Americans love food sweet and salty, but a diet high in sodium and sugar is a health risk. The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium intake to no more than 1,500 milligrams each day and capping daily added sugar consumption at 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men.
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If you want a healthy replacement for greasy, salty potato chips, popcorn is a good option. A quarter cup of kernels pops into a large bowl of popcorn with just over 200 calories. Skip the drizzle of melted butter though, or you'll negate the health benefits of air-popped popcorn.
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The complex flavors of roasted hazelnuts and dark coffee beans meld together in a comforting, steamy beverage. Although plain hazelnut-flavored coffee is a perfectly diet-friendly treat, be wary of creamers and frothy cafe drinks loaded with sugar.
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You have good intentions about healthy meal planning, but at the end of a long day, a box of macaroni and cheese is the path of least resistance. Before you can adopt new eating habits, it may help to visualize a healthy meal and learn about the recommendations compiled by nutrition experts.
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Bubble tea, also known as boba tea, is a cafe beverage that was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s. The tea is made by shaking tapioca pearls with milk, crushed fruit, fruit syrup or tea. The calorie count depends on the type of bubble tea you choose from the menu.
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A baked potato smothered with melted cheese ranks high on the list of comfort foods. While this side dish can certainly rack up the calories, there are ways to make your spud healthy. Opt for low-fat cheese and eat the whole potato -- skin and all -- to get the maximum amount of dietary fiber.
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A glass rimmed with salt is the carrier for a margarita -- a sweet and creamy beverage made from tequila, sour mix, triple sec, lime juice and sugar. Though the drink seems light and refreshing, its taste is deceptive. Frozen margaritas -- blended with crushed ice or served "on the rocks"
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Whole grains, including oats and brown or wild rice, are essential for overall good health and may reduce your risk of hyperlipidemia and heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.
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Tropical oils, such as palm and coconut oils, come from plants but have a very different nutritional profile from other plant-based fats. Palm oil is pressed from the flesh and kernel of the palm oil tree fruit and is produced at a rate of 47 million tons per year.
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Delicate rice noodles sauteed with tofu, bean sprouts, chicken, shrimp and plenty of spices sounds healthy, but the calories in pad thai can add up quickly. Depending on how it's prepared, pad thai can be moderately nutritious or it may blow half your calories for the day.
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Slimfast offers a simple diet program called the 3-2-1 plan. You are allowed three 100-calorie snacks, such as fruits and vegetables or a Slimfast snack bar; two shakes or meal bars; and one 500-calorie balanced meal, for a total of 1,200 calories per day.
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Women often dread "that time of the month," with its cramps, bloating and mood swings. But a regular menstrual cycle is a sign of good health. The loss or absence of a regular period is called amenorrhea. Amenorrhea is not a disease itself but a symptom of some other problem.
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Peruse the health food aisle of any grocery store or pharmacy: Your senses will be assaulted with brightly packaged, attractively named "energy bars." Among the competitors is a company called Clif Bar, Inc. -- a family-owned business that was founded to produce nutritious bars for athletes and active individuals.
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Unlike diets, which are often restrictive and intended for short-term weight loss, a balanced diet is diverse and adequate for activity level. In other words, you simply need to eat from all the food groups and treat food as fuel for a fit, active lifestyle.
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When you're in the mood for ham with all the fixings but don't want to wait all day for a whole ham to roast, a steak is the perfect solution. Ham steaks are thick, juicy and surprisingly low in fat and calories. Three ounces of a boneless, cured ham steak has only 105 calories and just over 3 grams of fat.
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Prime rib roast can be pricey, so it's worthwhile to cook down the bones into a rich soup stock to use as a base for a few more meals. Making beef stock takes time but very little effort.
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You won't find eye of round roast on the menu at many fancy restaurants because it is an inexpensive cut of meat. Eye of round is quite lean and will turn to shoe leather if cooked improperly. With proper preparation, however, you can make eye of round as succulent and juicy as prime rib.
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There is a certain magic to the art of baking bread. You start with a lump of dough and end up with a light, chewy loaf -- provided you followed the correct steps. A single-celled organism called yeast is what causes bread dough to rise. The fungus is dormant until it is exposed to heat and fed with sugar.
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All vegetables are good for your health, but kale -- a cruciferous plant which belongs to the same family as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage -- is particularly outstanding. The leafy green is a rich source of vitamins A, K and C, fiber, carotenoids and flavonoids.
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A dollop of whipped cream on top of a piece of pie is decadently delicious, but really bad for your waistline. A single tablespoon of whipping cream has more than 50 calories and 5.5 grams of fat; 3.4 grams are saturated fat, which is a hazard for your heart health.
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