Mushrooms, hot cocoa and Harry, a very Hogwarts-like dinner.

My momma went back to work this afternoon, but my sissy and I are still partying it up.

Today was a nice day. I got to run and lay around, blog (since I haven’t been doing it as often due to the overwhelming amount of homework) and I also got to play around with jack-jack my guitar;)

Then I headed to eat dinner and when I asked Pamela (my sister) what were we having she stared at me and said with this you’re-an-idiot face “TURKEY.” RIGHT. My thinking process started to run wild and I came with the idea of adding something to my plate: Mushrooms!

Benefits of mushrooms? Oh, I did some research…

• They are 80-90% water, which means that they are low in calories
• Great source of potassium
• Rich source of antioxidants!

My plate looked delish and different and awesome and it just kept begging me to eat it. So my sister and I headed to the room and decided to watch Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix. We’re Potter-nerds, yeah.

After dinner, hot cocoa sounded really good:) So off we went, back to the kitchen, and served some hot cocoa in our favorite cups… and back to the room. Like I said, nice day.

Characterisics of A Nutritious Diet

A nutritious diet has five characteristics:

1. Adequacy
   The foods you intake provide enough of each essential nutrient, fiber and energy. For example, we’ll use iron to illustrate. As an essential nutrient, iron is lost everyday and therefore should be replaced everyday. If you eat too few of the iron-containing foods, you oculd develop iron-deficiency anemia: making you feel tired, cold, weak and sad; you may have frequent; and you won’t be able to do as much physical actvities without feeling tired. If you add iron-rich foods to your diet, you soon feel more energetic.
2. Balance
   Means that the choices of foods do not overemphasize one nutrient or food type at the expense of other. To appreciate the importance of dietary balance, we’ll consider another essential nutrient: calcium. A diet lacking calcium causes poor bone development. Most food that are rich in iron are poor in calcium. Calcium;s richest food sources are milk adn milk products (which happen to be extraordinarily poor in iron). Clearly, to obtain enough of both calcium and iron, people have to alance their food choices among the types of foods that provide specific nutrients. Balancing your diet to provide enough but not too much of the 40-odd nutrients the body needs for health requires, therefore, considerable juggling and planning.
3. Calorie Control
   Energy intakes should not exceed energy needs. This diet characteristic ensures that energy intakes from food balance energy expenditures required for body functions and physcial acivity. Eating such a diet helps to control body fat content and weight.
4. Moderation
   Intakes of certain foods such as fat, cholesterols, sugar, and salt should be limited for health’s sake. For example, a major guideline for healthy people is to keep fat intake below 35% of total calories. Some people take this to mean that they cannot ever indulge in a delicios beefstake or hot-fudge sundae, but they are misinformed: moderation, not total abstinence, is the key. If you indulge on a favorite food or dessert once a week, that action may have little impact; as on once-a-month treats would have practically no effect at all. Moderation also means that limit he intake of desirable foods as well. For example, fiber is good for your digestive system, but too much of it leads to nutrient losses.
5. Variety
   Nutrition scientists agree that people should not eat the same foods, even highly nutritious ones, day after day. One reason is that a varied diet is more likelyto be adequate in nutrients. Another reason is that a monotonous may deiver large amounts of toxins and contaminants. This is because each undesirable item in a food is diluted by all the other foods eaten with it, byt eating the same food everyday, you accumulate those undesirable items. Last, variety adds interest because trying new foods can be a source of pleasure.

You must remember that any one of these dietary principles alone cannot ensure a healthful diet. If you establish the habit ofusin all of the principles you will find that chosing a healthful diet becomes as automatic as brushing your teeth. Establishing the habit may take some efforts,but the payoff in terms of improved helth is overwhelming.

Naan Pizza with Asparagus