Eating For Health

Who doesn’t enjoy a cup of tea?   As NIH noted, “drinking tea has been considered a health-promoting habit since ancient times”. Researchers have found this to be true.   Why is tea so healthy? What are the substances in tea that promote health? Polyphenols include catechins which are antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties.   Flavonoids act as antioxidants in our bodies and may inhibit cancer cell growth.      Theanine is an amino acid that helps with relaxation. Caffeine is a stimulant that can improve alertness and focus. A cup of tea provides much less caffeine than a cup of coffee: black tea about 47 mg of caffeine, green tea only 28 mg.   Herbal teas like ginger tea and peppermint tea have no caffeine.   Minerals : Tea can provide minerals like potassium, magnesium, copper, and zinc.        What are some of the many health benefits of tea? Heart Health: Black tea but especially green tea can ...

Who doesn't enjoy some fresh watermelon?  So juice and naturally sweet.  At a buffet over the weekend, I saw person after person loading their plates with freshly sliced watermelon.  Many people enjoy watermelon and don't realize how healthy it is.   Cleveland Clinic says, “watermelon should be part of your diet”.  Why?  Watermelon is “packed with vitamins and minerals and can be enjoyed all year ‘round”.   We hear a lot about superfoods like blueberries, but we don’t hear much about other fruits like watermelon.  Watermelon packs a big nutritious punch. One reason why watermelon is so good for your health is that it is loaded with many vitamins and minerals as well as fiber.   Vitamins : watermelon is a good source of vitamins A, C and many B vitamins.  One cup of watermelon balls provides 12.5 mg of vitamin C, almost 25% of daily needs.  One cup also provides 876 IU of vitamin A, almost 20% of daily needs.  Minerals...