Beets are an excellent food for your brain, heart, eyes, and more. They are loaded with antioxidants such as fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. A mere half cup of beets provides 17% of your daily requirement of folate. According to Dr. Ellen Kamhi, author of The Natural Medicine Chest, beets in various colors — from red to gold to white — can help protect against heart disease, birth defects, and certain cancers, particularly colon cancer.

Here are 5 ways beets can boost your health:

1. Fight cancer. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, beets inhibit the production of carcinogens and increase production of immune cells and body enzymes that help fight cancer development. Kamhi says it is the betacyanin, compound that gives this root vegetable their red color, that reduces the growth of cancer cells.
2. Boost your brain. Studies found that one cup of beet juice a day increases blood flow to the brain, keeping it sharp and building a line of defense against dementia associated with aging.

 
To read the rest of the benefits, please visit this page

You may also be interested in reading the benefits of other nutritious food such as papaya and sweet potato.

Ellen Kamhi visited producer Bill Barash at home, and discusses specific antioxidants and nutritional substances found in fruits, such as potassium in bananas, bromelain in pineapple and Vitamin E in avocados.

If you want to explore more about nutritional analysis and therapies for you, please click here

Summer is the perfect time to focus on natural healthy skin care. There is no lack of skin care products on the market, but even those that claim to be ‘natural’ often contain chemicals that act as sudsing agents, emulsifiers, preservatives and other artificial ingredients that can have detrimental effects on the skin. Summer is a great time to try some truly ‘all natural’ skin care items, which include fruits, vegetables and essential oils.
Avocado is a summer favorite. The shape of the Avocado is a clue to why the Aztecs called the avocado tree Ahuacuati, which means testicle tree. Avocados are a great source of the ‘good oils’ needed for the production of sex hormones. Avocados are a storehouse of nutrition, including vitamin E, vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, iron, potassium, lutein and beta-carotene. Avocado actually acts as a nutrient booster, which enhances the skin’s ability to absorb many of these nutrients, especially those that are fat-soluble, due to the high percentage of healthy essential fatty acids found in avocado. To use Avocado for skin care, just take a ripe avocado and smash it up with a fork until it has a creamy consistency. Put it directly on the face and leave it on for about ½ an hour, and then rinse off with lukewarm water. You will immediately feel its smoothing action.

Citrus fruits, including oranges, lemons and grapefruits have long been valued as part of a nutritious and tasty diet. Citrus fruits are famous for their Vitamin C content. However, citrus fruits are also a rich source of many vitamins, minerals, dietary polysaccharides and other phytochemicals that support healthy skin tone, such as potassium, folate, calcium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, riboflavin and pantothenic acid. A variety of valuable phyto-chemicals are in found in citrus, such as monoterpenes, limonoids (triterpenes), flavanoids, carotenoids and hydroxycinnamic acid. Many of these nutrients act as powerful antioxidants, which help to diminish skin damage caused by free radicals, due to sun exposure and other stressful factors. Vitamin C in Citrus fruits is particularly important because Vitamin C is a necessary nutrient that the body needs to form collagen. Collagen is the ‘matrix’ which gives skin its tone and firmness. Wrinkles and ‘hanging skin’ are actually due to the weakening and breakdown of collagen that often occurs with advanced years. Make your own Citrus Skin Reviver- squeeze the juice of ½ grapefruit, one lemon and ½ orange into a glass. Add two times the amount of water to the juice combination, and one tablespoon of witch hazel. Pour the solution into a spray bottle (available at most drug stores). Spray your face a few times a day, and experience the natural exhilaration!

Carrots, along with other orange colored vegetables and fruits, such as butternut squash and pumpkins, contain a high amount of a family of nutrients known as carotenes. Beta carotene is one of the better known members of the carotene family, but actually, when they are used as a group, they provide superior protection against free radical damage than isolated beta carotene. Orange colored vegetables also contain flavonoids, which are active antioxidants that neutralize destructive free radicals. Carrots are particularly high in Vitamin A, with one carrot providing 270% of the daily requirement for Vitamin A. This is a plus for healthy skin. In fact, a Vitamin A derivative, Retinoic Acid, is a well known and scientifically studied skin care therapy, that helps to increase collagen and decrease wrinkles. To make a carrot facial, cut up 2-3 medium to large carrots and steam for 10 minutes or until soft. Mash with a fork. Add about 1 tsp of honey and mix well. Apply the carrot mixture to the face, and cover with a wash cloth soaked in luke warm water. Sit down and listen to music for 10-20 minutes. Rinse well and enjoy the refreshed skin glow! (The wash clothe may get ‘dyed’ orange, so don’t use your best linen! )

Green Tea has been a favorite drink of health enthusiasts for decades. It has also been well studied for its health promoting effects on skin. The skin-healing properties of green tea are linked to compounds called polyphenols, which help eliminate free radicals. The most abundant green tea polyphenol, EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate), has been studied for its ability to rejuvenate aging skin cells. Green tea has been shown to help reduce the effect of damaging UV radiation from the sun, which causes skin aging. Green tea also decreases inflammation and can help to improve skin elasticity. There are several ways you can take advantage of Green Tea. Get some Organic Green Tea Bags. Do NOT get de-caffeinated, since chemicals are often used in the decaffeination process. Put two Green Tea bags in a cup and cover with ¼ cup of boiling water. Allow to cool until it is warm to the touch. Then use the tea bags directly on the face, especially in any areas that tend to be puffy, such as lower eye lids. Allow the tea bags to stay in place for 20 min-1/2 hour. You can also use the liquid that the tea bags soaked in directly on the skin as a refreshing wash. Green tea is also available in powdered form, which is great for mixing into creams and lotions. Try green tea powder mixed into organic plain yogurt for a soothing and nutrition rich mask.

Ellen Kamhi PhD RN, The Natural Nurse®, can be heard on radio daily. She is the author of several books, including WEIGHT LOSS, the Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide. Dr. Kamhi has been involved in natural health care for over 4 decades. She answers consumer questions and has a private practice on Long Island. www.naturalnurse.com (954) 418-2388.

Every generation is interested in looking their best. Baby boomers, along with 20 and 30 year olds enjoy retaining their youthful appearance. Exotic fruits are very hot in the cosmetic industry right now. These fruits contain high antioxidant levels, are extremely popular and contain numerous anti aging benefits. Many of these ingredients are also being used in nutritional drinks. Super Fruit Blends may also be combined with herbs such as Green Tea in many skin care product that contains green tea and exotic fruits.

Antioxidants are a group of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and enzymes found in plant foods. These vital substances help to protect our cells from free radicals, the culprits responsible for causing damage to cells, including skin cells. Free radicals are groups of unstable atoms looking to obtain electrons in order to become stable. They can pull electrons off cell membranes, unleashing a vicious cycle of cell destruction, known as a “free radical cascade.” In addition to causing various diseases, free radical damage activates an enzyme called metalloproteinase which breaks down collagen and cell membranes, leading to aging and illness. Luckily there are literally thousands of antioxidants from natural sources to help us win the “free radical battle”.

Antioxidants are often incorporated in all types of skin care products, such as day creams, night creams, foundations, lip products, moisturizers, SPF products, bath, hair care and acne products.

While antioxidants have been around forever, they are now getting a lot more attention. Consumers today are reading labels and they are looking for products with ingredients that sound familiar, rather than a host of strange chemicals. Antioxidants occur naturally in a large number of botanicals and they are being used in cosmetic and personal care products. Consumers are correctly associating the presence of these naturally occurring antioxidants with healthy skin.

The trend towards natural products has been increasing every year. We have seen a large increase in the use and demand for botanical extracts in foods and supplements. Baby boomers spend billions each year in an effort to look youthful and healthy. Technology and science are now validating the folkloric and traditional use of natural fruits and vegetables to enhance health and beauty.

Recently a test method called ORAC has been developed to measure the antioxidant potency of skin care products. Although many folks are still unaware of ORAC testing, the ORAC value is becoming an important evaluation in terms of the antioxidant level in foods, cosmetics and other skin care products. ORAC stands for “Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity”. ORAC describes a laboratory analysis of the antioxidant activity against various free radicals, such as the peroxyl radical, which is one of the most common reactive oxygen species(ROS) that cause damage to cell membranes in the body. ORAC measures the ability of substances to neutralize this free radical. The greater the amount of free radicals a nutrient or product can combat, the higher its ORAC score. This standard was developed in a collaborated effort by the National Institute on Aging and the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging . People who are knowledgably about the meaning of ORAC become more interested in this measurement value. Some fruits with highest ORAC scoring value include Acai, Mangosteen and Goji, along with Green Tea. Here is some information about these fruits:

Mangosteen– Asia- “queen of the fruit” -antioxidants such as mangostin.

Goji Berry– Asia-wolfberry, polysaccharides, that ‘amplify signals’ between cells, and improve immune defense.

Pomegranate– Middle East-Vitamin C, potassium, polyphenols and a host of other beneficial antioxidants

Red Coffee Fruit– Central America- high in bioflavonoids, Vitamin C and other antioxidants

Muscadine Grape– Southeastern US, resveratrol and anthocyanidins, with powerful free radical scavengers

Blueberries– US, Europe-phytonutrients including Vitamin C, Phenolics, Anthocyanins

When choosing skin care products, take some time to read the ingredients. The exotic fruits listed above can enhance the antioxidant activity of the product, and provide additional support for skin health. Be sure to read ‘other ingredients’ and avoid products that feature a long paragraph list of chemicals.

Ellen Kamhi, PhD, RN is the author of The Natural Medicine Chest. She offers individual consultations
Contact Dr. Kamhi at (954) 418-2388