sugar

Stevia, also known as sweet leaf, sugar plant, or sugar leaf, is an herb which grows natively in tropical and subtropical South America, but is currently grown all over the world. The plant grows like a shrub, only reaching a height of about four feet, and can be cultivated rather easily because of its natural insect repelling qualities.

At present Americans now drink more soda than every before.  Over the last few decades soda pop has become a staple of the standard Western diet.  On average Americans drink approximately one and half soda cans a day.  This works out to almost six hundred cans a year!  According to one researcher these figures make soda con

Eating habits have changed a great deal in the last fifty or so years.  Today, people in wealthy nations consume a ton more than they used to, and of that consumption a great deal of it is composed of fats, processed foods, sugar and salt. 

With New Years resolution time at hand, one important thing to consider is how to improve your health in the coming year.  While many people ramp up for a new diet and fitness regime, there are also some less radical ways to dramatically improve your health.  Avoiding the worst culprits in the food and beverage industry will give you a head start on all of your fitness resolutions.&nb

Xylitol is a naturally occurring alcohol sugar.  It is derived from birch trees, legumes and corncobs.  The molecule has only five carbon atoms, less than the regular amount of six found in most other sugars.  This change in molecular structure plays the key role in Xylitol’s beneficial qualities.  Xylitol is a bacterial inhibitor and an oral health enhancer.

Natural skin care is important for everyone at every age. Using harsh chemicals on your face, or even just highly recognized name brand products that contain ingredients that you can&undefined;t even pronounce can be detrimental to your skin health.  Pregnant women have to be especially careful about what they put on their skin because everything that they are exposed to,

Most people have a sweet tooth but how they deal with their cravings varies.  Recent studies have shown that around 70% of people eat way too much sugar on a daily basis.  Sugar causes inflammation in the body and constantly eating sweet foods does all kinds of harm to your internal body not to mention your external body.

Your food choices make all the difference in how you look and feel but sometimes no matter how healthy you try to be it doesn’t work. This is due mostly to false information we are fed or have been led to believe. Here are a few surprising examples of foods that may be leading you in the wrong direction when it comes to your health:

Although energy drinks may seem like a quick way to fuel up they may be harmful to your body. Although most doctors agree that they are not life threatening, there have been many reports of people having a heart attack after drinking large quantities of them repeatedly.

Nutritional bars are an efficient and convenient source of protein for athletes or even just people with a busy lifestyle looking for a healthy meal or snack for on-the-go.  Your ideal nutritional bar will depend on your lifestyle and any health concerns you may have, but one of the best choices is the PureFit nutritional bar.

If you are a big snacker but want to lose or maintain a healthy weight, you do not have to give up your snacks. In fact, snacking can actually help you lose weight. The key is to snack on foods that are nutritious and high in fibre and water content.

Foods have a big influence on your child&undefined;s behavior. Kids eating processed foods, sugary foods or foods that are high in carbohydrates are affected when the food interferes with their blood sugar level. Foods such as white bread, white pastas, flour products, candy and other junk foods will give your children a momentary high and send them crashing afterwards, affecting their mood.

If you are a fast food addict, or even just occasionally visit these establishments, it is important to know what to avoid. Eating out doesn’t have to be unhealthy. Pretty much every fast food chain has a (somewhat) healthy option on the menu. Here are three of the worst fast food meals you can eat and why you should avoid them:

It can be difficult to feed your children healthy foods. First of all many kids are quite picky about what they eat and secondly they are exposed to so many unhealthy foods at school that it is hard to get them to choose a healthy packed lunch instead of fried cafeteria food.

Ayurvedic cooking is an aspect of nutrition that involves both art, science, belief, and nutrition. The basic principles behind this type of cooking are the five Elements, the three Doshas, the three Gunas, the seven Dathus, and the six Tastes.

If the only good thing about your Monday morning is having a coffee, drink up and enjoy the health benefits without the guilt. Coffee sometimes gets a bad rap and it is common belief that it can cause dehydration, bone deterioration , and even anxiety and irregular heart beats.

With Valentines day around the corner, be prepared to be flooded with chocolate. If you are trying to figure out how to avoid all those treats lingering around the house and the office, you may not have to.  There is increasing evidence that chocolate can be part of a healthy diet and is even good for your health.

Too much sugar has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. If you use sugar substitutes to avoid having too much sugar in your diet, it is in your best interest to be very careful of which ones you use.

The holidays are filled with Christmas parties and gatherings often so much so that January finds you with a few extra pounds on you. Holiday parties equal food and lots of it. To avoid the holiday weight gain you need a plan and you need to be strategic.

If you can do one positive thing for yourself it would be to stay hydrated. The best way to do that is drink water and lots of it. It can be hard to remember in the colder winter months that you need just as much water as you do in the warmer seasons.

Losing a few pounds doesn&undefined;t have to be hard as long as you are in no hurry. There are ways that you can cut calories in very simple ways on an everyday basis. Over time these calories will add up and you will find yourself losing weight. Depending on how much you slash your calories you could even lose up to a pound a week.

Most people don&undefined;t realize how addicted to carbs they actually are. Until you try to change your eating habits or go on a cleanse, it&undefined;s hard to really notice how much carb food we eat. Although some carbs are good for you, most of us eat too many. The reason is that they are an easy fix to feel full and they over you that heavy lazy feeling and thus many of them they are labeled “comfort food”.

Feeling a tinge of the winter blues? Most people start to feel a little down in the winter time-less sunlight, more rain, cold weather-it all adds up to equal tiredness and a little moodiness at times. It is not uncommon to reach for foods to make you feel better. “Comfort foods” are most often eaten during the fall and winter and it is not a coincidence that this is the same time when people often put on a few pounds.