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Fruits and Nuts for better health and Weight Loss

Do you remember the old saying “An apple a day will keep the Doctor away”.  I certainly do, I was told almost daily that we need to eat a couple of choices of fruit every single day because “it’s good for you”.  Well as it turns out the people stressing the health benefits of fruits and vegetables were right.

The health benefits and weight loss attributes of fruits and even nuts are far more important than we realized.  Modern studies are uncovering more health and weight loss benefits of fruits than we previously knew about.  As an example (summarized below) eating a high fat fruit, the avocado, is probably one of the best weight loss superfoods we could eat.  Besides I love guacamole don’t you.

The FDA has lately been issuing warnings to all the berry growers and their lobbiests because of the newest rounds of studies that suggest that eating berries is alot more healthier than previously thought.  These studies are pretty scientific and conclusive, but if everybody started achieving their health and weight loss goals through consuming natural fruits and nuts, the FDA would be out of a job and the drug companies would be out of business. Que no.

I have always been a proponent for natural healing, as opposesd to the litany of very unhealthy drugs with numerous side effects attached to them.  Have you watched TV lately, all the drugs advertised on TV have a list of side effects summarized at the end of the commercial that far exceeds the enumerated benefits.

I have done alot of research on the benefits of natural healing, natural supplements for use in ugrading and maintaining our health, and for the aid in weight loss, and for the anti-aging qualities we can derive from these healthy alternatives.

Here is a partial list of beneficial fruits and nuts and how they can keep us healthy, skinnier and younger.  I will add more sometime later as the list is very large and I have pages and pages to type.  So for now just peruse the selections below for your information and enjoyment.

Almonds

Almonds are naturally high in vitamin E and biotin, a B vitamin essential to metabolism of both sugar and fat.  Almonds are also rich in arginine which promotes increased blood flow.

Apples

Apples are an important source of phytochemicals, polyphenols, and superantioxidants. Apples therefore help protect against heart disease, are very potent cancer fighters, beneficial to our lungs, help decrease the risk of asthma and prevent type II diabetes.

Apples also help our bodies by alleviating flu symptoms, controlling diarrhea, and reduce menopausal symptoms.

Apricots

Apricots are a real good source for beta carotene and are also high in lycopene.  Beta carotene (Vitamin A) promotes good vision and helps prevent macular degeneration. Lycopene is a great antioxidant found in apricots and helps prevent prostrate cancer, protects our heart and eyes.  Apricots are high in fiber, potassium and iron.  Apricots also help fight yeast infections and can raise our skins sun protection factor SPF.

Avocados

The avocado is one of the most nutrient dense foods, high in fiber, folate, potassium, vitamin E and magnesium.  Some of the benefits were get by eating avocados are lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, inhibited excessive cell division thereby helping prevent cancer cell growth.  Avocados also help our bodies absorb nutrients from other foods better and they play a significant role in weight loss by boosting our satiety – the feeling of fullness that tells us to stop eating.

Bananas

Bananas are extremely high in potassium which has been proven to naturally lower your blood pressure and help prevent strokes.  Bananas are also loaded with magnesium which help keep our bones health, help prevent migraines and help prevent type II diabetes.  Bananas are a great aid against depression because they also contain trytophon a protein that our bodies turn into serotom which relaxes us, improves our mood and just makes us happier.  And lastly, a banana milkshake is the worlds best hangover cure.

Blackberries

Hey ladies, did you know that blackberries produce huge health benefits for women.

Blackberries have a high content of phytoestrogens, these compounds act as a natural form of estrogen and can help prevent breast and cervical cancers.  Blackberries are also high in antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin E that protect our bodies against cancer and chronic diseases.  Blackberries are also a source of lycopene and ellagic acid, phytochemicals that prevent the cell damage that leads to cancer growth.  Blackberries also help fight obesity, morning sickness and nausea.

Blueberries

I made the best blueberry pancakes this morning,  I didn’t stop to remember of how healthy those delicious berries really are.  Research has shown that a serving of blueberries provides more antioxidants than many other fruits.  Antioxidants help protect our bodies against the damaging effects of free radicals and the diseases associated with aging.  These free radicals damage our cells and DNA through oxidative stress and are blamed for many of the dysfunctions and diseases of the elderly. Blueberries also improve night time vision, help prevent macular degeneration and have been shown to help prevent colon and ovarian cancers, prevent formation of kidney or bladder stones and help prevent Alzheimers disease.

Cherries

Cherries are rich in potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B complex and antioxidants which help prevent cancer and heart disease.  Cherries also aid in weight loss, they are low in fat, high in water, help boost your energy and increase your metabolic rate.  Increasing your metabolic rate is the quickest way to succeed in losing excess stored body fat and most importantly Belly Fat.  Belly fat is a major risk factor for heart disease. Cherries concentrated amount of boron is linked to increased bone health and the anthocyaninos in them helps relieve the pain of arthritis, gout, headaches and ease the symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

Merry Christmas everyone, I am looking forward to poaching a beef tenderloin for Christmas dinner.  Has anyone ever tried it before?  Basically you suspend the beef tenderloin partially submerged in broth.  It comes out very tender and being the lean cut of meat that it is is a healthy choice for the holiday.

I love food.  Don’t we all.  I have successfully avoided all of the baked goods i.e. sweet rolls, breads, Christmas cookies so far.  I’m sorry got off track for a moment.

Another natural supplement is fast becoming well know as a non-toxic and safe appetite suppressant.

Garcinia Cambogia

As we well know store bought appetite suppressing drugs and stimulants contain powerful chemicals that trick you brain into thinking your not hngry.  Many of these are dangerous to our bodies and carry huge risks of severe side effects.  Additionally when you stop taking them you are subject to the yo-yo effect and will probably gain back the weight you lost and maybe more.  Taking the store bought stuff can hurt you and screws up your bodies metabolism thereby triggering the yo-yo.

Natural weight loss and appetite suppressants on the other hand work wonders on our battle of the bulge and since they become a daily regime because of the other health benefits they provide, these herbs and natural supplements keep your bodies metabolism steady and so no more yo-yo.

I previously discussed how Green Tea was a safe and natural appetite suppresssant and a great help in weight loss.  Recent studies indicate that Garcinia Cambogia may also be up there in the top ten safe and natural supplements to help us lose the fat.

Garcinia Cambogia is a member of the citris family that has been cultivated in South East Asia for centuries.  It has been traditionaly used as a spice and food flavoring in Vietnamise, Thai and Indian Cusine.  The rind of this bitter fruit contains Hydrxycitric Acid (HCA) which is now found to be a great appetite suppressant.

HCA works in our body by decreasing our appetite natually, it discourages fat storage and triggers the liver to signal the brain that were no longer hungry.  HCA also encourages our bodies to burn up calories the way acai berry and aloe vera do, by accelerating the breakdown of fat and reducing unneeded cholesterol.

This increase in our metabolic rate of our bodies naturally gives us more energy and helps speed up our weight loss.  These recent studies conclude that this herb HCA reduces blodd fat levels, increases metabolism and energy, and when combined with a reduced fat diet and moderate exercise can help us lose weight two to three times faster than just dieting alone.

Sounds really good for our New Year’s diet resolution.  As always don’t forget to tell the Doc before starting this or any natural supplement regime.  HDA is considered safe and non-toxic but probably shouldn’t be used if you are breastfeeding or given to children under ten. 

In conclusion, and as stated previously, natural supplements can be very effective in helping us with our weight loss when combined with a good healthy diet and moderate exercise.  This combination of a good lifestyle program just makes perfect sense in our busy life and it certainly isn’t going to our bodies any harm.