For some time now I've been blending, not juicing, a fruit/veggie/protein/spice smoothie every morning for breakfast.  I've been very interested in Super Foods, Nutritional Density, and Bio-Availability...so I've done a little research.  Click on the links, if you're curious....

       Health= Nutrients/Calories

Here's a list of the BEST (healthiest) foods based on the "Aggregate Nutrient Density Index."

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthstartshere/andi.php

• The top green veggies:  Mustard/Turnip/Collard Greens & Kale.
• The top non-green veggies: Radish, Bean Sprouts (which I love but have stopped eating when I heard they can have E coli), and Red Peppers.
• Strawberries & Blackberries are the best fruits.
• Lentils & Red Kidney Beans the best beans.
• Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds & Flax Seeds the best seeds.
• Oats (old-fashioned, steel-cut), Barley (whole grain) & Wild Brown Rice are the best grains.

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Kale & Broccoli have More Protein than beef?

http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-food-nutrient-density-of-green-vegetables.html

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7 Reasons Kale is the New Beef

http://www.organicauthority.com/health/reasons-kale-is-the-new-beef-nutritious-sustainable.html
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Broccoli contains more protein per calorie than steak and, per calorie, spinach is about equal to chicken and fish.

http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2011/01/yes-plants-have-protein/

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Protein in a Vegan Diet

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

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Which veggies should be cooked to "unlock" their bio-availability?

http://poojasway.com/article-tips/are-veggies-healthier-raw-or-cooked/
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Ever wonder which mushroom is best at preventing breast cancer?  (Guys, don't forget we have breasts, too.  Hopefully not too big....)  Here's a link:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/breast-cancer-prevention-which-mushroom-is-best/

http://www.naturalnews.com/029424_mushrooms_immune_system.html
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Veggies with the highest chemopreventitive potential:

• brussel sprouts 
• cabbage 
• garlic 
• kale

http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/.a/6a00e54fc8012e8833017615f71c74970c-pi
How to grow these veggies:
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/vegetable/companion-vegetable-garden.htm
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Review:  Here are the Top 30 Super Foods


 by Nutrient Density

1. Collard, mustard, & turnip greens 1000
2. Kale 1000
3. Watercress 1000
4. Bok choy 824
5. Spinach 739
6. Brussels sprouts 672
7. Swiss chard 670
8. Arugula 559
9. Radish 554
10. Cabbage 481
11. Bean sprouts 444
12. Red peppers 420
13. Romaine lettuce 389
14. Broccoli 376
15. Carrot juice 344
16. Tomatoes & tomato products 190-300
17. Cauliflower 295
18. Strawberries 212
19. Pomegranate juice 193
20. Blackberries 178
21. Plums 157
22. Raspberries 145
23. Blueberries 130
24. Papaya 118
25. Brazil nuts 116
26. Oranges 109
27. Tofu 86
28. Beans (all varieties) 55-70
29. Seeds: flaxseed, sunflower, sesame 45
30. Walnuts 29

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What about Phytochemicals in Spices?

http://www.ajcn.org/content/78/3/579S.full

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html

http://www.organicauthority.com/health/11-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=72

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Is Organic really more nutrient dense?

http://livingmaxwell.com/organic-strawberries-are-found-to-be-more-nutritious-says-washington-state-university

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0012346

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The World's Healthiest Foods:

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

(The World's Healthiest Foods are the Most Nutrient Dense)

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EATING FROM THE RAINBOW

http://www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/nutrition/phytochemicals.html

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ORGANIC?

The following fruits and vegetables have been 

identified as requiring high levels of pesticide 

use when conventionally grown, so, as a 

general rule, they are safest when grown 

organically:

• Apples
• Bell peppers
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Strawberries

15 Foods That Don’t Have to be Organic

Fruits and vegetables that are conventionally 

grown with relatively fewer pesticides include 

the following:

• Avocado
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Kiwi
• Mango
• Onion
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Sweet corn
• Sweet peas
• Sweet potatoes
• Watermelon
• Tomato

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Why foods and spices with high ORAC values
are so healthy.
http://www.raysahelian.com/oracvalue.html

Orac Value per 100 grams
Cacao beans and dark chocolate have very high ORAC values
Blueberries 8700
Raspberries 5300
Cranberry 5200
Cherries 4700
Walnuts 3400
Prunes 3200
Milk Chocolate 1700
Almonds 1300
Raisins 1200

The complete list of ORAC values 

Spices, chocolate, rice bran, pecans, and ginger root top the list.

http://www.phytochemicals.info/list-orac-values.php

Next, the list of plants containing phytochemicals

Dragon Fruit

http://www.phytochemicals.info/plants-list.php

And finally herbs:

http://www.phytochemicals.info/research/antioxidants-herbs.php

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Eat like a Gorilla??

http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-food-eat-like-a-primate.html

http://www.gorillaprotein.com/

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Linus Pauling Institute:

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/lpirx2.html

Companies That Still Test on Animals


http://www.thevegetariansite.com/ethics_test.htm

5 Cosmetic Companies That Do Testing

 On Animals:

L'Oréal (Biotherm, Cacharel, Garnier, Giorgio Armani, Helena Rubinstein, Lancôme, Matrix Essentials, Maybelline, Ralph Lauren Fragrances, Redken, Soft Sheen, Vichy), 575 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10017; 212-818-1500

Max Factor (Procter & Gamble), 1 Procter & Gamble Plaza., Cincinnati, OH 45202; 513-983-1100; 800-543-1745

Ponds (Unilever), 800 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632; 800-909-9493

Johnson & Johnson (Aveeno, Clean & Clear, Listerine, Lubriderm, Neutrogena, Rembrandt, ROC), 1 Johnson & Johnson Plz., New Brunswick, NJ 08933; 732-524-0400; 800-526-3967

Dial Corporation (Dry Idea, Purex, Renuzit, Right Guard, Soft & Dri), 15101 N. Scottsdale Rd., Ste. 5028, Scottsdale, AZ 85254-2199; 800-528-0849

Cosmetic Companies Who Continue to Use Animal Testing

http://voices.yahoo.com/cosmetic-companies-continue-animal-testing-5580803.html?cat=69

http://voices.yahoo.com/top-5-cosmetic-companies-test-animals-5545175.html?cat=69

SEARCH FOR CRUELTY-FREE 


COMPANIES AND PRODUCTS


http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/default.aspx

*********Your BRAIN*********

This?

or THIS?

Boost Your Brainpower!

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mens sana in corpore sano

(a healthy mind in a healthy body)

Here are the 50 best brain foods, according to Dr. Amen.  It looks like he listed them in alphabetical order, not best, second best, etc.  Why, doctor, why?

1. Almonds, raw
2. Almond milk, unsweetened
3. Apples
4. Asparagus
5. Avocados
6. Bananas
7. Beans (black, pinto, garbanzo)
8. Bell peppers (yellow, green, red, and orange)
9. Beets
10. Blackberries
11. Blueberries
12. Broccoli
13. Brussels sprouts
14. Carrots
15. Cheese, low fat
16. Cherries
17. Chicken, skinless
18. Cranberries
19. Egg whites, DHA enriched
20. Grapefruit
21. Herring
22. Honeydew
23. Kiwi
24. Lemons
25. Lentils
26. Limes
27. Oats
28. Olive oil
29. Olives 
30. Oranges
31. Peaches
32. Peas
33. Plums
34. Pomegranates
35. Raspberries
36. Red grapes
37. Soybeans
38. Spinach
39. Strawberries
40. Tea, green
41. Tofu
42. Tomatoes
43. Tuna
44. Turkey, skinless
45. Walnuts
46. Water
47. Whole wheat
48. Wild salmon
49. Yams and sweet potatoes
50. Yogurt, unsweetened

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Why ORAC is important for the health of your brain

The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) scores of fruits vary. In this mix of fruit, the ORAC score of blueberries is highest, followed by (in order) the scores of black plum, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, sweet cherries, avocado, navel orange, and red grapes.

http://www.wildblueberryhealthblog.com/2012/02/your-orac-questions-answered.html

http://www.everydayhealth.com/longevity/healthy-eating-recommendations.aspx

Nutrition & the Brain:

In this study, by neuroscientist James Joseph, it looks like cooked artichoke may be the winner!

"One of the first of Joseph’s studies, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, showed a protective effect of consuming antioxidants. Study rats were fed—from adulthood to middle age—vitamin E, strawberry extracts, or spinach extracts, all with similar ORAC values. Animals receiving the high-antioxidant diets did not experience the age-related cognitive performance losses seen in control rats fed standard chow.

A later study, also published in the Journal of Neuroscience, showed a reversal of functional loss among rats on special diets. Each of three groups of rats, equivalent in age to 63-year-old humans, was fed a different high-antioxidant extract. A control group was fed standard chow. After 8 weeks—equivalent to about 10 years in humans—the rats’ performance levels were measured.

The rats fed the spinach, strawberry, or blueberry extracts effectively reversed age-related deficits in neuronal and cognitive function. In addition, the blueberry-fed group far outperformed their peers while traversing a rotating rod to test balance and coordination."

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/ar/archive/aug07/aging0807.htm

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Brain Exercise sites:

http://braingymmer.com/users/register/brain-training/?reg=a1e&ts_id=adw-2en11&lc=eng&adt=dnt&utm_nooverride=1&gclid=CM3Gu9v6j7ECFQ5bhwodnyhygg

http://www.mylifetime.com/games/?mkwid=cOPpKePU1_pcrid_6566297835_pkw_free%20online%20logic%20puzzle%20games_pmt_

http://www.lumosity.com/app/v4/personalization

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PHYTONUTRIENTS
http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/food-composition/individual-macronutrients-phytonutrients-vitamins-minerals/phytonutrients

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For men over 50 (and most everyone else, for that matter)....

It's more important than ever 

to exercise

eat right

sleep well

de-stress with meditation, yoga, music, dance, etc.,

 and get regular check-ups and teeth cleaning.

People who visit the dentist regularly to have 

their teeth cleaned may lower their risk for heart attack or stroke

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/health/story/2011-11-14/Regular-teeth-cleanings-could-cut-heart-attack-risk-Study/51194042/1

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Top 10 Causes of Death in Men

Only 3% of Americans practice the "big four" habits that prevent heart disease: eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking...

http://www.idph.state.il.us/menshealth/healththreats.htm

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Barry and Hannah, an old married couple,  are sitting on the couch watching TV. On the show they were speaking about how to prepare in case of death etc. “Honey,” says Barry, turning to his wife with a serious expression, “I want you to promise me, that if there ever comes a time that I am dependent on just machines and bottled fluid, that you will make sure to  put an end to it.” 
“No problem hun,” said Hannah, and she promptly got up, turned off the TV, and poured his beer down the drain.

Inspirational Images....