Remember growing up and having your mommy ask those famous words, 'Did you eat all your veggies?' I certainly do, but did she really know why veggies were so important?
We have been taught to have a variety of servings of fruits and vegetables daily, but why??
Well, did you know that fruits and vegetables are very high in antioxidants?? Yes, that word again... antioxidants!
Antioxidants are not produced by our bodies but are necessary to remove toxins. Our bodies are attacked by toxins on a daily basis. From the moment we wake up we are bombarded with toxins; from the air that we breathe to the foods that we eat. These toxins age us continuously and we must ingest antioxidants to slow down this process.
Antioxidants fight the free radical produced by the toxins and keep us healthy. Antioxidants have been known to help with the aging process, and various other health concerns such as joint pain, cardiovascular disease, gum disease, skin irritations and so much more.
These wonderful little 'soldiers' better known as antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables and for those who do not consume enough of these wonderful foods, there are also many other products on the market today....
So, have you eaten your veggies or fruits today to help attack those terrible toxins??? If not, what are you waiting for??
Until next time,
~Dr. Daisy
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Can we control the cravings?
I am always asked how do you control the cravings...the answer is not a simple one.
There are times that we crave certain food items and those are signs that our bodies are giving us....for example, you may crave peanuts... your body is probably needing more protein..
Being a vegetarian, it is difficult to get all the daily requirements so when my body is craving a certain food product I try to listen... now I won't go to the extreme and eat a chocolate bar with peanuts or chocolate peanut butter icecream as tempting as that may be at the time. A slice of wheat bread with peanut butter and honey is quite delicious and will satisfy the craving and won't make me feel guilty afterwards..
If you crave lots of sweets, you may be lacking carbohydrates in your diet. Carbohydrates turn into glucose (sugar) in our system, so eating pasta or baked potatoes may satisfy your cravings and not harm your waistline as much..
It is very improtant to drink lots of fluids as well, and soft drinks don't count:)
Our body is 98% water so in order to keep it working properly we must replace all the water that we eliminate on a daily basis. Water is the best to drink, but you can also replace that with many other popular drinks on the market such as green tea, to replenish our bodies.
Remember, the more we drink the more we will eliminate so it is a cycle that must continue. Our bodies are like 'big sponges' that need water to function. We eliminate toxins from our bodies and the liquid will keep our bodies cleansed and our skin looking younger.
So, cravings are not bad unless you give into the temptations of 'bad' food choices. If you eat the appropriate foods you will likely not have as many cravings; but if you do have them, make wise decisions and ones that you will not regret in the morning.
We must take care of our bodies, they are the only ones we have. Unfortunately we can not trade them in as we can with our automobiles, so love your bodies. Exercise, drink lots of fluids and eat appropriately and your body will love you for it:)
Until next time....
~Dr. Daisy
There are times that we crave certain food items and those are signs that our bodies are giving us....for example, you may crave peanuts... your body is probably needing more protein..
Being a vegetarian, it is difficult to get all the daily requirements so when my body is craving a certain food product I try to listen... now I won't go to the extreme and eat a chocolate bar with peanuts or chocolate peanut butter icecream as tempting as that may be at the time. A slice of wheat bread with peanut butter and honey is quite delicious and will satisfy the craving and won't make me feel guilty afterwards..
If you crave lots of sweets, you may be lacking carbohydrates in your diet. Carbohydrates turn into glucose (sugar) in our system, so eating pasta or baked potatoes may satisfy your cravings and not harm your waistline as much..
It is very improtant to drink lots of fluids as well, and soft drinks don't count:)
Our body is 98% water so in order to keep it working properly we must replace all the water that we eliminate on a daily basis. Water is the best to drink, but you can also replace that with many other popular drinks on the market such as green tea, to replenish our bodies.
Remember, the more we drink the more we will eliminate so it is a cycle that must continue. Our bodies are like 'big sponges' that need water to function. We eliminate toxins from our bodies and the liquid will keep our bodies cleansed and our skin looking younger.
So, cravings are not bad unless you give into the temptations of 'bad' food choices. If you eat the appropriate foods you will likely not have as many cravings; but if you do have them, make wise decisions and ones that you will not regret in the morning.
We must take care of our bodies, they are the only ones we have. Unfortunately we can not trade them in as we can with our automobiles, so love your bodies. Exercise, drink lots of fluids and eat appropriately and your body will love you for it:)
Until next time....
~Dr. Daisy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
