Health Benefits of Water Melon

I know you might have been wondering why you should eat water melon; I had that question running in my mind sometime ago but here's the answer. Water melon provides;

Be careful with that meat!

Keep meat separate: Meat is most dangerous in its raw form. So, always separate it from other foods. In the kitchen, use a separate cutting board for raw meat to prevent cross-contamination with produce, and be sure to clean it thoroughly after every use.

What are Low GI foods?

Glycaemic Index (GI) is a numerical system developed to measure how fast a carbohydrate triggers a rise in blood sugar level. So, foods that do not rapidly raise your blood sugar level are known as low glycemic foods.
Since low glycemic foods have a gradual effect on blood sugar levels, they are ideal for people with diabetes, hypoglycemia, and anyone attempting to lose weight.
Low GI diet benefits include weight loss, increased sensitivity to insulin, improved diabetic control, reduced risk of heart disease, healthier blood cholesterol levels, increased energy and stamina.
Everyone should try to cultivate the habit of consuming low GI foods in other to reduce their risk of developing diabetes melitus. Below are some foods with low GI which are readily available.

Tips on healthy eating this Holiday

The holidays are packed with celebrations, but for many of us, the colder weather discourages outdoor workout routines, our stress levels are high and we may be getting less sleep than usual.
Combined, all of this can lead to weight gain over the holiday season.
In a 2000 study of 195 adults, 14% gained over 5 pounds in the 6-week period from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. While most participants gained 1 pound or less during the study - which does not seem like much - this weight is usually never lost and accumulates year after year.
The researchers found that 51% of most people's weight gain over a 12-month period occurred during the holiday season.
Here are some tips on how to prevent or reduce the rate of weight gain;
Indulge in your favorites, skip the rest
If one of your favorite parts of the holiday season is your grandmother's famous sugar cookies, you need not put them off limits. Allow yourself to have a cookie, enjoy it and move on. But do not feel bad about skipping Aunt Betty's fruitcake that you never really liked anyway.
When at a dinner party or buffet, survey the entire table before making a plate. Decide on one or two dishes that are worth indulging in, and eat in moderation. Fill the rest of your plate with vegetables, fruits or lean protein.
Add varieties to your diet
Contributing with your own healthy dish can add variety to traditionally unhealthy choices.
When eating out at a restaurant, decide ahead of time whether you will treat yourself to an appetizer, an alcoholic beverage or dessert. Allow yourself to have one, but not all three. If your dinner party or reservation is later than you would normally eat dinner, make sure to have a small snack with protein and fiber before leaving the house so you are less likely to overindulge when you get there. An apple and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or a string cheese and a few whole grain crackers would be good choices.
Never go to a party feeling hungry. Sip a glass of water in between every glass of wine, eggnog or other alcoholic beverage.
If you are worried there will not be any healthy options available, make sure to bring your own healthy dish that you (and everyone else) will enjoy.
Keep a food diary. If you have a smartphone, use an app like My Fitness Pal to stay on track of your intake. This will help you to stay realistic. Keep in mind the amount of exercise needed to burn off your indulgences. One 300-calorie cookie takes 60 minutes of walking for a 150-pound person to burn off.
Do not skip meals
If you think skipping breakfast or lunch will save you calories, think again. When you skip a meal, you are more likely to overeat twofold at your next meal.
It is especially important to not skip breakfast in preparation for a party or event, because if you do not eat within a few hours of waking, your metabolism fails to start and your body will hold on to and store fat for energy as a survival mechanism.
Stay active
If your normal exercise routine involved outdoor activities that simply do not agree with the winter weather/dry weather in Africa, now is the time to find a new one you enjoy indoors. Contact gyms in your area (or where you are traveling) and see if they offer a week-long free trial.
Try new classes like cycling, hot yoga or aqua sculpt. Keep trying until you find an instructor or class structure that you enjoy. Find a friend to play racquetball with or join an indoor basketball or volleyball league. Sign up for a spring 10K, triathlon or adventure race that requires you to train through the winter. The key is to find an activity that you look forward to. If running on a treadmill is not enjoyable for you, skip it. Maybe you would enjoy a Zumba or hip-hop dance class instead.
Adjust your focus
Focus on maintaining your weight and not gaining during the holidays, instead of losing. Count it as a victory if you are still fitting into your favorite jeans by February.
Make new traditions
If most of your current traditions focus around food, make new ones. Round up the family and go out for a walk or get involved in a local Christmas concert. Take dance lessons or get craft and make your own holiday decorations. Take old family recipes and revamp them to make them healthier.
Replace white flour with whole grain or replace oil and lard with applesauce and Greek yogurt. At gatherings, take advantage of seeing those you do not get to see often; talk more and eat less.

References:

"Healthy eating during the holiday season" by Megan Ware, RDN, LD, registered Dietitian and Nutritionist.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/269577.php

Phytochemicals; Lycopene

Phytochemicals are non-nutritive plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventive properties. They are nonessential nutrients, meaning that they are not required by the human body for sustaining life. It is well-known that plant produce these chemicals to protect themselves but recent research demonstrate that they can also protect humans against diseases. There are more than thousand known phytochemicals. Some of the well-known phytochemicals are lycopene in tomatoes, isoflavones in soy and flavanoids in fruits. But for today's publication, let's talk about Lycopene.
Lycopene is a very efficient antioxidant, which can neutralize oxygen derived free radicals. The oxidative damage caused by these free radicals has been linked to many degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, premature aging, cancer and cataracts. In many countries it is legally allowed to advertise foods containing tomato lycopene as "containing antioxidants for the maintenance and support of healthy cells". Lycopene is generally known for its protective action against prostate cancer. This is one of the reasons why tomatoes juice is being said to be good for the body.
Anti-cancer: In vitro-studies have shown the anti-cancer properties of lycopene against many cancer cells, including cancer cells of prostate, stomach, lung, colon and skin. There are numerous studies about the effect of lycopene on cancer and prostate cancer in particular. Using Pubmed as a retrieval base, more than 80 scientific studies have the names lycopene and prostate in their title. Most of the in-vitro experiments using cultured prostate cancer cells demonstrate a protective effect. However, most literature review studies or clinical studies are less conclusive and often contradictory. Lycopene also shows antimutagenic action against chemically induced DNA damage. 
Antibacterial and antifungal: Lycopene possesses antibacterial and antifungal properties. Lycopene can help to reduce inflammation of the gums and can help to fight infections of Candida albicans. 
Diabetes: Diabetes patients may suffer from complications as vascular disease, diabetic neuropathies or infections. Lycopene helps to protect diabetes patients against cardiovascular disease and may improve the immune response. However, the consumption of lycopene seems not to reduce the risk of diabetes mellitus type 2. 
Arteriosclerosis: Lycopene inhibits platelet aggregation and reduces the production of foam cells which play an important role in the development of arteriosclerosis . Lycopene helps to prevent arteriosclerosis by reducing inflammatory agents in rats increased risk of venous thrombosis. 
Antitoxic: In laboratory conditions, lycopene shows antitoxic properties against many toxins such as  aflatoxin, cyclosporine and cadmium.
Source: Lycopene is the red pigment of ripe tomatoes. Lycopene is also found in guava, pink grapefruit, red oranges and watermelon.

Reference:

Basic Nutrition; a lecture compilation by Ana Marie M. Somoray RND

What are phytochemicals?
www.phytochemicals.info