Cranberries have a unique flavor making them a favorite for many meals or even just to snack on. Packed with dense antioxidants and fiber, cranberries are one of Nature’s medicinal foods. In fact cranberries have a higher content of antioxidants than many other fruits and berries. And with a low sugar ratio (only four grams of natural sugar per cup) cranberries are an ideal antioxidant.

Cranberries Have Many Health Benefits

While cranberry juice is well known to support women’s health, there are many other benefits of cranberries that make them an ideal food. Do you know the major health benefit reasons to include cranberries in your diet?

Prevents UTI Infections

The first benefit of cranberries, or rather cranberry juice, is preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cranberries are loaded with an antioxidant called proanthocyanidins, or PACs for short. These PACs help reduce the chances of developing a UTI by keeping bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. Because women are more prone to UTIs the cranberry is a friend to women’s health.

Improves Digestion

The fiber content found in cranberries is great for overall digestive health. One cup of cranberries has about 4.6 grams of fiber which is 16% of the recommended daily amount of fiber. Not only does the fiber help you stay fuller for longer, but it also keeps you regular and prevents big swings in your blood sugar. This may reduce the risk of stomach ulcers and some cancers.

Reduces Bad Cholesterol

Cranberries are rich in anthocyanins (an antioxidant), which have protective cardiovascular effects that can lower high levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol and raises the HDL or “good” cholesterol which is beneficial to heart health. Studies have shown that dried cranberries contain more phenol antioxidants than any of the other commonly consumed fruits like raisins, plums, or apricots.

Supports Anti-Aging

The high levels of antioxidants in cranberries help flush out the endocrine system of free radicals that contribute to the aging process. With these free radicals removed your skin can look younger with prolonged improvement of the internal organ functions.

Eat Cranberries All Year Long, Not Just During the Holidays!

Cranberries have been part of my family’s traditional holiday celebrations all my life. But over the years I’ve started incorporating cranberries in foods I eat all year long. Whether in sauces, salads, casseroles, desserts, drinks, snack mix, or toppings, eat more cranberries to live well with zest. Let me know your favorite ways to enjoy cranberries.

Enjoy and Live Well with Zest

Bev xo

Written by Bev Hope

Reviewed by Board Certified MD

The post Cranberries: Nature’s Potent Antioxidant Food appeared first on Well with Zest.

When I was in high school, I kept the latest nutritional information booklets by my bedside table. I would read them to help me understand what foods should be on my “good” list if I wanted to be in shape.  Unfortunately, I followed the wrong advice and began eating mostly low-fat foods, essentially high carbohydrate and highly processed foods. These low fat, processed foods on the ‘good food list” lacked the essential nutrients we need to stay healthy and fit.  Now we know the guidance in those nutrition booklets was not only pretty bad, it was dead wrong. I wish I had known then what I know now.

Food is Medicine

We’ve come a long way baby since the low fat, high carb diets became the rage in the 70’s. We now know the guidance back then to eat low fat, high processed foods was completely wrong. We now have long term studies and decades of evidenced based research that reveal the truth: Food is Medicine. The right foods have the power to keep us alive. The wrong foods consumed over many years have the power to threaten our survival and hasten an early death.

Can an “Apple a Day” Help Keep Death Away?

We’ve moved on from the cliché, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” to serious talk: “An apple a day keeps cancer away”.  Now we are moving to even more serious talk: “An apple a day keeps early death away!”  So, what’s in the proverbial “apple”? How does the proverbial “apple a day” help keep death away? Well, it’s back to our basic A, B, C’s of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

We need to understand what vitamins and minerals are in the food we eat and what they do for our bodies. Vitamins and minerals are essential and necessary for our bodies to function at the cellular level. Unfortunately, and alarmingly, the modern-day diet worldwide is lacking in sufficient amounts of the essential vitamins and minerals humans need to live well and live long. Many people are dying too young due to consuming so much bad food and not enough good food.

Poor Diet is Associated with 20% of Deaths World-Wide

Poor diet is associated with 1 in 5 deaths world-wide, according to a new large study. That’s 11 million deaths a year due to putting the wrong foods in our mouths. The study, published in the journal, The Lancet, tracked trends in consumption of 15 dietary elements from 1990 to 2017 in 195 countries. These included diets low in fruits, vegetables, legumes (peas and beans) whole grains, seeds, milk, fiber, calcium, seafood, omega 3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fats, and diets high in red meat, processed meats, sugar -sweetened beverages, and trans fatty acids and sodium. These are diets low in good foods and high in bad foods.

Essential Vitamins and Minerals Our Bodies Need to Function

We all need to understand the basics of nutrients in the food we eat. We need to understand what vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function properly so we can eat what we need to keep our bodies functioning well. If you don’t want to be a chronically malnourished, underproductive, at risk for early onset of chronic disease, or early death, be sure you are getting enough of the following vitamins and minerals:

Vitamin A

Vitamin A functions include the formation and maintenance of teeth, bones, soft tissue, white blood cells, the immune system, and mucus membranes.

Vitamin B1

Vitamin B1 enables the body to use carbohydrates as energy. It is essential for glucose metabolism and plays a key role in nerve, muscle and heart function.

Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5 know as Pantothenic Acid helps turn the food you eat into the energy you need. It’s important for many functions, especially breaking down fats.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is involved in protein metabolism, brain development during pregnancy and infancy as well as immune function.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 helps keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and. Helps make DNA, the genetic material in cells.

Biotin

Biotin helps turn protein, fat, carbohydrates you eat into energy you need.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and helps boost the immune system to fight bacteria and viruses.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and healthy bones.

Phosphorous

Phosphorous is an essential mineral that your body uses to build healthy bones and teeth, create energy and make new cells.

Calcium

Calcium is important for building and protecting bones and teeth. It plays important roles in other functions including nerve, muscle and heart function.

Sodium

Sodium is used by the body to control blood pressure and blood volume. Your body also needs sodium for your muscles and nerves to work properly.

Magnesium

Magnesium is important for many processes in the body including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and making protein, bones, and DNA.

Iron

Iron is a mineral the body needs for growth and development. Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body. Your body also uses iron to make myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles. Your body needs iron to make some hormones and connective tissue.

Iodine

Iodine is used by the body to make thyroid hormones. These hormones control the body’s metabolism and many other important functions. The body also needs thyroid hormones for proper bone and brain development during pregnancy and infancy.

Fluoride

Fluoride is contained in bones and teeth. Your body needs fluoride for the formation and health of bones and teeth.

Zinc

Zinc helps the immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses.  The body also needs zinc to make proteins and DNA, the genetic material in all cells.

Copper

Copper works with iron to help the body form red blood cells. It also helps keep the blood vessels, nerves, immune system and bones healthy. Copper also aids in iron absorption.

Chromium

Chromium is an essential nutrient for sugar and fat metabolism. Normal dietary intake of Cr for humans is suboptimal. Most diets contain less than 60% of the minimum suggested intake of 50 micrograms. Insufficient intake of chromium leads to symptoms similar to those observed for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Selenium

Selenium is important for reproduction, thyroid gland function, DNA production and protecting the body from damage caused by free radicals and from infection.

Learn Basics of Nutrients, Vitamins, and Minerals You Need to Live!

Whether you or someone in your family suffer from a chronic disease or not, it’s essential to get informed on the basics of food nutrients. It’s not only about what not to eat, but more importantly it’s about what to eat to stay well and live well with zest! Here is my free E-book that provides comprehensive nutrient information, the best food sources for each nutrient, and recommended daily allowances of vitamins and minerals. Click here to receive free E-book.

I am a widow and I want to live as long as possible to be here for my two sons. I live by the mantra that Food is my Medicine. I need to eat well to take care of my body and be here for my sons.  For my own benefit, I gathered a summary of what I needed to know to be informed about nutrients in food and now I’d like to share it with you. It’s exciting and empowering to get to know food as medicine on a more intimate level.

Click here to receive free E-book of comprehensive nutrient information, the best food sources for each nutrient, and recommended daily allowances of vitamins and minerals.

What I’ve learned is it’s important is to love good food and to feed our bodies the good food that loves us back. Love your body by eating foods with the essential vitamins and minerals that will help keep you healthy and strong. Learn what foods are the best sources to help you live long and live well with zest!

Cheers to Living Well with Zest!

Bev

Written by Bev Hope

Reviewed by Board Certified MD

Well with Zest Disclaimer: We are not medical doctors or RD’s, and we do not treat disease. The information provided does not substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment by your doctor or other qualified clinician.

The post Know What To Eat– Your Health and Life Depends On It appeared first on Well with Zest.

Mushrooms are one of Nature’s premier superfoods and are packed with nutrients and antioxidants that provide many important health benefits.  But besides being excellent for our health, fresh mushrooms are easy to cook with and can be worked into a wide range of recipes. Plus, dried mushrooms or mushroom powder make cooking with mushrooms convenient and flexible and they provide the same health benefits of fresh mushrooms!

9 Benefits of this Amazing Superfood

Let’s take a look at nine benefits we get from this amazing superfood!

1. Mushrooms Are Packed with Antioxidants

Mushrooms are loaded with antioxidant properties. Antioxidants neutralize “free radicals” released in the body that can damage cells, potentially causing cancer, and have been linked to aging and cardiovascular disease. Fortunately, mushrooms are packed with antioxidants, including:

• Ergothioneine (ergo)- an important amino acid that the human body cannot produce.
• Selenium- reduces inflammation and stimulates the immune system.
• Glutathione- a powerful antioxidant that can assist protein production.

2. Mushrooms Are a Rich Source of Vitamin D

Mushrooms provide a rich source Vitamin D. This important vitamin is essential for optimal health and normal bodily functions.. For example, Vitamin D helps increase the absorption of calcium, which is necessary for creating strong bones and maintaining bone health. Vitamin D is also important for regulating insulin levels and helps increase the absorption of other vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium. Vitamin D deficiency puts us at risk for many diseases. 

3. Mushrooms Help Fight Infection 

Eating mushrooms every day may help keep the doctor away! A study conducted at the University of Florida found that daily consumption of Shitake mushrooms led to a reduction in inflammatory proteins and improved the functioning of gamma delta T-cells. Eating mushrooms helps fight off colds and maintain a healthy immune system so your body can protect you against invaders such as bacteria, viruses, toxins and prevent disease.

4. Mushrooms May Help Prevent Cancer

Researchers have found that mushrooms exhibit many anti-cancer properties. Mushrooms stimulate the immune system and may help the body combat cancer. Plus, mushrooms help increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Mushrooms may have broader use in cancer treatments, so they are a focus in ongoing cancer research.

5. Mushrooms Are Prebiotic

Mushrooms may have a positive influence on blood sugar regulation and be beneficial for people who have or are at risk of developing diabetes. When mice were regularly fed white button mushrooms, they enjoyed higher levels of beneficial bacteria that were involved in the regulation of glucose. 

6. Mushrooms Support the Immune System 

Studies have found  evidence that Reishi mushroom have positive benefits for people who are dealing various chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, liver or kidney disease, respiratory disease, cancer, or viral infections. Eastern medicine has used Reishi mushrooms for centuries to support the immune system, reduce stress and improve sleep.  Reishi mushrooms also help improve mood and boost energy levels.

7. Mushrooms Improve Heart Health

Many mushrooms are rich in fiber, vitamin C, and potassium, which are important for our improved heart health. Shiitake mushrooms have three compounds that may help lower blood cholesterol levels.

• Eritadenine – helps an enzyme involved in producing cholesterol 
• Sterols- helps block cholesterol absorption in the gut.
• Beta glucans- type of fiber that can lower cholesterol

8. Meanwhile, Mushrooms Are Low in Carbs and Calories

Anyone looking to go on a low carb diet, or any diet at all, should consider making mushrooms a regular part of the menu. Mushrooms are low in both carbohydrates and calories, making them an excellent diet food. So not only can you enjoy all of the above benefits, but you’ll also keep your carbohydrate and calorie count low, which could help you lose weight!

9. Mushrooms are Nature’s Botanical Medicine 

Mushrooms are fungi that come in many shapes, sizes and colors. Research is underway to better understand how the chemical compounds in various mushrooms actually work in our bodies to support our health and prevent or treat disease. The scientific evidence is overwhelmingly clear that mushrooms are Nature’s natural pharmacy. Incorporating mushrooms more often into our diet can help in many ways, from fighting infections and colds to preventing life-threatening diseases. They are easy to mix into all kinds of recipes.

Use Mushrooms to Enhance Taste and Health Benefits of Food

Mushrooms enhance the taste and the health benefits of the food we cook. It’s time to get creative with adding mushrooms to recipes. There are endless possibilities. What are your favorite ways to eat mushrooms?

Enjoy and Live Well with Zest!

Bev

Written by Bev Hope

Reviewed by Board Certified MD

The post 9 Amazing Superfood Benefits of Mushrooms appeared first on Well with Zest.

When I think of what fruit makes me feel the happiest, I would put lemons on the top of the list. One reason is obvious. They have a happy bright yellow color like the sun. The other is I have many happy childhood memories I associate with lemons. Whenever I saw a big pile of lemons on the kitchen counter, I knew my mother was going to let me put out my lemonade stand! We had fun getting out my arts and crafts and poster board material to make my “lemonade for sale” sign. Then my mom would help me get my lemonade inventory prepared in a big pitcher. We would set up my stand and the best part was serving my curb side customers a cup of fresh lemonade and receiving a nickel in return! I felt like I was making them happy and they were certainly making me happy with each additional nickel I added to my money jar.

Then later when I was in college, I worked as a waitress at the Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park. One of our customers’ favorite items on the menu was fresh lemonade served with a sprig of fresh mint. Hundreds of people ordered it every day. I learned that everyone loves fresh squeezed lemonade, especially served with a pretty garnish!

Lemon Water Makes Us HAPPY

As a mom, my sons’ go-to drink when we went out to eat at a nice restaurant was always lemonade— and it had to be fresh!  Happy sons make happy moms! So, lemons bring me so many happy memories that I like to keep a big bowl of them on my kitchen counter. I often see a bowl of lemons in decorating magazines or even in classic still life paintings. No wonder they are there—artists and designers know lemons make us happy.  But now I’m learning much more about lemons—their amazing health benefits! I’ve begun making a habit of adding a lemon to my first glass of water each day. Here’s why.

Lemon Water Makes Us HEALTHY

Here are some of the top 10 lemon water health benefits I’ve discovered that keep me motivated to start each day with a glass of lemon water.

1. Provides an Immune System Boost

Lemons have plenty of vitamin C, antioxidants and other nutrients that improve immune system function. This helps avoid colds and the flu, and it helps fight infection in general. It also protects against oxidative stress that promotes a host of diseases.

2. Helps Dental Health

Along with good oral hygiene, lemon water prevents gingivitis from setting in or becoming worse. Gingivitis is one of those nasty dental problems that can come with aging if we don’t take proper oral care.

3. Helps with Cleansing the Kidneys

Good hydration is good for the kidneys and adding lemon to water makes this effect even more powerful. Apparently, this is because lemon water has a diuretic effect. The citric acid in lemon water helps prevent or flush out kidney stones.

4. Keeps Body Hydrated

If you don’t like the taste of plain water, adding a lemon to it makes it tasty and fun to drink. This helps you stay hydrated because if you enjoy it, you’ll keep drinking more of it.

5. Helps with Weight Loss or Reduce Weight Gain Can Help

A study shows that mice given lemon water, along with a high-calorie diet, didn’t gain as much weight as mice that were fed just plain water with the same food. This study implies that it will make your weight-control efforts easier.

6. Makes Skin Look Better

Good hydration is very important for keeping your skin healthy. By chugging a glass of lemon water first thing in the morning, I know I’m helping my skin, and making it part of my daily anti-aging regimen.

7. Helps with Digestion

Lemon water can improve bowel motion, thereby reducing constipation. Keeping normal movement is important to feeling good, and lemon water is more convenient and appetizing than other things that are often recommended for gastrointestinal health.

8. Improves the Breath

Lemons have a strong, natural deodorant effect, so drinking some lemon juice with water improves the smell of the breath.

9. Supports Heart Health and Nerve Communication

Lemons have plenty of essential nutrients. Along with vitamin C,  lemons provides electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, critical for heart health and nerve communication. This makes lemon water almost like a sports drink, but without all the calories.

10. Helps Fight Inflammation 

The anti-inflammatory properties of lemons are obtained when drinking lemon water each day. The natural ingredients in lemon water help reduce joint and muscle pain, inflammation in general, irritation from gingivitis, and more.

Lemon Water is a Fun and Happy Way to Improve Health

Lemon water is simple to prepare. You can have fun with it. You can mix it up and be creative— adding other fresh sweet, spicy or savory ingredients such as mint, basil, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric.

Lemon Water Recipe

Ingredients

• Organic fresh lemon
• Natural spring water
• Optional add-ons: mint, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, basil

Directions

• Pour warm water into a glass.
• Squeeze half a lemon for each 8-ounce glass
• Add favorite garnish.

Suggestions 

Some experts mention that the lemon water should be warm, and that it is the warmth that produces much of the digestive system benefits of the mixture. It is also noted that the lemon juice should come from fresh, real lemons, ideally organic lemons. Lemon water made with fresh lemon is better for boosting the immune system function because some phytonutrients in lemons degrade with processing. Some people caution that too much citric acid from lemons can harm the enamel on teeth. But as long as you don’t suck on lemons every day, that should not be a problem.

Grace Notes

Try sipping lemon water with a colorful paper straw and feel like a kid again.

Good luck trying lemon water as a daily habit! You can turn lemons into more than lemonade! Turn lemons into lemon-AID and enjoy the health benefits and happy feelings they can bring.  Let me know how it works for you!

Enjoy and Live Well with Zest!

Bev xo

Written by Bev Hope

Reviewed by Board Certified MD

The post 10 Reasons to Drink Lemon Water Every Morning appeared first on Well with Zest.