Healthy Foods for 2007

I was watching Rachael Ray show and I got a great food tips!


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When life hands you lemons, wake up your liver!
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"The lemon is the number one food you can possibly eat," says Dr. Brantley. Lemons improve liver function -- the liver cleans your blood -- and when your liver's happy, the rest of your body is happy and healthy too! "When I get up in the morning," says Dr. Brantley, "I take about a quarter of a lemon, squeeze it into a cup of warm water and drink it down. I give my right side a pat and say, 'wake up buddy!'"

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Po-TAY-to, Po-TAH-to ... to sleep-O!
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Potatoes are actually good for you. How good for you, of course, depends on what you add to them. The one thing that's great about potatoes is that they are a natural sedative. If you can't go to sleep at night or if you need to relax, make a baked potato! After you eat it, your body creates insulin which releases the amino acid trytophane (the same thing in turkey that has you hitting the couch on Thanksgiving) which creates serotonin to calm you down. Unfortunately, sweet potatoes don't have the same effect (but they do have other benefits).

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Caffeine -- who needs it?!
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These days, everyone needs an energy boost. Instead of a quick fix that will boost you up and drop you back down, take 1/2 to a whole tablespoon of raw honey -- it can't be processed in any way -- sprinkled with raw chocolate powder and cinnamon. The honey releases vitamins, minerals and amino acids; cinnamon feeds the pancreas to stabilize blood sugar; chocolate stimulates the brain. Put them all together, it's like "bang!"

Take it every day for two weeks when you hit a lull in the middle of your day and you'll have energy for four or five hours straight.

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Mom was right about eating your oatmeal!
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Oatmeal is a great food. It gives you sustained energy because it's slow-releasing. Add nuts or raw, essential oils to it for added benefits.

For women with hormonal issues, raw coconut oil is a dream. You can buy it at any health food store. Men should add walnuts for prostate health.

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Pineapple on pizza? Absolutely!
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Pineapple almost has a reverse calorie effect. If you eat it while you eat a particularly fatty food, it breaks down the fats and prevents them from getting stored in your body. So put some pineapple on your pizza!

To tell if a pineapple is ripe, look for the same size eyes from the bottom to the top.

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