Up Seeds

When we hear the word “protein” we usually think meat, chicken, seafood and maybe eggs and cheese, but do you ever think fruit and vegetables?

“Meat” for vegetarians is ably provided by a varied diet of fruit and veggies, nuts, seeds, and whole grains and legumes. Did you know that an avocado has 3 grams of protein? A potato with skin has 3 grams of protein, and a sweet potato has just a little more at 4 grams, and pumpkin seeds have 33 grams of protein per 100 grams!

Whenever we eat, the amino acids in our food are broken down in the gut, and then into circulation and then a trip to the liver. The current recommended amount of protein for women is 46 grams, and 56 grams for men.

Amino acids, the building blocks of protein are not stored, so we need to ingest them every day, to enable our body to build and repair.

Ningxia wolfberries are being touted as the newest “super food” discovery. They have 18 amino acids including the essential [so this makes them a complete protein], 11 essential and 22 trace elements, 6 essential vitamins, 5 unsaturated fatty acids, beta-sitosterol and other phytosterols, 5 carotenoids; beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, alpha-linolenic acid, and antioxidants. They also have calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamin C. Polysaccharides as well, which help boost our immune system!

These berries are native to Europe and Asia, but the ones most talked about seem to be the Ningxia wolfberries.

As these berries are grown commercially in the flood plains of the Yellow River, the soil is refreshed by rain bringing rich minerals in the soil from the mountains, and this is reflected in the mineral content and high antioxidants available to us.

Balanced nutrition to me means having a little of many foods throughout the day, so we get all the amino acids, vitamins and minerals as well as the antioxidants for good health, but the plain truth is that many of us have very little fresh and unprocessed foods at any time unless we make an effort.

We have many choices but often very little time on life’s treadmill. We could slow down a little, and planning is half the battle!

Along with frequent trips to the fruit shop, select a “super food” drink to start your day with, and that will give you a variety of vital nutrients for energy without stimulants!

If you’re planning a brief detox diet, you’ll want to make sure you eat the foods that increase your chances of success and avoid the foods that will hurt your efforts. Here is a list of the best and worst foods to eat while you’re on the diet.

Best Detox Diet Foods

Fruit: You can eat any fruit including fresh, frozen, dried or canned in natural fruit juice. This includes apples, bananas, pears, oranges, grapefruit, satsumas, sultanas, raisins, pineapple, mango, kiwi fruit, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, nectarines, peaches, and melons. Fruit juice: Either make homemade fruit juices or smoothies from fresh fruit, or drink ready-made juices. Make sure ready-made juices are labelled as pure or unsweetened. Vegetables: Eat any vegetables including fresh, frozen or canned in water (without salt added). This includes carrots, onions, turnip, swede, sprouts, cabbage, peppers, mushrooms, corn, peppers, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, salad, tomatoes, and cucumber. Beans and lentils: Eat any beans, including those that have been dried or canned in water. This includes red kidney, haricot, cannellini, butter, black eye, pinto, red lentils, green lentils and brown lentils. Potatoes: Eat all types Brown rice and rice noodles Rye crackers and rice cakes Fresh fish: Eat any fresh fish including cod, mackerel, salmon, lobster, crab, trout, haddock, tuna, prawns, Dover sole, red mullet, halibut, lemon sole, monkfish, and swordfish. You can eat canned salmon and tuna in water. Unsalted nuts: Eat any, including Brazil, peanuts, almonds, cashew, hazel nuts, macadamia, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio, and walnuts Unsalted seeds: Eat any, including sunflower and pumpkin. Plain popcorn: Eat without sugar or salt Live natural yogurt Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar Garlic, ginger and fresh herbs Ground black pepper Honey Water: Drink at least eight ounces of tap or mineral water a day. Herbal or fruit teas
Foods to Avoid During Your Detox

Red meat, chicken, turkey, and meat products such as sausages, burgers, and pate Milk, cheese, eggs, cream Butter and margarine Any food that contains wheat including bread, croissants, cereals, cakes, pies, pastry, quiche, or battered and breadcrumbed foods Salted nuts Chocolate, candy, jam and sugar Processed foods, and ready-made meals and sauces Alcohol Coffee and tea Sauces, pickles, store-bought salad dressing, and mayonnaise Salt Carbonated drinks, both sugar and diet

Now that you know the dos and donts of detox diet foods, you’re halfway to success!

It’s true that the best way of treating diabetes is fixing right foods for diabetics along with prescription medication. In the list of foods to help diabetics, you have the diabetic finger foods and recipes for diabetics. There are vegetables and fruits with which you can have delicious side dishes for diabetics. Here are the best foods to eat including fruits for diabetics.

Bitter melon: It is also named as Balsam Pear, one of the best foods for diabetics. Eating bitter melon is popular around the countries. Unripe bitter melon is rich in polypeptide which in its nature similar to that contained in insulin. When consumed, the herbal enzyme in this natural food gears pancreatic insulin secretion. You can consume bitter gourd in juice form also for better and fast results. The herbal component helps control sugar intake in diabetics.

Fenugreek seeds: The fenugreek seeds constitute an amazing diabetic food with anti-diabetic medicinal effect. You have to take about 25 gms of the seed to soak in a bowl of water for the whole night. Next morning you will have a paste of the seeds which you can consume by adding water or milk. If you drink this fenugreek seed mixture daily for about 2 months you will notice surprising changes in blood glucose levels.

Gymnema sylvestre: This is a wonderful natural herb native to Indian southern and central tropical forests. It has been used through many long years as Ayurvedic medicine for diabetics. The herbal effect to help diabetics occupies a dominant place in naturopathic medicine to control diabetic condition. If you take a minimum of 3 gms of this natural herb on daily basis, you will be highly benefitted in controlling sugar intake.

Aloe Vera: Among many foods for diabetics, Aloe vera is recommended by all herbal therapists for blood sugar control. The uniqueness lies in its numerous ingredients of active phytosterol to lower blood sugar level and glucosylated hemoglobin levels in the bloodstream. You will be safe from diabetes if you are adding Aloe vera with your daily diet. This can better be taken in juice form, and a cup of aloe vera juice daily can help you keep control over blood sugar.

Blackberry: Indian blackberry seeds are powdered and mixed with equal volume of honey to get a paste. 3-4 teaspoons of this paste is mixed with milk. This mixture works well in control of blood glucose. The mixture is kept in a refrigerator to consume 2-3 teaspoons daily as one of the herbal foods for diabetics.