Tag Archives: antioxidants

The Best Immune-Boosting Foods

The most effective way to fight the flu is to be vaccinated, which causes your body to make antibodies that target specific illnesses. That’s what most experts will say, anyway.

But, nature may be just as effective. Your diet can provide a boost to your immune system, which can help you get through the flu season without so much as a sniffle. Here are some of the best immune-boosting foods, with a couple lesser known choices:

garlicGarlic

Vampires are popular these days. Will their nemesis, garlic, follow? The stinking rose, as it’s sometimes called, contains allicin, a phytochemical that may lower cholesterol and make blood platelets less sticky, which cuts the risk of clots.

But, this tasty relative of the onion has more to offer.

“Garlic apparently stimulates the body’s immune system, particularly enhancing the macrophages and lymphocytes, which destroy cancer cells,” says Dr. Benjamin Lau, physician and author of the book, Garlic for Health. (more…)

Posted on January 5, 2024 by Jason

Chia Seeds: The New Super Food?

You may not know what chia seeds are, but you’ve probably heard of the sprout, famously grown and marketed as the Chia Pet. For our sake, we want to concentrate on the seed, because that is where you will find some pretty amazing health benefits.

photo: sweetbeetandgreenbean.net

photo: sweetbeetandgreenbean.net

Chia is an edible seed that comes from the desert plant salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family that grows in abundance in southern Mexico. The chia can be traced back more than 3,000 years to Central America when the Aztecs used it as a primary food source, ranked up with corn and beans.

The nutty-tasting whole grain chia seeds are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, they are said to be up to four times higher in essential fatty acids than other grains. For the sake of comparison, chia has a 64 percent concentration of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), while the better known flax (flax seed) contains 55 percent. (more…)

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Jason

Vitamin Guide from A to Zinc: Vitamin A

carrotsIf you have ever heard the suggestion to eat your carrots for good vision, you were actually being told to eat a food high in vitamin A.

Vitamin A not only helps with vision but it is an antioxidant, which means that this substance can prevent damage to our bodies’ cells and also help with repairing damage. Additionally, vitamin A helps with maintaining our skin tissue and it is necessary for our cell growth. It also helps fight off infection, which in addition to the benefits listed above, makes vitamin A essential for our bodies.

(more…)

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Amy

Treat Asthma with the Raw Food Diet

inhalerMore than seven percent of adults and nine percent of children suffer from asthma. Most people treat their asthma with two types of medications: long-term and quick relief (such as inhalers). You can also take preventative measures, such as avoiding the items that trigger your symptoms.

Did you know that you can also fight asthma with your diet? Proponents of the raw food diet say that their way of life is a good way to treat asthma. A raw food diet is more about lifestyle than a weight loss program. It’s something that you dedicate your life to. About 75 percent of your dietary intake will be fruits and vegetables and things like alcohol, refined sugars, and caffeine are off limits.

Raw foodists often tend to be vegans, but some will eat cheese or eggs. All of them avoid cooking foods. The belief is that the cooking process depletes food of essential nutrients. (more…)

Posted on November 5, 2023 by Jason

Americans Not Eating Enough Fruits and Veggies

Eat your fruits and veggies. It’s the most stated fact of healthy living. Unfortunately, it’s falling on deaf ears.

Fruits and vegetables are the backbone of a healthy diet. They are almost always low in fat and calories, and packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and so much more. And oh, there’s no cholesterol.produce stand

But, according to the 2024 State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables, only 14 percent of American adults are eating the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. The government study says that even less (10 percent) of high school students are getting enough fruits and vegetables.

The report is meant to shine a light on a campaign to get at least 75 percent of Americans to eat two or more daily servings of fruit, and for at least 50 percent to consume three or more daily servings of vegetables. (more…)

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Jason

Secret Weight Loss Power of Blueberries

blueberriesThe health benefits of blueberries have long been touted. They are flavor-filled and nutritious, while still being very low in calories. In fact, researchers at Tufts University analyzed 60 fruits and vegetables to find out more about their antioxidant powers. Blueberries ended up at the top of the heap, rating highest in their capacity to destroy free radicals.

Canadian researchers have now found that “biotransformed” blueberries with bacteria from the berry’s skin may help people fight obesity and diabetes.

In an animal study, diabetic and pre-diabetic mice saw a reduction in hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). (more…)

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Jason

Popcorn Packs a Nutritional Punch of Antioxidants and Fiber

bowl of popcornMovies are a passion of mine. It’s especially important to me now that I’m a parent of two youngsters and spend so much time home-bound. Butterless popcorn is a great little snack while you’re watching a new DVD release. If you think that it’s healthy, there’s a kernel of truth to that.

There’s a new reason to pop some of your favorite movie-viewing snack, sans the slabs of butter. According to findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, popcorn contains more antioxidants and dietary fiber than any other snack food. (more…)

Posted on September 5, 2023 by Jason

Antioxidant Quercetin Key to Better Fitness Endurance

Are you having trouble with endurance during your workout? Maybe you aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables. The key is an antioxidant called quercetin.red apple

A new study examined 12 healthy college students who were not regular exercisers. They were given quercetin supplements for seven days. What the researchers found was that the antioxidant appeared to boost exercise endurance, where a separate 7-day period without supplements did not. (more…)

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Jason

Health Benefits of Watermelon Include Men’s Fertility

watermelonAhhh… summer… the long, hot days, the ice cold drinks, and watermelon out the wazoo! Watermelon is great after a long run (I tell all my athlete clients to eat up after a sweat fest). It has 92% water. But it’s not the water that’s the winning ingredient in this super-yummy health food, it’s the 8% lycopene. Lycopene is a phytochemical that protects your heart, prostate and skin health. Sounds good to me!

The latest scientific info on watermelon is probably the most interesting… Researchers at the Indian Association of Urologists say it can help men make babies! After conducting numerous research studies, they claim that lycopene has been found to enhance male fertility by improving both sperm concentration and motility. (more…)

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Rebecca

Pure Inventions: An Elixir of Antioxidants

If you’re like me, you know enough about the importance of consuming disease-fighting antioxidants like colorful fruits, veggies, dark chocolate and green tea. But where you and I may falter is the day-to-day consistency of having breakfast of a yogurt with raspberries and blackberries rather than munching on that grab-n-go Starbucks apple fritter we hurriedly snag on our way to work.

courtesy of Pure Inventions

So in order to offset those days when we just don’t quite fuel our bodies with enough free radical-fighting and antioxidant-rich foods there is Pure Inventions. Pure Inventions is kind of like giving your body that B12 shot it so desperately needs. (more…)

Posted on May 21, 2023 by heather

Eat Chocolate for your Health

Cocoa, antioxidants and your health
chocolateChocolate, which is made from nutrient rich cocoa beans, has naturally occurring, cancer-preventative antioxidants that we all know have great benefits for your body. Cocoa beans contain the antioxidants called flavanols which studies have shown to have protective health benefits (flavanols also found in berries, apples, beans, nuts, purple grapes, red wine, and teas). Antioxidants, as we know, fight off dangerous free radicals in our body, which can cause serious heath problems. Research shows that flavanols found in cocoa and chocolate have health benefits beyond fighting free radicals. (more…)

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Kinsey