Green Tea – Skin Tea That Will Improve Your Healthy Glow Skin

Green Tea holds multiple properties that can improve the health of your skin. The main antioxidant found in this skin tea that can enhance your skins appearance and overall health is EGCG, Epigallocatechin Gallate in scientific terms. Keep reading to learn some extremely interesting facts about how Green Tea can prolong your skins life span….

A two year study that was completed by Stanford University revealed recently showed the following – A group of volunteer Green Tea drinkers were monitored and a number of exciting results were shown. The antioxidants in the skin tea, mainly EGCG, showed improved health of the skin overall. The specifics being, smoother skin and reduced pore size. Skin damage (age spots) appearance was reduced significantly. ‘Red vein’ emergence was lowered in appearance on the skins surface.

Your skins life cycle is that of just 28 days, when new cells are formed from stem cells, it takes them about 20 days to reach the very exterior of the epidermis (outer layer of skin). When they get to the surface they are then set to die off. However it emerged that EGCG reacted with these dying cells and they began separating and renewing themselves again. So if dying skin cells can be re-energised, then the skin in turn will recover in condition and will naturally look and feel transformed.

Another study carried out, this time by Harvard Medical School confirmed that “in test tubes, catechins (antioxidants) are more powerful than Vitamin C and E in delaying oxidative damage to cell”. In reality, EGCG catechins are 100 times more valuable than Vitamin C and 25 more efficient than Vitamin E.

UV radiation is a massive problem for the skins ageing. When UV rays hit the skin, Free Radicals are then activated. These free radicals are electrons that are in an unpaired state. Because of this they then search for electrons that they can pair up with. By doing these they latch onto healthy electrons, and because they are unhealthy themselves they damage the healthy electron they have become attached to.

With reference to the skins ageing, the skins healthy cells are damaged and extinguished by these Free Radicals. This causes the skins cells to either become so damaged that they cannot divide and deliver new cells, or they are destroyed completely before their life term should end. This is how sun damage has the effect it has and why your skin can look older and more ragged than it should. The good news is that EGCG can wipe out the Free Radical electrons, it does not allow them to attach to healthy cells. Thus, it can prevent sun damage.

In saying this, it does not mean it is safe for you to lay under the sun for as long as you please and think that a cup of Green Tea will save your skin, however it does mean that for those rays that get through your sun cream, most of them will be extinguished before they can do any damage. So you can see how Green Tea can coincide with your sun protective routine and assist your skin in looking as youthful and healthy as it should do. Considering that 90% of ALL skins anti ageing is due to UV radiation, I would be quite excited as regards introducing Green Tea into my diet, in favor of that and the many other reasons as above.

If you are as enthused as I am about the marvel that this skin tea can do to both retain and enhance your skins youth and health, then do follow the link to find out so much more. This amazing natural plant can give new life and vivacity to you both physically and mentally, the more you learn about it, the more it can do for you… http://www.how-to-make-green-tea.com

Checking Out Good Information On The Low Fat Vegan Diet

The vegan vegetarian diet consists mainly of all organic plant material. Being a vegan is more than a way of eating, it is also a lifestyle. Vegans do not consume anything with animal products in it. They also don’t use anything that could be made from animals, including clothes, beverages and cosmetics.

Some people follow vegan raw food diets because of ethical or moral reasons, including issues with factory farming and animal testing. The main concern is for those animals being raised for food or testing and the conditions in which they are forced to live. Others are vegans simply because of their spiritual or religious beliefs.

A vegetarian is a slightly less strict form of veganism. A vegetarian will use products with animal products, and while they will consume products like eggs, milk and cheese, they stay away from meat. Some vegetarians only refrain from eating red meat, but will eat poultry or fish. It is a much less strict lifestyle than the vegan.

While the vegan diet does not contain many of the much-needed vitamins and minerals that are in meat, this does not make it an unhealthy diet to follow. For those dedicated to following a properly planned and executed diet, nutritional needs can be easily met and the body can be satisfied. Meat is not the only way to get these important aspects into your diet.

Some missing nutrients from a vegan diet are calcium, vitamins B & D and iodine. However, these can be found in nutritional supplements. This is the best way to get the key nutrients you need daily. Make sure when choosing your supplement it does not contain animal products.

Some studies have shown that in some cases among adolescents veganism can be used to mask eating disorders. They do not, however, state that veganism leads to eating disorders. It is suggested that in the cases of a youth deciding on a vegan diet, it is important for the parents to be involved fully the entire time. It is important to know what your children are eating and what they are not eating.

Diets similar to vegan, but in a much smaller niche, are raw veganism and fruitarianism. The raw vegan eats basically the same as a standard vegan, however, the difference is they don’t eat foods cooked over one hundred eighteen degrees Fahrenheit. This goes for all nuts, grains, fruits, vegetables, fruit juices and herbs consumed. The raw vegan dieter who eats at least seventy-five percent of raw foods is still thought of as a raw vegan.

The fruitarian vegan diet is probably one of the smallest niche groups of vegans. As the name entails, the main ingredients in this diet are fruits along with nuts and seeds, grains and vegetables. As with the raw vegans, people who consume fruit as seventy-five percent or more of their diet are considered fruitarians.

Unlike these smaller niche groups, low fat vegan diets can have great health benefits. All of this information just goes to show that those who choose and maintain properly balanced vegan vegetarian diets can live a healthy and satisfying lifestyle.

The Sweet Benefits Of The Old Time Favorite Licorice

Licorice is a plant of the legume family wherein its roots are extracted to give a strong and unique flavoring to different foods and beverages and even medicines. Not only that. In beauty products such as face creams, soaps and lotions, this root is also used due to its many health and beauty benefits. In parts of Asia, particularly, this plant is used as a whitening substance. In groceries, it is normal to see loads of products in this flavor such as personalized sweets and sodas.

However, the most common use for licorice is personalized sweets. In fact, in the earlier years of the 20th century, it has been used to produce kinds of sweets because the people were growing to like its flavor more and more. In 1920, the American Licorice Company was established and they made the now old-time favorite Black Vines. Today, different people still love this product.

The use of this famous flavor in products such as personalized sweets and soaps did not actually start late but ever since the ancient times. In Egypt, it is known that Pharaohs use licorice in their meals and rituals. The Romans are also known to drink a kind of licorice beverage to slake off their thirst and refresh them during long marches. Alexander the Great and the prophet Brahma of India were also known to promote the use of the plant for its many health benefits.

Speaking of benefits, this plant is widely used as an alternative to sucrose because of its 50 times sweeter taste. It is also used to expel mucus in the lungs by means of coughing it out. As a mild laxative, this plant is used in many digestive healings. Additionally, it is not only used as flavorings to personalized sweets and sodas but in teas as well.

Today, personalized sweets are not only composed of Black Vines but also of other sweets that were made after it. Today, people know of Licorice Snaps, Black Crows and so much more. There are licorice-named products as well that don’t actually contain the real extract of the root or plant. There are the so-called licorice lollies, gums, chewy candies and many more. They all come in different colors, textures and sizes.

Today, some of those old-time brands are still in existence and in fact are actually enjoyed by the younger people. And due to its many benefits and pure deliciousness, this flavor remains to be as one of the best choices for personalised sweets and a lot more.

My Second Week: Preparing for the HCG Diet

We’re all set. Lisa and I both ordered our HCG products from HCG Diet Direct last night. She stuck to the basics: enough homeopathic HCG weight loss formula to last her for a 25 day program. I got the same plus B-Total Sublingual and the cookbook. She’s pretty sneaky (and I’m a pretty nice friend) so I bet she’ll get most of the advantages of the cookbook through me, but I’ve totally got an edge with the B-Total Sublingual.

I’m not calling it an unfair advantage because I made sure she knew I was ordering it and that it could be a great benefit once we’ve got our HCG diet kits and we start the program. But she opted not to add it to her order. So I’m totally guilt free about it all!

We both thought the ordering process was perfectly understandable and easy. We just got online, went to HCGDietDirect.com and clicked on the Buy Products link. Then we added the products we wanted to purchase to our online carts and then checked out. We both paid online using Visa credit cards. The site was secure and we both received email receipts for our transactions immediately.

And even more impressive…I got a second email telling me that my order had already been prepped and was ready to ship. And that was only a few hours after my initial order. That’s quick moving on their part! I haven’t talked to Lisa so I’m not sure if her’s was handled so quickly, but if not same day then I would guess it will be ready for shipment next day. And that’s pretty cool.

So Lisa and I should get our HCG diet kits really fast considering how fast HCG Diet Direct is moving with out orders. And on top of all that…the experience was even more positive because they had a sale going on and I found an online discount code that gave us an additional 20% off. Wahoo! We’re thinking the HCG diet kits should arrive within a week or so. And that works for us because we compared our calendars and decided that the obvious “problems” were the holidays. No one wants to be dieting on Thanksgiving. And we’d really like to be finished dieting by Christmas. We decided that since the first two days were “loading” days we’d start the day before Thanksgiving.

So the official summary is that we’ve ordered our HCG diet kits and we are declaring our official start date as the day before Thanksgiving. That way the 25 days will end right before Christmas. It will still be tough, but 500 calories per day will always be tough. And we figure it would be even tougher on a major holiday. At least this way I don’t have to pass up the mashed potatoes and gravy.

Amelia Handley studied exercise science in college with a minor in Nutrition. Yet she still found herself veering from diet to diet in order to control her weight. With HCG Diet Direct she’s found a program that allows her to combine her desire to control her own body weight with her education and not feel off balance.

What to Look for in Colon Cleanse Reviews

Recently, more and more natural health practitioners have been recommending detoxifying or cleansing the colon to their patients. This has given rise to colon cleansing as one of the most popular methods of ensuring the health of our body. These days, colon cleansing is among the most sough-after therapies. But before you rush to the nearest natural health clinic or to your family doctor to ask for a colon cleansing procedure, it would help to learn more about colon cleansing first. Colon cleansing is a detoxifying procedure that can be done in health clinics and right in the comfort of your own home. Colon cleanse products are available for home use and it would be to your advantage to check colon cleanse reviews before buying a certain product or kit.

There are lots of colon detox and colon cleanse programs and products available. Their sheer number can easily overwhelm and confuse anyone who wants to ensure the cleanliness and health of his or her colon. Some colon cleanse products really work while there are also those that can cause you more harm than good. To keep you from falling prey to scams or frauds, it would help to read more about colon cleanse reviews so you can better determine which products really work and which ones are only there to take your money away.

In reviewing colon cleanse products; there are certain factors that you should consider. Foremost is the effectiveness and safety of a colon cleanse product based on its ingredients. Try to review the ingredients of a certain colon cleansing product and the combination and effectiveness of the ingredients then compare it with industry standards. If this is not possible, you can read reviews related to this so you can have a better look at the safety and effectiveness of using such a product.

It would also help to review the safety and effectiveness of a colon cleansing product based on customer feedback. See to it that the customer feedback you are reading are real comments made by first hand users, and not just made up stories posted on websites that sell colon cleansing products.

Other factors that you would want to look into include trust factor and guarantee, and value for the price. It helps to read colon cleanse reviews that include information on the type of guarantee offered for dissatisfied customers, length of money-back guarantee, secure order form, and medical and professional endorsements for the product. Through these colon cleanse reviews, you will be able to have a better view of which colon cleansers would most likely work best for you.

The almighty colon cleanse rids your body of nasty toxins. The almighty colon cleanse boosts energy and strengthens the immune system.

More Than Just HCG Detox Drops

Did you read Article 1? Because this is Article 2 in the series. The series is going to document my travel through preparing for and then actually following the popular HCG diet. I avoided HCG weight loss clinics by opting for a reputable online company. I hate frequent appointments and I didn’t want to pay for the office visits (I don’t have health insurance) so it was a logical choice for me. After looking around I decided to work with HCG Diet Direct.

I also already challenged a friend to a weight loss duel of sorts. She’s considering taking the HCG detox drops with me. If she agrees; the first one to “break” the diet will owe the other one a brand new pair of jeans (recipient’s choice, of course). I figure that’s a good move since after taking the HCG detox drops I’ll be down like a million sizes and I’ll definitely need some new clothes. (I always like thinking positively).

She’s not quite decided; she’s taking her sweet time in my opinion. But while she’s thinking about it I came up with another issue that needs resolution before we can get moving. There are all sorts of additional tools and products that look fabulous on the HCG Diet Direct site. And I want all of them! The first must have was the cookbook. No way was I going to live without it once I knew of its existence. Any variety is better than no variety on this type of low calorie diet .

There are several more options that all sounded great, but being on a limited budget I decided that it would be best if I limited myself right at the get go. I was only going to allow myself to choose two additional items on top of the HCG detox drops. And I’d already decided the cookbook was a must have. So that left one more item to pick.

HCG Diet Direct offers several products to add to the benefits of the HCG detox drops. They’ve got a HCG Diet Metabolizer and Energy Supplement that looks interesting. They have B-Total Sublingual Drops. They offer a Thyroid Function Supplement. And they also offer a Hormone Balance Supplement and a Colon Cleanser and Liver Function. They all sound fantastic, but I’m a shoot from the hip type of girl. I very quickly narrowed it down to two: Colon Cleanser and Liver Function and B-Total Sublingual Drops.

I picked the Colon Cleanser and Liver Function because I am constantly hearing about the benefits of “cleanses.” And I’ve always ignored my gut decision to go ahead and try one. So I thought now would be a good time. I picked the B-Total Sublingual Drops because I heard from a couple online reviews that they are the oral drop equivalent to the Vitamin B shots that have been used in weight loss therapy for years. So I figured why not give myself the added bonus of combining effective weight loss treatment with effective weight loss treatment?

So after more waffling back and forth than I care to admit I did end up going with the B-Total Sublingual. I’ll have to do a cleanser at some other time. Maybe after the HCG detox drops I’ll feel so much more healthy that I’ll keep doing things that are good for me and the cleanser could be my next step. Maybe. We’ll have to wait and see!

Amelia Handley majored in exercise science in college with a minor in Nutrition. Yet she still found herself veering from diet to diet in order to control her weight. With HCG Diet Direct she’s found a program that allows her to combine her desire to control her own body weight with her education and not feel off balance.

Which Juicers Give The Most Nutritious Juice?

If you are looking to choose a juice extractor there are certain important features that need to considered as well as how you intend to fit juicing into your lifestyle? If you are busy and want to remain in good shape by supplementing your diet with healthy living juices then you need to carry out the juicing process quickly. For you a centrifugal or even better still a fast masticating juice like the Champion 2000+ will allow you access very easily to fresh fruit and vegetable juices.

For raw food enthusiasts juicing is an ideal way for them to improve their health it is poor, to form part of a nutritional therapy regime or simply to ensure that they get good levels of nutrition into their bodies. These people will often decide on going for juicers that work at slower speeds and there are many different kinds available. But for most when it comes to low speed masticating juicers that help to create nutritious juicers these people are opting for the “Twin Gear Juicers”.

Sorting Out The Facts From The Fiction

As you carry out some research online about which juicer to select you may be forgiven if you thought that the slower the juicer runs at the better the juice produced. You will come across some sites and articles where they will attempt to convince you that any juice extractor that runs at high speeds is destroying the nutritional value of the juice made and this simply isn’t true. When it comes to high speed centrifugal juicers these can provide you with health enhancing juices that contain plenty of good enzymes within them and is ideal for those who wish to make juice as quickly as they can.

You will however see an improvement in the quality of the juice should you use a masticating juicer or slow masticating juicer and come with certain strengths that need considering. In relation to the speed of the juicer and the quality of the juice there does seem to become some indirect relationship between them. But by no means is this the case all the time it depends on the types of vegetables used which can produce a variety of different results with different juicers.

The most important factor to be considered to determine the nutritional value of the juice is how much the plant material can be broken down by the machine using abrasion and pressure. It is this that determines just how much goodness is released from the vegetables or fruit in the juice. If you want to breakdown the vegetable fibres more thoroughly you need juicer that works at low speeds but there are design constraints that prevent it from creating quality juice rather than the speed. So if you would like to breakdown plant material thoroughly then a juicer designed to do this quickly will put beyond the budget of most household users.

Why Twin Gear Juicers Give The Ultimate Result

Although the speed is important how much the juicer crushes and pulverizes the fibres of the plant inserted is just as crucial and a Twin Gear Juicer uses a single stage process to achieve the desired results. With this juicer the plant material will be passed through a set of 2 precision engineered stainless steel cylindrical gears. These fit closely and so as a result the plant fibres that pass through are cut, crushed and ground more thoroughly. When you produce juice with this machine as well as being more flavoursome, it is vibrant in colour and is considerably more nutritious.

Twin gear juicers place far more pressure on to the pulp unlike other kinds of household juicers. As a result the amount of juice made is far greater so over the long term you save more money as far fewer ingredients need to be used. The only other way that it is possible to get this amount of goodness from the pulp is by placing material under tons of pressure by employing a hydraulic juice press and which many of us are not able to utilize. The problem with these types of juicers is that they rely on “bio ceramic” magnets both in the gears and juice collector and which is what some people believe that this is what ensures more of the nutrients in the juice are preserved.

When it comes to nutritional therapists they will often recommend to their clients to use a twin gear masticating juicer to help combat ill health because of the high quality of the fresh living juice they make. These machines are very good to create juices from wheatgrass and green vegetables and are very important to those people who are following a health improvement programme. The force exerted by these juicers when crushing plant material is such that they can be used in other ways. Using the various attachments available you are able to make noodles, frozen fruit desserts, nut butters and much much more.

Which Is The Best Twin Gear Juicer?

Honestly, the all are. This certainly true when it comes to the results achieved as most of the designs and patents are held by just a few of the market players. In fact you may find it nearly impossible to tell each juicer apart because of the results being achieved by the various models. So when choosing one you should opt for the one that you prefer the most.

Due to there being so many different models and accessory levels along with the prices it can leave one somewhat confused when trying to select the right one. As for me there is just one model that really stands head and shoulders above the rest and that is the Green Kempo Power juicer. This is the most kitchen friendly compact machine around.

Choose the-04 model (the highest grade version available) that saves you money as optional extras are included as part of the package. Plus they are fitted with extra multipurpose gears so it can save time on making juice from soft fruit such as berries unlike other models with twin gears can. Plus you will find that these gears are much better when you want to extract juice from wheatgrass compared to other juicers.

The main gears in these machines are the patented Jang type and were developed in conjunction with the inventors of the original Twin Gear juicer format. So you can trust the Kempo range because of its pedigree.

As you will find Green Power Kempo twin gear juicers are available in many styles including the “Hippocrates” and “Samson Ultra”. But remember to go for the-04 high grade versions of any model which will ensure that you truly do get value for money from any company that many would argue provide the most up to date features in relation to the design of Twin Gear juicers.

As you can see there are a huge variety of juicers available to purchase online from a selection of online stores such as UK Juicers. They also have a selection of articles and advice on living a healthier lifestyle and how to use a juicer as part of this.

Doing the 500 Calorie Diet with HCG Diet Direct

500 calories? Are you crazy? I know that’s what you’re thinking. But just imagine how much weight actually sticking to a strict, 500 calorie diet would allow you to lose. Have you dreamed of running a marathon, but not been able to imagine yourself in any sort of appropriate active wear? Have you had nightmares about shopping for swimsuits? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to curl up in a ball to sleep like you used to when you were little?

Those are the things you need to keep in mind when you ponder the possibilities offered by a 500 calorie diet. I assume you are now seriously considering those possibilities. And now we can move right on to the next step. The next step is me telling you that you can do it. And I’m being absolutely honest. All of us are capable of successfully completing a 500 calorie diet; as long as we’re going about it correctly. You have to make sure your body is going to react to the calorie limitation appropriately (and by appropriately I mean that your body needs to lose weight).

You can’t just jump in and stop eating. You can’t even just jump in and severely limit your food intake. You’ll just torture yourself and end up bingeing at the end of the day because you’re STARVING!

That’s why the HCG Diet Direct’s homeopathic HCG weight loss formula is such a vital aspect of this type of diet. Tackling a 500 calorie diet on your own is suicide. You’ll have severe hunger pains all day. You won’t be able to concentrate on your day to day business. You won’t be able to stand not filling your stomach. And honestly, your body will be confused. It will most likely respond as if you actually were starving and you won’t even lose the weight.

All the drama and discomfort and downright hunger and no weight loss. That’s the story of people who attempt the very low calorie diet without the aid of an appropriate weight loss formula like the one offered by HCG Diet Direct. Don’t torture yourself like that. But if you approach the 500 calorie diet with the help of the homeopathic HCG weight loss formula from HCG Diet Direct you are making a very good move. You’ll find that you aren’t even hungry. Your body won’t treat your intake as if it’s the last you’ll have in a while. You’ll begin to lose weight immediately.

Isn’t it beautiful? The all natural, homeopathic weight loss formula from HCG Diet Direct interacts with the body enabling it to do a couple of really fabulous things. It stimulates the eating and drinking part of the brain (through the hypothalamus) so you don’t feel hungry. And it also interacts with the body to stimulate appropriate action when fat cells are emptied. Normally they just hang around empty until there’s available fat to refill them (making it really hard to keep weight off), but with the formula the body absorbs empty fat cells. YEAH! Right? So…get moving. You can order it delivered to your door. Don’t sit around and think about how fabulous that would be if you actually did it. Just do it!

Amelia Handley studied exercise science in college with a minor in Nutrition. Yet she still found herself veering from diet to diet in order to control her weight. With HCG Diet Direct she’s found a program that allows her to combine her desire to control her own body weight with her education and not feel off balance.

Some Do's and Dont's in Diet Change

People may not hesitate to go on a diet just to lose weight. It is, after all, one of the most proven ways in shedding off the unhealthy and unsightly fat. However, in their haste to be slimmer, some have made shortcuts in the process by forcing changes in the way they eat. Because of such rash impulsion, notwithstanding their aim, the results can be negative. Some have delayed the weight loss process while there are those who, after seeing no gains, decide to stop dieting.

A well-founded objective and resolve may be necessary but these are not enough in dieting. In fact, even the most resolute dieter can backslide and vengefully recover his lost time with food because of some problems he met. These are most often triggered by misconceptions and wrong diet methods. For the newbies, the usual incorrect notion is that skipping meals is dieting. Another error they make is to continue eating all kinds of food, even those loaded with cholesterol and sugar, but in lesser quantities.

You are required to eat. In dieting, you are not allowed to skip meals or else, you will only be hungry enough to attack more food on your next meal schedule. Instead, you should make sure that you eat healthily, especially putting in items rich with fiber, fruits, fish and raw vegetables. You also need to take in proteins and good cholesterol so put fish and nuts in your menu.

As much as possible, do not be hungry by eating a little something as soon as you feel the urge. Five hours without anything can be disastrous to your diet. You can have snacks between meals if necessary. If you have just commenced with the program, do not do any drastic measures that may just traumatize yourself. You can gradually lessen the amount of food you eat. After a week, you can reduce it even more.

He should not bemoan over the deprivation certain food habits, instead, he should think of what to do with those healthy items. Otherwise, he will continue wishing for a greasy fried chicken. If he learns how to cook veggies and fish and prepare fruits in the most delectable manner, then will never crave for those unhealthy and loaded with fat items available from the fast-food counter. He can have some pasta for a few carbohydrates to provide him energy and, perhaps, to quell the yearning if it happens to be his favorite.

If one thinks that he is making too many sacrifices already without seeing some gains, he might consider his efforts as useless. It would be important that he see some developments the soonest possible time. This can be done if he includes a good workout routine in his program. The workout will hasten losing weight by burning all the fat that is still stored by the body while dieting denies its return.

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Nutrition and Immunity " Protect Yourself this Winter Season

Along with the shorter days and falling leaves come the colds and flu, however, not for everyone! Survival of the fittest ” the fittest immunity that is. We know to wash our hands frequently, dress warmly, get plenty of rest, and of course incorporate daily exercise into our routine, but can the foods we eat really make a difference in our efforts to fight off colds and the flu? In my experience, there is no question that a well-nourished individual is more immunologically competent and better able to cope with illness/infection challenges than those with nutrient-poor diets. So where to start?

Your Foundation Diet

This is what I characterize as your day-to-day intake of the essential nutrients. Its not what you eat Friday nights after hockey or for the occasional birthday gathering, its what your food choice tendency is day-to-day over months and years that really impacts your overall resilience to create a body of health, vitality and strength. Your immune system is what protects you from viral infections, and the foods you eat have a major impact on your immune systems ability to fight off colds and flu. Balance, variety and moderation are three key areas to keep in check.

Balance Balance your meals and snacks by including at least 3 out of 4 food groups in each meal and 2 out of 4 for snacks. In general aim for lean/low fat proteins, unprocessed carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Examples: 1. Breakfast (all four food groups!) a. Grains: choose whole grain cereals high in fiber and low in sugar b. Fruits & Vegetables: sweeten by topping with berries or a sliced banana c. Meat or Alternatives: chopped almonds or walnuts add good fats and protein to your cereal bowl d. Dairy or Soy: Low fat milk or soy milk ” a generous amount for a good blast of calcium and vitamin D.

2. Snack (two food groups) carrots sticks and a container of low-fat yogurt

Variety Escape routine and try new foods (plant derived) as often as possible. Phyto -(Greek for plant) chemicals are important nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and even chocolate and wine! Each plant derived food hosts its own profile of these powerful antioxidants ” the more variety you eat the more of these antioxidants your body can utilize to fight disease and boost immunity.

Moderation Limited or moderate intake of unhealthy food is important too. Stay away from excess sugar and unhealthy fats, such as saturated fat and especially trans fats, which have been shown to suppress immune function. Watch alcohol intake as well, which can impair your ability to fight off pathogens.

Adequate intakes of vitamins (A, B, C, D, E) and trace elements (Selenium, Zinc) are required for the immune system to function efficiently, however there is limited evidence of any benefits unless you are deficient (however in the case of vitamin D many of us might be). Taking a multivitamin/mineral a few times a week is a good safeguard for falling short, but supplements continue to prove their inferiority to a nutrient-rich diet. A variety of Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grains, Nuts, Seeds, Lean Protein and Essential Fats are your key to optimal immune function.

Vitamin C Supplements

You need vitamin C for a healthy immune system, however you should get it from the fruits and vegetables you eat so that you also get other important nutrients, fiber and other phytochemicals and antioxidants that you won’t get from dietary supplements. There is no current scientific evidence to support the idea that taking large doses of vitamin C will prevent or reduce the symptoms of colds or flu, however you can take dietary supplements to assure that you get enough vitamin C on the days you don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. In addition, your immune system requires a constant influx of vitamin C when it’s working hard to fight invaders, so drinking 100% juice or eating oranges every 2-3 hours at the onset and during a cold may shorten its duration.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D has made news headlines numerous times over the past couple of years, and growing evidence suggest we need to at least triple our intakes, especially during winter months (unless you’re lucky enough to live in the tropics!). Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, and foods that are fortified with vitamin D (fluid milk/soy) are often inadequate to satisfy an adult’s vitamin D requirement. Vitamin D deficiency, aside from poor bone health, has also been associated with increased risk of common cancers, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, and infectious diseases. This is a supplement you may want to consider at 800-1000IU daily.

Zinc Supplements

Zinc is a mineral that is needed for a healthy immune system and is safe to take when ingested through food sources such as seafood, nuts and yogurt but more is not better although it’s often sold as an over-the-counter natural treatment for colds. Zinc is necessary for optimal health but most studies show little or no benefit when studying zinc supplements. Zinc sold in a nasal gel form has been shown by several studies to cause a loss of the sense of smell in some patients and should be used with caution. Zinc is often sold as ingredient in lozenges that may help to sooth a sore throat in some. But supplementing with higher doses of zinc, particularly long term, can be toxic.

Echinacea

This herb is available as a dietary supplement and is used to prevent or decrease the duration of the common cold. Most studies show mixed results, however a meta-analysis of several studies reports that taking echinacea supplements may actually be beneficial, and the most effective preparation seems to be the pressed juice of the Echinacea purpura species

Probiotics

These “friendly or good bacteria” help to keep your digestive tract healthy and appear to have some beneficial effect on your whole-body immune system. Probiotics may be found in dietary supplements or as a nutritional ingredient in yogurt (be sure “active” or “live” cultures is in the ingredient list), yogurt drinks (Bio-K) and other foods. Some research does support the use of probiotics for reducing the symptoms and duration of the common cold.

Food First — the foods listed here will give your immunity a boost, naturally!

For Vitamin C Citrus fruits and juices Apple juice Kiwi fruit Strawberries Broccoli Brussels sprouts Red/green/yellow Sweet potatoes Potatoes Tomatoes

For Vitamin E Vegetable oils Wheat germ Nuts Peanut butter Sunflower seeds Papayas Avocadoes Peppers

For Selenium Brazil nuts Grain products Wheat germ Wheat bran Oat bran Fish, shellfish Meat, poultry Eggs Beans

For Carotenoids Carrots Cantaloupe Sweet potatoes Pumpkin Broccoli Pink grapefruit Tomatoes/tomato products Dark green leafy Veggies

For Zinc Oysters and other seafood Red meat Poultry Fortified breakfast cereal Whole grains Beans Nuts

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