Natural Fresh Juices are a Great Choice for Fitness

If you prefer your fluids fresh rather than from the lab, natural fruit and vegetable juices are a great choice for fitness. Fresh juice provides natural sugars for energy, water to keep you hydrated and valuable nutrients to boost immunity and strengthen the body. Citrus fruits provide high levels of vitamin C. Vitamin C is vital for the formation of collagen, a key component of connective tissue that is essential for strong ligaments, tendons, blood vessels and bones, as well as healing and repair in the body. The vitamin is also thought to be a powerful way to ward off the common cold and other illnesses. At the other end of the colour spectrum, berry, dark grape and pomegranate juices are rich in the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, which play an important role in preventing damage from the free radicals that are produced during exercise.

Fresh juices are also a great source of essential minerals such as iron, copper, potassium, sodium, iodine and magnesium. These are bound by the plant and easily assimilated during digestion. In other words, you'll enjoy their healthy benefits soon after you've drained your glass. The taste of fresh juice beats juice made from concentrate, but is it any better for you? Yes, according to nutritional therapist Seki Tijani. Fresh juice provides the healthiest hit of nutrients, especially when you drink it within 30 minutes of juicing, after that oxidation begins to deplete the level of nutrients and vitamins. A concentrated juice simply can't compete. "Juice from concentrate could be months old," says Tijani.

If you have a choice, consume juices that contain pulp. Pulp contributes fibre, which adds to satiety, helping you feel full, and promotes more balanced blood sugar levels, since it takes longer to break down and be absorbed by the body. The benefits of pulp don't end there though. The pulp also contains bioflavonoids that can enhance the health-giving properties of vitamins such as vitamin C. Janine Fahri, a member of the British Association for Nutritional Therapy, suggests stirring the nutrient-rich pulp into your juice. If you prefer a smooth-style juice, you can add the pulp to home-made soups or stews to enhance their nutritional value.

If pulp provides fibre and extra nutrients, the logical next step is to eat the whole fruit. This is an ideal way to enjoy the full range of vitamins and antioxidants since many nutrients are only found in the skin, the fibre will stabilize blood sugar levels too. Tropical fruit juices, such as pineapple, contain enzymes that help speed healing and reduce inflammation. They also contain beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamins A and C for healthy lungs and immune system. Some juices, often labeled as 'fruit juice drinks', are not 100 per cent juice, and many contain high levels of added sugar. It's a good idea to only consume sugary drinks during exercise though. Recent research suggests that higher consumption of sugar-sweetened fruit drinks may be associated with insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes, even in otherwise healthy adults.

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Improve Bone Health by Crunching a Carrot

Soon you'll be able to improve bone health and have one of your five a day by crunching a carrot. A new super carrot has been genetically engineered to offer 41 per cent more calcium than ordinary carrots. The super vegetable is the brain-child of scientists at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, USA, who claim if will help to keep osteoporosis at bay. But the researchers say more tests are needed before it goes on sale. New researches suggests that eating whole grains rather than refined carbohydrates such as white bread can specifically help abdominal fat loss. The study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that obese adults eating a whole grain diet last more stomach fat than those who stuck to refined grains. They also tested lower on risk of cardiovascular disease.

Starting your day with a bowl of porridge can have medical benefits as wed as fueling a morning run. Researchers at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in the USA have discovered that eating porridge regularly can reduce weight and lower blood pressure, as well as Type-II diabetes. The past 15 years of research has also confirmed that porridge can lower cholesterol, giving you no excuse not to start your day with a bowl of tasty oats.

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Longan Fruit for Anti-aging

Longan fruit may not be foreign for you, because this fruit is easily found in markets or supermarkets. The fruit comes from the plains of Southeast Asia which has many kinds of species. One of them is Dimocapus Longan, or often called Euphoria Longana. The fruit has a round shaped, similar as the seeds of marble, as well the skin color is yellowish chocolate. White flesh fruit clarity and seeds that have a blackish brown color in the middle, a little sweet and juicy tasted. This fruit is good to be eaten without any added ingredients. Previously, you may take the meat fruit only, in fact, the seeds of the longan fruit can also be used.

Longan fruit is indeed has the small shape, but nutrition of the content is very good for health. Nutrients that contained inside of longan is protein, carbohydrates, fibers, vitamin C, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. In longan fruit there is Polyphenol compounds, namely Corilagin, Gallic acid and Ellagic acid, the three compounds containing Antioxidant. The compound has the ability to prevent free radicals, which can reduce oxidation in the body. It is believed that the stroke, coronary heart disease and aging is caused by oxidation activity.

Whereas the meat of longan is useful to reduce fever and cure the stomachache, can also be used as worms medicine in the stomach, as well as could ward off poison. In Vietnam, longan seed is used as a wound healer medicine, and useful to treat from the snake poison. You have to pound the longan seed first, and then spread the seeds of powder in a wound. Research in China told that, seed of longan fruit useful for Anti-aging or to hide earlier aging. Mentioned in the research is that the seeds of longan can reduce the formation of Monoamine Oxidase (Mao-B).

In China, the longan fruit that has been dried can made for a soup, which can be presented as a drink coctail, or extracted as tonic beverage.

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