Enjoy Strawberries For Good Taste And Good Health

Everyone knows that strawberries are delicious as well as nutritious, and strawberries, both fresh andfrozen varieties, should be a part of every person’s daily diet. There are many health advantages to eating strawberries, and strawberries are among the most delicious of all fruits.
The USDA now recommends that every American eat at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day, but the fact is that most people end up falling far short of this important goal. Adding fresh strawberries to your diet, whether in salads, in shakes or on their own, is a great way to get the servings of fruit you need for a healthy body and a healthy immune system.

The Nutritional Value Of Strawberries

Strawberries are well known for the many nutrients they contain, including significant amounts of vitamin C. In addition, strawberries and other berries contain significant levels of phytonutrients and antioxidants. The same chemicals that give strawberries their bright red color are thought to be responsible for their strong antioxidant properties.
Antioxidants in the diet are important, since antioxidants are able to reduce the damage done by free radicals. Free radicals are elements that can damage the cells of the body, and they are thought to play a role in the formation of many kinds of cancer. It is easy to see, therefore, why foods rich in antioxidant vitamins, like strawberries, are such an important part of a healthy diet.
In addition to significant amounts of vitamin C, strawberries also provide an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese, as well as being a good source of folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.

The Many Uses Of The Strawberry

Strawberries are among the most versatile of all fresh fruits, but unfortunately they are quite perishable as well. For this reason, fresh strawberries should be purchased only a few days before they are to be eaten. When strawberries are in season locally this is seldom a problem. At other times of the year, however, it may be necessary to make due with canned or frozen strawberries.

When choosing fresh strawberries it is important to choose those berries which are plump firm and free of mold, and that have a deep red color. Unlike other fruits, strawberries do not continue to ripen after they are picked, so it is important to choose the ripest, reddest strawberries, as they will provide the best taste and the highest nutrient density.
Many people find that medium sized strawberries are sweeter and more flavorful than larger ones. When buying strawberries that have been prepackaged, it is important to be sure that the berries have not been packed too tightly, as this could cause them to be crushed or otherwise damaged.

It is of course important to handle strawberries properly, and to store them well after they have been purchased. Strawberries, like all fruit, should be washed thoroughly prior to eating or storage. Any strawberries that show signs of mold should be removed at once, as they could contaminate the remaining strawberries. The strawberries should be placed in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator. Fresh strawberries will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

Are You Getting Enough Calcium?

Calcium is a vital part of every diet, but many people are not getting all the calcium they need for healthy teeth and bones. Nutritionists recommend that women aged from 11 to 18 consume no less than 800 mg of calcium every day, and that those aged 19 and older get at least 700 mg of calcium every day. Calcium is vital to healthy teeth and bones, and to preventing such complications as osteoporosis.

Why You Need Calcium
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, and it accounts for from 1.5 to 2% of the average person’s total body weight. The vast majority of calcium in the body, a full 99%, is concentrated in the bones and the teeth, with the remaining 1% distributed throughout the bloodstream, muscles and other body tissues. It is crucial that the body have a steady supply of calcium to draw from at all times.

Milk is the single most important source of calcium, and few foods are as rich in calcium and as healthy as is milk. In addition to calcium, milk contains significant amounts of phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. These elements are vital, since they help the body absorb and more readily use the calcium in the diet. In addition, milk contains vitamin D, which is also vital for the utilization of dietary calcium. In addition to milk, vitamin D is derived from sunlight, and from the consumption of meat, canned fish with bones, tofu and green leafy vegetables.

Milk In A Healthy Diet
While many other foods also contain calcium, milk and dairy products have more concentrated levels of calcium, and it is difficult to get the necessary 700-800 mg of calcium without milk in the diet. In order to replace the calcium in a single glass of skim milk it would be necessary to eat three servings of spinach, nine boiled eggs, five large servings of broccoli or 20 servings of lettuce.

Nutritionists recommend that adults drink three and a half glasses of milk every day in order to get the amount of calcium they need in their diet. There are many ways to get that milk besides drinking it plain. For instance, many people find that mixing their milk with a couple of spoons of honey and mixing it in the blender makes a delicious and nutritious smoothie. In addition, milk can be added to your favorite recipes, and used in your daily coffee.

Cut The Fat
Of course getting the calcium you need is important, but so is cutting the fat in the diet. A high fat diet has been implicated in obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other serious medical conditions, so it is important to avoid fat while getting the calcium you need. That is why it is so important to seek out low fat and nonfat dairy products whenever you can. Doing so will allow you to get all the calcium you need without consuming more fat than you need.

Using Health Food Supplements The Right Way

The past several decades has seen quite a resurgence in the interest in traditional and natural ways of treating disease. As more and more prescription and over the counter medications are shown to have significant side effects and cause other serious health problems, interest in using health food supplements is only likely to grow.

Why use health food supplements?
Many people distrust modern medicine and seek a more natural approach to their health care. This natural approach can make a lot of sense, and choosing natural products to treat illness can mean few side effects, greater effectiveness and lower cost.

There are herbs and natural cures on the market for just about any condition you can name. From colds to cancer, there are herbal remedies that have already shown promise, and more that are undergoing study as we speak.

Health food supplements are everywhere, and the value of individual supplements and combinations of supplements can vary widely. It is important to do as much research as you can into your particular condition, and to study the scientific literate and study results to determine which herbal remedies show the greatest promise in treating your disease or ailment.

The importance of quality
It is also important to seek out the highest quality herbal health food supplements, as the quality of individual supplements can vary widely as well. There are a large number of companies, from the smallest operations to the largest multinational companies, that make health food supplements. Buying your health food supplements from the companies with the strongest reputation for quality, and the longest history in the business, can often be the best way to ensure quality.

Getting the best deal on health food supplements
Likewise there are a number of different places to buy health food supplements, and it is important to shop around for the best price you can find without compromising the quality you need. Once you know which health food supplements you need, shopping around is pretty simple. It is important to choose brands you recognize and trust, and to comparison shop between stores.

As you are doing your comparison shopping, it is important not to ignore the power of the internet. There are a number of excellent internet retailers who sell a variety of health food supplements, and they can provide some very competitive prices. Shopping around, both online and off, can help ensure you get the most for your money.

Know your combinations
Many health food supplements are sold in combinations, with many different supplements, herbs, vitamins and minerals in one bottle. While these combinations can be excellent, it is important to be sure that they provide enough of each element to be effective for their intended use. Some manufacturers simply will cram as many vitamins, minerals and herbs as they can into their health food supplements, with little thought given to providing the therapeutic benefits you need. It is important to choose your combinations carefully, and to know which compounds are most important to your good health.

The Health Benefits Of Green Tea

There few drinks with as many important health benefits as green tea, and the Chinese have long known about the many benefits of this exciting foodstuff. The Chinese have been using green tea in traditional medicine to treat problems ranging from headaches and insomnia to depression and stomach aches.

Modern research

Research done by modern scientists has backed up the traditional benefits of green tea, with many studies, both in Asia and the West, finding solid evidence of the many health benefits associated with drinking green tea on a regular basis. On often cited study showed a sixty percent decreased in the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women who drank green tea on a regular basis. The study concluded that a compound in green tea served to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

In addition, other research seems to indicate that green tea has the ability to lower both total cholesterol levels and the ratio of good cholesterol (HDL) to bad cholesterol (LDL).

Some of the many conditions for which green tea is thought to be effective include cancer, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular problems, infections and lowered immune system function.

The power of green tea

The secret to the power of green tea is thought to lie in the fact that it is so high in polyphenols. The most significant of these ingredients is thought to be epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is known as a powerful antioxidant, and it has been shown to both inhibit the growth of cancer cells and kill cancer cells without injuring healthy body tissue. EGCG has been shown to be effective at lowering the level of bad (LDL) cholesterol, and in helping to prevent blood clots from forming. This may be why green tea has shown such promise in preventing heart disease and stroke.

In addition, scientists have been studying the role green tea may play in what has become known as the French paradox. Many people find it amazing that the French, who eat diets rich in fatty foods, have a much lower level of heart disease than do Americans. The answer to the French paradox is thought to lie in the healthful benefits of red wine. Red wine contains resveratrol, which is a polyphenol thought to mitigate the effects of the fatty French diet. Studies have shown that EGCG, a main ingredient of green tea, is twice as powerful as the ingredients found in red wine.

What makes green tea so special?

While green tea, oolong tea and black tea are all made from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, green tea is different in the way it is processed. The leaves of green tea are steamed, which helps to prevent the oxidation of the important EGCG compound. Black tea and oolong tea, on the other hand, are made from leaves that are fermented, and this means that the EGCG they contain is converted to other, less effective, disease fighting chemicals.

In addition to its many traditional health benefits, there is even evidence that green tea can be helpful when trying to lose weight. One study found that those who consumed a combination of green tea extract and caffeine burned a higher number of calories than those only taking caffeine.