Vitamin C - Keep the Sunshine Vitamin in Your Life

by Anna Ruth


In terms of awareness, Vitamin C is one of the most popular vitamins around. Many people take Vitamin C supplements or drink juices rich in the vitamin. But what exactly does Vitamin C do? Well, the vitamin, which is also called ascorbic acid, can help repair and prevent damage to cells, heal wounds, boost the immune system, and help make your teeth and gums healthier. It also helps the body absorb iron. It is also possible that in its role as a natural antioxidant, Vitamin C can help slow down the aging process by scavenging free radicals, preventing a build up of cell damaging toxins that accelerate aging. It's not the only the antioxidant vitamin and unlike an antioxidant like l-glutathione it isn't manufactured within our bodies.

When it comes to vitamins, there are two types: those that dissolve in water and those that dissolve in fat. Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin that travels through the body's bloodstream. Whatever Vitamin C the body does not need to absorb is simply removed via urine. This means two things: first, we must always supply our bodies with Vitamin C since the body doesn't store it, and second, it's very hard to actually overdose on Vitamin C because the body doesn't absorb more than it needs.

Recommended: Liposomal Vitamin C 1200mg - High Absorption, Fat Soluble VIT C, Powerful Antioxidant & Immune System Support

How much Vitamin C do we need each day? It is recommended that we get 60 milligrams of the vitamin, although that can change depending on several factors. Those who smoke may need between 110 and 125 milligrams of Vitamin C because smoking can cause the body to have trouble absorbing vitamins.

It is possible to end up with too little Vitamin C in your body. This was quite common years ago during long sea voyages. This lack of Vitamin C results in scurvy. If you manage to intake over 2,000 milligrams of Vitamin C in a day, you may feel flushed and suffer from diarrhea, nausea, increased urination, and vomiting.

Where can we get Vitamin C from? In addition to supplements, the vitamin is found naturally in fruit, citrus juices, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, red and green peppers, and potato skins. As is often the case, good nutrition is all you really need to keep your body in shape by providing the vitamins and minerals we need for good health.

Anna Ruth is a self confessed health nut and recently became involved at Whole Earth Health dot com with MAX GXL. For people who are always tired this product has been shown to help some restore their energy levels and "get their lives back. Because glutathione supplements are of questionable value, MAXGXL takes a different approach, instead helping the body to manufacture its own glutathione.

This information is not designed to diagnose or treat a disease or ailment. If you have a medical condition or question always seek the advice of a qualified physician.

3 Reasons to Snack on Dried Fruit and Nuts

by Thomas Parker

When most people are hungry they start to snack on chocolate, crisps and candy. Whilst snacking is not inherently bad you have to choose your snack foods carefully. In this article I am going to introduce you to dried fruit and nuts and discuss three reasons to snack on them.

1) DRIED FRUITS ARE SWEETER THAN MOST OTHER FRUIT:- One of the reasons a lot of people turn to processed snacks is due to their high sugar content. Chocolate and candy are a lot sweeter than most fruits. For most people an apple just does not cut it when compared to a chocolate bar. However, dried fruits are a lot more concentrated and have most of their original water removed. Therefore, if you want a healthy snack but still want to satisfy your sweet tooth you should try dried fruit.

2) THEY ARE BOTH RICH IN FIBRE:- Dried fruit and nuts are both fibre rich food choices and therefore offer a number of health benefits. First, it acts as an appetite suppressant and helps fill your stomach by absorbing water and expanding in your digestive tract. Secondly, it promotes regular bowel movements and helps reduce constipation. Fibre also helps you fully absorb vitamin and minerals and moderate blood sugar levels. Processed snacks contain little dietary fibre so by substituting them with dried fruit and nuts you can start to enjoy the above health benefits.

3) THEY ARE A GOOD SOURCE OF VITAMINS:- Nuts contain high levels of vitamin B6, vitamin B9, vitamin B12 and vitamin E. Dried fruit is also rich in a number of water soluble vitamins including vitamin C. Each of these vitamins have a number of health benefits. Vitamin B6 helps your body break down protein into an energy source that it can use. Vitamins B9 and B12 work together to assist your body in the production of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) which play a key role in the production of new cells. Vitamin C helps your body produce the connective tissue collagen which is essential for the proper healing of wounds. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant which protects your body from harmful free radicals. Processed snacks are relatively low in vitamins so by switching to dried fruit and nuts you can make sure you are getting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for a number of vitamins.

As you can see there are many good reasons to make dried fruit and nuts part of your diet. Whilst they are not substantial enough to constitute a full meal they are a perfect, natural and healthy alternative to processed snacks. So if you have not made the switch already drop the crisps, chocolate and candy today and start eating dried fruit and nuts instead.

Tom Parker owns and operates a number of useful fitness resources and websites. You can learn more about dried fruit and nuts and the benefits of fibre by visiting his websites.

What Are Healthy Oatmeal Choices?

by Mary Rentoumis

Oatmeal is high in fiber, low in fat, and contains protein and iron. It is a very inexpensive alternative to cold cereal for a healthy breakfast. But how do you know which kind of oatmeal is best? Learn about the different types of oatmeal and whether or not that package of instant oatmeal is really a good choice.

Shouldn't I just eat those packages of instant oatmeal?

Instant oatmeal contains oats that are already cooked and dried before rolling. Instant oatmeal comes in the convenience of single serving packages. Easy, fast and with fun flavors. But when you read the label, you see that many instant oatmeal varieties contain lots of sugar, up to several teaspoons in one package. The individual packages can be very expensive.

In locating a good choice, some varieties of instant oatmeal target children, women, or calorie counters. Some of the oatmeal marketed as "lower sugar" has artificial sweeteners, and some childrens' oatmeal with the fun shapes contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Even the "all natural product" can contain too much sugar, so check the nutrition label carefully.

But you can still make oatmeal quickly without the expense and sugar of the individual packets.

What are the best healthy oatmeal choices?

Instead of the expensive instant oatmeal packages, there are three healthy oatmeal choices:

Quick Cooking Oats, Rolled Oats, and Steel Cut .

To understand the choices, here's how oatmeal is made: oat grains are hulled and steamed. These whole grain "groats" are the inner part of the oat kernel and are cut in different ways to make the different kinds of oatmeal.

1. Quick Cooking Oats

Quick cooking oats are groats that are cut into pieces and rolled finer to reduce cooking time. They take about one minute to cook on the stove and one minute in the microwave.

2. Old fashioned Oats or Rolled Oats:

Old fashioned or rolled oats are oat groats that are steamed and rolled flat. Rolled oats cook in five minutes on the stove and three minutes in the microwave.

3. Steel Cut Oats:

Considered by some to be the tastiest oatmeal, steel cut oatmeal contains groats that are cut into pieces using steel blades. They take about an hour to cook from start to finish and are best made on the stove top. Try making a pot on the weekend and refrigerating individual portions to eat during the week.

For healthy oatmeal recipes using all three of the good oatmeal choices, visit http://www.healthy-diet-mom.com/healthy-oatmeal-recipes.html

From Mary Rentoumis, the Healthy Diet Mom. Adventures in healthy eating for the whole family, http://www.healthy-diet-mom.com