Raspberries
 

Raspberries are a delicious fruit, and according to the latest research, a very healthy fruit as well.  Research published in the May 2005 issue of the journal Biofactors shows that Raspberries are loaded with powerful phytonutrients and antioxidants that can support your immune system and help your body to ward off disease.
 
The antioxidants in Raspberries include ellagic acid which protects your cells from becoming damaged.  Other nutrients in Raspberries include quercetin, kaempferol, and the cyanidin-based molecules called cyanidin-3-glucosylrutinoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside. These flavonoid molecules are also classified as anthocyanins, and they belong to the group of substances that give raspberries their rich red color.

The anthocyanins in Raspberries are very powerful antioxidants that have antimicrobial properties as well, including the ability to prevent overgrowth of certain bacteria and fungi in the body such as Candida. The biggest contribution to raspberries' antioxidant capacity is their ellagitannins, a family of compounds almost exclusive to the raspberry, which are reported to have anti-cancer activity.

In addition to their abundant phytonutrient and antioxidant content, raspberries are a rich source of manganese and vitamin C that help protect the body's tissue from oxygen-related damage.  They are also a good source of important nutrients such as riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins and copper.

You can enjoy the flavor and nutrition of Raspberries in some of your favorite Wholefood Farmacy foods such as Buckey Ball Matrix, Coco Cherry Phi, Cranberry Phi, Phi Plus, Fruitalicious, Fruitalicious Plus, BeautiPhi, ElectriPhi and FructiPhi.  Imagine the good you can do for your body with just one serving per day!

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Corn
 

Corn is a wonderful whole grain food that is a good source of vitamin B1, Vitamin B5, folate, fiber, vitamin C, Phosphorous, Manganese and a nutrient called beta-cryptoxanthin.

In addition to preventing birth defects, Folate can also help to lower your risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.  It has been estimated that consumption of 100% of the daily value of folate would, by itself, reduce the number of heart attacks suffered by Americans each year by 10%. Folate-rich diets are also associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.

Consuming foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, an orange-red carotenoid found in high amounts in corn, may significantly lower one's risk of developing lung cancer. A study published in the September, 2003 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention reviewed dietary and lifestyle data collected from over 63,000 adults in Shanghai, China, who were followed for 8 years. Those eating the most crytpoxanthin-rich foods showed a 27% reduction in lung cancer risk. When current smokers were evaluated, those who were also in the group consuming the most cryptoxanthin-rich foods were found to have a 37% lower risk of lung cancer compared to smokers who ate the least of these health-protective foods.

Corn is also a good source of Thiamin which is a nutrient essential to good brain cell health and mental function.  The brain uses Thiamin to make a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine which is essential for good memory.  In addition, maintaining healthy acetylcholine levels may help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Research reported at the 2004 American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) International Conference on Food, Nutrition and Cancer, by Rui Hai Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues at Cornell University shows that whole grains, such as corn, contain many powerful phytonutrients whose activity has gone unrecognized because common research methods have overlooked them.  Dr. Liu's team measured the antioxidant activity of various foods, assigning each a rating based on a formula.  Broccoli measured 80, Spinach 81, Apples 98, Bananas 65, but Corn topped them all measuring a whopping 181.

Wholefood Farmacy foods which are made with Corn include Cornucopia, Cornaborealis, Corn of Plenty, V-10 Creamy Yam Soup and V-12 Creamy Vegetable Soup. We encourage you to make Corn and other whole grains a part of your food choices each and every day!

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Sleep & Obesity in Young Children
 

A new study published in the November 2007 issue of the journal Pediatrics shows that more sleep for youngsters may lower their risk of obesity significantly. The researchers have found that every additional hour per night a third-grader spends sleeping reduces the child's chances of being obese in sixth grade by 40 percent.

Dr. Julie Lumeng of the University of Michigan, who led the research, said that "the less sleep they got, the more likely the children were to be obese in sixth grade, no matter what the child's weight was in third grade".

If there was a magic number for the third-graders, it was 9 hours, 45 minutes of sleep.  Sleeping more than 9 hours, 45 minutes lowered the risk of obesity significantly.  Of the children who slept 10 to 12 hours a day, only 12 percent were obese by sixth grade. If you think about it, the kids can't eat while they're sleeping - and - if well rested, they are less likely to be stressed or exhausted which is when many kids turn to unhealthy  "comfort foods" (candy, sodas, burgers, fries, chips, energy drinks, etc).

If your children consume these all-to-common energy drinks, we encourage you to read the labels - the levels of caffeine are extremely high.  In place of these unhealthy energy drinks, consider offering Farmacy Pro Power which is a delicious, whole food based and very healthy energy drink. One serving is the equivalent of 8 servings of vegetables - that's where the real energy comes from.   But all in all, the study gives parents yet another reason to encourage regular bedtimes, restrict caffeine and remove the TV from the bedroom.

Experts offer these ideas for promoting good sleep habits in elementary school children:

WAKE TIME: The biological clock resets in the morning, so it's just as important to have a consistent wake-up time as a consistent bedtime.  Avoid over scheduling that interferes with sleep time.

WEEKENDS: Avoid letting children sleep extremely late on weekends, but be flexible enough to allow a little fun.

TEMPERATURE: A cool bedroom is better.

CAFFEINE: Soda or chocolate at lunch may keep some children awake at night, so limit or rule out caffeine.

ELECTRONICS: Keep TVs, cell phones, computer games and other electronics out of the bedroom.

BEDTIME ROUTINE: Encourage reading, chatting about the day or other soothing activities in the 30 minutes before bed.

After a good night's sleep, there's no better way for your kids to start the day than with convenient Wholefood Farmacy foods.   The kids love it when you add Phi Plus or Fruitalicious Plus to their oat meal, cream of wheat, or quality whole grain breakfast cereal.  It adds new dimensions of taste and nutrition to these healthy, whole grain types of breakfast foods.  

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