Apricots for Anemia Plums for Your Bones (2 slides)
Apricots for Anemia Apricots are a stone fruit the tender fruit surrounds a shell called a stone or pit containing the fruit s seed Other stone fruits are peaches, plums and cherries 90% of US apricots are grown in California High in Vitamin A and iron, apricot juice is often recommended for anemic patients. Drinking apricot juice three times a day can greatly improve your anemia in a month s time. A rich orange color indicates the apricot is ripe and ready. Pale yellow apricots are still young. Always choose the ripe ones since they represent a higher level of antioxidants. Dried apricot is also a good source of iron and fiber BUT watch out for dried fruit with added sugar Sometimes dried fruit is coated in sugar to keep the fruit pieces from sticking together
Plums prevent bone loss Two new studies on dried plums (otherwise known as prunes) and bone development Study 1: mouse study researchers found that dried plums added to the diet increased bone volume in both young, growing mice and in adult, healthy mice Study 2: Previous studies reported that eating 100 grams of dried plums (two servings; about 10-12 dried plums) for one year was associated with increased bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. New results indicate that one serving (about 5-6) of dried plums was as effective as two servings at increasing bone mineral density and slowing bone loss in postmenopausal women Prunes aren t just for old people! They also increase iron absorption and feed the friendly bacteria in the gut.
Health Benefits of Fasting (2 slides)
Fasting for Your Health Fasting has been practiced for thousands of years, for both medicinal and spiritual reasons Many studies have shown that animals fed fewer calories live longer lives Most recent study on fasting looked at 19 people who followed a modified fast For 25 days ate their normal diet For five days followed a modified fast Day one: 1,090 calories 10% protein, 56% fat and 34% carbohydrates. Days two through five: 725 calories 9% protein, 44% fat, 47% carbohydrates. (In the study, participants consumed a lot of vegetable soup and chamomile tea.) Result: Significantly reduced risk factors for aging, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease
People who should not fast Pregnant women Anyone with liver or kidney disease People with cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats)
New Research on Water and Milk (2 slides)
Over 50% of children are not hydrated 55% of students in a recent study had below the minimum daily water intake (as measured by urine concentration) Darker urine indicates concentrated urine and is a sign of low water intake Light colored, dilute urine indicates good hydration 25% - one in four drank NO PLAIN WATER at all Liquids came from fruit juice and other sweetened drinks Regularly consuming sweetened drinks trains the taste buds to prefer sweet, and makes plain water taste bland Adding fresh lemon, lime or orange to a pitcher of water gives a mild flavor without adding sugar
Milk Slows Arthritis in Women Researchers followed over 2000 people with arthritis of the knee They measured the space between bones in the knees over a four year period As cartilage is lost, the bones get closer together and the joint space gets smaller Women who drank the most milk had the least shrinkage of their joint spaces, showing that milk slowed the progression of arthritis These results were only true for the women in the study, not men (researchers don t know why) Cheese and yogurt did not have beneficial effects for arthritis in either men or women