Good health is achieved by incorporating proper nutrition, exercise and rest into your lifestyle. Healthy nutrition in particular doesn’t only mean choosing the right food to eat but in the way food is prepared and cooked as well. You may choose a certain vegetable knowing that it is rich in vitamins and minerals but you really can’t be too sure if your body was able to absorb them since wrong techniques of preparation and cooking could easily drain out all those essential nutrients. Food can also be made healthier by using alternative ingredients that are more beneficial to one’s health. Indeed, it is vital to make thorough decisions about preparing food through methods that would keep hold of their nutritional value or through clever substitution of better ingredients.

The following are methods of healthy preparation and cooking of meals:

* When buying meat, choose lean portions such as pork tenderloin, loin lamb chops, and beef round. Also, remove all the fat that you can see as well as skin from poultry meat.

* Choose foods that contain high fiber or dietary fiber such as whole grain breads and cereals, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and grains. High-fiber food helps prevent and treat problems associated with bowel movement such as constipation and hemorrhoids. Certain kinds of fiber also help decrease blood cholesterol levels and though not well founded, dietary fiber may held reduce the risk of some common diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. Instead of all-purpose flour, use whole-wheat flour or soy flour in biscuits and breads.

* Avoid cooking methods that add cholesterol content to your food. Grilling meat, poultry, and fish is healthier, although open flame should be kept at its minimum. Broiling your food is another good alternative in cooking your meat, poultry, and fish. Food that is exposed too long to high temperatures may lose essential nutrients. Stir-frying adds very little oil and there are a lot of healthy stir-fry recipes. Moreover, the use of non-stick pans for stir-frying is even more recommended as it virtually eliminates the need for oil. Other low fat cooking methods include baking, steaming, boiling, and using microwave oven.

* Reduce the amount of salt used in you recipes. Instead, use herbs, spices, citrus or vinegar to add flavor to your food in a different way.

* In selecting your desserts, choose sherbet, sorbet, and frozen yogurt to substitute for ice cream. As an alternative for cakes and cookies, serve fruit desserts served stewed, fresh or as cobblers. Should you really wish to serve cake, top it with fruit instead of whipped cream or frosting.

* Use low-fat substitutes such as reconstituted nonfat dry milk as a replacement for whole milk. Buttermilk, evaporated skim milk, or low fat cheese can be used to replace cream.

* When frying, drain excess oil off or blot the food on paper towel so as to absorb the excess fat. Soups for reheating can be chilled too so the grease that settles on top can be easily removed.

* When using oil, use olive oil or Wesson oil. Olive oil is healthy as it contains high levels of monounsaturated fat and polyphenols. (Monounsaturated fat is much more stable compared to polyunsaturated fat, thus it is less likely to produce free radicals that may form bad blood cholesterol or LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which can harm blood vessels or cause gene alterations that may result to certain cancers.) Because olive oil contains over 30 plant compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it reduces blood pressure and hampers the growth of some cancers. Olive oil is also shown to lessen the severity of arthritis and asthma as well as help the body maintain a lower weight. Wesson oil on the other hand is a brand of vegetable oil that is marketed by ConAgra Foods. The kinds of Wesson oil brands include canola oil, corn oil, soy-based vegetable oil, and Best Blend, which is a mixture of different vegetable oils. All of these are highly purified and they contain no amount of trans fatty acids per serving, thus they are naturally free of cholesterol.

* Unlike some reports, butter can be healthy too. In fact, it is an ample source of Vitamin A that is needed for better vision and also contains Vitamins D, E and K, which are responsible for several necessary biological functions. Butter is also rich in trace minerals such as selenium, which is a potent antioxidant and it also contains iodine that is needed to prevent thyroid problems. Butter contains butyric acid which is known to be anti-carcinogenic and that is needed by the colon for energy. It contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) that helps prevent cancer and small amounts of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which are essential fatty acids.

Indeed, responsible preparation and cooking of food produce better results to one’s health. Below are sample healthy recipes:

BARBECUED CUBE STEAKS

8 cubed beef steaks
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 tbsp. Wesson oil
1 med. onion, chopped
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 c. catsup
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. water

Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge cube steaks with seasoned flour. Brown in lard drippings. Add chopped onion and brown lightly.

Mix remaining ingredients and pour over steaks. Cover tightly and cook slowly until meat is tender and sauce thickens, about 45 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

MASHED POTATOES WITH OLIVE OIL AND PARMESAN CHEESE

2 lb. Russet potatoes
3/4 c. (or more) hot chicken broth
5 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain. Peel potatoes and put into large bowl. Add 3/4 cup chicken broth and using electric mixer, beat potatoes until smooth. Gradually beat in oil and Parmesan cheese, adding more broth, if necessary. Season with pepper and salt and garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

HERBED SHRIMP IN GARLIC BUTTER

3 dozen shrimp, de-veined
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup butter
5 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup Promise Margarine
6 thin orange slices, for garnishing (optional)
green onions, for garnishing (optional)

Shell and de-vein shrimp, leaving tails on. Place shrimp in small bowl with salt, oregano, and thyme.

In a separate bowl, cream together Promise Margarine, garlic and parsley. In a small skillet, sauté mushrooms in Promise Margarine. Brush of the seasoning mixture lightly from the shrimp, allowing some to remain. Divide the shrimp among six individual oven proof baking dishes; top with sautéed mushrooms and drizzle with remaining promise margarine from skillet.

Spoon the garlic butter mixture on top of the mushrooms. Bake at 375°F. for 12 minutes or until done. Garnish each serving with a thin orange slice, cut through to the center on one side and placed over the shrimp. If desired, top with a curl of green onion. Makes 6 servings.

Visit websites like Live Healthy Now for more information about healthy living.