How To Make Orange Juice, The Secret That Will Prevent Stroke

Do you enjoy orange juice? If you drink orange juice bought from a store or squeeze it yourself on one of those simple squeezers then you are cheating yourself out of some of the greatest health benefits that any juice can provide.

How To Properly Juice An Orange

You've seen the traditional orange juicers where the orange is squeezed against a raised tip with ridges. Sometimes these have a motor to ease the work of squeezing. These are terrible devices that waste most of the nutrition of the orange leaving less than 10% of it in an orange flavored sugar water.

Real orange juice uses the whole orange minus the peel. Oranges must be peeled to be properly consumed by the body, but you must peel it correctly by taking only the orange part. The peel contains an indigestible aromatic oil that you want to avoid taking in because your body cannot digest it. On the other hand, just below the skin is a white pith that is perhaps the most nutritious part of the orange. After peeling only the surface orange color off, the orange can then be run through a regular juicer.

The Secret To Getting Juice Power From Oranges

The white under the skin is called the pith, it contains a lot of bioflavonoids and it strengthens the capillaries throughout your body and especially in the brain and thus helps avoid stroke. Also important is the other nutrients in oranges help reduce blood pressure thus providing further protection against stoke and brain hemorrhage. Leaving the pith on while juicing is the big secret for getting maximum nutrition from oranges.

Oranges are high in vitamin C and this provides great antioxidant properties which help boost your immune system and protect against cancer. They also protect against asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis

Oranges have over 170 different phytonutrients along with more than 60 flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and blood clot inhibiting properties, and work with the vitamin C to create a strong antioxidant effect.

Limonoids are also present in oranges and along with the vitamin C help fight cancer of the lung, colon, breast, mouth, and stomach. Oranges are powerhouses of nutrition if you juice them correctly.

Real Orange Juice

As you can see not all orange juice is worthy of being called orange juice. It must be made from the whole fruit to provide the protection and nutrition that it is capable of.

This orange juice recipe is very simple, 4 medium sized oranges peeling the orange skin off, remember to leave as much of the white membranes or pith as possible as it contains the stoke preventative nutrition. Then just drop them in your juicer and let it rip.

- Michael Griffin

Bearded Dragon Diets - Three Important Things To Remember

One of the most vital parts of giving proper care to a bearded dragon is ensuring that it is getting enough nourishment through proper diet. Here are some of the tips that you can consider to make sure that your beardie is eating the right foods that will make them healthy:

1. Insects and animals - pet reptiles love to eat insects and animals. Some of the great selections of insects for your pet bearded dragon are the following:

• Crickets - it is advisable to give hatchlings some "pinhead" crickets because these are smaller and easier to chew for them. However, for adult bearded dragon, full sized crickets are best to offer. Feeder crickets contain 69% moisture, 1% ash, 21% protein, 3% carbohydrate and 6% fat. To ensure more nutritional value, it would be great if you will throw away some fruits or vegetables for these crickets to eat before actually serving them to your pet. With this your pet beardie can receive more nutrients and vitamins that their body needs. Crickets to be fed to your lizard can be bred but it is not actually a great move. You can bulk order 500 crickets online for around $21 which is a wiser choice since you do not have to go through the hard work of breeding crickets. These 500 crickets can be kept in a ventilated plastic storage bin until they are all fed to your lizard.


• Roaches - another great food items for your bearded dragon are roaches particularly dubia. This food item for your pet contains 61% moisture, 28% protein, 2% ash, 3% carbohydrate and 6% fat. It is more expensive to feed your reptile with roaches compared with crickets because only reptile specialty stores offer these feeders roaches.


• Mealworms and superworms - prolific mealworm is second most popular food for lizards. Mealworms contain 63% moisture, 1% ash, 19% protein, 14% fat and 3% carbohydrate. Superworms are more recommendable for larger lizards.

2. Limit the fruits intake - bearded dragon is omnivore. Sometimes, it is good to mimic diet in the wild so it would be great to give vegetables and some fruits to your bearded dragon. Some of the best fruits and vegetables for them are carrots, turnip greens, strawberries, dandelion greens, blueberries and tomatoes.

However, it is advisable to limit the percentage of these foods intake. Fruits and vegetables must only be 25% of the overall mix of foods and it must not go beyond 10 percent of the whole diet of your bearded dragon.

3. Commercial diets - giving commercial diets mixture like Rep-Cal Maintenance Formula Bearded Dragon Food (6 oz) and Zoo Med Natural Adult Bearded Dragon Food (20 oz) are also advisable. These commercial diets are good for the lizard since it contains lots of the fruits and vegetables mentioned above plus great deal of nutritional supplements and vitamins.

However, there are instances wherein the beardie doesn't eat the commercial diet foods immediately so what you can do is moist it a bit or mix it with green vegetables and fruits until they get used to it.

These are some details that you should remember when it comes to the diet of your reptile It is also advisable to consult veterinarian first so you can have proper background and knowledge about your dearest pet. Giving them the right kinds of foods will help them grow healthier and active.

If you are really an enthusiastic individual and pet loving owner, you must read more details about Bearded Dragon diets. It will give you all information that you need to know about your pet.

- Christine Partington

Benefits of Papaya - A Natural Fat Burning Food

Discover the incredible weight loss benefits of papaya, how to best prepare it and how much you should eat to get maximum benefit from papayas - one of nature's amazing fat burning foods.

Papayas grow on a tree that is really an herb.

Eaten as a fruit, the papaya is sweet and tasty and a terrific means of getting your recommended daily portion of fruit!

There are two varieties of the papaya that most people prefer to eat. The two types are the Hawaiian papaya and the Mexican papaya. You will frequently notice the Hawaiian variety in your grocery store.

This is known as the Solo papaya, and has a shape similar to a pear, with a yellow skin tone and shiny orange or pink flesh. Mexican papayas sometimes weigh as much as 20 pounds each, which is heavier than Hawaiian papayas. They do not have as strong a flavor as the Hawaiian variety, but they are quite scrumptious.

Papaya has a flavor similar to peaches and melons mixed together - a very delicious fruit!

Fat Burning Benefits of Papaya

Papaya contains a great deal of Vitamins C and A. It is not high in calories, has no fat, has no cholesterol and is rich in potassium, fiber and folate; therefore, it is a nutritious fruit to eat daily.

The main health benefit of the papaya is to help the digestion.

The proteolytic enzyme papain found in papaya is helpful in breaking down proteins, fats and starches in the body and is also helpful in cleansing the digestive tract by eliminating unnecessary protein byproducts.

This is a bonus food to add to your fat burning diet, because this indicates that there is not as much food in your metabolism that is turning into fat. In addition, papaya is good for your whole endocrine system.

The fruit is also regarded as a nutritional powerhouse, rich in the already mentioned Vitamins A and C, folate, fiber and potassium, as well as Vitamin E, the eye-essential lutein and zeaxanthin and lycopene.

Some health researchers indicate that papaya belongs on the top three fruits' list of every person who regularly eats different types of fruit.

Compared to oranges, they have 50% more potassium and 13 times more Vitamin C, plus they have lower calories. Plus, papayas are higher in Vitamin E content than either oranges or apples.

Papaya likewise assists the body in the production of the amino acid arginine, which triggers the growth hormone that causes the rejuvenation of cells in your muscles, liver and bones. Papaya juice helps your skin to become smoother and suppler.

It is especially good for people who have light-colored complexions, and is frequently manufactured into moisturizing creams that are helpful in protecting the skin and in preventing premature aging of the skin.

You really have a powerful nutritional food when you drink pineapple juice with papayas, because pineapple juice is high in an essential enzyme called bromelain.

It is believed that papaya can decrease the chance of colon and cervical cancer.

Preparation of the Papaya

You can try eating some raw papaya slices, or slice it in cubes (approximately one cup for each portion). However, it is better to have it with a meal (such as additional fruits and foods) instead of eating it alone. The reason why is that it has beta-cryptozanthin, which the body absorbs better if you consume it with some fat.

Papaya can be mashed, or used as an ingredient in a hot and fiery salsa. For a tasty breakfast smoothie, mix it with yogurt, milk or orange juice.

Blend papaya to use as a sorbet or ice cream base. Alternatively, you can puree papaya and use it as a healthy salad dressing to mix with your salad greens.

Cut or cubed papaya is a great ingredient to add to a fruit salad: include honeydew, strawberries or other delicious fruits for a bright looking, wholesome and tasty treat!

When you want to buy a papaya, try to find fruit that has a partial or full yellow color.

It should give in a little bit when you press it, but it should not be too soft where the stem end is located. Do not purchase fruit that has bruises, cuts, mold, wrinkles or soft spots. If you don't cut a papaya, they won't have any smell. The aroma occurs after small, sweet papayas are cut open.

Place unripe, green papayas in a paper bag at room temperature in order to ripen them up. Look frequently, since the fruit will ripen fast. When they ripen up, put papayas in a plastic bag, and store in the refrigerator for approximately one week. Once the papayas are ripe, it is a good idea to eat them immediately or at least within a couple of days.

There is an enzyme known as papain that is found in the papaya. This is the reason why papaya is known for its meat tenderizing ability.

The papaya seeds are also quite edible. They have a flavor similar to pepper, and some people use the seeds as a substitute for peppercorns.

How Much To Consume

One cup of sliced papaya is equal to approximately 140 grams.

- Steve O'Connor

Food Good for Eyes - How to Make Eyesight Better With Blueberries

Ask anyone the question: What influences their food choices? and certainly, they will admit that taste is usually the first priority followed by other factors such as economics(the affordability of the foods that they eat),their emotions,health concerns and furthermore, eating habits that are hard to break away from.However,developing healthy eating habits becomes easier when our food choices enable us to consume foods that are not only tasty, but also satisfy our body's nutritional needs. When it comes to eye foods; Blueberries fall into that category. This tasty food for healthy eyes provides our visual system with a wide array of nutrients and antioxidant protection. They also serve as a nutritional form of preventative medicine from age related vision disorders like Macular Degeneration and Cataracts. Here are several benefits of Blueberries for eyes:

Lutein and Zeaxanthin: These 2 key essential nutrients in Blueberries good for eyes are closely related to antioxidants like Beta Carotene. Blueberries are like a nutritional companion to our sunglasses. After all, they protect our eyes from the negative effects of excessive sunlight that can contribute to vision loss.

According to health experts at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the daily recommended allowance for Blueberries is 10 mg. This serves as a preventative measure against eye related vision disorders. One cup of Blueberries is the equivalent of 12 mg of Lutein and Zeaxanthin; 2 antioxidants critical to safeguarding our eyes from eye disorders.

Vitamin C: This vitamin provides our eyes with protection from free radicals that damage our visual system. It also reduces the likelihood of night blindness by reducing the pressure in the eyes.

Vitamin A: Blueberries for eyes consist of Vitamin A;an essential nutrient that provides the eyes with antioxidant protection from free radicals that do have a negative impact on our eye health. At least 1 cup of Blueberries amounts to about 80 I U s of Vitamin A.

Improve the quality of your eye nutrition and you'll be able to improve the quality of your eye health as well. This applies to the fact that I cup of Blueberries consist of a Zinc content of about 24 mg. Nutritionists Phyllis A. Balch, author of the "Nutritional Reference Book", touts Zinc as a nutrient that aids in the prevention of retinal detachment. A deficiency in this particular nutrient contributes to this disorder that results in night blindness. Blueberries may aid in its prevention.

Blueberries are an important nutrient that are good for our eyes. They serve as a form of preventative medicine, reducing the risk of age related vision disorders like Macular Degeneration, Cataracts and Night Blindness. Finally, they provide the eyes with a wide range of eye promoting nutrients and antioxidants, giving our eyes a nutritional advantage in protecting and preserving our precious natural eyesight.

- Joel Travers King

7 Powerful Health Benefits of Watermelon

The health benefits of watermelon are amazing. They will do wonders for your health and wellbeing, and they taste absolutely fantastic too.

1. Packed to bursting with antioxidants.
Watermelon has been blessed by the fruit god with lycopene. It's a super powerful antioxidant that makes watermelon red. Tomato and other red fruits and vegetables are also loaded with lycopene, however recent studies show watermelon to have the highest content of them all.

2. Say goodbye to the flu.
Long thought the realm of oranges, high Vitamin C is also one of the benefits of watermelon. This has the effect of boosting the immune system and slowing the body's aging processes down.

3. Rehydrate.
One of the great health benefits of watermelon is that it's high in electrolytes and 90% water. So rather than spending money and health on sugar electrolyte drinks, grab some watermelon! It's a healthy alternative and it tastes amazing.

4. Lose weight automatically.
When one of the health benefits is that watermelon 100% fat free, it's hard not to get excited. This means you can eat as much as you want and you will not get fat. Heck, you won't even put any weight on. So not only is this bright red fruit tasty and delicious, you can have a watermelon feast and you never have to worry about the waistline.

5. Cool yourself down.
All foods are either cooling or warming foods and have a large effect on the body temperature. It's simple - eat warming foods in winter and cooling foods in summer. So that means, eat and drink watermelon to your heart's content in summer. Take it to the soccer field, take it to the beach... take it everywhere if you like.

6. Watermelon... gives you wings!
Cough cough... that is, enormous amounts of energy. It's one of the amazing health benefits of watermelon, though unfortunately you probably won't be able to fly. If you do, well you might want to keep it quiet, otherwise we will have chaos in the air as everyone eats watermelon.

7. Beats Viagra.
Recent studies have found that one of the peculiar health benefits of watermelon is that it relaxes the blood vessels. This then has an effect similar to Viagra and prevents erectile dysfunction.

As you can see, the benefits go a long way. And this was only seven. The more you study, the more you will come to regard the watermelon as a powerful elixir.

- Adam Palmer

5 Ways Lemon Water Improves Your Health and Speeds Up Weight Loss

Squeezing lemon juice from a fresh lemon into a tall glass of water each morning will work wonders to help you lose weight, detoxify your body and strengthen your immune system.

Along with helping you detoxify and cleanse your body, drinking lemon water on an empty stomach first thing in the morning helps speed up your weight loss and boost your metabolism.

Below are 5 ways in which drinking freshly squeezed lemon water every morning helps you to lose weight and maintain a healthy body.

1. By Increasing Your Energy and Enhancing Your Mood

We obtain our energy from the molecules and atoms in our food. When the positive charged ions go into your stomach and interact with negative charged ions, a reaction occurs that energizes your cells.

Lemons contain a high amount of negative charged ions which give your body energy when entering your digestive tract. Being more energetic and alert is a natural mood enhancer. Lemons also smell very good which helps to clear your mind and brighten your mood.

2. By Improving Your Digestion

Lemons are a good source of dietary fiber which helps keep your digestive tract healthy by improving your digestion and reducing your appetite. Lemons help your liver produce bile, which is essential for proper digestion, reducing constipation and heartburn.

3. By Boosting Your Immune System

Lemons are a great source of potassium and vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful immune system booster and helps your body fight colds and viruses. High stress levels from work and a demanding daily schedule weaken your immune system. Lemons keep your immune system strong which reduces the frequency of common colds and the flu.

4. By Acting As a Natural Diuretic

Lemons are a natural diuretic that flush out dangerous toxins from the liver. Your body has a natural toxin removal system that keeps you alive and healthy, lemons increase the rate at which your body removes toxins.

5. By Keeping Your Skin Clear

The vitamin C in lemons helps keep your pores clear and decreases wrinkles in your skin. Since lemons help detoxify your body and act as a natural diuretic, they help clear out waste by-products from the blood which keeps your skin clear.

Be sure to purchase Organic lemons as they are free of pesticides that can accumulate in your body. Also, stay away from bottled lemon juice as it contains preservatives and sulphates which aren't good for your health.

- Adi Cmalic

Eat Pineapples to Strengthen Your Bones

Today, health has become one of the primary considerations of life. People are making changes in their diet to stay healthy and replace snacks with fruits and vegetables. Fruits offer you numerous health benefits and improve your metabolism too. You can even live a long life, if you include fruits in your daily diet. Pineapple is one such fruit that offers you lots of vitamins and nutrients. Listed below are some essential health benefits offered by pineapple:

Pineapple helps in strengthening weak bones. Weak bones indicate that you are not getting enough iron, and pineapple supplies many important nutrients and vitamins that are required for healthy and effective functioning of your body.

Pineapple also helps in keeping your gums healthy. If you have unhealthy gums, the condition of your teeth can also deteriorate. However, pineapple makes your gums strong.

Pineapple safeguards you from many diseases including Macular Degeneration. Macular Degeneration is a disease that affects your muscles and leads to untimely death. If you include pineapple in your daily diet, the chances of developing this disease reduce by 36%.

Eat pineapple if you have arthritis pain. It can even prevent the occurrence of this disease as it strengthens your bones by supplying a good amount of iron.

If you have a sore throat or severe bronchitis, have pineapple juice daily. Pineapple is especially good for people with heart ailments, but people with hemophilia should avoid the intake of pineapple. This is because pineapple reduces the time taken to clot the blood. Other than this, pineapple juice has been found effective in tuberculosis as it dissolves mucus and speeds up recovery from this dreaded disease.

Pineapple is available all through winters so include this fruit in your daily diet and develop immunity against many unwanted diseases. 

- Helen R. Miller

Banana Beauty Benefits

What kind of benefits does banana brings to your skin.
It is not a well-known fact but banana brings a lot of benefits to your health. Of course, eating bananas is very useful, especially when you take it in as a food. But if you try to apply it on your skin and hair then it will help you to get rid of a great number of problems with skin that may take place.

How can banana be useful for your beauty?
You should know the fact that banana is a very good ingredient which is often used in hair and skin care because of its effective moisturizing qualities. Banana contains a lot of vitamins and minerals and it helps to keep your hair and skin healthy. It is a source of potassium and natural oil that is why it has soothing qualities. Banana is great for treatment in the sphere of beauty, because it contains an amino acid called tryptophan.

How to apply banana?
If you need an immediate moisturizing then you should smash a ripe banana then apply it on your skin and leave it for fifteen minutes. Your skin will be moisturized very well.

If you mash a ripe banana until its texture is creamy and apply it on your skin for twenty minutes, then wash it with warm water and then with cold. This procedure will help you to avoid appearance of wrinkles. But you should do it regularly.

In case that your feet are dry, you can apply banana mass on them for ten minutes and then wash it with warm water. You will feel much better, that's for sure.

Secrets of banana application on skin.
Scrub based on sugar. Smashed banana should be mixed with sugar. Then you should apply it on your skin and rub. While sugar is removing dead cells from the top layer of the skin, banana helps to moisturize your skin. Especially it suits for people with dry skin.

Body scrub based on strawberry. Strawberries and banana should be cut into small pieces and mixed until the mass becomes smooth. Then you add two spoons of olive oil and three spoons of sugar. Thereafter this mass should be applied as a body scrub. It is very tender and should be used once a week in order to get rid of dead cells.

Facial mask with lemon. In case if your skin is oily then you should add two spoons of lemon juice and a spoon of milk into a bow with smashed banana. It should be applied for twenty minutes on the face and then washed off with warm water.

Facial mask with honey. If you have normal or dry skin then this mask will suit you. You should add a spoon of honey to the mashed banana and apply this mass on your face for fifteen minutes. Mix of these ingredients moisturizes your skin perfectly.

Facial mask with sandal tree essence. Sandal wood powder, honey and banana should be mixed in equal amounts. After this mask your skin will be glowing and look younger.

Secret banana qualities for hair care
Hair and scalp demand your constant attention just as well as your skin. Banana makes your hair shine and it also becomes controlled. Dry skin and dandruff can be cured by application of banana regularly. It helps to cure damaged hair. There are some homemade recipes that will help you to avoid these problems.

Hair conditioner made of avocado. Try to add coconut milk to the smashed banana and avocado. Then apply it on your hair for twenty minutes and you will receive moisturized hair as a result.

Yoghurt mask as a treatment for hair loss. Mix banana and yoghurt and apply this mass on your skin. Leave it for an hour and then wash it with cold water and shampoo. This mask is believed to reduce hair loss.

Honey mask. If you want to increase moisturizing effect then you should mix three spoons of honey with smashed banana and leave this mask on your skin for half an hour and then shampoo.

- Maria K. Garcia

How To Use Apple Cider Vinegar To Cure Your Acne

Today, many are switching to natural home remedies in a bid to save some money from buying those expensive skin solutions which claim to cure acne but never lived up to its promises. There is an increasing trend of awareness among the community to go for natural treatments and it's definitely bad news for the commercial skin markets.

There are quite a number of natural home remedies available. Among one of them is apple cider vinegar. You probably would have read quite a number of articles about using apple cider vinegar as a cure for adult acne. Does this really work? How true is it? Hope this article can dispel some misconceptions about this natural home remedy if there is any.

What is Apple cider vinegar?

Apple Cider Vinegar otherwise known as (ACV) is an effective natural bacteria fighting agent that has many elements such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, chlorine, sodium, iron, sulfur and etc. All these elements are vital for a healthy body especially to promote healthy skin development. These anti-bacterial properties make it a good topical home remedy for acne.

The main ingredient of ACV is acetic acid. It helps to exfoliate the dead skin cells gently, kills the bacteria propionibacterium acnes which is generally known as P-acnes and neutralizes the sebum which is the oily substance P-acnes feeds and thrives on.

How is Apple Cider Vinegar made?

Apple cider vinegar is obtained by the fermentation of apple cider or apple must which is made from crushed organic apples. Just for your information, fermentation means an act of conversion. Organic apples have some kind of bacteria and yeast on their skins. So when they are crushed, you get pure apple juice with a mixture of bacteria and yeast.

After which you leave it to mature for a while. During this process, sugar in the apple cider is broken down by yeast and bacteria which turns into alcohol. It's more like a brewing process which eventually turns into vinegar after a second fermentation.

If you don't have all the time or resources to make one at home, you can easily purchase ACV from any departmental stores. First of all, make sure you get the organic ACV with the labels saying 'With the Mother' with an ideal acidity (pH) level of five to seven. This means that it is in raw and pure form characterized by dark, cloudy, web-like bacterial foam which is brownish in color.

Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar for Your Skin

ACV contains acids one of which is alpha-hydroxy acid which have been extracted directly from the apples. These acids help dissolve the oil and sebum that clogs the pores and eventually un-clogs them. This will encourage skin renewal.

It is known to cure allergies from pets, food and environmental pollution, high cholesterol, flu, chronic fatigue, sinus infections, sore throats, arthritis and gout just to name a few.

However its most popular benefit is associated with weight loss. ACV is known to break down fat and that a daily dose of apple cider vinegar in water helps to keep high blood pressure in control within just two weeks.

It also helps to regulate the pH of your skin by simply diluting it with two parts of water and spreading the concoction over your face using a cotton ball as a toner overnight and washing it off the next morning. Please be mindful that you dilute it with larger portions of water since you are going to leave it on your skin for long hours.

It also helps to lighten age spots by dabbing ACV directly on them for about twenty minutes or so daily depending on the size of them. Besides it also helps to cleanse your liver by getting rid of accumulated toxins and recharging its efficiency.

How to use Apple Cider Vinegar for acne?

The usage of this varies with the severity of your acne. Most of the time, users dilute it with water and apply it with a cotton ball over their spots as it seems to work very well. ACV is considered a good replacement for antibiotics as it helps to treat bacterial infections.

You can probably use apple cider vinegar in two ways; one as an internal tonic and as topical antibacterial solution.

Follow these steps and you might see some considerable results. First take three table spoons of ACV to a bottle of water and mix them well thoroughly. Then apply it on your face with a cotton ball as an astringent.

Try using three different cotton balls on your face. Use one for your forehead, another for your cheeks and nose and one for your chin. If you happen to have an oily nose in particular, use a separate one for that. This is to prevent spreading bacteria from one place to all over your face which eventually would cause more breakouts on other areas of your face. Though this is quite uncommon, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Leave it for about ten to fifteen minutes and rinse it thoroughly with warm water. Then use a soft clean towel to pat your skin dry. Repeat this procedure three times a day for maximum effect. For those who have severe forms of acne infection, you can apply lower dosage of ACV diluted with three to four parts of water and leave it overnight to do its job and wash it off the next day with warm water.

Remember that you use lower strength of ACV should you want to apply and leave it on your skin for longer periods.

Another thing you can do is to drink it with water with a few table spoons as a tonic every morning. This helps to prevent acne breakouts, reduce infection and dry out inflammations. The only thing you need to be aware of is that it might not taste pleasant at all. Just try drinking it like water and you will be fine.

If you have some really bothersome prominent pimples, I would recommend mixing one part of ACV with three parts of water and dab it onto the pimple. Leave it there for about fifteen minutes and wash it off with warm water.

Some Tips and Warnings

· Never attempt to apply full-strength ACV on the face as there have been reported cases of skin damage, irritations and burns. So be cautious about using this remedy especially for those who have sensitive skin.

· Always use raw, unfiltered and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. This will give you the best results.

· After using apple cider vinegar, dab some tea tree oil on your acne. Tea tree oil works wonders for healing skin.

· If you are allergic to apples, then apple cider vinegar is not for you.

· Do not use in combination with other acne medications. This will lead to complications and over-drying of the skin.

· When you are applying ACV, it is best to start out with the weakest combinations of four parts of water to it. If you are comfortable with it, then work up to stronger mixtures. That means reducing the amount of water.

· Tingling sensations are pretty normal while using ACV, but if you start experiencing some burning sensations, rinse it off immediately with cold water.

Rounding It Up and My Conclusion

Everything about apple cider vinegar has been pretty positive except for the astringency of the vinegar which you must take caution of when applying it on your face. I would recommend starting with a lower dosage of it and then moderate it to higher strength as you keep adapting to the topical solution.

It's normal to feel any tingling sensation as it is an indication that it's working. However if you start experiencing any burning effects then wash it off immediately and lower the strength of ACV. For better results, use a water-based skin moisturizer to apply on your skin after each ACV treatment. This is to prevent your skin from getting too dehydrated due to the astringent characteristics of ACV.

I would like to point out that even though apple cider vinegar can remove some surface bacteria on the skin, it is not a long-term solution that can truly attack acne at its root. There are just about many causes of acne and bacteria are one of them.

It's more or less suitable for those who have mild to moderate acne and could see results in just a couple of weeks. For severe cases, it could really take a long time to heal it. Have patience and you will rule the world! The good thing is that you are doing it naturally and definitely not burning your pockets in the process.

It all makes sense to try out this inexpensive home remedy before switching to more expensive products. Even if you need to, the severity of your acne condition would have improved and you wouldn't have to spend a long time undergoing any medical procedures laid down for you by any dermatologist.

- Sunil Visvambaram

Health Benefits of Apricot Seeds

Apricot seeds are nutritious to our health. It contains an essential nutrient Amygdalin or Vitamin B12, which attacks cancer cells and prevents the disease. Though there are several foods that contain amygdalin, they are not commonly used in our Western diet. People in other parts of the world eat a diet rich in amygdalin and it is proved that they are free from the cancer to a large extent. Therefore, the best possible way to get amygdalin is to include raw apricot seeds in your diet.

Including amygdaline in regular diet remains to be a controversial subject, as amygdaline imprisons a poisonous constituent called cyanide. The apricot seed is however unique in nature. It too has cyanide, but it is locked into the amygdaline compound. Therefore, it does not harm the normal living tissue. You can understand this concept easily with the help of an example. You may know that the common salt has a poison (chlorine) locked up in it. Too much of salt consumption at a time would make you ill. However, salt contains some nutrients also. Therefore, it is a fact that any substance may contain poisonous constituents. Amygdaline is actually less toxic than salt and sugar.

You may be shocked to know that your body is creating cancer cells all the time. However, your natural immune system fights against those cells and defeats them. Sometimes, the body may be exposed to carcinogens. Then the cancer cells multiply rapidly, making it difficult for the immune system in the body to handle. Amygdalin works together with your immune system and hits the cancer cells directly. The cancer cells have an enzyme called rhodanese that unfastens the cyanide in the amygdalin and thereby destroys the cancer cells. The normal living tissues do not contain this enzyme, so poison in the amygdalin does not harm that healthy cell.

The apricot seeds are typically not good to taste; they have slight bitterness. The amygdalin or vitamin B12 in the seeds is responsible for that bitter taste. If you need to consume large amount of apricot seeds, you can eat them in empty stomach, so that you can avoid the chance of nausea. You can also eat some types of fruits like peaches, plums, apples, apricots, cherries and pears that would help to neutralize the effect of amygdaline and to prevent the vomiting sensation.

If you have gone through chemotherapy or radiation treatment, you need to strengthen your immune system first. Taking carrot juice or spinach juice can be beneficial in improving the immune system.

- Helen R. Miller

Top 10 Health Benefits of Goji Berries

Have you ever wondered how these little red berries can change your life? Well, goji berries are one of the most nutritionally rich foods on the planet. They are grown on a vine-like bush only in the shade. Although it isn't a thorny plant, some American variety of goji berries can have stems covered in thorns. Goji berries can survive the freezing winters and can grow successfully in places, such as British Columbia. Goji berries differ in colors from pale yellow, sun-fire orange and deep red. The two main types of goji berries are Asian and American. The only difference between them is their history. The Asian goji berries have been grown for thousands of years by Chinese, Mongolian and Tibetans, whereas the American goji berries originated from the South-West dessert of the United States which was used for survival when no water was found. There are many benefits of goji berries. Here are some of them:

1. Longevity and Healthy Hormones. According to researches, the seventy year old person produces only one-tenth of the amount of the Human Growth Hormone generated by the twenty year old person. This causes the body to have lower energy levels and wastage. To feel, look and function like a youthful person, you need to boost the natural production of the growth hormone. This superfood has been identified as "the longevity fruit" which is filled with a variety of nutrients. These nutrients will help you to live a longer and healthier life. Goji berries help your body to achieve this in three ways:

• They are high in sesquiterpenoids which are filled with anti-inflammatory properties.
• They stimulate the pituitary and pineal glands which increase the glandular production of the Human Growth Hormone (HGH).
• They are rich in l-arginine and l-glutamine which works together to boost the HGH to revitalize your appearance and metabolism.

2. Enhancing Libido and Sexual Function. Goji berries are known for strong sexual tonic in Asia. Goji berries improve your stamina levels, mood and wellbeing, while decreasing the impact of stress on your body. These benefits lead to a much healthier life. Goji berries will help your HGH production and raise the testosterone levels to ensure healthier sex life.

3. Improving Vision. Goji berries contain the highest concentration of eyesight improving antioxidants, namely zeaxanthin and lutein. Zeaxanthin and lutein protect the eyes from the damage of the free radicals that attacks your eyes every day. They also heal the membranes of your eyes keeping them youthful and healthy. These two key antioxidants are concentrated at the center of the retina and protect your eyes from the following diseases:

• Cataracts
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Loss of sight
• Eye aging problems.

4. Antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your DNA from the damage of free radicals and radiation. If your DNA is damaged, it's easier for every imaginable illness to enter your body, as well as increase the aging process. Your body is equipped to repair itself, but if your body gets faced with too many free radicals, it becomes overwhelmed and the result is the premature death of healthy cells. This can be the cause of a variety of diseases, such as a cancer. The goji berry is filled with carotenoid antioxidants which are natural sources of fat soluble antioxidant pigments.

5. Immune System Booster. Goji berries are rich in Vitamin C and Zinc. Both of these vitamins protect the body against diseases and help in recovery. They also protect the cells in your body and boost your immune system through these three main components:

• Polysaccharides which protect the cells from generic mutation.
• Beta-carotene which enhances the thymus gland function and increases the stimulation action on your immune system to prevent any viral infection.
• Mineral germanium which fights off any cancer properties, such as liver cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, testicular cancer and uterine cancer.

6. Hydration. Proper hydration is a very important aspect for your overall health. If your body isn't hydrated you become dehydrated and your body doesn't have enough water to absorb to function normally. You lose water when you breathe, when you go to the bathroom and through your sweat. You don't have to drink water only. You can consume this superfood for hydration as well. This fresh superfood grows in rich, alkaline alluvial soils which contain a big amount of hydrogen needed for hydration.

7. Supporting Brain and Neurological Health. Goji berries help our bodies with the production of choline. The choline is an essential nutrient that fights off free radical damage, narrows the arteries that delivers oxygen to the brain cells which can cause Alzheimer's disease and neurological degeneration.

8. Supporting Cardiovascular Health. Goji berry holds the key to fight off the main cause of most heart diseases, mainly oxidized cholesterol. Cholesterol becomes more dangerous when it is oxidized as a result of free radicals. This is when the blood fats clench to the artery walls with calcium forming nanobacteria to form plagues. An enzyme called Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) acts as a defense mechanism against cholesterol and may prevent cholesterol from oxidizing. Goji berries can increase your SOD to decrease your cholesterol levels.

9. Keeping Vital Organs Healthy. They keep our vital organs healthy through balancing blood sugar levels and increasing the digestive system, skin and liver function. They're also filled with phytonutrients which enhance the ability to detoxify and guard the liver against any damage from carcinogens and hepatitis virus. These phytonutrients include betaine, polysaccharides and antioxidant pigments. The liver gets cleaned by betaine. This reduces the toxic amino acids in the cardiovascular system. Goji berry tea can be used for the treatment of diabetes and all types of digestive problems, as well as the recovery of ulcers and a spastic colon. Goji berries also contain fatty acids which can stimulate collagen production to ensure moisture resulting in a youthful skin.

10. Improving Sleep. Goji berries contain Thiamine and Magnesium - two main nutrients needed for a healthy sleep. Thiamin improves your mood and energy levels, while magnesium improves the quality of sleep by shortening the time it takes to fall asleep.

Do you wake up often with no energy and not fully rested?

I know how hard it can be to try to understand the different diets and contradictive advertisements in the media and then to choose healthy food and habits, but if you want to have abundant energy and feel alive and energized the whole day, you'll need to learn a single method that worked for me and million of other people and it will work amazingly well for you too.

- Noah Laith

Acai Berry Diet - Can Acai Really Help You Lose Weight?

Many people are interested in the acai berry diet and acai cleanse. This article is going to discuss if it really works and if not, what else the acai berry is good for, and give you some great natural weight loss tips.

First of all, it is true that the acai berry and juice is a fantastic superfood and that many have reported all sorts of health benefits from acai, including:

• Improved sleep, mood and mental clarity
• Increased energy and stamina
• Healthy libido
• Healthy immune system
• Healthy hair, skin and nails
• Healthy blood pressure and cholesterol
• Detoxification and cleansing

On the other hand, you need to know the truth: that the acai berry diet was not part of the traditional use of the acai berry. In other words, acai not been traditionally used for weight loss, and is certainly not any type of magic bullet for losing weight. That said, if you are on a diet, a high quality acai juice will contain needed proteins and fats that can help create energy and curb cravings. It also contains lots of fiber that will promote a feeling of fullness, which may help when dieting. In addition, acai also is high in B vitamins that help you metabolize your food, and high in minerals that many of us are lacking. Minerals help the vitamins to work better and hence are very important whether you are trying to lose weight or not.

But if you decide to try an acai cleanse or acai berry diet to lose weight you need to do more than just take some capsules. In fact, many of the acai capsules out contain less than 1000 mg per capsule, so remember, most acai products out there are inferior products and contain only a small amount of the actual acai. You need to look for a potent product made with at least 25,000 mg per serving. Second, look for a juice product as that is how the natives traditionally took the acai and got the benefits from it. Most powders and tablets lose much of their nutrients in the processing. In fact, you often need 50 or more capsules to get 25,000 mg of acai, the recommended minimum serving. Third, many acai products are not made with the whole fruit: the meaty pulp, the seed and the outer skin. These all contain important nutrients, and are traditionally used in making acai juice in the Amazon for medicinal purposes. Last, you need to look for a product that is not diluted with water or other juices, nor contaminated with pesticide residue or toxic preservatives. So in summary, for a potent acai product, we recommend the following characteristics:

• 25,000+ mg of acai
• In the form of a potent juice, not a pill
• Whole fruit used: pulp, seed and outer skin
• Not diluted with water or other juices
• No toxic pesticide residue or preservatives

In addition, you might want to consider one other "super" juice for your weight loss plan:

We Recommend Goji for Weight Loss

If you could only pick 1 super juice to take while dieting, we might actually recommend Goji over the Acai, because it is very high in vitamin C. Researchers have shown that vitamin C can help boost your metabolism and also help you to burn more fat while exercising. It also seems that having adequate levels of vitamin C can help you flush fat out of your body, so when on a weight loss diet, vitamin C is very important. Last, but not least, Goji is known as the "happy berry" and can help boost your mood, which all of us know tends to take a hit while dieting. This can help you stick to your diet and lose more weight.

In addition, some other natural weight loss tips include the following:

• Avoid junk food and most processed foods, especially fast foods - these often contain MSG and vegetable oils, both ingredients that have been shown to fatten you up!
• Try a low carb diet - more people lose weight cutting back on carbs than those who cut back on fats - plus we need good fats in our diet, like those found in wild salmon, pastured chicken and eggs, and in the acai. But not too low carb - that often backfires, as we seem to need some carbs to keep our mood up. If you tend to put on fat around your midsection, you need to watch the amount of carbs you eat more than those who put more weight on the thighs and buttocks.
• Try adding some virgin coconut oil (VCO) to your diet - the medium chain fatty acids found in VCO are burned off faster than other fats and help to boost your metabolism.
• Nourish your thyroid and avoid thyroid-blocking foods like soy, peanuts and raw cruciferous vegetables - a sluggish thyroid means a sluggish metabolism, and many today have this because up to 70% of all foods on the grocery store shelf contain soy!
• Cleansing your colon with a gentle herbal colon cleanser can help jump start your weight loss program and help you to better absorb your nutrients.
• Exercise will also help you to not only burn calories but boost your metabolism as well.

So there you have it, if you are serious about losing weight, it will take more than an acai berry diet with a few capsules of acai to help you to do it. However, if you combine some natural weight loss tips with a potent whole food supplement like pure goji or acai, made the traditional way, it might very well help you in meeting your weight loss goal by adding some much needed nutrients to your diet and helping to boost energy and metabolism and curb cravings and flush fat out of the body.

Acai Berry - Superfood Extraordinaire for Anti Aging

Even if the acai berry diet may not be the miracle it has been purported to be, the acai berry is a great superfood and many believe it is especially good for its anti aging properties. This is because the acai berry is very high in antioxidants as well as omega essential fatty acids that help to nourish the skin. Antioxidants play a key role in anti-aging. Antioxidants are contained in foods like tomatoes, blueberries and broccoli, but also in the acai berry. In fact, the acai (pronounced 'ah-sigh-e') berry from the Amazon rainforest contains twice the level of antioxidants found in blueberries and ten times that found in red grapes. Essential fatty acids also play another key role in anti aging, like the omega3s found in fish oil and also other EFAs found in olive oil. These essential fatty acids are also contained in high amounts in acai berry juice and that's why so many drink this juice to help combat aging in their lives.

In conclusion, the acai berry diet is not a miracle weight loss plan, however both acai and goji can play a role in your weight loss, and if you find a potent product, they are full of nutrient like antioxidants and essential fatty acids that can definitely be part of any healthy eating plan.

- Karen Pijuan