Fruits hard at work.

How hard are the foods you are eating working for you?
Are they blocking and fighting everyday toxins?
Are they giving you all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs on the daily?
Do they help you burn fat?


Most of us, I'd hope, would agree that fruits and vegetables are the first foods that come to mind when thinking about healthy foods.  We would also be correct in that assumption. Most of our fruits carry antitoxin that aides in the protection of cells in the body, which prevent us from disease and other illness.  Vitamins are also heavily found in fruits. Learn more about the benefits of vitamins at In everyday life we all want to be as fit and health as possible.  Although, we would like to do it the easiest and fastest way possible with the best results possible.  Unfortunately, this could easily cause even more health issues.  I am not saying that there are not some short cut easy was to achieve better health, because there are a million, what I am saying is that think twice before you hurl yourself into a strict diet of sorts.  A good way to start on your journey to total health and fitness success is to start eating right.  Start picking up and eating those fruits, vegetables, high protein meats, etc;  Something as simple as a handful of walnuts or a apple a day could add years to your life.  It's simply amazing when you look at it from that perspective.  We have all heard the famous saying " A apple a day keeps the doctor away", but it holds more truth than most will give credit.
  Apples rank very high in antitoxins. Red apples especially are the highest and contain natural anti-inflammatory, anti-allergens and have been very successful in the treatment of skin and prostate cancers. Just one medium sized apple alone contains the vitamins B1,B2,B3 B5,B6,B9 and C, as well as the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. It's been proven that women that eat at least one apple a day are at least 25% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than of those who opted out on their daily apple. Women who eat at least one apple a day are 28 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who don’t eat apples.
Oranges carry ample amounts of the most famous vitamin, C. Vitamin C helps aid in the fight against attacks on the immune system, such as the flu or common cold.  Oranges have as many health benefits as apples do honestly. Oranges are also high in Iron and Vitamin B6, essential in the production of red cells in the blood, which carry oxygen from lungs to cells. Besides vitamin C, oranges are mainly known for their high source of calcium, which is important in our strength of bones and teeth. Oranges are helpful in preventing several other diseases, like arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, rheumatism and diabetes. The fruit is low in calories, contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, but is rich in dietary fiber. Just remember to be careful of vitamin C overdose and acidic levels that can cause serious health issues.
Apricots aren't one of the most popular fruits or cheapest either, but I think it has a lot to do with the lack of information put out there of the awesome benefits of this small fruit. (In comparison with apples and oranges at least!) Apricots provide Vitamin C, iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and fiber among other nutrients. The fruit contains a lot of beta-carotene which helps in the defense of several kinds of cancers and retina protection. Apricots are secret weapons against insomnia. It's high amount of amino acids boosts
serotonin levels which regulates sleeping patterns and helps you achieve a deeper more peaceful sleep.  Try one before bed and see if it helps you sleep any better.

Tomatoes, yes remember they are fruits not vegetables, have been found to help cut the risk of bladder, stomach, and colon cancers in half when eaten daily. They contain large amounts of vitamin C. They also contain vitamin A, potassium, and iron. Though raw tomatoes are great for you, cooking them increases the intensity of the benefits.One of the best things about tomatoes is the benefits in making canned tomatoes and tomato sauce are just as viable and beneficial as fresh tomatoes would be.  They don't lose their umph I guess you could say.  Many health experts have found the benefits of tomatoes are believed to be associated with the natural chemical that makes it red, Lycopene. Lycopene is the most common organic pigment in the human body. Unbelievably, the amount of lycopene in tomatoes that is available for use by the human body is increased when cooked. Making tomatoes even healthier for you.

Dragon fruit is one of the most unique fruits and runs on the more expensive side of fresh fruits. It is high in vitamin C and is said to be one of the best antitoxidant among the fruits.  It prevents free radicals and protects from cancer. Regular consumption of the fruit aides in fighting against cough and asthma. Dragon fruit acts like a multivitamin and helps to improve and recover the loss of appetite. The fruit has also shown signs of improvement in weight loss. Overall, dragon fruit has to be one of the most healthiest things to eat.
  Bananas, of course, we all associated with having tons of potassium which plays a key role in heart health and muscle function as well as bone and kidney health. Bananas are one of the highest sources of naturally available vitamin B6 which aides in helping the body to make hemoglobin and maintain proper blood sugar levels. They are also a wonderful source in dietary fiber. Bananas have got to be one of the cheapest and easiest fruits to find in the local markets. They usually run around $0.50 a LB. in the states.
These are just a few of many fruits that aide in the protection and health of our bodies. Remember Vitamin C and antitoxins are found in fruits of all backgrounds. So for the most part, you can't really go wrong with picking up a piece.



Vitamin packed Fruits

Of course we are all aware of the fact that fresh fruits and vegetables are good for our health. They contain many of the vitamins that our bodies need to perform properly and most effectively, such as vitamin A,B,C,D, E and many more. What many of you don't know is why these vitamins are so essential and which fruits are best in providing them.
The most known and widespread is probably vitamin C.
The body requires vitamin C to form and maintain bones, blood vessels, and skin. (Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid) It also needs to be replenished daily.  It helps produce collagen. (a protein needed to develop and maintain healthy teeth, bones, gums, cartilage, vertebrae discs, joint linings, skin and blood vessels) Other health benefits of vitamin C are that it helps fight infections, lessens the risk of heart disease, helps regulate cholesterol levels, and is often praised for fighting off the common cold or flu. 
Fruits high in vitamin C include oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, tangerines, pears, bananas, papayas, strawberries, mangoes, blackberries, blueberries, kiwis, pineapples, watermelons, raspberries, cranberries, cantaloupes.  
The next is, well we will just go down the line shall we, vitamin B.  This vitamin plays a important roles in metabolism, healthy muscle tone, healthy skin, and cell growth.  It serves as a great immune system booster and needs to be replenished daily.Fruits high in vitamin B are bananas, oranges, and grapefruits.
Vitamin A is best known for its health effects on the eyes and the vitamin is extremely important to color vision and it also plays a role in immune function and antioxidant activity. Good sources include mangoes, papayas, and apricots. 
Vitamin K is less mentioned but don't think that makes it any less important than others like C.  Vitamin K plays a critical role in blood clotting and bone health.  Avocados have a high source of vitamin K. Other fruits that provide the vitamin are black and blueberries, mangoes, pears, and tomatoes.
Vitamin E serves a lot of the same roles and benefits of vitamin C. It is a great source in body tissue protection and a winkle fighter.  It has been said to have a ability to soothe and heal broken or stressed skin tissue. Many of the berries such as black, blue, and boysenberries  carry larges amounts of vitamin E. Kiwis and mangoes also contain a good amount of the skin protecting vitamin.
All these and many other vitamins, are essential to our everyday health. If boosting your immune system and giving yourself overnight energy, health, and overall better appearance only takes a few steps starting with eating right then why wait any longer? Start with these simple, everyday, fruits in your diet.  When craving something sweet reach for a few berries or a mango.  It really is that easy to start on a healthy track of living.  Like I stated before, you have to begin somewhere and eating right holds the most benefit. 

Glycemic Index

One of the most important things to keep in mind on your journey to overall health and fitness is to watch the foods, and such, that you put into your body. Some foods contain more acid, sugars, carbohydrates, salt, and other factors that contribute to the health of your body. Often you will here the term glycemic index or GI. Glycemic index is a numeric rating system that measures one food's ability to raise blood sugar against another's, the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels.  Only foods that contain carbohydrates have a glycemic index value. Any food that has a GI value of 100 or more will raise your blood sugar just as pure sugar would.
This doesn't mean that all Carbs are bad or you need to give up some of your favorite foods. The glycemic index of a food is defined as the area under the two hour blood glucose response curve following the ingestion of a fixed portion of carbohydrate. A low GI food will release glucose more slowly and steadily where as high-GI food causes a more rapid rise in blood glucose levels.  For those whom are trying to achieve a positive exercise regimen that produces results, keep in mind that it's been proven a higher GI level will help in energy recovery after exercise. Although, many would claim that foods such as carrots and potatoes are dangerous to your health other would argue that they are the opposite. Some of us, more than others, have to pay close attention to these levels such as diabetics. Many modern diets rely on the glycemic index such as the South Beach Diet. Yet some would say that foods like chocolate cake, that carry a lower GI level are easier to work off, so they are not as unhealthy as others would state.  This is one of those crazy things that has many a opinion and factors.  I mean, how on earth is chocolate cake possibly good for you? 
Here I will list some everyday foods and their glycemic levels:
Potatoes 120
Parsnips 97
Sweet Potatoes 85
Corn 85
Rutabaga 72
Carrots 70
Green Peas 50 - 70
Fructose - 12-25
Glucose - 85-111
Honey - 32-87
Lactose - 46
Milk, regular  11-40
Skimmed milk - 32
Sugar free- 14-23
White bread - 64-87
Whole wheat bread - 52-87
Muffins, cakes, pancakes, waffles etc - vary between 38-102
Rice Cakes - 61-91
All bran - 30-51
Bran buds - 58
Corn flakes 72-92
Corn Chex - 83
Fruit loops - 69
Rice chex - 89
Quick cooking oats - 66
Instant cream of wheat - 74
Grains
Barley - 22-48
Barley, cooked - 50
cornmeal boiled in water - 69
long grained white rice - 50-64
Short and medium grained white rice - 83-93
Brown rice - 66-87
Rice pasta - 40-92
Apples - 28-44, average 38
Raw apricots - 57
Dried apricots - 31
Under ripe Banana - 30
Over ripe Banana - 52
Cherries - 22
Dates - 103
Grapefruit - 25
Grapes - 46-49
Pears - 33-42
Plums - 24-53
Strawberries - 40
Carrot juice - 43
Cranberry juice cocktail - 52-68
Grapefruit juice - 48
Orange Juice - 46-53
Pineapple juice - 46


Hopefully, This helps a bit.  As I have stated before, please keep in mind or rather take into consideration that these foods and their glycemic levels effect us in different ways.  Ultimatlely, eating healthy, reasonable portions of foods, with a daily exercise regime the average person can stay healthly and fit throughout their lives. 
 

How important is Exercise

Often we hear about the benefits of exercise, but rarely do you hear about the consequences of lack of exercise to your body.  Exercise effects every part and aspect of our bodies whether it positive or negative.  It effects us from our bones, our muscles, to our organs and exterior.  Bone and muscle are living tissue that respond to exercise by becoming stronger. Young women and men who exercise regularly almost           always achieve greater peak bone mass than those who do not.  For most of us, our bone mass peaks sometime in our 30's.  As time goes on, we of course lose bone and muscle mass.  Exercising allows us to maintain muscle strength, coordination, and balance, which in turn helps to prevent falls and related fractures.
Benefits to exercise
Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It can improve your appearance and delay the aging process and help you stay looking and feeling much younger throughout life. It also is proven that exercise improved mental health as well.  What more do you need  to know than that?  Still not convinced? No worries, I'll continue.
In exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. When sitting around or being inactive you are putting you body and health at serious risk.  Your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs won't function efficiently. And your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Doesn't sound like something I am interested in how about you?  You can lead a more active life with better mobility and flexibility. It's a proven fact. On top of that, exercise is a great factor in the healing and recovery process from injuries and illness. Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life.
Some things to keep in mind
Exercising with weights and other forms of resistance training develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned. Resistance training exercises build lean muscle. Building lean muscle will speed up your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories. The more muscle you build, the more calories you'll burn. The more calories you burn, the more body fat you'll lose. Exercise will improve the function of your heart and lungs. Stronger lungs can more efficiently deliver oxygen to the body during times of need, while a more powerful heart delivers precious blood to muscles and organs. Exercise will keep your body weight in a healthy range. In a closing note, remember that stretching and flexibility play huge roles in basic and extreme exercise.  Always, keep in mind that your body is fragile in it's own right and try not to push it too hard or you could not only backtrack process, but put yourself in more danger than good.

Health is serious folks

Seems like every time we turn the corner, in this day in age, that the main concern in life is almost anything but health.  I mean real health not the average check-ups at your doctor office, or the vitamins you take daily, not the water filter you add to your faucet, or the millions of medications you can get prescribed to you these days.  It's not any of these things.  Health is a over-all body necessity!  Mind, body, and soul type deal.  The things you eat, drink, inhale, touch, and in anyway come in contact with contribute to your health. 
The first step to achieving total body health is to get the right mindset. Until you are ready to commit to yourself and the rest of your life then it's very easy to start to slip back into old "unhealthy" habits.  I have recently found there is a lot of power in writing down your goals and holding yourself accountable.  If you can daily visually see your goals you will be more likely to pursue them. Start with one main thing that you want/need to do to start your steps towards a healthier fuller life.  Perhaps you want to start jogging, or eating less processed foods, maybe you want to try smiling more during the day.  Smiling is proven to release " good energy" into the body which makes it easier to again reach those goals we just talked about setting.  It doesn't matter what it is just pick something.  You have to start somewhere to go anywhere.

Health Definitions

Here are some definitions of some words that will appear on this site often.  Read them. Know them. Practice them.

Fitness (noun)
 1. The state or condition of being fit; suitability or appropriateness.
 2. Good health or physical condition, especially as the result of exercise and proper nutrition.

Wellness (noun)
 1. The condition of good physical and mental health

Health (noun)
 1. The overall condition of an organism at a given time

 2. Soundness, especially of body or mind; freedom from disease or abnormality.

Exercise (noun)

 1. Activity that requires physical or mental exertion, especially when performed to develop or maintain fitness

 2. An activity having a specified aspect

Body (noun)

The entire material or physical structure of an organism. The physical part of a person.

 2. The largest or principal part of an organ

Beauty (noun)

  1. A quality or feature that is most effective, gratifying, or telling

  2. The quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and originality.

Determination (noun)

 1. Firmness of purpose; resolve

 2. The act of making or arriving at a decision

 3. A fixed movement or tendency toward an object or end.

Diet (noun)

 1. The usual food and drink of a person

 2. A regulated selection of foods, as for medical reasons or cosmetic weight loss

Toning (verb)

 1. To make firmer or stronger.

 2. The normal state of elastic tension or partial contraction in resting muscles

Workout (noun)

 1. A session of exercise or practice to improve fitness

 2. A strenuous test of ability and endurance.

Adrenaline (noun)

 1. a hormone that is secreted by the adrenal medulla in response to stress and increases heart rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure, and raises the blood levels of glucose and lipids

Aerobics (noun)

 1. A system of physical conditioning designed to enhance circulatory and respiratory efficiency that involves vigorous sustained exercise

 2. A program of physical fitness that involves such exercise.

Heart Rate (noun)

 1. The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually expressed as beats per minute

Pulse (noun)

 1. The rhythmical throbbing of arteries produced by the regular contractions of the heart

Firming (verb)

 1. To make or become firm

 2. Marked by or indicating the tone and resiliency of healthy tissue