In Season: Swiss Chard

This leafy green is in season and ready to bring nutritional goodness to your table.

What, Where & When?
Chard (aka Swiss chard) is a member of the beet family, but doesn’t produce an edible bulb. This green leafy has crinkly green leaves and silver stalks resembling celery ribs. Both the leaves and stalks are edible and the flavor is a cross between spinach and beets. The stems have an earthier beet flavor but are still delicious (even if you’re not a huge beet fan).

Common varieties include Ruby Chard, Rhubarb Chard, and Rainbow Chard. Ruby Chard has bright red stalks and deep red veins while Rhubarb Chard has dark green leaves with a reddish stalk and a stronger flavor. Rainbow Chard are other colorful chard varieties bunched together. The stalk colors vary from pink, orange, red, purple, white with red stripes, and ivory with pink stripes. Chard is in season during late summer into fall.


Nutrition Facts
One cup of cooked Swiss chard has 35 calories, 3 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber. It has over 700 times the recommended daily amount of vitamin K and over 200 times the recommended daily amount of the antioxidant vitamin A. Chard is also rich in vitamin C, iron, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. It also has lutein, shown to help with eye health. This green leafy veggie is also part of the cruciferous vegetable (cabbage) family, which has been shown to help with cancer prevention.

What To Do With Swiss Chard
To prepare chard, wash well under cool water to get rid of any dirt or pebbles. Also, avoid cooking chard in aluminum cookware as it will change color because of to the oxalates (naturally existing compounds) in the chard.

Chard can be used just like spinach. Use it in a lasagna or pasta dishes, add it to soup or sauté it with olive oil and garlic. The stem can be used as a substitute for broccoli or asparagus in dishes like in an egg frittata, omelet or stir-fry.

Choosing and Storage Tips: Choose chard with tender greens and crisp stalks and avoid those that are wilted or with brown or yellowing spots. Place fresh chard in a resealable plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Store for up to 3 days.

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Write an Essay on the Value of Good Health in Life

It is said “Health is wealth”. If health is lost, everything is lost. If health is i’ lost, the capacity to work is lost. Inability to work leads to poverty and misery. On the other hand, if we have health we are able to work and this, in turn, adds to our wealth. Therefore good health is one of the basic foundations on which our lives are built.

For the common man, health is merely an absence of sickness and ailments. This view is narrow and one-sided. The term ‘health’ is much more comprehensive. Good health is the state of all-round physical, social and mental well being of a person, which enables him to live and work normally and to resist the negative impact of his environment.

The merits or the advantages of having good health can hardly be exaggerated. Good health is not only important but is also an essential ingredient for a happy life. A healthy person is able to work and live on his own.

He is not dependent on others. He is in a better position to relax and to enjoy the thrill of life. He is able to enjoy life in its varied forms. On the other hand, an unhealthy person finds it difficult to be happy and joyful. Physical ailments bring in pain, sorrow, bitterness, mental tension and sleepless nights. He survives on others charity. “Bread bought with other’s sweat is never sweet”.

It is therefore essential that we should try to acquire good health. Good health cannot be bought, it can only be, wrought. Acquisition of good health calls for certain concrete steps. According to many doctors and health specialists three basic factors bring about good health. They are: (a) clean environment, (b) good habits and (c) clean mind.

One of the basic requirements for good health is to live in a clean and healthy environment. Unfortunately, this is becoming almost impossible today. Our entire environment is polluted. The water that we drink is polluted.

The food that we consume is contaminated. The air that we breathe is full of dirt and poisonous elements. Our cities, towns and rivers have become dumping grounds of wastes and breeding grounds of dangerous microbes. Unless and until this pollution is prevented our chances of acquiring good health may remain a distant dream.

Secondly, good personal habits go a long way in helping to acquire good health. Good habits, such as, getting up early, maintaining personal cleanliness, temperance in eating, doing physical exercises, adequate sleep and rest, etc., are vital elements which help in the acquisition of good health.

Thirdly, the importance of clean mind for the acquisition of good health cannot be undermined. Mind, to a great extent, controls the body. Many doctors say that the mind is so powerful that it can dispel even the most incurable ailments of the body, if it, so desires. Optimistic outlook, serene mentality, joyful spirit, laughter, clean thoughts, etc. have unfathomable impact in bringing about good health.

I perfectly agree with the maxim ‘health is wealth’. Unfortunately, very few care about this ‘wealth’. People spend sleepless days and nights, running after material wealth forgetting that the first step to acquire material wealth is to have good health.

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Weight Loss Solutions 5 Ways To Drop The Pound Fast

Every time we turn on the television we are bombarded with various weight loss solutions guaranteeing fast results. The truth is you didnt gain weight instantly and you are not going to take it off instantly. If you really want to lose weight and keep it off you must be willing to put in the time and effort necessary to achieve results.

Believe You Can Do It

Belief in yourself is key.

Having the belief that you can is just as important as exercising and eating healthier. If you try to lose weight but have doubts in your ability to do so, you will not succeed.

Take a moment to reflect on why you want to lose weight and then write it down. Now that you have your reason why you want to lose weight, set a goal for the amount of weight you would like to lose and commit to doing whatever it takes to hit it. No matter what obstacles come your way promise yourself that you will not quit until you hit your goal.

There are going to be times when things become really difficult and you feel like quitting. When those moments hit, find stories about other people who have been successful at losing weight to motivate you. Understand and acknowledge that they also had weak moments but to get where they are they had to keep striving and so do you. Bad days are inevitable, the key is not to let one or two bad days make you quit short of your goal.

Once you start seeing your body transform before your eyes, staying on track will become a lot easier.

Drink At Least 8 Glasses Of Water

Water is the gas that fuels the engine of our bodies. The body needs water to function efficiently.

If you drink water through the day, you will not feel hungry as often because it will give you the sensation of being full.

When your body is being properly hydrated, it will alleviate the bloating feeling because it can release the water it has been storing.

Drinking a glass before each meal will help you to eat less and lose more.

Start Working Out

Exercise should be a vital part of any weight loss plan. Although losing weight without exercising is possible, you will have better and longer lasting results if you make it a regular part of your program.

Dont like exercise? Then do something fun that doesnt feel like exercise, like going outside and playing with the children or taking a bike ride. The idea is to find what you enjoy and do it.

Any amount of exercise is beneficial but for maximum results you should strive to exercise at least 5 days a week.

When you feel ready for more advanced workouts, aerobic workouts such as Zumba or Hip Hop Abs may be a good choice. These work outs tend to burn a lot of calories, helping you to lose weight and tone up.

Remember exercise is not only key for weight loss but it also helps to improve your overall health.

Eat 5 Or 6 Small Meals Daily

A great way to keep your metabolism high and alleviate snacking is to eat 5 or 6 small meals daily.

If your goal is to take in no more than 1500 calories per day you have to make sure all your small meals combined do not exceed this number.

An easy way to do this is to split your 3 normal meals in half.

Get At Least 7 Hours Of Sleep Nightly

When you dont get enough rest it alters the bodys hormone levels. When we are not allowing our bodies to get the rest needed to perform properly, it releases ghrelin into our system. Ghrelin is a hormone that regulates appetite. When our bodies are sleep deprived, this hormone increases and causes the desire to eat more.

To keep your body functioning at optimal levels you should try and get a minimum of 7 hours sleep each night.

To improve your quality of sleep do not drink caffeine based drinks, workout or eat at least 3 hours before bed time.

Incorporating these 5 simple tips can significantly impact the amount of weight you are able to lose.

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Healthy Weight Loss

So many people nowadays are becoming desperate in order to lose weight. They are starting to go to unhealthy lengths in order to look skinny, because they think that it is attractive. However, losing weight in an unhealthy way could certainly be very damaging to your body, and you might not turn out so attractive if you are bony. You probably hear commercials and ads all over the place trying to sell you the newest diet or the newest weight loss operation, and you should ignore these red flags. Instead, you should take the healthy and natural path towards weight loss, one step at a time.


Things to Watch Out For
As mentioned above, new weight loss procedures are being thrown at the public very frequently. However, not a lot of people really know about the health risks of these procedures. Liposuction, a procedure where doctors literally use a vacuum-like contraption to suck the fat out of your body (usually from the stomach area), can be deadly. It also sounds very gruesome, and I assume after reading a more in-depth description of it, you will agree with me. Another weight loss procedure is the Lap-Band procedure.

 This is where doctors place a band around your stomach, so that you feel fuller sooner and eat less, which eventually leads to weight loss. This is practically like starving yourself, since you aren't actually full and you aren't actually getting all of the nutrients that your body requires to function. The band has also killed a few people, since it has been broken before. Imagine having an unnatural band wrap around your stomach! It makes me tighten up, and I don't know how other people can stand the thought of it, much less the actual procedure. Also, if you eat too much with the lap-band, you could end up throwing up, which is unhealthy as well.Starving yourself on a diet is another weight loss strategy to watch out for. Starvation is a very serious health condition if you let it go too far. You're losing all of the nutrients that your body needs in order to function, and eventually your body will shut down due to lack of energy. Your body will not target your fat first, but instead will consume your muscles. You will lose all of your muscle mass before you lose any fat, and having nearly no muscle makes life very hard to manage. Starving yourself and denying your body the proper nutrients is never the way to go.

The Steps You Can Take
Healthy weight loss is accomplished through healthy eating and exercise. I know you have been told this time and time again, but it is the truth. This is the only way that you can lose weight in a healthy manner. Plus, if you exercise, your body will be in shape, and will look more attractive than the body of someone who is anorexic. Eating healthy and exercising will make your body feel better, and you will have more energy throughout the day.

Eating healthy will provide your body with the nutrients it needs, and you will feel the difference after about a week or so of changing your eating habits. It might be hard to switch at first, but eventually it will feel natural to eat carrots instead of burgers. Exercising also releases feel-good hormones to your body, so after you get the motivation to leave your couch, you will not regret it! Start making your way to a healthier and fitter you by watching your eating habits and hitting the gym more often.

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Simple Solutions To Lose Weight Without Exercise

Obesity is swiftly becoming an epidemic in our society. The majority of overweight people want to lose weight but find it difficult to drastically alter their eating habits and stick to a regular exercise plan.

One of the key ingredients for losing weight is regular exercise. Unfortunately, exercise is something many people despise. With that being said, is there a way to get healthy and lose weight without exercise?

The good news is there are some simple ways to lose weight without exercising.

Do Not Drink Soda

Because soda is a drink and not a food, we tend to overlook the fact that it contains a lot of calories which contain no nutritional benefit. Drinking one 12 ounce can of cola daily can cause you to gain 15 pounds in a year.

Eliminating soda from your diet can be instrumental in helping you lose some of the unwanted pounds.

Eat Healthier Snacks

Snacking on healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and popcorn instead of fattening high calorie snacks like cookies and cakes will help you cut calories and lose some weight.

Fruit is a healthy alternative to junk food that can satisfy your craving for sweets just as effectively.

Be Aware Of The Amount Of Food You Are Consuming

One way to lose weight without exercise is to cut back on the amount you eat.

The best way to do this is to eat the recommended serving size but if that's not possible start by eating half of the amount you usually eat.

When you cut back on the amount of food you eat, you cut back on calories and start to slowly lose weight.

Drink 8 Cups Of Water Daily

Our bodies are composed of approximately seventy percent water and it is essential to keep our bodies functioning at its best.

Not only does water cleanse our system, it can also help you cut back on calories because if drinking all throughout the day, it will help you stay full and help reduce the desire to snack. Since water has zero calories it is the perfect replacement for sugary drinks.

Drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day is recommended.

Use The Stairs

Taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator whenever possible is a simple but effective way to your body moving a bit more. Taking the stairs may not be a high intensity workout but it will help you burn some additional calories.

If done consistently it may help you lose a pound or two.

Losing weight doesnt have to be hard but it does require dedication and commitment. Making simple lifestyle changes like the ones mentioned above can help you lose weight without exercise.

Losing weight can be done without exercise but adding exercise will drastically speed up the results and improve your health.

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