Feeling queasy? Try cutting open a lemon (or other citrus) and take several slow deep sniffs of its aroma. Aromatic particles in the fruit's oils calm overstimulated nerves in the nausea center of the brain. This can make the stomach steadier in as little as 1 minute.
The dreaded colds and flu can make us sick and miserable. Here are some foods that have been proven scientifically to be beneficial in fighting both colds and flu.
Green tea is known for its health benefits (see articles on this blog). Research has that adding a squeeze of lemon juice to your cup of green tea allows your body to absorb more of its protecting catechins. The experts tell us the lemon's vitamin C prevents the catechins from being degraded during digestion. This allows more of the powerful antioxidants to be absorbed by your body's cells. Lime or orange juice may be substituted.
Scientists say eating 1/2 cup of citrus fruit a day could cut ones risk of getting a cold, especially summer colds, by 85%. The reason? Citrus fruits contain bioflavonoids that strengthen sinus tissues keeping germs from penetrating. Most cold germs enter our bodies through our noses followed by the eyes.
Did you know that oranges may help to lower blood cholesterol? They contain terpenes that reduce serum cholesterol levels and they are high in LDL-lowering fiber. What a tasty way to improve your cholesterol numbers!
I think we are all aware Americans eat way too much salt. If you are one of those in this category, try this trick. (First of all, never add salt to the food on your plate especially without tasting it first!) None of us want to eat dull bland food but you can cut back on salt without giving up flavor. Did you know you can use less salt by adding a spritz of citrus juice to most foods without giving up flavor? In fact this often enhances flavors. Why not give it a try and see if you can't do your heart a favor by eliminating some of the excess salt in your diet. Notice, I am not recommending you have to give up salt, just cut back unless your doctor has told you to eliminate salt!
Note: There are actually people who are deficient in sodium (salt), my husband was one of them. This does not apply to those persons.
Here are a couple of facts I have discovered in my research that I found interesting. I imagine this is news to you, too. Most of us who want orange juice, etc, go to the store and buy a bottle, carton, or even a can. That is very convenient but not the best way to get the benefits of drinking citrus juice. To get the full health benefits of citrus juices it is best to buy the fruits and squeeze them yourself. Studies have shown that due to light and oxygen during processing and storage, citrus juices may lose up to 50% of their important flavonoids!
Would you believe citrus fruits are good for your cholesterol levels? Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, etc are rich in flavonoids. The predominate flavonoid in citrus is hesperidin with is credited with boosting levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. What a tasty way to improve your cholesterol levels!
We can actually improve the benefits we get from certain foods by what we combine them with. Here are some examples of what you can do to not only improve taste but health benefits by combining citrus with other foods. Citrus is today's example, but it is not the only food that can be added to make healthy tasty combinations.
Learn to replace at least some of your carbonated drinks and coffees that you drink loaded down with sugar and cream with green tea or water with lemon. Green tea has been scientifically proven to be a fat-burner. If you don't currently drink green tea, try replacing one of the above beverages a day with green tea for your health. Green tea offers many benefits (see the post on this blog about teas), but today I wanted to point out that it is a fat burner! Aren't we all looking for more ways to burn fat?
