Summer heat can be quite draining. Well, some of you might agree while some might not. Don’t you notice that during scorching days it is so good to gulp down a long, cold drink? It’s usually our way of replenishing fluids discharged by our body. But you know there’s an even better way of replenishing lost fluids in our body. Say NO to sodas and other drinks in can, and say YES to all-natural fruity snacks! There are 5 kinds of fruits that can serve as great snacks. Here they are: apples, apricots, figs, mangos, and oranges.

Are you ready to get to know these fruits better? More after the jump…

If you think that diet sodas are better for your health than the regular one, you’d better think again. Whether regular or diet, the long-term intake of such drinks will have an adverse effect on your health. In a study published in the journal Circulation imply that even just one soda a day can increase the risk by 40% that the person will suffer from heart disease. Previously sodas have been implicated in diseases like diabetes and now its heart disease.

You know when our mothers tell us to drink milk so we can have healthy bones and teeth, it turns out milk does a whole lot more than that. A new study conducted in the UK has proven that drinking half a litre of milk or milk products every day will decrease the chances of acquiring diabetes or heart problems for men. The study which was conducted at Cardiff University in Wales took 20 years and 2375 men whose ages ranged between 45 and 50 years old. The explanation of this conclusion was that milk and its products decrease the chance of men suffering from metabolic syndrome which increases the chance of diabetes and heart disease.

We all have our mood swings sometimes, right? I think no one can deny that fact. When your mood takes on a low what do you do? Comfort food…does it sound familiar? So what is your favorite comfort food?

We usually associate comfort food with low moods, but in a recent survey, a larger percentage of people look for comfort food when they are happy and when they want to reward themselves. And contrary to the notion that many resort to chocolates, cakes and other fat containing foods, many eat healthy foods when they get a comfort food craving. Some of the well-liked comfort foods are the soups, pasta, casseroles and meats…though my favorite is chocolate; I must admit that these foods mentioned are very mouth-watering…

Have you been using lots of tomatoes and tomato sauce in your menu because you believe that this can help reduce the risk of cancer? You can lessen your intake of it because according to a review done by the folks over at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration there is not much proof that shows that tomatoes or lycopene can really combat cancer. However, its anti-cancer benefit is not a total wipe out because it can still help reduce certain cancers – ovarian, prostate, pancreatic and gastric cancer but not for colon, breast, endometrial or cervical cancer.

Ready to eat foods or those vacuum-packed goodies are sometimes very welcome supplements especially when you’re just too tired to move, much more cook right? However, a warning has been sounded about these vacuum-packed foods as they can be the breeding ground for bacteria and bugs that can cause health hazard such as food poisoning. We all know that these products are carefully packed in order that oxygen will not be present in it thereby making it last long.

If you say 'Prunes' to some people, they'd go 'Yuck'! They'd say that they taste bad & they look even worse with all these wrinkles! But, get this, Prunes are great for your heart!
Dried prunes not only help you go to the bathroon for no. 2! But they also have heart-friendly attributes; they are full of antioxidants that can stop bad things from happening in your arteries, like plaque ruptures that could lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Diabetes is another very prevalent health problems nowadays in adults and young ones alike. And those who have heard and read about the disease know that diabetes comes in several types like the Type 1, Type 2 and the Gestational diabetes. Among these three it is the Type 2 that is most common since it can be associated with a lot of factors. Studies show that 90 to 95% of people have this disease.

Obesity is one of the biggest problems nowadays, not only of adults but especially when it comes to kids. And we all know the implication of being obese, especially when it started out in childhood. But you know that kids being what they are always want food, food, food. So, if you are a parent who fears that your child might become obese you can use 100% fruit juice in his diet. Researchers recently found out that kids who drink fruit juice are not likely to become overweight and they are able to take in more nutrients than those who don’t.

If you want to remain healthy for a long time to come you should try cutting back on your intake of saturated fats. Now what are saturated fats? Well, simply put, these are fats found in animal meat, which can be harmful to your health because it increases the bad cholesterol present in the blood. With high levels of bad cholesterol you will be prone to the risk of heart disease and stroke as according to the American Heart Association. Lesser intake of red meat is especially a good start in improving the health condition, especially of Americans whose diet comprise highly of meat.

Heart disease is the silent killer that everyone dreads. It is a silent killer because you never really know when it will strike. But now there is a recent study, which says that you can prevent the occurrence of heart disease, and this is by cutting back on salt-intake. Yes, a lesser-salt diet will work wonders for your heart’s health. We all know that salt is one of the most used ingredients in order to make the food taste good, so some of you might say that what is food if you can’t even taste it. But I’d say it is better to sacrifice the taste rather than your health. And after some time you will get used to the taste of food with less sodium, all it takes is some adjustment.

Remember when we were kids, our parents used to tell us that eating more carrots would make our eye-sight stronger ... Have you ever seen a rabbit wearing glasses???
Well, that's true, because carrots have loads of vitamin A in them & that's great for your eyes, but vitamin A is also great for your skin.
Your skin needs to always have a balanced pH in order to look healthy, glowing & fight off bacterial invaders. That's what vitamin A is good for.
So, snack on carrot sticks, add carrots to your salad & make carrot soup ... The color is gorgeous & the taste is refreshingly sweet!

Believe it or not, but some foods have the same effect like smoking or drugs, meaning they are addictive!
Addictive foods release a feel-good hormone in your brain called dopamine, making you want more of them! It goes exactly like this: when dopamine is released, you feel great, until the levels begin to drop again, so you find yourself reaching for more of the food that made you feel so good!
A coke, a sugary cereal, a bag of potatoes .. Or for that matter potatoes, they all contain qualities similar to an addictive drug.

Cinnamon & cloves are irresistible spices, handy for baking, hot drinks & savory dishes, but they aren't just treats for your taste buds! They also provide great health benefits.
Did you know that cinnamon is an antioxidant & a powerful germ-killer? Well, it is & so are cloves!
You should incorporate these two spices into your everyday meals ... Here are a few ideas how:

Sprinkle either or both on fresh apple slices.
Add cinnamon & cloves to pot dishes for an Indian-inspired flavor twist.
Add ground cloves to stuffing recipes.