Family Health Zone

How To Reduce Your Blood Pressure with Cucumber Juice

When it comes to using cucumbers, most of us just throw a few on our salad at lunch or dinner. And then there are some of us who have learned to use them to reduce puffiness around the eyes. But if you want the real benefit of cucumbers, then take them off your eyes and pop them into the juicer ... just not the same ones!

Cucumber juice can indeed help with your skin, but it’s actually more beneficial in reducing your high blood pressure. So, before you start taking some of those new blood pressure medications, or find that your current medication aren't controlling your blood pressure as well as they should, suggest to your physician that you want to try drinking a nice, tall glass of refreshing cucumber juice, a few days a week. Just remember, if you are under a doctor's care and treatment for high blood pressure, always talk to your doctor before making any changes in your diet. High blood pressure is nothing to fool around with!

There was a study done recently that showed foods high in potassium, magnesium and fiber can reduce blood pressure. In combination with a healthy diet these foods reduced the systolic blood pressure of the participants of the study, by 5 points and their diastolic blood pressure by 3.5 points.

So what’s this have to do with cucumber? Well, cucumbers are not only high in these three nutrients; they’re also a significant source of Vitamins A and K, folate, caffeic acid, and silica. They also contain a significant amount of Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that may also help to lower blood pressure.

Since cucumber juice isn’t exactly a high demand product, your best bet for drinking a quality juice, is to make your own. Making your own juice is great with any fruit or vegetable because you know what’s going into the juice and you know it’s fresh and full of live, active enzymes.

Cucumber is great for juicing because the water content is very high within the pulp. However, this means that most of the nutrients are actually contained within the skin. So try and buy un-waxed cucumber if possible because waxed cucumbers generally require pealing, removing valuable nutrient content. Buy your cucumbers from the refrigerated section of the grocery store and make sure to put them in your fridge as soon as you get home. They don’t stay fresh very long, so don’t wait longer than a day or two to juice them. Try to choose cucumbers that are firm, rounded, and that have a bright to dark green color. These are the best quality and will give you the best results.

If you want the benefits of cucumber juice, but just don’t think you will enjoy the taste, try mixing it with other juices. Carrot and Celery juices can both taste great when mixed with cucumber, plus they have great benefits of their own. If neither or those juices spark your fancy, use your imagination and start mixing. You probably don’t want to go too crazy, but if you can find a combination you like the taste of, you’re more likely to actually bother drinking the juice everyday.

A good tasting combination, if you enjoy the flavor of tomato juice is:

• 20 tbsp (300 ml) cucumber juice,
• 7 tbsp (100 ml) tomato juice and
• 1 tbsp chopped up parsley

In addition to lowering your blood pressure, cucumbers can improve your skin, help grow hair, nails,  and teeth, and even clean out your kidney. So, if you want to reduce your blood pressure while also promoting other factors of good health, why don’t you try throwing a few cucumbers in your juicer?

Grab a Glass of Juice Instead of Vitamins or Supplements

If you go into a health food store, or even a normal grocery store, you’re likely to find at least one aisle full of various vitamins and supplements. While these products may be helpful, they’re expensive, they can be a hassle, and they’re just not always the best way to get all the nutrients you need.

So, besides the hassle of taking a lot of pills every day, what’s so bad about supplements? While there’s nothing wrong with supplements, except that, they were designed to supplement a good diet, not replace it.

The best delivery system for vitamins and nutrients is the natural one. Supplements may not be digested or absorbed all the way, which means you don’t get all the benefits you’re supposed to. The only reason you should be taking supplements is if you can’t get the nutrients through your food, but unless you have some sort of medical disorder, or take certain prescribed medications, you can. You can get most of what you need from fruit and vegetable juices.

The important part of getting appropriate amounts of nutrients from juice is that you choose the right variety of juices. Different juices contain different vitamins in varying concentrations. Here’s a list of the vitamins and minerals contained in popular fruit juices.

• Orange: Vitamin C, Most B vitamins, potassium, foliate, and thiamine.
• Grape: Potassium, manganese, is rich in antioxidants.
• Pink Grapefruit: Vitamins C and A.

If you really want to stay healthy without supplements, you’re going to have to break down and start drinking vegetable juices. You may have avoided them in the past because you don’t like the taste, but these juices are great for you and don’t have the high sugar content that fruit juices do. If you just can’t take the taste of vegetable juices, try masking the flavor by adding some fruit. There are also a couple of companies out there that market bottled vegetable juices that are actually quite good.

Here are some of the power veggies that contain the most vitamins and minerals

• Spinach: Thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), foliate, vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc
• Beets: Calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, choline, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Be sure to mix this one with another juice.
• Broccoli: Thiamine, vitamin C, beta carotene, calcium, sulfur, and potassium. It’s also high in fiber and protein.

If you want the most potential from your juices, you have to make sure they’re 100% percent juice without preservatives and additives. You can do this by checking labels, or by simply making your own juice. If you make your own juice, throw whole fruits and veggies in the juicer. The juicer will take out the solids and you’ll get a juice with greater nutritional value.

You may also want to invest in a good quality juicer. It can be a great investment and you may not need to bother with supplements or vitamins again.

Dessert Recipes: Homemade Fruit Sorbet

You can make this sorbet with any of your favorite fruits. Sliced strawberries, peaches, kiwi, bananas and mangos work well but really you can use just about any fruit of your choice.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh fruit
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 pinch  salt
• sugar to taste

Instructions:

Spread sliced fruit in one layer on a baking sheet.

Freeze, uncovered, until frozen solid. Once the fruit is frozen, let thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Place in a blender with the orange juice and process until smooth. Add a small pinch of salt and a little sugar to taste.

Dessert Recipes: Grilled Honey Pineapple Slices and Madeira Yogurt

If you prefer not to have any alcohol in your recipe, just omit the liqueur.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 6 fresh pineapple slices, Peeled and cut 1/2 inch thick
• 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 2 tablespoons Madeira liqueur

Instructions:

Preheat grill. 

Place the pineapple slices on a baking tray and drizzle the honey evenly over the pineapple slices. Sprinkle brown sugar onto pineapple slices and place on the grill over medium heat.

Cook about 10 minutes, turning slices occasionally, until browned on both sides.

In a bowl combine the yogurt and Madeira and serve with the grilled pineapple.

Dessert Recipes: Low-Fat Fruit Pudding

This is a quick and easy dessert which also works great with a variety of different fruits.

Ingredients:

• 2 peaches, peeled, sliced and pitted
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 cup of chopped, fresh strawberries
• 1 3.5 ounce instant vanilla pudding and pie mix
• 2 cups cold non-fat milk
• Brown sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

Layer all the fruit into a glass dish and sprinkle with a little brown sugar.

Then, prepare vanilla pudding (with non-fat milk) according to the package instructions.

Once pudding is ready pour pudding over fruit. Chill until fully set.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Grand Marnier Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 peach, peeled
• 2 plums
• 24 green seedless grapes, cut in half
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons grand Marnier

Instructions:

In a bowl mix the fruit, lemon juice, sugar and grand Marnier.

Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours for the fruit to absorb the liqueur.

Spoon fruit over low-fat frozen vanilla yogurt or serve fruit in bowls with a side of whipped topping.

Dessert Recipes: Fat-Free Valentine’s Day Pavlova

This dessert is actually much easier to make than it sounds. It’s very light and delicious and the perfect ending to a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner.

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• ¾ cup fine sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 ½ cups fat-free whipped topping
• 1 cup sliced, fresh strawberries

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Take a 9-inch plate and place it upside down on the parchment paper, then draw an outline of that plate (to make a nice even round shape)

Place the egg whites in a bowl and beat the eggs until very foamy using an electric mixer.   

Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites then continue mixing on medium speed until peaks start to form. Slowly add the sugar a little bit at a time and beating on high between each addition. Keep mixing until egg whites are stiff.

Now carefully spoon the meringue mixture onto the parchment paper, following the outline to shape into a circle. Flatten the center of the meringue a little bit so that the edges are slightly higher.

Gently place in the oven and bake for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Switch off oven and allow meringue to dry (in oven). This may take about 2 hours. Finally, remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once meringue is cool, spread the fat-free whipped topping over it and top with the sliced strawberries.

Serve immediately.

Garlic as a Cancer Fighting Tool

The more scientists study garlic, the more benefits they find from eating it. For instance, did you know garlic can not only prevent cancer, but may also be able to help treat it? There are many benefits in this great little food.

Scientists have done various studies to determine why garlic can fight cancer so well. The main cancer fighting compound in garlic is a chemical called allicin. Allicin is what gives garlic its distinct smell; it also protects the garlic plant from organisms that may attack it. Allicin isn’t the only anti-cancer chemical in garlic. Garlic also contains allicin-derived compounds, as well as other chemicals that aren’t even related to allicin. That’s what makes garlic so special; it contains a whole slew of compounds to fight off cancer and help keep you healthy.

If we compare cultures that have large amounts of garlic in their diet to cultures that get very little of these foods, we find that the cultures with higher garlic intake have less incidence of cancer. While we cannot definitively say that garlic is the cause of this difference, other studies have shown its preventative power. Studies have found increased garlic intake to be associate with a decreased chance of colon and stomach cancers. We also know that garlic helps fight a wide variety of infectious diseases. This means our immune system has to fight microorganisms less and can focus on preventing cancer cells from growing.

There have been many studies in humans and animals that show garlic to help not only with preventing cancer, but also in helping to treat it. It is considered most effective in fighting cancer of the stomach and esophagus because it helps to lower nitrite levels. Garlic has been proven to lower the death rate in stomach cancer patients. In studies of general cancer patients, garlic was found to cut tumor size in half in one study, and produce significant improvements of symptoms in over two-thirds of the patients in another study. While garlic should not be your only weapon in battling cancer, it can be a powerful tool to give you a leg-up in the fight.

Te benefits of garlic do depend on what kind of garlic you eat and how it is prepared. Most studies have found garlic to be equally effective whether it is raw or cooked; however, if you cook the garlic, wait at least 15 minutes after peeling before you cook it. You can also get the benefits from garlic power or compressed garlic oil. Don’t rely on aged or spray dried garlic; they don’t have the same benefits.

If used properly and regularly, garlic can be a powerful tool in preventing or treating various cancers.

Add the Humble Pomegranate to Your Diet

Many of us have heard of the pomegranate; it has been written about in famous literature and even in mythology. The problem is that far fewer people have ever eaten pomegranate or even seen it. Pomegranate has tons of wonderful benefits that you should know about. Once you know everything it can do for you, you'll probably find yourself eating or drinking pomegranate every day.

Pomegranates help promote heart health and proper circulation. They contain three times the antioxidants of wine or green tea which, among other things, promotes a healthy heart. Regular consumption of pomegranate juice has been shown not only to stop hardening of artery walls and build-up of plaque; it has actually been shown to reverse these problems. Having clear soft arteries helps reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. If your concern is cholesterol levels, pomegranate has also been shown to lower levels of bad cholesterol and raise your good cholesterol levels. Another benefit of this improved circulation is that its can help cure impotence.    

The antioxidants in pomegranate give it power to help prevent and even treat cancer. While pomegranate has been indicated for breast and skin cancer, the most promising research is with prostate cancer in men. Regular consumption of pomegranate juice can significantly lower PSA levels in the body. These chemicals are not only an indicator of your risk level for prostate cancer and other problems; they also indicate how well a man will respond to can treatment, radiation and chemotherapy.

In case this isn't enough of a reason for you to start consuming more pomegranates, there are still more benefits from the amazing fruit. We already know it's brimming with antioxidants. These powerful chemicals have been shown to reduce the affects of aging and prevent Alzheimer's. Pomegranate has also been shown in studies to prevent cartilage damage and protect babies from brain damage during birth. While many of its uses have not been studied, pomegranate has traditionally been used to clear skin, reduce inflammation, and help with sore throats.       

So, if this fruit is so wonderful, why don't we see it to often? Pomegranates have a short season and  don't keep well. It's almost impossible to find fresh pomegranate out of season. Many areas haven't grown them until recently, and they had to be shipped from the Mediterranean. Now you have several options for getting the benefits of pomegranate all year round. You can find several brands of pomegranate juice in your local grocery store. If you're not a big fan of the taste, you can also find pomegranate mixed with other familiar juices to give it a more pleasant flavor. Just make sure the product you get is 100% juice and doesn't have added sugars and fillers. You also can find the pomegranate fruit at certain times of the year. When you are able to buy some, you can either skin and deseed them for freezing, or just throw them in the juicer and freeze for later.