Healthy Tips - Kale, Kelp, Juicing and More!
We were back in the WBTW studios recently to record the next installment our new series of short Health Tips with Nicole Boone for March. This month, we once again focused on some easy changes that can provide critical health benefits.
Our five tips include:
- Juicing
- Spirulina
- Kelp
- Olive Leaf Extract
- Apple Cider Vinegar
We hope you gain some new information from these tips, and you’re always welcomed into one of our locations (Bay Naturals – Myrtle Beach and our sister store New Life Naturals in North Myrtle Beach) to get some additional information on any of our tips.
We’d love to hear some suggestions for tips you’d like to see covered in the future. Send us a note of Facebook, email or simply stop by the store to share your thoughts.
JUICING
With the busy lifestyles we all lead, it’s often difficult to get in all of the recommended fruits and vegetables into our daily diet. Juicing is a great way to accomplish this challenge.
Juicing your vegetables rather than simply eating them means you'll assimilate more of the valuable vitamins and nutrients. Juicing works to "pre-digest" the veggies, meaning you'll get optimum benefit and quicker absorption. Some juice experts recommend that you add the fibrous pulp resulting from juicing back into the juice before you drink it in order to get the heart-friendly benefits of dietary fiber.
Try juicing with some key green vegetables including Kale, Spinach, Cucumber, Parsley and Celery.
KALE
One of the main benefits of using kale in your juice blends is that it provides a large nutritional punch with one of the fewest calorie counts per cup of any other vegetable. In fact, juicing a cup of kale is only going to add an estimated 36 calories to your diet.
Not just low-calorie, Kale is a rich source of carotenoid and phytonutrient lutein, a natural antioxidant that can increase the health of both your eyes and improve the health of your skin. It is also a great source of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and other Vitamins and Minerals.
SPINACH
Spinach has more iron in it than any other vegetable. It’s good for anemia, depression, fatigue, PMT and sufferers of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). It helps with digestion and is a great internal body cleanser.
Spinach is rich in Vitamins A, B, C and K as well as calcium, iodine, iron, phosphorous and potassium.
CUCUMBER JUICE
Cucumber juice is a great tonic for encouraging healthy skin, hair and nails. It controls fluid retention and helps with bladder problems. It cleanses the blood and is also said to treat arthritis effectively.
Cucumber juice is rich in Vitamins A and C, as well as calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon and sodium.
PARSLEY JUICE
Parsley is a very potent herb and should be consumed more often, as it has strong healing properties. It is a strong diuretic and also a proven stimulant. It is useful for suffers of migraines, high blood pressure, eye disorders and anaemia. It also benefits those whose arteries have hardened or for sufferers of arthritis.; It is a good blood cleanser and cures many bladder, liver and kidney troubles.
Because it is extremely potent it should not be taken on its own or in large quantities. Always combine it with other juices such as carrot or celery. Choose parsley leaves that are dark green in color,
CELERY JUICE
Celery juice is most well known for its abilities to ease rheumatic and arthritic pain and inflammation. It is also good to take celery juice if recovering from illness, particularly a cold or flu, as it replaces lost minerals in the body.
The potassium in celery helps to lower blood pressure and it is effective in strengthening the stomach, liver and kidneys. For restlessness and sleeping problems, celery juice is highly successful.
Celery is rich in Vitamins B and C, as well as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium.
SPIRULINA
Health Benefits: Spirulina might help lower cholesterol and reduce hypertension; prevent cancer; strengthen the liver’s defense against toxins; and alleviate allergic reactions.
Spirulina’s effectiveness in fighting allergies was shown in 2005 UC Davis research in which thirty-six rhinitis sufferers were treated with spirulina supplementation, and those who took two grams daily experienced a significant reduction in their allergic symptoms.
Spirulina is approved by both the FDA and the World Health Organization for use as a health food, and mentions it as a source of five essential amino acids which the human body cannot manufacture. The article also refers to spirulina’s high mineral content, in particular the amount of iron it contains, its abilities to reduce gastro enteric distress by promoting the growth of intestinal bacteria, and to help prevent gastro enteric infection; and its cholesterol-reducing effects.
Available in powder, capsule, and tablet.
KELP
Kelp, or Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K, a very good source of the B-vitamin folate, and magnesium, and a good source of iron and calcium, and the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. They also contain measurable amounts of vitamins C and E.
Kelp may be a unique food source not only of the mineral iodine, but also of the mineral vanadium. Vanadium appears to play a multi-faceted role in regulation of carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar.
How to take Kelp: Sprinkle flakes on salads, add to soups, or take in powder or capsule form
OLIVE LEAF
Olive Leaf has a number of health benefits.
Lowering Blood Pressure and Blood sugar: The Olive Leaf Extract not only lowers blood pressure but it also maintains it. Olive Leaf Extract has many constituents but probably the most important constituent is the Oleuropein. It prevents constriction of arteries and increases the blood flow. This also improves the functioning of the heart. Patients suffering from diabetes can consume olive leaf extract and control their blood sugar levels.
It also inhibits the growth of various bacteria in the body so that you remain fit. It prevents dental, ear, eye, surgical and urinary infection in the body.
Immune System: The Olive Leaf Extract is an energy booster. It strengthens your immune system so that you can prevent diseases. Even if you are suffering from an infection, the olive leaf extract will help you to recover faster. Free radicals in the body can damage the healthy cells of the body and cause more severe diseases like cancer. Olive Leaf Extract neutralizes the free radicals thereby increasing the number of healthy cells. This also prevents premature ageing of the body and prevents wrinkle formation on the skin.
Reduces Cholesterol: Olive oil extract helps in the reduction of low density lipoproteins which is basically bad cholesterol. It eliminates heart blockages thus preventing the risk of stoke. Your life span is increased and the condition of your heart goes from worse to definitely better. This reduces the LDL level and prevents stroke.
Anti-inflammatory properties and reducing chronic fatigue: It prevents excess acidity. It acts as a diuretic and digestive aid. If you are suffering from gastritis and other stomach problems then using olive leaf extract will definitely help you. The flavonoids present in olive leaf extract give it anti-inflammatory properties. The oleuropein present in Olive leaf extract is responsible for elimination of chronic fatigue. You will feel more energetic and rejuvenated within a few days of consumption of olive leaf extract. The circulation of the body is improved and so the energy levels also increase.
Olive leaf is available in capsule and liquid extract form.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Apple Cider Vinegar provides many great health benefits.
- It sped up the metabolism in our body and supports digestive processes.
- It helps in processing proteins and fats.
- It is also low in fat, sugar, and salt.
- It assists and aids with the metabolism of minerals and fats and the digestion of greasy and fatty foods.
- It also supports the liver in detoxifying the body.
The beta-carotene in apple cider vinegar helps in countering damage caused by free radicals, helping one maintain firmer skin and a youthful appearance.
Apple cider vinegar is loaded with potassium, and therefore it is used for the treatment of a variety of ailments including hair loss, weak finger nails, brittle teeth, sinusitis, and a permanently running nose.
Apple cider vinegar weight loss is a very effective and simple way to burn down unwanted fats.
The potassium content in cider vinegar helps to “thin” the blood a little, which allows blood pressure levels to drop in people who are overweight.
It contains high levels of certain minerals, particularly manganese, magnesium, and calcium, each of which gives strength of the molecular structure of our bones. It also restores levels of hydrochloric acid and pepsin in our bodies, which act to break down food properly in digestion. It also helps detoxify the liver, which aids in filtering toxic fat building compounds out of our systems.
You need to make sure that you use only the natural, organic variety of apple cider vinegar; the sparkling clear variety will have practically no health benefits. Propagators of this wonder drug claim that the best way to have this vinegar is first thing in the morning. You can mix two tablespoons each of apple cider vinegar and honey in a glass of water, and drink it. This solution may taste slightly acidic, and may not seem to be the best way to start your morning, but once you know of the immense benefits that follow, it will not feel all that bad.
Many find that following this routine first thing in the morning helps in eliminating constipation, which is one of the prime causes of many diseases. Constipation is also the cause of headaches - leading to a bad mood, deprived sleep, and a lethargic feeling the whole day, at times. Once this problem is solved, all the other symptoms vanish immediately, making you fresher and extremely active whole day long. Following this morning regime helps minor skin rashes vanish and the skin texture also improves, leaving you radiant and glowing naturally. Having that chilled glass of lemon juice can be substituted with a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and water. Some prefer the taste as is. If the taste is too acidic for you, you can add honey to give it the sweet tinge. Adding honey will only improve the health benefits of the solution.
You can also enjoy the benefits of this wonder vinegar in several other ways. You can use apple cider vinegar while preparing salads by substituting the oil that is poured over a salad with it. Not only will the salad have a tangier taste, it will be much healthier as well. You can also use this vinegar to pickle an assortment of fruits and vegetables. Marinating beef, pork, lamb, fish and a variety of meats is almost a daily process for meat eaters. If you make apple cider vinegar the prime ingredient in the marinade with an assortment of herbs and spices, it will not only help in flavoring and tenderizing the meat, will also add a whole lot of nutrients to your diet.
Be sure to look for the organic, unfiltered variety which is a brownish color.