Top 30 Most Powerful Foods on the Planet

The "Simple Superfoods" list is a collection of the top 30 most nutritionally dense and most powerful superfoods on the planet today.

Get Your Antioxidants - Eat a Salad

You’ve probably heard a lot about antioxidants in recent years.  Don’t let this sudden interest fool you into thinking they’re just a fad or not important.  Antioxidants are a vital part of staying young and healthy.  Why?

First of all, we need to know what an antioxidant is.  During normal body processes, molecules called free radicals are produced in the body.  These are basically unstable atoms or molecules that desperately want to become stable.  They do this by stealing electrons from healthy cells, making them unstable and less healthy.  Antioxidants reverse this reaction, helping to keep the cells of our body healthy and functioning properly.

One of the most talked about effects of antioxidants is their anti aging properties.  As we age, we constantly copy our cells to replace them when they die.  Errors in copying occur and build up to form the aging process.  Free radicals can also interfere and have been shown to promote wrinkles, memory problems, weakness of the immune system, and reduced elasticity of tissue; all of which are associated with the aging process.  We can’t completely stop aging, but proper amounts of antioxidants can slow the process considerably.

Damage caused by these free radicals is also considered to be a cause of certain cancers.  Getting more antioxidants can reduce our risk for certain types of cancer, including cancer of the: stomach, prostate, colon, breast, bladder esophagus, pancreas, and possibly many more.  Besides cancer, antioxidants have been shown to help prevent other serious problems, such as: cardiovascular diseases, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and vision problems. It is likely that antioxidants can help prevent other diseases and disorders, but their full effects simply haven’t been studied yet.

Antioxidants prevent the oxidation of bad cholesterol. When this type of cholesterol oxidizes, it can attach to the walls of blood vessels causing heart disease.  This increases the risk for heart attack and stroke.  Oxidized cholesterol also contributes to the hardening of blood vessel walls increasing the risk of high blood pressure.  Antioxidants can help keep your heart and the rest of your circulatory system healthy.

Another great benefit of antioxidants is that they help boost the immune system.  If you get sufficient levels of antioxidants, you’re not only less likely to get sick; it’s also easier for you to fight off diseases you may get.  Along these lines, antioxidants can also help you heal faster when you have an injury; large or small.

So what are you waiting for?  Today is the best day to start eating more fruits and veggies to get your antioxidants. Make it easy and simple with: http://wahmcart.com/x.php?adminid=2050&id=5631

 

[Note: I’m an affiliate for the provider of goods and services mentioned in this post and as such may be compensated if you make a purchase.]

What Makes a Salad Not So Healthy?

Almost everyone loves a salad. All that lettuce and those favored toppings, makes your mouth water just thinking about it doesn't it? Yet many of us ask ourselves if the salads we’re eating really are as healthy as we think.

First you have the lettuce. Lettuce is healthy but doesn't have much of a taste. Therefore we add all those wonderful extras to give our salad the taste we savor. Things such as vegetables, seeds and even fruit give us taste and still benefit the healthy factor of our salad.

So what makes a salad not so healthy? Ever take a close look at a salad bar? What a mouthwatering experience. Yet many of the items on the bar are not so healthy. No one would blame you for adding these delectable little treats. If you want to keep that salad a healthy part of your diet you need to look at some of those tasty items a little closer though.

Fruits and vegetables are a healthy part of a salad. Things such as bacon bits and croutons can be the downfall. Real bacon bits add fat to a salad. Eat them sparingly and you will be fine but add too many and those unhealthy calories will start to add up.

Dressings can also be unhealthy when it comes to a salad. When measuring salad dressing we look at a 2 tablespoon serving. Many of the full salad dressings when measured this way have as much as 11 grams of fat. This is a lot when you really think about it.

Unfortunately we love our salad dressing and the more there is the happier we are. So how do you cut back on those unwanted fat calories? Try using a fat free or low calorie salad dressing. Many of our favorite flavors now come in these healthier versions.

Yes many of the low calorie dressing just don't taste the same as our high fat favorites. If you find yourself shying away from the dressings that are better for you because of the taste try this. Instead of covering that salad with the dressing, put it in a small cup. When you take a bite of your salad dip it into the dressing cup before eating it. This will help to control the amount of dressing you consume.

Remember, if you want a healthy salad you must pay attention to the ingredients you place in it. With a watchful eye and a little self control you can have a healthy salad that tastes great too.

Do Apples Keep the Doctor Away?

We’ve all heard the saying about doctors and apples. But, is it true? There are many health benefits to eating apples and we are going to find out what they are.

Apples contain antioxidants. Antioxidants are everywhere these days. They are the chemicals in fruits, vegetables, and chocolate that combats the effects of free radicals in the body.

Free radicals are the by-products of cellular metabolism. It is the free radical damage to our bodies that causes us to actually “look” our age. Free radicals are hard on the body and that doesn’t let up as we get older.

In fact, it is worse. Age compromises our immune system. Just like when we are young, when we are old, our bodies are not in peak fighting shape to ward off illnesses and diseases like asthma and various forms of cancer. This is where antioxidants are so important.

Apples contain antioxidant substances called flavonoids: quercetin, phloridzin, and vitamin C are a few. These substances subdue the free radicals and prevent them from doing damage to our organs and vessels. With these free radicals out of commission, we are less likely to develop certain forms of cancer, neurological disorders (like Alzheimer’s), and other telltale signs of old age.

Why are many people living to the century mark and looking good while doing it? They aren’t eating a leaf of lettuce and drinking a gallon of water a day that’s for sure. They are better taking care of their bodies through exercise and choosing foods carefully.

Consuming many antioxidant rich foods like apples means more fight against aging and illness. Despite the color on the outside, each apple contains antioxidant properties that make it pack a punch each time you eat one. No one specifically knows how many antioxidants we should consume on a daily basis to achieve optimal health but getting as many into you as possible is best.

And, with apples on our side, consuming them is a very tasty proposition indeed. Apples have many tastes: tart, tangy, sweet, and not so sweet. Choose the apple that fits your taste and get healthy while enjoying yourself.

The pectin found in apples helps to reduce our cholesterol levels. Bad cholesterol chases after us all our lives. The foods we love to eat are always loaded with it. So, switch out some of those French fries for at least one apple a day and see the difference it will make to your body.

Nutritional Makeup of the Apple

We know that the food pyramid tells us to get a certain number of servings of fruits and vegetables a day. But, all fruits are not created equal. They may all have a benefit for our health but not necessarily the same benefits. What’s inside of these foods determines how they will impact our health.

Let’s take the apple for instance. Apples make a good overall showing in the healthy fruit category. They are small enough to carry along with you wherever you go and don’t bruise as easily as other fruits with softer flesh. Apples come in several varieties that have been bred for certain features.

They sound like champion racehorses, but really they are the champions of the fruit world. If you look a bit closer, you’ll see that that crisp, white flesh is hiding a fat attacker—fiber. Insoluble fiber is not absorbed by the body but removed. As it passes through our digestive system, it binds to fat molecules and takes them out with it.

Apples also contain plenty of vitamin C. it plays an important role in our body. Vitamin C is needed for essential brain functions and to maintain the structure of blood vessels and bones in the body. The majority of our daily dose can come from eating an apple or two. With the incidents of osteoporosis in older women, consuming a healthy amount of vitamin C can prevent this condition from happening to you.

Apples also contain antioxidants. Vitamin C is an antioxidant but they also contain some that are unique to apples. One is phloridzin. Researchers have found that this antioxidant called a flavonoid helps to reduce bone loss in women going through menopause.

Pectin found in apples works to reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood. Bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) increases the chance of plaque formations in the vessels. This can lead to heart attacks or strokes. In combination with antioxidants, the amount of LDL is reduced and the vessels maintain their elasticity and prevent the clumping of platelets.

Quercetin is another antioxidant compound found in apples. Researchers believe that it functions to prevent certain diseases and cancers along with limiting the damage caused by free radicals in the body. Free radicals cause all sorts of problems as we age and antioxidants work to stop that damage and restore our bodies to a healthy state.

Apples contain no cholesterol, no fat, and very little sodium. They are low in calories and high in fiber. When choosing a snack or a healthy addition to recipes, look no further than the apple orchard.

The truth about raw food finally revealed (Audio)

This is an important message...

If you've ever struggled with your raw food diet, with cooked food cravings or emotional eating, then this is for you.

It may not be your fault.

Over the last couple of years, bestselling author and health expert Kevin Gianni (you may know him from the Rawkathon or Renegade Health) has been working hard to find out for you, what is truth and what is myth in the raw food world.

Now he wants to share with you some of the research he's found from interviewing dozens of raw food experts and speaking with hundreds of people who have been successful with the raw food diet.

In a "must listen" audio that I'll share with you in a moment, Kevin exposes the health myths about raw food you don't want to miss.

He also explains 4 simple strategies to get you back on track with your raw food diet and help eliminate your pesky cooked cravings (plus lose weight while you're at it).

I was blown away when I heard what Kevin was talking about.

It completely made sense and inspired me to take action on my own health.

To listen to a free interview explaining how to stick to the raw food diet follow the link below:

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=3638943

This is a timely message, since there is never a better time to start getting the results and taking control of your diet than now.

If you listen to the audio and follow what Kevin suggests, you'll not only get yourself back on track, you'll also be able to finally release those cooked food cravings and have fun with your food again!

You have to check this out now...

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=3638943

Enjoy this gift and be sure to listen close, it could contain just one bit of information that can totally change your life.

Arthur M.

P.S. Be sure to listen to this revealing interview now, I'm not sure how long it will be up...

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=3638943

 

[Note: I’m an affiliate for the provider of goods and services mentioned in this post and as such may be compensated if you make a purchase.]

Carrots: More than Just Good for Your Eyes

They are supposed to be good for your eyes. Carrots are considered to be “rabbit food” probably because of one famous bunny but the label has stuck. Many humans like carrots too and they are good for more than just the eyes.

Did you know that carrots were not always orange? Yeah, it’s like finding out that the sky was originally another color. Anyway, they used to be white, purple, and yellow. About 500 years ago, the orange carrot came along.

Carrots were used by early settlers as a remedy for stomach ailments. Carrots can be bought all year around. If you get them from the farmer’s market, they will probably be bunched together by the green tops like they were just pulled out of the ground.

Some carrots are already cleaned and chopped and put into plastic bags for purchase in the store. These are okay if you plan on eating them fairly soon. The packages usually have an expiration date on them. Carrots are like other veggies and fruits that shouldn’t be cleaned until ready to eat them.

Carrots are mostly eaten raw. Grab a carrot, wash it off, clip the top and tip and munch to your heart’s content. Eaten raw, the carrot maintains all the nutrients that it contains: beta carotene, which is a form of vitamin A, iron, and calcium.

Carrots can also be cooked. They hold up well on the stove and for baking. They are present in soups and stews in slices or diced cubes. Carrots are one of those vegetables that take longer to soften so they, along with potatoes are added to soups early to give them time to tenderize.

As a side dish carrots are another orange fixture, rivaling the yam and the sweet potato. They can be eaten as is with a sprig of oregano or other herb or candied with honey or brown sugar.

Desserts, or rather one particular dessert contains carrots as its base. And that would be carrot cake—Bugs Bunny’s favorite. Carrot is actually a part of the recipe and the cake is a favorite dessert of many. Well, if you don’t like carrots raw or in soups, you can have it in your dessert. Breakfast and dessert muffins also feature carrots as ingredients.

Carrots are best stored in the refrigerator. They keep for quite a while before succumbing to wilting and browning. Avoid carrots that are flexible and bendy but don’t snap when broken.

Low Carb Pasta: Does It Exist?

Is there such a thing as low carb pasta? The answer is yes ... and no. Most pasta is made with grain flour and it is not possible to take out the carbs. However, some manufacturers claim to alter or coat the carbohydrates so that most of them are not digested.

Whether you buy regular pasta made from refined wheat flour, or whole wheat pasta, or special gluten free pasta made with corn, or even expensive health food store varieties made from old fashioned grains such as spelt, it is always going to be high carbohydrate according to most calculations. Here are some examples.

Regular spaghetti: 71g net carbohydrate per 100g (3.5 oz) dry, uncooked product.

Chinese-style egg noodles: 68g net carbohydrate per 100g.

Corn pasta: 68g net carbohydrate per 100g.

Whole wheat spaghetti: 62g net carbohydrate per 100g.

Low carb pasta, e.g. Dreamfields: 63g net carbohydrate per 100g (9g digestible).

According to the Dreamfields website, only around 9g carbohydrate per 100g of their dry low carb product (5g per 2 oz serving) is digestible. This means that most people on low carb diets can incorporate a little of this pasta into their diets. This is great news for any pasta fan!

There is also a type of noodle that is not just low carb but zero carb. These are called miracle noodles or shirataki noodles. You will find them at Asian markets and online stores.

These carb-free noodles are not made from grains at all. They are made from konjac root and they are almost all fiber. Konjac is an Asian plant that is cultivated in Japan. Its main component is a water-soluble dietary fiber called glucomannan. As you probably know, fiber fills our stomachs without being digestible. Therefore it has no carbs and no calories.

Some varieties of shirataki noodles are made with added soy in the form of tofu, and this type will contain a few carbs. Check labels, but they will almost certainly still count as a kind of low carb pasta for your diet.

Shirataki noodles and other konjac root products are often used in weight loss diets. In Japan, they are also used as a remedy for intestinal troubles. Studies have been published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition that suggest they can reduce cholesterol, and also reduce glucose levels in diabetics.

These 'miracle noodles' have no taste of their own so you will want a strong sauce. They also have a slimy texture that some people do not like and a fishy odor when you open the pack. However, the odor belongs to the water that they are preserved in, not to the noodles themselves, so you can get rid of it by rinsing the noodles in boiling water before you use them.

Shirataki noodles do not taste like Italian pasta but many people love them and they are certainly worth trying for anybody on a weight loss diet. They are best served with Asian style fish recipes or meatballs and low carb pasta sauce.

[Note: I’m an affiliate for the provider of goods and services mentioned in this post and as such may be compensated if you make a purchase.]