Fresh fruit and vegetable juicing is certainly not a new idea for the raw foods community, however it is growing in popularity as a mainstream method for weight loss and detoxification.

Unlike conventional juices that are often processed with a lot of added sugar, fresh juicing involves creating nutrient-rich juices out of your favorite fruits and vegetables.

“Before you begin any juice regiment, it’s important to understand why juice is  important for your health,” said Cherie Calbom, MS, author of The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet and Juicing for Life.  “When you understand the many health benefits of fresh juice, you’ll be much more inclined to take the time to make fresh juice.”

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Raisins seem like a pretty innocent food. They don’t contain added sugars, artificial preservatives or unnatural food colorings. But should they be considered as good as grapes?

According to the 2010 Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, 75 percent of Americans (including men, women and children ages nine to 18) do not eat enough fruit on a daily basis. According to data from the Japanese research group Nippon Data 80/90, this statistic looks no better in twenty other first-world nations. The International Nut and Dried Fruit Council has put forward a paper titled “Valuable Tools to Meet Dietary Recommendations for Fruit Intake,” which suggests that dried fruit is “nutritionally equivalent” to fresh, and should be treated as such in government dietary recommendations and guidelines around the world.

On one hand, this paper is a lobbying tool, putting science and statistics at the hands of marketers to promote a product. On the other hand, it proposes a seemingly reasonable solution for over-fed yet malnourished populations. In fact, MyPlate materials already suggests that dried fruits, such as raisins, be considered for healthy snack.

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By MyDailyMoment.com Editorial Team

Making sure your kids are eating healthy is hardly child’s play. Good nutrition is integral for ensuring that your children develop healthy minds and bodies. The sooner you introduce power foods into your child’s diet, the better. They’ll quickly become acclimated to feasting on nutritious foods.
Here are our picks for six of the best foods for kids.

Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a great source of fiber. Additionally, cognitive performance is increased because there is a slower release of glucose into the body’s blood system when fiber is eaten. Oatmeal doesn’t have to just be served for breakfast. Enjoy it in in other foods and snacks, such as cookies and bars. Instead of adding sugar to sweeten the pot, try honey, fresh berries, dried cranberries, granola or crushed walnuts.

Try this: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Eggs
Eggs are a great source of protein and are also rich in important vitamins and minerals. Eggs contain vitamin D, some iron and are rich in choline. Eggs help the body absorb calcium, along with building and repairing muscles. Although eggs contain some cholesterol, they do not have a lot of saturated fat, or bad fat. So an egg every other day is perfectly fine. Scrambled eggs in the morning or an egg sandwich at lunch can be an egg-scellent way to get your kids on board.

Try this: 5-Minute Breakfast Crumble
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By Megan Zehnder for Care2.com

Fruit is no-doubt an important part of our diet. Full of fiber, antioxidants and other phytochemicals, fresh fruit is a great source of sustainable energy. Unlike foods with mostly simple carbohydrates and sugar (like hard candy, cake and donuts) whole fruit contains fiber and other nutrients, which allow the body to feel more full and to absorb the sugar slowly over time, leaving you with lasting energy.

The problem is many people today consume an excess of sugar, which causes inflammation, and can lead to a variety of diseases. (Check out dangers of excess sugar and 7 Tricks to Tame Your Sweet Tooth.)

When it comes to fruit, some choices are better than others. Since dried fruit and fruit juice contain a higher-concentrated sugar content, whole fresh fruit is generally a much better bet. Additionally, prioritizing low-sugar fruit can help keep your overall sugar consumption in check.

Here is a list of fruits that, in their approximate location on the spectrum, are lowest-to-highest in sugar content. Sugar and carb counts vary based on growing conditions, species and other factors.
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The quality of Americans’ diets has declined since last year. From fruit and vegetable consumption to exercise, and even smoking, Americans are reporting worse habits than this time last year.

A Gallup poll of 1,000 Americans that was released last week reveals the 55.9 percentage of Americans reported eating five or more servings of fruit and vegetables at least four days out of a week. Last May, the poll found that number to be 57.8 percent.

The poll concluded that produce intake is specifically down among Hispanics, young adults, seniors, and women compared to 2010.

In 2010, 68.2 percent of people said they “ate healthy all day yesterday.” This year that number dropped to 66.2 percent. That percentage translates to 4.5 million less Americans eating healthy this May.

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