~ Feel Better 2day ~ Health & Happiness

EATING HEALTHILY

bowl of fruit, apples, pears, plums, kiwi

Eating healthily is the foundation for feeling
better.

When we learn to care about ourselves, we
also begin to care more about our environment.

This results in choosing better quality products
and better health for everyone.

Learn more about where your food comes from,
and if you're not happy - then grow your own!

We need to appreciate food again, and eat more fresh if possible. All pre-packed meals have preservatives and additives which aren't good for us. They've contributed to greatly increased obesity levels and cases of diabetes.

From Jamie Oliver's work with schools he proved a good balanced diet improves our health. Children were able to stop using their asthma inhalers.

See the Science Sense page for lots of research on this subject.

A company that has been in business since 1855 has to be one of the best, and Thompson & Morgan have an excellent reputation for providing the best of everything that gardeners need.

They always have special offers on, and now they're making an unbeatable one: If you don't think the Tomato Tomarvellous is very best red cherry tomato in its class then they will refund your money!

I think their sweet flavour sounds perfect, and with as many as 500 bite-size fruits per plant - I know I'll be buying some - especially at the price of only £2.49 for 5 plants. That's an incredible bargain from their original £9.99.

If you don't have room to grow your own vegetables you
can grow tomatoes, for example, in a hanging basket.
So you don't have to miss out on the very special flavour
of freshly picked tomatoes.

Once you've tasted the difference, you will be back to Thompson & Morgan every year.

You know how much supermarkets charge for tomatoes
with no flavour, so saving money as well as adding
nutrients to your diet is amazing.

A great book that will encourage
anyone to start growing their own
own food is John Harrison's
'Vegetable Growing Month by Month'.

Its style is literally down
to earth, and you'll enjoy
dipping into it regularly as
it guides you through each
month of the year.

It's full of interesting information such as how one supermarket sends salad crops by air to be cleaned and packaged in Poland ... returned ... then sold 5 miles from where they were originally grown.

Also that 43% of shop bought fruit and vegetables contain detectable amounts of pesticides. There's a 'cocktail effect' with pesticide residues. Studies have shown that 3 consumed together equal up to 100 times the effect of one on its own.

If you care about the environment as well as caring about what you eat, this book is a practical solution. It has excellent reviews on Amazon, eg:

"Have to say the book is written in a way that it is an easy, engaging read, which puts across an interest and detail in the subject that is rather infectious.

It gives explanations & descriptions in plain English, as if the author is standing next to you holding a conversation with you rather than talking at you.

It doesn't have lots of glossy pictures of marvellous gardens and plants, but it has something far more important: necessary information put across in a way that as a beginner, I felt I wasn't being talked down to in a way some celebrity gardeners do tend to do IMO.

The information given is incredibly useful and practical. It's going to be one of those books I pop in and out of when needed, and will be come well thumbed and well used. I recommend it."

I always have fresh herbs on the window sill in
the kitchen, and they are an easy connection
back to real food.

    A pot of basil for around £1 lasts for months -
    great value for a really delicious flavour, especially
    with tomato based dishes.

cress

Even cress can make a difference. It's a really good way to add freshness
back to your meals - feel healthier for less than 50p.

It's a fun way to encourage children to watch their food grow, and learn it
doesn't always come packed in plastic.

Direct from soil to plate - that's the highest quality food.

Supplements are important to improve a balanced diet, as we can't guarantee today's shop bought food will provide the necessary nutrients for optimum health.

I've researched lots of companies, and there are very few I would recommend. That's because the majority advertise on price, with little or no information on the content.

Healthy Direct clearly supply the quantity of active ingredient used, and the quality is assured.You know exactly the amount of product you're paying for. Unlike most supermarkets or large chains such as Holland & Barrett.

Holland & Barrett often do half-price offers, but they still work out more expensive than Healthy Direct, because they don't contain the same effective extracts. Even if they're free - they're a waste of time if they don't work!

I use Echinacea every Winter, and they prevent the endless round of colds. The one year I fell for a cheap offer - I got a really bad cold ... so now I make sure I check the ingredients.

This link proves what I mean - here's one example:

Holland & Barrett Gingko Biloba 6,000mg - 30 tablets £11.49 - price per tablet £0.38

Healthy Direct Ginkgo Biloba 6,000mg - 180 tablets £6.49 - price per tab £0.04 = 89% cheaper.

(Prices correct as at 27/03/09 in Lewes.)

Healthy Direct have interesting articles on their site, and cover help for most conditions. Take a look at their excellent prices, and they have some items on sale too.

Catch the savings on Super Strength EPA & DHA: Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000mg. It shows that it provides 330mg EPA and 220mg DHA, which is the information you need to know. Comparing 1000mg fish oils won't mean a thing. Having high amounts of EPA and DHA are what counts.

Get stocked up on the essential Vitamin B Complex whilst it's in the sale at only £3.99 for 240.

The B vitamins play a crucial role in just about every aspect of the body's functioning, including, to name a few of the more important ones:

* Controlling the production and the release of energy through carbohydrate metabolism

* Ensuring proper functioning of the nervous system

* Producing red blood cells

* Assists in the functioning of the immune system

* Controlling moods, behaviour and sex drive

Healthy Direct's Vitamin B Complex contains the following RDA of all the B Vitamins:

   * Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1.4 mg (100% RDA)
   * Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1.2 mg (75% RDA)
   * Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 18 mg (100% RDA)
   * Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) 6 mg (100% RDA)
   * Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 2 mg (100% RDA)
   * Vitamin B7 (Biotin) 150 mcg (100% RDA)
   * Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid [Folacin]) 200 mcg (100% RDA)
   * Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 1 mcg (100% RDA)

Vitamin Wheelgreat free widgetsWidgetbox

Click on a vitamin, then select fruits, for example, to see which contain the vitamin you're looking at. The vitamin wheel shows the benefits for each one, as well as some guidelines. Check with your doctor if you're taking medicine to make sure extra vitamins won't affect their efficacy.

Here's a list of information on vitamins. Discover how they can prevent disease, and how they can improve your health enormously.

Always research any supplements thoroughly, and remember that taking too much can cause problems as well as being deficient.

Garlic has powerful antibiotic properties, and it was a lifesaver before penicillin

Lab tests from the University of East London suggest that allicin can kill MRSA hospital superbugs.

Population studies show that people eating plenty of garlic have lower rates of cancer.

Garlic contains vitamins A, C and D.

In Germany ginger is used as an excellent cure for motion sickness, and sickness associated with food poisoning and gastroenteritis.

Ginger also acts as an anti-inflammatory and has been shown to be useful in treating migraine and arthritis - two conditions that are thought to be caused by inflammation.

Research has shown that ginger may have anti-cancer properties thanks to the presence of terpenoid compounds.

Ginger contains vitamin C.

SOFT DRINK ALTERNATIVES

Canned soft drinks are the fastest way to poor health! See the facts below.

Here are some great choices: Of course water is number one, but by adding herbal teas you can make it more tempting too.

Pour boiling on to a couple of tea bags in a jug, allow to cool, then keep in the fridge. Squeeze out the tea bags when cold, taste to see if the strength suits you, then you can adjust with more water, or another tea bag.

Herbal teas are clearly labelled, so you can confirm they don't contain any additives. They're widely available, and supermarkets do their own ranges too, so they're also very economical.

Pure apple and pineapple juices and sparkling water

Fruit juices, even without additives, contain sugar naturally, so diluting them with sparkling water makes them better for a balanced you.

Sparkling water costs less than 20p for 2 litres, so it's a bargain for a really delicious drink.

Apple juice is best for containing less sugar, and pineapple juice is a good way to end a meal.

Obesity and diabetes are among the leading health problems throughout the world, and they're linked to the sodas and beverages that have unhealthy and unneeded stabilizers, additives and preservatives.

"The acidity of cola beverages ... is about the same as vinegar. The sugar content masks the acidity, and children little realize they are drinking this strange mixture of phosphoric acid, sugar, caffeine, coloring, and flavoring matter," according to a nutritionist at the Naval Medical Research Institute.