Gastritis is a specific medical term for an inflammation of the stomach lining. There are many reasons why someone may suffer from gastritis and these include drinking too much alcohol, smoking cigarettes, taking drugs for pain relief, high levels of stress and taking medication for arthritis. Gastritis will come about due to the stomach lining being damaged and then the naturally produced stomach acid will set about harming your internal cells and thus causing inflammation. Gastritis has also been known to be caused by bacterial infections. This is especially true of a microorganism called Helicobacter pylori. Although gastritis can be treated with medication, it is typically solved through certain behavioural changes, especially in your diet.
The most common way to treat gastritis is to avoid overeating. The best way to achieve this is to control what you eat between meals times, and also the amount you actually eat at each meal. The basic idea is to allow your stomach some time to break down the food before introducing new food into your stomach. This can be achieved by eating smaller meals. An example would be that rather than eating a large steak and a whole jacket potato, you can easily cut this meal in half and eat it over two separate sittings. This will allow your stomach more than enough time to break down the food, which will dramatically reduce the chances of irritation occurring within the stomach.
There are also certain drinks and beverages that you should look to avoid if you are someone who suffers with gastritis symptoms. These include black tea, coffee, soda, alcohol and orange juice. All of these drinks either contain high amounts of acid or caffeine which can cause severe irritation of the stomach lining. It is also advisable to avoid chocolate-based drinks such as cocoa and chocolate milk. It is best to consume drinks that are naturally low in acid, alcohol and caffeine. Without doubt, one of the best drinks for someone suffering from gastritis is water. You will actually find that there are certain manufacturers who make low acid coffees and orange juices.
If there are certain foods that typically give you gas, you should look to avoid these as well. Some foods that are well known for causing gas include broccoli, beans, cabbage and peppers. Rather than completely cutting these foods from your diet, you can actually prepare them in a way that reduces their gas forming abilities. An example would be to take dried beans or peas and soak them in water in order to reduce their gases. You have the choice of either soaking them overnight or initially boiling them for a few minutes prior to soaking them for a few hours. The majority of vegetables will have some very specific instructions on the product label which will explain exactly how to soak them.
Foods that are high in fat are well known for causing many stomach related problems. These problems can become far worse for someone who is suffering from gastritis. Certain fatty meats such as luncheon meat, ground beef and pork sausages should be avoided. You should also look to reduce the number dairy products that are made with whole milk from your diet. Once again you do not need to completely cut these foods out of your diet, but merely look to consume the less fatty alternatives. You can purchase the majority of dairy products as a reduced fat or fat-free variety. Ground beef can also be purchased with substantially reduced fat content.
Foods that contain a high amount of seasoning have been known to encourage the symptoms of gastritis. These may include chilli, spaghetti and soups. Certain spices such as chilli powder, ground peppers, cloves and nutmeg can also cause your gastritis to flare up. The majority of these spices are high in acid and fat content and are therefore more than likely to irritate gastritis symptoms. You should look to cut down on certain condiments such as gravy, mustard and salad dressing. A fantastic alternative is to cook meat far slower and add freshly chopped herbs. For example you can cook chicken in a slow cooker and add certain fresh herbs such as rosemary. This helps to avoid the use of gravy, sauces and dips and your chicken will still remain tender and flavoursome.
Some ideal foods to eat if you suffer from chronic gastritis are rice, barley and wheat bran. It is also essential that you eat plenty of vegetables especially the green, leafy variety. Vegetables that are high in water content such as cucumber, celery, pumpkin and sprouts can also soothe the stomach and its lining. It is also a good idea to replace vegetable or corn oil with olive oil and look to regularly eat fruits that are not considered acidic.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Healthy breakfast foods for kids
We all know that in the mornings there is zero time for dawdling. Sometimes it feels like a miracle when you finally have the kids out the door after they’ve been woken up, dressed, and fed. Imagine this: the whole family, including those once-cranky kids, wakes up happy as can be, makes it down in time for the family breakfast, and gets to work/school with 5 minutes to spare.
Actually, breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it provides you morning energy, along with that metabolism boost to keep the calories burning throughout the day. While this perfect scenario rarely happens in busy households on week days, it is important to get this meal in those growing kids’ bellies. Enough with the pop tarts, doughnuts, and cereals that are practically a bowl of cookies with milk; it’s time to bring in the real goodies. You might be asking yourself: so if I’m short on time anyway, how in the world am I going to fix my kid a healthy breakfast and at the same time not bust through my grocery budget? The answer is that fixing healthy breakfasts is just as simple, it can be just as cheap, but it is way better for the children. Even on-the-go breakfasts can be healthy. Healthy breakfasts provide the nutrients that your kids need to get them through to lunch.
Yummy and Healthy Breakfast Suggestions
Mix and Match. Try having dairy and grains; grains and fruits; dairy and fruit. Even try adding protein in there. A variety of foods will provide the most vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Always Be Prepared. For those days when there is just no way to fix something, have healthy bars on hand, such as Nutri-grain, Quaker Breakfast Squares, or Nature Valley. Send one of these and a banana off with your child for a healthy start.
Keep a Stock. English muffins, (wheat) bread, bagels, frozen multi-grain waffles, oatmeal—these are all things that are easily kept on hand and are a lot healthier than grabbing a pop tart or doughnut. For the toppings, use a low-fat cream cheese, butter, or a small squirt of jelly.
Protein. Eggs, bacon (preferably turkey bacon), and peanut butter can all be incorporated into a healthy breakfast packed with protein. Eggs can be scrambled, hard-boiled, fried, or cooked into an omelet. Bacon can go with eggs or toast (but don’t fry in fat!). Peanut butter is delicious spread on a warm bagel fresh from the toaster.
Cereal. When buying cereal don’t go for the ones that are just a smaller version of a cookie, go for whole grain cereals that provide relief from a sweet tooth craving. Serve with 1% reduced fat or skim milk.
Yogurt. Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium and tastes great. Try either the fruit or non-fruit varieties. Top with a handful of blueberries, sliced banana, or a little bit of cereal.
Smoothies. Smoothies are easy to make and don’t have to have a specific recipe. Most fruits, when blended together with some yogurt, make a great low-calorie, low-fat, and delicious breakfast!
Pancakes. These don’t take long to make, and are a great morning treat. Buy a mix that you only have to add water too, and it will save even more time. Drizzle with syrup and top with fresh strawberries.
Juice. Sometimes kids prefer juice over actual fruit. This is fine, as long as its 100% fruit juice. It will provide at least one serving of fruit and is a great and healthy addition to any breakfast.
It’s Easy!
Serving breakfast (and eating it) should be as much a part of your routine as getting dressed. It fills up the fuel tank that has been deprived since the night before. Stay away from sugary breakfasts and you will have a happier and healthier kid.
Actually, breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it provides you morning energy, along with that metabolism boost to keep the calories burning throughout the day. While this perfect scenario rarely happens in busy households on week days, it is important to get this meal in those growing kids’ bellies. Enough with the pop tarts, doughnuts, and cereals that are practically a bowl of cookies with milk; it’s time to bring in the real goodies. You might be asking yourself: so if I’m short on time anyway, how in the world am I going to fix my kid a healthy breakfast and at the same time not bust through my grocery budget? The answer is that fixing healthy breakfasts is just as simple, it can be just as cheap, but it is way better for the children. Even on-the-go breakfasts can be healthy. Healthy breakfasts provide the nutrients that your kids need to get them through to lunch.
Yummy and Healthy Breakfast Suggestions
Mix and Match. Try having dairy and grains; grains and fruits; dairy and fruit. Even try adding protein in there. A variety of foods will provide the most vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Always Be Prepared. For those days when there is just no way to fix something, have healthy bars on hand, such as Nutri-grain, Quaker Breakfast Squares, or Nature Valley. Send one of these and a banana off with your child for a healthy start.
Keep a Stock. English muffins, (wheat) bread, bagels, frozen multi-grain waffles, oatmeal—these are all things that are easily kept on hand and are a lot healthier than grabbing a pop tart or doughnut. For the toppings, use a low-fat cream cheese, butter, or a small squirt of jelly.
Protein. Eggs, bacon (preferably turkey bacon), and peanut butter can all be incorporated into a healthy breakfast packed with protein. Eggs can be scrambled, hard-boiled, fried, or cooked into an omelet. Bacon can go with eggs or toast (but don’t fry in fat!). Peanut butter is delicious spread on a warm bagel fresh from the toaster.
Cereal. When buying cereal don’t go for the ones that are just a smaller version of a cookie, go for whole grain cereals that provide relief from a sweet tooth craving. Serve with 1% reduced fat or skim milk.
Yogurt. Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium and tastes great. Try either the fruit or non-fruit varieties. Top with a handful of blueberries, sliced banana, or a little bit of cereal.
Smoothies. Smoothies are easy to make and don’t have to have a specific recipe. Most fruits, when blended together with some yogurt, make a great low-calorie, low-fat, and delicious breakfast!
Pancakes. These don’t take long to make, and are a great morning treat. Buy a mix that you only have to add water too, and it will save even more time. Drizzle with syrup and top with fresh strawberries.
Juice. Sometimes kids prefer juice over actual fruit. This is fine, as long as its 100% fruit juice. It will provide at least one serving of fruit and is a great and healthy addition to any breakfast.
It’s Easy!
Serving breakfast (and eating it) should be as much a part of your routine as getting dressed. It fills up the fuel tank that has been deprived since the night before. Stay away from sugary breakfasts and you will have a happier and healthier kid.
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