THEY ARE BERRY BERRY GOOD FOR YOU - DIETING WITH THE BERRIES

Part 1 of 6

Berries are low in calories, sweet with all natural sugars, and should be an essential part of your diet. You can satisfy your sweet tooth while giving your body the nutrients it deserves. Just pick and eat.

Part of dieting is eating healthier. Incorporating these colorful and delicious berries into your daily diet is a smart and easy way to start. Fresh berries are packed with vital nutrients, such as antioxidants, that are important to good health. These antioxidants help to protect our cells from free-radicals responsible for aging and other diseases. When we use oxygen, we produce free-radicals, which can cause damage to our cells. Antioxidants can help prevent or slow this damage. Showcased below are a few berries with their health benefits, a good reason to include them in your daily diet.

STRAWBERRIES

Strawberries – this all American summer favorite destroy viruses (especially when mashed or liquefied.) They have been linked to lower cancer deaths and help protect against macular degeneration. They are packed with vitamin C which aides the function of the immune system. They also contain calcium, magnesium, folate and potassium.

BLACKBERRY

Blackberries are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. They are excellent in aiding weight loss and maintaining good general health. They are rich in the antioxidant anthocyanin, which are thought to reduce the risk of stroke and cancer. They also known to the Greeks as the “gout-berry” because they are used to treat gout related symptoms. They contain fiber, manganese, folate, Vitamins C, E and K, magnesium, potassium, and copper.

BLUEBERRY

Blueberries are ranked No. 1 in antioxidant properties. In fact, gram for gram, they have twice that of spinach and three times that of oranges. They also may help to lower the risk of developing age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. They contain fiber, vitamin c, and pectin which helps to lower cholesterol. Blueberries also contain anthocyanin, which is a mild antibiotic properties, especially against intestinal bacteria that causes diarrhea.

RASPBERRY

Raspberries are a delicious fruit loaded with powerful phytonutrients (natural occurring chemical compounds) and anti-oxidants that can strengthen the immune system and help the body ward off diseases. They are also rich in vitamins C and B, fiber, folic acid, magnesium, copper and iron.

CRANBERRY

Cranberries contain significant amounts of antioxidants and other phytonutrients which help prevent heart disease, stroke, and cancer, among other health problems.  They also contain proanthocyanidins which help prevent the adhesion of bacteria to the walls of the urinary tract, prevent gum disease and stomach ulcers. Cranberries boost the level of pro-collagen in the skin which aides in preventing aging of the skin and maybe even helps to reverse the skin aging process.

GOJI BERRY

The Goji Berry is a dark red colored fruit that is sweet tasting. Most people don’t know that this fruit has extraordinary healing properties. It is also known as the “longevity fruit” because it is very high in anti-oxidants. This berry stimulates the secretion by the pituitary gland of human growth hormone, also known as the youth hormone, which helps to improve memory, accelerate healing, restore libido and gain a more youthful appearance. Its polyaccharides help to reduce body weight by converting more food into energy, not fat and its carotenoids protect against macular degeneration and cataracts. These berries have been linked to the prevention of diabetes and cancer and they also contains six vitamins and 21 minerals.

All of these little gems are more than just bountiful berries. These gems can come to the rescue with their powerful super food antioxidants. Health problems such as cancer, heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, arthritis, hypertension and Alzheimer’s disease can all be created by free radicals, but with significant amounts of antioxidants, they can protect healthy cells, reducing inflammation and preventing cell damage. Berries pack a big punch in a tiny package.

These berries are part of the Half Baked Diet Plan found here. Included in the E-Book are plenty of recipes and a 14 day meal plan. It really is a simple and very satisfying diet. You will love that you can still eat your most favorite foods!

Dieting Help 1010

Help, I need somebody. Help, not just anybody. Help, I need somebody to understand. Ohh Help!

Help is here, and I’m not just anybody. I am one that understands the dieting dilemmas. I wrote an excellent E-Book called the Half Baked Diet Plan because I have gone through a lot of dieting dilemmas. In fact there was a dilemma to every diet, hence, I decided to come up with my own diet plan.

If you are like the many of thousands of people, out there right now, that took on a New Year’s resolution, and have already jacked up your diet plan, Don’t feel guilty, don’t feel ashamed. I know how you feel. I bet you wonder where your willpower has gone, like you have no power over your brain or your actions. You probably feel like a failure yet again because you just can’t change your eating habits. You feel that food has taken over not only your body, but your life. Well in all honesty…food probably has taken over both your body and your life……I’m here to help you take back control. With a little dieting help, let’s take control by doing a little at a time. Let’s not change your whole life and/or lifestyle at once, it simple won’t work.

First, pick three fruits that you like so much you could almost eat them every day, i.e. banana, apple, orange. Then pick a fruit you like but is kind of a luxury item, i.e. blueberries. And then pick one fruit you have never tried, maybe the papaya.

Second, pick three vegetables that you like so much you could almost eat them every day, i.e. lettuce or salad mix, corn, green beans. Then a veggie you like but is kind of a luxury item, i.e. portabella mushrooms. And then pick a vegetable you have never tried, maybe the eggplant.

Third, go to the store and buy these items. For the six fruits and veggies you picked that you could eat every day, buy enough of them so that you could mix and match them to have at least two of them a day, i.e. banana for breakfast, orange for lunch, salad for snacks or dinner and green beans for dinner. Buy enough of your luxury fruits and veggies for at LEAST one meal if not two. And buy the one serving of the fruit and vegetable that you have never tried.

Forth, eat 2-3 fruit servings per day. It is best that you eat the fruits before 6pm because of the natural sugars they contain. These sugars can keep you from sleeping if you eat them to late at night.

Fifth, eat at least 3, 4 is better, servings of vegetables per day.

Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet will do a few things for you. You will be giving your body more natural foods, and these foods are healthier for your body. Most people these days don’t even get one serving of fruits or vegetables in their daily diet….so by all means this is a start. And by eating your fruits and vegetables first at every meal you will feel fuller and will eat less.

Now that’s not hard is it? You can do this! You don’t have to cut out any of your favorite foods! Easy, simple, not much to change or do.  After a few weeks of this, we’ll add another step.

Lisa is the author of the Half Baked Diet Plan. She is a Life Coach and specializes in helping people be the best that they can be. Grab you copy of the Half Baked Diet Plan at www.creatingoptimisticbeliefs.com/HalfBaked.php