Ready to eat raw? Or at least juicing raw vegetables and fruits. We always eat junk foods, drink soda, beer, eat sugar coated snacks. It’s time to bring back the balance in our system – adding more good food than bad food.  It may be a  bummer to prepare fruits and veggies for juicing and to dismantle/clean juicing machines. But as they say, “no pain, no gain.” Juicing fruits and vegetables is one of the best way to get your daily dose of raw vegetables and fresh fruits. We all know that by eating it raw we get more health benefits. Here’s some concoctions you should try soon!:

Carrot + Ginger + Apple = boost and cleanse your system

Apple + Cucumber + Celery = prevents cancer, reduce cholesterol and ease stomach upset and headache

Tomato + Carrot + Apple = improves skin complexion and natural cure for bad breath

Bitter gourd + Apple + Milk = natural cure for  bad breath and reduce internal body heat

Pineapple + Apple + Watermelon = dispels excess salt, nourishes the bladder and kidney

Apple + Cucumber + Kiwi = improves skin complexion

Pear + Banana = regulates sugar level

Carrot + Apple + Pear + Mango = counteracts toxicity, lowers blood pressure and fight oxidation

Papaya + Pineapple + Milk = rich in vitamin C, E and Iron; improves skin complexion and metabolism

Grapes + Watermelon + Milk = rich in vitamin C and vitamin B12 that improves cell activity

Banana + Pineapple + Milk = prevents constipation

I promise you that these concoctions tastes so good. I’ve tried it myself. My favorite concoction is a combination of carrots, celery, cucumber and apples. It’s so refreshing!

great juicing machines to start with: Jack LaLanne’s Power Juicer $99.99, Stainless Steel Manual Wheat Grass Juicer $109.95, Nutri Source Juicer $145, Hamilton Beach 2 Speed Juice Extractor $39.02

Are you having the same problem as I am? Your herbs like parsley, mint, basil, cilantro gets dried up after 2-3 days even if you put it in a  tightly sealed plastic bag.  The ending, you don’t get to enjoy your herbs. So if you want to prolong the shelf life of your fresh herbs from your garden or just to save a few bucks from wastage, try this Prepara Herb Savor that I found that will keep your herbs fresh for up to 3 weeks! I am not kidding many swore it works and do a great job. What it basically do:

• Herb stems sit slightly submerged in the water of the water-well, keeping them fresh
• Features easily refillable water well base and removable stainless steel herb basket
• Fits inside a typical refrigerator door while providing roomy herb storage capacity

Cool huh? I think this is an ingenious way of keeping our herbs fresh, yummy and safe. Try it!

Have you heard the latest news? Everybody is talking about the “Swine Flu” that is spreading like wildfire in Mexico City and other countries as well. About 103 people were reported dead in Mexico because of this virus. Many fear the full blown swine influenza A (H1N1) pandemic. What’s special about this new flu strain:

“Flu is characterized by a sudden fever, muscle aches, sore throat and dry cough. Victims of the new strain have also suffered more vomiting and diarrhea than is usual with flu. People who are infected can spread the virus before they even start showing symptoms.”

Source

Although its called “Swine Flu,” there is no evidence yet that it stemmed from contacts with pigs. It is reported that it is airborne and can be transmitted through human contact. As of press time,  the vaccines Tamiflu made by Roche AG and Relenza from GlaxoSmithKline shown to be effective against the new swine flu.

But don’t panic! The Swine Flu maybe causing pandemonium, but we can do something to fight it. Here are some tips given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

1. Cover your nose and mouth with  tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

2. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people

1. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.

2. If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them”

Herbs and Other tips:

1. If you feel that colds and flu is just around the corner, try Basil herb tea. Make a tea by pouring a cup of boiling water over 15 ml of basil leaves as remedy for flu, colds and digestive upsets. Basil is rich in Vit. A, Vit. C, calcium and iron. Basil tea has an uplifting effect on the nervous system. A safety reminder, pregnant women should consult with their physicians before trying this herb tea. Garlic tea also relieve colds, flu, bronchitis, for its expectorant, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Check my previous post about garlic and how I made the garlic tea.

2. Postpone your travel overseas especially to countries affected by the flu.

3. Get enough rest and sleep.

4. Exercise and drink plenty of H2O.

5. Eat healthy! Add more servings of vegetables and fresh fruits.

Lastly, in this kind of situation we just don’t need to stay healthy, we should help stop this epidemic by cooperating and empowering ourselves with information to prevent the spread of this virus.

basil extract capsules $17.97, garlic odorless capsules $6.21

If you watched the movie, “Super Size Me” I’m sure it opened your eyes that although we enjoy food, we also need to know our limit to stay healthy. So if you’re curious how many Calories you consume, or want to know the nutrient content of the Chili you just ate for dinner? Here’s some government-run websites that may help you become your very own nutritionist (at least even for a day):

USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory – In this site, you can type the name of the food that you want to know the nutrition content. They have tons of food data. For fun I tried “french fries” because I like fries. I was surprised that they even have a list of fries from Fast Food like McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s. My favorite are fries from Wendy’s. So looking at the nutrient content of Wendy’s fries made me think of eating natural fries instead.

Interactive Menu Planner (National Institutes of Health) – In this site you will be able to plan your menu for the day (or even for a week!) keeping in mind your calorie limit.

Nutrition Facts Label (US FDA) – In this site you can now read nutrition facts label when you go to the grocery. Gone are the days when you’re clueless about the nutrient content of the product your buying. When I learned how to read nutrition facts label, I stay away from food/snacks with too much Saturated Fats and MSG.

If all everything failed and you’re desperate, diet-to-go might be the one for you. They provide delicious, nourishing meals for individuals not just for those who aim to lose weight, but to all who wants to eat healthy but don’t have the time to cook. Think about this… next time you crave for food deliveries, instead of calling pizza delivery, try ordering healthy meals that improves and maintain good health.

“Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-diet Weight Loss Solution” by David Zinczenko