Infused Water for Weight Loss

Which fruit infused water is best for weight loss?

The answer is: the one you will drink the most. When it comes to weight loss, more water is better and the goal is to drink as much as you can. Drinking infused water for weight loss is one of the easiest habits you can have to help you lose weight without a lot of effort.

Additional benefits of drinking infused water for weight loss:

• Boosts your metabolism.
• Fills you up so you don’t eat as much junk.
• Naturally helps your body release fat cells.
• Keeps food moving through your system.
• Flushes toxins from your system.
• Improves your mood.
• Reduces muscle fatigue while working out.
• Helps you recuperate faster from a workout.
• Keeps your organs healthy while you’re sweating.
• Keeps you from feeling groggy in the afternoon.

Health Benefits of Melon Fruit

1. Prevent Heart Attacks

Besides effective to prevent some of the most dangerous diseases, adenosine content in melon is also able to prevent and stop the circulation of blood cell clumping that could result in a heart attack and even stroke. How it works is by way of circulation of red blood cells that can reduce heart attacks and strokes.

2. Prevent Cancer

There are many fruits and herbs that can prevent cancer, one melon. How melon can eradicate and prevent cancer? The answer is in the carotenoid content. Keep in mind, Carotenoids are pigments that serve as a conduit of colors in fruits and vegetables. High carotenoid content in this fruit can prevent some cancers, especially lung cancer symptoms and symptoms of breast cancer.

3. Maintain Eye Health

Benefits melon can also nourish the eyes, the fruit is enriched with beta-carotene content of substances that are useful to improve the sharpness of vision and maintain healthy eyes. Beta-carotene is converted by the body into vitamin A and used repair improves the function of the eye.

4. Eradicate Free Radicals

Melon fruit is also very rich in antioxidant flavonoids such as beta-carotene, lutein, zea-xanthin and cryptoxanthin. These antioxidants have the ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from free radicals. This capability can help in terms of protection against colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancer. But not only dangerous for the antioxidant benefits of the disease is also good for other body parts.

5. Prevent Stroke

Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids to help control heart rate and blood pressure. This will greatly help to prevent the occurrence of stroke and heart disease.

6. Nourish the Skin

Melon contains collagen, the substance is a protein compound that affects the structural integrity of cells in all the tissues of the skin. Collagen also has a function to accelerate wound healing and maintain skin firmness. Often eat melons will make the skin look smooth and not dry.

7. Lose Weight

Melon is one type of fruit that is perfect for people who want to lose weight because they have a low sodium content, fat free, cholesterol free and low in calories. In addition, the effects of eating melons will make you satisfied and reduces hunger because the water content is very high.

5 Hydration Facts You Need To Know

1. Thirst pains are real. 

Yes, we have hunger pains, but did you know that we also have thirst pains? Often, we can’t rely on a dry mouth to tell us that we need a little more H2O. Chronic joint pain, headaches and gastric ulcers can often spell d-e-h-y-d-r-a-t-i-o-n. Water is needed to carry acidic waste away from cells, and when we’re dehydrated, these wastes don’t get carried away, leading to our nerves interpreting the acidic waste as pain.

2. If you’re tired, it may be dehydration. 

One study conducted by Loughborough University found that a mere 5% drop in water levels in the body can cause a 25-30% loss in energy. Even a 3% drop can cause fuzzy thinking, “brain fog” and a slower metabolism. Another study conducted by University of Connecticut’s Human Performance Laboratory found that even a 1.5% water loss led to reduced cognitive function, headaches and fatigue in 25 women and 26 men.

3. Allergies and asthma can be linked to dehydration. 

Dr. Batmanghelidj found that when the body is dehydrated, histamine begins to ration water, which in turn increases histamine and the allergic response and lowered immunity. Chronic dehydration triggers a histamine release in asthma sufferers, which leads to inflammation and bronchial constriction.

4. City water can mess with our digestion. 

City water is chlorinated to remove pathogens and disinfect the water. Chlorine is a skin irritant (consider mounting a shower filter if you suffer from eczema or dry skin), pro-oxidant, and destroyer of friendly microflora and stomach acid. When our friendly microflora are wiped out, we can suffer from bloating and slower digestion, and when our stomach isn’t able to produce as much stomach acid and enzymes as it should, digestion can become downright uncomfortable. 

5. How much water do you need? 

It’s an individual thing, as water requirements vary from person to person. The amount of water we need depends on a number of factors, including our size, activity level, stress level, the climate or temperature and our diet. A good basic rule of thumb is to take your body weight (in pounds) and divide it by 2. This is the number of ounces of water that you should be drinking each day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you will need 75 ounces of water per day. Divide this by 8 to get the number of 8-ounce glasses you should be drinking.

Grapefruit: Rich in the Nutritional Powerhouse Vitamin C

Rich in the Nutritional Powerhouse Vitamin C

 

Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, a vitamin that helps to support the immune system. Vitamin C-rich foods like grapefruit may help reduce cold symptoms or severity of cold symptoms; over 20 scientific studies have suggested that vitamin C is a cold-fighter. Vitamin C also prevents the free radical damage that triggers the inflammatory cascade, and is therefore also associated with reduced severity of inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. As free radicals can oxidize cholesterol and lead to plaques that may rupture causing heart attacks or stroke, vitamin C is beneficial to promoting cardiovascular health. Owing to the multitude of vitamin C's health benefits, it is not surprising that research has shown that consumption of vegetables and fruits high in this nutrient is associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes including heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Insomnia: A simple glass of grapefruit juice, if drunk before going to bed, can promote healthy sleep and alleviate the irritating symptoms and repercussions of insomnia. This is due to the presence of tryptophan in grapefruits, the chemical we often associate with becoming sleepy after big meals. The levels of tryptophan in grapefruit juice lets us nod off peacefully to sleep.

Diabetes: Diabetic patients can safely eat grapefruit, because consuming grapefruit can reduce the level of starch in the body. If a patient is diabetic, intake of grapefruit can help them to regulate the flow of sugar in their body, effectively handling the disease. recent studies have shown this beneficial relationship between diabetes and grapefruits to be due to the flavonoid content of grapefruits, along with a number of other healthy benefits from those compounds.

 

The 10 Best Leafy Greens for Green Smoothies

Kale

Best Blended With

To offset the bitterness of kale, it is best blended with sweet fruits, like mangoes and bananas.

Swiss Chard

Best Blended With

Since swiss chard has delicate leaves, it can be seamlessly blended into any smoothie. Swiss chard can be deliciously paired with flavorful fruits like banana, pineapple, and citrus.

Spinach

Best Blended With

Once again, the soft leaves of spinach make this superfood prime for blending. Our favorite fruits to blend with smoothies are strawberries, blueberries, apples and pears. Since these fruits are low in sugar, the spinach acts as a nice neutral green.

Beet Greens

Best Blended With

The mild and dainty leaves of beets can be blended smoothly into almost any smoothie. The flavor of the greens will not overpower the flavor of your fruit of choice. Be adventurous. Try beet greens with grapes, peaches, apples, even figs!

Romaine

Best Blended With

Honestly, the light and mellow flavor of romaine makes it ideal for any smoothie. You won’t be able to taste all the nutrients your giving your body with every sip.

Arugula

Best Blended With

The strong flavor of arugula goes well with other strong tasting smoothie ingredients. We love being innovative with this powerful green by adding it to beets, and citrus. Using dried fruit, such as cherries, raisins, or dates also compliments the bitterness in the best possible way!

Carrot Tops

Best Bleneded With

Since carrot tops are bitter, they blend well with sweet fruit. We think ginger compliments the flavor of carrot tops perfectly! 

Bok Choy

Best Blended With

In green smoothies, the bitterness and earthiness of bok choy is easily masked by just about any fruit. We love it with papaya, pears, strawberries, and citrus. Here’s a winning combo if you’re feeling thirsty.

Collard Greens

Best Blended With

To offset any bitterness collard greens may add to your smoothie, we recommend blending them with flavorful fruits such as mango, pineapple, peaches, banana, or cherries. Collard on your mind? Here’s a recipe we love.

Dandelion Greens

Best Blended With

The bitter nature of dandelion greens make them ideal additions to smoothies containing very sweet and flavorful fruit. Try adding this nutritional punch to your kiwi, citrus, strawberry, or banana smoothies! Coconut water is also a great way to add some natural sweetness to more astringent greens, we know from experience.

5 Ways How Exercises Helps Me Feel Healthy

I've been going to the gym for the past 2 weeks and it really helps me a lot, to be in a good mood, feel healthy, and more relaxed.

Here are 5 ways exercise helps me feel healthy: 

1. It strengthens my immunity system

Scientific research studies have always found that practicing various exercises in different combinations will boost energy levels to the core. Enabling body to develop resistance to common cold and other problems has proven to be a great relief in my case. Pumping more blood to the heart for its proper functioning too has been possible after we do more work. It is possible to fight bacteria successfully with all cells in the body recharged.

2. It supplies me with increased energy

Maintaining perfect balance in the body too has been possible for me with the consideration of a robust exercising system that proved to be most effective in my case. With the increased focus upon different combination of exercising schedules, I have been able to form a unique basis for my exercising prospects with the inclusion of numerous features accordingly.

3. It enables me to sleep perfectly

I used to suffer excessively due to the loss of night sleep on a regular basis. However, the increased focus upon regular exercises has brought me exceptional results that helped me to the core. Moreover, it is recommended that one should sleep regularly for at least seven hours a day. All these aspects have made me to regular and the results obtained were splendid providing me with ultimate results.

4. It helps me in fighting stress

Stress is one of the problematic issues that bothers humans a lot. Fighting the same in an effective manner requires you to consider various aspects. I chose exercises due to which I have been able to balance my physical energies with respect to my psychological state. It has been experimentally proven that those people who fail to exercise are the ones who are more prone to stress.

5. It helps me in maintaining weight

Perfect body weight could be achieved with regular exercises only. I used to reflect an obese personality who cannot concentrate upon daily aspects. However, the way I started exercising has brimmed hopes in me due to which I was able to realize the best physique effortlessly for which I once craved in a hopeless manner.

Benefits of Eating Cherries

Antioxidants

Cherries are full of antioxidants. These antioxidants have a number of different benefits, including the ability to prevent cancer and heart disease, as well as fighting off free radicals. 

Weight Loss

A cherry is made up of more than 75 percent water. This water content makes cherries a perfect weight loss food as foods that are high in water and low in calories keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time than foods and drinks that are higher in calories.

Pain Relief and Bone Health

Cherries contain substances known as anthocyanins -- purple and blue pigments that give the cherries their color. These compounds reduce pain related to inflammation, according to the NYU Langone Medical Center. Cherries are also used to relieve the pain associated with arthritis and gout, though the extent to which they relieve pain needs further investigation. Cherries also contain boron, which helps increase bone health when consumed in conjunction with magnesium and calcium.

Dr. Oz: Boost Your Energy in 7 Days !

Step 1: Eat Alkaline Foods to Boost Your Energy Through Your Kidneys
Alkaline foods, such as fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and grains flow through your system more quickly and easily than nonalkaline foods, which include processed foods, meat and dairy. The nonalkaline foods you eat promote acid in your body that the kidneys have to work hard to get rid of.

Step 2: Use Sprouts to Boost Vitamins and Minerals in Your Body

Step 3: Load Up on Energy Fats to Boost Brain Power

Fats make up the majority of our cell membranes–including our brain. You need to feed the brain cells the right fats to help keep you sharp and mentally energized, and to protect the brain from toxins.

Step 4: Eat at Least Half Your Plate Raw to Energize the Gut
This doesn’t mean you should eat raw meat, but vegetables, fruits and seeds are best eaten raw, because when cooked, they lose a lot of their enzymes that we need for healthy digestion, a process that uses a lot of energy.

Step 5: Drink Lukewarm Lemon Water at Every Meal to Wake Up Your Organs

Drink a glass of lukewarm water with lemon first thing in the morning and then again at every meal. This combination wakes up your liver and gallbladder to flush toxins out of them, and gets your whole intestinal track moving.

Step 6: Do an Energy Move to Boost Circulation

Try Elkaim's favorite move, the jump and pump to increase blood flow and circulation by pumping energy through your body. To do this move, start in a sitting position, then jump and throw your fist in the air.

Check out the full article in :

Dr. Oz 's site ! 

Foods People Think Are Healthy (But Aren't)

Agave Syrup

This is one I myself fell for. So many vegans and raw foodists rave about agave that I didn’t really stop and think it could be too good to be true. Agave is a super sweet liquid that is often touted as the “healthy” or “low GI” alternative to sugar. According to Dr Joseph Mercola, it’s hardly any better than high fructose corn syrup. It’s highly processed, and super high in fructose.

Soy

Soy milk and tofu are often considered healthy alternatives to meat and dairy. I’m not advocating meat or dairy, but in my opinion, soy is just as bad, if not worse. Organic fermented soy products are okay in small amounts, but the majority of the western world is under the idea that processed products like soy milk and tofu (which are also generally genetically modified) are good for us. Hundreds of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies link soy to: malnutrition, digestive distress, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders, infertility, birth defects, immune system breakdown, heart disease and cancer.

Fruit Juice

Because the fruit has been stripped of its fiber, it's converted straight into sugar as soon as it hits your mouth, and sends your blood sugar levels all woo-hoo. Of course the bottles of fruit juice you buy at the store are rubbish. Most people know that. But fruit juice you make yourself is also not that great because of the whole sugar thing.

Subway

It’s criminal that Subway is allowed to be marketed as a healthy option when it comes to food choices. The meat is processed, the sauces are full of sugar and other preservatives, and they sell junk food cookies and soft drinks as add-ons. There’s nothing healthy about Subway. Don’t believe me? Click here to see a list of what is actually in Subway’s food.

What you can do to prevent burping:

Avoid carbonated drinks. Ever open a fizzy soda after it’s been shaken? A similarly explosive situation will build in your stomach if you gulp down bubbly drinks.

1. Steer clear of sparkling wine and beer.

Like soda, they have the same power to remind you of their presence.

Some foods contain more air than others. Avoid them. The aeration club includes whipped cream, soufflés and fluffy omelettes.

2. Allow hot drinks to cool.

Sipping a blistering drink like hot coffee may cause you to gulp lots of air.

3. Set the straw aside.

Drinking through straws causes you to—you guessed it—swallow air.
Ditch the smokes. When you inhale air through a cigarette, you’re also swallowing some.

4. Eat slowly.

If you wolf down your food, you’re gulping air that will eventually want to re-emerge.

5. Close your mouth to chew.

You’re less likely to swallow air that way. For the same reason, don’t try to talk and chew at the same time.

6. Avoid squeezing into tight clothes.

Pressure around your midsection can squeeze out burps.

Lemon Water Benefits

Here are some reasons why drinking Lemon Infused Water is good for your health:

• Lemon is an excellent and rich source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient that protects the body against immune system deficiencies.
• Lemons contain pectin fiber which is very beneficial for colon health and also serves as a powerful antibacterial.
• It balances maintain the pH levels in the body.
• Having warm lemon juice early in the morning helps flush out toxins.
• It has a synergizing effect on the body as it helps soothe the digestive system.
• It aids digestion and encourages the production of bile.
• It conditions and clenches the liver.
• It is also a great source citric acid, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.
• It helps prevent the growth and multiplication of pathogenic bacteria that cause infections and diseases.
• It helps reducing pain and inflammation in joints and knees as it dissolves uric acid.
• It helps cure the common cold.
• The potassium content in lemon helps nourish brain and nerve cells.
• It liquefies the bile and also helps regulate the excess flow of bile.
• It strengthens the liver by providing energy to the liver enzymes when they are too dilute.
• It helps balance the calcium and oxygen levels in the liver.
• It can help relieve the problem of indigestion and excess gas.
• In case of a heart burn, taking a glass of concentrated lemon juice can give relief.
• In case of pregnant and lactating women, lemon juice will help build strong bones in a child, due to its calcium content.
• It helps dissolve gall bladder stones and other calcium build ups that are dangerous to the body.
• It is of immense benefit to the skin and it prevents the formation of wrinkles and acne.
• It helps maintain the health of the eyes and helps fight against eye problems.
• It aids in the reduction of phlegm (mucus) produced by the body.
• It has an alkalizing effect on the body.
• It helps control the speeding of unhealthy bacteria in the gut.
• Aids in the production of digestive juices.
• It helps purify the blood.
• Lemon juice helps replenish body salts especially after a strenuous workout session.
• It can treat a sore throat. Gargle with warm lemon water to help ease a sore throat.

The Amazing Blueberries !

 

Heart Health

The National Institutes of Health conducted a study which examined how a diet rich in blueberries might affect heart health. The study, conducted on rats and published in the June 2009 issue of "PLoS One," showed that the blueberry-rich diet helped reduce inflammation within the heart and also reduced the risk of heart attack and heart failure.

Skin Health

Eating blueberries not only protects your body from the inside, it can also offer protection for the outside. One of the main causes of skin damage is sun exposure, specifically the sun's UV-B rays. These rays cause premature aging and wrinkling by damaging the skin's structure and destroying the skin's collagen. Researchers at the Department of Food and Nutrition and Korean Institute of Nutrition in Korea found that when skin cells were exposed to an extract from edible blueberries, it helped stop the degradation of the skin's collagen.

Tips to drink more water ...

If you think you need to be drinking more, here are some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of water:

1. Have a beverage with every snack and meal.
2. Choose beverages you enjoy; you're likely to drink more liquids if you like the way they taste.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our fluid intake comes from foods.
4. Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk, or in your bag.
5. Choose beverages that meet your individual needs. If you're watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages or water.

Healthy and hydrated: 5 Easy recipes for fruit infused water !

Staying hydrated during the summer is important, but let’s face it… water is just plain boring. Thankfully, my mom shared these recipes with me, which can add some life (and nutritional value) to my daily H2O. I think you guys will really enjoy trying these out, they’re really tasty and by the end of the day, you won’t believe how much water you actually drank! Here’s to an easy and delicious way to stay hydrated this summer! Cheers!

1) The classic — Lemon and Cucumber:

Mix 10 cups of water in a pitcher with one cucumber and one lemon, thinly sliced and 1/4 cup of fresh finely chopped basil leaf and 1/3 of finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

2) The granite — Strawberry and Lime or Raspberry and Lime

Mix 10 cups of water in a pitcher with 6 strawberries 0r 6 Raspberries and one thinly sliced lime and 12 finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

3) The digestive — Fennel and Citrus

First, infuse 1 to 3 grams of dried and crushed fennel in 150 ml of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool.
Mix 10 cups of water in a pitcher, add lemon juice (put the leftover lemon in the mix) and a small thinly sliced orange and 12 fresh chopped mint leaves and the infusion of fennel seeds. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

4) The antioxidant — Blackberry and Sage

Mix 10 cups of water in a pitcher with 1 cup of blackberries that have been very slightly crushed and 3-4 sage leaves. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

5) The tropical — Watermelon and Rosemary

Mix 10 cups of water in a pitcher with 1 cup of watermelon cut into cubes and 2 rosemary stems. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

If you use any of these recipes to make your own fruit infused waters this summer, or if you created your own flavors, let us know by sending a picture on Twitter or Instagram ! Enjoy!