Black Tea vs Oolong Tea

By Jared Rothe

Some people prefer oolong tea over black tea. Others like green tea since it has received more health attention for weight loss, anti aging, antioxidants, etc. Which tea is better oolong or black tea?

All teas contain polyphenols, which are helpful for weight loss, because they attack triglycerides. They also contain Vitamins A, B, C, E and K and additional amino acids which are essential proteins and antioxidants.

Both teas have different processing with roasting and oxidation. Both are bruised when picked to help them release oils to help in the storing of them.

Black tea goes through a lot of processing. They are processed so much that minerals are lost almost like cooking vegetables too much compared to eating them raw. More antioxidants are lost in black tea compared to oolong tea.

A main difference between the two are their flavors. Because of the additional processes that black tea goes through, more of the bitter oils are gone, and it leaves with a rosier, yet richer taste. Oolong is a rich tea, but has a slight bitter taste with a sweeter aftertaste.

Processing lowers the level of caffeine in teas. The more a tea is processed the lower the caffeine levels it has. For instance black tea has a very low level of caffeine compared to oolong tea. Green tea has a much higher level of caffeine than both oolong and black.

Black tea is the most popular in the United States for drinking as hot tea or iced tea, because of its robust flavor. Oolong and Green tea are increasing in popularity because of the anti-oxidant content and their function as a weight loss aid. - 17269

About the Author:

If you want to know Why Choose Wu Yi Tea you can do so here. Also find out why Wu Yi Burn is good for you.

Organic bread

By Karol Wariala

Co-author: Organic Bread Mix. The popularity of organic foods has reached such peaks that it touches on all food sectors from dairy and meat, to greens and bread. Although organic bread, for example, is not within the reach of any consumer, lots of people make it the only choice to include in their diets. To the honest, the emphasis on organic bread brings us back to a time when bakeries supported the life of communities, long before huge bread manufacturers took over the processes and automatized them. Whole grain bread from crops that have not been exposed to any sorts of chemicals represent the only ingredients of handmade organic brain.

Other than the organic bread made from normal whole grain flour, there is always the option of buying bread made of whole grains exclusively. This helps people with intolerance to wheat or other food sensitivities, but most of the times the consumer finds a product and sticks to it. Depending on the geographical location, some regions favor organic bread more than others.

Fortunately, in quite a number of farms, chemicals are very little used for grain crops, which makes the resulting products a lot better for one's health.

However, heavily mechanized countries in the West heavily rely on chemicals to increase grain crop productivity and reduce the risk of plant disease.

Organic bread will be a privilege in such parts of the world under the circumstances. People can even order organic bread online from family bakeries in their home area. It is normal that the costs of such breads be a bit higher but if you have a reasonable monthly budget you can definitely afford such food products. Organic bread is not a luxury, but it rather represents a return to the traditional, authentic and natural way of eating.

Small family farms are the ones that support organic bread producers. There are products that rely on a combination of organic whole grains and regular grains. However, such bread types cannot claim the title of organic since they are only partially free of artificial elements. Organic bread remains a tradition in many parts of the countryside where the farming activities have preserved some of the initial purity of the occupation. Nevertheless, farmers and manufacturers are constantly monitored by authorities that can pass the label of organic food through certification or not. - 17269

About the Author:

Co-authored by: Organic Dressing Oils.

Start Burning Off Pounds Right Away with 6 Fast Tips

By Thong M. Dao

If you're hoping to lose fat, there's a pretty good chance you've tried a lot of methods. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people who are unhappy with their bodies don't succeed in their fat loss goals. That's because they're often using gimmicky weight loss plans that can actually damage their bodies! If you're in this boat, and you don't know how to get rid of the fat while staying healthy, here are a few tips that might get you on the right track.

1. Consume lots of water. Your body demands a lot of water therefore give it water. Water isn't just a way to flush toxin out but when you have more water in the body you'll in general feel fitter and healthier. This itself will deter any inclination to overeat. The best thing about water is it contains no calories at all.

2. Drink a glass of water before you sit down to eat. Water will naturally make you feel fuller so you don't have to eat as much food.

3. Do your best to stay away from soda. All sodas are sweetened with lots of sugar. The more you can cut out of your diet the better. Also, diet soda is still soda. It may not have as much sugar, but it has other chemicals and components that are not good for your body either. If you drink a soda, counteract it with a glass of water. Remember, caffeine dehydrates you as well. Decaffeinated sodas still have caffeine in small amounts as well and just as much sugar, so they are not much healthier either.

4. Fruit juice is not as healthy as many folks believe either. Juice really has lots of sugar in it too. Rather than drink fruit juice, consume more fruit. Fruit provides your body with a great deal of necessary fibre in addition to vitamins.

5. Eat fresh fruit instead of processed fruit. Anything that is processed as more sugar. Processed and canned fruits also do not have as much fiber as fresh fruits.

6. Veggies are your friends when it comes to shedding pounds. There are tons of options here and you may even want to try some you haven't had in the past. The leafy green varieties are the best and you always want to work in a salad when you can. Salads are packed with nutrients as long as you don't pour too much dressing on and load them with too much cheese. The leafy greens also have a lot of natural water. - 17269

About the Author:

Thong M. Dao is featured on EzineArticles.com as a fitness expert author. He has a passion for fitness and can help you lose fat. Visit his site to claim your information on fat loss and weight loss tips.

Wholesale organic food

By Karol Wariala

Brought to you by: Sesame Dressing. Grocery stores have diversified their offer significantly signing more contracts for wholesale organic food. Nationwide representatives serve clients in the system of individual vendors across the country. Large suppliers or producers of wholesale organic food pass their bio-products to supermarket and regular grocery stores from where the individual consumer shops. The items usually come in bulk form at very low prices so that more and more people are targeted on a regular basis. Therefore, the wholesale agreement is at the basis of lots of organic food transactions that support the market.

Wholesale organic food is available for individuals too. The entire purpose of this form of purchase is the fact that a larger quantity of products is involved, which is generally referred to as bulk. On certain occasions the individual purchaser will be able to buy a more reasonable amount; if this is not the case, you may have to associate with some friends or relatives and shop together in order to get the money advantage of wholesale merchandise.

The Internet now has the largest offer of wholesale organic food ever, and the search engine will prove priceless for certain advanced searches.

Moreover, you should take advantage not only of the online stores but also of the links that direct one to the promotional pages of regional producers and distributors as well. Sometimes it is more advantageous to shop from regular grocery stores that provide organic food.

The online shopping option goes hand in hand with delivery for people who live farther away and who benefit more from buying wholesale organic food. Some organic adepts have even started buying clubs meaning that they associate with other people and order wholesale organic food together so as to make a more money-wise transaction.

Co-workers, family and friends are the first to join such clubs, but you'll have to put down all the details of the wholesale organic food bulk, the minimum orders, the logistics and the price. There is even the possibility to post signs around the community and attract other people too.

This is a simple feasible way of reaching the quality food products you want without the costs and the difficulty that you'd have to face otherwise. There is no other easier way to get access to wholesale organic food than group shopping. Think about it well and analyze all the pros and cons! - 17269

About the Author:

Co-submitted by: Easy Salad Dressing.

Usana PhytoEstrin - Optimizer Supplement for Women

By Angela Giles

Usana PhytoEstrin is a broad spectrum phytoestrogen product that provides relief from common menopausal symptoms in women. It is produced by Usana Health Sciences, known for its superior nutritional care products.

Menopause is associated with the stopping of the monthly reproductive cycle in women which usually happens around the age of 45-55 years. Women are susceptible to various health issues as a side effect of menopause because of the reduced production of various hormones especially estrogens and progesterone.

Many physicians advise a combination of exercise, proper diet and nutritional supplementation for maintaining health during this phase. The suggested supplements are Vitamin E, Vitamin B5 (panthothenic acid) and calcium. Another effective supplement is phytoestrogen, which are estrogen-like botanical compounds.

Phytoestrogens are sometimes nicknamed 'dietary estrogens' which are similar in structure to estrogens and produce similar effects. They are prepared from naturally occurring compounds in plants like grains, legumes and some fruits. Since women's bodies stops producing estrogen during and after menopause, taking phytoestrogen supplements have proved to be beneficial in promoting cardiovascular health and bone health.

Usana PhytoEstrin delivers a unique blend of phytoestrgen from 5 botanical sources. It contains isoflavones as another key ingredient and herbs that act as complements to the isoflavones. The herbs include licorice-root extract, black cohosh, chasteberry powder and dong quai.

A unique formulation in all respects, Usana PhytoEstrin helps in addressing a number of health issues in women related to hormonal changes during the pre-, peri- and post-menopause period. Usana PhytoEstrin is a laboratory tested product of the highest quality and adheres to the standards set by USP.

Usana has always been known as a company that specializes in cellular nutrition. Its product range from nutritional supplements to personal care is most suitable for men, women and children of all ages. - 17269

About the Author:

Angela Giles is the published Author of the Inside Scoop Review and believes that health is the key to maximizing your wealth. More Info on Usana

Program Yourself Thin - Discover How to Lose Weight In No Time

By Chris James

So you want to know how to lose weight in no time. Most likely you're now sick and tired dealing with all your insecurities and worries about your being over in weight. Good thing now there are so many weight loss programs you can try. They can all teach you how to lose weight in no time.

You can also try losing weight naturally and on your own. You can try doing what the weight loss experts say. You just eat 5-6 small meals every day with a total calorie which is less than the calories you take when you eat 3 meals every day. When you do this, you will feel less hungry between meals. There's lesser possibility that you will overeat during your meals.

Along with eating 5-6 small meals every day with a total calorie which is less than the calories you take when you eat 3 meals every day, you need to be sure the foods in your meals are full of nutrients, they must be healthy foods. Avoid foods that are considered "junk". Go for fruits and vegetables.

Follow also weight loss experts' advice about doing some exercises everyday, increase your daily activity level. Walking is the simplest form of exercise that you can do everyday. Walk instead of riding.

It's really possible to lose weight naturally and on your own, you just have to do the the ways on how to lose weight that we have shared to you. So start now, lose weight and feel better about yourself. - 17269

About the Author:

This author believes that if you like this article, you may also want to check out Jim Katsoulis and Program Yourself Review.

Where to buy organic food?

By Karol Wariala

More at: Honey Dressing. Although most people have got used to buying most organic products from the hypermarket, one can always turn to an organic food store and find a wider and more comprehensive range of products. Most of the time, such stores are opened in a certain neighborhood, serving a specific geographical area. The benefits of purchasing products from an organic food store is that there is usually a family farm or a local food supplier that backs the store and provides fresh merchandise all the time. Plus, customers have the option of ordering products when they are no available, with the mention that there may be packaging and transportation fees.

Presently, you can search for an organic food store on the Internet; there are web sites that provide state maps with all the organic food stores and restaurants nearest to the customer. Then you can take your pick! Moreover, anyone can submit information about a certain facility in such directories providing contact details and directions to get to the facility.

The organic food store is complemented by the farmers market, where they sell the same kind of food: healthy, chemical-free products that are certified as organic.

Fruits and vegetables are the main choices one makes when shopping at an organic food store. The idea here is to buy stuff that is produced or grown in the same region. Regional prosperity and local economic development will thus be boosted by the preference for the products supplied by small farms run in the family.

Thus, there is a two-way efficiency in it; on the one hand you support striving local businesses and on the other you enjoy all the benefits of healthy food. There are many ways to advertise for such products. And here we should count the Community Supported Agriculture, U-Pick Up farms and farm stands that function well in the system.

Dairy products, eggs and meat are more difficult to find in a traditional organic food store, but they are often part of the commercial service. Lots of farmers provide the community with fresh products through the intermediary of a local organic food store. And this makes a really great substitute for the food produced by the industrial farms where all sorts of hormones and antibiotics are used to grow livestock and produce eggs. Fortunately, the fact that people learn about non-organic food risks, has led consumers to favor an organic food store over a supermarket. - 17269

About the Author:

Co-written by: Organic Salad Dressing.

Arthritic Joint Pain And How To Live With It

By Ron C George

There are a unique list of causes, symptoms and treatments for each of the 100 or more types of arthritis. Arthritis suffers will more than likely report pain as the main symptom. Learning how to manage pain is a key factor for an arthritis sufferer.

Sufferers of arthritic pain have a number of solutions, available to them. The best method is to start off with the milder forms of treatment and then work your way up if you need it. Tylenol and Aspirin are effective pain relieving drugs and are available over-the-counter. Sometimes, the painful symptoms caused by this disease can be treated successfully with this medication.

There are several creams and gels that can be purchased over-the-counter which are useful if the arthritis pain experienced is more serious. Joints and muscles that are tired or inflamed are comforted by arthritic creams. Arthritis creams work so well because they include salicylate or capsaicin or menthol as their active ingredient. Prescription only medication is highly valued at soothing the joint pains brought on by arthritis.

There are many different types of drugs that are used here, analgesics being the most commonly prescribed type. These are medications that are used to help relieve pain, and which are safe for most people, even those with allergies and stomach problems. The analgesic prescribed, most typically is the fantastically effective and affordable drug acetaminophen. Recommending a combination of acetaminophen and codeine is something a medical practitioner may do if the patient is in extreme pain. Only under the authority of a health care professional should this ever be taken.

The drug that works for you may take some time to find but when you do, it will be worth the delay. You must not deviate from your doctor's recommended dosage, instead, speak together frequently and tell them how the treatment is progressing. - 17269

About the Author:

Are you suffering from arthritic joint pain? have you ever heard about Glucosamine. Glucosamine is readily available in such things as Shark Cartledge and Bovine. It is important that you know what your body need to stay fit and healthy, check out our free e-course at Essential Sugar

Natural Bodybuilding Supplement Source

By Claude Edwin Theriault

A major component in bodybuilding is getting ones hands on the amino acids ,both the 9 essential ones that must be supplied by the food we eat. As well as the 12 non essential ones that can be synthesized from other ones. Since they are the building blocks all this new muscle mass is going to be made out of.

Once these building blocks are circulating in the blood stream, the tissues spot the ones they need to use in their continuous repair and regenerate cycle. Hence the need for a world-wide patented stack of crystalline amino acids called, ghp sport supplement. That is the only one so far to be granted the highly coveted NSF Certification by the National Sports Federation for containing no banded substances such as stimulants, steroids,narcotics, diuretics, beta-2 agonists, beta blockers,or masking agents .

In brief, the crystalline amino acids of ghp are very quickly and easily absorbed by the stomach ,it then sends a messaging message from the pituitary gland to the liver to release IGF-1 or Insulin Growth Factor. Which circulates and does the repair and regenerate work on each and every cell. A very tall order to fill I know, however the reading documentation on this is quite impressive indeed . For either men or women bodybuilders who do not want the toxic anabolic stuff this Somalife stack has great potential.

A major component in bodybuilding is getting ones hands on the amino acids ,both the 9 essential ones that must be supplied by the food we eat. As well as the 12 non essential ones that can be synthesized from other ones. Since they are the building blocks all this new muscle mass is going to be made out of.

Recovery time from intense work out or athletic competition is greatly improved , hence bigger, stronger ,faster. This ghp supplement is a more athletes version of the very popular human growth hormone somatotropin which is always seen in pay per click ads along side articles on body building. All of these products are not created equal however,absorption is of the essence. Important facts to know for the ones who devote so much time and discipline to the life style, without the dope. - 17269

About the Author:

Plain concise article writing by Health Therapist Claude Edwin Theriault.Bodybuilding supplement

The Most Important Hormone You Never Heard Of

By Joel Marion

LEPTI-WHA??

Its name is Leptin (derived from the Greek word leptos, meaning thin), and its without a doubt the most important hormone you probably never heard of.

You see, leptin was only first discovered just over 10 years ago, and as far as weight loss is concerned, thats extremely recent.

Leptins function? To communicate your nutritional status to your body and brain. Leptin levels are mediated by two things. One is your level of body fat. All else being equal, people with higher levels of body fat will have higher leptin levels than those with lower levels of body fat and vice versa.

Because leptin is secreted by fat cells, it makes sense that under normal conditions there is a direct correlation between leptin levels and the amount of fat you are carrying.

Unfortunately, when youre attempting to lose fat and begin to restrict calories, conditions are anything but normal and the body responds accordingly by lowering leptin levels.

This is because the second mediator of blood leptin levels is your calorie intake. Lower your calorie intake and leptin will fall, independent of body fat.

So, yes, you can be overweight and still suffer from low leptin levels " just go on a diet.

So what happens when leptin levels fall and why the heck does it matter?

Again, under normal conditions leptin levels are normal and the brain gets the signal loud and clear that nutrition intake is adequate. Metabolism is high and the internal environment of the body is one very conducive to fat burning.

Until you start dieting.

Go on a diet and leptin levels quickly plummet (by 50% or more after only one week), sending a signal to the body that youre semi-starved and not consuming enough calories.

This puts the breaks on metabolism and creates a hormonal environment extremely conducive to fat storage. Thyroid hormones (hormones extremely important to metabolism) respond by taking a dive and the abdominal fat-storing stress hormone cortisol skyrockets measurably.

HELLO belly fat.

And if that wasnt bad enough, the appetite stimulating hormones ghrelin, neuropeptide-Y, and anandamide all hop on board to make your life even more miserable.

You dont have to remember any of those names, just remember that when leptin drops, you get seriously hungry.

Despite having a pretty good reason for its reaction, its pretty ironic that our bodies are primed for fat loss at every other time except when we are trying to burn fat.

Wouldnt it be great if we could maintain high leptin levels and a body primed for fat burning while dieting? It would seemingly solve all of our problems.

But in order to do this, wed have to somehow keep leptin levels high as we attempt to lose those extra pounds.

HOW ABOUT SUPPLEMENTING WITH LEPTIN?

A couple of problems here: First, leptin is a protein based hormone, which means that it can not be taken orally (otherwise, it would simply be digested). So that rules out a leptin pill.

This leaves the method of supplemental leptin administration to injection. And leptin injections DO indeed work, reversing the metabolic adaptations to dieting and starvation even while continuing to restrict calories.

In 1996, Ahima et al. used leptin injections to reverse starvation-induced neuroendrocrine adaptations in mice.

Well, thats nice and all, but Im human. Point taken; research with rodents doesnt always correlate to similar findings in humans, however

In 1999, Heymsfield et al. performed a double-blind placebo controlled study analyzing weight loss over a 24-week period in 73 obese humans. Subjects either injected daily with leptin or a placebo (i.e. bogus alternative). At the end of the 24-week period, the leptin group lost significantly more weight than the placebo and a higher percentage of fat vs. muscle.

In 2002, Rosenbaum et al. administered low-dose leptin to subjects (male and female) who had dieted to a 10% decrease in body weight. During the diet period, thyroid hormone levels, 24-hr energy expenditure, and other metabolic markers substantially decreased. The result of the leptin replacement therapy?

All of these endocrine changes were reversedThyroid output and daily calorie burn increased back to pre-diet levels.

In 2003, Fogteloo et al. showed that leptin injections tended to reduce the decline of energy expenditure associated with energy restriction, whereas the tendency of energy intake to increase back to baseline levels in placebo-treated subjects was largely prevented in subjects treated with leptin.

Yeah, thats a mouthful. Let me put in simple terms: not only did the leptin group experience less of a decline in metabolism, but they were also less hungry, allowing them to more easily stick to the prescribed diet.

In 2004, Welt et al. reported that leptin given to a group of women with thyroid disorder immediately raised circulating concentrations of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4.

In 2005, Rosenbaum and company were at it again, again showing that energy expenditure and circulating concentrations of T3 and T4 all returned to pre-weight-loss levels with regular leptin injections.

So, as theorized, keeping leptin levels high during a diet does indeed solve our dilemma by avoiding the negative metabolic (and perhaps behavioral) adaptations that calorie restriction perpetuates.

The problem?

Daily leptin injections are far too expensive, costing thousands and thousands of dollars per week. So, we can pretty much forget about supplemental leptin as a solution (which is probably moot anyway considering that not too many people are going to voluntarily plunge a needle into their skin daily).

A REAL Solution

Now that we know that leptin injections arent going to save us, lets talk about the possibility of manipulating your bodys natural leptin production.

And Ive got good news " this can indeed be done, and without involving needles or thousands of dollars. In fact, well swap the injections and mounds of cash out for two things I can guarantee youre absolutely going to love: more calories and more carbs.

We know that leptin levels decrease by about 50% after only one week of dieting, but fortunately, it doesnt take nearly that long for leptin to bump back up with a substantial increase in caloric intake.

In fact, research has shown that it only takes about 12-24 hours.

So, the answer to the fat loss catch-22? Strategic high-calorie, high-carb CHEATING.

By strategically cheating with high calorie foods (and yes, even stuff like pizza, ice cream, wings, cookies, burgers, fries, etc), you can give leptin and metabolism a major boost mid-diet which sets you up for plenty of subsequent fat loss when you resume your reduced calorie eating regimen.

This means greater net fat loss week after week, and ultimately, a much more realistic, maintainable way to bring you to the body you truly want and deserve.

So whats so special about carbs?

Well, leptin, carbohydrate and insulin have been shown to have very strong ties.

Calories alone dont get the job done, as research shows that overfeeding on protein and fat has little effect on leptin.

In order to get a strong leptin response from overfeeding, there needs to be plenty of carbs in the mix. In fact, the relationship is SO strong that research conducted by Boden et al. at the Temple University School of Medicine shows that leptin levels will not fall even in response to all-out fasting so long as insulin and blood sugar are maintained via IV drip. Thats CRAZY.

Because of this carbohydrate/insulin-leptin relationship, it makes sense that foods combining both carbs and fat (like pizza, burgers, cookies, ice cream, etc) work best for reversing the negative adaptations caused by dieting because of the BIG-TIME insulin response they produce.

THIS is why strategic cheating with your favorite foods is so powerful. THIS is why you truly can use your favorite foods to lose fat faster than you ever could with restrictive dieting. THIS is freedom.

Essentially, its everything typical dieting isnt.

With regular dieting, come week two, youre screwed.

With strategic cheating, you can literally use ANY food you want to *ensure* that you never go a single day without a body primed for fat loss.

The cheat or not to cheat? I think the choice is clear. - 17269

About the Author:

If you are looking for the best online weight loss program on the internet check out Joel Marion's Cheat Your Way Slim.

HGH Human Growth Hormone Precurser

By Claude Edwin Theriault

HGH or Somatotropin as it is called is certainly not just for bodybuilder types , all men and women can benefit from it. The injection type is long outdated, sub-lingual is not absorbable. The new cost effective therapy is the human growth hormone precurser, a safe natural ammino acid stack that makes own body produce own hgh as when we were 20 years of age.

Not all gHP youth formula is created the same, so shop carefully for the one that has that hard to get world medical patent. Also absorption is critical since it is a large amino acid molecule. Research until you find that fountain of youth; as I have I done.

Once Human Growth hormone or hgh is released into the blood stream by the pituitary gland it quickly attaches inself to receptor cells, particularly in the liver where it signals Insulin like Growth Factor ( IGF-1) to circulate for the next 22hrs.

Hormones are very important chemical messanger substances produced by glands to do very specific and important health related actions. In the case of the pituitary gland and hgh,at 40 it is releasing only half of what it was at 25,at 60 years of age only one third. With degenerative cellular and tissue breakdown incurring as a result.

Not all gHP youth formula is created the same, so shop carefully for the one that has that hard to get world medical patent. Also absorption is critical since it is a large amino acid molecule. Research until you find that fountain of youth; as I have I done. - 17269

About the Author:

Discover little known Anti-Aging information from Authority site member page of Claude Edwin Theriault. somatotropin human growth hormone

Shopping for Healthy Groceries Made Simple

By Alex Pastlin

With all of the money that goes into advertising junk food today, it might feel impossible to be able to walk into your local grocery store and purchase healthy foods. However, stores are ripe with healthy choices if you know where to look and how to shop for them.

Grocery stores offer a lot of choices when it comes to food and that can be overwhelming. It doesn't necessarily have to be, however.

Before you go to the store, create a grocery list. You can't eat in a healthy way if you don't have all the ingredients you need for your meal. This can also save confusion, later, when you're in the store.

As you're making out your list and planning your menu, remember the food pyramid. Making sure that you have the correct amounts of vegetables, whole grains, dairy, fruits, lean meat, poultry, fish, nuts, and beans is important to your overall health.

Take a trip to your local farmer's market in order to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. Do your best to steer clear of canned food. You don't necessarily have to eat organic; as it's just as important that you eat produce of the fresh variety.

Although the taste might take some time to get used to, try using whole grained rice and pasta when cooking. These foods contain a lot of fiber, which is good for you.

When choosing meats, try to purchase lean cuts, as well as skinless poultry. The skin usually holds the most fat. When it comes to fish, salmon is generally a good bet because it's healthy and doesn't have a "fishy" taste to it.

With meat, less is usually more. The USDA recommends that you fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, 1/4 of your plate with whole grains, and the other 1/4 with protein. Protein can also come in the form of eggs, tofu, nuts, and beans. Think of your meals in these terms and you won't have to worry about blowing your entire grocery budget on meat.

While you're shopping, stick to the edges of the store. The healthy foods like the meat, produce, and breads are usually located on the edges. The junk food aisles are generally in the middle of the store.

When you're purchasing canned food, try to look for cans that have low sodium. You should also try to look for fruits that are packaged in fruit juice.

Think about the season when you buy fruits and vegetables. Items that are in season generally taste better and are less expensive. However, some fruits, and especially berries, can be easily frozen. If you stock up on them when they are in season, you will have a tasty treat later down the road.

As long as you snack in moderation, snacking throughout the day isn't necessarily unhealthy. Make sure, however, that you balance out unhealthy snacks with healthy snacks. Along with the cookies and other "junk food" that you snack on, be sure to have on hand a supply of apples, bananas, and nuts.

Last, but not least, although pre-packaged food looks more convenient, it is usually filled with sodium and saturated fat. When shopping for healthy choices, it's always better to purchase the ingredients and prepare your food yourself. In the long run, you'll end up paying about the same amount of money, but your menu will be much healthier. - 17269

About the Author:

For even more advice on how to make up an effective healthy grocery list, go to 4GrocerySavings.com to learn how to shop successfully for healthy groceries.