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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Best Healthy-Choice Snacks _ part 3

Part Three of our series on the Best (processed) snack foods...

 

Best Frozen Finger Food:  Alexia Mushroom Bites

Per 5 pieces:
110 calories
4.5 g fat
3 g protein
2 g fiber
Lightly breaded and cooked in olive oil, Alexia’s mushrooms are loaded with both healthy fats and B vitamins, the latter of which converts carbohydrates into energy to keep your metabolism humming along smoothly.

 

Best Sweetened Cereal:  Kashi Whole Wheat Biscuits, Cinnamon Harvest

Per 2 oz (28 biscuits):
180 calories
6 g protein
5 g fiber
  Aside from a touch of cane juice, the only ingredients are whole wheat and cinnamon. The wheat delivers protein and fiber, and the cinnamon helps counteract the cane juice’s impact on blood sugar.

 

Best Granola:  Kashi GoLean Crisp! Toasted Berry Crumble

Per ¾ cup:
180 calories
3.5 g fat
9 g protein
8 g fiber
  Big-flavor add-ins like cranberries and blueberries allow Kashi to keep the fat and sugar levels below those of other granolas on the market. Pour some over a cup of Greek yogurt for a sweet and hearty snack.

 

Best Oatmeal: Quaker Weight Control Instant Oatmeal, Maple & Brown Sugar

Per packet:
160 calories
3 g fat
7 g protein
4 g fiber
  Don’t confine oatmeal to the breakfast table. A bowl of instant oats makes a perfect snack. Each packet has only 1 gram of sugar, an impressive 4 grams of fiber, and thanks to the whey protein powder, a healthy array of amino acids.

 

Best Snack Bread: Pepperidge Farm Swirl, 100% Whole-Wheat Cinnamon with Raisins

Per slice:
80 calories
1 g fat
3 g protein
2 g fiber
Cinnamon toast is usually little more than sugar and starch, a decadent duo with love-handle repercussions. Go with the whole wheat variety and you can snack without the guilt, even if you opt for a second slice.

>>END.
 Copyright HealthySelf.com

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Best Snack Foods part 2

    Second part of our listing of the Best Snack Foods in America.
  Obviously, whole, live foods are always the best choice, but not always practical.
 These processed foods are by current standards the least destructive alternative snack.  

  Best Legume-Based Soup:
    Health Valley Organic Split Pea & Carrots Soup (40% Less Sodium)
Per cup:
120 calories
0 g fat
480 mg sodium
7 g protein
7 g fiber
 This can’s ingredient statement reads like a vegan shopping list: split peas, carrots, potatoes, and lentils, all of which are organic. Even if you eat both servings in the can, you still fall within the caloric range of a healthy snack.
 
  Best Overall Soup:
 Campbell’s Select Harvest Light Italian-Style Vegetable Soup
Per cup:
 50 calories
 0 g fat
 650 mg sodium
 2 g protein
 4 g fiber
 This is as light as soup gets. You can slurp the whole veggie-loaded can for 100 calories and not worry about serving-size overload.


Best Chicken Soup:

Campbell’s Select Harvest Healthy Request Mexican Style Chicken Tortilla Soup

Per cup:
110 calories
2 g fat
410 mg sodium
6 g protein
3 g fiber
This Mexican-Style Chicken Tortilla Soup has a bigger flavor kick—and about 45 percent less sodium—than the more common varieties of chicken noodle.

Best Frozen Snack:

Cedarlane Garden Vegetable Enchiladas

Per enchilada:
140 calories
3 g fat
9 g protein
3 g fiber
Each enchilada has a quarter of your day’s vitamin A and 20 percent of your daily calcium. The package comes with two servings, so eat one as a snack or add a side salad and eat both as lunch.

Best Meat-Substitute Snack:

Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips

Per 12 strips:
140 calories
3.5 g fat
23 g protein
1 g fiber
With faux-chicken there’s no need to pull out a frying pan. Just zap them in the microwave and serve with ketchup or barbecue sauce for a protein-loaded snack you can eat at your desk.

Best Pizza Snack:

Lean Pockets Whole Grain Supreme Pizza

Per pocket:
220 calories
6 g fat
10 g protein
4 g fiber
These inverted pizzas deliver commendable hits of protein, fiber, and calcium. Plus they have more than a hundred fewer calories than similar flavors of Hot Pockets.

>END.
 Copyright  HealThySelf.com

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Best Snack Foods - part 1

Best Fiber Bar:  Fiber One Chewy Bars Oats & Peanut Butter

Per bar:
150 calories
4.5 g fat
9 g sugars
3 g protein
9 g fiber
With about a third of your day’s recommended fiber intake, this is the ideal snack for those days when your produce and whole grain intake are below par.

Best All-Natural Bar:  Lärabar Pecan Pie

Per bar:
220 calories
13 g fat
18 g sugars
3 g protein
4 g fiber
It’s a lot of sugar, but every gram of it comes from natural dates, and other than that, there are only two ingredients in this bar: pecans and almonds. It’s like trail mix compressed into a neat, easy-to-carry package.

Best Fruit-Filled Bar: Kashi TLC Soft-Baked Cereal Bars Ripe Strawberry

Per bar:
130 calories
3 g fat
9 g sugars
2 g protein
3 g fiber
The fruity interior provides a fresh burst of sweetness, and the whole-grain exterior counters it with a nutty flavor that reminds you you’re still eating real food.

Best Vegetable Juice: V8 100% Vegetable Juice, Low Sodium

Per 8 fl oz:
50 calories
0 g fat
140 mg sodium
2 g protein
2 g fiber
Each cup counts as two servings of vegetables, making this a wise beverage to drink in the wake of a produce-less lunch.

Best Chili

Kettle Cuisine Three Bean Chili

Per container:
220 calories
3.5 g fat
450 mg sodium
11 g protein
13 g fiber
No food is better than chili for bringing together fiber and protein in such a flavor-loaded package. This one earns our love by combining three different beans with four different peppers.

>END.
 Copyright HealthySelf.com

Pet Cures: Pets Who Eat Poop

  Many pet owners at one time or another must deal with the unfortunate issue of having a pet, whether it be a cat or dog, who enjoys snacking on feces. This rather unpleasant sounding practice is otherwise known as coprophagy.
  There have been many theories put forth as to why a pet might choose to eat stool, such as dietary deficiencies, anxiety, an inherited trait or maybe because they just enjoy the taste.  The truth however is that no one really knows why this occurs.  What we do know is that it tends to be more common than what we might like to think it is.

  It would be nice if we could just say to our pets, "Listen, this is just not a very socially acceptable practice and frankly I'm not interested in your poopy kisses anymore so you just need to stop!" But, that conversation probably won't have much of an impact on your pet so instead you must take matters into your own hands.
Here are a couple of things that you can try:

   For pets who eat their own feces, there is an all-natural product available called Prozyme which can be added to your pets regular meals.  Although the product was not intended to combat the problem of feces eating, it has been reported to help with the issue and in addition is a great food supplement for your pet

  The other solution involves a bit of trickery on your part.  Use cayenne pepper or hot sauce and generously sprinkle either one on the feces in your cat's litter box or out in the back yard.  Most pets are deterred from eating feces again after chomping once or twice on a spicy piece of poop.  You should however know going into it that on occasion some pet owners have reported that the animal as a result developed a strange taste bud for the spicy treats!

>END.
 Copyright HealThySelf.com

Thursday, January 19, 2012

HealThySelfCures: Pet Cures: Halitosis (Bad Breath)

HealThySelfCures: Pet Cures: Halitosis (Bad Breath): What greater joy exists than a pet that is so happy to see you that they bowl you over licking you to death? Unfortunately the experien...

Pet Cures: Halitosis (Bad Breath)

Dog   What greater joy exists than a pet that is so happy to see you that they bowl you over licking you to death?  Unfortunately the experience becomes somewhat less joyous when the pet is stricken with a horrible case of halitosis or bad breath, as it is more commonly known.
  A dog or cat with bad breath can cause any pet owner to turn the other way in an attempt to avoid those loving licks.  And even though we all love to wake up to a nice, slobbery, facial wash, sometimes that breath is just too much to take first thing in the morning.

  There may be a specific reason for the bad breath, and again there may not be.  Particular issues like periodontal disease can often cause halitosis.  Look for symptoms such as swollen or tender gums, plaque build up and yellow or brownish stains on the teeth.  Though we can give you some tips on how to manage your pet's bad breath, issues such as the ones mentioned should not be ignored.
  
 > Esprit64 from North Yarmouth, Maine writes:
  "I have owned dogs and cats for years and the way I keep them well (having fresh breath, non-smelly stools and clean teeth--indicators of good health) is to feed them a no-grain diet, both wet and dry, supplemented by raw meats, occasional fresh fruits/veggies.
 I am not a nutritionist, so I always purchase a good quality manufactured pet food as the basic food source (not any of the popular brands found in supermarkets, even those touted as healthy or natural or "top of the line" --rather, purchase from select pet stores--likely not any of the box pet stores--which stock foods having only healthy ingredients.

My pets "brush" their teeth by eating raw, not cooked, beef/chicken/rabbit/etc., meats on the bone. Chewing raw--not cooked--bones is nature's natural toothbrush.

As a result of good eating and food habits, your pet's breath should be fresh, they should pass no gas, and their stools will not be horrendous smelling."


  > Erin from Seattle, Wa replies:
   "My pomeranian has oxalic bladder stones, and we've already been through one uncomfortable doggie up until one very expensive surgery. I heard about the raw dog diet and started him on it once signs of the oxalic stones were back.
 We had him on a holistic dog food diet and they still came back, albeit a year under schedule (go holistic food! ).
 However, I have had him on a raw dog food diet for two weeks now and now shows no signs of the oxalic bladder stones that were there previously. His breath is almost scentless, he has more energy, and less eye discharge.

  Apparently, fleas do not like raw dieted dogs, either, which will be a blessing since he is severely allergic to fleas as well, which I am also treating this year with garlic and brewers yeast pills and so far he has not needed expensive flea meds... We'll see.... I will give a progress update in a month or two.
  Meanwhile, anyone who has a dog with medical problems or just seeks to maintain optimal health should add the book "raw dog food" to their arsenal of pet care literature. Out of all the other things I have tried, this diet has warranted the quickest and most profound change in our dog's health." 

  > Rilo B. from Crescent City, Ca replies:
   "Just a tsp. A day of coconut oil , and not only will your dogs breath improve , but also cures "hot spots", their coat becomes shiny and skin problems vitually disappear!!! Dogs that have a "wet dog smell" to them ( labradors especially) coconut oil @ just tsp. a day will rid your dog of odors. You and your dog will LOVE IT!!!
  My dogs come running when they hear me opening the coconut oil jar. I've read articles about VCO (virgin coconut oil ) help w/tumors also. I loaned the magazine out (whole dog journal) that had the article in it, and now cannot locate it in whole dog journal archives, but it was fantastic account of all the benefits VCO provides for dogs. It won't hurt them...
So before you spend $$ on vet for skin , breath or coat problems, begin giving them a tsp. daily. See the improvement in just few weeks!!! I have 6 small dogs -4 love it, 2 can take it or leave it... Can be melted on poured over food... But 4 of them eat right off spoon. Give it a try -your dog will love you ~ even more... Rilo B."

  > Dorothy from Valley Glen, California writes:
  "Our eight-year-old Jack Russell Terrier had very bad breath and ugly black-stain teeth for most of her life. We tried everything, chopping parsley and adding it to her food, brushing her teeth with pet toothpaste, Greenies which gave her hemorrhoids, tried getting the Vet to clean her teeth but he never did, and everything we tried, failed.
  That is until I tried a drop of hydrogen peroxide. Now I've gradually worked up to adding an eye-dropper full (5-8 drops) to her water bowls daily, and her breath and teeth have improved much to our amazement. Her black teeth are now pure white, her breath is fresh and she seems to have a lot of new energy. Now I'm ready to give it a try myself for my arthritis." 

>END.


 Copyright HealthySelfCures.com 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

HealThySelfCures: Fibromyalgia: Case Studies & Natural Aids

HealThySelfCures: Fibromyalgia: Case Studies & Natural Aids: Obviously, since modern medicine has not clearly nailed-down the precise root cause(s) of this debilitating disease, it would be foolishly a...

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Fibromyalgia: Case Studies & Natural Aids

Obviously, since modern medicine has not clearly nailed-down the precise root cause(s) of this debilitating disease, it would be foolishly arrogant for anyone to claim to have a cure available, regardless of personal experiences.
  Many friends have found some help however, and in some cases, a miraculous transformation, in the form of a few purely natural remedies that I would like to relate to you here.

 > Terri from San Jose, CA writes: "5HTP is greatly helping myself and my daughter with our symptoms of fibromyalgia. I have tried low doses of antidepressants in the past but nothing worked as well to improve my sleep as 5-HTP has. I take 200mg per night. My type comes with several essential cofactors to assist in proper seratonin production. No side effects for me, unlike with the other drugs. I advise everyone to see a qualified ND or sympathetic MD before self dosing to be extra safe but side effects are rare thankfully."

 *Pop's Note: What is 5HTP? 
    5-HTP is derived from the seeds of the Griffonia simplicifolia, a West African medicinal plant.5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that is the intermediate step between tryptophan and the important brain chemical serotonin. There is a massive amount of evidence that suggests that low serotonin levels are a common consequence of modern living. The lifestyle and dietary practices of many people living in this stress-filled era results in lowered levels of serotonin within the brain. As a result, many people are overweight, crave sugar and other carbohydrates, experience bouts of depression, get frequent headaches, and have vague muscle aches and pain. All of these maladies are correctable by raising brain serotonin levels. 
--------------------------

 > Robin from Chicago, Il writes: "Let me start by saying that I've always been into natural health and supplements, and am very aware of my body and what goes into it. I knew something was wrong for about 6-7 years, but when fibro/CFS finally hit me like a mack truck last October, I was absolutely shocked that I was nearly crippled and could not stop sleeping. I knew I wasn't dying only because I had been trying tirelessly to lose weight since my daughter was born in 2005. It just wasn't happening. However, I could not imagine what could possibly give me so much pain and fatigue, but not be killing me at the same time?! Needless to say, I figured it out. Great... One of those things no one really knows what it is, where it comes from, etc. Well, the internet is now my best friend, which I'm sure is something to which all of you can relate. Okay, so I'll get to the point!! In May, I began taking acetyl l-carnitine with alpha lipoic acid (must be taken together) after okaying it with my rheumatologist. The acetyl l-carnitine actually GOT ME OUT OF BED and able to play with my daughter and do a bit of housework. Although, I still have a lot of pain, I no longer sleep for hours on end and some of the fog has lifted. Apparently, acetyl l-carnitine works with mitochondria and helps them to properly utilize energy sources. I'm also happy to report that, since I started taking this supplement, I've lost 12 pounds (in 2 months). I'm not sure if it's because my body is better processing my food intake or just the fact that I'm out of bed. All I know is that I have done nothing different calorically. For those of you with chronic fatigue, this is really, really worth a try. I thank God EVERY DAY!!"
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 >Mzellie from Bristol, WI USA writes:
    "Ailment, fibro, all the symptoms,but now am much better from apple cider vinegar & baking soda tonic. i need to know how to use iodine in my water, and to use for painting, how long may i do this? all of the water and all day?I need to be able to fix the water i drink. i have been using cayenne peper for a yr now. i am starting the blackstrap molasses now and i will let you all know how that goes.Thank You for this WONDERFUL site & all this awsome info you are so willing to share, may you always walk with GOD.
* We emailed Mzellie for more info about the ACV + Baking soda combo.
> Mzellie from Bristol, WI USA replies,
    "Howdee and yes it is much better !!!!I have been taking the acv combo for about 9yrs ..I drink b.soda for headaches & i always brush my teeth with b.soda. I do not take any prescriptions for 12 years now,i go to doctor for tests and look up in my-book for health alternitives for what's wrong and then go for it... find what my body is in need of ..I really need to know what i can do for infectious endocarditis ?????I have the signs of splinters under my fingernails .... heart infection ,,I am taking Triphala now , just started it last week,my doctor said it was there because of my age.....and a lot more things will change.... that this is just the start of aging... well i will be 62 in 6mo. and i have very little gray hair ony at the temples and very little...soooooo but i use vinger for rinse,i am in gooooood health now 12 yrs ago i was ready for the wheelchair and NO HELP from dr. so i had to dig for myself and now i am much better.. all with combo, but somthig is missing and i think it my be the iodine,i bought a bottle today..the product called ...... COMPLETE MINERALS H2o....iodine100mg...potassium 75mg serv.1 TB.  Thank " You " for all your help..................may GOD always walk with you also mzellie"
-----------------------
  >Edna from Cobb CA writes:
     "Just started the Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking soda yesterday. Feeling 50% better today from fatigue & pain. Also did the clove oil rub last night. (I am Already taking Vit D, Multi Vitamin, Sea Weed, & Calcium). will let you know how I progress.  Thank You!"
----------------

  >Sherrine from Valrico, Florida writes:
"I started taking two teaspoons of ACV three times a day only six days ago. I am taking it to ease the pain of fibromyalgia and my pain is getting less and less! I plan on continuing it but am having a hard time drinking it."

  Replies
  > Jim from Madison, Wi replies: "To Sherrine in FL. I started drinking acv a year ago different ways and had a hard time with it but it was worth it to get rid of the inflamation in my low back. I suffer from spinal stenosis and scoliosis. The best way I have found to drink acv is to put about 1 or 2 ozs. in a glass of vegetable juice. It makes it easier to drink for me.

I am so very pleased to have been able to find this website. It has really helped me a great deal!"

 > END.
  Copyright JBStran.com