CARROT NUTRIENTS AND HEALTH BENEFITS

Carrot is one of the most healing foods that provides the finest and highest quality in nutrients, especially from its juice. It is an excellent source of pro-vitamin A, vitamins C, D, E, K, B1 and B6.

It is rich with biotin, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, organic sodium and some trace minerals.

The known phytonutrients in carrots are lutein, lycopene, anti-oxidants alpha, beta and gamma carotenes, zeaxanthin and xanthophyll. You don't need to remember these fancy names, but just remember that phytonutrients are nature's marvelous provision for healing of various diseases.

Health Benefits
Carotenes, the famous ingredient in carrots, is an anti-oxidant that has powerful healing virtues for many diseases. Drinking a glass of carrot juice daily will do much more for you than many bottles of supplement tablets. Here are some disorders that can be helped by drinking carrot juice regularly:

Acidosis: The vital organic alkaline elements in carrots help balance the blood acidity and blood sugar.

Acne: Its powerful cleansing properties are effective in detoxifying the liver, thus overall effective for acne which are caused by toxicity of the blood.

Anemia: Carrot's molecules are closest to human's hemoglobin molecules, making it very beneficial in blood-building.

Atherosclerosis: The highly cleansing power of this miracle juice scrubs away even the old build-up of arterial deposits, reducing the risks of heart diseases and stroke.

Asthma: The anti-oxidants effectively protects the respiratory system from infections and free-radical attacks.

Cancer: Studies show that adding one carrot per day in our diet significantly reduces cancer risks.

Cholesterol: Pectin in carrots lowers the serum cholesterol levels.

Congestion: Carrot juice is very effective in dispelling mucus from the ear, nose and throat area, easing nasal congestion, sinusitis, phlegm and mucus in the throat and other similar disorders.

Constipation: Take five parts of carrot juice with one part of spinach juice regularly to regulate chronic constipation problems.

Emphysema: If you smoke or are exposed to second-hand smoke, taking carrot juice regularly may well save your life.

Eyes: Beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are some of the finest nourishment that help keep the optic system in tip-top condition, with special protection against astigmatism, macular degeneration and cataracts.

Fertility: One of the reasons for infertility is lack of nutrients and enzymes in your dietary. Carrot juice taken regularly, is able to nourish your body back to fertility.

Inflammations: Its anti-inflammatory effect greatly helps reduce arthritis, rheumatism, gout and other inflammations.

Immune systems: It does wonders for boosting the immune system by increasing the production and performance of white blood cells; building resistant to various kinds of infections.

Nursing mothers: Carrot juice helps enhance the quality and quantity of a mother's breast milk.

Pregnancy: Drinking carrot juice regularly during pregnancy, especially during the last few months, will reduce the chances of jaundice in baby. No, you won't get an orange baby!

Skin problems: The high quality vitamin C and other rich nutrients in carrot juice efficiently nourish the skin, preventing dry skin, psoriasis and other skin blemishes.

Thread worms: One small cup of carrot juice in the morning taken daily for a week can help clear up thread worms in children.

Ulcers: The abundance of nutrient present in carrots help nourish cells that have been starved of nutrients which result in ulcers.

Water retention: Carrot juice is diuretic and helps to eliminate excess fluids from the body, reducing water retention, especially for women during their monthly menstruation cycle and in pregnant women.

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POTATO NUTRIENTS

Nutritional Information

On Serving Contains:

Calories ..................110

Protein ................... 3 grams

Carbohydrate ......... 23 grams

Fat ....................... 0 grams

Dietary Fiber .......... 2710 mg

Sodium ................... 10 mg

Potassium ............... 750 mg

Serving Size : One Medium Potato (150 grams or about 1/3 pound)

To calculate nutritional value of a 250 gram potato (a typical baking potato) multiply values above by 1.6

Percentage of U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances for a Medium Potato

Protein .................. 6 %

Vitamin C ............. 50 %

Thiamin ................ 8 %

Riboflavin ............ 2 %

Niacin .................. 10 %

Iron ....................... 8 %

Vitamin B6 ........... 15 %

Folacin (folic acid). 8 %

Phosphorus ............ 8 %

Magnesium ............ 8 %

Zinc ....................... 2 %

Copper ... ............... 8 %

Pantothenic acid .... 4 %

Iodine .................... 15 %

THE NUTRIENT-DENSE POTATO

The potato is a nutrient-dense food. It provides good nutritional return for the calories. Why is nutrient density important? Our need for calories has probably decreased by one-third since the turn of the century because we aren't as active. But in general we still need about the same amount of nutrients as we did then. This means that in order to get all the nutrition we need without consuming too many calories, we must include many nutrient dense foods like potatoes in our diets. A medium-size potato (one third pound or 150 grams) has only about 110 calories, four to five percent of the average adult's total daily intake of calories, but provides much higher percentages of our needs for many nutrients. (See 'Nutrition in a Raw Potato') For a real potato lover, a medium-size potato may not be enough of a good thing. But even a 250-gram potato (a little over one-half pound) has only about 160 calories, and the larger size gives you a real nutrition bonus. The potato gives us a wide spectrum of valuable nutrients, including complex carbohydrates, often lacking in the American diet.

The potato is a good source of vitamin C and hard to get B6 and has long been known to be a storehouse of minerals. Exact needs for all minerals are not established yet. But, for example, the potato contains valuable supplies of such essential trace elements as manganese, chromium, selenium and molybdenum.

LOW SODIUM HIGH POTASSIUM POTATO

One current nutritional goal is to reduce the amount of sodium consumed. While research is not complete, it indicates that a typical potato provides less than 1 0 mg. of sodium - compared to a typical daily intake of more than 4,000 mg. On the other hand, many Americans need to be concerned about adequate supplies of potassium. Here again, it appears that for the typical potato-eating American, the potato supplies about 20 percent of the daily potassium needs.

FIBER
Fiber, almost entirely complex carbohydrates, has been the subject of renewed interest. Fiber is that part of the food we eat is not digested by the body but travels through and holds water, forming the bulk we need for eliminating solid waste. While official recommendations for fiber haven't been established, about six grams daily is considered desirable. Most Americans fall short of this amount. Potatoes can add to the overall fiber intake. An average serving provides about 10 percent of a desirable daily intake of fiber.

PROTEIN
Potatoes contain small amounts of protein. In fact, the protein in potatoes is among the best to be found in vegetables. So, potatoes offer a good inexpensive supplementary source of protein in menu planning.

IRON
Iron is a mineral that's hard to get in sufficient amounts and is lacking in many diets, particularly those of women, teen-age girls and young children. Although few foods contain large amounts of iron, potatoes are a very good source. When consumed on a daily basis (5 1/3 oz. average per person), potatoes furnish more iron than any other vegetable. And, whereas not all the iron content in all foods is available for body use, the iron in potatoes is highly usable by the body.

CARBOHYDRATES
The potato has been criticized for being "just a starch." There's a lot more to potatoes, of course, but the carbohydrates in potatoes are the most common form of complex carbohydrates and as such are important to a good diet. Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of fuel for energy. Experts say at least 50 percent of our daily body fuel should come from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are of several types. Sugars are the most basic carbohydrates, the building blocks of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are longer chains of sugars, such as starches and fiber. Contrary to popular belief, gram for gram, carbohydrates have no more calories than protein and less than half that of fat. In fact, potatoes are virtually fat-free.

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Cauliflower Nutrition Facts

General Information

Cauliflower is:

Low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium, Manganese, Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Magnesium and Phosphorus

The nutritional value and health benefits of cauliflower makes it ideal for:

1. Maintaining optimum health
2. Weight loss

Don't include too much cauliflower in your diet if you're interested in Weight gain

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