Eat the Rainbow this Summer

In nutritional terms, absence of color often equals absence of nutrients and nutritional value. There are some exceptions, but most of the foods that are white are poor choices for today’s health-minded person. As a matter of fact, one of the ways to assure a healthy diet is to include a wide variety of different colored fruits, vegetables, and grains. The vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables come from ingredients that contain valuable phytonutrients that include antioxidants, vitamins, and other minerals. Antioxidants help protect the body against aging and disease by ridding the body of toxic substances called free radicals. Vitamins and minerals promote health and decrease the risk of disease. Swap the White for Whole Many foods without color such as white breads, white rice, sugar, and salt pose problems for long term health. There are several reasons to [...]

Iced Tea for Health

  What would your life be like without the 1904 World's Fair? Many of our fun food staples hit the American taste buds at the fair, including the hamburger, hot dog, peanut butter, ice cream cone, cotton candy, and iced tea. During that time, iced tea became a staple of American culture. Health Benefits Heart Health and Cancer Risk There are health protecting properties to plants called phytochemicals.  Research is constantly being done about how different phytochemicals correlate to health and wellness. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, usually called EGCG, is a phytochemical found in high amounts in green tea. EGCG has been linked to decreasing inflammation and better heart health . Researchers have also linked a decreased risk of breast, colorectal and prostate cancer with some of the properties in green tea. Nutrition Minerals such as manganese, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and zinc vary [...]