FEATURED ARTICLES
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- Written by Lisa Jillanza
Everyone knows that your kidneys are two vital organs in your body. Located in your lower back, your kidneys work as blood filtration, keep a balance between minerals, eliminate waste from blood and water, excrete waste materials from the body through the urinary tract, produce hormones, and more.
These organs are very important and without both kidneys, humans would not survive much longer. While they are vital organs, they are very prone to many diseases caused by food items, hereditary diseases, blood pressure, diabetes, and more. If food is not damaging your kidneys directly, it will damage them indirectly.
That’s why is it super important to maintain a kidney-healthy diet
This includes eating all kinds of healthy, fresh, herbal, homemade, and farm-fresh foods.
The following foods should be avoided for the health of your kidneys:
- Processed food
- Salt or sodium food items
- Beets
- Tomatoes and tomato seeds
- Fast food
- Sugary foods
- Alcohol
- Lentils and beans
- Junk food
- Frozen food, ready to cook food
- Artificially flavored juices
- Potatoes
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- Written by Lisa Jillanza
The Fourth of July brings food, picnics, swimming, fireworks and so much more.
Why not kick off this Fourth of July with a bang and not just end it with one?
This month we offer you this “Firecracker Frenzy: Fourth of July Workout Challenge”.
Start off with these warm-ups:
*30-second march in place
*20 glute kicks
*20 squats
*20 jumping jacks
*30-second march in place
And the workout:
*25 jumping jacks
*20 side lunges
*25 jump squats
*15 push-ups
*10 burpees
*20 crunches
*20 sit-ups
*30-seconds to 1 minute plank
Repeat full circuit one time.
Cool Down:
*30-second march in place
*Stretch
Have fun and Happy Fourth of July Everyone!
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- Written by Lisa Jillanza
Summer is a great season to partake in the numerous delicious seasonal fruits. Not only do these summertime fruits taste great, but they also give you many nutritional benefits. Some fruits to enjoy before the season ends include:
Berries: the phytochemicals in blueberries, strawberries and blackberries all boost immunity, and protect against heart diseases and circulatory problems.
Peaches and plums: full of vitamin C and beta carotene, peaches and plums help to eliminate free radicals from the body.
Pineapples: being packed with the most vitamins and minerals, pineapples are also a great digestive aid.
Papayas and mangoes: both are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, beta carotene and fiber.
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- Written by Lisa Jillanza
- We consume about 25 pounds of bananas per person each year.
- There are more than 1,000 varieties of bananas.
- Bananas don't grow on trees : trees have bark and banana plants don't have bark.
- Bananas are low in saturated fats, cholesterol and sodium.
- A large portion of the calories in bananas come from sugars.
Recipe: Classic Banana Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Recipe: Banana Chia Pudding
1 ½ cups vanilla-flavored flax milk
1 large banana cut in chunks
7 tablespoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Put milk, banana, chia seeds, honey, vanilla extract, and sea salt in respective order in the blender; blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl and refrigerate until thickened, at least 2 hours. Spoon mixture into small bowls to serve.
- Details
- Written by Lisa Jillanza
(Continued from Part I…)
Health Tip #4: Dehydration
Dry mouth and eyes, dry skin, a condition where sweating nearly stops, muscle cramps, nausea, heart palpitations and light headedness. To prevent dehydration, drink water, clear broths, and any other water replacements that contain electrolytes, like Gatorade. To combat dehydration, try fluid replacement and control through diet and fever medication.
Health Tip #5: Foot Infections
Sweating and humidity can increase your chances of foot infection during summer.
To remedy a foot infection, there are several anti-bacterial powders available in medical stores. And scrub your feet and the toes thoroughly to wash off the bacteria. For severe cases of infection, consult a dermatologist.
Health Tip #6: Summer Diet
It’s always a good idea to switch up your diet in the summertime to eat foods such as watermelon, yogurt, berries and other fruits and vegetables. Such foods are low in calories and additionally require very little energy for digestion. These foods taste better when chilled and are therefore traditionally eaten that way. Naturally, eating chilled low-calorie foods feel good in the summer months, too.
Health Tip #7: Food Hygiene
Many dangerous bacteria and viruses thrive in the summer months as the temperature is conducive for their growth. The bad bugs usually enter the body through food and water. This is why maintaining good food hygiene is crucial in this season.