Good Carbs Versus Bad Carbs—Which is Which?

Carbs

The Food Pyramid is something that most of us may have heard of along with the food groups listed on it and one of which are the carbs. Carbs or carbohydrates are foods such as bread, wheat, pasta and so on. We know that it is an essential nutrient. It all seems simple and very easy to understand not until the issue between good carbs and bad carbs came out. So many questions bombard us, questions like what are good carbs? What are bad carbs? How to tell the difference and what foods fall on either one’s category. If you are bothered with these questions—you are not alone as plenty of people out there are also wondering about these carbs.

What are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrate is an organic compound that is made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. In relation to nutrition foods such as beans, potatoes, rice and cereals are examples of foods that are rich in carbohydrates. They are the main source of energy making them play a big role on our diets but consuming it within eight hours before our sleep can cause body fat. Carbs are not really the building blocks of our body since we can get the energy we need from eating foods that contain protein and fats.

Bad Carbohydrates

Not that we have a brief idea of what carbs generally are we now find out what bad carbs are. Bad carbohydrates are foods that contain refined carbs like white rice, white flour and refined sugar. These types of foods are associated with health problems such as diabetes, fatigue and obesity. They are considered bad carbs because these kinds of carbs are made from whole plants that are rich in carbs but they are processed in a manner where all it is left with are digestible carbs or also known as starch or sugar. Because of this, when we eat this types of carbs our bodies processes it so quickly causing blood sugar levels spikes. Also, bad carb do not contain fiber and other nutrients as they are removed when processed.

Good Carbohydrates

Low carbs

Good carbs on the other hand are the healthy types of carbs and occur naturally in foods. This means, there is no processing involved compared to the bad carbs. Good carbs are easy for the body to digest and this does not cause blood sugar levels spikes. They are the kind of carbs that really provide the body with the energy it needs along with the vitamins, minerals and even antioxidants that our bodies can benefit from. Good carbs are found mostly on foods that are less or not processed at all such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole oatmeal and of course fruits and vegetables.

Finding Out the Difference between Good Carbs and Bad Carbs:

Now that we understand the difference between good carbs and bad carbs, surely the next thing we want to find out is how to tell the difference between the two when we are going to choose from different kinds of foods rich in carbs. Fibers, sugars and starches are the most common carbs but to make things much simpler you can look at carbs at this way; they are either simple or complex carbs.

Simple carbs are those that our bodies can easily and quickly digest while complex carbs are those that take time to digest. In order to find out which are good carbs and bad carbs, you will need to find out the glycemic index of the carbs. Glycemic index rates a certain kind of food with carbs on how it can affect or raise your blood sugar level once it is digested.

Is It A Simple Carb or Complex Carb?

You need to find our first if that certain type of carb is simple or complex. Simple carbs are any type of sugar from sucrose which we can get from sugar cane to maltose in grains and lactose in milk. Complex carbs on the other hand are those that are made of starch usually found in grains, seeds, peas and beans. Complex carbs are the kinds of carbs that has dietary fiber in it. Simple carbs are those that give high glycemic index but there are also some complex carbs that also do.

Have a Reliable Glycemic Index
You will need to have with you a glycemic index that is provided by a trusted source cto tell at which rate a certain complex carb belongs to. Take note of the complex carbs that have a high glycemic index because they are part of the bad carbs.

Knowing the Glycemic Load of Simple Carbs

For the simple carbs, you will have to find out what glycemic load it has in order to tell how much carbs you get for its glycemic index. A glycemic load that has a rating of more than 20 is considered high and foods with this rating should be avoided or limited.

Low Glycemic Index and Low Glycemic Load are the Good Choice

Carbohydrate 

Always remember that the lower the glycemic index is the slower the blood sugar will rise. This is beneficial to our health compared to carbs with high glycemic index because carbs that are high in glycemic index increases a person’s risk of developing heart problems, diabetes and obesity. Carbs such as whole grains, vegetables and beans are recommended.

The Good Carbs:

• Fruits and Vegetables:

Obviously, fruits and vegetables will come on top of the list of good carbs. They are also good sources of minerals, vitamins and fiber but are also low in calories. According to health experts, eating fruits and vegetables each day with at least five servings lowers your risk of having heart diseases, stroke, digestive problems and high blood pressure.

• Beans and Legumes:

Beans and legumes are excellent sources of protein, fiber, vitamins and folic acid. Eating them will make you feel full in a long period of time making it ideal for those who want to lose weight because this helps you avoid overeating.

• Nuts and Seeds:

A good source of vitamins A, E and B6 plus loads of minerals and nutrients are what nuts and seeds have to offer. Most kinds of nuts are high in good fats and are good in helping prevent heart problems. Eating them in moderation is still recommended.

• Whole Grains:

Brown rice, whole grain pasta and oats are the best sources of whole grains. They are referred to as whole because when they were processed they contained brain and their germ. These components of foods let them keep a high level of fiber and nutrients.

The Bad Carbs:

Bad carbs as mentioned earlier are mostly from simple carbs which causes energy spikes and can make you feel hungry and can cause overeating. Foods belonging to bad carbs are as follows:

• Sugars:

We are reminded that eating sweets is not good for our health but not many of us are aware that when we eat carbs they can be broken down into sugar too. It would be best to avoid sugar in its natural form (brown or powdered sugar) and even candy and other types of sweet foods or beverages because they contain high quantities of sugar.

• Refined Foods:

Instead of eating refined foods go for whole grains instead. Refined grained products are highly processed and can cause a quick elevation of blood sugar and do not give enough energy that we need. Pasta, bread, pastries and certain types of cereals fall under the category of refined foods.

• Vegetable Carbs and Grains:

There are certain types of vegetables that are unfortunately under the category of bad carbs such as potatoes most especially when they are transformed into potato chips and French fries which are said to be included in the list of the world’s unhealthiest foods. Other examples of foods under this category are corn, white rice and beets.

An easy way to find out on how food can be part of the good carb or the bad is by finding out how much process it has undergone from its original form. When foods undergo processes in ord er to preserve them or pack them, nutrients and vitamins are removed from it along the way. 

Low carbs diet

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Are Diet Soda Really Helpful To Our Diet?

Diet soda

We have heard of it and some of us even drink it. Ever since diet soda were released in the market, lots of people especially those carefully watching their weight or on the way towards losing weight, have thought of it as the solution to drinking their favorite drink without having to gulp in the sugars and calories removed from it. But over time, more and more studies have been released revealing the real truth behind diet soda.

What are Diet Soda?

Diet soda have numerous names in many parts of the world. It is also referred to as diet pop, refreshments, light soft drinks, sugar-free soda , or simply diet. Diet soda are beverages that are free of sugar, contain artificial sweeteners and are a non-alcoholic carbonated drink. Its main target in the market are people who are conscious of their sugar levels, those who are health conscious, athletes and people closely watching their weight.

Diet:

Before we go any deeper, we need to first understand what diet really means. When we say diet, it is mainly what a person usually includes in meals from food to drinks. Diet does not mean losing weigh rather, it is the usual types of foods and drinks included on meals. In order to maintain a healthy weight and body, we must make sure that we eat right and this means eating the right amount of foods from different food groups. There should be variety and the proportion of food should be right too. Clearly, whichever food group table you look at no matter from what country, you won’t see chemicals and caffeine included. But this does not mean you should deprive yourself of what you want to eat or drink this goes the same for diet soda. You should drink it on an occasional basis NOT regular basis.

Diet sodas

What Diet Soda Contain

Diet soda are a mixture of different kinds of artificial sweeteners rather than sugar to give it a hint of sweetness. Although some people think that diet soda tastes like the regular ones while some people think its sweetness isn’t as satisfactory to the regular ones but either way, diet soda have become such a hit in stores. But not many of us know what diet soda really contain specifically what kinds of sweeteners are added to it. Below are the types of sweeteners used in making a diet soda.

• Aspartame (also known as NutraSweet): This is a commonly used artificial sweetener and was introduced in 1982. In most diet soda and even other types of beverages that has the word “diet”, expect to find aspartame enlisted as part of its ingredients most especially products from the United States.

• Cyclamates: Although aspartame is commonly used, cyclamates were the first artificial sweeteners used in diet soda and it actually works with saccharin which is another kind of artificial sweetener. Back then, people who were able to tasted diet soda containing cyclamates say that it tasted better but by 1970, the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of this artificial sweetener in the United States. This is because a study was done testing it to lab rats which caused cancer. Unfortunately, up to this day there are other countries still use this and still include it to diet soda.

• Saccharin: After cyclamates were no longer allowed to be used, the makers of diet soda used saccharin instead. This artificial sweetener received a lot of critic because it tasted bitter and has a chemical aftertaste. Because of this, makers of diet soda wanted to correct it by adding in a small amount of sugar but by 1977 the Food and Drug Administration gave a petition to ban it too for they claimed it to be a carcinogen but the ban was placed to an halt not until studies were released to prove it. By 1991, the ban was no longer in effect but at that time most diet soda were using aspartame.

• Sucralose and acesulfame potassium: These two sweeteners sucralose also known as Splenda and acesulfame potassium also known as Sunett or Ace K have been used too and they are usually used with aspartame, sucralose or saccharin. There have been reports saying that diet soda that contain this happen to taste naturally sweet and does not have a strong aftertaste too while some say that it’s just like the old kinds of diet soda only this time it has something different in it.

Diet Sodas and Weight Loss

There are actually people who like diet soda while there are those who doesn’t. But either way, studies are being conducts to check if these artificial sweeteners can confuse out taste buds. Most people who drink diet soda is to use it to avoid the calories especially those who want to lose weight but unfortunately some people only end up gaining more weight. in fact, there was a study done by the University of Texas where it showed that people who drink diet soda are more at risk of being overweight while others would become obese in a span of between seven to eight years.

Alternative:

After finding about more about diet soda, perhaps at this point you are wondering what alternative there is.

The first one is called Xylitol. Experts recommend that you go for products that have natural sugars rather than going for those with artificial sweeteners. Xylitol is actually a polyalcohol sugar and is commonly used by people who are diabetic. Numerous sugarless gum has xylitol in it to prevent the occurrence of tooth decay. It only contains half the calories of sugar but tastes sweeter so when using it you only need a little.

Another great alternative to diet soda are of course water. But if you want something with flavor, why not try drinking water with lemon or ice teas that are unsweetened. There are numerous variations of tea plus an added advantage is that tea is very good for the health and you can drink it cold or hot. If you are looking for something sweet to your drinks you can use stevia which is a non-caloric sweetener.

diet pop

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Excess Abdominal Fat | A Health Threat

Fat

Most people who hit the gym want to get rid of excess abdominal fat and expect flatter abs. At first glance we may think that its main purpose is to look good but behind it is actually an alarming health threat.

We may notice that most people who have excess abs fat are men but women are also affected and should be made aware of the danger it brings to one’s health. But this does not mean that just because your stomach fat is lesser compared to other people, it is still important that at an early stage you get rid of it. Some people may even may think that having excess abdominal fat looks unattractive and this is true but other than that, the health danger that goes with it should be acknowledged too. Getting rid of flabby stomach fats isn’t just about vanity.

Statistics

Let’s face it, whenever numbers on statistics are mentioned we tend to let it slip away. This may surprise you but almost ¾ of the population in western countries and even western-influenced countries belong to the growing number of obese or overweight people. This is a very alarming rate because being overweight imposes a person to be at high risks of developing health disease and chronic diseases.

Subcutaneous Fat and Visceral Fat:

Body fat 

The stored fat in our body is called according to where it is located. As for the abdominal area, there are two kinds of fats found here and they are the Subcutaneous Fat and Visceral Fat.

Subcuatenous Fat

Subcutaneous fat is the kind of fat that covers your abs from being visible and is found directly beneath the skin above the abdominal muscles. This kind of fat is found just below our skin and can be measured in order to give an estimated of the body’s total adiposity or fat. This type of fat aids insulation to slow heat loss which is part of the process of homeostasis.

Visceral Fat

Visceral fat is also termed as organ fat or intra-abdominal fat and is located at the abdominal area and is found in between organs. Compared to subcutaneous fat which can also be found on the hips and thigh area, visceral fat is only on the organs around the abdomen. Having too much visceral fat causes a person to have belly fat causing protrusion of the abdomen. Excess visceral fat predisposes a person to developing obesity, heart disease and is even linked to type-2 diabetes, insulin resistance and inflammatory diseases to name a few. Due to hormones, men are most likely to be seen with belly fat whereas women usually have fats stored in the hips, thighs and buttocks but nevertheless, there are still women who have protruding abdomens due to visceral fat.

How Is It Dangerous? 

As harmless as they may seem, both these two kinds of fats are dangerous to our health. But what we should take note here is that it is far more hazardous to have more visceral fat than subcutaneous fat. Although both of these kinds of fats expose a person to have higher risk of developing heart diseases, stroke, certain types of cancer and high blood pressure, visceral fat is more dangerous because according to studies it gives out more inflammatory molecules into our system on a steady basis.

Having too much stomach fat has been linked to high amounts of C-reactive protein or CRP. When CRP is found on a person’s body, this means that a person is suffering from an inflammation that can eventually lead to health problems.

How We Accumulate Visceral Fat:

Fat loss 

Visceral fat can be accumulated because of a high carbohydrate diet that can eventually lead to insulin resistance. Carbohydrates contain starch and sugars and when our bodies get too much of this, the body becomes incapable of handling high amounts of blood sugar. Another reason why some people accumulate high amounts of visceral fat is because of a diet that is high in fructose corn syrup.

Getting Rid of Abdominal Fat:

After understanding how visceral fats and subcutaneous fats can be harmful to our health, perhaps the best thing to find out about now is how to get rid of it. If you happen to not have too much stomach fat, then the best way to deal with it is to avoid it which can be done by eating a healthy and balanced diet.

Because there are so many products out there claiming to be the answer to the many weight problems that people are faced with, most people end up being fooled by those that claim to be the instant solution. First of all, if there was a quick fix to weight problems then no one would be obese and secondly, there is no such thing as “short cut” when it comes to losing fats especially in getting rid of abdominal fats.

The Solution

The root cause of why people end up having excessive abdominal fats have been explained already earlier and with that, it is apparent that the solution to ensure the loss of abdominal fat and maintain it is by having a diet that is full of nutrients. Consuming foods that are natural and unprocessed would be highly recommended too. Apart from a good diet, an effective and exercise program that can keep up with your metabolism should be included too and exercise should be done regularly. You will know that the exercise program you have with you is effective if it stimulates metabolic as well as hormonal response in your body.

Doing Away with Visceral Fat-

• High intensity exercise and Full-body resistance training

The use of high intensity exercise and full body resistance training will not directly remove the visceral fats that you have but they are ideally helpful when it comes to efficiently improve your body in managing your glucose and insulin levels which is a very important part in the removal of visceral fat. When you are engaged in high intensity exercises you activate hormones that burn fat and this includes visceral fat too.

• Controlled blood sugar

It was explained earlier that high intensity exercises and full body training exercises are effective aids in removing visceral fat and it has something to do with managing glucose and sugar levels. But a really good way of removing it is making sure that your blood sugar levels are within its normal levels. To do this, you must lower the intake of sugars and refined starches in your diet most especially high amounts of fructose corn syrup. Your diet should be centered on good fats and making sure you eat up enough amounts of fiber.

Belly fat 

Carbohydrates are great sources of energy but it can also be a source of starch and sugar once it enters our body so your best bet here is to get carbs from vegetables and fruits that are also excellent sources of fiber.

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A Review on Traditional Cardio Workouts

Cardio

Over the years, we have this perception that when it comes to losing weight, we tend to think that cardio workouts are one of the best options. But what we forget is the fact that cardio workouts are not the only option we have and it may not even be the best. You may be wondering how this could be especially if you are an avid fan of cardio workouts.

Traditional Cardio Workout:

There really is nothing wrong with doing cardio workouts. First of all, there is this thing called traditional cardio where all you do is do endless running to nowhere while you watch the TV, talk over the phone or do something else. At first we may think it is indeed convenient and even allows you to do multi-tasking but this is where the real deal comes in, when our minds our set to losing weight or staying fit, we must remember that dealing with it with your mind and body coordinated plays a crucial part.

Whether you’re overweight or just need to maintain conditioning your body, there are by far better workouts other than doing the traditional cardio workouts.

What do you really mean by CARDIO?

Cardio is actually short for the term cardiovascular activity or cardiovascular workouts. It is referred to as activity that involves the heart. It is perhaps one of the most crucial types of physical activity that every person should get into.

Cardio workout 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and the American College of Sports Medicine, a person should perform at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio workouts on most days of the week if doing it daily would not be possible. There are different types of cardio workouts that are classified according to intensity. Most often, people tend to think that when the word cardio is mentioned they right away think of typical exercise machines that people use while indoors and usually watching TV.

Having said that, you now understand what traditional cardio means. Most of the machines used in this type of cardio workout involve the use of an elliptical machine, a stationary bike or a treadmill. As mentioned earlier, you may think that this kind of cardio workout seems too good to be true as you can watch TV, read a magazine, talk over the phone or do something else while working out but doing this in the long run can get pretty boring. Some even give up on it in just a span of weeks and end up frustrated.

Strengthening the Heart through cardio:

As we delve deeper into what a cardio exercise really is, any sort of activity or exercise that helps in strengthening your heart is considered a cardio exercise. You don’t need anything technical to understand what cardio is, as long as gets your heart working, that’s already cardio. Whether it’s sprinting, lifting dumbbells or a barbell, because it keeps you worked up especially your heart, then consider it as a cardio workout.

Working out with the use of a barbell or dumbbell clean and press, where you will have to lift a barbell from the floor going up to your shoulders, regardless of the weight you are carrying, doing it around 10 to 15 times will make you sweat as much and your heart rate racing to a recommended range. Notice that this kind of exercise is referred to as strength exercise or weight training exercise but because your heart has worked out too, then this is as good as a cardio workout only this time, the benefits you get are much more compared to just doing boring indoor traditional cardio workouts.

Cardio warmup 

Another example would be doing sprints. You may think that jogging and sprinting are the same but these two actually have a difference. First of all sprinting and jogging differ according to their pace, stride and the distance that you go for. When you jog, your pace is slower and your strides are much shorter whereas when you sprint you basically give it all that you’ve got; your pace becomes really fast and your strides are longer. Sprints also take up more distance and is the most intense compared to jogging and running.

When you do sprints, you don’t just strengthen your legs but your heart benefits as much too. Try doing a 100-meter sprint if you are looking for a fast way to lose flabs. Plus, enjoy the breath of fresh air and the view as you do this outdoors.

There are numerous workouts that also get your heart pumping. One of which are doing pushups with less rest time, bodyweight squats and even lunges. Doing these type of exercises for five minutes straight will keep your heart pounding and sweating off. These kinds of exercises will really get your mind and body set to losing weight plus notice the changes in your body and feel how much lighter it is when do this on a regular basis.

The mentioned exercises above clearly show how much cardio activity is involved. Regardless of what you called these exercises, whether its strength training or weight training all of them help in improving the condition of your cardiovascular activity levels. This is beneficial because you don’t just get to improve your heart condition but you also get to condition and strengthen your muscles in your body. Losing weight does not happen in an instant. It takes discipline and hard work and most importantly the determination to really do it.

Do not allow yourself to stick to just the traditional cardio workout most especially if you are really serious about losing weight. Find out more about other workout options that may work for you. There are lots of other exercises that are not only beneficial but may also be just what you are looking for. Remember, an intense workout may not be for everyone but if you have the stamina to do it then don’t hesitate to give it a try. An added tip, it would really be helpful if you did more fully body exercises and with intensity because it helps more in losing weight fast.

Cardio training 

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How Sunlight Can be Good and Bad for Us

Sunlight 

With the many changes occurring in our environment, sun exposure has been considered a health threat despite the fact that it also gives off good effects to us. There are various skin care products introduced in the market for skin care protection but before we start using them, it would be best to understand first how sunlight can be good and bad for us.

What is Sunlight?

Sunlight, as defined by Wikipedia is the total frequency spectrum of electromagnetic radiation that the sun gives off. When sunlight reaches earth, it is filtered in the atmosphere and is referred to as daylight or also termed as solar radiation but when it is blocked by clouds we call it sunshine.

How Sunlight affects Us

It is because of sunlight where our bodies can produce vitamin D and if we are not exposed to the sun for a period of time, there is that possibility of being deficient of vitamin D not unless you can get the right amounts from your diet.

But too much sunlight can also harm our skin. A common problem we get from being exposed to sunlight for a long time is sunburn; sunburn causes mild to severe inflammation on the skin. But this can be avoided by applying sunscreen cream or lotion from time to time on the skin in order to build up melanocytes during sun exposure. Another known negative effect of sun exposure is the acceleration of skin aging. Because of the depletion of the ozone, there is an increased rate of 25% of skin cancer. When we do not get enough sun exposure, there is that possibility of the development of seasonal affective disorder also known as winter blues. This is common among areas that are cold but it can be treated with light therapy and prescribed drugs.

Although sunlight is very important in synthesizing vitamin D, health experts still recommend that our sun exposure be limited including the use of tanning beds to where we are exposed to UV radiation (specifically broad spectrum UV radiation) which is considered to be a carcinogen.

Benefits of Sunlight to our Health:

Sun light 

Lately, sun exposure has been thought of as something negative because of the depletion of our ozone layer but it still brings many benefits to us. Apart from being the chief source of light and heat, sunlight also contributes something to our health. The key here is to make sure that sun exposure is kept in moderation in order to avoid sun damage and cancer.

• Vitamin D Synthesis

We all know that vitamin D is really important because it is one of the reasons that keep our immune system function well and our immune systems are strong, we avoid diseases. Vitamin D also helps in making sure that our bones are strong and do not break easily. According to scientists, the highest concentrated form of vitamin is from sunlight. Getting 10 minutes of sun exposure in a day helps our body produce enough amounts of vitamin D.

• Improved Mood

According to studies, one of the benefits of being exposed to sunlight is improved mood. Most people associate sunlight with happiness because it is during sunny days when we are able to go outdoors and do things such as gardening and other outdoor sports. It is also said that when we get to go outdoors and experience sunlight we can ward of depression.

• Healthy Appearance

In the west, one of the best looks that most people look after is getting a good tan which can be best achieved by being exposed to sun. Notice how people gather around beaches and pools in order to get that sun-kissed look. It is because of sunlight where the melanin of the skin changes causing darker pigments. Getting a good tan means looking more glowing and healthy. But we must be extra careful because too much sun exposure can cause skin damage.

Cons of Sun Exposure:

After knowing the good things that sun light has to give, the next thing that we need to find out are its bad effects. Too much of everything is bad as the saying goes and this is true with sun light. Apart from getting sunburn, we may also experience other health problems such as cataracts, wrinkling, hives, blister and at worst even skin cancer.

Sunlight vitamin 

• Ultraviolet Rays (UVR)

The reason why the sun can cause negative effects on our health is because of ultraviolet rays or UVR. UV rays is the reason why it is attributed to sun exposure skin problems such as accelerated skin aging, skin cancer and wrinkling. The UVB rays or ultraviolet B rays which are mostly absorbed by the ozone layer is the responsible for causing cataracts, sunburns and even damaged immune system. A very health threating diseases is skin cancer melanoma is also attributed by being exposed to UVB rays before reaching the age of 20 years old.

• Skin Cancer

If we get exposed to the sun too much, there is that big risk that we develop skin cancer. But there’s also what we call risk factors where a person becomes more at risk at developing it. According to studies, people who have fair skin, blond hair and light colored-eyes have a greater chance of developing it compared to people with darker skin, hair and eyes. People who a lot of birthmarks, moles and freckles and gets sunburn easily are also more at risk. People who spend too much time outdoors ar e also at risk of having severe cases of sunburn.

Protecting yourself from the Sunlight:

It is recommended by health experts to wear clothing that may protect you from the sunlight such as hats and sunglasses and applying sunscreen lotions or creams that have an SPF of 30 or more. Make sure to reapply sunscreen creams or lotions after every two hours or if your skin has been exposed to water or sweat to make sure that your skin is fully protected from the sun while you are out on the sun. If you are planning to head out to get a tan, try to avoid going out between 11 AM to 3 PM in the afternoon. For precautionary measures, do monthly check ups on your skin if you notice anything unusual or abnormal. Be cautious of signs of skin cancer and make sure to visit your doctor right away if you notice anything suspicious on your skin.

How Much Sunlight do We Need?

There is no exact level or amount as to how much sunlight we need to tell if we are not or at risk of skin cancer. The only hope we have is to take protective measures against sun exposure such as using sunscreen when we are going outdoors. It would also be best to wear sunglasses that protect against UV rays in order to protect your eyes from the sun.

Perhaps almost all of us have experienced sun burn and have heard of the good effects of the sun. What is important is we know how to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of the sun. If you happen to get sunburn and want a cheap and fast acting relief, then use aloe vera by placing its leaves on top o f your skin.

Sun

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Sea Foods that We Should Stay Away From

Seafood 

Sea foods are perhaps one of the many foods out there that most of us would love to it. Not all of us are privileged enough to be able to grab a bite of these nutritious and interesting delicacies. Although sea foods are also a good source of different vitamins and minerals it is still important for us to be aware of the possible health hazards that we can get from eating them. Apart from the fact that some people are allergic to certain types of sea foods, there are also other health issues we should find out in order to avoid them. There also certain types of sea foods that we should not eat because they are already about to become extinct already and we can only help stop the killing if we stop patronizing their products or by avoiding buying them.

What are Sea foods?

Sea foods are foods that are of any kind of marine life that is considered edible to eat by humans. Sea foods actually come in different forms examples of which are fish, mollusks (shellfish), crustaceans (shrimp and lobster and echinoderms (sea urchins and sea cucumber). There are also edible plants from the sea that are part of the sea foods such as seaweeds and microalgae or microscopic algae found in sea water and they are also termed as sea vegetables. In many areas that are close to bodies of water, sea foods are their main source of protein.

List of Dangerous Sea Foods and Those We Should Avoid Eating:

As exciting as it for most of us to eat these delicious sea foods, it is really important that we know how to choose the right kinds of sea foods to keep us away from health problems and to make sure that we are not one of the many people in the world who are consuming sea creatures that are about to be extinct. Most of the dangerous sea foods in the list are considered exotic making it become even more important for us to be cautious when it comes to eating them.

seafood dish

• 1. Blowfish

Blowfish is a special delicacy in countries such as Japan and South Korea. The surprising thing about this fish is how it is poisonous and yet is still eaten by many people. In Japan, this fish is called Fugu and only trained chefs are allowed to handle this fish when preparing it because it contains a poison called tetrodotoxin in its organs specifically in its liver area, ovaries and the skin. When a person is poisoned, the tetrodotoxin will become a channel blocker causing muscle paralysis while a person is still awake. It will eventually cause the inability to breathe. The fish has been so known to be poisonous that it is banned in many places but there are still areas that sell this fish in secret.

• 2. Imported Russian Crabs

These type of crabs are those that come from Russia and almost to become extinct because ovf over harvesting. For clarification, these imported Russian crabs are often confused with Alaskan King Crabs but actually these two kinds of crabs are completely different. A possible explanation as to why these imported Russian crabs are becoming endangered is because there are supermarkets out there that label them as Alaskan King crabs—whether it’s done on purpose or not we should still be cautious about these crabs if we don’t want them extinct.

• 3. Jellyfish

Jellyfishes are prepared in an intricate manner and in a multiday process. They are mostly eaten in countries in Asia such as Japan and China to name a few. But because there are jellyfishes that are poisonous, the ones served in many places in Asia are the non-harmful ones that do not contain toxins but still we should be careful in eating them because they are usually served raw and are added to salads mixed with vinegar or soy sauce.

• 4. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is one delicacy that lots of people love but there was a study released saying that this fish happens to have alarmingly high levels of Mercury than any other kinds of tuna. Mercury is really not good for our health even if we know that tuna is one nutritious, eating other kinds of tuna is not a problem just stay away from this one.

More Sea Foods to Avoid:

Seafood boil 

• 5. Shark’s fin Soup

Shark’s fin Soup is one dish that is often served in many parts in Asia especially in China. In China, people who eat this soup are only the wealthy because shark’s fins are quite expensive. The fins of different types of sharks are used in preparing this soup. The preparation involves peeling of the skin, shaping them and letting them dry thoroughly. Although the fins are not that tasty, a lot of people like this soup because of its texture and the ability of the fins to absorb flavor that the other ingredients of the soup has. This has been banned in other places to stop the killing because often, sharks are stripped off of their fins and are left to die.

• 6. Atlantic Salmon

Although salmons are one of the best kinds of fishes in the world, there has been recent warning about being cautious of eating the farmed ones from the wild ones. According to experts, the farmed Atlantic salmons are more at risk to disease and getting parasites because of the congested pens where they are placed. Things became much worse when genetically engineering these species were allowed and were sold in market without any labels.

• 7. Octopus

In places such as Japan, Hawaii and Portugal, octopus is one delicacy that they prepare in many ways but it is often eaten raw. These intelligent creatures are actually cut out of their legs while they continue to move around in your plate. They are really abundant of many vitamins and nutrients which is why a lot of people feed on them. In Korea, they call this the San Nak Ji or the live octopus. The hazards of eating this is how you can eat it without choking because at most cases its tentacles end up sticking to the roof of your mouth. It has been reported that a total of 6 deaths has been recorded in a year in South Korea due to choking upon eating this sea food.

• 8. Atlantic Flatfish

The Atlantic Flatfish is part of the list of dangerous sea foods because it is highly contaminated and is also fast becoming endangered. We should not eat them to not just keep away from the possible hazards it can bring to our health but in order to also allow them to reproduce.

• 9. Imported Shrimps

Not many are aware of this but imported shrimps are considered to be one of the dirtiest sea foods because they come with a number of contaminants that come in the form of antibiotics, chemical residue used for cleaning their pens, not to mention E. coli, rat hair, roaches and mouse hair too. Because most of the imported shrimps do not undergo inspection, they are most likely to be unhealthy.

• 10. Sea Cucumber

The Sea Cucumber is a delicacy in many southern and eastern cultures. It is eaten along with other vegetables, sometimes dried or at times raw. It is said to have a slippery and smooth texture. Sea cucumbers happen to contain a toxin found in its cuvierian tubules that when ejected can actually cause blindness.

Eating seafood 

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How Salad Become Unhealthy

Salad

Whenever say the word healthy, we right away think of fruits and green leafy vegetables. This is because this food group are true enough healthy and for most part, we often think of vegetable salad when it comes to eating right. But over the years, the many food products sold at supermarkets make staying healthy quite a challenge because we often do not know if the labels are telling the truth. And for this reason, even the healthy vegetable salad combination fall under the category unhealthy because even these innocent looking dishes can be high in carbs and calories.

A salad can become unhealthy if the ingredients added in will only contribute to high amounts of saturated fat, carbohydrates, sodium and calories. All these will be determined by what you add in to your salad.

What are Salads?

A salad is any of a vast variety of dishes and the most popular are the fruit and vegetable salad. Salad can be made of just about anything you want. Most salad contain legumes, pastas, grains or eggs. There are also what we call mixed salad where meat, sea food or poultry products are combined. Salad can be either hot or cold but most often they are referred to as mixtures of raw vegetables or fruits.

Vegetable salad often referred to as green salads mainly include leaf lettuce and leafy vegetables and to make it delightful to it, a sauce or dressing is added to it plus garnishes which can either be eggs, crotons, cheese, pasta, meat, nuts and sometimes whole grains or just about anything you wish to toss in. There are other salads that have pasta, gelatin or noodles for base. Although salads can be served hot or cold, most are served cold.

Salad recipe 

Why People are Into Salads:

The reason why lots of people love eating salads is because they are not only healthy but is also very flexible because salads can serve as:

• Appetizers: Salads or specifically light salads, are good boosters of appetizers especially if the salad is only light and does not have strong flavors in it.

• Side dish: Salads may also be used a side dish to meals especially if the main course is heavy on meat, salads can balance it all off.

• Main Course: For most people who are vegetarians or vegans, they turn to eating salads for their main course while some people who are closely watching their weight turn to this dish to get the protein they need from lean meat (such as chicken or turkey) which can keep them full until the next meal.

• Palate cleansing: Salads served during this point of the meal help settle the stomach after the main course.

• Dessert: Salads that fall for desserts are usually the sweet ones which mainly have fruits for their base and may be added with gelatin or other sweet creams such as whipped cream or condensed milk.

Healthy salad 

How Salads turn out to be Unhealthy:

As the years passed by and as food evolved, various types of garnishes and add-ons have been made to make salad more interesting to eat and as a result, it has also changed the nutritional content of the salad. This is perhaps the reason why salad can become unhealthy too—because of using the wrong kind of ingredients.

• Overdressing your salad:

There are salad dressings that get way over board because they tend to be very high in fat and calories. Placing dressings on our salads is fine but placing too much is a different side of the story. Placing salad dressings should only be around a tablespoon or two more than that could only make it unhealthy because of the calories and trans fat that it has. Instead of buying salad dressings that we find in supermarkets, why not use lime juice or salsa or look for a healthy vinaigrette recipe that you can use.

• Placing too much cheese:

Cheese is one healthy food because it is rich in protein and calcium. But because of the caloric content that cheese has, you may want to pay attention to how much you add in to your meal.

• Caloric garnishing’s:

It’s okay if you want to make your salad more appealing by adding in garnish, after all, we should enjoy the meals that we eat but when it comes to garnishes such as bacon and croutons, you need to know that they do not add any nutritional value to your dish but for sure the calories come piling in. Instead, why not use walnuts or flaxseed or even a few bits of fruits.

• Fried and processed meat:

Salads can also be filling to eat when pieces of lean chicken meat are added in and it will also serve as your main source of protein but when you add deep fried chicken strips to your salad, the nutritional value of your salad changes because like other unhealthy ingredients that you can add into your salad, it has unhealthy fats and calories in it.

• The healthy kind of greens:

This can come off surprising because choosing the right kind of vegetable for your salad is crucial. Most salads use ice berg lettuce, probably because of its nice crunchy texture but the truth is this kind of lettuce actually has no nutritional content at all. It would be best if you used darker green vegetables such as spinach, dandelion greens, watercress or basil leaves. They happen to have more flavors and contain loads of nutrients.

It does feel good to eat healthy especially when it’s a tasty salad you’re about to eat but you should also take time to find out if the salad you’re eating it really healthy. If you plan on coming up with your own salad, be careful when it comes to choosing the dressing especially those that claim to be fat-free or low fat. It would really be best if you used light dressings or better yet, whip up a vinaigrette of your own. You may add in garnishes but be sure that they are of lean meat and avoid processed or salty meats.

Salad recipes 

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