Thursday, August 9, 2012

Banana-Peanut Butter Smoothie

1 ripe banana
1 cup nut milk / soy milk
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup ice

1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and pit removed
1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup pear juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth

Ginger Smoothie

1 ripe banana
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.

Blueberry-Flax Smoothie

1 ripe banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
4 teaspoons flaxseeds
1 tablespoon honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.

Strawberry Soy Smoothie

1 ripe banana
2 cups frozen strawberries (8 ounces)
1 cup soy milk
2 tablespoons honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.

Orange-Berry Smoothie

2 navel oranges, peel and pith removed, cut into chunks
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen raspberries

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.

Blueberry and Green Tea Smoothie

1/2 cup frozen blueberries
2 cups green tea, room temperature
1 tablespoon agave nectar

1. Divide blueberries between compartments of an ice cube tray. Fill with green tea and freeze.
2. Puree in blender with remaining green tea and agave.

Mango-Coconut Water Smoothie

These nutritious combos of fruit, veggies, proteins, and healthy fats make delicious snacks or quick lunches on the go.

2 cups ripe mango chunks (from 1-2 mangos)
2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 cups unsweetened coconut water
Pinch of cayenne powder

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.

Creamy Banana Kale Smoothie

Creamy Banana Kale Smoothie
Serves 2

1 1/2 cups curly green kale (preferably organic), loosely packed, stems removed
1 1/2 banana, frozen
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ice

Better-for-you ingredients
Kale is full of nutrients with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that help your body stay vibrant and youthful. Kale is also packed with chlorophyll. Chlorophyll removes heavy metals and chemical toxins from your body.

Directions
Combine the ingredients into a powerful blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Thin with water if desired. Enjoy!

Identify by stickers

Avoid these ingredients at all costs

Dr. Schulze’s 10 Commandments

Dr. Schulze’s 10 Commandments

1. I DRINK Liquids that Hydrate, Flush and Nourish Me
I Drink Pure Water, Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Juices and Herbal Teas!

2. I EAT Food that Creates Powerful Health
Vegetarian, Whole, Nutritious and Organic

3. I Use Natural Herbal and Food MEDICINE
To Prevent Disease and Nourish, Clean, Detoxify, Tone, Balance and Heal My Body!

4. I MOVE My Body Every Day
Walking, Dancing, Running, Jumping, Stretching, Breathing, Sweating, Sex… Always Fun!

5. I Take a Week Off Every Season to CLEANSE Myself Internally
Juice-Flushing or Dr. Schulze’s Purifying Food Program and Herbal Detox Programs!

6. I Use Only Natural HEALING to Prevent and Treat Dis-ease
Massage, Bodywork, Hydrotherapy and All Therapies that HEAL and Do No Harm!

7. I Create a Healthy HOME Environment for My Well-Being
Natural Soaps, Cleaners and Clothing, No Negative Television, Frequently Trashing!

8. I Have Positive THOUGHTS that Create Powerful Health
Positive Thoughts and Affirmations that Create Love, Laughter, Passion, Peace, Fun and Bliss!

9. I COMMUNICATE to Others as I Like to Be Treated
I Communicate Being Happy, Friendly, Positive, Clear, Honest, Sincere, Caring and Loving!

10. I LOVE Myself and My Life More and More Every Day

Practice Being Self-accepting, Self-ish, Self-centered, Self-involved, Loving YOU!
Appreciate All That You Have and Focus On All That You Want To Create.
Your FOCUS Determines Your FUTURE! Tomorrow Is What You Believe And Do Today!

- Dr. Schulze’s

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Kidney Cleanse friendly foods

Bored with water?

Herb-Infused H2O

Especially for summers, this is a super easy way to make your water even more refreshing. All you have to do is add some tasty herbs to your water. I used spearmint and mint herbs because they give that extra umph and they also make for outstanding breath. Follow these easy instructions:
What you need:

10 mint leaves
10 spearmint leaves
1 large pitcher of water (1/2 gallon or more)

What you do:

Put the herbs into the pitcher.
Pinch some of the leaves to release their flavor.
Let soak overnight and enjoy your water

Taken from http://www.foodheavenmadeeasy.com/ please visit them they are a wealth of information

Flavored Water!

I’ve always liked drinking my water with a slice or two of lemon–that extra little touch of flavor just makes water more appealing to me. There are a lot of other ways you can flavor water naturally. You can get really creative with it! Here are some ideas…

Add a slice of your favorite citrus to a tall glass of ice water…try lemon, lime, or orange slices. Or combine them…slices of lemon and lime…orange and lime…or try all three together!
Fresh mint is always a great addition to a glass of ice water.
Combine lemon slices with fresh herbs in your water…try lemon with mint, rosemary, thyme, or sliced ginger root.
Cucumbers are great in water, too! Slice up a large cucumber and add it to a pitcher of water…it’s really refreshing. You can also try cucumber with some fresh thyme added in. Or cucumber slices with lemon or orange slices.
If you want a more intense flavor to your glass of water, squeeze the citrus and/or twist the herbs you are using before you add them to your glass.
Besides lemons, oranges, and limes, you can try adding other kinds of fruit to your glass or pitcher of water…a small handful of your favorite berries (or mixed berries) is a nice addition to a glass of ice water. Other fruits you can try alone or in combination are: watermelon, cantaloupe, mango, pineapple, grapefruit, grapes, and kiwi.
Jenny from An Oregon Cottage mentioned in a comment on this post that she likes to use orange and mint or strawberry and cucumber combinations to flavor her water–great ideas!

NOTE: I usually drink my flavored water the same day I make it…I think it tastes best that way. Depending on what you add to your water, it may get cloudy or bitter-tasting if stored in the refrigerator too long.

If you’re wanting to make a pitcher of flavored water, you basically just slice or chop up some fresh fruit, cucumbers, or herbs and place in a pitcher, add cold water and chill several hours. The result is water infused with a light, natural flavor. It’s ready to serve over ice, garnished with a slice of fruit or clipping of an herb of your choice. Here are some other recipes for flavored water you may want to try:

CITRUS CUCUMBER WATER

1 large lemon, sliced
1 large lime, sliced
1 large orange, sliced
1 large cucumber, sliced
1 half-gallon of water

Place all the sliced fruits and the cucumber in a glass pitcher and add water. Refrigerate for two hours to allow flavors to infuse, then serve in glasses over ice.

CUCUMBER–HERBAL WATER

5 cups water
10 thin slices of cucumber
2 lemon slices
2 sprigs of fresh mint
3 sprigs of rosemary

Put water in pitcher and add lemon slices and cucumber slices. Crush mint and rosemary to release flavor, then add to other ingredients. Refrigerate for several hours. Serve over ice in tall glasses. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
CUCUMBER–MELON WATER

1 large cucumber, sliced
1/4 honeydew melon, cubed
1/4 cantaloupe, cubed
1 half-gallon water

Place cucumber and melons in a glass pitcher and add water. Refrigerate for 2 hours, then serve over ice. Garnish with melon balls skewered on a swizzle stick.

HONEYDEW–LIME WATER

2–3 slices of ripe honeydew melon
1 lime, sliced
4 sprigs of mint
1 half-gallon of water

Add melon slices, lime slices and mint sprigs to a large pitcher; fill with the half-gallon of water and refrigerate 2–4 hours. Serve in ice-filled glasses. Makes about 8 servings.
HERB AND BERRY–FLAVORED WATER

1 cup fresh blueberries, lightly crushed
2 4–inch sprigs of fresh rosemary. lightly bruised (to release more flavor)
1 half-gallon of water

Add blueberries and rosemary sprigs to a large pitcher; fill with the half-gallon of water and refrigerate 2–4 hours. Serve in ice-filled glasses. Makes about 8 servings.
LEMON–LAVENDER WATER

3 large lemons, sliced
1/4 cup fresh lavender
1 half-gallon of water

Add lemon slices and lavender to pitcher; pour water over both and refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve over ice and garnish with a sprig of lavender.
LEMON–MINT or LEMON-BASIL WATER

4 lemons, sliced
1 1/2 cups firmly packed fresh mint or basil leaves
6–8 cups water
6–8 cups ice cubes
Fresh mint or basil sprigs

Place lemon slices in a large pitcher. Rub the mint or basil leaves between the palms of your hands to bruise the leaves slightly. Add to the pitcher with lemon and pour in the water. Cover and chill 1–8 hours.
Strain lemon–water mixture and discard herbs. Divide lemon slices and additional fresh mint or basil sprigs equally among 6–8 glasses. In each glass, add 1 cup of ice cubes, then fill with lemon water.

LEMON, LIME AND ORANGE WATER

1 large lemon, sliced
1 large lime, sliced
1 large orange, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional)
1 half-gallon of water

Add citrus slices (and cilantro leaves, if desired) to a large pitcher; fill with the half-gallon of water and refrigerate 2 hours. Serve in ice-filled glasses. Garnish with your favorite citrus slice (and a sprig of cilantro, if you’re using that). Makes about 8 servings.
FROZEN FRUIT WATER

2 cups frozen apple chunks, grapes, or berries
1 half-gallon of water

Add frozen fruit to a pitcher; pour water over fruit and let sit at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Stir to distribute fruit flavor and serve in glasses with some ice cubes. (Note: you can chop up the same kind of fruit, unfrozen, and follow same directions. You’ll need to use more ice when serving the unfrozen fruit–flavored water).
ORANGE–MINT WATER

3 large oranges, sliced
10 mint leaves
1 half-gallon of water

Put sliced oranges and mint leaves in pitcher and add water; refrigerate for 2 hours to infuse flavors. Pour over ice and garnish with a sprig of mint and orange slice.
WATERMELON–BASIL WATER

2 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
10 basil leaves
1 half-gallon of water

Pour water over melon and basil; refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve over ice, garnished with a sprig of basil.

FRUIT WATER

1 each of the following fruits: apple, lemon, orange, pear
4 large strawberries
Handful of raspberries
Handful of mint leaves
1 half-gallon of water

Cut large slices or thin wedges of each fruit; place them in a large glass pitcher and add cold water. Refrigerate 2 hours and serve over ice in tall glasses.
Various tips and recipes from Southern Living, eHow, Vegetable Gardener, About.com, Eating Well.
Linked to Foodie Friday and Sundae Scoop.

Fresh, light and low cal summer drinks

Fresh, light and low cal summer drinks

Watermelon Breeze
3 cups cubed chilled watermelon
1 cup coconut water
squeeze of fresh lime
Ice if needed
Sprig of mint
Put all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth.
Makes two servings.
90 calories per serving.

Melon Mojito
2 cups cubed Honeydew Melon (I like to freeze mine)
1 cup cubed English Cucumber
1 cup coconut water (I freeze this into cubes too!)
12 fresh mint leaves
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Agave or honey squirt
Blend until smooth.
Makes 2 servings.
95 calories per serving.

Vanilla Peach Treat
2 cups sliced fresh peaches
1 cup cubed Asian pear
1 cup vanilla almond milk
1 cup coconut water frozen cubes
Dash of cinnamon
Put all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth.
Makes 2 servings.
160 calories per serving.

Superfood Spotlight:Chia Seeds

Website recommendation http://thechalkboardmag.com is a wealth of info. They wrote up a article on one of my favorite Superfoods Chia Seeds. Enjoy

"Hello, my name is: chia seeds
So, tell us about yourself: You may have first encountered these tiny seeds in the 90′s as part of a novel trend in home decorating (Chia Pet, anyone?), but we assure you that chia seeds are no joke! This deceivingly small seed packs a major punch of nutrition and makes a versatile addition to both food and drinks. Once the fuel behind the mythic athletic endurance of Aztec warriors, chia seeds have once again become a popular fuel of choice on the health scene.

What do you bring to the plate? One of chia seeds’ most unique qualities is their ability to turn into an almost solid gel form when soaked in water. Although a little foreign-looking at first, most people learn to embrace the seed’s gel-forming qualities for all of it’s health benefits! Chia gel slows the digestion of carbs – a true benefit for both diabetics and athletes looking for sustained energy. With it’s ability to slurp up this much water, chia seeds also help the body to maintain hydrated state for hours on end. As if that wasn’t enough these tiny seeds are also the highest plant source of Omega 3s, rich in calcium and an easily digested protein source!
Let’s Get Together: Now that you know just how amazing chia seeds are, your probably ready to pour them right down the gullet. But we have a few better suggestions on how to get them into your system. One, this amazing chia pudding video that provides a quick and easy to make recipe. And two, the basic recipe for chia gel that can be easily added to smoothies and baked goods!
Here’s an awesome recipe for what we’re calling Chia gel…it may not sound appetizing but those fruit juices infused with Chia seeds are flying off the shelves at markets all over the place—now you can make your own and for waaay less moolah!

Chia Gel

Ingredients
1 to 2 Tablespoons of chia seeds
1 cup of water (or fruit juice – experiment!)
Method
In a bowl, add seeds to liquid and whisk with fork.
Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then whisk the gel again to make sure the seeds
don’t clump together in the bottom of your bowl. Leave to stand for 15 minutes
as the seeds absorb the liquid. This mixture can be refrigerated overnight or used immediately. Play with the seed to water ratio to get the consistency you prefer. "

40 Ways to use Chia Seeds

How to use chia seeds.
Wondering how to use chia seeds? Chia seeds are very easy to incorporate into your diet. Below is a list of ways I have used them in my recipes. I would love to hear of your unique ways of using chia seeds.
1. Mix 1 dessertspoon of chia seeds with a quarter cup of water to make an egg substitute for baking cakes and cookies.
2. Add chia seeds to apple juice to make “sago”.
3. Grind seeds and add to hot milk to make a “porridge”
4. Mix seeds through yogurt.
5. Add seeds to soup to thicken.
6. Grind seeds and mix with flour, milk and eggs to make pancakes.
7. Add seeds to salad dressings.
8. Eat Chia seeds whole and raw as a snack.
9. Add whole seeds to diluted fruit juice to make Chia Fresca.
10. Make Chia Pudding by adding whole seeds to milk, nut milk or soy milk.
11. Blend chia seeds into smoothies.
12. Make a “lassie” by blending chia seeds, yogurt and fruit juice.
13. Add chia seeds to beaten eggs, soak for 10 minutes and make an omelette.
14. Mix with worcestershire or bbq sauce and brush over barbequed meats.
15. Add ground chia seeds to flour when making bread.
16. Make chia pan bread by combining chia seeds, eggs, milk, flour and baking powder. Cook in a heavy based pan with a lid on.
17. Add whole chia seeds to a cake batter to make a heavy poppy seed like cake.
18. Add seeds to stews to thicken.
19. Throw some seeds into a stir fry.
20. Make a thin batter of ground chia seeds and milk and cook in a slow oven to make crackers.
21. Sprinkle seeds over a salad.
22. Pureed fruit, chia seeds and a little fruit juice is a good topping for ice cream.
23. Stir whole seeds through cooked lentils.
24. Soak seeds in beaten eggs and use this mix to make a frittata.
25. Cook brown rice in vegetable stock and stir chia seeds through when rice is cooked.
26. Top a cheesecake with chia seeds soaked in fruit juice to make a gel toppingl.
27. Add whole or ground seeds to cookie mixes.
28. Mix ground seeds with ground beef to make meatballs.
29. Cook brown rice in apple juice, add grated apple and stir whole chia seeds through the mixture for a tasty dessert.
30. Toasted ground chia seeds mixed with honey and cinnamon makes a wonderful base for cheesecake.
31. Add whole seeds to granola.
32. Mix white chia seeds that have been soaked in milk through mashed potatoes.
33. Sprout the seeds and use in salads.
34. Mix ground seeds with butter or peanut butter for a nutritious spread.
35. Cinnamon, ground chia and butter is great on hot scones.
36. Add a desert spoon of black seeds to a green jelly mix for “frogs egg jelly”.
37. Spread a mixture of honey, cinnamon, dried fruit and ground chia on to filo or puff pastry sheets, roll up and cook in a hot oven.
38. Mix the seeds, whole or ground through Nutella.
39. Add ground seeds soaked in an egg to bind a hamburger mix.
40. Soak chia seeds in milk and mix through hot oatmeal.

-Voni Blue

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Apple Pineapple & Watermelon Juice

Apple, Pineapple and Watermelon blends together to form a wonderful mouth watering juice which is excellent for you kidney and bladder. It also helps dispelling excess salts from your body.

2 Apples, ½ Pineapple and ¼ Watermelon

Refrigerator Oatmeal

Oatmeal in a mason jar. I didn't want to put my contents in the blender cause I like chunky things. Smoothness means nothing to me. So I added oatmeal, soy milk, yogurt, chia seeds, blueberries, agave, and a few strawberries. This is made the night before. Refrigerate and bash the next day! LOL... It was yummy!!

Here are some other recipe combinations from other group members:

Jeanine - oatmeal, soy milk, Greek yogurt, applesauce, cinnamon, sweetener.

Izetta - rolled oats, honey Greek yogurt, cinnamon, almond milk, fresh fruit (usually blueberries) or instead of fruit, a nut butter & cocoa powder, a bit of nutella. She said, "I love it during the school year. Grab & go breakfast! Peach is good, too."

Amazing Fennel Juice


Submitted by Freespirited

Fennel bulb, 2 pears, 2 apples, 2 carrots

Yummy!!! ;)

Green Juice

celery

spinach

fennel

lemon

ginger

pear

Watermelon & Ginger Juice

Submitted by FreeSpirited

Cleaning Produce Spray

Simple Recipe - Nut Milk

I learned how to make nut milk yesterday.

Take 1/2 cup of nuts of your choice. Almonds for example.

Then soak them for at least an hour.

Drain and rinse them. Then add it to a blender or food processor with 2 cups of water.

There you have it. Nut milk !!! Add sweetener like agave if you like.

I'll be making my own milk from this point on.

What you see below is cream of mushroom soup made with cashew milk. Boom!!!!!!!!!!!!

~Free~

Apple Zucchini and Ginger Juice


Submitted by Deborah Colbert Smith

10 Ways to Please Yourself

Dr. Schulze’s 10 Commandments Based on Dr. Schulze’s Book, “20 Powerful Steps to a Healthier Life”

I DRINK Liquids that Hydrate, Flush and Nourish Me
I Drink Pure Water, Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Juices and Herbal Teas!
I EAT Food that Creates Powerful Health
Vegetarian, Whole, Nutritious and Organic
I Use Natural Herbal and Food MEDICINE
To Prevent Dis-ease and Nourish, Clean, Detoxify, Tone, Balance and Heal My Body!
I MOVE My Body Every Day
Walking, Dancing, Running, Jumping, Stretching, Breathing, Sweating, Sex… Always Fun!
I Take a Week Off Every Season to CLEANSE Myself Internally
Juice-Flushing or Dr. Schulze’s Purifying Food Program and Herbal Detox Programs!
I Use Only Natural HEALING to Prevent and Treat Dis-ease
Massage, Bodywork, Hydrotherapy and All Therapies that HEAL and Do No Harm!
I Create a Healthy HOME Environment for My Well-Being
Natural Soaps, Cleaners and Clothing, No Negative Television, Frequently Trashing!
I Have Positive THOUGHTS that Create Powerful Health
Positive Thoughts and Affirmations that Create Love, Laughter, Passion, Peace, Fun and Bliss!
I COMMUNICATE to Others as I Like to Be Treated
I Communicate Being Happy, Friendly, Positive, Clear, Honest, Sincere, Caring and Loving!
I LOVE Myself and My Life More and More Every Day
Practice Being Self-accepting, Self-ish, Self-centered, Self-involved, Loving YOU!
Appreciate All That You Have and Focus On All That You Want To Create.
Your FOCUS Determines Your FUTURE! Tomorrow Is What You Believe And Do Today!

Superfoods Spotlight:Papaya

Nutrients in
Papaya
1.00 each (304.00 grams)

Nutrient%Daily Value

vitamin C313.1%

vitamin A66.5%

folate28.8%

potassium22.3%

fiber21.8%

vitamin E11.1%

vitamin K9.8%

Calories (118)6%

chart provided by whfoods

www.whfoods.com provides us with a well written article on the benefits as follows.
"

Health Benefits

Papayas offer not only the luscious taste and sunlit color of the tropics, but are rich sources of antioxidant nutrients such as carotenes, vitamin C and flavonoids; the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid; and the minerals, potassium and magnesium; and fiber. Together, these nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and also provide protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple, to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies.

Protection Against Heart Disease

Papayas may be very helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Papayas are an excellent source of vitamin C as well as a good source of vitamin E and vitamin A (through their concentration of pro-vitamin A carotenoid phytonutrients), three very powerful antioxidants.
These nutrients help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. Only when cholesterol becomes oxidized is it able to stick to and build up in blood vessel walls, forming dangerous plaques that can eventually cause heart attacks or strokes. One way in which dietary vitamin E and vitamin C may exert this effect is through their suggested association with a compound called paraoxonase, an enzyme that inhibits LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol oxidation.
Papayas are also a good source of fiber, which has been shown to lower high cholesterol levels. The folic acid found in papayas is needed for the conversion of a substance called homocysteine into benign amino acids such as cysteine or methionine. If unconverted, homocysteine can directly damage blood vessel walls and, if levels get too high, is considered a significant risk factor for a heart attack or stroke.

Promotes Digestive Health

The nutrients in papaya have also been shown to be helpful in the prevention of colon cancer. Papaya's fiber is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins in the colon and keep them away from the healthy colon cells. In addition, papaya's folate, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and vitamin E have each been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.
These nutrients provide synergistic protection for colon cells from free radical damage to their DNA. Increasing your intake of these nutrients by enjoying papaya is an especially good idea for individuals at risk of colon cancer.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Papaya contains several unique protein-digesting enzymes including papain and chymopapain. These enzymes have been shown to help lower inflammation and to improve healing from burns. In addition, the antioxidant nutrients found in papaya, including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, are also very good at reducing inflammation. This may explain why people with diseases that are worsened by inflammation, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, find that the severity of their condition is reduced when they get more of these nutrients.

Immune Support

Vitamin C and vitamin A, which is made in the body from the beta-carotene in papaya, are both needed for the proper function of a healthy immune system. Papaya may therefore be a healthy fruit choice for preventing such illnesses as recurrent ear infections, colds and flu.

Protection against Macular Degeneration

Your mother may have told you carrots would keep your eyes bright as a child, but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more important for keeping your sight. Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily. In this study, which involved over 110,000 women and men, researchers evaluated the effect of study participants' consumption of fruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARMD, a more severe form of the illness associated with vision loss. While, surprisingly, intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids were not strongly related to incidence of either form of ARMD, fruit intake was definitely protective against the severe form of this vision-destroying disease. Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but papaya can help you reach this goal. Add slices of fresh papaya to your morning cereal, lunch time yogurt or green salads. Cut a papaya in half and fill with cottage cheese, crab, shrimp or tuna salad. For an elegant meal, place slices of fresh papaya over any broiled fish.

Protection against Rheumatoid Arthritis

While one study suggests that high doses of supplemental vitamin C makes osteoarthritis, a type of degenerative arthritis that occurs with aging, worse in laboratory animals, another indicates that vitamin C-rich foods, such as papaya, provide humans with protection against inflammatory polyarthritis, a form of rheumatoid arthritis involving two or more joints.
The findings, presented in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases were drawn from a study of more than 20,000 subjects and focused on subjects who developed inflammatory polyarthritis and similar subjects who remained arthritis-free during the follow-up period. Subjects who consumed the lowest amounts of vitamin C-rich foods were more than three times more likely to develop arthritis than those who consumed the highest amounts.

Promote Lung Health

If you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, then making vitamin A-rich foods, such as papaya, part of your healthy way of eating may save your life, suggests research conducted at Kansas State University.
While studying the relationship between vitamin A, lung inflammation, and emphysema, Richard Baybutt, associate professor of nutrition at Kansas State, made a surprising discovery: a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo(a)pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency.
Baybutt's earlier research had shown that laboratory animals fed a vitamin A-deficient diet developed emphysema. His latest animal studies indicate that not only does the benzo(a)pyrene in cigarette smoke cause vitamin A deficiency, but that a diet rich in vitamin A can help counter this effect, thus greatly reducing emphysema.
Baybutt believes vitamin A's protective effects may help explain why some smokers do not develop emphysema. "There are a lot of people who live to be 90 years old and are smokers," he said. "Why? Probably because of their diet. The implications are that those who start smoking at an early age are more likely to become vitamin A deficient and develop complications associated with cancer and emphysema. And if they have a poor diet, forget it." If you or someone you love smokes, or if your work necessitates exposure to second hand smoke, protect yourself by making sure that at least one of the World's Healthiest Foods that are rich in vitamin A, such as papaya, is a daily part of your healthy way of eating.

Papaya and Green Tea Team Up to Prevent Prostate Cancer

Choosing to regularly eat lycopene-rich fruits, such as papaya, and drink green tea may greatly reduce a man's risk of developing prostate cancer, suggests research published the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Jian L, Lee AH, et al.)
In this case-control study involving 130 prostate cancer patients and 274 hospital controls, men drinking the most green tea were found to have an 86% reduced risk of prostate cancer compared, to those drinking the least.
A similar inverse association was found between the men's consumption of lycopene-rich fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, apricots, pink grapefruit, watermelon, papaya, and guava. Men who most frequently enjoyed these foods were 82% less likely to have prostate cancer compared to those consuming the least lycopene-rich foods.
Regular consumption of both green tea and foods rich in lycopene resulted in a synergistic protective effect, stronger than the protection afforded by either, the researchers also noted.
Practical Tips: Get in the habit of drinking green tea and eating lycopene-rich foods.

Take a quart of iced green tea to work and sip throughout the day or take it to the gym to provide prostate protection while replenishing fluids after your workout.
Pack a ziploc bag of apricots and almonds in your briefcase or gym bag for a handy snack.
Start your breakfast with a half grapefruit or a glass of papaya or guava juice.
Add papaya to any smoothie or fruit salad or use as a delectable garnish for fish.
For a delicious summer lunch, cut a papaya in half, scoop out the seeds, sprinkle with lime juice and top with cottage cheese, a fresh mint leaf, and roasted almonds.
Begin lunch or dinner with some spicy tomato juice on the rocks with a twist of lime. Snack on tomato crostini: in the oven, toast whole wheat bread till crusty, then top with tomato sauce, herbs, a little grated cheese, and reheat until the cheese melts.
Top whole wheat pasta with olive oil, pine nuts, feta cheese and a rich tomato sauce for lunch or dinner."

25 Fun Exercises

No one wants to do the same thing all the time. It makes fitness boring like a chore when exercise should be thought of as a privilege and fun. Here are few ideas to incorporate into you exercise activities: