9 Healthy Cholesterol-Lowering Foods

If you are like many who have been diagnosed with high cholesterol*, you'd like to control the condition with diet before turning to medications. This is a wise approach. There are, in fact, quite a few foods that can help in this regard. Here is a list of some of them, and some suggestions of how to prepare them.

1. Oat bran - While it's not a magic bullet and has been the subject of a lot of hype, oat bran is a high-fiber food that helps lower cholesterol. Oat bran is not only high in fiber, but it also contains beta-glucans which are the keys to its cholesterol-lowering ability. Add it to cereals and homemade breads and muffins.

Barley (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Barley - Another high-fiber food, barley is rich in beta-glucans as well. In fact, it has as much as three times the amount of beta-glucan as oat bran. Barley is great in soups and stews, and can also be cooked as a breakfast cereal.

3. Beans - Once again, the combination of high fiber and beta-glucans comes together, this time in the humble bean. Beans also contain lecithin, which is a cholesterol-lowering nutrient. Great in chili, stews, soups, and Mexican dishes.

4. Garlic and onion - It seems there are few conditions that garlic can't help. In Europe, garlic is "officially" approved as a treatment for high cholesterol. A clove of garlic a day is said to lower cholesterol by as much as 15 percent. Half an onion a day has a similar effect. Add it to just about anything for a flavor and health kick!

5. Sesame seeds - These tasty little seeds are not the only foods with phytosterols - all plant foods have phytosterols to some degree - but they are unusually high in these compounds. Phytosterols are absorbed into the blood, pushing cholesterol out of the way, so to speak. These can be added to baked goods, homemade crackers, and Asian dishes.

6. Lettuce - Also fairly high in phytosterols, leafy green lettuce is a good food for lowering cholesterol.

Avocados (Photo credit: barron)

7. Avocado - Ironically, the high-fat avocado has been shown to help lower cholesterol. It is especially effective when combined with olive oil in the diet.

8. Carrots - Carrots are high in pectin, which is a source of fiber that is implicated in lowering cholesterol. Eat a carrot or two a day.

9. Apples -Apples are also high in pectin. An apple a day...as they say!

As you consider how to incorporate these foods into your diet, here are some suggestions.

Try a bean and barley soup flavored with lots of onion and garlic. Make oat bran muffins for breakfast, and incorporate oat bran into homemade breads. Sesame seeds can also be added to baked goods, and tahini, a sesame seed paste, is a good way to get a lot of this seed into your diet. Try a salad with lettuce, carrots,  and avocado with an olive oil-based dressing.


* Note: These are good, healthy, whole foods, and eating them is a good thing. However, remember that high cholesterol is a symptom, not a disease! Cholesterol is produced by the body in an attempt to heal damage caused by inflammation, so if you have high cholesterol, something is wrong in your body, and you need to take steps to address the underlying issue - not just lower your cholesterol. Consult a doctor who is well-versed in natural health, and won't just prescribe a drug in order to mask the symptoms, but who will take the time to find out what is causing the high cholesterol issue, and help you take appropriate steps to help your body heal.

How Can Foods Contribute to Cleansing & Detoxification?

Cleansing the body of toxins is a popular topic these days, and for good reason.  We do, in fact, live in an environment where our bodies are bombarded with toxic substances on a daily basis. 

Exercise, supplement programs, fasts, meditation, yoga, etc. are employed to varying degrees in order to bring cleansing to the body.  However, the important role that food plays in cleansing - simply what we eat - cannot be ignored. (For lots more articles on how important food is to your health, visit our main blog at www.newholisticliving.com/blog.html)

Americans have a tendency to want quick fixes to problems and symptoms.  We love our pills.  We can swallow a capsule or tablet and go on about our business with no lifestyle changes necessary.

Why isn't it okay to employ quick fixes?

The problem with this approach is that it completely eliminates the connection between food and health that is so vital!

Pills may mask symptoms, but the underlying problem of a poor diet will not be addressed.  In other words, toxins are still building while the symptoms are being alleviated. What does this mean? It means that your long-term health is still being compromised. You may not have immediate symptoms, but eventually this continual build-up of toxins can (and in many cases will) lead to serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimers, and more.

Sometimes, we look at food as our enemy - we think the less we eat, the healthier and thinner we will be.  But what you do eat is very important.   

"Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food," said Hippocrates (from whom doctors get the "Hippocratic Oath").  (This is pretty much my favorite quote ever!!!)

Let's look briefly at some of the constituents in whole foods and their various cleansing benefits.

* Fiber

This is a big one.  Fiber is one of the primary ways to eliminate waste from the colon.  Without it, bowel movements lack bulk, and toxins can build up in the colon.  Fiber absorbs poisons and waste matter as it moves along the intestinal tract, picking it up, and moving it out.

High-fiber diets are also associated with a decreased risk of colon and rectal cancer, as well as heart disease.

* Vitamins and Minerals

Healthy, whole foods contain these vital nutrients.  These substances have more roles in the body's health than can be discussed here, but some particular vitamins, such as C and E, have specific antioxidant effects.

Iron builds the blood; other vitamins and minerals build bone and tissue; still others play an active role in cell regeneration.  Without vitamins and minerals, the body cannot repair and rebuild itself from a cleanse.

Healthy Berries are Good Food for Health (Photo credit: epSos.de)

* Antioxidants

Many foods contain these bodily scavengers that fight free radical damage in the body.

Green tea, berries, tomatoes, and many other foods have antioxidant properties.

Cranberries, for example, promote bladder and kidney health, which are important organs involved in bodily cleansing.

* Essential Fatty Acids (Omega 3's)

More and more, we are hearing about the importance of good fats in the diet.  It turns out that they are crucial, and, among other things, help support liver health.  The liver is a major cleansing organ. They also compose much of the matter that brain tissue is made of, so be sure to eat your healthy fats!

* Phytonutrients

These are simply the nutrients found in plant foods, and they tend to have anti-cancer and antioxidant benefits.

All in all, what you do choose to eat has a significant role in the cleansing of your body (as does what you avoid eating).  Refined sugar, white flour, and processed foods full of artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors will have the effect of building toxic waste in your tissues, so be sure to choose foods wisely.


For a good, natural food-based cleansing & detoxification program, check out The Total Wellness Cleanse.

7 Nutrition Tips To Reduce Your Toxic Load

You may have heard a lot about cleansing diets or fasts, but if you want to keep your system clean, it really very simply comes down to what you eat every day.  If you want to keep your body at its best, here are some tips toward maintaining optimal nutrition.

1. Eat Organic, Whole Foods

This is rather basic, but very important.  Whole foods are those that have undergone the least processing, but they do not have to be eaten exclusively raw. 

Examples include whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables, grass-fed and free-range meats that are not processed into preserved meat products, and natural sweeteners. 

Your system will not be clean if you continually pump it full of unhealthy foods.  This does not mean you can never indulge, but it does mean that your diet should consist of at least 80 percent whole, organic foods.  That way, when you do choose to indulge, your body can handle it and eliminate the toxins on its own.

Sucanat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Replace White with Brown

This is a basic nutritional rule of thumb for optimal nutrition.  Replace all refined or "white" foods with whole or "brown" foods.  It's not the color of the food (white popcorn, for example, can be very nutritious); it's the level of refinement.

For example:

* White flour/Whole wheat flour
* White sugar/Raw, unfiltered honey, blackstrap molasses, or Sucanat (natural sugarcane)
* White rice/Brown rice
* Pasta made from refined flour/Whole grain pasta

3. Add Probiotics

These friendly bacteria are important for helping the body keep itself cleansed, and keep intestinal flora in balance.  Sources include yogurt, miso (a fermented soybean paste), kefir, acidophilous milk, tempeh, kimchi (or naturally fermented sauerkraut), lactic-acid fermented pickles and other naturally fermented foods, and probiotic supplements. Many of these (like yogurt) are very easy to make at home - and contain more good bacteria than purchased sources.

4. Choose Nutrient-Dense Foods

These are foods that provide the most nutrient value for their caloric value.  In other words, they are the opposite of "empty calorie" foods like candy, pop, or fried potato chips that are full of calories but lacking nutrients.

Nutrient-dense foods are not necessarily low-calorie (although they can be) - avocados and nuts are examples - but for their calories they deliver large amounts of nutrients.

5. Get Enough Fiber

High-fiber diets are essential to keeping the intestinal system clean.  Fiber bulks up bowel movements, taking toxins along with it as it moves along the intestinal tract.

Healthy choices for high fiber are whole grains, including air-popped or stove-top popcorn (not microwave popcorn, as it may contain some dubious chemicals), fruits, fresh vegetables, beans, and legumes.


6. Don't Be Afraid to Supplement

The supplement debate is likely never to be resolved, but supplements are worth looking into in today's often nutrient-deficient culture.

If you are not getting enough vitamins, minerals, fiber, or probiotics from your diet - and such dietary goals can be difficult to reach - consider supplementing with a natural multivitamin, minerals, probiotics, or fiber sources (such as psyllium husks). Choose a good quality manufacturer such as Garden Of Life, or Standard Process, which are made here in the US and include organic and whole-food ingredients.

7. You Are What You Drink

Do not forget to drink plenty of water!  No other beverage is a good substitute for water. Regardless of what else you drink, you still need to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Add a few generous squeezes of lemon juice to your first glass of water in the morning for a liver-cleansing tonic.


Good Supplements Are Easy to Find Online:
   

Superfoods for Heart Health

Heart disease is number one killer among both men and women in the United States. And although we all realize that eating nutrient-dense healthy foods help reduce the risk, we may not know which foods are the best choices to battle this deadly disease head on. The key is stepping up fiber and choosing healthy fats. Eating healthy fats, like omega-3 fatty acids and olive oil, can help to reduce triglycerides. Whole, natural fats such as coconut oil are also great at reducing inflammation, and provide a quick and healthy source of energy. And a diet rich in soluble fiber, which is often found in legumes and some fruits and vegetables, helps to decrease LDL cholesterol levels.

Heart-healthy walnuts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sardines are an awesome source of omega-3 fatty acids, along with calcium and niacin. You can prepare fresh ones on the grill, or canned sardines work great in salads or sandwiches. Mackerel is another excellent source of omega-3s, and is full of selenium, which is an antioxidant mineral which may help protect the body from heart disease and cancer. (Small fish like sardines also have fewer pollutants and heavy metal content.)  Another great way to get omega-3s on the go is by grabbing a handful of walnuts for an afternoon snack. Add some to your green salad, or give chicken salad a nutrition boost by adding ground walnuts.

Kidney beans are a very affordable source of high fiber, and are high in protein for sustained energy without fat. Add them to salads, soups, and chili whenever you can, as they truly are almost a perfect health food. Since canned varieties tend to be higher in sodium, try to use the dried varieties whenever possible. Beans are easy to cook - just soak overnight in cold water with a pinch of baking soda, then drain, rinse, cover with water, and cook for about an hour. Drain and keep in the refrigerator until needed (they will keep in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to a week).

Whole-grain barley is rich in soluble fiber and insoluble fiber, which is good for combating constipation. It’s also a good protein source and has a good supply of iron and minerals. Choose whole-grain barley cereals, or substitute whole-grain barley for rice and pasta side dishes once a week.

Oatmeal is a great way to boost your fiber content early in the morning, and it also has a low glycemic index, which helps to provide lasting energy and stave off hunger. Choose rolled oats, and add some raisins, apples, and honey for flavor. Instant oatmeal isn’t a healthy option as it’s usually loaded with sugar.

Video - Eating the Right Type of Fiber to Detoxify Your Body

This informative video discusses the different types of fiber and how they are both important and work together to clear toxins from the body, and improve overall health in a number of ways. Eating both types of fiber is important, but you don't have to work that hard to include more fiber in your diet. Eating a wide variety of whole foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains every day will easily provide you with all the fiber you need for optimal health. (But beware of processed foods claiming to contain "whole grains" - these are often loaded with sugar and other unhealthy substances, and the amount of actual whole grains may actually be minimal.)

Interestingly, he also discusses how different seasonal foods naturally have the proper balance of the right kinds of fiber for your body during each different season. Check it out!

Eat the Right Fiber
/HomeDetox Eat the Right Fiber You have heard of the h...

Fiber - A Supernutrient

We all know we’re supposed to eat a diet rich in fiber.  Despite this basic knowledge, many people are confused by what fiber is and how to get it.  And because a large percentage of the nation has or is cutting back on carbohydrates, they’re also cutting back on fiber.  As fiber helps rid the body of toxins, among other important functions, this is definitely a health concern.

Wheat bran - high in fiber. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What Is Fiber?

Dietary fiber is essentially a non-digestible carbohydrate; your body cannot break it down and digest it.  Dietary fiber is divided into two main categories: soluble or insoluble. 

Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and therefore moves through the bowel without any type of breakdown.  Due to this, it promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk.  The result is regular stools and a constant removal of build-up in the intestines. 

Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid, while insoluble fiber does not. Insoluble fiber passes through our intestines largely intact.  It helps lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels, and also carries toxins out of your body.

So how much soluble and insoluble fiber should you be taking?

Despite the fact that the average American's daily intake of fiber is about 5 to 14 grams per day, adult women should consume 25 grams of fiber a day and men should consume 38 grams a day.

Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and many vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber, while oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium are a good source of soluble fiber.

Great Sources of Fiber and How to Get Enough

Beans. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In order to make sure you’re getting enough fiber, it’s important to understand what foods to get it from.  Great sources of fiber include:

* Green leafy vegetables
* Whole grains
* Seeds & Nuts
* Dried beans and peas
* Fruits
* Vegetables
* Psyllium husk

¼ cup of almonds, for example, contains 2.4 grams of fiber and a medium apple contains 4 grams.  So one small snack of almonds and an apple contains about 1/4 of a woman’s daily fiber requirements.  To get a meal that packs a real fiber punch, add beans.  A cup of baked beans contains 16 grams of fiber; that’s more than half of your daily requirement!  And whole grains like buckwheat, bran, bulgur and oats contain a significant amount of fiber.  Leafy greens are good too; a cup of cooked spinach has 7 grams of fiber. 

To make sure you’re consuming your daily fiber requirement, make sure you have at least one serving of whole grains, beans and healthy snacks like raw fruits and veggies and nuts.  (All of these whole foods also have many other healthy nutrients in them as well.) A little fiber with each snack and meal should be enough to keep your body running optimally, reduce your toxic load, and stay healthy.

Try These Tips & Superfoods During Your Detox

Today we're talking about a topic that may be uncomfortable for some - literally! But this time of year, after lots of heavy and rich foods, some of us may suffer from this common problem - and it's worse for your health than you might think. When things get backed up, so to speak, your body is not able to eliminate toxins and other waste, and they can actually get absorbed back into your bloodstream - yuck! No one wants that....

Brussels Sprouts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But it's no wonder so many Americans suffer with constipation (4 million of us, to be exact). Our diet of meat and processed food contains little fiber. Most of us are lucky if we’re getting in half of the 30 grams of fiber that we should each day. Without that bulk in our diet, it can make bowel movements practically immovable. Here are some tips for "cleaning the pipes," without which, any other detoxification efforts will be in vain.

1. Eat plenty of fiber - namely, vegetables. The human digestive tract was designed for mostly consuming unprocessed plant foods that are loaded with dietary fiber, such as beans, leafy greens, fresh and dried fruits, vegetables and whole grains. High levels of dietary fiber increase both the frequency and quantity of bowel movements, decreasing the transit time of stools, as well as the absorption of toxins from the stool.

2. Drink at least eight to twelve 8-oz. glasses of clean water per day. Hard, dry stools are a classic sign of dehydration. A good rule of thumb is to drink a glass of water when you wake up and then every hour after that.

3. Try adding some wheat or barley grass to your daily routine. Mix two to three teaspoons of a nutrient-rich blend of dehydrated wheat and/or barley grass in water, and have another serving later in the day. These drinks have a restorative action on the intestinal tract and are especially good for constipation, and they also contain many phytonutrients and antioxidants which will support your system during your detox.

Prune plums on the tree (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4. Add prunes. As a supplement to a healthy, high-fiber diet, bran and prunes are particularly effective in relieving constipation. Whole prunes and prune juice possess good laxative effects - and most people find them quite tasty! Eight ounces is usually an effective dose. A similar amount of aloe vera juice is also helpful. Or eat 6-10 dried prunes.

5. Consume superfoods containing vitamin C. Vitamin C rich foods can help with your detox as well, as they help with food and nutrient absorption. Try parsley, broccoli, bell pepper, strawberries, oranges, lemon juice, papaya, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts, as they’re all great sources of vitamin C.

Following these tips will help get things moving smoothly, so that your body can eliminate the toxins that are released during your detox and cleanse diet, and restore optimal health.

Why Go Raw? (Or Why Your Body Is Overweight and Undernourished)

Because cooking takes so many nutrients and vitamins out of food, you automatically start feeding your body what it needs when you stop cooking food and start eating uncooked, nutrient-rich foods. A raw carrot has exponentially more nutrition than a cooked carrot.

Blood flow visualization (Photo credit: Argonne National Laboratory)

Cooking also alters the chemistry of foods, often making them harder to digest. Why do we have so many digestive problems in this country? Because we’re putting foods into our bodies in a form that we weren’t designed to absorb. High-fiber, high-water-content fresh produce helps alleviate constipation of the bowels, cells and circulatory system. Obstructions are cleared and blood flow increases to each and every cell in the body. 

Enhanced blood flow is significant for two reasons: as mentioned above, blood delivers nutrients and oxygen to living cells, and carries away their toxic metabolites.

Obesity is endemic in this country. The diet industry is more profitable than the oil companies. Why? Because the way we eat and prepare our food practically guarantees that we’ll overeat. Psychologists tell us that we overeat because our souls are hungry. But in reality, our bodies are hungry, even though we may feel full. When you start giving your body the nutrients it craves, overeating will cease.

Eating raw foods is a boost to your metabolism as well. It takes a little more energy to digest raw foods, but it’s a healthy process. Rather than spending energy to rid itself of toxins produced by cooking food, the body uses its energy to feed every cell, sending vitamins, fluids, enzymes and oxygen to make your body the efficient machine it was intended to be.

You’ll naturally stop overeating, because your body and brain will no longer be starving for the nutrients they need. A starving brain will trigger the thoughts that make you overeat. The brain and the rest of your body don’t need nearly the quantities we Americans feed them - instead, they need quality. 

Be sure to check back for the rest of this series and how eating raw naturally detoxifies your body, as well as some tasty raw food recipes!

Super Foods That Encourage Weight Loss

Experts say there are two basic categories of foods that can be considered "keeping it off superfoods" because they fill your tummy without piling on the calories: fruits and vegetables.

Image via WikipediaAnd the nutrient that gives fruits and vegetables that ‘staying power?’

Fiber. 

So, if fruits and vegetables are the "keeping-it-off superfood groups," fiber may well be the "keeping-it-off super-nutrient."

Protein is another super-nutrient. It's becoming more scientifically accepted that protein may help to curb appetite. Protein also offers staying power, and can slightly boost your metabolism in the process. But it’s imperative that you choose your proteins wisely, because like all other foods, if you’re eating more than your body needs, it’ll show up on the scale as a gain, instead of a loss.

The following superfoods are smart, low-calorie choices that will benefit your weight loss efforts: 

Green Tea - Researchers suspect that the catechins (helpful phytochemicals) in green tea may trigger weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories and mildly decrease body fat. So indulge in either a hot cup or a nice tall iced glass of green tea.

Broth- or tomato-based soup – Soups can help reduce hunger before meals and increase your feeling of fullness.

Low-calorie green salads - Having a low-calorie salad – which is not defined as one that’s loaded with croutons, high fat dressings, and cheese - as a first course can help you feel full, thereby reducing how much you eat with your main course. Wisely choose your ingredients, and its high fiber content can be the key to helping you fight cravings later in the day.

Yogurt – Including dairy products as part of your healthy diet may promote your weight loss efforts. Choosing a yogurt may help you fight off hunger pangs due to its combination of protein and carbohydrate.

Beans – A great combination of fiber and protein, beans help you feel full longer, which means they may work to curb your between-meals appetite.

Water – Water is your body’s lifeblood, and you should be drinking it throughout your day. It’s a great no-calorie beverage, and you can get it by drinking unsweetened tea, flavored unsweetened mineral water, regular water with lime or lemon, or even with cucumber. In addition to helping flush toxins from the body, it can also help you feel full. So when those hunger pangs strike, try drinking a glass of water before grabbing that snack.

Image via WikipediaHigh-Fiber, Whole-Grain Cereal - Whole grains in general help boost fiber and the nutritional value of your meal. One of the easiest ways to give your daily diet a whole-grain boost is to have a bowl of higher-fiber whole-grain cereal as breakfast or a snack. However, don't be tricked by the sugary cereals on store shelves - even Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms boast "whole grain!" on the label these days, if you can believe that. (Don't believe me? See picture to the right.) You might as well drink a bowl full of high-fructose corn syrup! Instead choose a low-sugar high-fiber choice such as grape nuts, or other all-natural cereals that are unsweetened. One of my recent favorites is an organic whole grain cereal from Trader Joe's which you cook like oatmeal, but it contains several whole grains, and the result is a nutty, chewy, and tasty treat. Combined with a ripe banana and some whole milk, and sweetened with a bit of maple syrup, it's a great balanced breakfast that will fill you up for quite a while.

For more healthy tips to help you balance your body and life, including fun ways to exercise, where to get the freshest and most nutritious foods, cooking healthy and tasty meals from scratch, and more, visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/holisticwellness.html.

 

Superfoods to Rejuvenate Body, Mind and Spirit

Happy New Year! I hope you had a great holiday season, and a good finish to 2011. Furthermore, I hope that 2012 is an even happier and healthier year for you and your family.

We'll keep you up to date with great tips and strategies for keeping your home and body healthy and free of toxins, and while you're thinking of it, why not head over to http://www.newholisticliving.com/toxicload.html and grab your FREE Checklist for making your home cleaner and greener to start off the new year?

Image via WikipediaAnd this week we've got some great tips for getting a healthy start, and refreshing your body and mind after the rush of the holiday feasts and visits. These tips will help you get rid of that post-holiday bloated feeling, and renew your energy so you can start your year off feeling healthy and good, without going on any crazy crash diets.

When the goal is rejuvenating the body, mind and spirit, the method should be smaller, more frequent snacks and meals. This will help keep energy levels on an even keel, and regulate your blood sugar levels to avoid spikes and dips. When you choose the right combination of foods, your body gets the much-needed boost it needs to sustain itself properly, even through those slumps later in the day. So dump those high sugar junk foods and reach for the following foods and get that boost you need.

Any fresh fruit, especially with skins or seeds like peaches, apples, pears, oranges, and strawberries, is a great source of vitamins and fiber. In the summer you can choose a peach and get plenty of dietary fiber, niacin (vitamin B3), potassium, beta carotene and vitamin A, plus high amounts of vitamin C. Niacin is important for providing energy for cell tissue growth. Along with regulating fluid balance, potassium helps maintain the electrical stability of the cells of your heart and nervous system and is important for cell and muscle growth. Vitamin B12 plays a role in red blood cell formation, nerve function, and metabolizing protein and fat.

Dried Apricots and Almonds combination provides a high amount of vitamin A, iron protein and dietary fiber. Both foods are low in cholesterol and sodium, and apricots are a great source of potassium, which is important in regulating your body's fluid balance. The vitamin A in apricots contributes to healthy vision, bone growth, and reproduction, and helps fight infection.

Raisins are a healthy, low-fat, low-cholesterol, and low-sodium snack with significant amounts of potassium, phosphorus, copper, and iron, and when mixed with low-fat yogurt, you also get riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin B12, as well as a high amount of calcium, which is needed not only for strong bones and teeth but also plays a key role in the normal functioning of the heart and other muscles.

Image via WikipediaBaby carrots and sesame sticks are a tasty treat that will provide significant amounts of beta carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, iron, potassium, copper, and fiber. Beta carotene helps protect against diseases like heart disease and some cancers.

Vitamin A is important for healthy skin, for better night vision, and to fight infection and respiratory ailments. Folate, or vitamin B9, is essential to human life, helping to form red blood cells and break down proteins, and playing a key role in cell growth and division.

Peanut butter on some whole grain crackers is an excellent source of protein, iron, niacin, and fiber. Peanut butter on celery is a classic snack, has great staying power, and the celery is stuffed with numerous vitamins, minerals, and is high in fiber. Low-fat string cheese is a good quick source of protein and calcium. They come in easy-to-carry individual servings and you can add a piece of fresh fruit for extra fiber.