Bananas are a great snack - high in energy, nutrients and they won't bog you down.

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!

This is interesting.
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brainpower. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body; so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be re balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around so maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit!!!

The Best Fruit Smoothie Recipe!

2008-03-10T15:33:00.000-07:00

A quick an easy way to get your daily greens and fruit servings into your diet! A friend of mine told me that every morning she makes fruit and spinach smoothies for her husband and children. Now what child would ever drink a spinach smoothie? I didn't believe her until I made one myself. You would NEVER know that a cup of spinach was in this fruit smoothie! Follow this recipe and I promise you that you will not taste the spinach and that you will be amazed at the fruity smooth taste.

In a large blender combine the following: *any fruit can be substituted if you prefer a different kind.

1-cup baby organic spinach
1/2 banana
1 packet of Diet For Life Pineapple-Orange Protein Drink Power
1 1/2 cups juice - you can use any kind of organic juice – I prefer to mix two different kinds - i.e. Orange, apple, Bluberry acai* juice (you can find this at whole foods), cranberry juice.
1/2 pear
4 to 5 frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 TBL flax/omega oil
1/2 cup soy or rice milk
5 chunks of pineapple (medium cubes)

Make sure juice and soy milk/rice milk barely reaches the top of the ingredients and then blend.

* Acai is a superfood and is noted to be one of the most nutritious and power foods in the world. Acai pulp has a remarkable concentration of antioxidants, 10 times the amount in red grapes. Some of its health benefits are listed as, boosting energy levels, improves digestion, improves mental clarity/focus, improves circulation, and promotes sound sleep.

Disclaimer: Statements and material on this website have not been evaluated by the FDA. This website and its contents is intended for informational purposes, and not meant to diagnose any disease.

Diet For Life 2008

2008-02-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

DIET FOR LIFE is a revolutionary new Weight Loss System with different personalized Diet Plans ranging from 1 to 12 weeks. Each plan includes a comprehensive manual, delicious and nutritious diet foods, recipes, drinks, shakes, puddings, protein snacks, protein bars, vitamins, minerals, exercise routines, and behavior modification techniques.

Check out our website at http://www.dietforlife.biz/ for colorful photos of our products and pricing that will knock your socks off. Our pricing is the lowest on the market for similar products. We are a new business taking orders by email primarily with a customer service department to handle phone calls as well. We offer free shipping and free samples with all orders over $60 and our products are accompanied with nutritional facts and ingredients. We even have a card showing the mercury content in fish products for those of you who are really into healthy living.

Our manuals have weight charts, diet guides, menu planning, recipes, exercises that can be done at the gym or at home, behavior techniques to improve eating habits and exercising. They also assist with evaluating your own eating behaviors. Better than any food diary anywhere. Check us out!!