goji berries juice - Resources and Info Info-Zone: properties of goji berries for health<BR><BR>

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

properties of goji berries for health

properties of goji berriesOne, Two, Three � Plunge Into Weight Loss and Feeling Good About You

I love to swim. That�s why I swim 3 to 4x�s a week. Problem is I hate being cold. That�s why I dread � yes, every time � even the thought of getting into the pool at 5:45 AM. Even at 82 degrees � brrrrr � that water is cold to me. I know � I�m such a weenie.

I figure it like this. Swimmers fall into two categories: dippers and plungers.

Dippers slowly get used to the water. First one toe, then the other, one foot, then the other, one calf, then the other, up to the waist � you know the drill. Prolonged torture if you ask me. It takes courage to be a dipper. Nope � a dipper I�m not.

One cold toe and I�d skedaddle right back to the locker room with my shivering tail between my legs.

I�m a plunger. No forethought, one deep breath, one dive, one shock and whew � I made it one more time.

Maybe it has something to do with the farm pond we 6 Van Romer kids swam in all summer. It had a dock and a mud bottom, the home for little critters � frogs, turtles, snakes, and who knows what else, real and imagined.

What would you do? Jump from the dock, tucking up your feet so they don�t hit bottom, or sink into the slimy muck one squishy, scary step at a time � waiting for that creepy-crawly to zip up your leg?

Yep � I�m a confirmed plunger.

What are you? A dipper or a plunger? And I�m not talking about swimming now. I�m talking about eating � eating to lose weight, pep you up, and to just feel good about yourself.

And what could be more important than feeling good about you? If you feel good about you, then you can help others feel good about them. See how it goes?

My suggestions work and are simple � I�m a simple kind of girl. I hate cold, but worse than that, I hate complicated. Complicated confuses me.

One simple, uncomplicated suggestion: fill-up up on the �best-for-you� foods first.

And which foods are those? Well, which foods prevent cancer (not to mention diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, digestive problems, and the lingering of too much fat)?

One, two, three. All together now: �Fresh fruits and vegetables.�

Ahhhhh�music to my ears�fruits and vegetables.

Have you ever (EVER) heard that beef, cheese, chicken, turkey, fish, dried-up cereals, eggs, bacon, hamburgers, pizza, pancakes, brown-colored white bread, cheese (oh, did I say that already?), sweets, salty snacks, yogurt, or milk prevent cancer?

No, of course not. So why were we taught as children to fill-up on these foods?

Why weren�t we taught to fill-up on fresh fruits and vegetables � our disease (and weight) warriors and health heroes?

The dippers do this with the fruit-and-vegetable �ah-ha� moment. They think it and think about it and think about it some more. They read recipes, thumb through books, talk to their spouses, and think about it some more.

They question:

�How come I never knew this?�

�How come no one else ever told me this before?�

�Can this be too simple to be true?�

�Where would I get my protein?�

�Where would I get my calcium?�

�What about the good fats?�

�If I fill-up on fruits and vegetables, how would I have room left for my old, comfort favorites?� (Bingo - that�s the whole point!)

�Can I really lose weight by eating like this?�

�Do I really want to eat like this?�

After a while, the dippers may venture into the store, buy a few more fruits and vegetables, and try working them into their day. But the details boggle their brains.

And the plungers � well, they just take one flying leap and plunge right in. One minor drawback: sometimes the shock of cold waters sucks the wind right out of them, and they end up scrambling their way out just to catch their breath.

They get too uncomfortable too fast and don�t hang around long enough to get comfortable.

Whether you are a dipper or a plunger or somewhere in between, the most important thing is to just start.

And keep it simple. We�re talking about fruits and vegetables here, not rocket science.

First suggestion: Go to the store. Buy enough fruit to last you a few days. Eat enough whole fruit throughout the morning to satisfy you and fill you up. And yes, you can eat two or three of the same fruits. Eat fruit for snacks as well.

Second suggestion: Go to the store. Buy enough vegetables to make salads with at least 10 different vegetables. Go home. Make a salad big enough to fill you up. Eat at least one big salad every day. Even better � eat two. Make enough salad at lunch for dinner too.

Will you get hungry in 2 to 3 hours after eating salad for lunch? Absolutely. Real food goes in. Real waste goes out. It�s not supposed to stick around inside you.

So what should you do when you get hungry? Eat! What a novel idea. Staying full and satisfied is key to weight loss and health gain.

Third suggestion: Snack on whole, fresh fruits, vegetables, or raw, unsalted nuts and seeds.

One, two, three. How�s that for simple?

Okay, my friend, there�s the water. No more paralysis with analysis. Grab my hand and let�s go. The last one in is a rotten egg (or rotten carrot as the case may be).

�On your mark, get set, GO!�

Wash, open mouth, bite down, and chew! Repeat. Now admit it � what could be simpler, and better for you, than that?

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a health motivational speaker, writer, and lifestyle coach. Visit http://www.DrLeslieVanRomer.com for more inspiration.

Try Kiwi Fruit for Good Taste and Good Health

Maybe "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." But, years ago, that same sentiment didn�t seem to apply to a strange looking little fruit from China known as Yang Tao.

Missionaries in the early 20th century brought Yang Tao to New Zealand, and in 1960 it was renamed the Chinese Gooseberry. In 1961, the Chinese Gooseberry made its first appearance in the United States and the name was changed again. This time to kiwi, in honor of the native bird of New Zealand, whose brown fuzzy coat looks somewhat like the brown fuzzy skin of this unusual little fruit. This name change seems to have been a good move. Doesn�t a kiwi fruit sound much more appealing than a Chinese Gooseberry?

Today, people everywhere love kiwi fruit. And, with good reason. The kiwi has a sweet unique flavor and is loaded with vitamin C, as well as a variety of other vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that promote good health.

Kiwi fruit can be eaten by itself, but it is also delicious in tossed salads, or fruit salads. But here�s a tip you might not know. Kiwi fruits should be eaten soon after they are cut because they contain enzymes that act as a food tenderizer. These enzymes can tenderize the kiwi, making it overly soft. These enzymes can also make other fruits soggy, so add kiwi to fruit salads at the last minute.

It�s easy to enjoy kiwi fruit. You can even eat the skin. Just rub off the fuzz, wash the kiwi, slice it, and enjoy.

Suzanne Lieurance is a freelance writer and owner of the Three Angels Gourmet Co. which produces a unique line of "heavenly gourmet mixes" for sale at: http://www.threeangelsgourmet.com For additional food information and daily tips, visit the Three Angels Gourmet Co. blog at http://www.threeangelsgourmet.blogspot.com