Healthy Eating, the Natural Way!
Stephania Munson-Bishop

In the past few weeks, Gram has been weeding through, throwing out, organizing – probably the most hateful task of all, the
chore for which there never seemed to “be enough time.” Well,
the truth is, time is always of the essence. But limited energy
should probably have taken top billing. Admiring the neat
appearance of her closet, Gram wondered, “What gives with me?
Why the sea change?”

Then, with one glance at the gleaming new juicer sitting at the ready on the kitchen counter, it became Obvious. All the claims
about the benefits of juicing must be true!

You might have heard about Juicing, and the trendy juice bars in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other major cities.
But for some, juicing has become a way of life. And now Gram
understands why. Energy, weight control, restful sleep, no
indigestion (not even one bout of acid reflux) – the overt
bonanza of juicing, even in the early stages. And this, during a
stressful period on the Day Job! “My, my,” thought Gram;
“Like a natural tranquilizer in a glass.”

And is it tasty! Never mind all the health benefits – terms like
natural enzymes and phytochemicals purported to fight disease/
dis-ease in the human body. Well, those, too. Who among us wouldn’t like to be healthier and feel better, less lethargic
and out of sorts?

But having a background in human services, Gram has long known that a client’s mood swings and even a teen’s unruly behavior
can be improved with a sound, nutritious diet. More people have
various food allergies than one might suspect. So it stands to
reason that what we eat or don’t eat can affect the way we feel.
If we think of our bodies as efficient machines, then we are
more likely to think of food as fuel.

Since the juicer arrived, Gram has assembled a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables at least once a day. Scrubbing produce
with a stiff vegetable brush, lining up the items to go into the
juicer, we’ve aimed for a quart of juice at each session.
Some super vegetable combinations:
cucumber, celery, spinach, green pepper, a small apple (nothing peeled, mind you – just core the apple and seed the pepper);
carrots, apples, yellow squash, celery, lemon (again, nothing peeled except for removing the lemon rind);
tomato, carrot, celery, kale. Fruit juices that are very good:
cantaloupe, apple, carrot; watermelon, lemon, celery;
blueberry, honeydew; pineapple, orange, lemon. Each juicing
experiment has resulted in another “favorite.” In the vegetable
combinations, we’ve added a tablespoon or two of wheat germ or brewer’s yeast, to add protein. Also, an assortment of sprouts – but keep reading for more about sprouting.

In the meantime, we’ll be juicing. Is there really a Fountain of
Youth? Our juicer just may be the closest thing.

All you need for a kitchen powerhouse of fresh foods and unparalleled nutrition during the winter months: a few Mason or mayonnaise jars, several 4″ x 4″ squares from old pantyhose (the top part is best), and some rubber bands. You also need a safe source of seeds and dried beans, most likely your local health or natural foods store — because whatever you use must be organic, e.g., not treated with chemicals.

It’s all about enzymes — and how freshly sprouted foods are loaded with them. It’s about vitamins and fiber, too. Here are some choices: adzuki beans, alfalfa, barley, beans of almost any kind, buckwheat, broccoli, clover, kale, chive, chickpeas (or garbanzos), chia, cress, mung beans, fenugreek, lentil (must be whole to sprout, not halves), radish, soybean, triticale, wheat.

Then you place a 1 to 2″ layer of seed or bean in a Mason jar, cover the jar with the nylon square, and secure the square over the mouth of the jar with a rubber band. Fill with water a few inches above your layer, and let soak for 2 to 8 hours or overnight (the larger beans need a lot longer than small seed such as alfalfa or clover). Drain the jar and invert at a 45 degree angle in your dish drainer (or in a large plastic margarine tub in your kitchen sink). Rinse with water and drain several times a day. When sprouted in the next few days (again, depending on the size of the bean or seed), rinse and drain, put a lid on the jar, and refrigerate. Use within 3 to 5 days.

What can you do with these dietary nuggets? Use mung beans in eggs foo yung, and certainly in stir-fries. You can toss into soup during the last few minutes, put alfalfa sprouts into an omlet, even make bread. Incorporate in meatloaf or burgers. Throw the sprouts into your juicer with either fruit or veggie blends, for a beverage so loaded with nutrients it might even add spring to your step! But the quickest, easiest way is to include them in a big green salad.

With fast food and packaged frozen dinners which comprise so much of the American diet, people simply aren’t getting enough fiber. Our foods are mostly processed. When was the last time, other than salad or an apple, you enjoyed anything raw?

There are many websites on raw food diets. Researchers say that the best course is a combination of foods, both raw and cooked. There are even some who advocate a completely raw diet, including raw fish and meat. http://www.rawpaleodiet.org/
“Say It with Sprouts” is an article devoted to mung bean sprouts:
http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa092101a.htm
“Types of Raw Food Diets” discusses the variety of diets, at
http://www.living-foods.com/articles ypesofraw.html
The Raw Food Directory has a wealth of resources to guide you:
http://www.buildfreedom.com/rawmain.htm And don’t miss a colorful, whimsical site with over 400 pages of sprout information: http://www.sproutpeople.com

The other detail we’d like to include: sprouts are probably the all-time best nutritional value you can obtain for the negligible price. True, you can forage for wild foods, but you have to be able to identify what you’re bringing home to eat. I priced alfalfa sprouts at my local grocery: $1.99 for 4 ounces. You can sprout your own at home for a few cents, and know they are fresh and wholesome.

Dr. Ann Wigmore was one of the first raw foods proponents. She recommended Energy Soup, the base of which is sprouts. Even your children can develop a taste for sprouts. Mix a half cup of alfalfa sprouts with peanut butter for sandwiches. “Mmm! What’s this crunchy stuff?” they’ll say, as the natural vitamins are helping their bodies to grow strong. Toss sprouted garbanzo beans (chickpeas) into your next taco filling. Sprinkle clover sprouts into breakfast cereal, omlet, or pancake batter.

Up for a new/nutritious eating adventure? Try sprouts!

About the Author

Stephania is a human services professional with nearly 40 years in the field. She publishes a monthly, content-rich ezine, “Tidbits from the Pantry,” to over 10,000 subscribers.

Tags: Ann Wigmore, Author, beverage, chemicals;, Chicago, Day Job, energy;, food allergies;, food;, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, human services, Juice Bars, Juicer, Kitchen Counter, Los Angeles, Mood Swings, Natural Enzymes, Natural Tranquilizer, Neat Appearance, New York, Nutritious Diet, Phytochemicals, Raw Food Diets, Restful Sleep, rubber band, rubber bands, Sea Change, Stressful Period, Top Billing, Unruly Behavior, USD;, Vegetable Brush, whimsical site, York Chicago —

For A Healthy Living: Just Enjoy A Variety Of Vegetables
Rene Graeber

Eating healthy is important for everyone – and I bet: you know
that already…

Plus: one of the most important keys to eating a better diet is
eating more fruits and vegetables. I bet again: you knew that
too. But:

Many people are unsure how to use vegetables more effectively as
part of their diet, but it may be easier than you think to
provide yourself and your family with healthy, nutritious meals
at a great prices!

One way to create wonderful meals that are healthier than ever
is to take a stroll through the produce section of your local
grocery store.

Most major grocery store chains have huge produce sections,
containing a wonderful variety of fruits and vegetables from all
corners of the world.

Trying a variety of different fruits and vegetables is a great
way to keep your meals interesting and exciting in addition to
nutritious. It is all too easy to become bored when trying to
follow a healthy diet, and boredom can lead people to abandon
their healthy habits.

Avoiding diet burnout is important to the long term survival of
even the most sensible eating plan.

So if you’ve never had vegetables like collard greens, asparagus
or kale before, why not give them a try. Not only can trying new
things allow you to make great new discoveries, but it can
increase your level of fitness as well. Leafy green vegetables
like spinach, broccoli and kale are rich sources of many
important vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients.

Another great way to increase the variety of vegetables you
enjoy is to combine fresh, frozen and canned vegetables. While
fresh vegetables are generally better and healthier, frozen and
canned vegetables can be great alternatives for when the fresh
varieties are out of season.

One of the best things about fresh fruits and vegetables is the
great variety of flavors, colors and textures available. Eating
a variety of different colored vegetables and fruits does much
more than provide much needed variety. It also provides a great
variety of nutrients.

For instance, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables tend to be
very high in beta carotene, while green leafy vegetables are
often great sources of calcium and other important nutrients. So
why not spice up your plain old green salad with a splash of
color in the form of yellow peppers or orange carrot slices?

Many people wrongly think that they can make up for a crappy
diet by using vitamin and mineral supplements. This mistaken
belief is apparently very widespread, since sales of these
supplements continue to break records.

When considering vitamin and mineral supplements, however, it is
important to remember that foods contain many different
minerals, trace elements and other micronutrients.

That means that for every nutrient that has been discovered and
synthesized, there may be ten, twenty or more of these
micronutrients that have yet to be fully understood. That is why
no vitamin supplement, no matter how complete, can truly replace
a healthy, balanced diet.

In addition, vitamin and mineral supplements are quite a bit
more expensive than a good selection of vegetables and fruits,
and not nearly as tasty.

When changing your diet and eating for a healthier lifestyle, it
is important to educate yourself about eating right, and go
choose the right fruits and vegetables for your tastes. After
all, the best diet is the one you can follow for the rest of
your life.

One of the best ways to start eating a healthy diet is to choose
the freshest fruits and vegetables. Not only do fresh fruits and
vegetables taste better, but they are less expensive and more
nutritious as well. Choosing a variety of in season fruits and
vegetables every week is a great way to enjoy healthy and varied
meals.

Of course your favorite fruits and vegetables will not always be
in season, so it will sometimes be necessary to supplement those
fresh fruits and vegetables with canned and frozen varieties.
When choosing canned fruits, try to avoid those packed in syrup;
choose canned fruits packed in fruit juice or water instead.
They will be healthier and contain less sugar.

Adding fresh fruit, such as apple slices, mandarin oranges,
nectarines and the like is a great way to make plain salads more
interesting and more delicious. Combining fruits and vegetables
is a great way to enhance your nutrition as well.

About the author:

When it comes to vigorous energetic youthful health your very
first challenge is to separate the hype, theories, and outright
‘BS’ from proven strategies and tested programs – just visit
Rene Graebers website at http://www.gesund-heilfasten.de

Tags: Author, Burnout, Canned Vegetables, Collard Greens, Eating Habits, Flavors, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Graeber, Grocery Store Chains, Healthy Diet, Healthy Habits, Kale, Leafy Green Vegetables, Local Grocery Store, New Discoveries, Nutritious Meals, Rene Graebers, Rich Sources, Term Survival, Vegetables And Fruits, Vitamins And Minerals, Vitamins Minerals —

Enjoy a variety of vegetables for healthy living
Zaak OConan

Eating healthy is important for everyone, and one of the most important keys to eating a better diet is eating more fruits and vegetables. Many people are unsure how to use vegetables more effectively as part of their diet, but it may be easier than you think to provide yourself and your family with healthy, nutritious meals at a great prices.

One way to create wonderful meals that are healthier than ever is to take a stroll through the produce section of your local grocery store. Most major grocery store chains have huge produce sections, containing a wonderful variety of fruits and vegetables from all corners of the world.

Trying a variety of different fruits and vegetables is a great way to keep your meals interesting and exciting in addition to nutritious. It is all too easy to become bored when trying to follow a healthy diet, and boredom can lead people to abandon their healthy habits. Avoiding diet burnout is important to the long term survival of even the most sensible eating plan.

So if you’ve never had vegetables like collard greens, asparagus or kale before, why not give them a try. Not only can trying new things allow you to make great new discoveries, but it can increase your level of fitness as well. Leafy green vegetables like spinach, broccoli and kale are rich sources of many important vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.

Another great way to increase the variety of vegetables you enjoy is to combine fresh, frozen and canned vegetables. While fresh vegetables are generally better and healthier, frozen and canned vegetables can be great alternatives for when the fresh varieties are out of season.

One of the best things about fresh fruits and vegetables is the great variety of flavors, colors and textures available. Eating a variety of different colored vegetables and fruits does much more than provide much needed variety. It also provides a great variety of nutrients. For instance, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables tend to be very high in beta carotene, while green leafy vegetables are often great sources of calcium and other important nutrients. So why not spice up your plain old green salad with a splash of color in the form of yellow peppers or orange carrot slices?

Many people wrongly think that they can make up for a crappy diet by using vitamin and mineral supplements. This mistaken belief is apparently very widespread, since sales of these supplements continue to break records.

When considering vitamin and mineral supplements, however, it is important to remember that foods contain many different minerals, trace elements and micronutrients. That means that for every nutrient that has been discovered and synthesized, there may be ten, twenty or more of these micronutrients that have yet to be fully understood. That is why no vitamin supplement, no matter how complete, can truly replace a healthy, balanced diet.

In addition, vitamin and mineral supplements are quite a bit more expensive than a good selection of vegetables and fruits, and not nearly as tasty.

When changing your diet and eating for a healthier lifestyle, it is important to educate yourself about eating right, and go choose the right fruits and vegetables for your tastes. After all, the best diet is the one you can follow for the rest of your life.

One of the best ways to start eating a healthy diet is to choose the freshest fruits and vegetables. Not only do fresh fruits and vegetables taste better, but they are less expensive and more nutritious as well. Choosing a variety of in season fruits and vegetables every week is a great way to enjoy healthy and varied meals.

Of course your favorite fruits and vegetables will not always be in season, so it will sometimes be necessary to supplement those fresh fruits and vegetables with canned and frozen varieties. When choosing canned fruits, try to avoid those packed in syrup; choose canned fruits packed in fruit juice or water instead. They will be healthier and contain less sugar.

Adding fresh fruit, such as apple slices, mandarin oranges, nectarines and the like is a great way to make plain salads more interesting and more delicious. Combining fruits and vegetables is a great way to enhance your nutrition as well.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

Tags: Author, Burnout, Canned Vegetables, Collard Greens, Eating Habits, Flavors, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Grocery Store Chains, Healthy Diet, Healthy Habits, Kale, Leafy Green Vegetables, Local Grocery Store, New Discoveries, Nutritious Meals, Rich Sources, Term Survival, Vegetables And Fruits, Vitamins And Minerals, Vitamins Minerals, Zaak —

Choosing Fruits and Vegetables For A Healthy Diet
Dave Saunders

The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat about nine servings of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables each and every day. This is important to provide your body with the minimal levels of essential nutrients and antioxidants needed by each and every cell in your body to support optimal health. When you first hear that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your healthy diet plan. Shelves of the grocery stores are bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables. Uncooked, these provide essential nutrients, fiber and even a portion of the water you need every day of your life. In addition, vegetables and fruits are some of the least expensive, most nutrient rich, foods in the supermarket. With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is very easy to make these nutritious, delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.

Adding nine servings of fruits and vegetables to your healthy diet plan is not as difficult as it sounds. Seek a variety of foods; choose foods with different colors because those colors are indicators of different nutrients inside the cells of the food. As a general guideline, the nine servings come out to two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day. Most people who add this to their diet quickly find that they no longer have cravings during the day and save money on other snack foods which typically provide no nourishment of any kind. So not only do you improve your diet, you can save money and experience the health benefits of a diet, high in whole foods and low in sodium, fat, simple carbs and preservatives.

As your wean yourself from a life of snack foods to better foods, you may experience some changes as your body uses the improved fiber and higher levels of nutrients to deal with your biological “to do list.” This is normal so keep at it and eventually you should experience more energy, better sleep and a variety of other benefits reported by people who share a better diet.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, choose a variety of different colors. This is for more than purely aesthetic reasons. Different color fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and every day.

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before. Be sure that you’re cooking things lightly to preserve as many of the essential nutrients as possible. Try to avoid putting any of your food through the microwave because the penetrating radiation heats water, sugar and fat molecules inside the food as well as on the surface and will damage even more of the essential nutrients than conventional cooking practices.

Many people mistakenly believe they do not need to eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement. Nothing could be further from the truth. Supplementation should be a means to supplement, not substitute, the benefits of a healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables contain far more than micronutrients. They also contain the more complex phytochemicals, phytosterols and essential fiber that you need to support proper cell function and optimal health.

While fresh fruits and vegetables are not the only component of a health diet, they are an essential one and are typically left out of the Standard American Diet (which is S.A.D.). Choose optimal health and choose a healthy diet. By adding fresh, raw fruits and vegetables to your daily diet, you too will discover the benefits that others do when they choose a healthy diet.
About the Author

Dave Saunders is a professional lecturer, and certified nutritional educator. He enjoys creating interconnections through his writings and lectures to help others create context and see new discoveries and technologies in more a practical light. You can find out more about new discoveries how to benefit from a Healthy Diet at www.glycoboy.com

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