The Healthy Solution

Cholesterol is found in most all foods that have some type of meat or animal product in them. If you are not looking at the ingredients in the foods that you are eating, you could be eating a high amount of cholesterol and not even realize it. Reading labels on everything you are eating is going to be important for your future, and your health. High cholesterol that is not taken care of can create a domino effect in your life, leading to additional blood problems, clots, and additional medical problems. You want to be healthy and enjoy the many years of your life, and controlling your cholesterol is going to be a good first step in this long and healthy life.

What are some of the types of foods you should consider eating if you want to avoid all those bad cholesterols and saturated fats in your personal diet? High fiber foods are going to be good for your change in diet. This is going to include cereals and whole grain breads. Look to wheat or rye instead of white breads. If you like, add fruit to your diet. If you like fruit juice that is fine but fresh fruits is going to add more fiber to your diet than fruit juices will. Look for real fruit juices and not artificially sweetened juices. Do you like to drink milk? You should be drinking skim or 2% milk instead of drinking whole milk. Whole milk has a lot of calories, and a lot of fat in it that is going to be harmful to your lower cholesterol diet.

Try to stay away from snacks that are higher in cholesterol and fats, look to whole grain crackers that are going to help you keep your cholesterol in check. Your cholesterol can climb from those hidden things you don't even realize that contain cholesterol so read the labels carefully. Eating fruits that have the skins on them is going to be better for you then skinning a fruit, such as with an apple - the skins containt more fiber and also have valuable nutrients.

1. Avoid foods with high concentration of sugar (cakes, ice cream, honey...)

2. Fluoride can protect the teeth. Make sure that nutrition, drinking water and use of fluoride toothpaste provide the necessary quantities of fluoride.

3. Prefer foods rich to nutritious ingredients but without sugar (milk, yoghurt, rice, meat, fish, fruits....)

4. Beware of 'hidden' sugars. Don't consider sweet only the foods with sweet taste. Check for the concentration of sugar on product labels.

5. Don't forget that many refreshments and soft drinks have a high concentration of sugar. Although diet soft drinks do not contain sugar, they do contain acids and can damage tooth enamel.

6. Choose fruits and vegetables that contain a high volume of water, such as pears, melons, celery, and cucumbers as 'healthy snacks' instead of sweet snacks.

7. For a healthy nutrition for your teeth, it is important not only what you eat but also when you eat it. You should consume sweets only at the main meals. Don't eat sweets between meals. During meals the saliva production is increased neutralizing most of the acids. That's why a sweet during meal is less hazardous than one taken between the meals. Avoid sugary or acidic drinks between meals. Drink milk or water.

8. It is better to finish your meal with yellow cheese that helps neutralizing the acids in our mouth, especially after the consumption of sweet foods.

9. The foods structure is also important for dental health :
- wet foods act for only a limited amount of time
- tough foods are the safest because they increase the saliva production and help to the self-cleaning of teeth
- soft and sticky foods are dangerous because they attach and get between the teeth providing a better environment for the bacteria and dental plaque.

10. Along with following these healthy nutrition tips, you should not forget to brush your teeth after every meal, and floss at least once daily.

1. Start your day with breakfast.
Breakfast fills your "empty tank" to get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in school. Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night's pizza!

2. Get Moving!
It's easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day.

3. Snack smart.
Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups - a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are OK for occasional snacking.

4. Work up a sweat.
Vigorous work-outs - when you're breathing hard and sweating - help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging, or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.

5. Balance your food choices - don't eat too much of any one thing.
You don't have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthy. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you get all these nutrients.

6. Get fit with friends or family.
Being active is much more fun with friends or family. Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity event, like a bike ride or hiking, with a group each week.

7. Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.
These foods give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and oatmeal are also in the grain group. Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits. Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or salad.

8. Join in physical activities at school.
Whether you take a physical education class or do other physical activities at school, such as intramural sports, structures activities are a sure way to feel good, look good and stay physically fit.

9. Foods aren't good or bad.
A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many parts. Each part -- or food -- is different. Some foods may have more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good or bad is how foods fit together. Balancing your choices is important. Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other meals. And don't forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you up, you don't need a third.

10. Make healthy eating and physical activities fun!
Take advantage of physical activities you and your friends enjoy doing together and eat the foods you like. Be adventurous - try new sports, games and other activities as well as new foods. You'll grow stronger, play longer, and look and feel better! Set realistic goals - don't try changing too much at once.