Healthy Eating Doable Challenge #12: De-Stress Your Diet

Stress. We all experience it, and for many of us, it can lead to poor eating choices. But research suggests that by tweaking your diet, you can actually fight stress. "What you feel, how you perceive things, and how focused you are is a reflection of brain chemistry—and you have some control over that chemistry based on what you eat," explains Drew Ramsey, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University in New York and the coauthor with Tyler Graham of The Happiness Diet: A Nutritional Prescription for a Sharp Brain, Balanced Mood, and Lean, Energized Body. Changing your diet isn't a magic bullet for every emotional problem, but what you eat can help quell short-term anxiety and even fight long-term stress while minimizing its effects on your body and your brain. For this Healthy Eating Doable Challenge, we asked Dr. Ramsey to share his advice on food choices that can help fight stress—and for other hints on how to "de-stress your diet."

4 Tips for Eating to Beat Stress

• Avoid Processed Foods

Full of excess sugar and sodium, trans fats, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and other additives, processed foods "tell lies to your brain, and that is very, very stressful to you as an organism," Dr. Ramsey says. Trans fats, for example, can actually increase your risk for depression.

• Don't skip or skimp on meals

"There's nothing more stressful to the body than erratic, unplanned eating," Dr. Ramsey warns.

• Feed your body food that works

The seven foods listed below are rich in mood-boosting compounds, including the nutrients that Dr. Ramsey refers to as the "essential elements of happiness": vitamin B12, iodine, magnesium, cholesterol, vitamin D, calcium, fiber, folate, vitamin A, omega-3s, vitamin E, and iron. As he writes in The Happiness Diet, these nutrients work together to "fight low mood, low energy, [and] cloudy thinking."

• Eat a super stress-fighter food every day

For this month's Doable Challenge, help keep stress levels in check by eating one of the seven super stress-fighting foods listed below every day (to make it easy, we've suggested recipes from Epicurious, The Happiness Diet, and Dr. Ramsey's latest book, Fifty Shades of Kale, cowritten withJennifer Iserloh). If you miss a day or indulge in some highly processed foods, don't beat yourself up; just start fresh tomorrow. After all, this particular challenge is about reducing stress, not creating it!

Stress-Busting Food #1: Mussels

This bivalve tops Dr. Ramsey's list of stress-reducing foods for a number of reasons. Mussels have a good amount of omega-3 fats, as well as vitamin B12, some vitamin D, folate, iron, and iodine, for a whopping 6 out of 12 "essential elements of happiness." Dr. Ramsey says that just being low in B12—not even technically deficient in the vitamin—can lead to irritability, depression, fuzzy-headedness, and changes in sleep. While fortified cereals, cheese, and yogurt offer some B12, just 1 ounce of mussels has more than 100 percent of the daily value for B12! Plus, mussels by their very nature tend to promote a way of eating that's social, mindful, moderate, and relaxing: "You are not going to pick up the phone when you have mussel hands," Dr. Ramsey jokes. "Generally, when you eat mussels you are going to sit with someone, and you are going to enjoy this big pot of mussels, and you are going to eat slowly."
Recipes to try:
• Spicy Steamed Mussels with Garlic Bread
• Cioppino
• Linguine with Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Mussels

Stress-Busting Food #2: Kale

"One thing that stresses the brain and the body is just simply too many calories," Dr. Ramsey explains. So what makes kale one of his favorite superfoods? "Kale wins out because of nutrient density.… With just a few calories you get an amazing number of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients." By making low-cal kale the centerpiece of a meal, not only do you avoid stressing your body out by overeating, you also cut down on the mental stress that comes with feeling guilty about it. Just 1 cup of kale has almost seven times your daily vitamin K requirement, a key nutrient not just for fighting inflammation but also for the production of anxiety-regulating neurotransmitters. Kale is an excellent source of absorbable calcium; too-low levels of calcium can contribute to anxiety and irritability, as well as worsen PMS symptoms for women. The dark, leafy green is also a great source of mood-boosting folate and a host of phytonutrients.
Recipes to try:
• Google's Braised Chicken and Kale
• Scallion Fish with Sesame Kale
• Kale Pesto with Toasted Walnuts

Stress-Busting Food #3: Dark Chocolate

The health benefits of chocolate are well known: For one, it can boost longevity. But Dr. Ramsey points out another benefit: "Dark chocolate is one of the few foods that have ever been shown to acutely improve mood." Yes, there's some empirical evidence to back up all of our anecdotal evidence that eating chocolate makes you feel better: In a limited trial, subjects who were given dark chocolate squares showed improvement in mood and focus. Cacao beans contain naturally stimulating compounds that promote the release of dopamine. And since it's a natural stimulant, dark chocolate in moderation can help boost energy when you're tired or run-down. As a bonus, "switching from other sweets to dark chocolate means you are getting less sugar, more phytonutrients, and more nutrient density." So you heard it here: Doctor's orders are to have some dark chocolate when you need a pick-me-up.
Recipes to try:
• Almond-Cherry Chocolate Bark
• Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies
• Cocoa Delight

Stress-Busting Food #4: Better Meat

First things first: Cut out processed meats (e.g., hot dogs, pepperoni, deli meat) in favor of seafood, fish, and vegetarian sources of protein; and when you eat pork, lamb, beef, and poultry, choose cuts from animals that are raised in sustainable, humane environments. Meat is a great source of many mood-boosting nutrients, notably protein, iron, and vitamin B12. Iron, for example, helps deliver oxygen throughout the body, and helps your brain produce serotonin, dopamine, and other mood-regulating neurotransmitters. There are vegetarian sources of iron (check out lentils, chickpeas, and spinach), but the most readily absorbable type—heme iron—is found in meat, as well as in poultry and fish. "Meat is misunderstood," says Dr. Ramsey. "It is very nutrient-dense, and pasture-raised, grass-fed, and wild animals yield a better mix of fats, fewer calories, and more antioxidants like vitamin E and beta-carotene, plus a good dose of tryptophan, which is the main building block of serotonin."
Recipes to try:
• Perfect Pork Chops
• Grass-Fed Meatballs Marinara
• Beef and Kale Tacos

Stress-Busting Food #5: Farm-Fresh Eggs

Eggs are "one of the few foods that have both folate and vitamin B12, which are two molecules closely linked to having low mood and anxiety," explains Dr. Ramsey. He also notes that eggs are the top dietary source of choline, "one of the few nutrients that are actually linked to lower levels of anxiety." Eggs also provide vitamin D, a nutrient whose deficiency has been linked to mood problems. And try to opt for eggs from free-range chickens. Why? "When you get a real pasture-raised egg where the animal has lived outside while it was making that egg, you get more nutrients," Dr. Ramsey emphasizes. "You get more omega-3 fats, [and] that dark orange yolk means there's more carotenoids in there." Talk about a good egg.
Recipes to try:
• Egg Sandwich with Green Bean Slaw
• Eggs in Purgatory with Artichoke Hearts, Potatoes, and Capers
• Bibimbap at Home

Stress-Busting Food #6: Purple Potatoes

Whether it's French fries, mashed potatoes, or chips, spuds are a popular source of comfort in times of stress. There are various theories as to why carb-rich foods are so comforting, but Dr. Ramsey notes that eating carbs increases tryptophan (the same chemical responsible for that happy, relaxed, post-turkey buzz at Thanksgiving) as well as serotonin synthesis in the brain. So if potatoes are your carbs of choice, choose spuds that are smaller (with a greater ratio of skin to flesh) and more colorful. By choosing small, unpeeled purple potatoes over an Idaho, you get more nutrients, such as folate, phytonutrients, and fiber, without as much starch. "It's about little swaps," Dr. Ramsey says.
Recipes to try:
• Grilled Potato Smash
• Oven-Roasted Fries
• Haricot Vert, Edamame, and Purple-Potato Salad

Stress-Busting Food #7: Anchovies

Wild salmon gets a lot of press when it comes to its mood-elevating omega-3s, but Dr. Ramsey reminds us that there are other fish in the sea. He's particularly partial to anchovies as a great source of both healthy fat and iodine. Iodine is found in large doses in sea creatures and plants (making seaweed a great vegan source), and is essential for healthy thyroid function; an underactive thyroid can cause a myriad of health problems, including low energy and depression. As it turns out, anchovies are also a super-sustainable and affordable choice when it comes to seafood. Dr. Ramsey likes to make a kale Caesar with anchovy dressing and eggs for the ultimate stress-busting meal; follow his lead and use anchovies to amp up the umami in some of your favorite dishes.
Recipes to try:
• Happy Fish Salad Sandwiches
• Tuscan Kale Caesar Slaw
• Pasta with Spicy Anchovy Sauce and Dill Bread Crumbs

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/healthy/news/happy-foods-destress-diet-doable-challenges?mbid=synd_cnholiday_food

Healthy Eating Doable Challenge #12: De-Stress Your Diet

Stress. We all experience it, and for many of us, it can lead to poor eating choices. But research suggests that by tweaking your diet, you can actually fight stress. "What you feel, how you perceive things, and how focused you are is a reflection of brain chemistry—and you have some control over that chemistry based on what you eat," explains Drew Ramsey, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University in New York and the coauthor with Tyler Graham of The Happiness Diet: A Nutritional Prescription for a Sharp Brain, Balanced Mood, and Lean, Energized Body. Changing your diet isn't a magic bullet for every emotional problem, but what you eat can help quell short-term anxiety and even fight long-term stress while minimizing its effects on your body and your brain. For this Healthy Eating Doable Challenge, we asked Dr. Ramsey to share his advice on food choices that can help fight stress—and for other hints on how to "de-stress your diet."

4 Tips for Eating to Beat Stress

• Avoid Processed Foods

Full of excess sugar and sodium, trans fats, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and other additives, processed foods "tell lies to your brain, and that is very, very stressful to you as an organism," Dr. Ramsey says. Trans fats, for example, can actually increase your risk for depression.

• Don't skip or skimp on meals

"There's nothing more stressful to the body than erratic, unplanned eating," Dr. Ramsey warns.

• Feed your body food that works

The seven foods listed below are rich in mood-boosting compounds, including the nutrients that Dr. Ramsey refers to as the "essential elements of happiness": vitamin B12, iodine, magnesium, cholesterol, vitamin D, calcium, fiber, folate, vitamin A, omega-3s, vitamin E, and iron. As he writes in The Happiness Diet, these nutrients work together to "fight low mood, low energy, [and] cloudy thinking."

• Eat a super stress-fighter food every day

For this month's Doable Challenge, help keep stress levels in check by eating one of the seven super stress-fighting foods listed below every day (to make it easy, we've suggested recipes from Epicurious, The Happiness Diet, and Dr. Ramsey's latest book, Fifty Shades of Kale, cowritten withJennifer Iserloh). If you miss a day or indulge in some highly processed foods, don't beat yourself up; just start fresh tomorrow. After all, this particular challenge is about reducing stress, not creating it!

Stress-Busting Food #1: Mussels

This bivalve tops Dr. Ramsey's list of stress-reducing foods for a number of reasons. Mussels have a good amount of omega-3 fats, as well as vitamin B12, some vitamin D, folate, iron, and iodine, for a whopping 6 out of 12 "essential elements of happiness." Dr. Ramsey says that just being low in B12—not even technically deficient in the vitamin—can lead to irritability, depression, fuzzy-headedness, and changes in sleep. While fortified cereals, cheese, and yogurt offer some B12, just 1 ounce of mussels has more than 100 percent of the daily value for B12! Plus, mussels by their very nature tend to promote a way of eating that's social, mindful, moderate, and relaxing: "You are not going to pick up the phone when you have mussel hands," Dr. Ramsey jokes. "Generally, when you eat mussels you are going to sit with someone, and you are going to enjoy this big pot of mussels, and you are going to eat slowly."
Recipes to try:
• Spicy Steamed Mussels with Garlic Bread
• Cioppino
• Linguine with Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Mussels

Stress-Busting Food #2: Kale

"One thing that stresses the brain and the body is just simply too many calories," Dr. Ramsey explains. So what makes kale one of his favorite superfoods? "Kale wins out because of nutrient density.… With just a few calories you get an amazing number of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients." By making low-cal kale the centerpiece of a meal, not only do you avoid stressing your body out by overeating, you also cut down on the mental stress that comes with feeling guilty about it. Just 1 cup of kale has almost seven times your daily vitamin K requirement, a key nutrient not just for fighting inflammation but also for the production of anxiety-regulating neurotransmitters. Kale is an excellent source of absorbable calcium; too-low levels of calcium can contribute to anxiety and irritability, as well as worsen PMS symptoms for women. The dark, leafy green is also a great source of mood-boosting folate and a host of phytonutrients.
Recipes to try:
• Google's Braised Chicken and Kale
• Scallion Fish with Sesame Kale
• Kale Pesto with Toasted Walnuts

Stress-Busting Food #3: Dark Chocolate

The health benefits of chocolate are well known: For one, it can boost longevity. But Dr. Ramsey points out another benefit: "Dark chocolate is one of the few foods that have ever been shown to acutely improve mood." Yes, there's some empirical evidence to back up all of our anecdotal evidence that eating chocolate makes you feel better: In a limited trial, subjects who were given dark chocolate squares showed improvement in mood and focus. Cacao beans contain naturally stimulating compounds that promote the release of dopamine. And since it's a natural stimulant, dark chocolate in moderation can help boost energy when you're tired or run-down. As a bonus, "switching from other sweets to dark chocolate means you are getting less sugar, more phytonutrients, and more nutrient density." So you heard it here: Doctor's orders are to have some dark chocolate when you need a pick-me-up.
Recipes to try:
• Almond-Cherry Chocolate Bark
• Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies
• Cocoa Delight

Stress-Busting Food #4: Better Meat

First things first: Cut out processed meats (e.g., hot dogs, pepperoni, deli meat) in favor of seafood, fish, and vegetarian sources of protein; and when you eat pork, lamb, beef, and poultry, choose cuts from animals that are raised in sustainable, humane environments. Meat is a great source of many mood-boosting nutrients, notably protein, iron, and vitamin B12. Iron, for example, helps deliver oxygen throughout the body, and helps your brain produce serotonin, dopamine, and other mood-regulating neurotransmitters. There are vegetarian sources of iron (check out lentils, chickpeas, and spinach), but the most readily absorbable type—heme iron—is found in meat, as well as in poultry and fish. "Meat is misunderstood," says Dr. Ramsey. "It is very nutrient-dense, and pasture-raised, grass-fed, and wild animals yield a better mix of fats, fewer calories, and more antioxidants like vitamin E and beta-carotene, plus a good dose of tryptophan, which is the main building block of serotonin."
Recipes to try:
• Perfect Pork Chops
• Grass-Fed Meatballs Marinara
• Beef and Kale Tacos

Stress-Busting Food #5: Farm-Fresh Eggs

Eggs are "one of the few foods that have both folate and vitamin B12, which are two molecules closely linked to having low mood and anxiety," explains Dr. Ramsey. He also notes that eggs are the top dietary source of choline, "one of the few nutrients that are actually linked to lower levels of anxiety." Eggs also provide vitamin D, a nutrient whose deficiency has been linked to mood problems. And try to opt for eggs from free-range chickens. Why? "When you get a real pasture-raised egg where the animal has lived outside while it was making that egg, you get more nutrients," Dr. Ramsey emphasizes. "You get more omega-3 fats, [and] that dark orange yolk means there's more carotenoids in there." Talk about a good egg.
Recipes to try:
• Egg Sandwich with Green Bean Slaw
• Eggs in Purgatory with Artichoke Hearts, Potatoes, and Capers
• Bibimbap at Home

Stress-Busting Food #6: Purple Potatoes

Whether it's French fries, mashed potatoes, or chips, spuds are a popular source of comfort in times of stress. There are various theories as to why carb-rich foods are so comforting, but Dr. Ramsey notes that eating carbs increases tryptophan (the same chemical responsible for that happy, relaxed, post-turkey buzz at Thanksgiving) as well as serotonin synthesis in the brain. So if potatoes are your carbs of choice, choose spuds that are smaller (with a greater ratio of skin to flesh) and more colorful. By choosing small, unpeeled purple potatoes over an Idaho, you get more nutrients, such as folate, phytonutrients, and fiber, without as much starch. "It's about little swaps," Dr. Ramsey says.
Recipes to try:
• Grilled Potato Smash
• Oven-Roasted Fries
• Haricot Vert, Edamame, and Purple-Potato Salad

Stress-Busting Food #7: Anchovies

Wild salmon gets a lot of press when it comes to its mood-elevating omega-3s, but Dr. Ramsey reminds us that there are other fish in the sea. He's particularly partial to anchovies as a great source of both healthy fat and iodine. Iodine is found in large doses in sea creatures and plants (making seaweed a great vegan source), and is essential for healthy thyroid function; an underactive thyroid can cause a myriad of health problems, including low energy and depression. As it turns out, anchovies are also a super-sustainable and affordable choice when it comes to seafood. Dr. Ramsey likes to make a kale Caesar with anchovy dressing and eggs for the ultimate stress-busting meal; follow his lead and use anchovies to amp up the umami in some of your favorite dishes.
Recipes to try:
• Happy Fish Salad Sandwiches
• Tuscan Kale Caesar Slaw
• Pasta with Spicy Anchovy Sauce and Dill Bread Crumbs

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/healthy/news/happy-foods-destress-diet-doable-challenges?mbid=synd_cnholiday_food

9 Health Mistakes Women Don’t Realise They’re Making

Attention ladies; even if you think you’re a fitness and diet guru, we guarantee you’ll be making some of these health mistakes without even realising it.

Cut out these bad habits and you’ll be healthier before you know it.

Unhealthy friends?

Having unhealthy friends

Who you’re friends with can have a big influence on your health without you even realising.

Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine compared obesity to a virus. When your friends gain weight, you’re more likely to gain weight yourself.

That doesn’t mean you need to ditch your friends as soon as they put on a couple of pounds – study author Dr Nicholas Christakis suggests instead taking cues from your healthier friends.

Only relying on cardio

“I can’t work out with weights because I don’t want to bulk up!” you proclaim as you follow the familiar route to the treadmill for the thousandth time. But is there any truth behind this popular excuse?

In short, no.

Far from bulking you up, building muscle will help you to shed the pounds. Experts estimate that for every pound of muscle you gain, you’ll burn an extra seven -13 calories per day.

Any fears you have of looking like She Hulk can be put to bed. Because of lower levels of testosterone, women don’t bulk up anywhere near as quickly as men.

Overusing social media

We all enjoy a sneaky Facebook stalk every once in a while, but do it too often and you could become depressed, according to researchers in Germany.

They found that overuse of Facebook can pose a serious risk to our mental wellbeing.

Checking out other people’s holiday photos was the major culprit, with one in three study participants reporting that this made them feel depressed or lonely.

Twitter is no better, with a University of Vermont study finding that Twitter users gradually become more stressed and unhappy the more they use the site.

Relying on diet products

When your sweet tooth is crying out for sugar, it can be tempting to turn to sugar-free diet options. Sadly these substitute snacks aren’t as guilt-free as you’ve been led to believe.

In place of sugar, manufacturers will often use nasty artificial alternatives to provide that sweet taste.

Aspartame, commonly found in diet drinks, was found to increase your risk of obesity by 41 per cent in a University of Texas Health Science Centre study.

Psychologists in a separate study at Cornell University observed that phrases like ‘sugar-free’ can subconsciously trigger overeating. In some cases, this meant people ate twice as many calories as they would have done if they opted for the full-sugar version.Don't become fixated on your abs (REX)

Focusing on stomach toning

All too often we become fixated on trying to develop a rock hard stomach by performing endless crunches. If this sounds like you, you’re wasting your time.

Want to know just how useless crunches are? A Men’s Health study found that you’d have to do a staggering 22,000 of them to lose just a pound of fat off your stomach.

If you want to lose weight, focus on high intensity interval training instead.

HIIT increases your metabolic rate for up to 24 hours after you exercise, and boosts fat oxidation.

Wearing high heels too often

Who can resist a pair of killer hills for accentuated legs and an instant confidence boost?

Wear them too frequently however, and your feet won’t be thanking you.

Wearing four-inch heels increases the pressure on your feet by around 30 per cent, leading to damaged tendons, reduced circulation and bone and nerve deterioration.Swap heels for flats occasionally and your feet will thank you (AP)

Not getting enough calcium

A recent survey conducted by Creighton University Medical Centre showed that 85% of women don’t get enough calcium per day, which leads to an increased risk of osteoporosis.

It’s recommended that women between the ages 19 to 50 need a daily calcium intake of 1,000mg.

Topping up on calcium is easy with dairy products like milk and natural yoghurt. If dairy doesn’t agree with you, you’ll also find high levels of calcium in fish such as salmon and sardines and even leafy veg.

Using electronics before bed

That one last game of Candy Crush you squeeze in before you hit the hay could be ruining your sleep pattern, if researchers in Sweden are to be believed.

They observed that people who use mobile phones or tablets directly before going to sleep found it harder to doze off, causing lasting health issues.

As well as displaying signs of insomnia, these pre-sleep tech-addicts suffered from headaches throughout the day.

Eating what your date eats

Next time you’re on a hot date, psychologists suggest you need to spend more time checking what’s on your plate than staring into your partner’s eyes.

University of Birmingham researchers have discovered a link between new relationships and weight gain, particularly in women.

According to their findings, when dining with a new partner you subconsciously mirror their portion sizes, which can lead to weight gain if they eat more than you’re used to.

https://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/9-health-mistakes-women-don-t-realise-making-090000295.html

Top 5 Vegetables for Cleansing and Detoxification

If you want to cleanse and detoxify with the best vegetables around, here are the top 5:

Carrots

Carrots are high in beta-carotene and other vitamins that are great for cleansing and detoxification. Carrots contain a lot of beta-carotene, as mentioned which serves as an antioxidant that helps the body to fight against free radicals. It also help slows down the aging of cells and various negative effect associated with aging. They are also believed to have potent anti-cancer properties. They also help flush out toxins. According to a research done in Harvard University, people who ate more than six carrots a week are much less likely to suffer a stroke than those who ate only one carrot a month or more.

Beets

Beet juice cleanses and nourishes the liver. They also help purify your blood. Beets are high in carbohydrates which means they are a great instant energy source, but unlike processed foods which are high in carbohydrates, beets will energize your body. Beets can be regarded as body fuel. Beets contain sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron and phosphorous. They are also considered a fiber food and contain vitamins A and C as well as niacin.

Broccoli (and its Sprouts)

This Cruciferous veggie contains up to 50 times more cancer-fighting, enzyme-stimulating activity than any other vegetable. Most readers know the former, broccoli, along with other Cruciferous vegetables, has cancer prevention properties, but broccoli sprouts are better at stimulating those toxin filtering enzymes in the liver. In any case, both are great for cleansing and detoxifying your body.

Watercress

These peppery little green leaves are rich in minerals and also have a diuretic effect that helps move things through your system. It is also rich in fiber, various antioxidants, folic acid, beta carotene iron and phosphorus. It is also a good source of iodine. It has even more calcium than milk and has more iron than spinach. On top of all that, it is also rich in Vitamin C, which has an anti-inflammatory action and can help you prevent or relieve symptoms of colds, flu and other kinds of inflammation.

Parsley

A diuretic, Parsley decreases the fluid volume in your body by adding to your urine output. Parsley is naturally a diuretic and thus great for your kidneys because the added flow of fluids through them improve urine production and output makes for a great cleansing effect on your body when you flush out bacteria and germs.



http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-5-Vegetables-for-Cleansing-and-Detoxification&id=7734456

Foods to Support Detox and Cleanse Efforts

Cabbage
Organic cabbage helps to clean your liver, the organ primarily responsible for filtering and removing toxins from your blood. Cabbage contains sulphur, which is essential for breaking down chemicals and removing them from your body. Organic cabbage also contains indole-3-carbinol, a chemical that boosts DNA repair in cells. Indole-3-carbinol also appears to block the growth of cancer cells in your body. So, eat your organic cabbage regularly!

Cilantro
Organic cilantro, also known as coriander, Chinese parsley or dhania, contains MANY antioxidants. It also helps to metabolize mercury and other metals out of your body tissues, which it then attaches to other compounds that allows it to be excreted from the body.

Cinnamon
I've written in the "Spice Rack" article a bit about this wonderful spice. Remember that you need to eat organic cinnamon to get the best of the benefits. Cinnamon's oils contain the active elements so helpful for detoxifying and cleansing. The oils are anti-microbial. Cinnamon has been identified by researchers as anti-bacerial and anti-fungal, so it inhibits the growth of those disease organisms. Especially pertinent in the fight against the fungus of Candida yeast, which is a big problem for many people.

Cranberries
Organic cranberries have been known primarily for their ability to prevent urinary tract infections. But these ruby red bog berries are also antibacterial so they can help to remove many different toxins from your body. They are full of ahi-inflammatory nutrients so enjoy those organic cranberries, they are so good for you

http://ezinearticles.com/?Foods-to-Support-Detox-and-Cleanse-Efforts&id=8495462

The Raw Food Diet - Are You Tough Enough?

Like the Mediterranean Diet, the Raw Food Diet is not so much of a diet as a way of life. Arguably one of the healthiest eating plans, it is not one for those lacking willpower. If you're really interested in this type of plan then I would suggest you read all of this article.

What is the Raw Food Diet? It is just what the name suggests. Most, if not all of your diet is herbs, sprouts, raw vegetables, nuts, fruits and seeds. You can have as wide a variety as you like but you have to keep them raw or at least not cooked over 116 degrees Fahrenheit (46.67 degrees Celsius). Heating your food past this could destroy valuable fiber and enzymes.

If you are going to follow this diet plan then I would highly recommend getting a good juicer. With a juicer you'll be able to make great fruit and vegetable juices that you'll probably drink every morning and several times a day. Having these fresh juices will get your day going with a burst of energy while requiring very little energy to digest.

This diet is not for the weak willed. Not only are you changing your diet, you are changing your life, your relationship with food, and your thinking as well. Gone will be the comfort foods, and that feeling of being full. In its place will be eating to energize your cells and fuel up to get going.

If you are one of the few people who can handle this type of diet, you will be surprised at the rewards you'll receive. People on this diet have reported being more vibrant, ambitious and just plain happier. There is no doubt that the pounds will just fall off due to the smaller amount of calories and carbohydrates you are consuming. But, this diet is also reported to help enhance memory, make your mind become sharper, and clear up skin problems including acne. Another benefit is people who have thinning hair have reported their hair seems to become thicker.

The Raw Diet is also reported to help your immune system get stronger which would help reduce the chance of you becoming seriously ill. Most medical professionals agree that a diet rich in fiber, water-rich raw foods may actually extend your life.
The Raw Food Diet won't appeal to everyone because it is one of the most "extreme" eating plans on the planet.

The Raw Food Diet even beats out Veganism even though there are quite a few similarities. The main difference between the two is that in Veganism you can cook the food.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Raw-Food-Diet---Are-You-Tough-Enough?&id=8668976

How to Introduce Cultured Vegetables Into Your Meals

Food experts are talking more and more about fermented foods as potent detoxifying agents for the digestive track. They have been around for years, and were used by sailors hundreds of years ago as a way to prevent food from spoiling on long voyages. They not only were an excellent source of food, but were known even then to prevent scurvy and other health maladies. Today we are finding the true health benefits of this true super food, and we should all incorporate cultured vegetables into our diet plan. But it must be done the right way.

First, what are some of the health benefits? The detoxification properties of cultured vegetables help to break down and eliminate toxins such as heavy metals from the body, plus provide healthy gut bacteria. By making the digestive system more efficient dietary fat is absorbed and eliminated, helping people with weight problems. This in turn helps to prevent diabetes, lowers your cancer and heart disease risk, plus improves overall mental health.

This all becomes even more important as we age. The stomach uses acid to kill disease-causing bacteria, viruses and fungi, while at the same time allowing the more acid-tolerant beneficial microbes to pass through. As we age the stomach generally becomes less acidic. This brings on a greater proportion of pathogenic microbes in the intestinal tract, causing a range of maladies that may even include dementia. This has not been proven scientifically as of yet, but we are certain of the importance of maintaining high levels of beneficial bacteria in our intestinal tract.

If you are planning to add cultured vegetable to you diet and have never eaten fermented foods, you will want to slowly bring your system up to speed. Immediately throwing too much into you system could provoke what is known as a healing crisis. This is where pathogens in your digestive track our killed off, and when they die they release potent toxins. Too many will cause an unpleasant reaction.

Starting off with just a teaspoon with a meal a day might be enough to get you started, and then add a little when you feel your system can take it. Experts say just a fourth to one-half a cup a day will be enough to have a dramatic beneficial impact on your health.

For those of us that cook, culturing your own vegetables isn't that difficult, and it stores very well. Check the internet for some interesting ideas that may interest you, but here is a simple one to get you started.

1. Select your herbs and vegetables. Organic foods are the healthiest and will work the best. Green or red cabbage should be the base of your blend, making up as much as 80%. Hard root vegetables such as carrots, radishes, turnips and beets go next. It's best to peel them, as the skins can be bitter. Add only a little peeled garlic, peeled ginger or basil, oregano, sage, rosemary or thyme. The fermentation process will concentrate their flavors, so go easy on these.

2. Chop the vegetables and place them in a vessel, submerge in water, making certain they are covered.

3. Add ¼ cup of kefir whey, making sure to leave a couple of inches at the top for expansion.

4. Cover the glass vessel and seal, leaving it on the counter top for at least three days to ferment. If a layer of mold forms along the top, just scrape it off, as it is harmless.

5. Put the entire contents in the refrigerator. It will have about a nine-month shelf life.



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Raw and Fresh - Why You Should Only Choose the Freshest Juices for Your Next Juice Detox

Juice detoxes are a common sight in the fitness world today. It is an opportunity to revitalize your body by replacing all of the toxins that you put into it with healthy vitamins and minerals. It is done by consuming only fresh fruit and vegetable juices for a period of 24 hours or more as a way of detoxing your body. Additionally, taking the fruit and vegetables in the form of a juice leaves your body with more energy to recharge and rejuvenate itself because it does not have to break down complex foods. Interestingly, fitness trainers who promote juice detoxes are quick to state that the most important element of a juice detox is getting fresh or raw ingredients, so that you only add the best vitamins and minerals to your body. We asked the ladies over at a detox company that why fresh and raw fruits and vegetables were so important.

The girls told us, "The first reason fresh and raw foods are better than older or frozen food is that they simply contain MORE nutrients." There is no set amount of nutrients in a vegetable or fruit. They are constantly changing and the longer away from the tree or bushel, the fewer nutrients a food will have. This is because all foods slowly lose nutrients as soon as they are plucked or cut down. Getting the freshest produce limits this loss. Making sure your food is raw can be even more important. This is because nutrients can also be lost when they are cooked too, meaning consuming raw food is the best way of getting as many vitamins and minerals as you can.

The next reason raw and fresh is important is that fresh fruits and vegetables had a higher water content. During a detox this is incredibly useful because water helps to flush out the toxins in your body and so the fresher the fruits and vegetables in your juice detox, the better affect it will have on your body. Fresh fruits mean better body hydration!

Lastly, in the same way that fresh fruits and vegetables have more nutrients than older or frozen foods, they also have more enzymes inside them that are useful to the human body. Enzymes help your body with its digestion process. Specifically, the ones in fruits and vegetables make it easier to break down and absorb food for the human body. These enzymes are removed from canned foods so that they can have a longer shelf life, but they are integral to your body for quick absorption of minerals and fruits. This quick absorption is integral to a good juice detox, which is why using only fresh fruits and vegetables is advised by fitness trainers and dieticians.

Using fresh or raw foods when you decide to juice detox is the most important element of the whole detox process. With fresh foods you get more nutrients, higher levels of hydration and more enzymes to help break down the minerals and vitamins that are so necessary to detox's success. That is why companies only use fresh fruits and vegetables in their juices, and why they advise you to do the same.

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Super Greens - The Smoothie Secret to Healthy Drinks That Taste Like What You Really Want

Everyone who's ever heard "eat your vegetables" knows how good green foods are for you. The real winners in the nutrition showcase are the dark, leafy greens like kale, spinach & collard. Each leaf has a giant list of diet and nutrition improving benefits, so you would think everyone would want to include leaves at every meal... but... as you know, no one wants kale for breakfast.
The problem with dark leafy greens is two-fold: not everyone likes the taste, and the texture, especially of kale & collard can be tough & fibrous. The combination of bitter plant compounds and unappealing textures makes these literally "hard to swallow". Don't miss out on a great nutritional opportunity because flavor and texture are getting in the way. Learn the secret of eliminating any undesirable texture and the amazing food-chemistry behind neutralizing the flavor right here in this article.
First, gain confidence by learning how to eliminate the flavor of spinach, kale or collard greens.
By learning how to combine different fruits and vegetables, you can use certain ingredients to cancel out flavors you don't want, and then add others to achieve the taste you actually desire. When you know the rules, experimenting will be easier, and you can make drinks to suit your own tastes for variety and fun. The recipe in this article demonstrates each of the following points to create a drink that tastes really good at any meal of the day. Before you see the recipe, learn why it works.
Bitter compounds -
Each of the 'big 3' greens has a certain amount of bitter plant compounds. Little kids hate these greens because they are more sensitive to the compounds than adults are. To enjoy the leaves, you have to neutralize the compounds with a sweet plant based sugar. You can't just dump granulated sugar on them, it's the wrong type of sugar. The ideal item here is a banana. Bananas have natural fructose (that's different from high fructose corn syrup produced artificially) and glucose. A yellow, not-over-ripe banana has these 2 sugars in a decent proportion to neutralize bitterness.
Leafy flavor -
Even if you eliminate the bitterness, there's still the regular, leafy flavor. Different for each green, but still not suitable for snacking. You have to knock this out with a powerful flavor such as chocolate. Raw, powdered, unsweetened cocoa is not only very healthy, but very powerfully flavored. It can easily overpower any of the big 3.
Taste & texture -
Greens are alkaline foods, but cocoa is acidic, so you don't want to introduce more acid with dairy milk. Coconut milk, coconut water, almond milk, or rice milk are all less acidic than dairy milk. These non-dairy milks contribute a smooth, drinkable texture and flavor. Non dairy milks mellow things out.
It needs to taste sweet enough -
Most of the 'sweet flavor' of the banana will be canceled out by the compounds in the greens. Because unsweetened cocoa is bitter, reach for the stevia (powder or drops) to sweeten without sugar or calories. Stevia tastes sweet, but doesn't affect blood sugar. How much stevia you need to achieve the level of sweetness you desire, will be up to you.
You need ALL the nutrients -
Did you know that some nutrients in greens (and other veggies too) are more absorbable, or only absorbable in the presence of fats? Fat soluble vitamins like A, D, K and E are present in most leafy greens, but you can't digest/absorb them unless they dissolve. The only thing that will dissolve these so your body can use them, is a unit of healthy fat. "Bio-availability" is the term for how much of a certain nutrient you can access by eating a food. Healthy oils, like omega 3s and olive oil, when eaten in combination with other nutrients increase the bio availability. (So yes, salad oil on a salad really can make it better for you.)
The way to add healthy oils, extra fiber, calcium, and protein to the recipe, all without altering the flavor is by adding tiny, healthy seeds. Chia seeds have no flavor, but they're big on omega 3 oils. They're the perfect ingredient to add at the end to increase nutrition even more, and make the greens really worthwhile. (As you'll notice, there's hardly any fat at all in any of the other ingredients, you'll really be missing out on those fat-soluble vitamins if you skip this step. Nothing else is oily with healthy plant fats but ALSO free from flavor, so there's really nothing else you can use.)

It's all in how you make it -
This recipe is a smoothie, or just a chocolate drink. (Depending on how much rice milk you add) The texture will depend on your blender or food processor. If you have a weak processor with old, dull blades, or a poor, old-fashion blender, it may not be able to handle the "tough guys" kale & collard. These greens come with rough, fibrous stems and you need real power to liquefy them into micro-pieces that no one will notice. If your blades are blunt (or just old) you could notice bits, specks, or fibers of texture that are undesirable in a drink. That's why you should take the easy path first, and start with user friendly spinach.
Make a chocolate drink that's great for you!
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 yellow banana
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp stevia powder (or more, to taste)
½ cup non-dairy milk (less for thick 'smoothie' texture, more for a drink)
1 to 3 tsp dry chia seeds
Blend until smooth, chill and enjoy.
You might not think something this simple could be so good... but give it a try. It's so easy it takes less than 5 minutes. If you use it in the morning, you can always scoop in some of your favorite protein powder. Chill overnight in the fridge for breakfast in an instant. Feel good about your day because you already had a salad-worth of greens before most people have even thought of touching a veggie.
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