Young adults' bodies have very demanding nutritional requirements | Healthy Eating

Health....Healthy living......Healthy Eating............

Young adults' bodies have very demanding nutritional requirements because of physical and mental development that you go through from about the age of 12. At this age you also have much more control over what you eat than you did as a child, so make sure you know what your body needs, it will affect the way your body and brain develop.

If you want to have a healthy diet try to:

• Increase the amount of cereals and starchy foods such as wholemeal bread, rice, noodles, cereals, potatoes and pasta
• Increase the amount of fruit and vegetables, i.e., eat five portions or more a day
• Eat more regular, smaller meals rather than snacking
• Reduce the amount of foods containing fat
• Reduce the amount of foods and drinks containing sugar
• Reduce the amount of foods containing salt

 

Why bother with breakfast?

Breakfast being the most important meal of the day is not just an old wives' tale, it's absolutely true. By breakfast, often you will have gone without food for about 12 hours. You need to re-stock your body with nutrients and fuel to replace what it has used up over night ready for the day's activity.
If you don't eat until lunch, or even until break, your body will get in the habit of storing what food you put in it later in the day ready for the following morning without food, rather than using it up effectively. It will leave you with less energy all day and you could be more likely to put on weight.

 

What if I want to eat healthily and lose weight?

As a teenager, remember that your body is still growing and your body shape is likely to change. If you feel you need to loose some weight, have a look at the lifebytes website from the link on this page. They have top ten really useful tips for young people who want to lose weight whilst making sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs to grow. Don't try fad or crash diets and risk cutting out these essential nutrients.

 

Healthy diet for vegetarians

It is perfectly healthy to eat a vegetarian, or even a vegan (no animal products whatsoever) diet, providing you make up for the nutrients from animal products that you miss out on through other foods.
Red meat, fish and poultry are the main sources of protein. As a vegetarian, you need to eat more alternative sources of protein such as milk, cheese, eggs and pulses like lentils and beans.
You also need to make sure you are taking in enough iron. The main non-meat sources of iron are pulses, cereals and bread fortified with iron, and green leafy vegetables. You should also eat plenty of foods containing vitamin C, especially with a meal containing iron rich foods as it is thought to help us absorb the iron.

 

Healthy living

A healthy diet is only part of the story. You should take regular exercise, aiming for 1 hour of moderate exercise everyday. Moderate exercise makes you warm and breathe more deeply. It doesn't have to be all in one go e.g. you could spend 10 minutes walking to school, 20 minutes playing basketball at lunch, 10 minutes walking home from school and 20 minutes dancing around in your room to music.
For more information about complimenting a healthy diet with exercise.

 

Who can help

There are some really useful websites to find out more about what makes up a healthy diet for teenagers and young adults. Try the links to any of the sites below:

• www.5aday.nhs.uk/
• www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/teens/
• www.lifebytes.gov.uk/eating/eat_menu.html
• www.foodfitness.org.uk/aboutus.aspx

Vegging Out - To Be or Not To Be a Vegetarian

I’ve been thinking of becoming a vegetarian but it’s so hard to make the final commitment because I love meat so much. Everyone I know thinks I’m mad and going through some sort of phase, so I thought I’d have a look online to see what other people have to say about it.
The most interesting thing I found was the conflict of information. Some people were saying that humans have to eat meat to survive but just as many were saying that this was nonsense!
The conclusion I came to is that there’s loads of other alternatives to becoming a vegetarian:

• Veganism – one of the extremes where you don’t consume anything containing ANY animal products. Food preparation becomes important because you have to ensure you’re getting everything you need whilst making it tasty too.

• Piscatarianism – cutting out red and white meat except fish. This gives you access to an easy healthy source of protein. Do fish have feelings? Science now says that yes, they probably do but have no expressions so we can’t tell when they’re hurt. You need to watch how much fish you eat though and still make sure the rest of your diet is healthy and balanced.

• Organic freerange meat only – cut down on how much meat you eat by only eating freerange organic meat. This can be expensive, but at least it is usually tastier and some say, healthier. Also some of the moral questions about mass farming animals (like battery chickens!) are answered.
Ultimately, as long as you make sure you are eating healthily(which can take some effort) the choice is yours. If you are a vegetarian it isn’t a religion and what you eat it isn’t anyone’s business but yours.
Has anyone got any tips to get me started? Any vege’s out there who still miss meat but manage to resist?

Identifying Vegan Wine

It is not always easy to find proper vegan wine as many people that produce wine, tend to use animal products of one sort or another. Animal fats are used as aids for processing during filtration and help to remove any impurities from the wine. The most commonly used animal products in wine making are gelatine, egg whites and milk protein. Vegan wine on the other hand consists of fermented grapes and no animal products are used in its production. Not all wine producers use animal fats in the wine making process, which means there are many different types of wine that are suitable for vegans. Minerals such as Bentomite and kaplin may be used during the filtration process rather than animal fats.

Along with vegan wines there are also a number of champagnes that are also suitable for vegans. Some wines are suitable for vegetarians but not for vegans as they are processed using egg whites, which are animal by products. Organic wines may not necessarily be suitable for vegans as some of them will have been processed using animal by products.  Not all wines that are suitable for vegans are labelled as vegan wine, in the UK wine may labelled as suitable for vegetarians, but that does not mean that it is vegan wine.

A major problem for anyone who is looking for vegan wines is that most wines do not contain a complete list of ingredients. In Europe, it is in fact, against the law to list the ingredients on a bottle of wine. The best place to look for wine that’s suitable for vegans is to get a copy of the vegan wine guide.

Toffeln Shoes, When You’re on Your Feet All Day

Whether you have a catering business or you are involved in the healthcare arena, Toffeln shoes are designed to make life more comfortable in the workplace. If your staff spend most of their working day on their feet, then comfort and adaptability are a must. When you purchase Toffeln footwear for your staff you can rest assured that they will last as each pair comes with a twelve to eighteen months’ guarantee. You need comfortable, supportive and affordable footwear if you want to keep a smile on the faces of your staff.

Toffeln shoes are designed for the specific purpose of providing the support that is needed along with all day comfort.  Shoes are designed for both professional and everyday purposes and are available in a range of soft leathers. When you need shoes that are designed to stand up to the rigours of the workplace each day, but that still feel soft on the feet, Toffeln has the answer. The shape of the toe of a Toffeln shoe is designed to let the foot spread out naturally. When a shoe’s toe shape is too narrow it can force the foot into an unnatural and uncomfortable position.

If you are looking for a shoe that has comfort shaped footbeds, specially designed and balanced to provide the support and comfort the foot needs, Toffeln shoes are ideal. The sole of the shoes is constructed from 100% polyurethane. Large numbers of tiny air pockets in the sole offer increased flexibility and cushion walking. Shoes are made to fit a wide variety of foot shapes, from narrow to extra wide Toffeln shoes help to eliminate static when you walk, which has been found to ease stress.

Gift Giving and Corporate Chocolates

With the Christmas holidays just a couple of months away, most people, including business owners, are thinking about Christmas gifts. Over the years it has become traditional for many firms to provide their major clients and suppliers with a suitable gift at Christmas. Some companies spend quite a bit of money on pens and diaries covered in their company logo. Most clients and suppliers receive a number of personalised diaries and pens around Christmas time. Why not surprise them this year by giving something different. If you are looking for corporate gifts that are not run of the mill, to give your clients and suppliers this Christmas, you might want to think about corporate chocolates.

You can purchase handmade corporate chocolates and choose the kind of centres you would like. Some companies offer lettered chocolates where you can spell out the message of your choice for when the box is opened. You can personalise the chocolates by having your company name and logo on the box and on the wrapping paper. If you want to give a gift that is totally bespoke then it’s worth taking a look at the various kinds of corporate chocolates that are on offer.

Surprise your clients and suppliers this Christmas by getting a gift sent directly to their place of work. Show your appreciation for the business you have conducted with various other companies in the past year by sending them a gift of bespoke, corporate chocolates.

Bright and Bonny Silicone Cake Moulds

Cake moulds are a reusable alternative to the little paper cases that you see in so many shops. In the past cake moulds were make of the same material as patty tins, and a little later on you could purchase non-stick cake moulds. The problem with a lot of non-stick cookware is that eventually the coating wears off and the moulds become impossible to use. The modern alternative to coated non-stick bake ware is moulds made from silicone.

Silicone cake moulds are still quite new and the reason most people like them, apart from the fact that the cakes are less likely to stick, is that you can get them in a range of colours and styles. You can use silicone cookware to bake your buns or cup cakes in the over, or you can microwave and then freeze them in the moulds. Silicone cookware is odour and stain resistant and most of them have a line indicating the mould is full and giving a much more even look to the finished cakes.

If you want to make a larger cake or a loaf style cake there are silicone versions on the market. It’s best to use a baking tray with a larger cake mould as it gives the mould a more stable base. If you can’t get silicone ware at your usual shop, you should be able to purchase them online as they are gaining in popularity.

Take the Stir-Fry Challenge!

Today, I can't help but devote some of the discussion to one of my favorite and most versatile dishes under the sun - lions, and tigers and stir fry - oh my! 

So what's the big deal about stir-fry, you might be wondering? Glad you asked. You will be too. 

1. There is a stir-fry for each set of taste buds -Don't believe me? Then you're not putting the right ingredients in your mix! You heard me right. The only reason you think you are not a stir-fry fanatic is your recipe, mi amigo. Confused? Don't be. It's quite simple. And easy to fix too! See, there are no rules for cooking a delicious stir fry. It can literally be prepared using just about anything you crave. Not real hot on the tofu staple included in some stir-fries? Get rid of it. Can't stand spinach in anything? Then what on earth is it doing in your otherwise lovely stir-fry? Goodness, that was easy. More importantly, what makes your mouth water? A water chestnut maybe, however rich with irony? Throw some more of those in there instead. This is your dinner, it should be made using your favorite stuff. Don't you agree?
2. Stir-Fry Demands That You Walk the Wok -Ah, yes. The magnificence of the Chinese cooking masterpieces known to us as woks. Don't you know? They are the oh-so-amazing rounded version of a pan, made of carbon steel or cast iron, that sits over raging hot flames. The wok is an essential element of a kitchen's character, none are truly complete without one of these breathtaking birth places of meats, veggies and sauces combined. I'd give away my husband before getting rid of mine. With just a splash of cooking oil, your dish is done and exactly the way you would want it.
3. Your Favorite Foods Are Ready to Eat in Minutes - Far less rude than any fast food, stir fry dishes made by your wishes, are hot and on the plate in front of you just as fast. With your wok at your command, saute your veggies and meat with just a few tosses of the hand. Lift the lid, and you're in business. Send it to the plate. Let cool. Enjoy!
4. Not Feeling Conventional? Throw Out the Recipes! - In my opinion, stir-fry is a food far too personal to write down in terms of ingredients and instructions. I don't blame you if you're less than impressed from some other person's perfect concoction. That's no way to eat. This is such an easily personalized treat, let's experiment and taste test it as we go. Trust me, you will find the irresistible balance once you start adding and subtracting whatever your stomach is growling for. 

Here's my own stir-fry story. Well, mine and my husband's. When we first started dating over two years ago, I absolutely loved the fact that he could cook. I'm a little challenged in all departments domestic, so I fully supported his culinary talents. By that, I mean I was quick to eat anything he made and was generally easy to please. 

He told me early on back then, one of his favorite dishes to make was a chicken and vegetable stir-fry. It sure sounded good to me at the time. So that evening, he fixed some up and dished me up a plate, then sat down to join me for dinner. All I knew was steam was rising off the fresh cooked food in front of me and it smelled better than I could stand. 

Digging into the lovely meal, I was pleasantly surprised. I couldn't remember the last time I ate any type of stir-fry, it must have been ages ago when I still lived at home. My mother made it every once in a great while. Man, that first dinner was so good. 

Well, it didn't take long before I started to get a better idea of just HOW much my husband liked to make chicken vegetable stir-fry. He wanted to eat it almost every other night. At least three times a week. Eh...his crazy Asian appetite was killing my taste for it! 

"Not again...!" 

"C'mon, we just had that!"

"Will you make me something else then...?"

He could eat chicken and vegetables like I could eat pizza. All the time and forever. Ahhh! Funny though, when I finally figured it out. I wasn't getting sick of the stir-fried dish. I just preferred different things in mine than he did his. That solved some of that conflict, though neither of us can ever turn down a trip to the local Mongolian grill restaurant. It's all you can eat buffet full of every stir-fry friendly ingredient you can think of. 

"How do they slice the meats into such thin shreds?" my husband asks, confused and amazed. 

"I don't know, honey. But you should figure out how." 

Maybe one day we'll investigate just exactly what they're using behind there.