High cholesterol is one of the consequences of an over-stimulated way of living that excludes all kinds of healthy habits. And that certainly covers snacking. If you are suffering from high cholesterol, and are looking for some guilt-free snacks to peck at, look no further. Here are five healthy snack ideas for you. Vegetables A good source of essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and micronutrients, an assortment of colorful vegetables is indispensable in a healthy diet plan. So have more carrots, fresh string beans, peas, eggplants, and potatoes with their skin. Aim to have at least four servings of vegetables every day. In a heated wok, saute some colorful veggies along with shallots and a few garlic pods in olive oil. After a few minutes, switch off the flame, add salt and freshly crushed black pepper, and garnish with lightly roasted sesame seeds for an added crunch. Enjoy a healthy, guilt-free snack anytime, without having to worry about your high cholesterol. Fruits Low-fat fruits like grapes, strawberries, apples, and citrus varieties are ideal snacks for lowering cholesterol. There is nothing more healthy and satisfying for between-meal snacks than a bowl of fresh fruits without any added salt or sugar fruits. Aim to have a minimum of 3 cups of fruit per day.

Blood glucose or blood sugar is the main energy source for your body. The foods you eat determine the level of blood glucose in your body. And, when there is too much of this sugar in your blood, it is called diabetes. So, if you are among the 30 million Americans who have diabetes, let us help you get started with eating right. We shall begin with the nibbles, here are four diabetes-safe snack recipes for you. Chia seed pudding Small in size, but packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, antioxidants, and fiber, chia seeds are a superfood ideal for diabetes. They are low in calories and naturally gluten-free. Chia seeds help slow the speed of absorption of sugar in the blood, thus decreasing blood sugar levels. With just two tablespoons, chia seeds provide your daily requirement of calcium, phosphorus, and trace minerals like magnesium, and manganese. Chia seeds help regulate the erratic fluctuations in insulin levels in your body. Recipe: Add a tablespoon or two of chia seeds to a mason jar. Add plain, unsweetened almond milk, a pinch of cinnamon, some colorful berries, a few slices of apricots and kiwis, and a hint of pure vanilla extract. Cover and keep refrigerated for a few hours.

“70% of your serotonin is made in your gut. What’s going on in your gut is going to affect your mood – anxiety, depression, and focus.” Dr. Frank Lipman.  Celebrity doctor and physician Dr. Frank Lipman believes that the food you eat not only impacts your physical body but has an influence on your mental health as well. It is especially true in the case of people who have Schizophrenia. Studies conducted by the Journal of Psychiatric Research on the dietary pattern of patients with Schizophrenia confirms this opinion of Dr. Lipman. It asserts that patients with a mental condition like Schizophrenia naturally refrain from eating healthy foods and are drawn towards high-saturated fatty meals that result in a total imbalance of their metabolic system. Weight gain, especially, is a prime cause of concern in people with Schizophrenia because it can lead to a host of other chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Here is a list of beneficial foods suitable for people struggling with Schizophrenia, a psychotic disorder.  Omega-3 fatty acids Omega-3 essential fatty acids are critical for brain development, maintenance, and functioning. They are responsible for the protection of cell walls and the receptors inside them, the neurotransmitters.

When too much uric acid crystallizes and collects in your joints, especially the big toes, it can cause redness, tenderness, inflammation, and pain. Gout can also affect your knees, ankles, wrists, and elbows. It is one of the more complex yet common types of arthritis that can affect anyone. Helping your body produce less uric acid or making sure the excess is gotten rid of from your body is critical to preventing painful chronic gout. Below is dietary advice to help stabilize uric acid in your body. Purine is present in alcohol, meat, and seafood. Break down of purine nucleotides found in alcohol, seafood, and meat into uric acid is a normal process performed by your liver. However, when there is excessive uric acid in your bloodstream that is not filtered and excreted by your kidneys, they accumulate and crystallize in your body’s joints. So consume these in lesser quantities, or abstain from having them. Healthy body weight should be your goal. Maintaining a healthy body weight should be your primary goal. A healthy, wholesome diet is one of the ways to achieve this. Make good choices, because all it takes is a little planning ahead from you. Meal plans help you make the right choice with nutritious food.

Migraines are severe headaches that debilitate a person, often making them prone to irritability, and anger. Yet many people move on with their daily work. Almost one in four people, including children, suffer from migraines. Even though there is no concrete evidence of a cure for migraines, it can be avoided by watching what one eats. Below are top foods that trigger migraines, and it wise to stay away from them.  Caffeine It might sound dubious, as many people would like to clear their headache with a hot mug of coffee. However, research suggests that caffeine is addictive and can bring on a headache when not consumed. Doctors recommend that people suffering from regular migraines decrease caffeine consumption and increase breathing exercises and water consumption to avoid withdrawal and frequent migraines. Alcohol Scientifically, it is true that alcohol, when consumed up-to a certain amount, helps alleviate headaches. However, alcohol, like caffeine, does induce a withdrawal, which can potentially trigger a migraine. It is necessary to reduce the frequency and amount of consumption of alcohol for regular drinkers. Aged cheese and cultured dairy products Aged cheese and cultured dairy products, such as sour cream, clabber, yogurt, buttermilk, acidophilus milk, koumiss, and kefir, contain tyramine.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be a painful experience and mind-nagging experience. However, it can be prevented by maintaining an ideal diet. Below are foods that you have to avoid and the foods that can be eaten for irritable bowel syndrome. Foods to say goodbye to Avoiding these kinds of foods help keep IBS away and can have life enabling benefits. Foods such as processed foods, sugar-free sweeteners, caffeinated drinks, fried foods, dairy products, gluten, and alcohol affect the bowel by causing symptoms like bloating, stomach pain, constipation, or diarrhea. Fruits such as blackberries, mangoes, peaches, plums, watermelon, and pears also trigger irritable bowel syndrome. All the above foods produce gas or constipation, which can trigger irritable Bowel Syndrome. Doctors, in short, advice to avoid FODMAPs foods, including fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides and monosaccharides, and polyols. Research suggests that eliminating high FODMAPs foods can permanently decrease the chances of IBS. Foods that can be eaten in moderation It is hard to be too choosy when eating at a dinner party or during travel. In such cases, eating once in a week or very little of foods such as insoluble fibers, garlic, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, chocolate, beans, and legumes can help prevent the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a combination of respiratory illnesses that affect the free flow of air and makes it difficult for you to breathe. Chronic bronchitis and Emphysema are the two types of COPD. Smoking tobacco, exposure to second-hand smoke, environmental pollution, and poor ventilation in living or working habitats are reasons people develop COPD. There is no cure for COPD, but there are certain things you can do to reduce the frequency and intensity of its symptoms. When you ensure to eat the right foods and also avoid those that make symptoms worse is one of the ways COPD patients can manage this group of progressive respiratory diseases. The foods to eat are as follows: Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables Brightly colored (also referred to as rainbow-colored) fruits and vegetables are highly rich in phytochemicals that work as antioxidants to reduce the damage caused by free radicals by neutralizing them. They are beneficial for COPD patients because antioxidants help improve lung functioning. Include carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, leafy greens, and fruits like apples, apricots, berries, grapes, oranges, and other citrus fruits, cantaloupe, pears, and watermelons in the diet. Beans, peas, and nuts abundant in zinc Beans, peas, and nuts contain fiber, zinc, and protein, all essential for a healthy COPD prevention diet.

A mental illness that makes people exhibit extreme mood fluctuations is called bipolar depression. Alternating between bouts of raging excitement and severe depression with periods of normalcy in between is the characteristic of this health condition. Genetic and environmental factors are suspected to be the cause of bipolar depression, but did you know that there are simple diet tips that can help you manage this condition and make a positive difference? There is no single “magic” food. Remember, there is no unique food that can cure bipolar depression. However, healthy dietary practices will go a long way in keeping you fit and in good shape not just physically, but also mentally. The right kind of foods provide nutrients that enable all your organs to perform efficiently to their potential, prevent erratic blood glucose fluctuations, and hence mood swings. Up your intake of omega-3 fatty acids This nutrient provides an abundance of benefits to your body, reducing the risk of heart disease, improving memory and concentration, and minimizing arthritic pain and inflammation. Present in cold-water fish like mackerel, anchovies, trout, salmon, and herring, omega-3 fatty acids help build and maintain your brain’s neuron connection and the receptors for neurotransmitters. Thus the serotonins that are produced help reduce mood swings and improve responsiveness.

Ulcerative colitis is a severe inflammatory bowel disease that affects your large intestine. Irritation, inflammation, and painful sores appear in the colon and rectum. Ulcerative Colitis does not have a cure. This disease can wear you out, but the good news is that symptoms can be brought under control, and the duration of remissions increased with some changes to your diet. Every individual affected by ulcerative colitis reacts differently, so keeping track of what foods exasperate your symptoms is crucial. Here are some general diet tips for ulcerative colitis that might be helpful for you. Eat small meals Instead of following three meals a day routine, when you are an ulcerative colitis patient, it is best to divide your meal portions into smaller sizes and eat them in tinier bites. You could maybe start your day with breakfast and have something to eat every 3 hours after that. It will not overwhelm your digestive system and instead will provide your nutrient absorption, and provide energy steadily throughout the day. Be aware that cooked foods are better than raw ones. The incidence of infection and indigestion from raw foods is high. Cooked food is better tolerated even by sensitive stomachs. So, either use the right amount of water to prepare your food, so you do not wash down nutrient-rich left-over water down the kitchen drain or add the excess water in your soups.

For a long time, cocktails have been used to spice up a dinner patry along with an array of hors d’oeuvres and meals. Some combinations work well, no matter the theme of your gathering. Here are five classic cocktails that are great for entertaining your guests and helping you show off your bartending skills. Old Fashioned Developed during the 19th century, the old fashioned is one of the six basic drinks featured in David A. Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks . This classic cocktail is a must-know and easy to make as it a sure-shit way of entertaining guests. The main ingredients are Bourbon or rye whiskey – 2 ounces Angostura bitters – 2 dashes Sugar – 1 cube or 1 tsp Orange – 2 peels twisted for garnish Add some sugar in a glass and pour two dashes of angostura bitters. Then add two ounces of whiskey and stir the mixture while the sugar dissolves. Add the ice and stir again. Garnish the drink with twisted orange peels. Ready to be served.  Whiskey Sour The original whiskey sour dates back to the 18th century when sailors made this cocktail to water down liquor so the rations would last longer.