May is the gateway to summer--it is a month that can start off raining, but always seems to end with sunshine. The days are continuing to get warmer and longer, and we are enjoying a wider selection of fresh produce. May is also National Barbeque Month, so if you have not already been outside grilling, there is no excuse to delay any longer. This is a test.
Guava, pink grapefruit, red bell peppers, red cabbage, tomatoes and watermelon each is a food high in lycopene, an antioxidant dynamo and carotenoid pigment and phytochemical. When absorbed from the stomach, lycopene is transported in the blood by lipoproteins where it accumulates in the adrenal glands, liver, and testes. Lycopene is generally found in cell . . .
The Benefits of Chocolate
It’s hard to believe that chocolate is considered by some as a heart-healthy choice, but chocolate’s main ingredient—cocoa—seems to reduce heart disease risk factors. Cocoa beans contain flavanols, and flavanols offer antioxidant protection that reduce cell damage in heart disease. Other benefits of flavanols include improving vascular function and helping to lower blood pressure. In . . .
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is necessary in the body in order to build healthy cells, but too much cholesterol—high cholesterol—may increase the risk of heart disease. Cholesterol is found in the lipids, or fats, in the blood. High levels of cholesterol may result in fatty deposits within blood vessels, and these fatty deposits hinder the flow of oxygen-rich . . .
Vitamin A
Vitamin A, a fat soluble vitamin, offers many benefits, including good vision, maintaining healthy mucus membranes, skeletal and soft tissue, skin, and teeth. And research has suggested that vitamin A may aid in development and growth, may improve immune function, may prevent some types of cancer, and may reduce the mortality rate from measles.
In foods, . . .
Vitamin K
Vitamin K—a group of fat soluble compounds known as naphthoquinones, including vitamins K, K1, K2, and K3—is best known for its healthy blood clotting ability. One example of healthy blood clotting is when someone gets a simple cut and the bleeding stops via sufficient blood clotting to close the wound. Vitamin K helps keep blood . . .
Food Allergies101
If you have or someone you know has a food allergy, you know how important it is to monitor what foods are consumed. From specific foods to food labels, it’s imperative to make sure you do not eat a foodstuff that will trigger an abnormal physiological response to your body.
When the body responds to a . . .
Harmonious Honey
Besides being incredibly delicious, naturally sweet honey offers a variety of health benefits. Since ancient times, honey has been used as a food and as a medicine, and in 2008, speakers at the First International Symposium on Honey and Human Health shared findings on the likely benefits of honey:
Honey has been shown to be a . . .
Health Benefits of Dairy
Dairy does do a body good! Dairy foods are an excellent source of several essential nutrients (including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, protein and vitamin D) that work together to help protect bones. Just three servings every day of low-fat or fat-free cheese, milk or yogurt can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis later in life. . . .
Healthy Pasta, Please!
From hot and hearty lasagna to creamy and rich fettuccine Alfredo, many pasta dishes are considered quintessential comfort foods. And the good thing, for people who are watching their waistlines and caloric intake, there are just as many healthy pasta dishes that showcase incredibly fresh ingredients that offer many health benefits.
There are several ways for . . .
Palate-Pleasing Healthy Appetizers
The next time you throw a dinner party, you should consider healthy appetizers to kick off your gathering. Appetizers are a great way to whet one’s appetite for what’s to come, and when appetizers are kept healthy you don’t have to worry about your dinner guests getting full before the main meal. When menu planning . . .
