Fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits, nuts, meats, cheeses are a great healthy way to go. FRESH ! And you are helping your local economy, farmers, ranchers. My nutritionist told me to get local goat cheese and milk when ever I could find it. Research what is grown locally and where the farmers markets are. Try a bottle of wine each month, a little with your meals is very healthy. To your good health and enjoyment ! Linda

Honey has been used for so many things for 1000s of years, and we seem to have forgotten, gotten away from natural cures and eating natural foods... that taste good and are better for us.... http://www.sweetprofits.wholefoodfarmacy.com Linda

Foods that are so good and healthy

Here are 7 reasons why Veggies are so Good for You! 1. Vegetables are nutrient dense. Vegetables pack a lot of nutrition into a minimum of calories. For a measly 35 calories (the amount in one little teaspoon of butter), you can get a half cup of vegetables that contains a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and health-building substances, called phytonutrients - not to mention a lot of flavor. Load up on legumes (the family of beans, peas, and lentils). Second only to soy, legumes are the best plant source of proteins, fiber, and iron, in addition to being high in folic acid. 2. Veggies are a dieter's best partner. Vegetables get top billing on any fat-control diet because most are "free foods," meaning you can eat an unlimited amount without having to count the calories. Why this lean indulgence? Because of a neat little biochemical quirk that only veggies enjoy: the body uses almost as many calories to digest vegetables as there are in vegetables in the first place. You'll use up most of the 26 calories in a tomato just chewing, swallowing, and digesting it. The leftover calories don't even have a fighting chance of being stored in a fat cell. You'd have to eat entire platefuls of most vegetables before the calories begin to add up. 3. You can fill up for less. Because of the fiber in vegetables, you get fuller faster; which is another reason why it's nearly impossible to overeat veggies. 4. Vegetables are fat-free and cholesterol-free. All vegetables by definition are cholesterol-free and for all practical purposes, fat-free. Over 95 percent of vegetables contain less than a gram of fat per serving, and even that insignificant gram is mostly unsaturated fats. 5. Variety, variety, variety. Let's face it, diversity makes life interesting. Adults, at least, like different foods prepared different ways. (Witness the diversity of ethnic restaurants in any large city. There are hundreds of different kinds of vegetables and even more ways to prepare them. 6. Vegetables provide complex carbohydrates. The energy in vegetables is in the form of complex carbohydrates. These take some time to digest and don't cause the blood sugar highs and lows that sugars do. An exception to this rule is the sugar in beets or corn. (These sugars have a high glycemic index and trigger the insulin cycle.) 7. Vegetables contain cancer-fighting phytos. On paper, a nutrient analysis of vegetables may not look all that special. Sure, there are lots of nutrients in vegetables, but most of these can also be found in other foods, such as fruits and grains. What you don't see in the nutrition charts or on the package labels are the hundreds of valuable nutrients, called phytochemicals, found in plants that have as-yet untold health-promoting properties. New research, especially in the field of cancer, is showing that vegetables are nature's best health foods. THE TOP TEN VEGGIES Taking into consideration the following factors - protein, fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C, B-vitamins, folate, calcium, zinc, iron, and phytonutrients - here are our top ten veggies in alphabetical order: Artichokes Beans (kidney and black) Beet greens Broccoli Chick peas Lentils Spinach Sweet potatoes Tofu Tomatoes _____________________________ Be Well! Leonard Berghoef Thank you for the awesome article ! Linda

Wow For Watermelon ! A summer favorite ! Watermelon is a terrific source of vitamins and other nutrients. A one-cup serving supplies nearly a quarter of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, a potent antioxidant, and almost 10 percent of your daily vitamin A, which is good for you eyesight. The red flesh of the melon is also a rich source of lycopene, which has been associated with a reduced incidence of cancer (especially prostate), cardiovascular disease, and macular degeneration. This article copied from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi publication 'Be Healthy. Live Healthy.' Wild About Walnuts Trying to follow a healthy diet can drive you nuts, but it turns out that's a good thing. New findings suggest that walnuts can be particularly heart-healthy. Eating just a handful with a meal high in saturated fat seems to cut the fat's harmful effect on arteries. In fact, the research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardology, shows that walnuts seem to protect arteries against saturated fat better than olive oil does. After testing a group of 24 people, university of Barcelona scientists reported that both the walnuts and olive oil keep arteries flexible and elastic. (Hardening of the arteries is what leads to atherosclerosis and, eventually, heart disease.) But the walnuts' effect was more lasting, actually preserving the elasticity. Scientists believe the walnuts' benefits stem from the amino acid arginine. Arginine produces nitric oxide, which is needed to keep arteries flexible. This article copied from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi publication 'Be Healthy. Live Healthy.' Benefits of Glucosamine You may have heard that Glucosamine can work wonders for arthritis pain, but that is not all that it does for those who take it. In 2001, The Lancet (a leading medical journal) discovered that the use of Glucosamine had benefits for osteoarthritis. It was reported, "Previous studies had indicated that Glucosamine could dull the pain of arthritis, but experts say the latest study shows for the first time that it could improve the structure of the joints." There is mounting evidence that Glucosamine not only helps ease joint discomfort but also may help improve the structure of joints. This fact opened up a whole array of uses for the over-the-counter dietary supplement. The best advantage of Glucosamine is that it is completely safe; it is a natural, non-toxic compound. After this news was published in 2001, many products 'hit the market' with a Glucosamine product they claim is the solution you have been looking for. With so many Glucosamine products coming available over the last several years, under the roar of a massive amount of hype, you may have missed exactly what the benefits are for taking this supplement. Here are some of the basic benefits that may be derived from Glucosamine: 1. Relieve osteoarthritis-related pain, stiffness and swelling. Studies indicate that some arthritis sufferers experience improved range of motion after taking Glucosamine. Others report increased overall mobility. 2. Slow and possibly halt osteoarthritis-related damage to joints. It appears to protect and strengthen the cartilage around joints, particularly in the knees, hips, spine, and hands. 3. Speed healing of strains and sprains. Since it helps to reinforce the cartilage around joints, Glucosamine may hasten the healing of acute joint injuries, such as sprained ankles or fingers. 4. Control back pain. By helping to reinforce cartilage, Glucosamine is believed to strengthen the tissue supporting the spinal disks that line the back. 5. Promote healthy aging. Glucosamine may help to postpone the wearing down of the cartilage supporting and cushioning the joints by giving cartilage a boost, protecting and strengthening it overall. The benefits of Glucosamine are not specific to the older generation. Anyone who is athletic can benefit due to the positive effects that it has on the joints and tendons, thereby helping prevent injuries in the first place. You may be able to enjoy your favorite sport without the usual joint pains. Even more interesting, the benefits are not even specific to humans. There are products available for your pets which help prevent joint pain in your pet as it ages and the possibility of arthritis gets more real, Glucosamine may help ease the pain and even prevent it.