Healthy You Challenge

Whole grain is a buzz word that you hear practically every time you turn on the news or read an article about health. They have been shown to reduce the risk of many diseases including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and even obesity...we want to reduce those risks don't we!

Increasing whole grains in your diet doesn't have to be complicated. So what exactly is a whole grain and how do you make the best choices for you?

I found an article that explains whole grains on Sparkpeople.com. It gives examples of whole grains and tips for making the switch. Whole Grains are the Whole Package

I know we have a lot of runners in the challenge and people like me who are trying to run. One of my friends sent this article from Runners World and I wanted to share it with you.

I told her good news! I’m already eating all of these foods!

So what’s on the list?

• Almonds
• Eggs
• Sweet Potato
• Whole Grain Cereal with Protein
• Oranges
• Canned Black Beans
• Mixed Salad Greens
• Salmon
• Whole Grain Bread
• Frozen Stir-Fry Vegetables
• Whole Grain Pasta
• Chicken
• Frozen Mixed Berries
• Dark Chocolate
• Low Fat Yogurt

Even if you aren’t a runner, head on over to Runners World and check out this great article. It gives the reasons behind each food and recipe tips too!

Just because you are eating healthy doesn't mean you food has to be bland and flavorless. Quite the contrary! Herbs and spices are a great way to add a flavor packed punch to any dish.

A few years ago when I was first learning to cook, I was fortunate enough to have the advice of an excellent chef who told me that fresh herbs were the key to flavor. He pointed out the fresh basil that I put into the Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad that I make that everyone just raved about. People would always say the flavor was so good. One woman even told me she tried to copy my salad at home without a recipe and the flavor just wasn't the same. She asked me to review what she put in to see what she had left out and the missing ingredient was fresh basil. It blended so perfectly with salad greens that she didn't see it but she certainly tasted it.

I found an article on Spark People titled Herbs and Spices to "spark up" Your Food. It gives tips on using and storing fresh herbs and spices. There is also a chart that lists the herb or spice and the foods it will enhance.

Healthy food should never be boring!! With a little bit of effort in the kitchen, it never has to be again!

Everywhere you look someone is proclaiming we should eat more fiber. You might have tried to increase your fiber intake quickly and felt worse rather than better. It really does need to be a gradual increase.

I won't go into the benefits of fiber in your diet, I'll let you read those for yourself if you haven't already. Instead I'll share this article I found on Spark People filled with easy common sense ways to boost your fiber intake. Its called Easy Ways to Boost Fiber Intake

I jumped for joy when I read that headline. For about a year I attempted to follow a carb restricted diet. I know that some people have had success with it but it wasn't for me for so many reasons. Yet still its been a battle with my brain to reinforce that carbs are ok and not only that, certain carbs are really good for you.

My sister emailed an article she found called Nature's Fat-Burning Breakthrough and they list the 6 best fat-burning foods and explain why they are good for fat-burning. The article talks about foods that have a resistant starch, a unique kind of fiber that they assure us we'll be hearing more about.

Again, moderation is the key, all great foods have to be part of well rounded diet. Want to learn more? Just click on the link below to read the article and watch the slide show.

I love watching Joy Bauer on the Today Show when she features the Joy Fit Club weight loss success stories but I didn't know she also wrote for Yahoo Health! Chubby Chick emailed an article she found from Joy Bauer titled 8 Foods that help you lose weight!

So what are those eight foods?

Fiber
Juicy Foods
Lean Protein
Foods that make you work
Sugarless Gum
Hot Beverages
Spicy Foods
Pre-portioned snacks

Ready to learn why these foods help you lose weight? Head on over to Yahoo and check out Joy's Healthy Bite and see for yourself why including some or all of these 8 foods in your life can help you reach your goals.