8 Beet Benefits: Aphrodisiac, Brain Booster & More

Written by Randy Fritz from Real Food Life.com

A single serving of beets can boost your energy and lower your blood pressure. Eating beets long-term can help you fight cancer, reduce arthritic pain, and lose weight, as well as assisting in a number of other health areas.

Many people don’t like beets or consider it only a special occasion dish, but we think this powerfood should be on your plate every day.

8 Healthy Reasons to Eat Beets:

1.  Weight Loss
Beets taste sweet, but a cup of cooked beet contains only 60 calories and is full of fiber. This is a perfect food for weight management.

The sugars in beets are smart carbs, since they come in a natural whole food form.  Unlike white sugar, the beet calories come with a lot of nutrients and phytochemicals.

2.  Brain and Energy Boost
Beets are high in natural nitrates, which are converted to nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is known to expand the walls of blood vessels so you can enjoy more oxygen, more nutrients, and more energy.

Studies have shown nitric oxide to increase the efficiency of the mitochondria (your energy powerhouses). The results of these studies were impressive.

• A single small serving (70 ml) of beetroot juice reduced resting blood pressure by 2%.
• A single small serving increased the length of time professional divers could hold their breath by 11%.
• Cyclists who drank a single larger serving (500 ml) of beetroot juice were able to ride up to 20% longer.

3.  Nature’s Viagra
One of the first known uses of beets was by the ancient Romans, who used them medicinally as an aphrodisiac. Many plants have been considered an aphrodisiac by some culture at some time, but in this case it may be more than just wishful thinking.

As noted above, beets can increase blood flow due to their nitrates. Increased blood flow to the genital areas is one of the mechanisms Viagra and other pharmaceuticals create their effects.  Beets also contain high amounts of boron, which is directly related to the production of human sex hormones.

4.  Super Antioxidant for a Long, Healthy, Pain-Free Life
Antioxidants help to reverse the daily accumulated wear and tear on the body, known as aging. Beets are a very good source of commonly known antioxidants like vitamin C and manganese, but it is their lesser-known antioxidants which give them their true value.

The blood-red color of beets comes from a powerful group of antioxidants called betalains. There are hundreds of studies on the positive health benefits of betalains.  A short summary of the results shows that they help in the areas of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and inflammation. If you go to Google Scholar and type in ‘betalains,’ you will see 3790 scholarly references on this subject.

5.  Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
The inflammatory response is a natural function of the body which saves our lives when it responds to the acute stresses in our lives, like bacterial infection and injury. Due to the constant stress in our modern lives, however, this inflammation becomes chronic. It is as though our body is constantly in a battle. Inflammation has been linked to a number of symptoms and diseases including:

Wrinkles

Susceptibility to infections

Cancer

Arthritis

Bronchitis

Chronic pain

Diabetes

High blood pressure

Osteoporosis

Heart disease

Candidiasis

The blood-red betalains in beets have been shown to reduce chronic inflammation.

6.  Cancer Prevention
Preliminary tests suggest that beetroot ingestion can be one of the useful means to prevent lung and skin cancer. Other studies have shown that beet juice inhibits the formation of cancer-causing compounds called nitrosamines.

7.  Cell Detoxification and Cleansing
The antioxidants in beets have been shown to support what is called phase 2 cleansing.  In phase 2 cleansing, unwanted toxic substances are chemically combined with a small nutrient group. This combination neutralizes the toxin and makes them sufficiently water-soluble so they can be excreted through the urine.

This is therefore deep cleansing on a cellular level, that may have long term health benefits.

8.  Improved Mental Health
The betalains in beets has been used in certain treatments of depression. It also contains tryptophan, which relaxes the mind and creates a sense of well-being, similar to chocolate. Enjoy!

Concerns:
Beet greens are one of the many high-nutrient foods that contain measurable amounts of oxalates. Individuals with known or suspected kidney or gallbladder problems are recommended not to eat these high-oxalate foods. This is a much-disputed subject, however. (See Oxalic Acid Controversy.)

Some individuals are concerned when their urine and stool turn red after consumption.  This condition, called beeturia, is not considered harmful and occurs in 10-14% of the population. Individuals with iron metabolism problems are more likely to experience this situation.

Suggestions:

• Raw beetroot juice is one of the most powerful ways you can consume it. It is rather intense by itself, though, and tastes much better mixed with other vegetables. We have thus included a great juice mixture recipe below.
• The nutrients in beets are more susceptible to degradation from long cooking times than other foods, so if you are cooking it, the ideal time would be 15 minutes steaming, maximum.
• Beetroot tops and stems contain much of the same benefits as the root, but with the additional nutrients and phytochemicals associated with green leaf vegetables.

“For pink pee, eat a beet! Children are notorious for refusing to eat their fruits and vegetables, but what child can resist the allure of orange, pink, and even green pee?” — Pee Funny by Benjamin Picard

http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/8-beet-benefits-aphrodisiac-brain-booster.html

15 Reasons You Should be Drinking Lemon Water Every Morning

http://www.naturalnews.com/Infographic-15-Reasons-You-Should-be-Drinking-Lemon-Water-Every-Morning.html

Cleanse Your Way to Flat Abs, Firm Thighs, and a Fit Body

 

  

To find out how go to http://www.healthnharmony1.isagenix.com

Are your hard-earned abs trapped under a layer of flab? The secret is out: the Isagenix nutritional cleansing system is the key to making your muscles “pop.” By combining fat-busting Cleanse Days with muscle-building Shake Days, you could be sporting that six pack and tight body you’ve always wanted by summer.

Building muscle and shedding unwanted body fat at the same time can be difficult because a certain amount of calories and high-quality protein must be eaten to prevent muscle breakdown. That’s where many diet plans go wrong. Sure, you will lose weight quickly on popular juice cleanses and other very low-calorie and low protein diets. But most of this will be water and muscle, and little will be fat. In the aftermath of the crash diet, you will be left with a slower metabolism, a less shapely physique, and an exceptional ability to store fat quickly. That’s where the Isagenix system is different.

The Isagenix nutritional cleansing system is designed to transform your body by allowing you to build muscle and burn fat while keeping metabolism high. The secret lies in the combination of scientifically supported Shake Days with Cleanse Days. During Shake Days, the right type and amount of protein is consumed to maximize muscle synthesis when coupled with weight training. During Cleanse Days, the body efficiently melts away fat.
Although taking a day or two to abstain from eating on Cleanse Days may seem counterintuitive for muscle-building goals, disruption to the muscle-building process will be avoided when cleansing is done right and in combination with weight lifting during high-protein Shake Days. Studies have shown that Cleanse Days, or intermittent fasting as known to the scientific community, are great for obliterating fat stores and transforming the body, even in the muscle-minded.

Cleanse Days shrink fat cells
To say fat is a fact of life is an understatement—fat is a fact of about 40 billion cells! That’s how many fat cells the average adult has, and unfortunately that number can only increase; it can’t decrease. Think of fat cells like balloons. They start to fill up whenever calorie intake exceeds calories burned, and keep on inflating until they can’t inflate anymore. Once this happens, it can trigger the creation of new fat cells that are ready to be filled (1).
Even though the body cannot lose any fat cells, it can still shrink them into almost nonexistence. Cleanse Days help in this process because more calories are burned than eaten so the body will start to use fat for fuel, and this causes fat cells to shrink. Performing Cleanse Days on a regular or semi-regular basis means you’re giving your fat cells a repeated dose of fat-cell shrinkage, which equals more visible muscle and a more toned body.

Cleanse Days boost muscle-building compounds, helping to prevent muscle loss
Not only is human growth hormone an important part of muscle building, it also plays a role in preventing muscle breakdown and increasing fat burning. Cleanse Days are known to boost production of growth hormone (2). Fasting for just one day has been shown to increase growth hormone by an average of 1,300 percent in women, and nearly 2,000 percent in men (3).

This increase in growth hormone is one of the main reasons why completing a Cleanse Day will not abolish long-term, muscle-building goals. Growth hormone helps to defend against muscle loss on Cleanse Days by increasing the body’s use of fat for fuel. By forcing the body to rely on fat stores for energy rather than on protein hijacked from muscle, muscle loss can be minimized and fat burning can be maximized.

Additionally, fasting increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin, which is another hormone important to muscle-minded people (4-6). Insulin is important for muscle growth because it helps deliver sugar eaten during a meal to muscle where it can be used for energy during activity. Sensitivity to insulin is critical for meeting muscle-building and fat-burning goals because dietary carbohydrates can be efficiently used by muscle to stimulate growth rather than being converted to fat.

Shake Days plus resistance training maximize muscle gain
The IsaLean® and IsaLean Pro Shakes offer the perfect post-Cleanse Day nutrition to stimulate maximum muscle building. Both are high in whey protein, which is superior to other protein types for promoting muscle maintenance at rest or for bolstering muscle building after exercise (7-9). This is because whey protein is high in the amino acid leucine, which is seen by the body as the trigger for muscle growth. In addition, whey protein is absorbed and delivered to muscle quickly, further strengthening muscle synthesis.
No other protein has more research behind it showing superiority for muscle building, fat burning, and healthy weight management than whey. And studies have shown that the best nutritional strategy to maximize muscle growth and manage weight is to eat 20 to 40 grams of quality protein at regular intervals throughout the day (10, 11)—exactly what happens during Shake Days. By combining the Isagenix nutritional cleansing regimen of Shake and Cleanse Days with a regular gym routine, you have everything you need to achieve a tone, trim body, and to get those muscles to “pop.”

References

1. Cinti S. The adipose organ at a glance. Dis Model Mech 2012;5:588-94.
2. Norrelund H. The metabolic role of growth hormone in humans with particular reference to fasting. Growth Horm IGF Res 2005;15:95-122.
3. Intermountain Medical Center. Routine periodic fasting is good for your health, and your heart, study suggests. Science Daily 2011, May 20.
4. Dalzill C, Nigam A, Juneau M et al. Intensive Lifestyle Intervention Improves Cardiometabolic and Exercise Parameters in Metabolically Healthy Obese and Metabolically Unhealthy Obese Individuals. Can J Cardiol 2013.
5. Halberg N, Henriksen M, Soderhamn N et al. Effect of intermittent fasting and refeeding on insulin action in healthy men. J Appl Physiol 2005;99:2128-36.
6. Wolfe RR. Effects of insulin on muscle tissue. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2000;3:67-71.
7. Witard OC, Jackman SR, Breen L, et al. Myofibrillar muscle protein synthesis rates subsequent to a meal in response to increasing doses of whey protein at rest and after resistance exercise. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;99:86-95.
8. Yang Y, Churchward-Venne TA, Burd NA, Breen L, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Myofibrillar protein synthesis following ingestion of soy protein isolate at rest and after resistance exercise in elderly men. Nutr Metab (Lond) 2012;9:57.
9. Tang JE, Moore DR, Kujbida GW, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Ingestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young men. J Appl Physiol 2009;107:987-92.
10. Leidy HJ, Tang M, Armstrong CL, Martin CB, Campbell WW. The effects of consuming frequent, higher protein meals on appetite and satiety during weight loss in overweight/obese men. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2011;19:818-24.
11. Paddon-Jones D, Rasmussen BB. Dietary protein recommendations and the prevention of sarcopenia. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2009;12:86-90.

http://www.isagenixhealth.net/cleanse-your-way-to-flat-abs-firm-thighs-and-a-fit-body/

Dr John Gray Endorses IsaGenix 30 & 9 Day Cleanse Programs

Listen to Dr John Gray here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sNRK2lyzQA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Cleansing Benefits Beyond Weight Loss

While weight loss is an evidence-supported benefit of intermittent fasting, it’s not the only one. New research shows that regularly engaging in intermittent fasting (or Cleanse Days) can significantly improve cognition and possibly support brain health as we age—all the more reason why Cleanse Days should be thought of as lifelong habits rather than used as a short-term solution.

Read more at:

http://www.isagenixhealth.net/cleansing-benefits-beyond-weight-loss/

Get more information at:

www.healthnharmony1.isagenix.com

Do You Want to Maximise Your Results?

Listen to Dr Ina Nozek explain what makes the 30-Day stand out from all other systems and diet plans out there? Dr. Ina shares the facts, the features and benefits to the 30-Day as well as helpful tips to maximize your results!

http://isagenixpodcast.com/the-perfect-plan-30-day-cleansing-and-fat-burning-system/#sthash.Miy0ahij.dpuf

Learn more at: www.healthnharmony1.isagenix.com

 

 

Is Health Your Top Priority?

Here are seven science-backed ways in which you can make your health a priority.
http://www.isagenixhealth.net/to-better-health-in-2014/

For more information about Isagenix go to

www.healthnharmony1.isagenix.com

Nutritional Cleansing Impacts the Blood

In this short video Jim Rhoades shows blood samples taken before and after an 11 day Nutritional Cleansing program.

Your body is made up of 100 trillion cells and they will all regenerate over a 7 year period with the exception of nerve, brain and heart cells. Our blood regenerates every 4 months due to the important role it plays in our health, the things that you eat, breath and drink will literally make up your blood and all the other cells for that matter. Flooding the body with all of the building blocks we need to create a healthy vibrant cell and then cleansing the body out and aiding the body to remove all of the toxic load that the 21st century is inflicting on our bodies is incredibly important if you wish to achieve optimum and long term health.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BesUttqdy2w

 

Do You Have Trouble Losing Weight??? This Could Be The Reason...

Yes, Your Fat Is Toxic

By Michael Colgan, Ph.D.

Sadly the situation is the same in Australia.

From the annual reports of the American Lung Association, the North American urban environment is now the most toxic it’s been in history, puffing clouds of toxins more deadly than even during the Industrial Revolution (1). Most of the industrial chemicals and pesticides that have created this disaster are lipophilic, meaning they mix easily with fat—your fat (2).

To avoid acute poisoning, your body removes the toxins from your bloodstream and stores them in your body fat. As the burden of toxins increases, it causes the body’s defence systems to makes more and more fat cells to store them (2-4). Without any change in food intake, you grow fat as a goose.

Read more:

http://www.isagenixhealth.net/yes-your-fat-is-toxic/

Are You Looking at Improving Your Health and Reducing Unwanted Kilograms?

Sadly Australia holds the unenviable position of the 4th most overweight country in the world. With almost 14million people overweight.
 

Please click on the link below if you are looking at improving your health and reducing unwanted kilograms.

For more information go to http://healthnharmony1.isagenix.com

Dangerous Fat You May Not Know You Have and Why Cleansing Can Help Reduce It

Imagine for a moment that you have x-ray vision and can see through skin viewing the insides of the people around you. Yes, we understand that’s a little gross, but bear with us. With x-ray vision, you could see people’s hearts, blood circulating through arteries, and the intricate strands of fibrous proteins making up the muscles in these folks. You’d also see people’s liver, gall bladders and intestines. And finally, you’d see a hidden type of fat- visceral fat- which has accumulated within and around these internal organs.

 

Unlike subcutaneous fat (the type of fat you can pinch), visceral fat is not immediately noticeable and that can make it more dangerous. Having excess subcutaneous fat may be a problem in itself, but the slow accumulation of visceral fat is deadly in ways that subcutaneous is not.

The danger of excess visceral fat is due to its metabolically active nature. Visceral fat secretes a variety of inflammatory proteins hormones and related compounds that can set you off on a  path toward chronic disease (1).

How does one begin to accumulate visceral fat? Well, although everyone needs some fat to cushion internal  organs and to provide a reservoir of stored energy,  a sedentary lifestyle combined with overeating and the aging process itself, are the main contributing factors for visceral fat accumulation. Genetics plays a role too; for example, studies have found Asian populations to be more prone to increased visceral fat despite their lower body weight (2). Not surprisingly, the accumulation of visceral fat usually occurs in coordination with increases in total body fat and a reduction in energy-burning muscle mass.

Battling the visceral bulge
The good news is that chronic disease-causing excesses of visceral fat can be managed and even prevented. Losing weight and adopting an exercise program should be priority No. 1. Age-old advice to “eat less, move more” can help target visceral fat. A diet rich in high-protein and high-fiber foods in conjunction with  a lifestyle that incorporates regular aerobic exercise (at least three times a week), has been clinically shown to significantly reduce visceral fat (3, 4). However, as the statistics show, people aren’t often successful in making or maintaining these lifestyle changes.

Enter Cleanse Days and Shake Days—a science-backed dietary plan developed to reduce visceral fat, and quickly too. An Isagenix system that includes Cleanse Days and Shake Days is the ideal approach, suggests research performed at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).

Cleanse Days take advantage of the scientific benefits of intermittent fasting, an eating plan based on four decades of research to extend and improve quality of life, and add to that concept Cleanse for Life, an herb and nutrient-rich beverage that nourishes and helps detoxify the body. Shake Days are days consisting of two meal-replacement, high-protein-based IsaLean shakes and a third 400- to 600-calorie meal.

Through use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)—similar to x-ray vision—the UIC researchers found that subjects who performed regular Cleanse Days along with Shake Days as part of an Isagenix system cut visceral fat by an average of 1½ pounds (that’s quite a lot) in just eight weeks (5). Moreover, Isagenix “Cleansers” lost twice as much visceral fat (and more body fat overall; an average of 8 pounds) in comparison to study subjects who consumed a reduced-calorie, food-based diet that was designed to be “heart healthy” by physicians. To be certain they were comparing apples to apples, both groups of subjects—whether on the Isagenix system or the heart healthy diet—were matched in terms of caloric intake. The heart-healthy diet group also performed Cleanse Days with a placebo juice.

Not sure if you have excess visceral fat? Although it may not be noticeable, there are factors hinting toward its presence—such as a large waist circumference, a high percentage of body fat, or if eating an unhealthy diet or live a sedentary lifestyle (averaging less than two hours a day of exercise).

How to fight back? The solution is easy: Exercise, consume fewer calories, follow a clinically-validated nutritional program such as Isagenix that works!


References

1. Britton KA, Massaro JM, Murabito JM, Kreger BE, Hoffmann U, Fox CS. Body fat distribution, incident cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality. J Am Coll Cardiol 2013;62:921-5.
2. Ma RC, Chan JC. Type 2 diabetes in East Asians: similarities and differences with populations in Europe and the United States. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2013;1281:64-91.
3. Johnson NA, et al. Aerobic exercise training reduces hepatic and visceral lipids in obese individuals without weight loss. Hepatology 2009;50:1105-12.
4. Hairston KG, et al. Lifestyle Factors and 5-Year Abdominal Fat Accumulation in a Minority Cohort: The IRAS Family Study. Obesity 2011 Jun 16.
5. Klempel MC, Kroeger CM, Bhutani S, Trepanowski JF, Varady KA. Intermittent fasting combined with calorie restriction is effective for weight loss and cardio-protection in obese women. Nutr J 2012;11:98.

http://www.isagenixhealth.net/the-dangerous-fat-you-may-not-know-you-have-and-why-cleansing-can-help-reduce-it/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+isagenixhealthblog+%28Isagenix+Health%29&utm_content=FaceBook


For more information about Isagenix go to http://healthnharmony1.isagenix.com

Dr Michael Colgan on Cleansing and Nutrition

Dr Michael Colgan with key information on getting the right protein and cleansing.

Why Choose a Nutritional Cleanse?

This is a great article comparing a cleansing program to a juice fast. Check out the 4 points listed at the bottom of the article which refer to what to look for in a cleansing program.

When it comes to diets and juice fasts, there are numerous fads that claim to help people lose weight quickly. Unfortunately, many of these dieting trends do not deliver the results you’re really looking for. A study conducted by the researchers of British Medical Journal suggests that people who consumed fruit in the form of juices actually increased their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by eight percent, while those who consumed their fruit whole lowered their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by two percent.
Why the dramatic difference? The reason juicing is not a preferred path toward health and weight loss is because the process actually removes the fibrous pulp when extracting the nutrients and water from vegetables and fruit – and the pulp is where the real magic happens: antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and more. When you take away this enriching fibre, you’re missing out on all of the health benefits, vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables. Not only does juicing leave behind the fibrous pulp, but it also leaves the sugar content, making the healthy juicing option not as healthy after all.

The problem with juice fasts
Juice fasts that last more than a few days can cause the muscles in the body to breakdown due to insufficient protein intake. If you are planning to lose weight and reduce calories, getting extra protein is imperative. Without proper protein, muscle is lost with the fat. If calories during a juice fast are continuously low, you may stimulate fat metabolism. However, with that breakdown of fat, you want to make sure you can successfully combat the released toxins with certain nutrients designed to help your body detoxify.

A solution that works
If you want to adopt a healthy diet and enjoy the benefits of fruit nutrients and detoxification without the high sugar intake or without losing out on necessary fibres and protein, look for a nutritional cleanse that nourishes your body, helping you to safely lose weight. Finding a cleanse program that works for you – without spiking your blood sugar – is a nutritional cleanse that supplies ample amounts of protein to ensure you are building muscle while losing weight.

What to look for in a nutritional cleanse program:

1. A cleanse that is backed by clinical research: Make sure you choose a leading, healthy cleanse that ensures more healthy weight loss, more healthy fat loss, and improved cardiovascular health. Any other solutions are not worth your time and effort. A cleanse backed by researchers ensures a reliable, safe, and convenient way to lose weight.
2. Keep it natural: To cleanse, nourish, and replenish the body, it is important to get rid of toxins naturally. Look for cleanses that do not have artificial colors or flavors. I recommend a cleanse for life that includes a synergistic blend of natural, cleansing herbs and botanicals to nourish the body’s systems and boost metabolism and energy levels. I also recommend preservative-free, environmentally-friendly packaging for cleanse products.
3. Perfect for the “on-the-go” lifestyle: Look for a cleanse that provides options for a busy lifestyle, especially if you have found in the past that other cleanses or diets are not convenient or take up too much of your time to sustain. The Cleanse for Life I recommend offers a natural fruit flavor portable powder alternative to the liquid formula, making it easy to choose a version to fit your lifestyle and there is no refrigeration needed.
4. Jam-packed with all the “good stuff:” Make sure you are on-board with a cleanse that works for you and a cleanse that contains all of the important nutrients, antioxidants, ionic minerals, natural plants, teas, and gentle cleansing herbs. I can help you find a nutritional cleanse that nourishes and supports the body’s most important functions and immune system. Contact me for details on a nutritional cleanse program that delivers what you need to lose weight, kill fat, and gain energy – the healthy way!

http://www.business2community.com/health-wellness/choose-nutritional-cleanse-0790348#!A3XM0