Nutritional health is achieved through the therapeutic use of whole foods, safe culinary preparation, and understanding the metabolic impacts of specific dietary frameworks and ingredients.
When it comes to fruits and veggies, generally the brighter the color, the more nutritious. However, white mushrooms break the rules, and these relatively dull and colorless veggies come packed with nutrition.
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Beans might have a reputation as "the magical fruit" for less-than-savory reasons, but they're actually a nourishing addition to your healthy diet. Beans come loaded with essential minerals like magnesium and potassium, as well as vitamins like folate.
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Bananas contain nothing that will make you gain weight, but eating any food in excess can trigger weight gain if you consume more than your daily calorie needs. If you enjoy bananas, eat them as part of a weight-gain strategy to help you add mass.
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Good for drinking on its own or for use in baking, buttermilk has a tart flavor and comes packed with essential nutrients. When you're shopping for buttermilk, follow U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines and opt for reduced-fat or fat-free buttermilk instead of the full-fat version.
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Dietary guidelines released by the USDA recommend that you make grains a part of your diet, and both rice and bread contribute to your daily intake. A cup of cooked rice, or 2 ounces of bread -- the approximate equivalent of 2 slices -- boost your grain intake by 2 ounces.
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With its nutty flavor and firm texture, tempeh -- made from fermented soybeans that have been pressed into blocks -- works well in a variety of dishes.
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Spaghetti is the ultimate comfort food -- it's rich, carb-heavy and easy to prepare. You can get a nostalgia-tinged classic on the table in less than half an hour. Eating spaghetti isn't necessarily the best for weight loss, especially if you cook your noodles until they're very tender.
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Carrying a few extra pounds on your midsection is common -- more than half of Americans have a waist size that's larger than normal, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2014. That doesn't mean you're stuck with side stomach fat forever, though.
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It's hard to overstate the importance of hydration -- the fluid in your body helps maintain your blood volume, plays a role in nutrient transport and even supports body temperature regulation. If you're bored with plain water, adding a squeeze of lemon might encourage you to drink more.
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Whether you crave coffee as a mid-afternoon caffeine fix or a morning pick-me-up, you're in good company. Americans drink an average of three cups of joe each day, according to a 2010 survey on coffee trends conducted by the National Coffee Association.
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Although salads and fruit are great for you -- and they're worthwhile to add to a weight loss diet -- they shouldn't make up your entire meal plan. You would likely lose weight eating salads and fruit at every meal, but you may also be depriving your body of essential nutrients you need to feel and look your best.
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A member of the legume family, lupine seeds -- sometimes called lupins or lupini beans -- make a healthful addition to your diet, and you can consume them on their own or use ground, dried lupini beans as a replacement for flour.
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The quality of your diet plays a key role in your health, and setting a goal to gain weight isn't a license to eat anything you want. While eating any extra calories -- even ones from fast food, ice cream and other "junk"
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While you might not think of chocolate milk as your healthiest beverage option, it has a place in a balanced diet. Drinking chocolate milk after your workouts might offer benefits, as Dr. John Ivy, Ph.D.
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Don't feel guilty over craving a caffeine buzz. Drinking coffee can benefit your health; it may lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and might offer some protection against Parkinson's disease, according to the Harvard Gazette.
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Fresh herbs have a place in any health-conscious kitchen because they add bright, fresh flavor to your meals while being low in calories, fat and sodium.
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Grapefruit has a long-standing reputation as a diet food -- it's even the basis of fad diets such as the grapefruit diet.
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Carob powder, from the pod of the carob tree, is often marketed as a chocolate substitute. While it has a similar appearance to cacao powder -- made from the beans of the cacao plant -- it has a milder, sweeter taste and offers a significantly different nutritional profile.
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Eating healthy is key for weight loss, and including porridge in your diet can help you reach your weight-loss goals. Oatmeal -- the most common type of porridge -- is directly linked to weight loss, and other types of porridge offer weight-loss benefits, too.
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Coconuts make up staples in many cuisines -- including several Indian and South American cuisines -- and their widespread availability in the tropics provided sustenance needed to establish trade routes, according to Dr. Kenneth Olson, an associate professor at Washington University.
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