Eat More Purple

You often hear the advice to “Eat your greens!” However, it’s important to eat food of a variety of colors because they contain different nutrients. Purple and blue are often neglected colors in the average diet. In fact, eighty-eight percent of people don’t get enough purple and blue in their diet. Purple and blue foods only make up three percent of the average diet. These foods are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. Scientists believe that compounds known as anthocyanins, found in these foods, get rid of free radicals and soothe inflammation. A study done by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study found that people who ate blue and purple fruits and vegetables had a lower risk for high blood pressure and were less likely to have low levels of HDL “good” cholesterol. These people are also less likely to be overweight. By reducing three of the five risk factors for metabolic syndrome, it is also believed that eating purple and blue foods will reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Good sources include fresh or frozen berries, plums, grapes, and chopped red cabbage. One of the easiest ways to obtain these benefits is by adding Concord grape juice to your diet.
photo credit: See-ming Lee 李思明 SML

White Tea the Fountain of Youth?

A study from Kingston University in London has found that white tea could help you live a longer life. Antioxidants contained in white tea may help reduce your risk for skin aging, cancer and arthritis. White tea is uncured and unfermented. One study has found that white tea has more cancer-fighting properties than other more processed teas. Other studies show that white tea thins the blood and improves artery function, thereby reducing the risk of stroke. White tea also contains a specific type of antioxidant called Catechins. Catechins actually lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. This helps prevent hardening of the arteries. Researchers have also discovered that people who drink 2 or more cups of tea a day are 50% less likely to die after a heart attack. White tea has been found in some studies to increase bone density. White tea also contains antibacterial and antiviral properties, which improves your immune system function. This helps your body guard against the common cold and flu. It also kills the bacteria that cause tooth decay and plaque. A cup of tea a day could make a difference in your health! photo credit: KnitStorm

Spinach May Help Reduce Stress

Spinach is low in calories, yet high in vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Spinach contains magnesium that helps reduce the effects of stress on the body by keeping your blood pressure from spiking, says Beth Reardon, R.D., director of integrative nutrition at Duke Integrative Medicine in North Carolina. By eating 3 cups of spinach, you consume 40 percent of your body’s daily magnesium needs.
1 cup of raw spinach contains:
• 7 calories
• 0 grams fat
• 0 grams cholesterol
• 24 mg sodium
• 1 gram fiber
• 1 gram protein
• 56% daily value of Vitamin A
• 14% daily value of Vitamin C
• 5% daily value of Iron
• 3% daily value of Calcium
• It also contains Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.
photo credit: Clearly Ambiguous

Veggie Day

A recent United Nations report by their top climate scientist, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, concluded that people should eat less meat to combat global warming. It is estimated that meat production accounts for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. To put this in perspective, transportation accounts for about 13% of emissions. Changing what you eat could have an impact on climate change. Dr. Pachauri said, "But if we're honest, less meat is also good for the health, and would also at the same time reduce emissions of greenhouse gases." In response to this report, the Belgian city of Ghent has instituted a weekly meatless day, making it the first city in the world to go vegetarian for environmental reasons. Civil servants and elected officials are going meatless every Thursday in the hope that Ghent can reduce its environmental footprint. Schools are also going to have their own veggie day in September. As a bonus, veggie day tackles obesity as well. The city of Ghent is printing 90,000 “veggie street maps” for locating vegetarian eateries around the city.

photocredit:srqpix

Real Comfort Food

Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food.” Most of us have a certain “comfort food” we crave when we feel out of sorts, but some foods have a more lasting emotional impact than others. These foods can help keep you calm and happy by nourishing your brain and improving your mood.
Carbohydrates—Eating them can keep you from being depressed. Your brain can only manufacture serotonin (which elevates your mood) when you eat carbs. Researchers found that people who ate only 20 grams of carbs a day (the same as a small bowl of cereal) felt more irritable and cranky. Don’t rush out to buy a supersize of fries, though! Whole grain carbs are what you need, without the fat to make you feel sluggish. To elevate your mood it is recommended that you eat one carbohydrate snack a day and if possible, a protein-free dinner. You should see your mood improve in a week or less.

Spinach—The folate found in spinach and other leafy greens can improve your cognitive function. A folate deficiency can cause depression. Eat one and a half cups of spinach, one cup of lentils, or four cups of broccoli to get your recommended 400 micrograms a day.
Olive Oil and Nuts—These foods contain fats (mono-unsaturated fats) that are actually good for you. They are great for both your heart and your mood! Get about five servings a day (but remember that servings of fat are pretty small, so don’t overdo it!) For example, a serving would be one teaspoon of olive oil, eight black olives, six almonds, or one slice of avocado.

Fish—It contains Omega-3 fatty acids that have been proven to affect your brain chemistry. In fact, it has been as effective as Prozac in some cases.Fish with the best benefits include salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, and black cod.

Vitamin D—Yes, you can get it from the sun. However, if you’re vitamin D deficient, you may need supplements. At Washington University they found that administering 20,000 to 40,000 IU of vitamin D to depression patients lessened their depression. These doses should only be used under a doctor’s supervision. However, it is recommended that a dose of 1,000 IU a day could help. Make sure to get D3 for the highest potency.  photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

15 Foods That Burns More Calories Than They Contain

lHere are 15 treats that actually burn more calories in their digestion than they offer.

• Celery


• Oranges


• Strawberries


• Tangerines


• Grapefruit


• Carrots


• Apricots


• Lettuce


• Tomatoes


• Cucumbers


• Watermelon


• Cauliflower


• Apples


• Hot Chili Peppers


• Zucchini

photo credit: the tria

Carrots and Sight

When I was a child I was told that carrots were good for my vision.  Well having thick framed glasses that were not of the most attractive nature this was like a fantasy to me.  So I ate them with high hopes and expectations.  Sadly there was no change in my eye sight until I opted for lasik eye surgery.  However I was not completely wrong on them being good for my eyes.  Carrots have no effect on myopia or farsightedness but has an effect on preventing night blindness caused by a deficiency of vitamin A.  Vitamin A combines with the protein opsin in the retina's rod cells to form the substance rhodopsin that the eyes need for night vision.  By consuming just one carrot every few days you will provide enough vitamin A to prevent or overcome night blindness.
photo credit: Sister72

Choosing Collard Greens

Collard Greens are a rich source of vitamin K, A, C, folate, manganese, calcium, dietary fiber and potassium just to name a few. They have been toted to help in the reduction of free radicals in the body which decreases risk of many diseases including cancer. Collards have an anti-inflammatory effect which can speed up the healing process and help bring down inflammation in joints when an injury has occurred.

How to Choose Kale

Kale is one of the most nutrient dense foods meaning it is low in calories and packed with nutritients making it have a high ratio of nutrients per calorie.  It is rich in beta-carotine, folate, vitamin C, and vitamin E; just to name a few.  Kale is great steamed or goes great in a lentil stew.

Olive Oil - External use

Olive oil is one of the best oil you can use internally, but what about external use? Did you know that you can use olive oil to revive damaged hair? Saturate hair with extra-virgin olive oil, then wrap with a warm towel for 20 minutes.

photo credit:horaceko

How to Cut a Mango

This is the way how I was taught to cut a mango, it is by far the best way to enjoy one. Mangoes are loaded with beta-carotene - which helps the maintenance of healthy skin, good vision, and a robust immune system. It is also a powerful antioxidant, and has been shown to help guard against cancer and heart disease.

Spice it up with Oregano and benefit your health!

Usually we think of Oregano just as a spice that makes our food taste better.  But the herb actually has some health benefits it’s a source of: iron, manganese, dietary fiber, calcium, vitamin C, beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin K.  In fact 2 tsp of oregano is just over 20% DV of vitamin K.  Having adequate amounts of vitamin K allows your blood to clot normally and helps protect against osteoporosis.

photo credit: thomas pix

Eat this: Celery

According to the Hypertension Institute at St. Thomas Hospital , eating four sticks of celery a day can lower blood pressure—about 6 points systolic and 3 points diastolic. Celery contain phytochemicals in called phthalides, it relax muscle tissue in artery walls and increase bloodflow. Celery also fills you up with almost no calories. photo credit: •Saif•

Magnetic Food

Some how this makes me a little leery of eating brand flakes..

Natural = Safe?

It's very interesting that most patients do not tell their own physician what they are taking. I'm talking about Over the counter drugs and supplements. Most people have a false sense of security that because it's natural and readily available, then it must be safe.

You see, our body is an amazing chemical factory, when you mix different chemicals together, sometimes you get undesirable effects, sometimes it can be deadly.

The FDA have a different sets of rules when it comes to supplements, the regulations are different from food, currently there are not enough inspection and quality control that can guarantee the purity and effectiveness of the products. If you pay attention to past recalls, you'll notice it takes about 5 years and enough complains to prompt for a class action lawsuit.

So as consumers what can we do? Work with your own physician, eat whole food, you can obtain the nutrient from real food and avoid overdosing yourself in concentrated form (pills). The most healthy foods are the ones without the labels. Remember you only have one life, be smart about your health. photo credit: dmott9

Vitamin A & Hip Fractures

A study in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 2002;287:47-54) discusses the risk involved in high levels of Vitamin A.  The study showed that the women with the highest levels of Vitamin A consumption had doubled the risk of hip fractures compared with women who had the lowest intake.  Doctors such as Jeff Novick and Joel Fuhrman suggest avoiding any suppliments containing Vitamin A.  If you are taking a multi-vitamin you may want to rethink it, if it has vitamin A.

The Folic acid debate goes on..

The big debate is if increasing folic acid in fortified foods will help pregnant women enough to be worth while.  The concern is will increasing the amount contribute to elderly increases of cancer. The sad thing is they know some rich food sources: green leafy vegetables, citrus fruit, and dried beans, but are spending their time debating whether to fortify foods.  Why don’t they just urge people to increase their green leafy veggies (which btw are cruciferous and helpful in fighting cancer) and save themselves the time debating? =)  More..

photo credit: sciondriver