New Year, Healthier New You!
Now that the holidays have come and gone, have you discovered an extra bulge (or two) sitting around your waist-line? Perhaps you feel completely zapped of energy and want to put a little more “spring” in your step. Maybe you’d like to rid your body of the nasty toxins and unwanted chemicals that are weighing you down physically and mentally. Or you might just need a little “glow” to rejuvenate dull, sallow, winter skin. Perhaps you‘d like to deflate those puffy, tired eyes...
Whatever your health and beauty concerns are, a mini detox (or cleanse) may be all you need to look and feel healthier from the inside out. Experts recommend following a detox program at least once per year for optimum health and wellness. By ingesting a diet full of healthy fruits and vegetables, and steering clear of sugar, caffeine, processed foods, alcohol, tobacco, animal based proteins, gluten and dairy, your body will rid itself of unwanted, undigested “garbage” that has been accumulating in your intestines, perhaps for years!
If you would like a cleaner, lighter, clearer, more vibrant, and healthier new you, try some of our cleansing recipes for a day or two, and see the difference these healthy changes in your diet will make.
Before beginning any type of detox or cleansing program, we recommend that you consult your health care practitioner.
In addition to Jack’s healthy juicing recipes, below are foods which are recommended to help cleanse the body and assist in achieving a healthier, cleaner, lighter, more vibrant new you!
LIST OF FOODS TO ENJOY
All Fresh Fruit & Fresh Vegetables
Broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, onions, garlic, artichokes, beets, red and green vegetables.
*Approximately 40% of your diet should be fruits and vegetables.
Grains
Brown rice or basmati rice, quinoa, amaranth, millet, buckwheat
Beans
Green peas, lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans and chickpeas
Nuts & Seeds
Unsalted natural nut butters, unsalted nuts & seeds including flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews and walnuts. Avoid peanuts.
Fish
Poached, broiled or steamed fish in moderation.
Oil
Extra-Virgin olive oil, Grape seed oil
Condiments
Vegetable salt, sea salt, vinegar, naturally fermented soy sauce or tamari, herbs or spices, limited amounts of honey.
Beverages
Herbal non-caffeinated teas, except green tea.
Water, lemon, juices, rice milk.
List of Foods to Avoid
Sugar
Refined sugar and mixtures containing refined sugar including sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, brown sugar, turbinado.
Avoid artificial sweeteners.
Dairy Products
Milk, eggs, butter and other dairy products.
Wheat
Wheat and products containing wheat.
Corn
Corn and all corn products
Yeast
Caffeine
Coffee, both regular and decaffeinated, black tea, green tea and other drinks containing caffeine.
Red Meat
Alcohol
Food additives and preservatives
Chocolate
High-fat foods
Red Grapes
If you are looking for a delicious treat that’s healthy, inexpensive, and loaded with wholesome goodness, be sure to stop by your local supermarket’s produce aisle to pick up a few bunches of juicy red grapes!
Grapes are an excellent source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K. They are a good source of Copper. Grapes also contain Flavonoids, Reservatol, and Tannins.
There are thousands of varieties of grapes. Grapes are used for making wines, vinegar, raisins, jams and jellies. One of the most popular ways they are enjoyed is when eaten raw, right off the vine. Grapes are a heart healthy fruit. The healthiest choice is any variety containing seeds. Furthermore, grapes can be juiced with the seeds and stems left on, as they as they contain valuable nutrients.
Grapes grow in clusters, ranging from small clusters of 6, to as many as 300 in a bunch.
Grapes are also found in a variety of different colors such as crimson, black, dark blue, yellow, green, and pink. The “white” variety is actually green in color, and evolved from the red grape.
The nutrients contained in grapes have been said to minimize many health risks such as osteoporosis, LDL cholesterol, blood clotting, and urinary tract infections. Grapes may also help protect arteries, enhance cardiovascular function, and promote a healthy heart.
Grapes contain a beneficial compound called “flavonoids”. Flavonoids are extremely powerful antioxidants, and are responsible for giving grapes, as well as other fruits and vegetables, their deep, rich color. The richer the color, the higher the flavonoid concentration. Research has indicated that flavonoids contribute greatly to the grapes heart healthy claim.
It has recently been reported that Reservatol, another compound found in grapes, may be a helpful agent in the fight against various cancers such as lung cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, and breast cancer.
Research has suggested that drinking a glass of red wine or purple grape juice may be beneficial in protecting against food borne illnesses. Studies have shown that red wine or purple grape juice may inhibit the growth of certain bacterium such as H. pylori, E. coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Lysteria monocytogenes.
Grapes are grown in the United States, Europe, Mexico, Chile and China. They are available year round Europe. The American varieties are best in season from September through October.
Winter Activities
Don’t Be SAD.
Seasonal Affective Disorder also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer, repeatedly, year after year.
** SAD can affect up to 9 percent of the people living in the Northern half of the United States.
One of the side effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder is a craving for sweets and starchy foods, but, jamming your face full of chocolate cakes, candy, ice cream and cookies only makes you feel worse because while the sugar provides a temporary rush (called a glycemic spike), the crash after it wears off and leaves you feeling worse than before.
The Solution
Non-Sugar Sweets
When you have that overwhelming craving for something sweet instead of the candy aisle, head for the produce section and a big bunch of Red Grapes. Red Grapes satisfy your sweet tooth and the sugar takes longer to be processed by your body so there is no large glycemic spike.
You can eat red grapes right off of the stem for a light snack, or even better, juice them stems and all in your Power Juicer for a sweet drink that packs the power punch of phenolic compounds from the stems that may help to fight heart disease, stroke and even cancer.
Other fruits and veggies work well too, just try and use the ones that are rich in color (red, orange, yellow) because they provide more of the necessary nutrients to help fight SAD.
Lighten Up
While it is a good idea to cut energy costs by using lower wattage bulbs around the house, since there is less sunlight during winter you may need to add light indoors. Replace a lower watt bulb in one lamp with a 300 watt bulb and try to sit near it for 20 minutes at least twice a day. This helps elevate your serotonin level which then helps to fight the blues.
Exercise
While you should be getting at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, it’s even more important to move around in the winter. If the weather is too nasty to get outside, then move around in
the house. Walk in place or around the house, put on some music and practice your moves for the dance floor. Any exercise is good exercise.
So what if it’s cold, drink your juice and get outside! Winter is a great time of year to be outside and there are plenty of fun things to do. Just be sure to bundle up and drink plenty of fresh juice to keep your immune system nice and strong. And be safe, otherwise you’re stuck inside while everyone else is out having fun.
Remember to dress in layers, it’s a far more efficient way to stay warm and if you do heat up, you simply take one of the layers off.
This is especially true for kids. Remember how your mom used to dress you warm if she felt cold, well now it’s your turn. It’s pretty simple, the warmer your kids stay the less work their body needs to do to generate heat.
Winter Activities
Sledding
Sledding is the most basic and mostly widely participated winter sport. In the old days sleds were constructed largely of wooden flats with metal runners attached to them. Today, with the development of strong light plastics and composite materials, sledding has gone high-tech, which means faster sledding over longer distances.
While sledding is a lot of fun for the whole family, because of these high tech advances, safety becomes even more important, so here are just a couple of rules to keep the family safe.
• While sleds may bring up nostalgic feelings from your childhood, old school sleds with metal runners can be dangerous. Opt instead for one of the newer models, complete with hand holds and the ability to steer as you zip along.
• Make sure you and the kids wear gloves and boots for safety in case of wipe outs (and you will). And for younger kids, you’ll want to include wearing a bike helmet, at least until their old enough to master steering and balance.
• Always make sure the person in front of you has finished his or her run, those videos on the TV show where people run into each other sledding may seem humorous, until you or your kids are the ones getting hit.
• Check distances to roads, fences, trees, and anything else that could cause a sudden and unfortunate stop.
Ice Skating
There’s nothing like effortlessly gliding across a large patch of frozen water, except for perhaps entertaining your friends and family with your arsenal of figure skating moves, like a Double Toe Loop or Triple Lutz.
Know Your Ice
If you live where the temperature drops far enough to freeze the local pond you may be able to skate outside. But, you need to make sure that the ice has been cleared by the local authority, usually the parks and recreation department. Pay attention to all signage and warnings because falling through thin ice is nothing to joke about. If the safe area is blocked off, be sure to stay within that area. And just like swimming, never go skating by yourself.
If The Skate Fits…
Wear it. Don’t try to jam your foot into skates that are too small, and skates that are too big can slide out from under you. Skates should fit snugly, but not too tight.
Skiing and Snowboarding
The workout you get from skiing and snowboarding is possibly the best exercise you can get over the winter months. To fully
enjoy your time on the mountain, you need to make sure that the equipment you use is just right for your height, weight and experience.
Boots and Bindings
Make sure these are the right size for your feet before getting on the slopes. Ski boots that are designed just for kids are a good bet because they are more flexible than boots for adults, and they have buckles that are easier to manage, too — making it quicker for you to get skiing!
Helmets and Goggles
There is no question that helmets are the one piece of safety equipment you can’t do without when on the slopes. Collisions with the ground, the trees or other skiers/snow boarders can cause real problems if you don’t properly protect you head. Protect your eyes from bright sunlight and objects with goggles or sunglasses.
Lessons
If you’ve never hurtled down a snow covered, tree lined mountain slope at breath taking speeds then we have to suggest you take at least one skiing or snowboarding lesson before you take off. Skiing and snowboarding are two of those activities that look a lot easier to do than they actually are. An afternoon of lessons will help you get a feel for what it will be like on the mountain and hopefully avoid getting hurt before you have a chance to enjoy this new sport.
Anything else you need to know? Yep — go out and enjoy the snow!
Cleansing Recipes
Digestive JumpStart
½ papaya (peeled and seeds removed)
1 apple
1 quava (peeled and seeds removed)
Clean Sweep
½ lemon
1 apple
½ beet
1 large celery stalk
¼ cucumber
Cabbage Cleaner
2 apples
2 carrots
½ head cabbage
Tract Teaser
1 Granny Smith apple
1 Delicious Apple
2 branches of white grapes
2 branches of red grapes
1 handful of fresh cranberries
Skin Glow
2 cups kale
½ cup parsley
1 cup spinach leaves
1 apple
3 celery stalks
½ green bell pepper
We want to hear what you have to say about the Power Juicer.
So here’s your chance to share a review with other customers just like you.
Just go to the web address below and write your review. If you give us permission, we’ll gladly publish your story. http://www.powerjuicer.com/reviews/index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment