4 Benefits of Lemon Water: Detox Your Body & Skin

The lemon is a species of small evergreen tree native to Asia. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world, primarily for its juice, which has both culinary and cleaning uses.


Lemon Water Nutrition Facts
Lemons are loaded with healthy benefits, and particularly, they’re a great vitamin C food source. One cup of fresh lemon juice provides 187 percent of your daily recommended serving of vitamin C — take that, oranges! Lemon juice also offers up a healthy serving of potassium, magnesium and copper.

Check out what other benefits one cup of fresh lemon juice adds to a plain glass of water. Here are some lemon water nutrition facts:

61 calories
3 grams protein
6 grams sugar
0 grams fat
112 milligrams vitamin C (187 percent DV)
303 milligrams potassium (9 percent DV)
31.7 micrograms folate (8 percent DV)
0.1 milligrams vitamin B6 (6 percent DV)
0.1 milligrams thiamin (5 percent DV)
0.1 milligrams copper (4 percent DV)
1 gram fiber (4 percent DV)
14.6 milligrams magnesium (4 percent DV)
0.4 milligrams vitamin E (2 percent DV)

4 Benefits of Lemon Water
For such a simple drink, the list of lemon water benefits is impressive. Even if you’re not a big H2O drinker, you might find yourself reaching for a glass when you check out how awesome it is for your body and mind!

1. Aids in digestion and detoxification
Because lemon juice’s atomic structure is similar to the digestive juices found in the stomach, it tricks the liver into producing bile, which helps keep food moving through your body and gastrointestinal tract smoothly. Lemon water also helps relieve indigestion or ease an upset stomach.

The acids found in lemon juice also encourage your body to process the good stuff in foods more slowly. This drawn-out absorption means insulin levels remain steady and you get more nutrients out of the foods you consume. Better nutrient absorption means less bloating. Lemon water benefits the enzyme functions in your body, stimulating the liver and flushing out toxins. Because it’s a mild diuretic, you might find yourself using the bathroom more often, helping the urinary tract get rid of any unwanted elements. All of this helps detox body & skin.

2. Bumps up the vitamin C quotient
Since your body doesn’t make vitamin C on its own, it’s important to get enough of it from the foods and drinks you ingest. Luckily, lemons are chock-full of the vitamin.

What are the benefits of getting enough vitamin C? It stimulates white blood cell production, vital for your immune system to function properly. As an antioxidant, vitamin C also protects cells from oxidative damage. Plus, getting enough vitamin C helps the immune system keep colds and flu at bay. Drinking lemon water daily ensures your body gets a sizable amount of vitamin C daily.

3. Rejuvenates skin and heals the body
The antioxidants found in vitamin C do double duty in lemon water. They fight damage caused by free radicals, keeping your skin looking fresh. Getting enough vitamin C from your lemon water also keeps the body producing collagen, essential in smoothing out lines in the face. And, in one recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, regularly consuming vitamin C led to younger-looking skin and less wrinkles.






4. Helps shed pounds
Regularly sipping on lemon water can help you lose those last pounds. That’s because lemons contain pectin, a type of fiber commonly found in fruits. Pectin helps you feel full longer; that satiated feeling means you’ll chow down less throughout the day. Plus, did you know that when you’re even mildly dehydrated, you’re more prone to things like headaches, fatigue and an overall bad mood? Chugging down lemon water helps your body stay hydrated and feeling happy.

Health benefits of dates

Wonderfully delicious, dates are one of the most popular fruits packed with an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required for normal growth, development and overall well-being.

Fresh dates compose of soft, easily digestible flesh and simple sugars like fructose and dextrose. 100 g of mejdool dates hold 277 calories. When eaten, they replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly. For these qualities, they are being served to break the fast during Ramadan month since ancient times.

The fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which prevents LDL cholesterol absorption in the gut. Additionally, the fiber works as a bulk laxative. It, thus, helps to protect the colon mucous membrane from cancer-causing chemicals binding to it in the colon.

They contain health benefiting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants known as tannins. Tannins are known to possess anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hemorrhagic (prevent easy bleeding tendencies) properties.

They are moderate sources of vitamin-A (contains 149 IU per 100 g), which is known to have antioxidant properties and essential for vision. Additionally, it is also required maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A is known to help protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

They compose antioxidant flavonoids such as ß-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. These antioxidants found to have the ability to protect cells and other structures in the body from harmful effects of oxygen-free radicals. Thus, eating dates found to offer some protection from colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers.
Zea-xanthin is an important dietary carotenoid that selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea, where it thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions. It thus offers protection against age-related macular degeneration, especially in elderly populations.

Dates are an excellent source of iron, carry 0.90 mg/100 g of fruits (about 11% of RDI). Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

Further, they are an excellent sources of potassium. 100 g contains 696 mg or 16% of daily-recommended levels of this electrolyte. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure. They, thus, offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.

Date fruits are also rich in minerals like calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Calcium is an important mineral that is an essential constituent of bone and teeth, and required by the body for muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required for the production of red blood cells. Magnesium is essential for bone growth.

Further, the fruit has moderate levels of B-complex group of vitamins as well as vitamin K. It contains very good amounts of pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. These vitamins are acting as cofactors help body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Vitamin K is essential for many coagulant factors in the blood as well as in bone metabolism.

8 Brain Foods to Boost Focus and Memory

1.Bone Broth
Bone broth is the ultimate food for healing your gut and, in turn, healing your brain. This ancient food is full of health benefits, ranging from boosting your immune system, overcoming leaky gut, improving joint health and overcoming food allergies.

Bone Broth

Its high levels of collagen help reduce intestinal inflammation, and healing amino acids like proline and glycine keep your immune system functioning properly and help improve memory. Bone broth is what I prescribe most frequently to my patients because it truly helps heal your body from the inside out. You’ll also be surprised at how simple and economical it is to make at home with my Beef Bone Broth Recipe.



2. Blueberries
Proving that great things do come in small packages, blueberries are a fruit I try to eat daily. That’s because they’ve got so many great health benefit ­while tasting like an all a natural candy!

Blueberries

For starters, it’s one of the highest antioxidants rich foods known to man, including vitamin C and vitamin K and fiber. Because of their high levels of Gallic acid, blueberries are especially good at protecting our brains from degeneration and stress. Get your daily dose of brain berries in an Omega Blueberry

3. Celery
For a vegetable with such few calories (just 16 per cup!), celery sure does offer a lot of benefits. Its high levels of antioxidants and polysaccharides act as natural antiinflammatories and can help alleviate symptoms related to inflammation, like joint pain and irritable bowel syndrome.

Celery

Because it’s so nutrients dense — packing loads of vitamins, minerals and nutrients with very little calories — it’s a great snack option if you’re looking to shed pounds. And while we often eat celery stalks, don’t skip the seeds and leaves; both provide extra health benefits and taste great in things like stir fries and soups. Not sure where to begin with eating more celery


4. Coconut Oil
Aaaahhh !! coconut oil, one of the most versatile — and good for you — foods out there. With 77 coconut oil uses and cures, there’s almost nothing that coconut oil can’t help.

Coconut Oil

And when it comes to your brain, it’s full of benefits, too. Coconut oil works as a natural antiinflammatory, suppressing cells responsible for inflammation. It can help with memory loss as you age and destroy bad bacteria that hangs out in your gut. (5) Get your dose of coconut oil


5. Dark Chocolate

Dark Chocolate

Not all chocolate is created equal; in fact, dark chocolate can actually be good for you! Chocolate is chock full of flavonols, which have antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. They can also help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow to both the brain and heart.

But don’t go wild munching on Hershey’s Kisses just yet. Most of the chocolate you see on supermarket shelves is highly processed with few benefits. The rule of thumb is the darker the chocolate, the more health benefits.

Skip milk and white chocolates and opt for a minimally processed dark chocolate with at least 70 percent of cocoa. This ensures you’ll get your choco fix and its brain benefits! Satisfy your sweet tooth with these Dark Chocolate

6. Egg Yolks

Egg Yolks

On the nutritional naughty list for years, egg yolks are finally experiencing their well a deserved day in the sun. If you’ve been eating only egg whites, the yolk’s on you. Yolks contain large amounts of choline, which helps in fetal brain development for pregnant women. It also breaks down bethane, a chemical that produces hormones related to happiness. That’s right, eggs can make you happy! (6)

If you’ve kept away from eating eggs whole because of cholesterol concerns, there’s good news. Studies show that eating eggs had no effect on the cholesterol levels of healthy adults and might, in fact, help raise good cholesterol levels.

It’s also one of the most inexpensive sources of protein out there; just be sure you’re buying organic, free range eggs. Need some egg



7. Walnuts

Walnuts

It turns out that eating walnuts can keep you from going nuts. Just munching on a few walnuts a day can improve your cognitive health. (12) Their high levels of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals also improve mental alertness. The vitamin E in the nuts can also help ward off Alzheimer’s.

So go ahead, grab a handful of walnuts — or try this brains boosting


8. Avocados

Avocados

This fruit is one of the healthiest ones you can consume and one of my all-time favorites. While avocados often get a bad rep because of their high fat content, it’s important to note that these green powerhouses are packed with mono saturated fats or the “good” kind, keeping blood sugar levels steady and your skin glowing.



Containing both vitamin K and folate, avocados help prevent blood clots in the brain (protecting against stroke) as well as help improve cognitive function, especially both memory and concentration.

They’re also rich in vitamin B and vitamin C, which aren’t stored in your body and need to be replenished daily. Plus, they have the highest protein and lowest sugar content of any fruit. Not too shabby! Avocados creamy texture makes them a smart addition to smoothies and a replacement for fats in baked goods

Afternoon naps could improve thinking and memory skills

Scientists say an hour sleep after lunch can help the brain perform like it was five years younger

Taking a nap after lunch makes the brain perform as if it was five years younger, scientists said Getty Images

Wandering off for an afternoon nap might not the best way to impress your boss – but scientists say it could improve your performance at work.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found a short sleep in the afternoon improves people’s thinking and memory skills and makes the brain perform as if it were five years younger.
The team studied 3,000 elderly Chinese people and looked at whether those who frequently took afternoon naps performed better on mental ability tests.

The participants were given recall tasks and some maths problems, as well as being asked to copy drawings of shapes.

Scientists found people who took a nap after lunch did better on the tests than those who did not sleep in the middle of the day. In total, 60 per cent of people in the study slept after lunch, with the average nap time being 63 minutes.

The study suggested an hour was the best length of nap; people who had longer or shorter rests performed up to six time worse on the tasks. Taking an afternoon nap of the right length is so beneficial that it has the same effect as being five years younger, the researchers said.

They concluded: “The results support the hypothesis that a moderate-duration nap taken during the post-lunch dip is associated with better overall cognition.

“Older adults who did not nap or napped longer than 90 minutes (extended nappers) were significantly more likely than those who napped for 30 to 90 minutes after lunch (moderate nappers) to have lower overall cognition scores.

“This study suggests that absence of napping and too much napping are associated with poorer cognition, but naps of a moderate duration are associated with better cognition and may be an important part of optimizing cognition in elderly adults.”

The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, confirms previous studies that have shown the benefits of napping, as long as the rest is not too long.

Amazing Health Benefits Of Pomegranates

health benefits of pomegranates are innumerable and what makes them special is that apart from being healthy, pomegranates are delicious too. Pomegranates have anti-oxidant, anti-viral and anti-tumor properties and are said to be a good

1.Pomegranate May Lower Blood Pressure

High blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the leading drivers of heart attacks and strokes.

In one study, people with high blood pressure had a significant reduction after consuming 150 ml (5 oz) of pomegranate juice daily for 2 weeks (15).

Other studies have found similar effects, especially for systolic blood pressure (the higher number in a blood pressure reading) (16, 17).

Bottom Line: Regular intake of pomegranate juice has been shown to lower blood pressure levels in as little as 2 weeks.

2. Pomegranate Fight Arthritis and Joint Pain

Arthritis is a common problem in Western countries.

There are many different types, but most of them involve some form of inflammation in the joints.

Given that the plant compounds in pomegranate have antiinflammatory effects, it makes sense that they could help treat arthritis.

Interestingly, laboratory studies have shown that pomegranate extract can block enzymes that are known to damage joints in people with osteoarthritis (18, 19).

It has also been shown to be beneficial against arthritis in mice, but there is very little evidence in humans so far (20, 21).

Bottom Line: Studies in animals and isolated cells have shown that pomegranate extract may be beneficial against several forms of arthritis, but human research is needed.
3. Pomegranate Juice Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease

Heart disease is currently the world’s most common cause of premature death (22).

It is a complicated disease, driven by many different factors.

Punicic acid, the main fatty acid in pomegranate, may help protect against several steps in the heart disease process.

In a study in 51 people with high cholesterol and triglycerides, 800 milligrams of pomegranate seed oil per day for 4 weeks was shown to significantly lower triglycerides and improve the triglyceride:HDL ratio (23).

Another study looked at the effects of pomegranate juice in people with type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. They noted significant reductions in LDL cholesterol, as well as other improvements (24).

Pomegranate juice has also been shown, in both animal and human studies, to protect the LDL cholesterol particles from oxidation, one of the key steps in the pathway towards heart disease (25, 26, 27, 28).

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Bottom Line: Several human studies have shown that pomegranate can have benefits against heart disease. It improves the cholesterol profile and protects LDL cholesterol from oxidative damage.
9. Pomegranate Juice May Help Treat Erectile Dysfunction

Oxidative damage can impair blood flow in all areas of the body, including erectile tissue.

Pomegranate juice has been shown to be beneficial in increasing blood flow and erectile response in rabbits (29).

In a study of 53 men with erectile dysfunction, pomegranate appeared to have some benefit, but it was not statistically significant (30).

Bottom Line: Pomegranate juice has been linked to reduced symptoms of erectile dysfunction, but more research is needed.
10. Pomegranate Can Help Fight Bacterial and Fungal Infections

The plant compounds in pomegranate can help fight harmful microorganisms (31).

For example, they have been shown to be beneficial against some types of bacteria, as well as the yeast Candida

The antibacterial and antifungal effects may also be protective against infections and inflammation in the mouth.

This includes conditions like gingivitis, periodontist's and denture stomatitis (34, 35).

Bottom Line: Pomegranate has antibacterial and antiviral properties, which may be useful against common diseases of the gums.

Stomach Disorders

Pomegranate peel, bark and leaves are used to calm disorders of the stomach or the diarrhea caused by any kind of digestive problems. Drinking tea made from the leaves of this fruit also helps in curing your digestive problems. Pomegranate juice is also used for handling problems like dysentery and cholera.

Heart Problems

Regular intake of pomegranate juice can maintain good flow of the blood in the body. Because of this property, it subsequently decreases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The antioxidant components that are contained in this fruit help to keep the bad cholesterol from gaining any significant presence and thus keeps the arteries clear of any clots. The clots are clear because pomegranates have the ability to make the blood thinner.