Juicer Recipes Now

There are many benefits of juicing. Whether its vegetables or fruit, the juicing process is a great way to get the health benefits from a variety of foods while avoiding some of the mild irritants those foods can engender. Blackberries, which are a source of powerful antioxidants, are one fruit that falls in that category.

Blackberries are an excellent source of vitamins K, B, C, and manganese. They are a great source of polyphenolic anitoxidants, such as ellagic acid, tannins, quercetin, and anthocyanins. These compounds come together to give blackberries one of the highest oxygen radical scavenging capacities of any fruit. And if you’re interested in learning more about how to boost your metabolism, the antioxidants in blackberries have been proven to boost beneficial metabolic processes.

While blackberries are, in an of themselves, one of the best healthy snacks for weight loss, there are two common complaints many people (especially kids) make about eating blackberries. The first is seeds, and the second is bitterness. Blackberries are loaded with seeds, which anyone can be objectionable, as the numerous, tiny seeds get lodged in-between teeth and gums. The second is the bitter taste associated with the healthiest of blackberries, which is a by-product of the high concentration of antioxidant compounds. Although sweeter varieties are available, the trade-off is a reduction in those same beneficial antioxidants. These come together to make blackberries a prime candidate for juicing, which can eliminate the complaints about seeds altogether. Chosen properly, other juices can be used to counteract the bitterness, allowing consumers to reap the greatest benefits possible from blackberries.

Juices that complement blackberries nicely are mango, pear, and cranberry. Mangos and pears are both sweet, which nicely balances the tannic acid in the healthiest varieties of blackberries. By contrast, cranberries offer a combination of sweet and sour that, if anything, enhances the “pucker factor.” Other options include locally harvested honey, and for the more adventurous, wheatgrass. In addition to providing sweetness, locally harvested honey offers a natural long-term solution for allergy sufferers, while wheatgrass provides all the benefits expected from chlorophyll. Taken together, these give the maximum antioxidant punch, as well as give you a great all-natural energy boost.

Fortunately, there are only a handful of tips necessary to get the most from blackberry juicing. Blackberries contain many nooks and crannies in which pesticides and bacteria can reside. With this in mind, always remember to wash the berries well before juicing, as well as to disinfect, either with a solution of vinegar or a commercially available food disinfectant. Soaking works best.

When possible, make the juice using freshly picked berries that are soft and juicy. After the peak of ripeness, the beneficial compounds in berries deteriorate quickly. If fresh, locally harvested berries aren’t available, frozen generally offers the next best thing, as frozen berries are picked at the peak of ripeness and frozen to preserve nutrients.

Blackberries are an oft-overlooked choice to use in juicing recipes, but with just a handful of tips, they can be one of the most versatile additions to your arsenal to develop the healthiest, tastiest juicing recipes around.

Bio: Greg Hayes is the author of Live Fit Blog, where he writes about fitting fitness into busy lives.

Calendula, or Marigold, is a flower that is common to North America and Europe. The brightly colored petals of the flower have been used medicinally for hundreds of years. It can be taken orally, but it is the topical applications that make it so coveted in the alternative health community. From skin conditions to stomach ulcers, knowing more about calendula will enable you to start putting it to good use in your day-to-day life.

Before you use calendula medicinally it helps to know what makes calendula effective. Calendula is antioxidant rich. Antioxidants help counteract the free radicals that damage cells within the body. Free radicals can be caused by environmental factors such as pollution, or the sun; but free radicals are also a natural by-product of cell oxidation. Calendula also increases blood flow to an area of the body when applied topically, which promotes more rapid healing.

Calendula For Wounds

Calendula can be used to speed up healing if you have a bruise, cut, or burn. The petals of the plant are turned into an ointment, tincture, or wash that is applied topically. In addition to speeding up the healing process, calendula also has mild antibacterial properties so it can help prevent and treat minor infections in wounds. Calendula can be applied topically three to four times daily as needed.

Calendula For Skin Care

Calendula has many benefits for the skin. It can be applied via a tincture, ointment, or wash. Calendula is often found on the ingredient list for things like diaper rash ointment because of the fact that it promotes healing and can control infection. It is also used to treat skin rashes such as dermatitis and eczema. Calendula can be applied two to four times daily as needed to treat skin conditions. Calendula has also been used as a natural cure for acne.

Calendula Tea

Calendula tea has been used medicinally to treat upset stomach, stomach ulcers and to relieve the pain associated with menstrual cramps. However, calendula can affect the menstrual cycle so you should not use it when you are trying to conceive, during pregnancy, or while breast-feeding. It is not advisable to give children calendula in any preparation they have to consume by mouth. Before taking calendula by mouth, you should consult a physician because it may interact with certain prescription medications; though the risk of interactions is low. You can drink two to three cups of calendula tea daily to reap the medicinal benefits.

Daisy Raybould has a passion for solving health problems the way nature intended. She, along with a number of fellow natural health enthusiasts, share their tips, secrets and recipes designed to help you attain perfect health using the power of nature’s wonders at her natural health blog.

High blood pressure, otherwise referred to as hypertension, is a common condition that affects many people today who live into their sunset years. Blood pressure is the force of blood pressing against the arterial walls. When the pressure is too high, it raises the workload of the heart, which eventually damages the arteries. If left untreated, hypertension can lead to stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure. This condition is sometimes referred to as a silent killer as it may not have external visible symptoms, hence the need to eat healthy and watch your diet.

Juices for high blood pressure can help you maintain and keep your condition under control. Keep in mind that hypertension is a life-long condition; hence it is important to formulate a life-long dietary plan that would be complimented by regular exercises, to help keep the condition under control, thereby reducing the risks of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. These juices work by:-

First and foremost, juicing for hypertension works by calcium channel blockers which will significantly slow down the movement of calcium from what you consume to the cells of the blood and heart vessels. Because calcium is known to cause strong heart contractions, the juices can ease contractions of the heart and help relax your blood vessels. It is to be mentioned that most fruits and vegetables contain calcium in substantial amounts, so it would be best to avoid those that are potent in calcium. Apples, lemons, honeydew melons, tangerines etc can make good juices for high blood pressure.

The other characteristic that you should look out for in good juices for high blood pressure should be ACE inhibitors. ACE inhibitors work by reducing the supply of angiotensin II in the body, a substance that leads to narrowing and contraction of blood vessels. The result is relaxed, well dilated arteries and low blood pressure meaning less pressure on the heart. Good examples of these juices are carrot and grapefruit juice.

Spinach juice is also great for controlling high blood pressure. Spinach is a known potent source of magnesium, hence will play a significant role in preventing heart diseases. Spinach juice will also contain folate which will help protect the body from homocysteine, a compound which can lead to strokes and heart attacks.

Brocolli juice has also been associated with hypertension, thanks to its high source of potassium and chromium that are known to help in insulin and blood sugar regulation. Another important juice, although a little controversial as to the amount of juice that one should take, is tomato juice. Tomatoes are a potent source of potassium, vitamins A, C, and E, and calcium.

As previously mentioned, the last thing you would want for a hypertension case is calcium. But on the flip side of the coin, Tomato juices are potent sources of lycopene, a very powerful antioxidant known to reduce heart disease risks. So ensure you consult a dietitian or nutritionist before relying on tomato juice as a natural way of controlling yoru high blood pressure condition.

This article has been written by Isabelle Walker who is a writer for MethodsofHealing where you can get some useful information on sleep apnea .

Natural morning sickness remedies

Three fourths of all pregnant women experience morning sickness, the slightly inaccurate term to describe pregnancy nausea and vomiting. This makes it one of the most universal pregnancy signs out there, and of course one that most women would rather rid themselves of. Thankfully, there are many natural remedies that can help women feel better. What can you do to safely attempt to remedy morning sickness?

Bland crackers for breakfast

Read any article about pregnancy nausea, and you are very likely to come across the advice to eat dry toast or bland crackers (like rice crackers) in the morning, before even getting up. This advice is rather common, because it actually very effective for many women. Even if you do vomit after your bland, unsalted “breakfast”, throwing up is going to be less unpleasant than it would have been on an empty stomach. 

Eat small meals frequently

There is a strong connection between low blood sugar levels and pregnancy nausea, so it is no surprise that eating smaller meals frequently throughout the day offers relief to many expectant mothers. Try eating five small meals. If you incorporate proteins like boiled eggs, beans, tofu, and peanuts into your diet, your blood sugar levels will remain more stable and your nausea will probably be reduced a little. 

Herbal remedies

Drinking red raspberry leaf (RRL) tea, using fresh or dried ginger in foods, sipping dried peach leaf tea, and using a peppermint infusion are all known herbal remedies for morning sickness. Lemon is also a powerful nausea reliever. Red raspberry leaf tea is a uterine tonic and helps women all through their quest to motherhood. While you are still wondering how to get pregnant, it helps increase your fertility, and it plays a role in preparing for an easier birth later on in pregnancy as well. 

Know your triggers

Women in their first trimester of pregnancy will notice that some foods and smells induce nausea. Eating greasy, highly processed, or spicy foods causes problems for many newly pregnant women. Take note of your morning sickness triggers, and avoid them as much as possible to gain some relief from nausea and vomiting. Stuffy rooms and smells like stale cigarette smoke also causes morning sickness in many expectant mothers. 

The bloggers at Trying To Conceive are passionate about fermale health and fertility. With their free ovulation calendar, women who are hoping for a baby can pinpoint their most fertile days.

Just How Effective is Juicing for Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a substance found in the human body and plays an integral role in building and maintaining body cells. Many people know cholesterol not because of its positive role in the body but because of the fear of high cholesterol. They say too much of something is poisonous, and this can never be truer than with cholesterol. Excessive amounts of what is known as ‘bad cholesterol’ in the body can be life threatening, to say the least.

While cholesterol can be derived from the foods that you eat, in most cases most of it comes from the liver and surrounding organs, and will be found circulating in your bloodstream. The bad cholesterol is known as LDL, and helps transport body building materials all over the body where they are needed.

However, if there is too much LDL in the bloodstream, it ends up lining your artery walls, and as a result forms a ‘plaque’. What this means is that your arteries will become narrow and narrow by the day, and as time goes by become less efficient at transporting building materials. If left untreated for long, it may lead to stroke or heart attack, because it might eventually interfere with blood flow towards the brain and/ or heart. The good cholesterol on the other hand is known as High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL), which counters the effects of the LDL.

With that being said, doctors have always advised on controlling cholesterol levels in the body. If the current statistics are anything to go by, then juicing for cholesterol really works. Avocado juice for example has proven very effective in this. Avocadoes are naturally rich in oleic acid as well as some substantial amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Studies show that the healthy fats found in Avocado can help lower LDL levels in the body. These they do by increasing the levels of HDL while helping get rid of LDL cholesterol.

There is also evidence that soluble fiber does reduce the bad cholesterol in the body. Juices rich in soluble fiber include plum juice, strawberries, pears, apples, and carrot juice. Green vegetable juices, such as spinach juice, amaranth juice, have also proven very effective when it comes to not only getting rid of the bad cholesterol but also regulating it in the blood stream. What this means is that a regular intake of these juices will occupy a large and constant part in your blood stream hence the ‘bad cholesterol will never find space to stay. As such, they will be effective in the transportation of body building materials and because they will be regulated, they accumulation will be very minimal.

Garlic juice has also proven an effective remedy for high cholesterol levels in the body. Garlic is a super food thanks to its amazing properties. In this case, it acts a natural blood thinner (the same way aspirin works), and because of it’s a antioxidant, you can rest assured it will be very effective in controlling the levels of cholesterol. While it may be hard to take garlic as it is, you might want to mix it with sweeter juices, and so is the case with the vegetable juices, to help improve the taste and make it ‘sweeter’.

This article was written by Avina, a contributor for the site Ultimate Cosmetics where you can learn some useful beauty tips.