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.

Health Benefits of Berries !

Let’s take a look at how these tasty treats can help keep you healthy !

Pretty much all berries are loaded to the brim with antioxidants. For those who don’t know, antioxidants help prevent illness, improve your skin and hair, and lead to a healthier life. Berries are low in calories and that means you can load up on them without packing on the pounds. Because they are juicy they contain a lot of water, so much of their mass is really water, which contains no calories at all. A medium sized strawberry has between three and six calories.

Pretty much all berries consist of about 85% water. The rest is mostly fiber and fiber is an integral part of a healthy diet. It helps you stay regular and maintain your weight, and is essential for bowel health. This is standard for pretty much all fruit. For each piece of fat-free, cholesterol-free, nutrient-packed berry you eat, that’s one step further away from heart disease you’ll come.

Research published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis suggests that flavonoids and other compounds found in berries may help reduce colon cancer risk. Because cancer prevention diets generally emphasize fruits and vegetables, including berries certainly won’t hurt. Again, Copperman stresses, any cancer-preventing benefit is enhanced by the inclusion of many different colors of fruits and veggies.

Vitamin C is another strong antioxidant found in berries. It is largely responsible for the health of collagen, which helps maintain cartilage stores and aids in joint flexibility. Eating vitamin C–rich berries will contribute to radiant skin and healthy hair, and may reduce the risk of arthritis, cataracts, and macular degeneration.

Try adding berries to your water, so you can easily increase the intake of them.

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Green Tea Detox Drinks for Cleansing & Weight Loss

Making green tea detox drinks is a great way to boost your overall health and get the antioxidants you need each day. Green tea is packed with antioxidants, more so than any other tea, but its flavor can get a bit monotonous when you try drinking it daily for health. Try these recipes for a way to keep things interesting on the way to better health.

Green SmoothTea

This is a way to get both the benefits of a green smoothie, along with the benefits of green tea. You’re already getting antioxidants from the green tea, and this is amplified by the phytonutrients in the kale. The apple puts this over the top in terms of nutrition, and also adds some sweetness to the mix. The yogurt smooths it out so it tastes and feels like a smoothie, while providing protein to keep you feeling good for hours.

What You Need

1 cup Green Tea, brewed and chilled
1/2 cup Baby Kale
1/2 Apple
1 tbsp Greek Yogurt
Ice

Add all ingredients to your blender and blend until it reaches a smoothie consistency. To get an even greener hue you can add in an avocado, which will provide you with healthy fat, additional fiber, and extra potassium. But as it stands this is a healthy smoothie recipe that incorporates green tea in a tasty blend.

Tropical Green Tea Smoothie

Tropical fruits have a delicious taste to them and can seriously bump up the flavor of green tea, making you look forward to green tea time again. The wonderful thing about tropical fruit, aside from the flavor, is the nutrients they provide. Mango and papaya bring additional antioxidants to the table, while the banana is rich in potassium and adds fiber to the smoothie. The banana also helps give it the smooth consistency that is essential to any good smoothie.

What You Need

1 tsp Green Tea Matcha Powder
1/2 cup Fresh Mango
1/2 cup Papaya, cubed
1/2 medium Banana
1 cup Coconut Milk
1 handful Ice

Add everything to your blender and blend away. Be sure to change this recipe up with the seasons and use what’s available at the time you have it. While it’s possible to get these fruits anytime of the year, it’s best to adjust with the seasons and buy what is most fresh at the store.

Green Tea “3 P” Fruit Juice

Green tea gets help from three high-powered flavorful fruits. They all happen to start with the letter p, so it’s easy to remember this tasty beverage whenever you want it again. The pear is adding fiber to the equation, while the papaya and pineapple bringing massive amounts of Vitamin C to your body. Vitamin C has an antioxidant effect on the body, and when you combine that with the antioxidant makeup of green tea, you’ve got a very special drink that sets you up for a strong immune system, and protection from free radical damage.

What You Need

1 cup Green Tea, brewed
1/2 Pear, sliced
1/2 cup Pineapple, cubed
1/2 cup Papaya, cubed

By cubing and slicing the fruit before adding it to the blender you make it easier for the blender to turn this into a juice. The trick with this recipe is to keep blending until there aren’t any chunks of fruit left. It should reach a juice consistency. If your blender isn’t up for the task you may want to strain it before drinking.

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Recipes from: http://bembu.com/

Graprefruit + Mint + Coconut Water

FRUIT INFUSED WATER RECIPE: 

Grapefruit, mint & coconut water.

1 organic ruby red grapefruit
ice to fill glasses
2 cups coconut water

Directions:

    Cut grapefruit so you have only flesh segments left; discard rind and pith. For each drink, place 2 to 3 segments in a glass. Top with ice. Pour coconut water over ice. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Fruit Infused Recipe: Diabetes.

Fruit Infused Recipe: 

ORANGE + GRAPEFRUIT + LEMON + CUCUMBER

+ MINT + BLUEBERRIES  

This combination has got to be my favorite, with the strong dose of citrus being balanced out by the cool tones of the cucumber and mint !

The more consumption of this fruity water, will help reduce the starches and sweets in the system. If you have a tendency towards diabetes, consume more of this Fruit Infused Water  to prevent it.

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Warning Signs You Could Be Dehydrated ...

Be careful if you ever experience this simple signs that could indicate you’re dehydrated:

• You’re thirsty
• Your skin and mouth are dry
• You have a headache
• You’re dizzy or lightheaded
• Your urine is dark yellow
• You feel sluggish and foggy brained
• You’re constipated
• You constantly crave snacks and sugar
• In extreme cases, you might experience confusion, palpitations, fainting, weakness, decreased urination and in severe cases, seizures. These symptoms require immediate medical attention.

When you're dehydrated, you lose sugar and salts as well as water. Drinking a rehydration solution will enable you to re-establish the right balance of body fluids. The solution should contain a mixture of potassium and sodium salts, as well as glucose or starch.

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44 Simple Nutrition Tips.

1. Plan healthy menus as a family.
2. Home-cooked meals always win over eating out.
3. Enjoy preparing meals as a family. It’s a lot of fun.
4. Mustard can be consumed guilt free.
5. Use peanut butter and avocado as healthy fat sources.
6. Eat cabbage to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
7. Eat lettuce if you have a sleep problem.
8. Dark chocolate is packed with healthy nutrients. Moreover, it improves mood and pleasure.
9. Ginger is called “the universal medicine”
10. Onion is believed to clean the blood among many other health benefits. It is also one of the cheapest vegetables.
11. Use chocolate covered bananas as a healthy dessert.
12. The liver can make more enzymes out of fresh lemon juice than any other food element.
13. Whole oats are famously fiber, minerals, and vitamins rich.
14. Frozen vegetables retain almost all of their nutritional value.
15. Asian food is considered among the healthiest in the world.
16. To make any meal ultra nutritious, just add sea vegetables (can be found in Asian markets)
17. Fasting is one of the oldest therapies in medicine.
18. Spinach is one of the most nutrient-dense foods available that improve brain function.
19. Eggs aid in concentration and improves memory.
20. An orange a day keeps the doctor away!
21. Wait 20 to 30 minutes to have a second helping.
22. Swap soda for water.
23. Pack healthy snacks.
24. Select foods that have minimal saturated fats.
25. Avoid foods that contain more than 10 ingredients.
26. Avoid foods that contain man-made ingredients.
27. 3,500 calories = 1 pound of body weight
28. Spice your meals up.
29. Split your meal with a friend.
30. Avoid open buffets.
31. Eat your favorite foods – even if unhealthy – every now and then.
32. Don’t shop when you’re hungry.
33. Don’t put serving bowls on the table.
34. Protein bars make a good snack.
35. Research healthy restaurants.
36. Start each lunch/dinner with salad.
37. Drinking a glass of ice water can burn 25 calories!
38. Don’t leave yourself dehydrated. Water flushes out fats and toxins.
39. The best healthy cuisines are Indian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican and Greek.
40. Buy food in its season (e.g. strawberries in summer).
41. Buy from local farmers.
42. Veggie broth is a great healthy choice.
43. Eat less, enjoy more.
44. Make your own instead of buying in jars.

Brain foods that will improve your focus and concentration ...

Blueberries

Studies show that blueberries boost “concentration and memory” for up to five hours because “the antioxidants in blueberries stimulate the flow of blood and oxygen to [your] brain – and keep the mind fresh”.

Green tea

Green tea helps you focus for two reasons: one, it contains caffeine, and two, it contains l’theanine. There is no doubt that caffeine helps you focus and improves your alertness. 

Avocados

According to WebMD, “every organ in the body depends on blood flow, especially the heart and brain”, and avocados “[enhance] blood flow, offering a simple, tasty way to fire up brain cells”.

Leafy green vegetables

Leafy green vegetables are full of antioxidants and carotenoids, which boost your brain power, and help protect your brain.

Fatty fish

Fatty/oily fish contains omega-3 fatty acids which “aid memory, mental performance and behavioral function”. People who are deficient in omega-3′s are more likely to have “poor memory, mood swings, depression and fatigue”.

Water

If you want to improve your focus, you need to drink enough water. Water “gives the brain the electrical energy for all brain functions, including thought and memory processes”, and it has been proven to help you “think faster, be more focused, and experience greater clarity and creativity”.

Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate (dark chocolate, not the sugary, milky kind) can help you focus for a number of reasons. First, it contains a small amount of caffeine, which has been proven to heighten mental alertness.

Flax seeds

Like a few of the foods listed already, flax seeds are high in magnesium, B-vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber, all of which aid with mental clarity, weight loss, and ultimately, focus.

Nuts

Nuts are great for your body in the long-term. “Nuts and seeds are good sources of the antioxidant vitamin E, which is associated with less cognitive decline as you age”, and you just need an ounce of them a day to get this benefit.

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Foods That Are More Nutritious Raw

Raw Nuts Protect the Heart

Raw nuts have healthy fats that are essential to the body. Raw nuts can help lower the LDL (low-density lipoprotein), or "bad," cholesterol level in the blood.

Raw Broccoli Fights Cancer

Eating raw broccoli, and the chewing process involved, helps to rupture the special compound that is located in the plant's cell walls, an enzyme called myrosinase, that revs up your liver's ability to detoxify carcinogens.

Raw Juice Retains Vitamins

What could be better for you than fruit or vegetable juice from the store? Raw fruit and vegetable juice! When you buy juice, it is always pasteurized. Pasteurization not only kills bacteria and preserves the juice, it also destroys many (if not most) of the vitamins, minerals and enzymes, along with their health-promoting properties. 

Raw Cacao Is Brain Food

Raw cacao (chocolate) contains a wealth of nutrients: essential vitamins and minerals that boost the body's neurotransmitters, and phyto-chemicals that activate the mood-elevating emotion of "euphoria."

Raw Chia Seeds Are Nutrient-Dense

Four tablespoons of chia seeds supply as much calcium as three cups of milk, as much magnesium as 10 stalks of broccoli, as much iron as one-half cup of red kidney beans, 30% more antioxidants than blueberries, 25% more dietary fiber than flaxseed and approximately the same amount of omega-3 as a 32-ounce fillet of salmon. Instead of a typical hot breakfast cereal, try a chia breakfast pudding for a more nutritious start to your day!

Blueberry, lime, mint recipe.

Rich source of the phytonutrients ellagic acid.  Ellagic acid has proven anticancer and genetic-material-protection capabilities.  It also encourages a healthy rate of apoptosis—how the body seeks out and destroys harmful or damaged cells, like cancer cells. Very beneficial fro skin.

• Blueberries
• Lime
• Mint
• Water
• Ice

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