HEALTHY EATING PREVENT AND HELP CURE DISEASES

As I already talked about hypertension was the major cause of heart disease, and several kinds of food and other factors which can cause hypertension.  I would like to go further about what kind of healthy foods we should eat and those we should avoid or limit the intake. 

It is important that you should know your limit, if you know that you have had too much of something, then you have to stop, indulging or intemperance is nothing good because anything which is too much is as bad as too less.  If you cannot refuse the temptation of the tasty, delicious but not-so-healthy food or drink, or some bad habits, then think about if someday when you or one of your family member gets sick, think about the agony and pain, and how much time and money you have to spend for regaining health (if the disease can be reversed), or the worst someone may have to say goodbye to your precious health or beloved family forever.  Healthy people may not have any symptoms for a period of time though they have bad lifestyle for years as their bodies still can get rid of the toxins, but the time will come though.  As for the people with the symptoms or disease, there is no time for procrastinating, they have to change their habit and lifestyle immediately.

As we say you are what you eat, this is particularly true about the food and our health, that is easier and better to prevent the disease rather than to cure it later, but if it happens that you have some kind of disease, there is still a hope to get better or cured.  Here are a few tips about the foods and beverages you should not eat or drink, and those you should limit the intake to help you healthier or regain your health:

1) Not to eat: Junk food or fast food – it is a big temptation for almost everyone, the fast food vendors have the right to sell the food to earn a living, and you have the right to choose, it is up to you whether you want it or not, and just remember this food is usually packed with something which is not so healthy. For those people with heartdisease, diabetes or cancer, indulge yourself just because you already have the prescribed medicine on hand is a big mistake, you should still avoid taking this food especially if it is fried or barbecued in which there is a lot of trans fat .

What to eat: home-made whole grain bread sandwich with turkey or fish fillet, make your own veggies salads with leafy greens, lettuce, tomatoes, beans, and the dressing made of olive oil and lemon juice.  It is worth to take some of your time to prepare your own meal and take it with you when you go out for a walk or to the office,  so you can avoid being tempted to eat the food that you should not eat or when you are too hungry to wait.

2) Not to eat: Snacks and bakery products which are made of white flour and margarine or butter, and sometimes with a lot of sugar, salt and eggs, which make these foods high in trans fat as well as saturated fat. You can make your own fruit jam or hazelnut carob-choco spread instead of purchasing the commercial products.

What to eat: make your own healthy snacks, whole meal pancakes and cookies or simply snack on some nuts and seeds, snack on fresh fruits instead of processed or canned fruits, and use brown sugar or molasses instead of white sugar.

3) Limit: the intake of red meat, eggs, cheese and full cream milk because these foods, especially meat and egg yolks are high in saturated fat. Replace milk with almond milk or soybean milk, and cheese with  plain yogurt or Greek yogurt.

What to eat: replace red meat with sea fish, take not more than 2 eggs per week, choose non fat milk or plain yogurt (Greek yogurt) over full cream milk, or use almond milk as substitute for cow milk.

4) Not to drink:  carbonated drink or other soft drink.  These products always high in sugar which will increase your cholesterol level, and they contain no nutrients.

What to drink:  fruit juice or mixed berries smoothies with some ground flax seeds or chia seeds, or green tea with lemon juice. Omega 3 in flax seeds is good for heart and catechin in green tea help reduce fat in our body.  

5) Limit: Sweets and chocolate products.  According to the researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), sugar and sweeteners are toxic to human body, they make blood pressure and cholesterol go up, along with the risk for liver failure, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Chocolate not only has sugar in it, it also contains theobromine which has similar effects to that of caffeine.

What to eat:  snacks on fresh and dried fruits such as raisin, prunes, cranberries, figs and dates, and you can make your own tasty snacks or cake using carob powder instead of chocolate, the taste and color of carob powder are similar to those of chocolate, but does not contain theobromine, also use palm sugar or molasses  for making snacks instead of white sugar.

6) Not to drink: alcohol and coffee.  Alcohol may increase cancer risk though it is said to have some heart-healthy benefits. Caffeine and sugar in coffee are not good for your heart either.  

What to drink:  make your own beverages such as fruits and vegetable juice, or green tea with brown sugar, or you can replace green tea with non-caffeine mulberry tea or chrysanthemum tea.

7) Limit : fried food and barbecued food, frying or barbecue turns a good protein into bad protein （especially Lysene) because of high heat, besides it can increase cholesterol level and increase risk for heart disease as well as cancer disease as barbecued and charred food always contain carcinogens.
 

What to eat:  try to cook the food in low heat and with less oil, such as stir fry, sauté, or steam the food. 

8) Finally, be consistent and do exercise,  and avoid stress, try to meditate for 15-20 minutes a day will be very helpful, keep in mind that your health is priceless. Have a medical check-up at least once a year to monitor your health condition.   I personally also experienced of having high cholesterol levels five years ago, and not knowing until I had a medical check-up, then I decided to change my eating habit and it worked for me. (it should work for you too). Detoxification also helps to get rid of extra fat in the body and thus keep your heart healthier.

If you would like to know more about food categories, you can also see the http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health about go, slow and whoa foods chart.