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Eating a Rainbow- Part 2
Last month I started a series called Eating a Rainbow. Eating a diet rich in color has multiple benefits. Natural foods are rich in color due to the abundance of vital nutrients that benefits our health and well being.
This month I will be talking about the color orange. One of the most obvious foods that has this vibrant color is it's namesake...the Orange. Specifically I will be talking about a small cousin of the orange called a Clementine.
Clementines are a perfect little snack sized citrus that is easy to peel. They fit perfectly in your little one's lunch pail and are easy for there little hands to handle. They are very beneficial for helping the immune system fight off all those school time colds. They contain 150% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C...a vitamin that helps boost our immune systems. Linus Pauling discovered that big doses of Vit. C helped keep those annoying head colds at bay and helped shorten the life of the common cold if you did happen to come down with it.
Good news for the parents as well...Clementines contain a compound called hesperidin. Hesperidin is a phytonutrient that works with Vit. C to promote collagen production. Increased collagen production helps improve skin elasticity and helps smooth fine lines in the face. So instead of spending hundreds of dollars on anti-wrinkle cream...try eating clementines on a regular basis!
Clementines also contain polymethoxylated flavones. What are they? Well, for those of you worried about your LDL (remember...those are the bad sticky cholesterol molecules that can clog arteries), polymenthoxylated flavones block the action of LDL forming proteins. Eating a diet that includes these juicy little clementines can help reduce your LDL cholesterol by up to 40%! These flavones also help inhibit triglycerides.
Another major benefit of eating this beautiful orange fruit is they help reduce varicose veins. Bioflavanoids are a compound found in citrus that actually help strengthen vein walls. If vein walls are strong then there is decreased fluid buildup which is the cause of varicose veins.
Citrus is easy to find year round. There are many juicy varieties including lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit. You can juice them or eat them straight. With summer on it's way, try some homemade lemonaide made with a natural sweetener like stevia. It is easy to juice your own citrus without any fancy machinery and it tastes so much better than concentrated. Your kids will love eating the juicy fruit and drinking the fresh juice. It is an easy way to make sure your children get their daily requirements of fruit.
Next month I will continue the Rainbow with the color Yellow.
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Lisa Metzgar, PhD Lisa Metzgar, PhD, has been in the alternative health field since 1996.
She received her BA in Biology from UCSD, is a certified Holistic Health Practitioner, and received her PhD in Holistic Nutrition. Lisa has taught body mind retreats in San Diego, Seattle, and Australia and currently has a practice in Reno, NV where she does nutritional counseling. Lisa's passion is to educate families in a healthy lifestyle. Visit her website Concepts In Wellness or e-mail her at lisa (at) conceptsinwellness.com
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