Carrot Juice - A Delicious and Nutritious Drink

One of the very best ways of obtaining a concentration of nutrients is to drink vegetable and fruit juices, and one of the most delicious and nutritious and versatile of these juices is carrot juice, which contains a range of nutrients including vitamins B, C, D, E, K and beta carotene and the minerals magnesium, potassium, chlorine, sulphur, iron, calcium, chromium, phosphorus, sodium, silica and iodine.

Drinking carrot juice is beneficial in many ways. As may be expected, it has a beneficial effect on the health of the eyes and is very good for problems related to the skin. It is a liver cleanser and has an anti-inflammatory effect upon the mucous membranes in the respiratory tract and in the intestines, and as such has a healing effect upon ulcers. Small quantities can be mixed with other juices to provide a benefit to diabetics and to people suffering from Syndrome X. This is because it contains an insulin-like compound. It is a good juice to be taken during pregNancy and during breast feeding. It is also a very good drink to be given to children as they grow into adulthood.

The sweet juice of the carrot combines extremely well with many other vegetable and fruit juices to make a tasty and nutritious drink. In combination with various other juices, carrot juice is used as an effective treatMent for countless medical conditions, ranging from acne to weight loss. It is an extremely good source of pro-vitamin A, which is converted by the body to vitamin A. Calcium and magnesium in carrot juice helps in the strengthening of teeth and bones, and protein and minerals in the juice are very good for the hAir, skin and nails. Fresh carrot juice will stimulate your digestive system and will have a gentle diuretic effect. If used over time, it will have a cleansing effect upon the liver, which has implications for the overall health of the body. Excess fat and bile is eliminated, having a beneficial effect upon the level of cholesterol in the body.

It has been said that you can overdose on vitamin A by drinking too much carrot juice, but it only contains pro-vitamin A which you cannot overdose on at all, and the body only converts pro-vitamin A to Vitamin A as it is required. If you drink very large quantities of carrot juice then you may develop carotenosis, or orange coloured skin, but this side effect is harmless and temporary. If an Infant is given carrot juice with milk the absorption of carotene is significantly increased and gives the child an ideal and safe source of vitamin A. When looking for carrots to put through the juicer, look for ones that have a good colour, as they will contain more nutrients.

If used regularly, carrot juice will become a daily treat that not only tastes delicious, but has wonderful health benefits as well.

orange juice extractor

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Why Do You Need Antioxidants in Your Diet?

Why Do You Need Antioxidants in Your Diet?

Antioxidants prevent the oxidation, which removes them from being electrons from one molecule and another, or to prevent an oxygen molecule away, added to another atom or molecule. A simple example is the oxidation of a carbon atom, when oxidized to carbon dioxide. Removed biological antioxidants also prevent hydrogen ions from organic compounds.

When a substance such as wood (cellulose) burns,is oxidized. The carbon atoms of the cellulose can be oxidized to carbon dioxide and oxygen is reduced to water, while the energy is its chemical bonds to heat and light can be converted.

In common parlance we speak of "carbohydrate burning" to produce energy during exercise training. In this case, the sugar we eat is "burned" slowly, because even converted into carbon dioxide water and heat. But beware! No light is produced when you burn carbohydrates, no lightarises when we oxidize all types of molecules in our body. The oxidation is controlled so that the energy released slowly to the care of our body and its processes.

The first thing you learn is that the oxidation in our bodies is not always bad, and not always good. Sometimes there are advanTAGes, and other times, there are disadvanTAGes or outright losses.

The advanTAGes are obvious. If we have more energy, we need to "burn some 'of carbohydrates." We oxidize some sugars thatenergy we need on a short-term basis. We oxidize other kinds of complex carbohydrates, like glycogen, to help our bodies grow and repAir themselves.

However, some kinds of molecules in our bodies are constantly at risk of being oxidized. When this happens, they are damaged or destroyed in the process. Then we age a little bit if these other kinds of molecules are part of structures like skin, or blood vessels, or knee joints, or brain tissue, and so on. It is oxidation of this kind that we would like to prevent or slow down to prevent aging.

Unique forms of oxygen and hydrogen, called free radicals, are primary culprits of the aging process. By eating Foods that have strong antioxidant activity, we help our bodies fight the toxic effects of these free radicals.

There are three strong antioxidants that are the warriors we depend upon to fight the bad aspects of oxidation. One of them we produce in our bodies; we do not, and cannot get it from the Food we eat. Its name is glutathione, a small molecule composed of three amino acids, but don't worry; we aren't going there. Let it suffice to say that if we can't make glutathione ourselves, we are skunked. The other two antioxidant warriors are vitamins C and E. These we must get from the Foods we eat.

Good sources of Vitamin C are the fresh fruits of many kinds of plants, and some of their green parts as well. The following presents the best of these Foods in descending order from those having fruits/leaves/vegetables with the highest concentration of Vitamin C per gram of plant tissue, down to those with the lowest concentration:

o Rose (rose hips); More than 2000 mg/100 grams plant tissue.
o Black Currant, Red Pepper, Parsley, Red Guava; 100-200 mg/100 grams.
o Kiwi Fruit, Broccoli, Loganberry, Red Currant, Brussels Sprouts, Lychee, Elderberry, Persimmon, Papaya, Strawberry; 60-99 mg/100 grams tissue.
o Orange, Lemon, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower, Garlic, Grapefruit, Raspberry, Tangerine, Mandarin Orange, Spinach, Cabbage, Lime; 30-50 mg/100 grams of plant tissue.
o Mango, Blackberry, Potato, Honeydew Melon; 20-28 mg/100 grams.
o Cranberry, Tomato, Blueberry, Pineapple, Grape, Aai berry, Apricot, Plum, Watermelon, Banana, Pomegranate, Carrot, Avocado, Crabapple, Cherry, Peach, Apple, Asparagus, Pear, Lettuce, Cucumber, Eggplant, Fig; Bilberry, Horned Melon, Medlar, less than 20 mg/100 grams plant tissue.

Good sources of Vitamin E, otherwise known as Alpha Tocopherol, include the following in no special order:

o Avocado.
o Nuts of woody plants such as almonds and hazelnuts.
o Red palm oil.
o Spinach and other green leafy vegetables.
o Vegetable oils such as canola, corn, sunflower, soybean, cottonseed, and olive oil.
o Wheat germ.
o Whole grains and whole grain food products.
o Milk.
o Asparagus.

The most important lesson of this article is that it is wise to add foods that are rich in antioxidants to your diet. Put fresh fruits on your cereal in the morning, and drink a glass of fresh fruit juice as a pep-up at anytime during the day. Juices that are shaken or stirred constantly may not be as healthy due to the destruction of vitamin C. If you do not yet include fresh fruits in your diet, all such additions will help improve your health, fitness, and longevity.

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The Magic Three Colon Cleanse Herbs in Ayurveda

The Magic Three Colon Cleanse Herbs in Ayurveda

Ayurveda has been used for many centuries in India and is an ancient natural healing system. It is a blessing that this form of healing is now popular in so many places on the planet. This healing system is is quite unique but also very simple. With regard to colon cleansing, Ayurvedic medicine considers the whole GI tract and uses three unique colon cleanse herbs.

When considering the health of the colon, India's ancient healing system's first concern is eating and digestion. Elimination is obviously important too, especially when we eat, digest and eliminate in that order. In this case, diet is the primary consideration, followed by colon cleansing herbs.

Many colon cleansers just empty the colon. It is important to consider bloating and relieving gas as well as elimination. The herb used in Ayurveda is Triphala which is a combination of three herbs: bibhitaki, haritaki and amalaki. There are also six flavors.

Amalaki (which also goes under the name of Indian gooseberry) has the following properties: sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, astringent and cooling. It is choc full of antioxidants and even has twenty times more Vitamin C than an average orange.

o Haritaki is quite bitter and importantly has five out of the six flavors of Ayurveda.
o Bibhitaki is sweet, pungent, bitter and astringent and warm. This fruit contains a whopping 40% protein and 35% oil.

These three fruits are combined and known as "Triphala" and this Ayurvedic internal cleanser and has the following benefits:

o Remove toxins, gas, bloating and distention of the stomach
o Detoxify all body systems
o Regulate and vitalize metabolism
o Nourish the nervous system, blood and muscle
o Increase digestion, assimilation and reduce fat

Ayurveda is still used in India today and has grown in popularity so much that it is available in most countries of the world. This is mainly because it works! This is definitely something to think about when you are looking at colon cleansing herbs.