Avocado
An emollient for the skin and hair, avocado is an oil-rich tropical fruit that’s full of vitamins and potassium. Its oil is often used in commercial skin preparations, because it makes an exceptional moisturizer and has many anti-aging properties. To use it as a home facial treatment, simply mash one avocado until smooth, spread it on your face and rinse off first with warm water and then cold to close the pores after 15 or 20 minutes.

Cucumber
Well known for its healing properties, it has a wonderful calming and soothing effect on sensitive or sunburned skin and makes a wonderful mask. You can place sliced or grated chilled cucumber on your face or put the chilled cucumber in a blender and use the puree instead (keeping it away from your eyes). Leave it on for about 30 minutes while you lie down and then rinse it off and follow with a moisturizer.

Bananas
High in potassium, bananas are natural humectants that are often used in homemade facial and body masks for dry skin.  Simply apply a mashed banana to your face. Add some plain yogurt and an egg white or a tablespoon of honey to the bananas to make the mask more luxurious.

Eggs
Eggs help to reduce the appearance of pores and fine lines on the surface of the skin because of their skin conditioning and toning properties. They also act as a hair conditioner and thickener, and can be used as a base to bind other ingredients together. To create an egg mask that will minimize your pores and give you healthy skin, beat one egg yolk, apply it to your face and rinse well after 15 minutes. For a more moisturizing mask, mix one egg yolk, one teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of olive oil, and use the same as the plain egg yolk mask.

Honey
Honey is known for its skin conditioning and antibacterial effects, and is a wonderful healing ingredient for moisturizers, masks, cleansers and lip balms. Active Manuka honey is especially beneficial for healing skin. Use a warm, wet towel to open your pores, and then spread the honey on your face. Leave on for 15-30 minutes, and then rinse with warm water and then cold to close the pores.

Kiwis
Kiwis are high in vitamin C, and soothe and refresh the skin when used in masks and toners. Fresh kiwi juice or pulp can be added to a variety of other ingredients to form masks, but it can also be used by itself as a cleansing mask. It’s fairly astringent, so it may pinch a little. But this is okay, as long as you keep it away from your eyes. Leave the mask on for 15 minutes, wash with warm and then cold water and follow with your normal moisturizer.

Lemons
Lemons are a natural astringent and are often found in toners and exfoliators. They’re excellent for oily and greasy skin, because they remove excess oil and to help lighten pigmentation. To make a mask to address oily skin issues, mix the juice of half a lemon and one beaten egg white and apply it to your face, avoiding the eyes. You can actually leave this mask on overnight if you want, or for just 15 minutes if you want a quick treatment.

Oatmeal
Oatmeal softens and heals the skin and is therefore a great addition to any mask for sensitive skin.  It can also be used as a mild exfoliant by mixing it with enough water or milk to make a soft paste and using it to wash your face. If you have oily skin, use the same preparation as a mask, leaving it on until it dries. Once it does, rub it off with your fingers, making sure to do it very gently so you protect your skin.

Pineapple
Pineapple makes a great exfoliant, due to its natural enzymes. Puree or mash the pineapple, apply it to the skin and let it set a few minutes. After you rinse it off, finish with a gentle mask made from one cup yogurt and yogurt and a tablespoon of honey for the ultimate spa treatment.

Watermelon
Watermelon’s astringent and skin conditioning properties can be very helpful for those suffering from oily skin conditions. Mash enough watermelon to cover your face (avoiding the eye area), spread it on and then lie down for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm and then cold water and follow with your favorite moisturizer.

As you can see, there is a bountiful selection of items that can be used for natural facial treatments. So if you want to avoid buying expensive anti aging facial products or just want your skin to look its best, turn to Mother Nature!

You might also be interested in these acne home remedies that reduce redness.

Fruit basket image courtesy of Michaela Kobyakov

1. Increasing stamina and physical performance during exercise
A study conducted at Northumbria University, U.K,  found that beet juice had a very surprising effect on a group of male cyclists. The cyclists were tested to see how long they could cycle for before starting this experiment. They were then given 8 oz. of beet juice every day for two weeks and tested again to see if there was any difference in their cycling performance. Amazingly, on average the men could cycle 12 percent longer! Researchers attribute at least part of this effect to the abundance of nitrates found in beet juice. Nitrates slow down the rate at which oxygen burns within our muscles and consequently increases the length of time they can perform exercise before fatiguing.

2. Promoting liver health
Beet juice is one of the best vegetable juices for the liver because of its high content of an antioxidant called betaine. Betaine stimulates the liver cells to function optimally and to clear out toxins. When the liver is functioning at its best our whole body benefits greatly, because the liver is the main detoxification organ that clears all kinds of toxic chemicals out of our bloodstream. Betaine also protects the cells of the liver, the gall bladder and the bile duct from oxidative damage.

3. Treating anemia and restoring red blood cell levels
One of the major juicing benefits of beets is the rich content of iron. Iron is essential for building red blood cells, because it is the atom that sits right at the center of a red blood cell molecule. If we get low on iron, our red blood cell account will diminish accordingly. For this reason, drinking fresh beet juice daily is a great choice for those who have anemia, are menstruating or who have just given blood.

Beetroot Juice Recipes

Beet juice is quite concentrated, so it’s critical to dilute it with water or other juices. This is important, because ingesting too much beet juice or even too many beet greens can cause fever or chills, dizziness, hives, temporary paralysis of the vocal chords or increased heart rate. Beets are also high in oxalic acid, so you should avoid them altogether if  your stomach is easily irritated or you have osteoporosis, kidney stones, rheumatoid arthritis or gout.

But don’t let the warnings scare you away from beet juice; it can be incredibly beneficial when enjoyed in moderation by healthy people. What is moderation? While you assess how your body will tolerate it, begin with one tablespoon per day. After a few days, work up to one to two ounces per day, depending on how your body reacts. Let any reactions be your guide to whether you should modify the amount. To make sure you know just exactly how much beet juice you’re getting, juice the beet first and set the juice aside before you put the rest of the ingredients into the juicer.

And one last common sense precaution: try to use organic ingredients when you make juice. That will allow you to get more of what you need and less of what you don’t need, like pesticides.

Keeping the above caveats about quantities in mind, here are some  juicing recipes that will allow you to get all the benefits of the mighty beetroot:

Simply healthy

The amount of beet juice you can tolerate, plus

• 6 carrots

Sweetie

The amount of beet juice you can tolerate, plus

• 4 carrots
• 2 Fuji or Gala apples

Variety pack

The amount of beet juice you can tolerate, plus

• 1 Fuji or Gala apple
• 1 pear
• 3  carrots
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 parsnip
• 1 small piece each of ginger and salsify root (approximately 2 inches long for each)

Zingy detoxifier

The amount of beet juice you can tolerate, plus

• 1 stalk of celery
• 2 radishes
• 1 slice Spanish onion
• 1 lemon
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 2 Tbs. cider vinegar

These healthy beetroot juice recipes are just starting points. Feel free to adjust the ingredients and quantities to suit your taste, remembering to always keep the way your body feels in mind and let that be your guide.

Photo by Zsuzsanna Kilian, border by Helga Stolzenwald

You might also be interested in these other healthy recipes from MyOnlineHealthArticles.com:

• Blueberry Recipes with Antioxidant Power
• Broccoli Recipes
• Asparagus Recipes
• Garlic Recipes with Antiviral Power
• Pasta Recipes to Boost Your Immune System
• Recipes to Help Your Vision
• Recipes to Keep Anemia at Bay
• Recipes to Control Blood Sugar

Image via Wikipedia

Regular consumption of blueberries has been found to be immensely beneficial in maintaining lifelong health. In fact, it wouldn’t be going overboard to say that anyone who wants to maintain their health naturally should eat blueberries regularly. This is because they’re low in calories, yet they have a huge antioxidant effect on the body that promotes good health, staves off aging and is even believed to have a role in cancer prevention. They also provide plenty of dietary fiber, manganese, and vitamins  E and C, all of which are essential to general wellness.

And what better way to get the benefits of blueberries than to grow your own blueberry bushes at home? That will not only save you money, but it also guarantees that the fruit will be fresher than store-bought and free of pesticides and fertilizers.

Most people don’t know that there are actually many different types of blueberries. Some are tiny, while others are considered to be giant-sized (little giant blueberries). Some blueberry bushes grow more easily in cold climates, while others do better in warmer climates. Below is just a handful of the different types of blueberries that you might want to consider for your own garden:

Barkley
One of the most popular types of blueberry plants is the Barkley. The blueberries produced by this plant are known for being large and sweet, and providing an excellent mid-season harvest.

Bluecrop
Bluecrop blueberries are a light blue and are quite large. They’re sometimes referred to as “giant blueberries” due to their size. They’re the leading variety used on commercial farms and are known to be fairly easy to grow.

Blueray
The Blueray bush is also known for its light blue color and large size. Bluerays are one of the most popular at-home blueberry bushes and are very popular throughout the Northeast and Midwest.

Collins
Collins bushes are another popular type of blueberry bush, and unlike the others mentioned above, they’re known for producing medium-sized berries. They’re also more more low-maintenance and firm and have a very sweet flavor.

Coville
Coville blueberries have a light blue color and are available later in the season. Like the Collins, they’re medium-sized. If you want blueberries all season long it’s a good idea to have a variety of early- to mid-season bushes, plus some Covilles. That will give you blueberries once your other bushes have passed their harvest season.

Earlyblues
The name says it all with the Earlyblues blueberries: they produce early in the season. They’re also light blue in color, sweet in taste and are often used for blueberry pies.

We’ve merely skimmed the surface here by discussing only six of the more popular types of blueberries. If you decide to grow your own, you should definitely research the different types and how to grow them, and then choose one or more that’s known for growing well in your region.

Regardless of which type you choose to grow, you should be consuming blueberries on a regular basis. Their nutritional qualities are so great and they taste so good that you can’t afford not to eat them!

If you’re looking for ways to incorporate blueberries into your diet, try these easy healthy blueberry recipes. You might also be interested in our other healthy recipes:

• Asparagus Recipes
• Broccoli Recipes
• Garlic Recipes with Antiviral Power
• Pasta Recipes to Boost Your Immune System
• Recipes to Control Blood Sugar
• Recipes to Help Your Vision
• Recipes to Keep Anemia at Bay

Image via Wikipedia

Commercials for a famous tonic that addressed “iron-poor blood” started appearing in the mid-twentieth century. That tonic, Geritol, still exists today, which tells you that a lot of people must be having problems with anemia — a blood disorder attributed to the deficiency of iron, folic acid and vitamin B12.

No wonder people search out a tonic if they have anemia: The disease causes dizziness and fatigue, even during non-strenuous activities. Iron-deficient anemia is the most common type, and occurs when your body doesn’t have the required iron content to produce hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen to all parts of your body and provides energy for you to carry out your daily activities.

Iron is of two types: heme which is easily absorbed by the human body, and non-heme, which is not. While non-vegetarian foods like red meat and eggs are rich sources of the heme form, vegetarians have to augment their intake of iron from foods like beets (also known as beetroots), blackstrap molasses and green leafy vegetables. It’s important to also include foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, because they help in the absorption of non-heme iron.

Here are two recipes — one vegetarian and the other non-vegetarian — for dishes that are rich in iron and can help keep anemia at bay:

Beetroot-Fruit Cocktail
Serves 2

• 1/2 small-sized beet
• 2 ripe pears
• 1 small lime
• ½ red bell pepper
• 1 handful of basil leaves

1. Wash the beet and the pears.
2. Peel them and then chop them into small pieces, and place them in a blender.
3. Squeeze the juice from the lime into the blender.
4. Wash, de-seed and chop the bell pepper, and place the pieces in the blender.
5. Wash and use a course chop on the basil leaves, and place them in the blender.
6. Run the blender until you get the consistency juice of juice you want. You can also use the same ingredients in a juicer.

The juice has to be consumed within an hour or so after preparation to ensure you get all the nutrients. It’s a good recipe for those prone to anemia because beet juice is rich in both iron and folic acid, and lime is rich in vitamin C, which is the catalyst that helps the body absorb iron from non-heme sources. There are some caveats about ingesting too much beet juice, though, so please read about that on our beet juice recipes page before you make this recipe.

Ham and Beans
Serves 6

• 3 lbs smoked ham
• 2 lbs dried Great Northern beans
• 2 dried peppers
• 2 onions
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ cup blackstrap molasses
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup mustard

1. Rinse and dry the beans.
2. Fill a Dutch oven with the amount of water indicated on the package directions for the beans, and then add the beans. Cover and cook at the temperature indicated in the directions.
3. Add the ham and remaining ingredients when the beans are cooked half-way, based on the time in the package directions.
4. Cook for the remaining indicated time.

This dish contains both red meat (ham) and blackstrap molasses, both of which are rich in iron and help enrich the hemoglobin content in your blood.

And here are some quick concoctions that can also help prevent anemia or address it if you already have it:

• Twice a day: eat a ripe banana dipped in 1 tbs. honey.
• Once a day: drink a mixture of beet juice, apple juice and one tbs. honey.
• Once a day: drink a mixture of apple juice and tomato juice.
• Soak currants overnight, de-seed and eat in the morning.

This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the topic of Care Plans.

You might also be interested in these other healthy recipes:

• Asparagus Recipes
• Beet Juicing Recipes
• Blueberry Recipes with Antioxidant Power
• Broccoli Recipes
• Garlic Recipes with Antiviral Power
• Pasta Recipes to Boost Your Immune System
• Recipes to Control Blood Sugar
• Recipes to Help Your Vision

Image via Wikipedia

Blueberries are a good source of fiber and vitamin C, but this little blue fruit’s main claim to fame is its antioxidant activity. Why is this important? Because antioxidants neutralize free radicals — those unstable oxygen molecules that attack your body and place you at risk for cancer, heart disease and premature aging. Blueberries are actually ranked No. 1 among common fruits and vegetables in antioxidant power. Acai and Goji berries are the only other fruits that rank higher, but they’re more exotic — and more expensive.

Try these quick and easy blueberry dessert recipes. They’re great ways to get your antioxidants.

Blueberry Crumble
Makes 4 to 6 servings

• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup flour (preferably whole wheat, or try one of the gluten-free varieties)
• 3/4 cup uncooked oats
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

1. Spread blueberries in a 2-quart baking dish.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients and sprinkle over blueberries.
3. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Berry Treasure
Makes 4 servings

• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 (6 oz.) can frozen grape juice concentrate, undiluted
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
• 1 tsp. lemon juice

1. Combine grape juice concentrate, water and tapioca in a saucepan and let them stand in for 5 minutes.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
3. Simmer slowly, stirring often, until tapioca is clear and juice is thickened.
4. Remove from heat; add lemon juice and stir. Incorporate the blueberries once the mixture has cooled a little.

You can also add other fruit, such as bananas and raspberries, which can either be stirred in or layered.

Photo by Chrissi Nerantzi

You might also be interested in these other healthy recipes:

• Asparagus Recipes
• Beet Juice Recipes
• Broccoli Recipes
• Garlic Recipes with Antiviral Power
• Pasta Recipes to Boost Your Immune System
• Recipes to Control Blood Sugar
• Recipes to Help Your Vision
• Recipes to Keep Anemia at Bay