The following list of “DOs” and DON’Ts” include information that will help you to improve digestion and elimination:

1. Eat you Fruit and Vegetables: Fruits and Veggies are great for snacking. But, do eat fruits by themselves. Fruits and Vegetables are excellent sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrien. Do not cook vegetables – steam or stir-fry. Gradually increase the amount of row food in your diet.

2. Drink an 8-ounce glass of water with lemon juice (to taste) each morning upon rising and each evening before retiring. Eliminate any kind of soda from your daily diet and reduce intake of alcohol. Drink herbal teas.

3. Address Emotions: Eating to soothe your stress is not wise. Try other ways to relax: talk to a friend, go for a walk, take a hot shower, etc. Being  more active during the day may help to increase your metabolism. Exercise regularly.

4. Avoid refined carbohydrates – white sugar and flour products. Use whole grain products instead and try to minimize their use as well. Chew well – digestion starts in your mouth.

5. Use supplemental enzymes with cooked meals to assist your pancreas.

Stay Healthy,

Mary

Tags: digestion, elimination, Healthy Diet

Recently, nutritionists started to develop eating plans based on color.  By incorporating foods in a variety of colors into our diets, we can give our bodies the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients they need to fight the free-radicals and inflammation that damage cells and cause premature aging.

Red and Orange: These colors are considered energy boosters. In fact, the pigments that produce the varying shades of orange and red are partially what make healthy foods so healthful. They are called lycopene and beta-carotene. These pigments function as a powerful antioxidants.

Yellow: Best examples are butternut squash, mangos, peaches, sweet corn and pineapple. I especially love pineapple. In addition to being an excellent source of vitamin C, pineapple contains bromelain. This enzyme aids in digestion and helps to decrease inflammation, which in turn fights sagging skin, wrinkles, and the loss of muscle mass.

Green: Chlorella, spirulina, aloe vera, broccoli, and wheat grass are amazing anti-agers. They are the major building blocks for skin-, hair-, and nails-cells.

Blue: Studies have shown that the color blue, like in blueberries, can be an appetite suppressant. In addition to blueberries,  blue foods includes blue corn, blue plums, blue grapes, and blue potatoes. The compound that gives blue foods their characteristic blue color, anthocyanin, is a powerful antioxidant that protects neurons, cells in the brain and nervous system.

Brown: Brown foods include walnuts, beans, oatmeal, whole grain bread, and spices cinnamon and nutmeg.These foods are good for digestion and have the ability to help regulate blood glucose levels by stimulating insulin receptors.

Colorless: Water is one of the best things you can put into your body. Its ability to help keep our bodies healthy and our skin youthful has been well-documented.

Yesterday, I have bought Green Phyto Foods made by NOW. This product is a potent blend of 36 nutrient dense superfoods containing a variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber, chlorophyll, enzymes, and herbs. It tastes good and it is the ideal with your breakfast.

Stay healthy,

Mary

Tags: anti-aging, antioxidants, diet, digestion, digestive enzymes