Health Tips | Live Young - Lou Ann Donovan

High Glycemic Foods to Avoid

June 27, 2013 by Lou Ann Donovan 3 Comments

Glycemic Foods series first article – High Glycemic Foods to Avoid. Check back soon for my next post about low glycemic foods to enjoy!

A high glycemic diet, day after day, puts the body at risk for higher body fat levels. Basically high glycemic food raises the blood sugar causing the pancreas to keep pumping more insulin. Specific health problems include; weight gain, obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

[iconbox title=”TIP” icon=”Bended_Arrow_Up.png”]For every additional 100 grams of sugar per 2,000 daily calories, there’s a 45 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes.[/iconbox]

High Glycemic Common Foods to Avoid
Breads – white breads, white flour products, corn bread
Cereal – ALL except low glycemic cereal; bran, oatmeal, Special K
Fruit – bananas, melons, pineapple, raisins
Grains – white rice, millet, corn products
Pasta – thick, large pasta shapes
Snacks – popcorn, potato chips, corn chips, rice cakes, pretzels
Vegetables – potatoes, corn, carrots, beets
Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Food List [Read more…]

Top 5 Food Sensitivities

May 20, 2013 by Lou Ann Donovan Leave a Comment

Hives, severe gas, wheezing…oh my! Do you suffer from any of these reactions after eating certain foods? If so, you might be suffering, along with an estimated 12 million Americans with food sensitivity. Let’s read up on the Top 5 Food Sensitivities!

[box type=”tick”]TIP: Read the ingredient label carefully. The federal government requires packaged food to be properly labeled as to containing common food allergens. [/box]

Top 5 Food Sensitivities

Gluten – and wheat intolerance deals specifically with the wheat grain, while Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder which affects the body’s ability to process gluten proteins within the grain. It’s best to avoid baked goods, bread crumbs, cereals, beer, breaded food, sausage, sauces, ice cream, salad dressings and soups.

gluten food sensitive

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Artificial Sweeteners: Is There a Natural Choice?

March 21, 2013 by Lou Ann Donovan 2 Comments

The purpose of artificial sweeteners which are many times sweeter than sucrose table sugar is to sweeten foods and beverages using smaller amounts. These sweeteners are an attractive alternative to sugar because they add no calories to the diet, don’t contribute to tooth decay and cavities, and don’t raise blood sugar levels in diabetics because they are not a carbohydrate.

Since I’ve never tried an artificial sweetener I was curious to research and write this post to see if there was a natural choice. I’ve worked hard to minimize my sugar consumption since my college days because of my hypoglycemia diagnosis also called low blood sugar so I rarely get cravings for sugar. My blood sugar count stays balanced too because of my whole foods diet.

Most Common Artificial Sweeteners

[iconbox icon=”Bulls_Eye.png”]Here’s the list of 6 sugar substitutes that are FDA approved for use:[/iconbox] [Read more…]

Difference between Prebiotic versus Probiotic

March 11, 2013 by Lou Ann Donovan Leave a Comment

[iconbox title=”Question” icon=”Cog_4.png”]What’s the difference between prebiotics and probiotics and why should you care?[/iconbox]

[iconbox title=”Answer” icon=”Link.png”]Prebiotics are carbohydrates that can’t be digested by the body. They are actually food for probiotics.[/iconbox]

Probiotics are “good’ bacteria that helps keep your digestive system healthy. They control the growth of harmful bacteria.

Primary benefit of both prebiotics and probiotics are to help the body maintain a healthy digestive system by creating a population of healthy bacteria. This healthy bacterium forms a protective shield in the digestive tract preventing harmful bacteria and viruses from infecting your body.

tempeh

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8 Habits of Healthy Families

February 27, 2013 by Lou Ann Donovan Leave a Comment

Do you know what it takes to create a healthy lifestyle for your family? It’s all about starting daily healthy habits that involves everyone in the family. Here’s a list of 8 habits of healthy families. Have you started some of these healthy habits with your family or maybe you are already doing all 8? Share by commenting and include other habits of healthy families not listed.

8 Habits of Healthy Families

[iconbox title=”Take Time to Talk” icon=”Home.png”] Allow everyone to talk about a positive experience they encountered that day at the family dinner table. Encourage the younger children to share something new they learned.[/iconbox]

[Read more…]

6 Tips for Healthy Prostate

February 20, 2013 by Lou Ann Donovan 2 Comments

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men per the American Cancer Society. As men age they should focus on these six tips to reduce the risk of prostate problems; wine, healthy foods, limit dairy, don’t smoke, exercise and prevention.

Prevention is always the best place to start in taking care of the body. For the prostate it’s recommended to have a baseline PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test done at age 50 or age 45 if family history risk. Typically as men age the prostate gradually grows larger. While some growth is considered normal, excessive enlargement squeezes the urethra resulting in difficult urination especially at night. Also note that a PSA test result increase over time is more indicative of a problem than just a single test result.

[Read more…]