Striving4Zen

• Avocados
• Chard, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach
• Bell peppers
• Brussels sprouts
• Mushrooms (crimini and shiitake)
• Baked potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Cantaloupe, papaya, raspberries, strawberries
• Low-fat yogurt
• Eggs
• Seeds (flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower)
• Dried beans (garbanzo, kidney, navy, pinto)
• Lentils, peas
• Almonds, cashews, peanuts
• Barley, oats, quinoa, brown rice
• Salmon, halibut, cod, scallops, shrimp, tuna
• Lean beef, lamb, venison
• Chicken, turkey

*Foods that have a lot of nutrients relative to the number of calories.

Source

Labels: almonds, avocado, cruciferous vegetables, eating healthy, eggs, fruits and veggies, healthy diet, Kale, lentils, potatoes, quinoa

The only reliable food sources of active vitamin B12 are animal foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, yogurt, and cheese. While some plant foods in their fermented or otherwise processed versions (including sprouting, in some cases) contain vitamin B12, there are no known plant foods that provide consistent, dependable levels of this important nutrient.

Many soil bacteria can make vitamin B12; so can certain bacterial inhabitants of the human digestive tract. Yet, there is inadequate research to confirm that these potential B12 sources are reliable sources for a person who is strictly vegan and eats no animal foods of any kind, including dairy products.

It's important here to distinguish between a strict vegetarian - who might include eggs and dairy products in his or her meal plan-and a strict vegan, who would not include these foods. All of those non-flesh yet animal-derived foods can contain B12. Strict vegans should therefore do one or more of the following:

• Regularly consume foods that have been fortified with active vitamin B12, such as fortified breakfast cereals or bread products, fortified soy products (like soy burgers, hotdogs, or breakfast patties), nutritional yeast, and yeast extracts
• Take an oral, nasal, or sublingual vitamin B12 supplement
• Receive vitamin B12 injections from their doctor.

Source

Labels: Dairy, eggs, essential nutrient, nutrients, vegan, vegetarian, vitamin B12, yeast

Iodine: A Critical Mineral for Weight Loss. Even though it's a trace mineral, meaning we don't need very much of it, it's important for our overall health because it's needed for metabolism and normal thyroid functioning. Most people get iodine from iodized table salt, but with all the talk about salt being bad for us, many people are cutting salt from their diets, which means they're not getting enough iodine. Woman need 150 micrograms a day (220 if you're pregnant, 290 if you're breastfeeding), and if you're deficient in this mineral, you may experience a goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland) or hypothyroidism, which can lead to weight gain and obesity.

To make sure you're getting your RDI of iodine, it's helpful to know how much is in the foods we eat so read more.

Food	Amount of iodine
1/4 teaspoon iodized salt	95 mcg
3 ounces cod	99 mcg
3 ounces shrimp	35 mcg)
3 ounces canned tuna (half the can)	17 mcg
3 ounces trout	5.4 mcg
1 cup milk	56 mcg
1 egg	12 mcg
1/2 cup navy beans	32 mcg
1 medium baked potato (with skin)	60 mcg
1 cup strawberries	13 mcg
1 ounce mozzarella cheese	10 mcg
1 cup lowfat yogurt	87 mcg
1/4 ounce seaweed (Nori)	4,500 mcg
3 ounces turkey	34 mcg

Seeing that nori is high in iodine sounds like a great excuse to go eat some sushi.

Thanks Fit!

Labels: eating healthy, eggs, healthy diet, iodine, seaweed

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps the digestive system absorb and regulate calcium and phosphorous. Naturally present in fatty fish (such as sardines and mackerel), egg yolk, lanolin, and liver, it's also produced by your skin as a result of direct exposure to UVB rays in sunlight. Vitamin D comes in two forms: D2 (ergocalciferol), often derived from yeast, and D3 (cholecalciferol), the type the skin makes as a result of sunlight exposure.

Benefits

Strengthens bones and prevents osteoporosis. Recently, research has suggested it may prevent high blood pressure, as well as colon, prostate, and breast cancers. It also is highly effective in boosting immunity.

News

A 2008 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that low levels of vitamin D could lead to a substantially increased risk of death. Researchers analyzed vitamin D levels in 13,331 healthy men and women over the course of seven years. Low levels of vitamin D were linked to an increased risk of mortality from all causes by 26%.

How to take it

The current recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D is 200-600 IU. However, the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that adults age 50 and older consume 800-1,000 IU per day for bone health. The Institute of Medicine is expected to release new, significantly higher daily requirements for vitamin D next year. Ask your health care practitioner if you should take supplements, especially if you spend little time in the sunshine, live in a cloudy climate, have dark skin, are lactose intolerant, over age 50, overweight, or a strict vegetarian.

Side effects

Experts disagree on an upper limit of vitamin D, but the Institute of Medicine suggests that anyone over age 14 can safely consume up to 2,000 IU per day.

Source

Labels: calcium, eggs, healthy diet, immunity, sardines, skin, study, sunshine, Vitamin D, Vitamins

The study, which reviewed more than 25 published research papers on protein concluded that the protein in eggs contributes to strength, power and energy as follows:

• As it does not cause surges in blood sugar and insulin, the protein in eggs is a steady and sustained source of energy.


• Eggs are rich in protein and nutrients including thiamin, riboflavin, folate, B12 and B6, the B vitamins that are essential for energy production.


• One eggs supplies more than 6 grams of high quality protein (about 13% of the daily value) which helps to preserve muscle mass and prevent muscle loss in older adults.


• Eggs are rich in leucine, an essential amino acid that helps the body use energy and muscles recover after exercise.


• Eggs have all the amino acids the body needs to build and maintain muscle mass.


• Eggs are often used as the "gold standard," a comparison for assessing the protein content of other foods.

Full article here.

Labels: eggs, healthy diet, healthy food, leucine, muscles, protein

Fill a saucepan with enough cold water to cover your egg. If the egg floats then it is too old and should be thrown away. Remove the egg, and turn on the heat, bringing the water to a strong rolling boil. If you put the lid on the pan it will boil more quickly, saving you time and money.

Take the lid off and reduce the heat to a simmer. Place your eggs in the water and let them simmer for... Well it depends on the size of the egg and how hard or runny you like them.

4 minutes is usually the minimum for a small soft boiled egg and a large hard boiled egg can take about 12 minutes. Somewhere in between is your perfect egg.

If you want a hard boiled egg but intend to eat it later on in the day, you should cool it rapidly under a tap. If a hard boiled egg cools slowly it sometimes gets a totally harmless but unappealing green colour around the yolk.

Source

Labels: eggs, hard boiled eggs, healthy food

There are eight B Vitamins to be exact, and they help maintain healthy skin and muscle tone, enhance your immune and nervous system functions, and promote cell growth and division.

They are water-soluble vitamins which means that your body can't store them. They need to be replenished daily because whatever the body doesn't use, gets flushed out in your urine.

The eight B vitamins are B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12 - and they all have other names that you're probably more familiar with.

Most people get these vitamins in the food they eat. If you have food restrictions, whether you don't eat meat, dairy products, eggs, or whole grains for whatever reason, you may need to take supplements.

Vitamin	Benefits	Food Sources	RDA for women 19+
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	Helps the body convert carbohydrates and fat into energy; essential for normal growth and development; helps to maintain proper functioning of the heart and the nervous and digestive systems	Green peas, spinach, liver, beef, pork, navy beans, pinto beans, soybeans, nuts, bananas, whole grain and enriched cereals, and breads	1.4 mg/day
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	Required by the body for the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins; helps with cellular processes	Asparagus, okra, chard, almonds, leafy greens, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, meat, eggs, and fish	1.2 mg/day

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)	Necessary for energy metabolism in cells; DNA repair; produces several sex and stress-related hormones that are produced by the adrenal gland; helps remove toxins and chemicals from the body	Chicken, beef, tuna, salmon, milk, eggs, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, dates, sweet potatoes, asparagus, avocados, nuts, whole grains, beans, mushrooms, nutritional yeast	14 mg/day
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)	Required to sustain life; is critical in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins	Whole grain cereals, beans, eggs, meat, some energy drinks	5 mg/day
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine and Pyridoxamine)	Help enzymes do their job in the body; helps the nervous and immune systems function properly; necessary for overall good health	Nuts, liver, chicken, fish, green beans, salad greens, wheat germ, nutritional yeast, sea vegetables, and bananas	1.3 mg/day
Vitamin B7 (Biotin or Vitamin H)	Used in cell growth; the production of fatty acid; metabolism of fat; plays a role in the Krebs Cycle in which energy is released from food; helps with the transfer of carbon dioxide; helps maintain a steady blood sugar level; found in many cosmetic products to help with your skin and hair	Beans, nutritional yeast, cauliflower, chocolate, egg yolks, fish, liver, meat, molasses, dairy products, nuts, oatmeal, oysters, peanut butter, bananas, soy products, mushrooms, wheat germ, and whole grains	300 mcg/day
Vitamin B9 (Folic acid)	Helps the body make healthy new cells; taken before and during pregnancy can help prevent major birth defects of the baby's brain and spine	Leafy greens such as spinach, dried beans and peas, sunflower seeds, oranges, asparagus, broccoli, liver, enriched cereal	400 mcg/day
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)	Necessary for the synthesis of red blood cells, the maintenance of the nervous system, and the growth and development of children	Animal products such as meat, eggs, dairy products, nutritional yeast, and fortified cereals	6 mcg/day

Labels: b-vitamins, balanced diet, Dairy, eating healthy, eggs, FitSugar, supplements, Vitamins, Whole grains

Lots of people aspire to have shiny hair. So what are 'regular' people like us supposed to do in order to obtain hair so shiny? And how can we do it without encouraging the production of harmful materials?

It's easier than you probably think. There are secrets to shiny hair in your house right now most likely. That means you can get the hair you want without spending any money and without contributing to the use of harmful chemicals and factories.

What you can do:

• If you have light hair, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to your hair and let it sit.


• If you have dark hair, do the same thing with apple vinegar.


• Regardless of your hair color, you can also run a teaspoon of honey through your hair when you are done washing it. Don't rinse this out! Let it sit and you’ll have shine all day long.


• If you've got eggs or mayonnaise around your house, start using them as deep conditioners. Work them into your hair, especially the ends, when you’re through with washing. Leave them in for 10 minutes or so before washing out.


• Make sure you eat a lot of Vitamin E-it makes your hair glisten! This means more nuts, wheat germ, and leafy vegetables.

Source

Labels: apple cider vinegar, DIY, eggs, hair, honey, shiny hair

One egg fulfills about 10 percent of your daily protein needs. Egg protein is the most complete food protein short of human breast milk, which means the protein in eggs contains all the crucial amino acids your hard-working muscles need to promote recovery.

Eat just one of these nutritional powerhouses and you'll also get about 30% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin K, which is vital for healthy bones. And eggs contain choline, a brain nutrient that aids memory, and lutein, a pigment needed for healthy eyes. Choose omega-3 enhanced eggs and you can also increase your intake of healthy fats.

Don't worry too much about the cholesterol: Studies have shown that egg eaters have a lower risk for heart disease than those who avoid eggs.

Add to your diet: Whether boiled, scrambled, poached, or fried (in a nonstick skillet to cut down on the need for additional fats), eggs are great anytime.

SOURCE

Labels: cholesterol, choline, eating healthy, eggs, health food, lutein, Vitamin K

Labels: cholesterol, eggs, nutrition, protein, Vitamins