Diet – Foods You Really Should Be Eating!

You walk through the produce isle every time you go to the supermarket, yet how many times have you passed by the following superfoods without a second glance?

Cabbage – You don’t find this veggie in many American diets, but you do find it in many Asian and European ones. One cup has only 22 calories, and it’s loaded with sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is thought to reduce your risk of cancer, by increasing your body’s production of enzymes that get rid of free radicals that cause cell damage. And sulforaphane has been found to boost your levels of cancer-fighting enzymes better than any other plant chemical!

Cinnamon – OK…this doesn’t mean go and grab a Cinnabon! But the USDA has found that people with type-2 diabetes (the type most often associated with obesity) – if they consumed 1g of cinnamon per day for 6 weeks, they drop both their blood sugar, as well as their triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. That ¼ of teaspoon of cinnamon each day actually helps your body’s cells metabolize sugar by a factor of 20! Just sprinkle a little in morning coffee at Starbucks each day – and help decrease your risk of heart disease!

Pumpkin Seeds – So…come Halloween, all those seed you pull out and throw away – bet you didn’t know that roasting them in the oven gives you 150mg of magnesium per ounce! French researchers have found that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood had a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels. The USDA recommends that you get about 420mg of magnesium in your diet daily – so the next time you’re in the snack or health food section of your grocery store, look for them!

Pomegranate Juice – Have high blood pressure? Well, Israeli scientists have found that drinking just 2 ounces of pomegranate juice a day decreased blood pressure by over 20% (systolic pressure – the top number in your blood pressure reading). And, it also improves blood flow to your heart! And, that 2 oz. also gives you 25% of your daily vitamin C requirement. Look for Pom Wonderful juice – no added sugars, either!

Beets – Sweeter than any other veggie (beet juice makes a great substitute sweetner in recipes), beets contain both folate and betaine. These nutrients do a wonderful job of lowering homocysteine – a compound that damages your arteries and increases your risk of heart disease. On top of that, the pigments in beets that give it that natural red color – well, they are a great cancer fighter as well! If you had beets as a kid (those picked ones in a jar) – well, avoid them, as cooked beets loose much of their antioxidant power. Instead, just wash and peel a beet, then grate it with the widest blade of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil combined with the juice of one half a lemon! The leaves and stems are also loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and minerals – just cut the stems below the point where the leaves start, and wash!

Diet – Spice Up Your Diet With Exotic Fruit!

Want to add some variety to your diet, while also making sure that you’re eating what ‘s best for your body? Try adding some more exotic fruit choices to your diet! You may have run into some of these fruits in the produce isle of your nearby grocery store – give them a try, and enjoy some new flavors while also improving your health!

Papaya – Native to Central and South America, papaya is the best known source of papain – an enzyme that is very efficient at breaking down protein (it’s so good that it’s used in meat tenderizers!) – and…well, it’s also a great natural way to stay “regular”. Loaded with potassium, folate, and vitamin C. Just cut them in half, scoop out the seeds – and enjoy! (Plus, the seeds – grind them up and use them as a substitute for black pepper!). And, half a papaya has only 59 calories! In season year round.

Star Fruit – Native to Asia, this fruit is low in calories. Plus, it packs a punch that is great for your heart! It’s high in vitamin A, fiber and potassium, plus it’s a great source of polypheonols – antioxidants that fight cardiovascular inflammation. With a taste similar to a ultra-sweet plum, it’s quite tasty as well! In season July through September. Cut it into little stars (you’re kids will love it!) – and enjoy only 28 calories per serving!

Uniq Fruit – Native to Jamaica, this fruit is loaded with vitamin C and carotenoids. Flavor wise – it’s thought to be a cross between a grapefruit and tangerine. With a sharp, tart, citrusy flavor, this fruit is a great way to fight off colds. Eat it like you would a grapefruit or tangerine, but it’s very messy – so have napkins handy! 45 calories per fruit, and you can find it under its trade name – Ugli Fruit.

Passion Fruit – Native to South America, Passion Fruit is loaded with vitamin A and copious amounts of fiber (15 grams of fiber – half of what you should have daily)– add this fruit to your diet to help you keep control of your cholesterol! And, it also has more potassium than a banana. Available year round – if you eat 8 of these little guys, this serving size has 140 calories – and make sure you eat the seeds – that’s where you get the fiber!

Guava – Native to South America, Guava helps boost your immune system with 70 percent of the vitamin C you need daily – a total of 128mg! Plus, it’s loaded with carotenoids – which help boost your immune system as well. In season October through December, one Guava has about 37 calories. Spoon out the pulp like a grapefruit, or eat it like an orange!

Healthy Living – Take Your Omega-3s!

Omega-3s, also known as fish oil may very well be one of the most important nutrients that…most people never take. Omega-3s are a combination of docosahexaneoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EHA), and are found in fish and marine algae (where the fish get them from). There is a third type of omega-3s found in plants, seeds and nuts - alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Recent research has shown that the greatest benefits come from the combination of DHA and EPA. Studies have shown that these two acids may reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as possibly help prevent arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder, and autoimmune disorders.

Artemis P. Simopolus, M.D, a physician and the president of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health in Washington D.C. feels that “They’re part of your body’s basic nutrition – they’re involved in the metabolism of each individual cell”. One example of how omega-3s can make a difference is in the case of Randall McCoy. Last year, after the underground coal mine explosion in Sago, West Virginia, Randall was the only survivor. His 12 oxygen-starved colleagues had died, and he was suffering from acute carbon monoxide poisoning. He was in a coma and in deep shock. One of his lungs had collapsed, his liver and kidneys had shut down. It was believed that he would be severely brain damaged if he ever came out of his coma. The carbon monoxide had stripped the protective myelin sheath from most of the neurons in his brain. While going through oxygen treatment in his hospital’s hyperbaric chamber, his doctor ordered that he also be given a daily dose of 15,000 milligrams of DHA and EPA. After several weeks, he emerged from his coma. And, he’s recovered most of his memory, is gradually regaining his ability to walk / talk / see.

Yes, this story sounds miraculous. And, no, fish oil is not a miracle cure. Yet, the omega-3s helped rebuild the damaged gray and white matter in his brain. But, why does fish oil have this impact on us this way?

One theory comes from the director of London’s Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition. Michael Crawford, PhD’s theory is that while many mammals evolved as meat-eaters, only humans developed our “megabrains”. Paleontologists have found evidence that early man lived on the coastlines of southern Africa. And, since it’s far easier to catch fish & collect shellfish than it is to hunt down four-legged prey, which fed early human’s brains with DHA.

But, how can you get omega-3’s into your diet? Simple – fish oil supplements! You can choose either fish oil capsules or liquid. They’re equally effective at getting omega-3s into your system, so it’s really a matter of choice. Here’s a couple of things to think about when finding fish oil supplements:

1. ConsumerLab.com tested 41 fish oil supplements, and none were found to contain unsafe levels of mercury, PCB’s or dioxins. (And this is another reason why you should take supplements – as you can’t guarantee that if you ate the quantity of fish you’ll need to get the right level of omega-3s in your diet, that your fish is free of these poisons). To be sure you’re getting “clean” fish oil capsules, look for them to have been “molecularly distilled”.
   
   
2. Dosage – Take a look at the label, and make sure the combination of DHA and EHA totals at least 500 milligrams. You want a 3:2 split as well of EPA to DHA – so you’re looking for at least 300 milligrams of EPA and 200 milligrams of DHA.
   
   
3. Antioxidants – Your body can quickly oxidize omega-3s – so take Vitamin E at the same time to keep this from happening.
   
   
4. Fish Burp – Yes…as your stomach dissolves the fish oil capsule, you can get “fish burp”. You can avoid this by either buying entric coated capsules – or, keep them in the freezer! This way, the fish oil will be released into your small intestine, rather than your stomach, and you’ll avoid the dreaded “fish burp”!