During transport the produce is vulnerable to handling and a wide range of pollutants. This is why it’s so important to use a reliable and all natural fruit and vegetable wash. Eat Cleaner is a very effective fruit and vegetable cleaner and overall food cleaner. Eat Cleaner is made here in the United States with all natural FDA approved ingredients to ensure health and safety. This all-purpose veggie wash is a sustainable product as it extends food life up to 200%, which reduces waste.

As a fruit and vegetable wash, Eat Cleaner was winner of the Disney iParenting Award and World’s Best Technologies Gold Prize because it’s such a safe and effective product. Featured on the Eat Cleaner website is the story of how the product came about, a sampling of YouTube videos about the veggie wash and food cleaning in general, and all the product facts you need to know to keep your produce clean with this stellar vegetable cleaner.

For the safety and health of you and your family it’s essential that you use a good fruit and vegetable wash. Eat Cleaner is scientifically proven to work more effectively than plain water as a veggie wash to remove and rinse away pesticides, waxy build up, and other bacteria that can be harmful to our health.

Eat Cleaner is a reliable, natural, and safe alternative to soap and water for all your veggie wash needs to ensure the food you eat is clean and pollutant free.

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Feeling bushed, exhausted, all in?  Pop a handful of blueberries in your mouth and enjoy a little energy boost, along with a mother-lode of nutrients. For such a small fruit, blueberries pack a wallop! Let’s take a look at this North American favorite and learn more about this beautiful, and versatile, fruit.

What is it?

The actual fruit is a tiny round berry with a flare at the end resembling a crown. The color pallet of blueberries as they mature ranges from pale green to reddish-purple, and finally deep purplish-blue when ready to be picked and eaten. Blueberries characteristically have a whitish-gray powdery or waxy ‘bloom’ that covers the surface as a protective coating. When ripe, blueberries have a sweet taste and a juicy inside.  Blueberries usually hit the peak of their season, depending on the region, sometime between May and October.

History

Blueberries are generally found in North America, Europe, and Asia with many native species residing in the United States. Many North American native species of blueberries are now also commercially grown in the Southern Hemisphere in Australia, New Zealand, and South American countries.

Several other plants of the same family also produce commonly eaten blue-colored berries such as the predominantly European bilberry, which, in many languages, has a name that means ‘blueberry’ in English.

Health benefits of blueberries

Especially in wild species, similar to its cousin acai berry, blueberries contain anthocyanins and other pigments high in antioxidant properties possibly having a role in reducing risks of inflammatory diseases and certain cancers. Technically speaking, blueberries contain pterostilbene, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and resveratrol, all which inhibit the cell development of cancers. Nutritionally speaking, blueberries are a good source of vitamin C, manganese, dietary fiber, and vitamin E , and are low in calories, so you can enjoy a bucketful without guilt.

Many studies have found that blueberry consumption lowers cholesterol and total blood lipid levels, possibly reducing the risks of heart disease and high blood pressure. Even more studies have found that a diet rich in blueberries may enhance short-term memory in older adults while reducing symptoms of depression.

Fun Facts

There are two types of blueberry bushes; lowbush and highbush. The difference is the lowbush blueberries are considered wild, while highbush blueberries are cultivated in a controlled environment.

With upwards of 25% production of all lowbush blueberries in North America, Maine is the single largest producer in the world with more than 60,000 acres. Not far from Maine, Michigan is the world’s largest producer of highbush blueberries, with more than 220,000 tons produced a year.

Since blueberries must be cross-pollinated, upwards of 50,000 beehives may be needed for the job. Due to the large amount of bees needed, in some cases hives must actually be shipped in from other regions specifically for the purpose of cross-pollinating the blueberries in high producing areas.

How to eat

Blueberries are a lot of fun to eat. They pop when you bite them and turn everything they touch into a reddish-purple hue. This color change makes pancakes, yogurt, cereal, smoothies, and even ice cream a fun new territory for children. Blueberries are found in many breads and desserts, but also make great jams, jellies, and wines.

Fresh blueberries keep very well and can be packaged and stored easily. Freezing fresh blueberries is a cinch; just put them on a baking sheet in a single layer and pop them in the freezer. They will freeze quickly, and once they are frozen, just pour them into a plastic freezer container.

Then when you want blueberries, just shake out the amount you want and let them thaw out. Perfect every time. Because blueberries are so moist, they don’t dehydrate well, like bananas or apples do. For that reason, you do not find too many applications for dried blueberries, unless you rehydrate them for a dish first.

No matter how you decide to eat your blueberries, you can’t beat the nutritional value. If picking wild blueberries, don’t forget to be polite to the landowner and ask permission. Or, plant a few blueberry bushes in your own garden. Invite the bees in and you’ll soon have your own blueberry crop to enjoy. Just a reminder: It’s not easy to get away with pilfering blueberries – you are likely to get caught ‘reddish-purple’ handed!

Click here to download the PDF version of all 10 fruits and veggies fun facts and nutrition nuggets

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Acai berry, pronounced [ah-SIGH-ee] is probably one of the most highly disputed fruits of the current day. Let’s take a deeper dive into this amazing little fruit and find out exactly where it came from, some possible health benefits, and a few ways to incorporate this fruit into your diet.

What is acai berry?

Acai berry is a small reddish, purple fruit, resembling a stretched out grape. These berries are found on the Brazilian wild palmberry tree, native to Central and South America. There have been numerous studies done on the health benefits of these berries, but a majority of them have been focused on the antioxidant activity which could help prevent certain diseases.

History of acai berry fruit

Acai fruit has been around for thousands of years, but was not introduced to the western world until the mid 1990′s. First used by the tribes of the Amazon jungle as a cure for various ailments, acai berries soon made a home in the Americas. It didn’t take long for westerners to believe in the tremendous health properties credited to this tasty fruit.

Where Does it Come From?

The acaí berries can be found on a palm tree with a long thin trunk. The berries would be grouped in clusters that look like little blue bottles hanging in between ribbon-like leaves. Traditionally, the acai berries would have to be picked by hand. The tribe’s men would shimmy up the tree and cut the branches from the top of a palm tree laden with acai berries. The harvest would then be brought back to the women of the village to pluck and prepare.

Acai berry health benefits

The health benefits are where most of the debate on acai is concerned. Some studies show there are no greater health benefits from eating acai berries than similar fruits, berries, and vegetables. However, other studies claim to prove the antioxidant levels are much higher. Even if acai berries are only on an equal footing with other fresh produce in providing a defense against free radicals, they would be worth considering when eating a healthy diet.

Acai contains powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins and flavonoids. These two antioxidants help defend the body against life’s stressors. They also play a role in defending the body against free radicals. Free radicals are harmful byproducts either introduced to the body as toxins from the outside environment or produced by the body from the remnants of processed foods and other internal pollutants. By lessening the destructive power of free radicals, antioxidants may help reduce the risk of some diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.

Acai fruit fun fact

Anthocyanin is Greek for ‘blue flower.’ These antioxidants are what give the acai berries and juice the reddish, purple, and blue hues. Many fruits which contain these deep, rich pigments, like blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries, are extremely high in antioxidant properties.

How to eat acai berry fruit

Acai berries can be consumed in a number of different ways. Some people prefer them raw as acai na tigela – literally translated as ‘acai in a bowl’. Others prefer to drink the sweet juice, sometimes as part of a smoothie. Straight up, acai juice is similar to drinking grape juice.

Acai berries are a great addition to salads, especially when combined with slivers of toasted almonds and crumbles of soft goat cheese. Due to the natural pH of the juice, acai is also great at tenderizing meat and makes an excellent marinade for beef and lamb. Another trend emerging from the acai world is wine made from the berries. The list will grow as more and more people find out about this fabulous super food.

No matter how you get your acai fix, you will enjoy the new flavor profile on your palate and the added antioxidants in your diet won’t hurt either. So pick up some frozen berries or a bottle of juice and make this fun-to-pronounce berry a part of your daily diet.

Click here to download the PDF version of all 10 fruits and veggies fun facts and nutrition nuggets

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But selecting healthier food choices, especially when it comes to snacks, can be quite challenging. Finding snacks that help us feel better while also boosting our energy levels often involves lots of shopping and painstaking reading of labels. Here are a few wholesome snack ideas that you can incorporate into your diet.

Healthy snack idea – almonds

If you are not sensitive to nuts, try eating some almonds. Almonds offer a multitude of health benefits and are an excellent choice when you really need an energy boost. Almonds are a natural supply of:

• B vitamins
• Manganese
• Vitamin E
• Magnesium
• Tryptophan
• copper
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
• Phosphorus

Almonds can also help to:

1. Lower your LDL-Cholesterol and thereby reducing your risk of heart disease

2. Protects against diabetes and cardiovascular disease

3. Studies have also found that eating almonds along with a low-fat diet can help you lose weight more effectively

4. Research has also shown that eating nuts including almonds can actually lower your risk of gaining weight

To get the heart-healthy benefits offered by these delicious, nutrient-dense nuts a try eating them whole, with the skin on.

Healthy snack idea – yogurt

When searching for a convenient wholesome snack, don’t forget about yogurt. It is a protein-rich source of wholesome minerals and vitamins. Easily digestible, yogurt can actually help your gastrointestinal system work correctly depending upon the culture used to produce it. Yogurt is an excellent source of:

1. Calcium – it provides 30 to 40 percent of the RDA for calcium

2. Protein – an eight-ounce container of plain yogurt provides 20 percent of the RDA for most people

3. Decrease yeast infections – studies show that a daily serving of yogurt containing live and active cultures can decrease vaginal yeast infections

There’s a dizzying array of yogurt brands and varieties at the grocery store, so when shopping for yogurt, be sure to always:

• read the nutritional facts
• the list of ingredients

The best yogurts:

1. Contain only live and active cultures and milk

2. Provide 35 to 40 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for calcium in an 8-ounce container.

3. Contains no added fillers, sweeteners, or colorings

It is best to eat plain yogurt instead of the fruit-added varieties. But if you cannot stomach it plain, you can always add your favorite fruit and nuts to it. It’s an excellent way to enjoy a flavorful snack without consuming too much sugar.

Whole grain meals are an excellent choice for a fast wholesome snack. A mid-morning snack of whole grain bread along with some protein will keep you until it’s time for lunch break. Eating on the run can be healthier with wholesome chips and crackers.

Planning is the key to having healthy snacks on hand or ones that can be easily prepared. All it takes is a little bit of imagination. When you make the decision to be healthy, it’s simple to find exactly what you need to be successful at it.

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The Anabolic Cookbook was brought together by Dave Ruel. A body-building pro, Dave wants you to enjoy good-tasting foods that are enjoyable for you. He maintains that nearly all diet foods, in particular the types favored by body builders, tend to be bland and boring. He assembled recipes within his cookbook that please the eating requirements of body builders without sacrificing flavor, because he was so tired of the normal anabolic diet himself.

Dave is correct about this. There is no reason that diet fare needs to be bland or gross tasting. It can be difficult to understand why individuals who go on diets assume that if it tastes pleasant it must be bad for you. Sure now and then it is the fat content that adds to the taste but, at the end of the day, it is what is at the heart of the food that helps it taste good. If a healthy diet is what you’re after, there’s no requirement to give up the good-tasting components.

So what is anabolic cooking? When it comes to anabolic cooking, you’ll be getting first-class nutrition while building up your muscles and avoiding too much fat consumption. This is a respectable objective for any diet–you desire food that your body may actually use instead of just store. No one would quarrel with Dave’s point of view on this.

The fee of the book, however, may shock some folks. It is not an inexpensive cookbook. The listed charge at the point of this is writing is $47, which as cookbooks go is rather high. You may very well want to look into less expensive sources for the same information, be it from a local bookstore or even a library, although we must mention that there are some nice bonuses included with the Anabolic Cookbook.

For optimum health, most people crave to get rid of fat and gain muscle. You yearn for your body to be muscular and powerfully built instead of flabby. Anabolic cooking could certainly help with that, mainly if you are in the body building community. Medicines and radical vitamins are not such a healthful alternative. Consider buying the Anabolic Cookbook if your objectives concur with Dave’s and if you’ve done enough research to know it’s right for you.

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Maintaining a strong immunity level built up through proper nutrients can contribute greatly to keeping you out of the doctors office. On the other hand, people with low immunity levels tend to contract many illnesses and often suffer for a longer duration than healthy individuals.

The DSEA (Dietary Supplement Education Alliance) found in a recent study (11/05) that certain dietary supplements helped seniors to live longer and to live more independent lives.

Further evidence of dietary supplement benefits are acknowledged by the DSIB (Dietary Supplement Information Bureau) who also reported that nutritional supplements help people live longer, healthier lives.

Dietary supplements can also help reduce healthcare costs in the billions of dollars by off-setting healthcare expenses through better health attained and maintained by receiving proper nutrients that are needed in the body.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recently issued a health claim for omega-3 fatty acids. Several other dietary supplements are scheduled to be added to the list in the near future.

Qualified health claims for dietary supplements are now being released to the public. As healthcare costs and health insurance skyrocket, preventive self care seems to be more widely accepted and practiced.

Many individuals can potentially benefit from the use of dietary supplements. The following dietary supplements may be of value to the immune system:

- Vitamin C provides antioxidant to cells, and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer.

- Vitamin E may reduce free radical damage and cut the risk of diabetes, and cancer.

- Vitamin A helps support mucous membranes, and the skin.

- Selenium may help protect against prostate cancer and is known as an anti-aging nutrient.

- Coenzyme Q10 may help generate energy for metabolism.

- Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart and the nervous system.

People that use dietary supplements can save themselves money, save the healthcare system money, and in general have a more healthy and productive life.

Remember…You still have to eat healthy. Get as many vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids in your diet as is possible. But, you can also consider taking a dietary supplement to make-up for what is lacking. With soil depletion and other environmental deficiencies so prevalent, taking dietary supplements is a good way to make sure that you get all the nutrition that you may need.

Here are ten of the top power packed foods designed to give you energy, vitality and all around good health!

1. Beans – If they give you gas, take precautions before you eat them.  Soaking them first can help.  Beans of all kinds (kidney, navy, lentils, chickpeas, Northern) are high in protein.  This is plant protein so it contains very little fat, carbs and calories.  If fiber is a problem in your diet, eating a healthy portion of beans each day can keep your digestive system healthy.

2. Oatmeal – Oatmeal is coming into popularity as a food that lowers blood cholesterol.  You can make it yourself with rolled oats or eat the instant kind if you are in a hurry.  Oatmeal is a filling grain that also provides much needed fiber to keep hunger at bay and your blood sugar constant.

3. Fruits – Fruits are filled with antioxidants such as Vitamin C and A.  Antioxidants fight free radical damage in the body and reduce the risk of cancer.  Berries such as blueberries and grapes have the highest amount of antioxidants.  But choose an array of fruits in a wide variety of colors for maximum health.  The antioxidants in fruit boost the immune system to fight the effects of aging in the body.

4. Allium foods – This class of foods includes garlic, onions, leeks and shallots.  Garlic is known for lowering cholesterol.  Allium vegetables healp guard the body against the risk of cancer and many other ailments.  They also help lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots.  Eating these power packed vegetables in their natural state especially garlic increases their health benefits.

5. Salmon – Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids reduces the risk of heart disease and other conditions like atherosclerosis.  Wild salmon is a fatty fish but it contains good fats that has been proven to improve health in children and adults.  Salmon is rich in protein which is of great use after an exercise session to build muscle tissue.

6. Flax seed – Like salmon it contains omega-3 fatty acids.  These seeds also contain omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids.  You get a lot of power to fight high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes with this seed.  Ground flax seed can be added to fruit smoothies, sprinkled in yogurt, eaten with cereal or added to pancake mix to name a few.

7. Peppers – Peppers are colorful.  They contain antioxidants like beta-carotene and Vitamin C.  Peppers range from mild and sweet to so hot you’ll be calling the fire department.  All peppers contain a substance called capsaicin.  Capsaicin has the properties of an anti-inflammatory, a pain reliever, lowers cancer risk and heart disease.  They are good in salads, salsa and all sorts of dishes.

8. Nuts and seeds – Nuts are high in fat but those fats are the good kind.  Peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts and pistachios are all providers of good fats and protein.  Crush them into a fine powder and use as a coating instead of higher carb bread crumbs.  Nuts help to lower cholesterol.  Eat them right out of the shell with no additives.

9. Açai – This berry has been in the news lately.  It is rich in antioxidants and increases energy.  You can get more done and look better while doing it.  You can get Acai juice and supplements in your health food store.

10. Yogurt – The fat free variety is good for you.  Yogurt contains calcium, Vitamin B, and protein.  If you don’t drink milk, yogurt is an alternative to get your calcium in to build strong bones and teeth.  Live yogurt also contains friendly bacteria to help promote a healthy digestive system.

Building a better healthier body begins with what you eat.  Try these super foods to get started on the right foot.

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