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.

Excess calories don't come only from food, but they also come from liquids we drink.
The only liquid that doesn't supply you with those extra calories, is water! It actually does the opposite, it can fill you up & prevent you from overeating! So try to drink at least a liter of water a day.
Try to avoid the following drinks because they either give you extra calories, or increase the hunger sensation, thus driving you to eat more!
The worst sort of drinks are the sugary drinks like sodas & punches, which by the way have no nutritional value! Stay Away from these!

Are you living in a non-fish culture like me?
I do like fish but they're not fresh where I live nor are they easy to come by. Sure some restaurants serve some nice sea-food but they're not reasonably priced.
Now, I'm complaining about this since fish, especially salmon and sardines are high in omega-3 fatty acids. These acids are believed to have properties that fight cancer.

The only fish-dish which is easy to come by is tuna, but you don't want to stick to the same type of fish all week. If you like tuna like me, you're on the right track, just try to add one or two more types of fish a week. Fish is also good for your memory too.
That'll do the trick.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but a plate of vegetables can keep your memory strong at old age. A recent study has shown that elderly people who eat 2.8 plates of vegetables a day prevent loss of memory and deterioration of mental abilities by 40% as opposed to others who only eat 1 plate a day over a 6 year period.

"This is very encouraging news that may help us retain our cognitive abilities as we age," study author Martha Clare Morris of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago said in a telephone interview.

Scientists have found that the red-pigmented antioxidant “lycopene” which is found in many fruits and vegetables especially tomatoes, may play an important role in reducing risks of many diseases, including cancer.

No no no...I didn't say go and open a jar of tomato past and dig in! Just that several studies have linked diets high in tomatoes with lower risks of certain cancers.

Committee on Nutrition for the American Academy of Pediatrics published a report that says parents shouldn’t completely exclude dairy products from their lactose intolerant kids’ diet. Dairy products are rich in calcium and vitamin D, which the kids need to keep them away from bone problems in the future.

The experts recommend that dairy foods like yoghurts, cheeses and even milk should be gradually introduced to the child to determine how much dairy food he can tolerate. These dairy foods when consumed with other kinds of food may not cause too much discomfort to the child. Letting the child eat small amounts of dairy foods in fact can treat lactose intolerance, they say.

A lactose intolerant person’s intestine does not produce enough enzymes called lactase, which is needed to digest lactose, the sugar found in milk and other dairy products; hence, after eating food with lactose, he suffers cramps, abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea. Symptoms vary from one person to another, depending on the amount of lactose consumed, the extent of lactase deficiency and other factors.

Not all milk shakes have to be full of sugar, ice-cream & full fat milk!
When you want to have a good, refreshing & healthy milk shake, you'll have to go with low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt & fresh fruits!
Don't think that milk & yogurt together are too much! When you combine milk & yogurt, you get a strong dose of calcium!

Indeed ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ as apples have lots of health benefits including reducing blood cholesterol levels, enhancing bowel function, reducing risk of stroke and other heart ailments, reducing risk of prostate cancer, diabetes, asthma, ease rheumatism and many others. Drinking apple juice everyday was also found effective in softening gallstones.

If you are trying to lose weight, skipping breakfast is not a good way to do this as foods we eat for breakfast have lower calorie, saturated fat and cholesterol content. They are more nutritious than the food we eat for our snacks, for lunch and dinner, making breakfast the most important meal of the day. Whole-grain cereals are highly recommended by nutritionist as they help control weight and improve health. However, a recent study reveals that leading brands of breakfast cereals a lot of people eat today contain great amounts of sugar, salt and saturated fat. Eating them every morning is like eating McBacon Roll, and chocolates for breakfast.

A question always asked: Which is better & healthier, butter or margarine?
Butter & Margarine are fat & anything more than the moderate is bad!
But does margarine really have less fat saturated fat than butter?
Margarine, which is a cheap alternative to butter, contains an evil fat called Trans fat, which is better known as the artery clogger! Whereas butter doesn't contain anything except the ordinary fat!
In recent research, it turns out that margarine can also increase the risk of asthma in adults. Not only that, but eating too much margarine can boost inflammation throughout the body!
So, stay friends with your regular butter, don't eat too much of it & you'll be safe!
Or better yet, substitute butter with olive oil!

Artichokes might look prickly & unfriendly, but they hide a lot of nutrients in that big heart!
Artichokes are full of folate, or better known as Folic Acid, which is a super nutrient that protects your pancreas, and is the essential nutrient for pregnant women.
Cook up a fresh whole artichoke to get 61 delicious micrograms of folate. Or save time with a jar of prepackaged hearts -- 43 micrograms per half-cup.

If you want all the benefits of red wine, yet you don't want to drink it, then your only way is to pour yourself a big glass of chilled grape juice!
From grape juice, you will give your body all the health benefits of red wine, and you can drive home safely after a few glasses!
Grape juice is full of protective pigments called flavonoids, and these make the disease fighting antioxidants in the blood rise.
Don't drink too much, just be moderate, a cup or two a day will do. But be sure you buy 100% fruit juice, not juice drink or cocktail, because they add sugar & dilute the good stuff.

Magnesium is a very important nutriant that each & every one of us must include in our diet.
Eating a magnesium-rich diet may help prevent abdominal obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance.
Magnesium aids your body in carbohydrate metabolism, & a disruption in the metabolism of carbohydrates may contribute to type 2 diabetes.
Magnesium is also essential to the health of your cardiovascular system, it regulates triglyceride and HDL cholesterol levels and maintains blood vessel flexibility.
To get your daily dose of Magnesium, eat whole grains, spinach, avocado & cashews. So don't take Magnesium lightly!

Green tea has been known since long ago for its positive & healthy effects on the human body.
But lately, it seems green tea has proven that its also a brain booster!
To keep your mind sharp, you should keep busy with puzzles, books, and problem solving. But adding two cups of antioxidant filled green tea a day, will help your mind stay healthy through your old age.
They way you brew green tea is also important; bring water to a boil, and let rest for one minute. Then pour the water over the green tea bag or leaves and let sit for two to three minutes, that's the optimal infusion time for green tea.
Get the best green tea from The Republic of Tea.