Archive for December, 2009

Is your Health Worth $2 per Day?

Thursday December 24, 2009

Make euforia the first part of your day

With our fast pace lifetstyles, and the over processing of foods, it can be difficult to get our daily allowance of antioxidants. Plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, contain many antioxidants that are essential to human health.

With euforia, we can now start the day with a delicious superjuice packed with anti-oxidants and super foods for only $2 per ounce. (A 32 oz bottle of euforia costs ~ $60.)

Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) that can cause damage. Antioxidants act as “free radical scavengers” and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals. Health problems such as heart disease, muscular degeneration, diabetes, and cancer, are all contributed to oxidative damage. Antioxidants may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of cancer and infection.

Antioxidants are present in foods as vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and polyphenols, among others. Many antioxidants are often identified in food by their distinctive colors such as the deep red of cherries and of tomatoes; the orange of carrots; the yellow of corn, mangos, and saffron; and the blue-purple of blueberries, blackberries, and grapes. The most well-known components of food with antioxidant activities are vitamins A, C, and E; ß-carotene; the mineral selenium; and more recently, the compound lycopene. (more…)

Aloe Vera Juice

Thursday December 17, 2009
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera

You have perhaps already heard about the benefits of aloe vera when applied topically. You could also benefit from its innumerable medicinal properties if you consume aloe vera in the form of juice, pills or capsules. One of the very popular uses of aloe vera is in the form of aloe vera juice, benefits of which seems endless and has spread far and wide in terms of popularity. But how is it made? Essentially aloe vera juice is made from its gel. A regular use of 2 to 4 ounces of aloe vera juice taken twice in a day can boost your immune system and keep you in good health.

In case you are wondering why you should take aloe vera juice, here are some of the key aloe vera juice benefits:

  • While on one hand it can be used as a detoxifying agent, you could also use it as a regular colon cleanser. The juice of this wonderful herb can help in purification of blood.
  • Aloe vera juice can be used to heal burns and wounds. Because of its anti inflammatory properties, aloe vera juice is an effective calmative that soothes the affected area as well as reduces swelling, redness and offers sustainable pain relief.
  • With regard to wound healing, aloe vera juice exerts its strong anti bacterial properties and does not allow any infection to affect the wound.
  • Drinking aloe vera juice can alleviate several gastro-intestinal problems including healing of ulcers, irregular bowel clearance, irritable bowel syndrome and more.
  • Aloe vera juice can be applied on an itchy scalp or to treat chronic skin disorders. (more…)

10 Fun Ways to Live a Longer Life!

Sunday December 13, 2009
I came across an article describing 10 ways to live longer and thought “How appropriate!”. Now I am sharing this with you!
A healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to mean treadmills and salads everyday. Many activities that are fun and pleasurable are also good for you. By understanding how these activities can help you live longer and what to do to get the most benefits, you’ll be putting some fun into healthy living.

1. Drink Red Wine

Red wine is packed with resveratrol, an antioxidant. These work to protect your body against the effects of aging. One or 2 glasses of red wine a day can help keep your body young.

2. Eat Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is a wonderful food that contains a large amount of antioxidants that protect your body from aging. Find good quality dark chocolate, learn to appreciate it, and have a bit of it each day. Eating chocolate may lower your blood pressure and cholesterol while providing an energy boost.

3. Smile

Smiling is a great way to change your attitude, connect with people and give benefit to your body. Like relaxation, smiling can work to counteract the effects of stress. By forcing ourselves to smile, we “trick” our body into believing that everything is good, thereby reducing stress. Like a switch, smiling can actually change your mood. So put a smile on, even if you don’t feel like it, and pretty soon you’ll be smiling for real. (more…)

Blueberries and Health

Friday December 04, 2009
Blueberry Health

Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey have identified compounds in blueberries called proanthocyanidins that promote urinary tract health and reduce the risk of infection by preventing bacteria from adhering to the cells that line the walls of the urinary tract.  Read the full health research excerpts.

Source: blueberry.org

Blueberries and Aging

Friday December 04, 2009
Blueberry Health

In a USDA Human Nutrition Research Center laboratory, neuroscientists discovered that feeding blueberries to laboratory rats slowed age-related loss in their mental capacity, a finding that has important implications for humans.

In one study, Jim Joseph, director of the neuroscience laboratory in the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center (HNRC), fed blueberry extractions—the equivalent of a human eating one cup of blueberries a day—to mice and then ran them through a series of motor skills tests.

He found that the blueberry-fed mice performed better than their control group counterparts in motor behavioral learning and memory, and he noticed an increase in exploratory behavior. When he examined their brains, he found a marked decrease in oxidative stress in two regions of the brain and better retention of signal-transmitting neurons compared with the control mice.

The compound that appears responsible for this neuron protection, anthocyanin, also gives blueberries their color and might be the key component of the blueberry’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Blueberries, along with other colorful fruits and vegetables, test high in their ability to subdue free radicals. These free radicals, which can damage cell membranes and DNA through a process known as oxidative stress, are blamed for many of the dysfunctions and diseases associated with aging.

These findings could become increasingly important as the U.S. population ages. It is projected that by 2050, more than 30% of Americans will be over 65 and will have the decreased cognitive and motor function that accompanies advanced age. Joseph is currently testing the effects of blueberries on humans. Preliminary results show that people who ate a cup of blueberries a day have performed 5–6% better on motor skills tests than the control group.  Read research excerpts on blueberries and aging.

Source: blueberry.org

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