Health Food
The Bountiful Benefits of Quinoa
Ever tried quinoa? Okay, let’s start with that tricky pronunciation for those who haven’t. It’s pronounced: KEEN-wah, with the stress on the first syllable, (or sometimes kee-NO-ah, with the stress on the second), and it’s a seed — although commonly referred to as a grain. A flowering plant found in the amaranth family, Chenopodium quinoa, most commonly called quinoa, is described by Wikipedia as an “herbaceous annual plant grown as a grain crop primarily for its edible seeds.” Found in countless dishes throughout the world, quinoa was first associated with the Incas over five thousand years ago who called it the “mother…
Prebiotics: Food For Healthy Gut Flora
Prebiotics. Hmm. Are you sure you don’t mean probiotics, you might ask. But no. I do mean prebiotics. Probiotics, we know, are mostly fermented products that help increase the diversity and versatility of your gut flora. You know, those beneficial bacteria that live in your digestive system that you don’t see but are very grateful for. So what are prebiotics? Just apply the same logic to them as you would with “pro-biotics”. Probiotics are pro living microorganisms like bacteria, and pre-biotics are those foods that are food for these helpful microflora. Isn’t that amazing? A kind of a food ecosystem for those…
Apple Cider Vinegar: Your Multifaceted Home Remedy
Apple Cider Vinegar seems to be all the rage nowadays. Primarily an ingredient used in salad dressing, to being an all-purpose cleaner for the house, to its anti-dandruff properties, this humble ingredient had its pride of place in your pantry for decades. Its versatility was known from a superficial perspective, but of late, there seems to be a growing body of evidence that supports regular consumption of ACV for its various health benefits. Apple Cider Vinegar making is a simple two-step process: first, yeast is added to apple juice or concentrate. The yeast feeds on the sugar in the concentrate, and turns…
Ditch the Coffee and Start Drinking Chai Tea
Chai tea is very beneficial for your overall health because it contains many advantageous ingredients. You may want to put down the coffee and taste some delicious chai tea. If you are a tea fanatic or are looking for something new, you should be aware of chai tea benefits. There are many health benefits in tea. According to Dr. Axe, chai tea is high in health-benefitting polyphenols. Unlike green tea, chai tea contains fermented and oxidized black leaves as well as several spices. What ingredients are in chai tea? Black Tea Containing antioxidants, black tea helps prevent cardiovascular disease and…
Eggs Good for you? You bet they are!
Eggs have gotten a bad rap as cholesterol-raising foods over the years. If your doctor prescribed you follow a diet to lower cholesterol, keep you blood sugar in check, or for general well-being, chances are you have been told to minimize your egg intake to maybe once or twice a week. Well, guess what? Recent research suggests that one, or two, or maybe even three eggs a day, whatever diet you follow, might not be such a bad thing after all. They are powerhouses of nutrients, packed to the punch to give you a host of vital vitamins and minerals.…
The Delicious, Nutritious Secrets of Dandelion Root Tea
Dandelions are secretly nutritious Once known as a prominent ingredient in many recipes made during the Great Depression, dandelions may surprise you! While they may seem to most people to be just unattractive, annoying little yard weeds, dandelions actually have numerous health benefits. Used medicinally through the centuries for ailments from liver problems to kidney disease, heartburn, stomach problems, as diuretics, for appetite stimulation, appendicitis, immunity-boosting, breast milk flow problems, fever, boils, diabetes, diarrhea, eye problems, gallbladder troubles, swelling and skin conditions, they are also eaten for their consistency and taste in sandwiches, soups, and salads. According to the University…
Who is Dr. Kellyann and What’s “Bone Broth”?
Dr. Kellyann Petrucci , M.S, N.D., is a board-certified naturopath and nutrition consultant who focuses her work on “naturally transforming people” through assorted natural anti-aging and weight loss techniques. Petrucci’s website explains that her philosophy includes treating the whole patient, not just the symptoms, no matter how much time is involved. She aspires to help her clients feel younger and healthier while “moving beyond trends and fads to discover a way of life that works for your body and mind.” Petrucci prides herself on helping clients get fast results by ridding the body of inflammation and sticking strictly with Paleo guidelines for the…
What You Need to Know About Gluten Allergies
What’s up with gluten and why are so many people allergic to it? According to Dr. Tom O’Bryan, a leading expert on celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, gluten is not necessarily bad for you. To explain a bit further, he states, “Gluten isn’t bad for you. Bad gluten is bad for you.” By this he means that the gluten encountered in corn, quinoa and rice are different than that found in wheat, barley and rye. Gluten, says O’Bryan, is an “umbrella term” for families of proteins, and only the latter three types are bad for humans. In a recent interview,…
A Bevy of Aloe Vera Benefits
Aloe vera, otherwise called the Lily of the Desert, Elephant’s Gall, and the Burn Plant, belongs to the succulent family in the genus ‘Aloe.’ With origins dating back to the African region of Sudan in the 4th millennium BC, this versatile plant has been recognized for its beneficial uses in cultures from Greek to Japanese, Persian, Indian, African and Italian (among others), and has been widely used medicinally for numerous ailments over many centuries. What makes it so great? The most remarkable components of the aloe vera plant include the polysaccharides, lectins, anthraquinones, and mannans stored in…
Why You Need Avocado Chocolate Mousse in Your Life
If you’re new to the avocado dessert craze, brace yourself! There’s so much more available than you’ve ever dreamed of, and it’s all due to this deliciously smooth little green fruit (yep, the avocado is technically a fruit. Who knew?) We’ll start off the party with some nutritional facts on the subject, follow up with a few of our favorite tasty avocado chocolate mousse recipes, and then wrap up with some additional variations to fully blow your mind! Ready? Here we go! With avocados bringing in more than 20 nutrients themselves, paired with monounsaturated fats and the numerous benefits of cocoa powder…
Which Vegetables are Highest in Protein?
According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, “plant-based proteins are remarkably efficient at synthesizing amino acids and promoting cell growth and repair.” But while it’s easy to get sufficient protein into the diet from protein-rich plant sources like soy, quinoa, hemp seeds (or many other seeds), chia, nuts, chickpeas, jackfruit, oatmeal and brown rice, what can we say about purely vegetable sources? For those who wish to incorporate more of these items into their meals, we’ve searched around and found some of the top vegetable protein sources. For concerned vegetarians or worried new vegans, take heart and gaze on — it’s not hard…
20 Benefits of Drinking Water: Health Benefits of Drinking Water
Water is essential for life on earth, as well as for human health. Our bodies benefit from drinking adequate amounts on a daily basis. Indeed, mankind cannot survive without it. Just as our planet is made up mostly of water, 71% of the earth’s surface is covered in it, so too is the human body roughly 2/3 water. Therefore, it’s easy to understand why adequate consumption plays such an important role in our overall health and well-being. Health Benefits of Drinking Water: Maintains pH balance: pH refers to the acidity/alkalinity levels in the body. Water alkalizes the body and helps…
