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A New Color in the Food Rainbow

Is your plate full of colorful food? Leafy, green veggies, brightly colored fruits, and more? Eating foods from the entire rainbow is a great way to ensure that you have a healthy, balanced diet. But there’s one more color you might not be eating: black. Dark purple and red fruits and vegetables are known as “black produce” — think Mission figs, blackberries, and eggplant. These foods (even darkly colored carrots and corn) are full of antioxidants called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are the pigments that give black produce their deep, dark color. Did you know? There are approximately six hundred different anthocyanins … Continue reading →

The Rainbow of Antioxidants

The more colorful your diet is, the more antioxidants you get. Antioxidants help repair and reduce cell damage all over your body, for a laundry list of beneficial effects: Keep your skin plump and firm. Keep your memory sharp. Prevent disease. Prevent arterial hardening that can lead to heart disease or stroke. Every different color of fruit and vegetable offers the body a different type of healthy antioxidant and other nutrients. Inside and out, antioxidants are good for you. Red fruits and veggies, like tomatoes, red kidney beans, red onion, red bell pepper, radicchio, and watermelon, are full of lycopene. … Continue reading →

The Rainbow Of Teas

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Teas come in a lot of different colors these days. Black is the “traditional” tea, the one we’re all used to. Green tea came onto the scene in a big way, followed more recently by white and red teas. So what’s the big deal about each color? Black, white, and green teas all come from the same plant. The difference in color comes from the age of the leaves used and the amount of processing done. White tea leaves are the youngest and are harvested before the leaves are even fully open! Green teas are lightly processed; black teas are … Continue reading →

Ginger: Not Just for Ale and Snaps!

Ginger has a long history in the kitchen AND in health care. Throughout Asia and Europe, the “root” has been a popular ingredient in cooking and a popular remedy for more than one ailment. Ginger isn’t actually a root, as it turns out — although we call it ginger root. The lumpy, bumpy “root” is actually a rhizome. What’s a rhizome, you ask? A rhizome is an underground stem from which plants grow. Shoots can form at the joints of the root as it grows horizontally. What can ginger do for your health? Settle your stomach. Ginger is great for … Continue reading →

What Are Adaptogens?

I was at a holistic health expo this weekend and visited a booth offering “adaptogen sprays”. I’d never heard of adaptogens before, and grabbed a brochure. Adaptogens are plants and/or herbs that supposedly have the ability to increase the body’s resistance to fatigue and stress. Although certain adaptogens have been in use since ancient times (many were and still are popular in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine), modern investigation into adaptogens did not begin until the 1940s. In 1947, an adaptogen was defined as an agent that helps the body counter physical, chemical, and/or biological stress. Adaptogens help boost the … Continue reading →

Antioxidant-Rich Juices

There’s that word again: antioxidants. Those little molecules that bond with free radicals and help protect your body against heart disease, cancer, and more huge health issues. A recent study from UCLA looked at drinks that were chock full of antioxidants. You’ve heard the praise for some of them before — red wine, white tea, and green tea — but you might be surprised about the other seven drinks in the top ten. Fruit juices with the most antioxidants per ounce include: Pomegranate (the highest antioxidant power in a fruit juice) Concord grape Blueberry Black cherry Acai Cranberry Orange One … Continue reading →

An Antioxidant Boost for Your Tea

Tea is good for you. We’ve discussed it plenty of times here at Families.com. It’s full of healthy antioxidants that can provide all sorts of health benefits! Green tea has become the superhero of the tea world, with a ton and a half of good press. Are you ready to make your green tea even healthier? A study from Purdue University has figured out how to kick your antioxidant absorption up a notch — add a splash of citrus juice. Just three tablespoons of your favorite citrus juice (lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit) can improve the stability of catechins — … Continue reading →

What’s Making My Hair Gorgeous: Fekkai or Bom Dia?

Something remarkable has happened atop my head the last couple of months: my hair looks shinier, healthier, more colorful than it has in years. (Like in over 20 years, since I was a teenager and my hair always looked healthy.) I haven’t colored it since last summer so I know it’s not that. In fact, when I first noticed this hair transformation it was around the time I should have been noticing the few grays I have and thinking about coloring again. Instead, I noticed my hair had changed color on its own. Not entirely changed, but the brown was … Continue reading →

Super Healthy, Super Exotic Fruits

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Ready for a taste adventure that’s good for you? Apples, bananas, and oranges are tasty and healthy, but you can get many of the same health benefits from more exotic fruits. Fresh figs are chock full of potassium — six figs have nearly 900 milligrams of potassium, which can help lower blood pressure. In fact, six figs have almost twice as much potassium as the average banana does. Figs are also a good source of calcium — a six fig serving has as much calcium as a half a cup of milk. Lychee nuts are an antioxidant bonanza — one … Continue reading →

The Right Foods to Fight Aging

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Are you prepared to grow old gracefully? Or would you rather fight it, kicking and screaming? You don’t need expensive treatments and strict regimens to feel and look younger — the right diet choices can make a huge impact on your health! One of the best things you can do is drink more water. I know, I tell you this all the time… but water is SO good for you! Here are just a few benefits of water: As you age, your sense of thirst can become less acute — so you don’t realize it when you are becoming dehydrated. … Continue reading →