Enjoy a healthier lifestyle with more fruits and vegetables

By Ahmed Hajouj.


Everyone agrees on the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables, but not enough people are following this important advice. Dietary experts recommend that every person should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables is one of the easiest changes you can make to increase your level of health, lose weight and gain fitness.

The latest food guidelines recommend that adults eat from five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  While that may seem like a lot, it is an important goal to strive for, and a very reachable one.

A serving of a fruit or vegetable is equal to:

1. 1 medium sized vegetable or fruit (such as an apple, orange or banana)
2. 2 small fruits (such as kiwi fruit or plums)
3. ½ cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruits or vegetables
4. ½ cup of 100% fruit juice
5. ¼ cup of dried fruit
6. 1 cup of green salad


Study after study has shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of certain cancers, heart disease and other chronic diseases and conditions. One reason for the recommendation that everyone increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables is that many of these foods have been shown to have strong antioxidant qualities.  

Many fruits and vegetables have high amounts of many antioxidant vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C. In addition to their importance as source of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables also provide essential dietary fiber.  

Many people do not realize, that in addition to vitamin C, oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits also contain significant amounts of fiber. Fiber plays an important role in digestion, and it is thought to have protective qualities against heart disease and some forms of cancer.  In addition, fiber is thought to have the ability to lower high levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Another great feature of fruits and vegetables, especially to those watching their weight, is the high nutrition, low fat, and low calorie nature of these foods.  Fruits and vegetables contain very low levels of fats, and a diet low in fat can be quite effective for long-term weight loss. In addition, fruits and vegetables contain no cholesterol, and they are lower in calories than many other types of foods.

Fruits and vegetables have a lot of advantages besides just their nutritional importance.  For one thing, they taste great and add a great deal of variety to everyday meals.  Fruits and vegetables come in such a wide variety of colors, textures and flavors that they can be used in virtually every meal.  Those seeking to maximize their consumption of fruits and vegetables should get into the habit of using fruits in salads, as toppings and as garnishes.

No matter what your reason for following a healthy diet, we believe you will find that eating more fruits and vegetables is a delicious, as well as a nutritious, way to get the vitamins and minerals you need every day.

I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. When word gets around about your command of healthy diet facts, others who need to know about fruits and vegetables will start to actively seek you out.

Healthy Way of Losing Weight

By Ahmed Hajouj.



The success of weight loss programs relies on healthy diet and physical exercises done regularly. Eating healthy diet and regular workouts enable to lose weight on a long term basis. Losing weight should be done on a slow and steady pace rather than relying on the diet pills and fad diets, which actually are good only for a shorter period of time and bounce with weight gain after a certain period with lot of side effects. Eating healthy foods is the ideal way to loose weight.

<b>Positive steps towards eating healthy foods and reducing weight at the same time:</b>

Having a breakfast is a very important meal of the day, as it starts the day with some nutritious meal. Breakfast provides the necessary energy for the whole day and keeps the metabolism moving. Having a healthy breakfast will keep you away from unhealthy snacking or binging during lunch time. It is good to have a breakfast which is of a small portion with good amounts of protein and fiber, so that it keeps you filled until lunch time. High fiber foods are very good for the reason that they are not rich in calories and they pass through without being absorbed by the body.

While taking foods, it is good to check the calorie value and fat content of the food. Also, one needs to eat meals regularly, otherwise it might lead to binge eating. Small and frequent meals consumed daily keep people to have control over their diet and to be sure of what they eat. The meal pattern chosen should be ideal for the lifestyle of the person. However, meals have to be eaten at least three times a day without fail.

Fiber intake is the best way to loss weight and they are available in two forms, one is the soluble form found in the beans and oatmeal, the other is the insoluble form found in the vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Both the forms are good, as the soluble form lowers the cholesterol in the body while the insoluble form adds bulk to the diet. Fibers swell in the stomach, giving a feeling of fullness to the person. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide the necessary vitamins and minerals to the body and curb the urge to eat more.

Drinking enough amounts of water is very good to the body. It is very much needed to regulate temperature regulation of the body and to add viscosity to the blood. It is also a natural hunger suppressant. Drinking ice cold water helps to heat up the body and aids in burning up to 400 calories a week. Amazing isn’t it?

8 mistakes I made while trying to lose weight

By Ahmed Hajouj.


I went on my first diet around five years ago. Over the past four and a half years my weight went up and down as I tried every diet and exercise program under the sun. Nothing seemed to work for me. Until six months ago I enrolled in a weight workshop which taught me that I need to change the way I look at food. It was then that I realized that I had made many mistakes in my quest to lose weight.

In this article I’m going to share with you eight  mistakes I made on my quest to lose weight. I hope by sharing my experiences with others throughout the world via the internet I might be able to help people avoid the mistakes I made. So, here are the eight mistakes I made while trying to lose weight.

1. I started to skip breakfast
Most people trying to lose weight believe simply eating less and skipping meals helps shed that fat. And breakfast is a real easy meal to skip. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when on a weight loss diet. If you leave the house in the morning on an empty stomach you’re much more tempted to eat more at morning tea and lunch times. And, calories you eat at breakfast time are easily burnt throughout the day.

2. I would eat one day and not the next
I would literally eat about 2000+ calories one day, feel guilty, and end up eating about 700 calories the following day. If you “starve” yourself throughout the day you’re much more likely to eat more in the evenings, which is not going to help you lose weight. You should consume most of your calories in the morning.

3. I bought diet food
When I went shopping I always looked for the foods marked diet, low-fat, healthy etc. This is a good practice to get into, but I was buying these foods for the wrong reason. I bought these foods because in my mind it meant I could more. I would totally disregard portion size. If you eat diet foods in large portions you’re not doing yourself any favors.

4. I thought I’d always be fat
This is mindset that you must break if you want to lose some serious weight. Sometimes it feels like you’re doing the right things and not making any progress, this is totally natural. You need to focus on being happy and healthy and achieving your goals. Try not to get caught up in “the big picture”.

5. I started eating salads as main meals
Eating salad is a good way of keeping your calorie intake down right? Yes, meal of salad has much less calories that a pizza but does it have the satisfaction? When you eat you mind needs to get some satisfaction from what you have just eaten. I found that when I ate salads for meals a few hours later I was back I the cupboard looking for more food. I learnt that I was better off eating a balanced meal with slightly more calories than simply eating a salad and snacking afterwards.

6. I started my new diets on Mondays
When I found a new diet that I decided I was going to try I always started it on a Monday. This meant I would eat all weekend like I was never going to eat again. Doing this I was just setting myself up for failure.

7. I was to embarrassed to go to the gym
Taking the plunge and joining a gym was one of the hardest things I ever did. I was always worried that people in the gym would be staring at me and talking about me. I really thought I was too fat to join. My advice is to join a gym! You’ll be glad you did. I look forward to going to the gym now.

8. I set my goals to high
Setting long term goals is great, but these goals always seem to far off. You need to set smaller, more reachable goals that you can regularly meet to keep your motivation high. Set yourself weekly, monthly and three monthly goals. Once you meet one short term goal set a new one for next week.

So there you have it, those are the mistakes I made. I now look at weight loss from a totally different perspective and it has paid off. I now help others with weight loss and keeping healthy.