Healthy breakfast Ideas: Mixed berries with roasted nuts and seeds (399 cal)

So today I tried something new for breakfast, mixed berries with roasted nuts and seeds. It was delicious and filling. I definitely give it a thumbs up for the amount of calories it has, it's the perfect morning meal for a flat belly. Come on give it a try.....

What you need:

3 cashew nuts
3 hazelnuts
20g  sunflower seeds
20g  pumpkin seeds
50g  blueberries
50g  blackberries
50g  raspberries
50g  Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 180°C.
Place the nuts and seeds on a baking-tray and cook for four minutes.
Pour into a bowl and sprinkle on top of the berries with the Greek yogurt.


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Source: telegraph

Eggs for Life ( Health benefits of Eggs)

Image : landolake.com

When i was in senior primary my mother use to stuff me with eggs. Soon I came to hate anything that had eggs in it. But recently I have become quite a fan of these precious eggs after stumbling across these interesting benefits that they add to your health.

1. Good for your eyes

I'm a heavy reader and I spend most of my time infront of a computer. So it was lovely to learn that just one egg a day can prevent macular degeneration - a medical condition which usually affects older adults and results in a loss of vision.

2. Aids in weight loss

A breakfast which contains eggs will keep you fuller for longer.

3. Reduces risk of getting cancer.

The egg yoke is packed with a nutrient called choline. High intake of choline reduces the risk of breast cancer; choline also protects our livers from accumulating fat, helps regulate the nervous system, the brain and cardiovascular system.

4. Promotes healthy hair and nails

Eggs are high in sulphur and contain a wide array of vitamins and minerals which help keep your nails and hair healthy.

5. Protects your heart

Eatting two eggs a day increases your HDL the good cholesterol which protects your heart.

Captain chair abs exercise

The captain chair abs exercise is an effective way to burn of abdominal fat. Below is how you go about doing it.

Starting position:

Sit on the edge of a chair with your back vertical and feet flat on the ground. Hold the edges of your chair just at the position of your hips. Rest your palms on the chair and keep your elbow slightly bent.

The exercise:

While you lift your knees towards your upper body exhale and hold the position for about 3 seconds, always keep your back straight. Lower your legs to the starting position and inhale.

Stay tune for more...

Health benefits of avocado's

I'm extremely happy that the avocado season is almost near.  Cant wait to spread that avocado on my bread with with a bit of salt. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water... Lol  Today I share with you the wonderful health benefits of avocado.

1. Helps maintain your weight

Avocado is rich in  monounsaturated fat, these fat are easily burnt into energy. If you ever decide to cut down on carbs, you'll need to increase your intale of healthy fats and avocado is one of the best was to do so.

2. Improves liver health.

3. Improves the look and feel of your skin

The antioxidant carotenoids and vitamin E found in avocados protects your skin from wrinkles and helps fight against  photoaging from sun exposure. The vitamin C helps your skin maintain its firmness and elasticity.

4. Helps prevent arthritis

Avocado is an anti-inflammatory food therefore it is perfect in reducing arthritic pain.

5. Helps with blood sugar

The monounsaturated fats found in avocado can reverse insulin resistance. The high fiber helps prevent blood sugar increase.

Avocado Deviled Egggs

A healthy snack filled with protien...

INGREDIENTS
6 hard boiled eggs
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
3 tbsp homemade mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Peel eggs and cut in half lengthwise
Scoop out the yolks into a bowl and mash together with the avocado
Mix in the mayonnaise, salt and pepper
Scoop mixture back into the egg halves and garnish with salt and pepper

Find more at livinpaleo

Best food tips to keep your stomach tight

There could be two major possibilities as to why your stomach is not flat; either you have accumulated fat on your belly or your abdominal muscles are soft and not toned up.

You need to lose your body fat in order to make flat your stomach. As much as you are fat free, if your stomach muscles are flabby and loose, it will still be difficult to have a flat stomach.

Note that sit ups and crunches and all the other ordinary exercises can further make your stomach bigger if they are not done properly.

The following tips will enable you attain a flat stomach

Eat frequently

You should always eat frequently so that your body’s metabolism is active and burns more fat as opposed to when you don’t eat whereby the metabolism will be slowed down consequently allowing fat to accumulate.

At each meal time, eat small quantities of food

This goes hand in hand with tip one above. Note that if you eat every so often, then you need not to eat a lot of food in order to feel satisfied and full. As your body is feeling nourished frequently, it will not get concerned as to when the next meal will be available as it is safe and your metabolism will hence speed up.

Drink plenty of water

Water does not have any calorie and as such ensure that you drink a lot. Make it a habit to always carry drinking water. It is a fact that nearly all physical ailments are as a result of being dehydrated. For this particular objective of achieving a flat stomach,

drinking lots of water on a frequent basis keeps your stomach full so you never get that craving for food. Indeed, combining tips one and two above with drinking water will eventually make you have a flat stomach and make you not feel hungry.

Before every meal ensure that you drink a glass of water and drink water often as you take your meal. Since water has zero calories, if you fill your stomach with more water and less food, that is calories that you will be consuming during the day as a whole.

Thanks to Weight Loss Tricky Tips.com

Brown sugar vs white sugar ( you choose) Health benefits

White or brown sugar

Many times we form a battle of whether brown sugar is healthier than white sugar.... We today we see the facts between these two and the rest is left on you to choose.

Brown and white sugar are made from the same sugar crane which contain molasses. The difference is that brown sugar is that brown sugar has molasses and white sugar is stripped from theses molasses.

Health benefits of  Molasses in brown sugar:

Source of Calcium

We loss calcium on a daily bases through our urine, sweat, skin, hair and nail. This calcium has to be replaced daily to prevent our bodies from abstracting the calcium it needs from our bones.An adult aged 19-50 needs about 1000 milligram of calcium a day, a teaspoon of brown sugar has 0.08 mg.

Calcium keeps you slim
Keeps PMS away
Calcium keeps your heart healthy

Calcium rich foods:

Milk
Yogurt
Soybeans
Cheese

Source of Magnesium

Magnesium is required by the body to properly digest food. An adult at the age of 19 upwards needs 320 milligrams of magnesium a day. In every 100 gram ( 13 teaspoons) has 9 mg of magnesium.

Powerful detoxifier 
Healthy blood sugar levels  

Other sources of magnesium

Nuts and seeds (sesame seeds and almonds)
Lentils
Whole grains ( brown rice)


Source of Potassium

Potassium is need for our kidneys to filter blood and for our muscles to move. An adult need about 1600 milligrams of potassium.

Lowers the risk of getting cancer
Low risk for obesity and heart disease.

Other great sources of potassium are:

Orange juice
Avocado
Tomatoes
Spinach
Dried fruit ( apricot and dates)
Peas and beans
Fresh fruit like strawberries and bananas

Source of Iron

Iron is needed for the proper growth and development of our bodies.

Oxygen carrier
Muscle health

Other iron rich food:

Chicken liver
Ham
Fish

Adult males from the age of 19 - 50 need 8 mg and females of the same ages need 18 mg of iron per day.

NB: too much sugar is bad for you brown or white!!...

Be as cool as a cucumber ( Health benefits)

Need a quick and healthy pick me? Look no further, no need for those fizzy unhealthy soda's and an overdose on caffeine, just eat a cucumber. There is still a debate on whether this cool dark green log of super food  is a fruit or vegetable; well surprise, surprise according to the botanists (those who study plants) a cucumbers is technically a fruit with tremendous health benefits.

Below is a short list of benefits we get from this fruit:

1. Flushes out toxins

The water in  a cucumber acts as a broom which sweeps all the unwanted toxins out of our system. Cucumbers are also known to liquefy kidney stones if consumed regularly.

2. Aids in weight loss

Thanks to its low calorie and high water content cucumber is the ideal food for whoever is looking to lose weight. The water that the cucumber contains aids in getting rid of toxins in the digestive system aiding in digestion and is a great remedy for constipation.

3. Maintains normal electrical activity of the heart.

Cumbers are rich in Potassium which plays a huge  role in the development of muscle tissue and helps maintain normal electrical activity of your heart.

4. Keeps your joints in good health

Cucumbers are an excellent source of silica, which is known to help promote joint health by strengthening the connective tissues.

5. Controls blood pressure and helps cure diabetes

Cucumbers contain a loads of potassium, magnesium and fiber; these work effectively in regulating blood pressure.

Secrets of Lemon

Many are times where we use lemon in our tea's, curries and for weight loss but can one say they truly know the health benefits of eating lemon. Today it will be my pleasure to interest you in the many secrets that this
( Lemon) small yellow fruit hold:

 1. Balances pH

Lemons will help alkalize your body. Many may think that lemons are an acidic food, the acid in lemons does not create acidity once it is metabolized by your body.

2. Improves circulation

Lemons contain Vitamin P a bioflavenoids that help Vitamin C perform its function. It is known to strengthen the blood vessels.

 3. Aids bad breath

Lemon juice is a great oral cleanser. Brushing your teeth with a warm mixture of lemon and salt water will leave your mouth with a fresh smell.

4. Good for you liver

“The lemon is a wonderful stimulant to the liver and is a dissolvent of uric acid and other poisons, liquefies the bile,” says Jethro Kloss in his book Back to Eden. Lemons have powerful antibacterial properties; experiments have found the juice of lemons destroy the bacteria of malaria, cholera, diphtheria, typhoid and other deadly diseases.

5.  It destroys intestinal worms.

6.  Lemons can halts or slows down the growth of cancer.

Lemons contain 22 anti-cancer compounds, including naturally occurring limonene; oil which slows or halts the growth of cancer tumors and flavonol glycosides which stop cell division in cancer cells.

7. Decreases cholesterol levels

These are also helpful in decreasing the cholesterol levels in the body which results in maintaining good health of our hearts. This is due to the presence of polyphenol flavonoids in lemon peels.

8. Promotes Weight loss

Lemon peels contain a component known as Pectin, which is responsible for the promotion of weight loss in the body. You can grate the lemon peels and drop a few in your cup of tea.

9. Improves bone health

Lemons contain a high amount of calcium and vitamin C, these  help in maintaining and improving the health of our bones. Lemons also helps in preventing bone related diseases likes osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Small with big health benefits (Lentils)

Summer is very near in South Africa and we all want that gorgeous body to show of at the beach :). Low in calories and high in nutrition, lentils are the perfect legume to eat in the summer in salads, spreads and crackers. Stated bellow are the benefits of including lentils in your diet....

 1. Weight Loss

Lentils include all these beneficial nutrients like fiber, protein, minerals and vitamins, they are still low in calories and contain virtually no fat. One cup of cooked lentils only contains about 230 calories, but still leaves you feeling full.

2. Reduces risk of heart attack

Lentils help to reduce blood cholesterol since it contains high levels of soluble fiber. Lowering your cholesterol levels reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke by keeping your arteries clean.

3. Rich in Iron

 The body uses iron to produce red blood cells and adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.  A man needs 87% of iron per day and a woman needs  only needs 2/3 of that amount. Just one cup of lentils can provide you with your daily dose of iron.

4. Cancer Prevention

Studies conducted by the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, Boston revealed that both lentils and peas are able to reduce the risk of breast cancer. One of the reasons is that both these foods are rich in flavones, a class of antioxidants.

5. Stabilized Blood Sugar

Adding to the many benefits of fiber, soluble fiber traps carbohydrates, this slows down digestion and stabilizing blood sugar levels. This can be very helpful for people with diabetes or insulin resistance

Tomorrow I will share my favorite, easy to make lentil soup..

Lets have a Date.....

It's a wonderfully delicious fruit to eat, dates are one of the most popular fruits packed with an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required for normal growth, development and overall well-being. Below are a few benefits of adding dates to you diet.

1. Prevents abdominal cancer:

 It is high in natural antioxidants which helps in preventing development of some colonic cancers. It does not have any side effect on the body and is completely natural.

2. Improves digestive system:

 Dates contain different kinds of amino acids as well as soluble and insoluble fibers which help regulate the digestive system.

3. Helps treat aminia:

Dates have high iron content and are very useful in treating anemia. They also have fluorine that slows down the process of tooth decay.

4. Good for your vision:

They are moderate sources of vitamin-A, which is known to have antioxidant properties and essential for vision. Additionally, it is also required maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A is known to help to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

5. Aids oxygen flow in the body:

Dates are an excellent source of iron. Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

6. Loaded with needed minerals:

They are also rich in minerals like calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Calcium is an important mineral that is an essential constituent of bone and teeth, and required by the body for muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required for the production of red blood cells. Magnesium is essential for bone growth.

7. Boosting Brain Health:

 Some studies, such as one found in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that sufficient vitamin B6 levels are associated with improved brain performance and better test scores.

Benefits of Coffee for your Health

Many people preach about how bad coffee is.. Well today I have good news to with all the coffee lovers (like myself) out there. Coffee is good for our health and our skin... Below I list a few benefits of including coffee in our diet...

1. It helps make your reproductive systems.

If you're looking for a drink to lower your risk of prostate cancer, and ladies lower your risk of endometrial cancer, then keep that coffee habit going. Journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention found that women who drank more than four cups of coffee a day had a 25 percent lower risk of endometrial cancer and men who drink  at least six or more cups a day reduced their risk of prostate cancer by 20 percent.

2. Coffee Can Help You Burn Fat 

Coffee contains caffeine, caffeine partly due to its stimulant effect on the central nervous system, both raises metabolism and increases the oxidation of fatty acids.

3.  Lower Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Coffee helps to block a substance in the body called human islet amyloid polypeptide that may play a role in the development of diabetes. 

4.  Coffee May Lower Your Risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s ( makes you smarter)

Not only can coffee make you smarter in the short term, it may also protect your brain in old age.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder in the world and a leading cause of dementia. In prospective studies, coffee drinkers have up to a 60% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

5. It's great for your skin.

Drinking coffee may help you to ward off the most diagnosed form of skin cancer. In the journal Cancer Research that looked specifically at the caffeine in coffee demonstrated that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of developing basal cell carcinoma. 

Stay tuned for a Coffee Body Scrub that will help reduce the appearance of cellulite, make your skin firm and brighten the skin.

Health Benefits of Blueberries

We eat them by the handful, toss them into salads and sprinkle them on cereal and vanilla

 ice - cream.No matter how you eat them blueberries do so much good for our bodies. Here a 5 benefits of including berries in your diet...

1. Blueberry's antioxidants and their potential benefits for the nervous system and for brain health is amazing. It helps improve memory. 

2. Blueberries are not really considered to be low in glycemic index (GI) as their GI is between 40 - 53. Either way they have a  favorable impact on blood sugar regulation in persons already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. 

3. Aid in reducing Belly Fat

4. Blueberries help promote urinary tract health. The building of colonies of certain bacteria like b-coli along the lining of the inner walls of urinary tract is responsible for this infection, resulting in inflammation, burning sensation during in passage of urine and other complications. Blueberries can help decrease the building of bacteria.

5. Blueberries can slow down visual  loss. They can prevent or delay all age related ocular problems like dryness and infections related to the retina.

NB : Tomorrow I'll be sharing my Blueberry Face Mask recipe.

5 Benefits of an oats breakfast

Oats is a healthy inexpensive meal to eat. One can serve it with fruits, honey or syrup to give it that extra pop.

Here are 5 benefits of having outs for breakfast, apart from the fact of saving money.....

1. Low calorie food; stops cravings.

A cup is only 130 calories!  It also stays in your stomach longer, making you feel full longer.  You will have less hunger and cravings.

2. Provides high levels of fiber and protein.

For healthy bones and skin. Not forgetting a healthy nervous system.

3. Removes your bad cholesterol (without affecting your good cholesterol).

Many studies have shown that the unique fiber in oatmeal called beta-glu, has beneficial effects on cholesterol levels. Bad cholesterol can cause a heart attack.

4. Enhances immune response to disease.

5. It tastes good.

The good thing with oats is that you can pimp it up with fresh fruits like strawberries and berries to add that special twist. Or just simple add honey.

Enjoy :)

Breakfast fit for a queen :)

Eating a healthy breakfast filled with protein is important to get and keep a flat belly... Try this delicious, easy to make breakfast for a flat belly...

Roasted tomatoes and poached eggs

What you'll need:

1 large egg

about 20 cherry tomatoes

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon fresh/ dried thyme leaves

2 slices off whole wheat bread toasted

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Arrange tomatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper.Toss with thyme and roast until tomatoes begin to burst, about 20 minutes. Scrape tomatoes and any juices into a bowl and let cool slightly. 
2.  In a shallow, wide pan, heat 1.5 liters of water over medium until bubbles cover bottom and sides of pan. Crack each egg into a separate small bowl. Gently pour egg into pan. Cook egg, undisturbed, until white is just set and yolk is still loose, 4 to 5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to gently release eggs from bottom of pan, if necessary. Using a slotted spoon, remove egg from water. Blot bottom of spoon on a paper towel to remove excess water before serving.
3. Serve eggs over toast.

Healthy Breakfast for a Flat Tummy...

If your trying to slim down, never skip breakfast. It's a proven fact that regular breakfast eaters tend to be slimmer and are more successful at losing weight - and most importantly keeping it off. What to include in your breakfast to keep weight on tap?

Try  including eggs, oatmeal, peanut butter, yogurt to that cereal and a fresh fruits like strawberries and raspberries.. 

Happy eating :)