A Meal Schedule To Get Fit

It's not a surprise that what we eat and the amount we eat has a lot to do with whether we have a great body or not. But a lot of people don't know that the time you eat and how often you eat matter a lot too. If you're going to succeed in getting fit, you need to pay attention. This is a true secret of getting the body you want.

When you eat has a major effect on your results. Let's start from the very beginning. When you first wake up, your body has been without food for many hours. Your blood sugar level first thing in the morning is low, and your body is running on stored energy. Once those reserves are used up, your body will turn to its next available source of fuel, your muscles! It's very difficult to get in shape when you're weak from lack of food, and your body is breaking down your muscles for energy. You need to eat your first meal as soon as possible after waking up. This gives your body the fuel it needs to start the day, and preserves your muscles.

So now you know how important it is to have a healthy meal as soon as possible after you get up. Doing so gets your blood sugar into the right zone (assuming you are eating healthy stuff) for you to function effectively and protects your hard-earned muscles. You'll feel better, function better, work out harder, and preserve your muscles while shedding fat.

The quest to keep your blood sugar level in the right zone also tells us how often you should eat. Within 3 to 4 hours after a meal, your body digests whatever you ate and your blood sugar level will start heading down again. That means you really shouldn't go much more than 3 hours between meals (except when you are sleeping at night).

If you think about this for a minute, it's clear that you need to eat a lot of meals in a day. To gain the benefits of keeping your blood sugar stable, you need to eat 5 or 6 times a day, instead of three times like most people. If you wake up at say 6:00 AM, all you need to do is eat every 3 to 3.5 hours and your blood sugar should should be good throughout the day.

When you eat more meals you need to reduce their size. One common way to do this without drastically reworking the way you eat is to have somewhat smaller meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with two nutritious snacks of around 100 calories. Those snacks are then eaten during the biggest gaps between meals, typically between each of the main meals or one between lunch and dinner and the other in the evening.

Eat this way for a few weeks and see what you think. Chances are you'll be one step closer to getting as fit as you desire.

The Health Benefits of Vegetarianism

Benefits Of Vegetarianism

Becoming a vegetarian is an ideal for many people that believe they should convert but don't fully understand the benefits. So how will it change things in your life and for the planet? It may not make a massive difference when one person decides to do this but each person that makes this choice will have an overall effect. To provide an example of this, you only have to look at how many people in America suffer with heart disease that eat meat regularly.

Many of today's heart conditions would not be so commonplace if people did not eat so much food with high levels of cholesterol, such as dairy products and eggs. In fact the group Earth Save states that a vegetarian has around 25 percent less chance of a heart attack than someone who consumes meat as part of their diet. Those individuals that have gone one step further an become vegans have around a ten percent chance of a heart attack as opposed to people on regular diets. The improvements in health do not end there if you are a vegetarian.

There is less likelihood of cancer owing to the reduced number of preservatives that will be in your diet compared to a person that regularly eats meat. As a vegetarian you won't be exposed to various hormones (that are packed into animal feed), which often disrupt normal hormonal processes in the body. A digestive problem, which many nutritional experts believe to be caused by intolerance to lactose, will also be avoided. The health advantages to becoming a vegetarian are unquestionable but there is also the fact that many animals will not lose their lives to feed you either.

In fact the death toll of animals may be far greater than expected with figures in the region of 2,700 eaten by an average American in their lifetime. It is a sobering thought that a change in diet could literally save hundreds of animals from being slaughtered over the course of a decade alone. Continuing along this line and by giving up eggs and milk, many hens and cows will be saved from the degradation of just being alive to feed us. The arguments are very convincing and difficult to dismiss; it is definitely better to become a vegetarian. The reduction in animal life lost and the improvement in your health should be convincing enough.

Get more information on a healthy lifestyle go to Natural Guide For Healthy Living as well as Healthy Living Diet

What is dieting?

The most misleading word in the weight loss market is dieting. Everybody having interest in losing weight will definitely speak about dieting. So what actually a diet is? A diet refers to the food eaten by a person. It is very certain that you have to consume vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fat that is necessary for your body. A balanced diet contains these essentials in required quantities.

When a man says he is dieting, it means that he actually takes care about what he eats and how much he eats. Nowadays, people say that they are dieting if they starve to lose fat and weight. Counting on calories and plainly rejecting fat foods is not just dieting. A diet must provide you all the important nutrition needed by the body. Using fad diets to reduce weight quickly is not the healthy way. Calorie shifting diet that contains all types of foods providing necessary nutrition to the body is needed to lose fat healthily .

Missing breakfast and meals and calling it as dieting is not good. Also, some people reduce their food intake so much and feel hungry most of the times calling it as dieting. All of these habits are unhealthy. When you eat a diet, you must make sure that you consume good foods with necessary nutrients. An idiot proof diet must contain everything that is good for your body. By consuming fibre and reducing direct carbohydrates, you can reduce the number of calories you consume in a healthy way.

Another common problem with dieting people is that they don’t have the expertise knowledge about dieting. They simply reject some foods and eat more of others in an attempt to reduce calorie intake. This is very bad, because only an expert can tell you how much calories you need. The Fat loss for idiots program produces a customized diet plan that can be consumed to lose fat in a healthy way.

Acai Berry Diet Does It All

What Oprah says goes, and when it comes to the Acai Berry Diet that she recently presented on her hit show, the berry is now gone. Not to be alarmed, I mean gone in a good way. It has gone out to just about every individual in America who saw the show or heard about the show. You do a simple search on line and the only thing you read about is what Oprah had to say.I want to assure the reader that the facts she laid out there are clear.

First of all, the Acai Berry which had relatively little publicity here in the states, has actually been used for a long time. It is harvested in the Amazon basin so it is only realistic that we were not the first to have found this marvelous berry. Indigenous people to the area have relied on its nutrients to keep them healthy and in shape, although I am not sure they knew that is what it was doing for them. Did these people really worry about the aging look or the extra weight around the middle? Possibly not because they did not have this problem thanks to the Acai Berry.

Oprah had some great points about the Acai Berry Diet. It is what is known as a superfood. Not only is it filled with an assortment of antioxidants that the body definitely needs and hardly gets enough of but when you have this type of positive for the inside of the body, of course it is going to do wonders to the outside. The skin soaks up the nutrients as well. This probably goes without saying, but perhaps with this superfood, the effects of good eating are reflected on the outside at a relatively fast rate.

There are things that were not mentioned on the Oprah show that absolutely should not be overlooked. Maybe that is all that happened on the show is that there were simple things that were not mentioned, probably in the essence of time. But there are other superfoods on the market that can offer the type of punch as the Acai berry. There are superfoods that are full of antioxidants, can help speed up your metabolism and help you feel and look better. The trick here is having them taste as good or be as available as the new Acai Berry Diet seems to be now.

The Best Baby Food: Nutramigen

Nutramigen is a hypoallergenic formula for babies who are sensitive to the intact protein found in milk-based and soy-based products. Nutramigen holds extensively hydrolysed protein that is effective for colic and other symptoms due to cow's milk protein allergic reaction. The formula includes docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA), nutrients also found in breast milk, that promote brain and eye growing.

Product Features
* Hypoallergenic, lactose-free, and sucrose-free
* Clinically tried out to resolve colic symptoms due to cow's milk protein allergy in 48 hours1,2 (Studied before the addition of LIPIL, our blend of DHA and ARA.)
* Proven effective in the dietetical management of babies with allergic manifestations, including GI, skin, and respiratory symptoms
* Includes LIPIL, our blend of DHA and ARA, nutrients also found in breast milk, that promote brain and eye development
* Increased level of choline to be closer to the level found in breast milk. Choline is an essential nutrient found in breast milk that, like DHA, is essential for baby's brain development.13,14

Protein
Protein allows 11% of total calories in Nutramigen. The hypoallergenic protein source is extensively hydrolysed casein that is added on with three amino acids—L-cystine, L-tyrosine, and L-tryptophan—to provide an right balance of amino acids to the baby. The protein source provides a high percentage of free amino acids with the remainder as small peptides. The protein efficiency ratio (PER) for Nutramigen is greater than the PER for casein. So, the protein in Nutramigen LIPIL is of very superiority.

Safety and Tolerance
Because of the extra features of Nutramigen, it does not taste like cow's milk and soy-based formulas; however, most babies quickly adjust to the taste. A study evaluated babies' reactions to Nutramigen as a novel food at 1-2 months of age or 7-8 months of age. Infants <2 months of age showed a small reduction in intake of Nutramigen compared with their regular formula but continued to drink substantial and satiating amounts of Nutramigen. Older infants refused the Nutramigen when it was offered. The investigators told that adoption of Nutramigen can be attained in older babies, although not normally on the first presentation.

The sources of DHA and ARA in Nutramigen are well tolerated. In clinical studies comparing babies fed formulas including LIPIL with infants fed formulas without LIPIL, there were no Clinically significant differences in tolerance and the add-on of LIPIL had no effect on the incidence of adverse cases.The sources of DHA and ARA in Nutramigen LIPIL are Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use in infant formulas by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

If you’re looking for more information, you can take a look at Nutramigen Enfamil or Nutramigen Formula.

Is a Colon Cleanse Really Necessary?

The necessity in today's world for going on a Colon Cleanse diet cannot be overemphasized! Almost all of us are so toxic we do not realize it, and we are amazed when we go to have colonic therapy, and in shock when we see what comes out of our bodies. A few years ago I went with a friend to the Ann Wigmore foundation, in order for her to try to beat her cancer. One of the requirements of the program was that she participated in a colonic therapy at least once a week. When we would get her on the table, massive amounts of waste would come out of her bowels. The colonic therapist turned and said to me, "No wonder she got sick", as my friend's bowels were so loaded with old fecal matter!

Unfortunately, my friend lost her war with cancer, leaving behind two small children. John Wayne, the great Western American Cowboy, died of cancer directly related to a dirty colon. Forty pounds of fecal matter was found in his colon during his autopsy. Even Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, also had a bowel that contained over 40 pounds worth of old fecal matter trapped there.  Do you think he could have used a good colon cleansing?

The fact of the matter is, that more diseases and unhealthy conditions can be attributed to a dirty colon, than almost any other malady we suffer in the modern world! It is critical, therefore that we clean out our bowels. Recent studies have indicated very strongly that the Acai Berry is one of the most effective and powerful foods that we can have within our bodies to cleanse our bowels and keep our colons clean and healthy. Apparently the Acai Berry is so high in anti oxidants as well as fiber, that it has the magic mixture for keeping our personal plumbing clean. The Acai Berry is also loaded with minerals, B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, and protein.

 

This product will allow you to detoxify your body, and breaking up the wastes within your bowel, in order to eliminate those toxins. Your energy will return as this fabulous berry has been known to lesson the effects of chronic fatigue. In addition to these benefits, the Acai Berry Blast will also aid you in losing weight.  Truly a Super Food!

Fast, Easy, Healthy Recipes

Fast, Easy, Healthy Recipes

Whether you are cooking for two or ten, or even more, you want your meals to be delicious. You also want them to be fast, easy and above all healthy. You do not want to rely on eating out all the time, nor do you want to be stuck preparing boxed, bagged or frozen meals all of the time. But who really has time to cook real food from scratch these days? You do, and all it takes is a little planning and some prep work ahead of time.

Remember back in the old days when a home cooked meal was the norm rather than the exception? And Mom cooked supper in a dress, pumps and pearls, right? Yeah, that is not happening anymore. The whole family has stuff to do from Mom and Dad right down to the little ones, so how do you manage to make good food ?

Make friends with your slow cooker. Presoak your favorite bean variety, and then drain and rinse. Toss them into the slow cooker with an onion, and whatever flavorings that you want to add. Put the lid on tightly, turn it on low and then go off to work, school or wherever. When you return in the evening, you will have a delicious meal already waiting for you. There are other crock pot recipes, and many of the books will tell you how to adapt almost anything to slow cooker goodness. Besides the convenience of being able to start the food and go, the other benefit of a slow cooker is not having to heat up the kitchen during the summer months.

If you are not cooking for a huge crowd, then utilize your indoor grill and make healthy, delicious meals that take a fraction of the time and have the same benefit of not heating up the kitchen in the hot summer months. Of course, if you are cooking for a crowd you can fire up your out door grill and do the same meals

If you have a chance to take a day for cooking, make double or even triple batches of some of your favorite recipes. Use one batch as tonight's meal, and then freeze the rest in differing size portions. Halve one to use as another full family meal. Cut the other half into individual portions and freeze up as lunch items, or for days when everybody cannot eat at the same time. The advantage here is that everybody can grab their favorite dish out of the freezer and eat it without anybody having to cook additional food.

One of the fastest, easiest and still healthy recipes that I know: take deli sliced turkey breast and baby spinach leaves. Spread the turkey with good mustard and sprinkle with the spinach leaves, roll up just as they are. Serve with chopped, raw veggies and make it a finger food kind of meal. The kids will love it, and I won't tell them that it's healthy. It will be our secret.

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Fast, Easy, Healthy Recipes

Fast, Easy, Healthy Recipes

Whether you are cooking for two or ten, or even more, you want your meals to be delicious. You also want them to be fast, easy and above all healthy. You do not want to rely on eating out all the time, nor do you want to be stuck preparing boxed, bagged or frozen meals all of the time. But who really has time to cook real food from scratch these days? You do, and all it takes is a little planning and some prep work ahead of time.

Remember back in the old days when a home cooked meal was the norm rather than the exception? And Mom cooked supper in a dress, pumps and pearls, right? Yeah, that is not happening anymore. The whole family has stuff to do from Mom and Dad right down to the little ones, so how do you manage to make good food ?

Make friends with your slow cooker. Presoak your favorite bean variety, and then drain and rinse. Toss them into the slow cooker with an onion, and whatever flavorings that you want to add. Put the lid on tightly, turn it on low and then go off to work, school or wherever. When you return in the evening, you will have a delicious meal already waiting for you. There are other crock pot recipes, and many of the books will tell you how to adapt almost anything to slow cooker goodness. Besides the convenience of being able to start the food and go, the other benefit of a slow cooker is not having to heat up the kitchen during the summer months.

If you are not cooking for a huge crowd, then utilize your indoor grill and make healthy, delicious meals that take a fraction of the time and have the same benefit of not heating up the kitchen in the hot summer months. Of course, if you are cooking for a crowd you can fire up your out door grill and do the same meals

If you have a chance to take a day for cooking, make double or even triple batches of some of your favorite recipes. Use one batch as tonight's meal, and then freeze the rest in differing size portions. Halve one to use as another full family meal. Cut the other half into individual portions and freeze up as lunch items, or for days when everybody cannot eat at the same time. The advantage here is that everybody can grab their favorite dish out of the freezer and eat it without anybody having to cook additional food.

One of the fastest, easiest and still healthy recipes that I know: take deli sliced turkey breast and baby spinach leaves. Spread the turkey with good mustard and sprinkle with the spinach leaves, roll up just as they are. Serve with chopped, raw veggies and make it a finger food kind of meal. The kids will love it, and I won't tell them that it's healthy. It will be our secret.

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One is the Hungriest Number: Eating Healthy For One

One is the Hungriest Number: Eating Healthy For One

Cooking can seem like such a daunting, thankless job when you are the only one to cook for, but with some careful planning and some time saving tips, you can eat healthy, versatile meals that will not make you feel like a lonely hermit, but rather an urbane single.

First, any meal that you would cook for a crowd can be adapted for the single person. Take a free day and create full, delicious and healthy meals. Allow them to cool and then separate them out into individual serving containers. Store them, labeled and dated in the freezer and make sure that you rotate so that nothing goes to waste. Before you leave for work in the morning, take something out to defrost and when you come home you will be moments away from a delicious, healthy, homemade meal. You could pop your meal into the microwave while you are changing into your "at home" clothes and then eat in perfect comfort.

If you do not have the freezer space, or do not want to spend an afternoon making up the meals that could feed your for weeks at a time, you could adapt recipes from their usual four serving size down to four. It might take some experimentation to get spice amounts right, but that is part of the fun of cooking, after all. One of the easiest one person recipes is this one for orange glazed chicken: take one skinless, boneless chicken breast and lay it in a cooking dish. Drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil and spike the meat with a few cloves of garlic. Bake until it is cooked thoroughly. During the final five or six minutes juice a medium size orange into a sauce pan. Over low to medium heat cook the juice until it nearly boils. Whisk in a tablespoon or so of a really good white wine or orange liqueur (for intense citrus flavor) and then cook until it reduces by half. (This concentrates the flavors so make sure that the wine is a good one. If you would not pour it into a glass and drink it, do not use it to cook with either.) Also, if you do not cook with alcohol for whatever reason, you can substitute the same amount of water. Pull the chicken out of the oven, and remove it to the plate, but do not slice it yet. Give it a few moments to rest which will allow the juices to flow back throughout. Pour the warm glaze over the top, add a nice green salad and you have a fabulous meal.

Of course, a good healthy meal should include a dessert, and this one is no exception.

One of my favorites is this: melt 1-2 ounces of white chocolate in a double boiler over very low heat, or very carefully in a microwave, being careful not to allow it to burn. Allow the melted chocolate to cool slightly, but not to re-harden. Stir in 1/4-1/2 of a cup of heavy cream ( relax, you won't be eating this every single day.) Stir the mixture very well and then pour over the fruits of your choice. For the glazed chicken meal, try segments of orange and sliced strawberries. Oh, yum.

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Best Healthy Desserts

Best Healthy Desserts

I don't know about you, but dessert is my very favorite part of any meal. Sometimes I will skip the meal altogether, just to get to dessert that much faster. I admit it, I have an insatiable sweet tooth, but I try to eat healthy foods, which brings me to some of my very favorite, healthy desserts. I hope that you enjoy them too.

1) The Berried Angel Take a slice of angel food cake ( sugar free if you prefer) and put it in on a plate or bowl. ( I like the bowl, this one can get sticky and messy) Select a variety of berries, aiming for at least three kinds. My standby faves are blueberry, raspberry and strawberry. Take half of the amount that you plan to use for each berry and set them aside. The other half goes into a small sauce pan with just a little bit of water, (about 1/4 cup of less). Bring the water and berries to a boil, and then with a wooden spoon, stir and mash the mixed fruit. Let this cool slightly, then drizzle over the top and sides of the angel food cake. Top with the remaining whole berries and a dollop of light whipped topping if you want.

2)The Creamnutty Explosion. Microwave 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (chunky or smooth, your choice) for 20 seconds. Let this cool slightly, then blend with about the same amount ( or slightly less) whipped topping. Crush two whole honey graham crackers and pour into a bowl, reserving about a teaspoon. Top the crumbs with the peanut butter/whipped topping mixture, and then sprinkle with the remaining crumbs.

3) French Vanilla Banana Cream Un-Pie Slice one whole banana long wise and put into a bowl. (You can also add berries if you would like) Pour fat free, French Vanilla liquid coffee creamer over top, ( about 1 tablespoon or less), allowing it to soak into the banana for a minute or so before eating.

4) Caramel Apple Pancakes. (This one is a bit heavier than the others, so it's only a rare treat) Before making your regular pancake batter, peel and dice one or two medium apples. Toss with a teaspoon of lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Mix the apples into the batter and cook each pancake as you normally would. Meanwhile, microwave fat free caramel apple dip for 20-30 seconds and set aside. To serve: place one small pancake (about the size of a CD) on each plate, and drizzle with the warmed caramel dip, top with a second small pancake, drizzle again and serve. (For extra decadence, these are also good served with a very light dusting of crushed peanuts)

5)White chocolate perfection. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Let it cool slightly and then add just a splash of whipping cream ( milk if you prefer). Drizzle over angel food cake, top with fresh berries . This can be varied by using dark chocolate and topping the cake with orange segments instead.

I am by no means an expert, I just know what I like after years of being a confirmed sweet hound. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, there is no reason that any dessert cannot be a healthy one, even chocolate cake. All of the above recipes are my adaptations of others and I would like to hope that you are now inspired to try to do the same thing as well.

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Reasons to take Tribulus Terrestris

Have you ever been working out and noticed other people are making faster gains? You ask yourself why, do they work out more than you or are you just one of those hard gainers? One answer for that may be due to testosterone

Testosterone is the main male sex hormone found in the body and is responsible for many important functions in the body. Its effects include growth of muscle mass, increased bone density and strength. Testosterone is made by the body and people can have varying levels. The differences in these levels help explain why some people can gain muscle faster than others.

This has been known for a long time by doctors and people in the body building and sporting community, this is the reason why some athletes take anabolic steroids. These are synthetics forms of testosterone and when taken orally or via injection your muscle mass and strenght will start to improve. Steroid use can be very dangerous and has been linked to various conditions such as liver cancer and enlargement of the heart. While is it dangerous to use it is also illegal for virtually all sports and if you are caught using you can be banned from many sports.

Steroid use increases testosterone levels by adding extra testosterone to the body but another way to raise levels is to promote the body to make more of its own. There have been natural ways found that can make the body produce more testosterone and Tribulus Terrestris is one of them. It is known as the puncture vine and has traditionally been a natural remedy promothing sexual performance and virility.

The way that Tribulus Terrestris promotes testosterone production is that it induces the pituitary gland in the brain to produce more luteinizing hormone. This hormone is involved with signalling the testes to manufacture more testosterone. The result of this is that the higher luteinizing hormone levels will increase the amount of testosterone produced in the body.

When your testosterone levels increase you should find you are becoming stronger and adding muscle. Increased testosterone levels have been linked to higher enrgy levels and a better mood as studies have found a like between depression and low testosterone. Soif you think you may not be progressing as fast as you want or are feeling lethargic maybe Tribulus is the thing you need.

Interested in Acai Berry Diet Information

There are very few foods in the world that can claim to be superfoods. Superfoods must have many more benefits besides just providing enough calories and some nutrition. However, there are some foods that are able to be elevated to superfood status because of the incredible benefits they can deliver.

Acai berry is one of these foods. With its ability to do everything from increase weight loss to fighting off disease, acai berry can provide you with better health without any effort.

What makes Pure Acai Berry Pro such an incredible food is the fact that its nutritional content is as close to perfect as possible. First of all, it is absolutely filled with antioxidants. Click here to find more information about Best Acai Berry Deals.

As you probably know, antioxidants are necessary for slowing down the effects of aging and for fighting disease. The berry also has monounsaturated fats, which are the healthy type also found in olive oil.

Fiber and phytosterols are also part of the package, as is a well balanced amino acid complex. In all, this food is a very complete way of getting energy, nutrition, and antioxidants all in one package.

Because of its extremely complete nutritional content, the acai berry has the potential to provide tons of benefits for your body. Among the most popular reasons for people to use the product are increased energy, maintain better health, and to lose weight.

You can expect to have more energy when you use the acai berry because of its combination of carbohydrates and fats and its high concentration of antioxidants. All of these things combined make it a very good source of energy and a great way to increase your stamina during the day. Because you are likely to feel and be healthier while taking it, this will also increase your energy.

The antioxidant levels of this berry are more than five times as high as in blueberries and other such foods. This makes these berries very powerful in terms of fighting aging and bodily damage. Many people rely on this special berry to fight off the free radicals that can be implicated in everything from cancer to wrinkles.

Antioxidants have the amazing power to neutralize free radicals, which can help you feel younger and healthier than ever before. By using foods with high levels of antioxidants, you can experience great health and fend off the damaging effects of pollution, UV light, aging and more.

Pure Acai Berry can also help you with your weight loss goals as it has the ability to help your body burn fat more efficiently and to increase your metabolism. In addition, because it can help your body work more efficiently in general, you can expect losing weight to be easier.

For instance, the ability of the berry to increase your stamina will make it easier for you to exercise, and the berries perfect amino acid complex will allow your muscles to function properly during exercise. The acai berry even provides digestive support so that you can use your food more efficiently.

The benefits of acai berries are hard to beat and it is a great addition to any diet. Since it is not a local crop, the best way to get the benefits of this berry is in the supplement form offered by Pure Acai Berry.

Since this is the most concentrated and purest way of getting the incredible benefits of this berry, you will be able to reap the health benefits of this berry much sooner. Begin now and you can even get a Free Trial of Pure Acai Berry Pro to see the benefits for yourself! Click on Best Acai Berry Promotional Offers to find out more.

 

About the Author

Mangosteen Fruit - The Queen of the Fruits is a Dog

Author: F Fleming B.Sc.Pharm, M.H

Have you been aware lately when you flip through a health magazine that there is some recently discovered exotic food being featured as the “New Super Food”? We are often being bombarded with new information and claims. From all kinds of non-native berries to green teas how do we know what foods have some beneficial medicinal qualities?

I want to comment on a fruit that I’ve recently been introduced to known as Mangosteen. Mangosteen fruit has been used since the beginning of the human race in the eastern world and has only recently been brought to light in the western world. Introduction of Mangosteen fruit to the accepting western world brought with it the designation “Queen of Fruits”

Mangosteen fruit, also known as Xango, began it’s existence in Southern Asia. This area is where Mangosteen fruit is usually grown. The fruit grows on Asian tropical evergreen trees where the temperature is relatively warm, does not grow in very cold temperatures and grows at a very slow pace. When these trees are approximately ten years old they start to produce small purplish fruits which bear no relation to the Mango. In Asia, Mangosteen fruit is viewed as the “Queen of Fruits” on account of its delicate taste and scent

The “Claim to Fame” for Mangosteen fruit originates as a  abundant source of xanthones. These are phenolic compounds having potent antioxidant properties. Most people don’t know that most of the xanthones are found in the rind and outer shell, not in the fruit itself. Slick selling has promoted this exotic fruit for sale in the form of juices at ridiculous prices. On the internet I discovered Mangosteen juice being sold at $35.00 for a 750ml bottle. In a health food store I was shocked to find 1 liter of Mangosteen juice for sale at $50.00. Are these prices justified?

Wikipedia advises that when Mangosteen was examined for nutrient content, antioxidant strength and potential impact for lessening the risk against human disorders it was discovered that the overall nutrient content was absent of important content.

I am very cautious of any food items imported from China. There is a recall on children’s toys because of lead contamination, milk products have been contaminated with melamine which is a known toxin that has poisoned thousands of kids while chickens, ingesting melamine, and their eggs are likely to be contaminated.

A recent story in The National Geographic magazine advises us about the Yellow River in China being so polluted that the water is not usable. Thousands of villagers are dying of cancer and other terminal disorders because they use the water out of the Yellow River. Considering this revelation I must then ask some questions:

- If Mangosteen fruit is imported from China what are the soil conditions like where it is being grown?

- What waterways are supplying these fruits and how terribly are they contaminated?

- What toxins are we consuming into our bodies when we select these exotic products?

We tend to forget our own superfoods produced right here in our farmer’s own backyards. Enjoy blueberries, black cherries, concord grape juice, blackberries and cranberries. All of these have been proven to have abundant antioxidant properties while they lessen the risk against certain human diseases. We can buy these tasty foods certified organic which means we know that no pesticides have been used.

While you can obtain our own homegrown foods, for your family, at a fraction of the cost of Mangosteen juice you can also rest easier with the knowledge of quality coming from our own certified organic farming. My money and my families good health rests with our own superfoods!

The Benefits of Eating Alfalfa

Alfalfa is a herb you might already know about and even used but you may not know that much of the health benefits it can provide you and research has proven that those who take advantage of Alfalfa might be able to lower any glucose or cholesterol in the blood. Many take Alfalfa supplements orally and is has been proven safe except in a small percentage of people where it created lupus like symptoms. In the seeds and sprouts of Alfalfa, amino acid L-canavanine is found and that is what is thought to cause this reaction. However, this is not present in the leaves of the Alfalfa.  Overall Alfalfa is good for your health.

The Chinese have been using Alfalfa for many hundreds of years to help with fluid retention and swelling. The Arabs were the first to find Alfalfa and they named it "the father of all foods." There are many nutrients to be had in the leaves, such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, and carotene.

If you are needing a natural laxative then Alfalfa will be able to help in this department. It also works well for urinary tract infections, and kidney, bladder and prostrate disorders. The latest and greatest discovery of Alfalfa is the benefits that it may provide for lowering cholesterol this is because chemicals found in the Alfafa are able to adhere to the cholesterol therefore preventing it from being in the blood.

You don't need to take Alfalfa in a pill form because you can quite happily eat it. All you need to do is add some to your salad.  Eating healthy is also important for skin care.

Do you like to drink tea?  You can also drink it as a tea whereby you steep the leaves in some hot water. If you wish you can even spray some of this tea on your plants such as Delphiniums and Irises. You can also create a mulch with Alfalfa which you can then put out into your garden.

A Diet to Treat Yeast Infection

There's so many different ways that you can get a yeast infection. Among the possibilities include taking oral contraceptive pills, using oral steroids, due to have your period, having diabetes, using certain hygiene products, and wearing clothing that is damp and/or warm. There are a number of solutions to treat the infection. But unknown to many, eating the correct diet to treat yeast infection is also as important.  If you have a yeast infection you really want to deal with it.

When it comes to adhering to a diet for the use of treating a yeast infection you should really call it a detox. Yeast infection is a direct result of an overgrowth in some areas of a natural occurring microorganism, your doctor will call this microorganism Candida albicans.  There are many ways you can do a body detox.

First of all you need to know that drinking plenty of liquids is needed. When detoxing your body it's very difficult to do this without the help of water. This is because the water helps get rid of toxins that are trapped in your body. It has been also suggested that fresh fruit juices and even tea be added to the liquid intake. Generally speaking it's advised that you have an intake of eight glasses of water daily. 

Eating a diet filled with fresh food is also an excellent idea. It would be best to void processed and highly fatty foods, not only for your yeast infection but for your general health as well. Avoid overcooking your food too. This is because you can kill a lot of the nutrients in your food when heat is applied so be sure to cook your food just right. Two of the best cooking methods is to steam and to sautée. Ideally you won't even bother to cook your vegetables, instead opting to chop them up into a fresh salad. However, we do suggest that you avoid eating sweet vegetables like carrots, corn, potatoes, onions, and sweet potatoes.

Eat a lot of garlic. This is because garlic is packed full of antibacterial compounds which help to get rid of yeast infection. A diet rich in green vegetables but lower in meat is also good. Fish, beef, lamb, poultry and eggs are okay in moderation.