Certain foods deliver amazing health perks, but did you knoow scientists have now discovered how to amplify these benefits merely by seasoning fruits and veggies with key indredients? Amazing, but true!
Unfortunately, most people get nowhere near the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables each day.
“Eat more fruits
and vegetables.”
It’s the one recommendation in almost every diet plan, every guide to nutrition, every fitness book. Even organizations such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the World Health Organization, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion agree. But as much as it’s preached, most people still don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables every day. Juice Plus+® helps fill that gap making it easier to make sure you and your family meet the recommended daily requirments for fruit and vegetable servings.
Memory Improvement
USDA research has shown that eating just 1 cup of raspberries daily can double the average person’s intake of anthocyanins. These plant pigments mop up nerve damaging free radicals and improve cellular function. The study subjects who ate anthocyanin rich foods such as raspberries experienced a 100% improvement in short-term memory within only eight weeks! (First)
We can amplify this effect by sprinkling them with ground flaxseed. Flaxseed’s phytic acid helps to keep the anthocyanins in the body for 6 hours after consumption. The beneficial dose of ground flaxseed = 1 Tbs. per cup of raspberries. (First)
Better Eyesight
Eating 1 cup of coleslaw twice weekly reduces a woman’s risk of developing cataracts and other vision problems by a startling 52% according to Harvard University research. Cabbage’s indole-3-carbinol (I3C), sulforaphane and vitamin E is responsible for the benefit. These three antioxidants work synergistically to repair ocular tissue. (First)
Toss in some sesame seeds to amplify this benefit. Adding 2 Tbs. of sesame seeds to each cup of coleslaw will block the decomposition of vitamin E in the body which, in turn, raises the internal levels by 19%. (First)
For Pain-Free Joints
Green tea’s polyphenol catechins reduce a woman’s risk of suffering from achy joints by as much as 53%, according to studies at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University. The catechins mop up the free radicals that would do long-term damage to delicate joint tissue. The proven dose is about 4 cups of green tea daily. (First)
If you flavor it with a twist of lemon, the ascorbic acid can safeguard catechins against breakdown increasing the body’s absorption by 80%. (First)
Cold Defense
One-half cup of sweet potato fries daily reduces the risk of catching a cold by an average of 33%. Sweet potatoes are packed with beta-carotene which revs the immune system’s output of virus-fighting T cells. (First)
Dusting them with black pepper improves the body’s absorption of beta-carotene by up to 60%. Black pepper is loaded with piperine, a plant alkaloid that stimulates the gallbladder’s output of bile salts. These compounds help separate beta-carotene from theh fiber in food, allowing it to enter cells more easily. (First)
Slimming Effortlessly
Spinach is a top source of lipoic acid, an antioxidant that jump-starts production of appetite-taming leptin within the body’s fat cells. Lipoic acid absorbs into cells’ energy-producing mitochondria, where it helps convert blood sugar into fuel. Eating 3 cups of spinach weekly can help women shed up to 5% of their weight while nearly doubling their energy. (First)
Top it with walnuts enhances the body’s absorption of lipoic acid by 430%, according o one study. Sprinkle 1 oz of walnuts on your next spinach salad. (First)
Radiant Skin
Mushrooms are as rich in antioxidants as many colorful veggies. One of the most powerful is L-ergothioneine which defends against and may even reverse some signs of UV damage to the skin. (First)
Add a pat of butter which can triple the body’s absorption of L-ergothioneine without causing weight gain, thanks to its blood sugar-balancing abilities. Butter’s fats bind to plant chemicals, helping them to be shuttled through the digestive tract more readily. (First)
I know after learning this, I will certainly try to eat more of these foods together. Anytime you can gain health benefits from foods rather than a pill, I am all for it! Happy eating!
First. “You-on top of the world.” September 1, 2008. pp 16-17.
