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Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to be the kickoff to a month of holiday overeating, ending with a regretful New Year’s resolution and a January diet. The holiday can be festive, even indulgent, without dishes loaded with fats and salt. Take stuffing. Everybody has a favorite stuffing; some cooks like sausage, while others makes theirs of bread and turkey fat. I like to use whole grains. There are two that I love — one with crumbled cornbread, another with wild rice. Each is wholesome, with lots of texture, and a great way to include grains in the holiday meal. This week’s recipes include my favorite Thanksgiving dishes, the ones I make every year (and then wonder why I don’t make them at other times). Several other Thanksgiving standbys have already been published here. I always serve a salad, and some of my favorites include endive, apple and walnut salad, curried Waldorf salad, and spinach salad with seared shiitake mushrooms. If you like mashed potatoes, try this version with ka

Wouldn't it be great if you knew which foods you should be eating based on your own personal health profile? What's for dinner? In the future, you should know exactly what's best for your body, experts say. We know that certain foods are bad for people with particular conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. Advising a generally healthy person on foods that will prevent future disease, on the other hand, is far more complicated, and represents one of the challenges for scientists working in food science. In the future, people should be able to tailor their diets and supplements to their particular biochemistry, said experts presenting at the annual meeting of the American Association of the Advancement of Science this week. Right now the food industry is centered on products, said J. Bruce German, professor and food chemist at the University of California, Davis. That means profits depend on lowering the cost of production and making things cheaper.

In North America and Asia, ginseng was traditionally used for treating a variety of illnesses. In Chinese medicine, ginseng was more frequently used for general preventive purposes. Whereas ginseng was formerly supposed to be confined to Chinese Tartary, it is now is known to be also a native of North America ( species Panax quinquefolium after the five-leaf formation common to the species), and was used by the native North Americans. Chinese Ginseng is a larger plant, but presents practically the same appearance and habits of growth. Asian ginseng, which includes Korean, Manchurian, Vietnamese and Chinese ginseng, is considered to be very "yang", or warm, and is often used for relatively limited periods of time. It contains roughly half the number of active ginsenocides found in American ginseng, which is considered to be cooler, or more "yin", and better suited for long term usage. For this reason American ginseng has become very prized in Asia, and most Ameri

We all want to live long and healthy lives. While being healthy means many things, it primarily starts with your diet and the way you are giving nutrition to your body. And if you are like most people, understanding nutrition can be tricky. This is why so many are turning toward nutritionists to lend them a helping hand. Technically, a nutritionist is a person who devotes professional activity to food and preventive nutrition. They can also advise people on dietary matters relating to health, well-being and nutrition. There are different types of nutritionists. There is the Nutrition Scientist, who uses the scientific method to study nutrients, both as individual compounds and as they interact in food and nutrition. The role of the nutrition scientist is to develop new knowledge related to nutrients or nutrition or to develop new processes or techniques to apply existing knowledge. For example, nutrition scientists have been involved in developing food preservation processes, deter

Preventing colds and the flu can be summed up in three words: Wash your hands. The viruses that cause colds and the flu most readily enter our bodies by means of our hands. Wash your hands after shopping. Remind your children to wash their hands as soon as they come home from school. A little "hysterical hygiene" goes a long way to keeping colds at bay. Of course, there are herbs that can be used to help thwart colds and the flu. Yarrow is a clear favorite, especially as a tincture. Teachers, moms, and wise children find a dose of 5-25 drops of yarrow tincture in the morning in some liquid reduces the likelihood of getting sick by more than half. Astragalus is gaining fame for its ability to support strong immune system functioning. I throw a few tongue-depressor-like pieces in my soups, where they infuse their goodness without imparting much flavor. Powdered astragalus can be added to almost anything, from oatmeal to pancakes, soups to gravies. And there is always the ti

Why Enzymes are Important for Good Health? by: Garry Nixon Enzymes are a type of protein which helps to catalyze a chemical reaction. Individual enzymes have unique chemical structures which can speed up the reaction of specific substrates. All body functions involve enzymes including digestion, respiration, transportation and detoxification. If some critical enzymes experience deficiency or malfunction it can lead to serious illness or death. There are two types of enzymes which are particularly important to our health, the digestive and antioxidant enzymes. Digestive enzymes help to break down food, enabling our body to absorb the nutrients necessary to sustain life. Antioxidant enzymes help to protect the body from attack by free radicals. Free radicals are linked to degenerative diseases such as aging, cancer, heart disease and other major illnesses. There are three further categories for digestive enzymes: amylase, protease and lipase. Saliva, pancreatic and intestinal s

According to a 2001-2006 government health survey of approximately 3,000 children who'd been given blood tests, at least 20% of children aged 1 to 11 don't get enough vitamin D. That puts them at risk for weak bones, infections, diabetes and some cancers. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children have 400 units of vitamin D daily. Because many children don't drink 4 cups of fortified milk a day or eat lots of fish or spend enough time outside to get vitamin d from the sun, vitamin D supplementation is recommended. It's the D parents will want their children to get. According to both nutritionists and scientists, Americans have a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids. They are called essential fatty acids because they have to come from our diet - our bodies don't make them. Omega-3 is necessary for the development of a healthy brain. It also lowers the risk of heart disease, arthritis and cancer. It even fights wrinkles. Fish like salmon, tuna and halibut a

Good health is of prime importance to all of us. We need to be healthy, filled with abundant energy, sound sleep, and fit and disease free body, which will give us a sense of overall well being. In order to be fit and healthy we need to practice healthy living styles with proper food habits and exercise. We cannot be healthy if we are lazy and lethargic. We need to work hard both physically and mentally to be fit and healthy. Besides exercise, we also need to eat healthy foodstuffs avoiding junk foods, which make us lethargic and dull. If you are over weight and obese you will suffer from health problems. So you need to maintain an optimum body weight to be healthy. You need to follow healthy and positive habits. Positive thinking is very essential in order to be healthy. You need to clear out your mind and fill it with positive thoughts. You will have to remove all the depressing and negative emotions and thoughts from your mind and replace it with healthy and positive thoughts.

Did you realize that the American Heart Association recommends implementing a plan for prevention of heart attack by the age of 20? How many people do you know in their 20’s that are really thinking about the prevention of a heart attack? The sad truth is that there are an increasing number of people that have their first heart attack by the age of 40. For many of those individuals the life style habits that are formed in their early years are directly contributing to those heart attacks. Foods high in fat, refined sugars and diets lacking the basic nutrients that our bodies need to operate at an optimal level are all contributing factors. I’m sure that it is not new news to you that America’s number one killer is Heart Disease. But what you may not have realized is that it does not work alone. Heart Disease is part of a group of killers including improper nutrition, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and the lack of exercise. While heart disease may

Everyone wants to be in the best best health possible. Sleeping well, having lots of energy and living a pain-free life are attainable goals for most of us. Unfortunately, there is so much confusing information available as to how we can be our healthiest, that it's hard to know where to start. Almost daily we hear about some new drug that can lower cholesterol, balance blood sugar, help you lose weight, decrease your blood pressure, ease your pain, or help whatever health condition you may have. We read about miracle foods, the perfect vitamin, tropical juices, and power drinks that are the answer to all your health concerns Unfortunately, there is no miracle food and most medications only address the symptoms of disease; they rarely cure. Sure, you may feel better for a while, but more often than not, your symptoms return, or you need to continually take greater amounts of medications to obtain the same effectiveness. What if there were a way to treat the source of your

5-step plan to optimal health By Murray Middlemost The first step a program is Healthy Nutrition and there are ten basic rules: 1. Never skip a meal again (keep the calorie burning furnace burning) 2. Eat real, unprocessed foods (if man made it do not eat it) 3. Eat balanced meals (protein, fat, and carbs in every meal) 4. Choose a protein as the main nutrient in your meal 5. Add some healthy fats (avocado, nuts, seeds, cold water fish, and olive oil) 6. Add real carbohydrates (whole grains) 7. Add non-starchy vegetables (green and brightly coloured) 8. Eat snacks (keep the calorie burning furnace burning) 9. Eat solid food (fiber) 10.Drink enough water(body weight x .7 = no. of ounces to drink) The second step of the program is Stress Management: 1. Make downtime a daily practice (you are important) 2. Put your life in perspective (don’t sweat the small stuff) 3. Keep track of stress signals (heart rate increase, blood pressure, anxiety, yelling) 4

Many people view retirement as a time to stop working. But new research shows that people who take on full- or part-time jobs after retirement have better health. The finding is based on data collected from 12,189 men and women over a 6-year period. The participants, who were from ages 51 to 61 at the start of the study, answered questions about their employment history, experiences after retirement and their physical and mental health. Researchers from the University of Maryland found that men and women who kept working after retirement had fewer major diseases or disabilities than those who quit work, according to the study published this month in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology . Retirees benefited whether the work was a full- or part-time job, self-employment or temporary. Doctors have long known that staying active during the older years is associated with better health. But the question is whether working keeps older people healthy, or whether the people who cont

What you eat after a workout matters! No matter what time of day you exercise, the key is to follow up with meals that combine protein, which helps your muscles recover, and carbohydrates, which replenish energy stores. For best results, eat within 30 to 60 minutes after exercise, when muscles are most receptive. During this window, an increase in enzyme activity makes the body more efficient at storing glucose for energy and building protein in fatigued muscles. Homemade sports recovery drink This combination of banana, milk, and yogurt makes for a fresh and satisfying sports recovery drink. Dairy products like milk and yogurt work double duty, providing both protein and carbohydrates. Bananas are packed with potassium and magnesium-- powerful electrolytes for healthy muscle function. Have this smoothie for breakfast following a morning workout, or a small afternoon meal when you get in from the gym. CookingLight.com: Fitness friendly snacks Protein-packed sandwich You can't

Exercise has long been touted as the panacea for everything that ails you. For better health, simply walk for 20 or 30 minutes a day, boosters say — and you don’t even have to do it all at once. Count a few minutes here and a few there, and just add them up. Or wear a pedometer and keep track of your steps. However you manage it, you will lose weight, get your blood pressure under control and reduce your risk of osteoporosis . If only it were so simple. While exercise has undeniable benefits, many, if not most, of its powers have been oversold. Sure, it can be fun. It can make you feel energized. And it may lift your mood. But before you turn to a fitness program as the solution to your particular health or weight concern, consider what science has found. Moderate exercise, such as walking, can reduce the risk of diabetes in obese and sedentary people whose blood sugar is starting to rise. That outcome was shown in a large federal study in which participants were randomly assigned

Forget what your mom told you: A glass of warm milk before bed might actually keep you up, rather than lull you to sleep . See, the protein in the milk will boost alertness--and unless it's skim, the fat will slow your digestion, making your rest more fitful. Not exactly the best shut-eye remedy. (Sorry, mom.) Nothing makes it harder to fall asleep than knowing how important it is to fall asleep. So when the pressure's on, try chowing down on one of these snacks before bedtime to ensure some serious shut-eye; they're all hand-picked and approved by the Eat This, Not That! nutrition team. These 8 sleep-better foods and drinks have been shown to induce feel-good relaxation chemicals, calming your nerves and slowing your racing brain. You can thank us ... tomorrow morning--after a long, restful night. NONFAT POPCORNPop a bag half an hour before bedtime: The carbs will induce your body to create serotonin, a neurochemical that makes you feel relaxed. Skipping the butter-fat w