Stop Eating Junk Food - Easy Junk Food Replacements

The junk food market becomes larger and larger every day. "Stop eating junk food!" they say; easier said than done when the food industry spends over $33 billion per year in the US alone to advertise food products that could be classified as junk food. Another alarming fact is that the average person today consumes more added sugar in two weeks than a person a century ago would have eaten in a whole year. All of this added sugar comes from junk food, including soft drinks, sweetened cereals, candy, processed snacks and fast foods. This list will give you the top 5 junk foods and ideas for their replacements. You can stop eating junk food... or at least cut back!

1) Pizza

Frozen or fresh from Domino's, pizza contains hundreds of empty calories, mostly coming from the abundance of cheese. It has a high fat and cholesterol content, which is never good for anyone especially those with heart conditions. Eating just one small piece won't do any harm; however, serving sizes of pizza have gone up in the past few years. We are consuming much more than we need to. Pizza is also extremely high in sodium. Just two slices of frozen DiGiorno pepperoni pizza contains 2,020 mg of sodium. This is almost more than people need in an entire day!

What to replace it with:

When eating out, use portion control. Aim to eat only one or two pieces. Instead of ordering supreme pizza, get a veggie pizza. You can also buy items at the grocery store to make your own nutritious pizza at home.

2) Soft Drinks

Soda and other sugary drinks add sugar and calories to your diet without providing much, if any, nutrition. Excessively consuming soft drinks can lead to obesity, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure. These problems are becoming significantly apparent in children. It is also known that regular soda drinkers don't drink enough water, which can take a toll on good health.

What to replace it with:

Water! It may be difficult if you're an avid soda drinker, but replacing soda with water is one of the best things you can do for your diet. You can also try flavored carbonated water and natural fruit juices.

3) Candies

These are along the most easily available but most sinful junk food items. For starters, candies are nothing but a concentrated form of sugar. The high sucrose or fructose content ensures that you immediately get a sugar spike. Candy can cause stomach problems if consumed in large amounts-which isn't hard to do!

What to replace it with:

If you're craving something sweet, reach for fruit or nuts. Stock your fridge with apples, grapes, berries, bananas, walnuts, almonds and pecans. If this doesn't fully satisfy your sweet tooth, eat just a few candies. You can also try drinking a glass of water or going for a walk to get your mind off of sugar.

4) Sugary Cereals

Most people are surprised to see 'cereal' on what-not-to-eat lists. This is because many of them are advertised as healthy breakfast cereals. However, cereals including Fruit Loops and Reese's Puffs have high added sugar content. This can contribute to sugar cravings during the daytime, causing you to eat more.

What to replace it with:

Buy a healthier cereal, of course! Make sure to compare food labels to determine which has the least amount of added sugar. You can add your own fruit to an unsweetened, whole grain cereal which will make it taste just as good. Whole grain oatmeal is another healthy alternative.

5) Potato Chips

Chips are a major culprit to weight gain in America. Their tastiness and appealing texture make it hard to follow the serving size, hence the reason some people eat the entire bag. Potato chips contain high amounts of fat, empty calories and sodium.

What to replace it with:

If you're craving chips, reach for a healthier snack like pretzels instead. Stock your cupboards with convenient, nutritious snacks like nuts, whole grain granola bars, fruit, etc...Keep chips out of the house or out of sight/reach. If you absolutely must have chips, control your portion size. Don't eat directly out of the bag; size your portion before you start eating.

The key to healthy eating is moderation. No food is initially a 'bad' food, however; you can make it bad if you consume too much of it. You don't have to stop eating junk food altogether, just check portion sizes and learn to substitute empty calorie foods with nutrient dense foods, like vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, lean protein and dairy products. Also, get the facts on fast food as this type of food can be a major culprit!

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Type 2 Diabetes - Teens and Weight Loss

The teenage years can be very difficult, especially if your teenager is overweight. Now that Type 2 diabetes is also becoming a big problem for young people, it's more important than ever to make sure your child is at a healthy weight and learns how to maintain that over their lifespan. If your teen needs to lose weight, you can help them with that without making them feel bad about themselves.

The first step to take is to make sure your teenager's doctor has determined your teen is actually overweight or obese. Some children are simply built differently than others. Their doctor will be able to look at their weight and their stature to figure out whether or not they are truly overweight or obese.

Part of the problem will be your responsibility as a parent. Taking responsibility for what your teen is eating each day is part of your job. If you are not feeding your teen a healthy diet at home, then they're likely eating fast food out with their friends. Moderation is key here. You don't want your teen to feel like they're on a diet all the time. However, by providing a healthy breakfast and dinner, your teen will be able to have a little more leeway when it comes to having lunch with their friends at school.

Speaking of school, do you know what your teen is eating there? Check with the school to find out what food choices are available. If your teen is able to drive, they may be leaving the school grounds each day to buy lunch. Believe it or not, some schools even offer fast food options. Obviously, this is a terrible idea as teens don't know the difference between a healthy meal and junk. They just go with what tastes good, so you must do some educating of your teen when it comes to nutrition.

You should also find out whether your teen really wants to lose weight. You can't do it for them. They have to have a reason for themselves to know why they want to, or need to, lose weight. This comes down to self-confidence and self motivation. Have a serious talk with them about the fact they should not want to lose weight for other people. They should want to lose weight for themselves and their health. You don't want to set them up for an eating disorder in the future simply because they're trying to please other people.

If you child does develop Type 2 diabetes, it is not a condition your child must just live with. By making easy changes to your teen's daily routine, its possible to protect their heart, kidneys, eyes and limbs from the damage often caused by diabetes, and eliminate their risk for developing many of the complications.

How to Pick a Gift For Surgery Recovery

Recovering from surgery can be tedious, painful, and lonely as friends or family return to their own daily routines. If you know someone who is having an operation, you will want to get them a gift to show them you care. Here are a few tips on how to pick a gift for surgery recovery for your special someone.

Consider the type of surgery they are having

You can tailor your gift to whatever kind of surgery they are having. For example, if your loved one is having heart surgery, you can get them a heart healthy cookbook filled with easy to make dishes.

You could also get them a fruit of the month subscription so that fresh apples, pears, grapefruit, or oranges are always available for a healthy breakfast or snack.

For someone undergoing cosmetic surgery, you could give a high quality, high SPF sunscreen to prevent future damage from UVA and UVB rays. You can also find special foundation that covers any scars while they heal.

Consider the patient's personality

If your special someone has a humorous side, you can find many t-shirts, caps, and cups featuring funny sayings about surgery or about being in the hospital. If they will be on crutches or wearing a cast, you can find decorative crutch and cast covers in a variety of fun patterns and colors.

If your loved one is the more serious type, consider giving them several non-fiction books to read while they are cooped up in recovery.

Consider how long their recovery will take

For someone facing a long recovery, you might hire a cleaning crew to come to their house twice a week to do the heavier cleaning like vacuuming, mopping, bathtub cleaning, and laundry. If you can't afford to hire a professional cleaning service, offer to clean for them until they are able to do it themselves.

Another good gift for a long recovery would be a collection of DVDs in their favorite movie genre, along with a stack of good books.

If their surgery leaves them a bit helpless, buy tools to aid in dressing, such as button hooks, shoehorns, or a dressing stick.

For someone whose healing time will be shorter, give a variety of current magazines for quick reading. Snacks that can be left on a bedside table, like nuts, pretzels, granola, or fruit make for easy munching and can also help with nausea upon taking medication.

Sudoku, crossword puzzles, or word search magazines can also occupy them while in bed.

Consider your budget

Many things you can include in a gift basket are very inexpensive, like scented candles, lotions, and reading material.

However, if your budget allows, or if you know several people who would contribute, how about paying for a mini vacation for the patient that they can go on as soon as they are healed? Not only would it be a welcomed break from the stress of surgery, but it would also motivate them to get well faster and give them something to anticipate.