It’s important to get adequate amounts of folic acid in the diet for a variety of health reasons, both physical and mental, but mostly for cellular growth and regeneration. In fact, a recent article from the New York Times named folic acid one of the most “luscious micronutrients” found in foods, and multiple studies suggest that a lack of folic acid may lead to mental conditions such as depression.

Physiologically, consuming enough folic acid allows the body to perform many of its essential functions, including nucleotide biosynthesis in cells, DNA synthesis and repair, red blood cell creation, and also helps to prevent anemia. Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, is perhaps most well known for its applications in the prevention of fetal deformities, Alzheimer’s disease, as well as several types of cancer. The good news is that there are many rich sources of folic acid that are easy to incorporate into your daily diet.

List of Foods with Folic Acid

The following list will discuss the top ten foods with folic acid. Of course, organic is best (especially if you are pregnant!).

1. Dark Leafy Greens

It should come as no surprise that one of the planet’s healthiest foods is also one of the highest in folate. For an immediate boost in folic acid, consider adding more spinach, collard greens, kale, turnip greens and romaine lettuce into your daily diet. Just one large plate of these delicious leafy greens can provide you with almost all of your daily needs for folic acid.

Below is a short list of leafy greens that are high in folic acid.

Continue reading: “15 Foods High in Folic Acid”

Vitamin C is one super important, naturally-occurring nutrient. From preventing colds and flu, rebuilding tissue, bones and blood vessels, to boosting the body’s ability to synthesize calcium and other minerals, Vitamin C is something we want to be eating more of on a daily basis.

In fact, studies are now confirming the need for Vitamin C to boost brain function, heal from injuries and recover from illness. A potent antioxidant for neutralizing free radicals, a diet lacking Vitamin C may cause health problems over time. In fact, the Food & Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine recommends that we eat vitamin c foods on a daily basis, with men getting 90mg and women getting 75mg daily.

The following list of foods high in Vitamin C will help teach you how to super-charge your diet with a major dose of this essential nutrient.

1. Strawberries

One of the tastiest and healthiest berries on the planet, strawberries are extremely high in Vitamin C. Strawberries aren’t just a vitamin c food, however, they’re also high in fiber and the antioxidants responsible for reducing oxidative stress and protecting the heart from excess LDL cholesterol. Just one serving holds about half of your daily vitamin C needs.

Continue reading: “16 Foods High in Vitamin C”

While there are no short-cuts to losing weight, there are a few things you can do to boost your metabolism. Exercising regularly and getting plenty of sleep are two of the best things you can do. However, there are also plenty of foods that speed metabolism, so adding them to your diet may give you the extra edge to lose more weight.

Below is a list of eleven foods that speed metabolism. Think of these foods as support mechanisms on your path towards fat loss, as any diet that keeps the pounds off requires sustained effort and exercise.

1. Hot peppers

Jalapeno, habanero, cayenne and other forms of spicy peppers directly boost metabolism and circulation. In fact, eating hot peppers not only speeds up your metabolism, it also reduces cravings. This is related to its capsaicin content, a constituent that stimulates the body’s pain receptors, temporarily increasing blood circulation and metabolic rate. If you have ever experienced a bout of intense sweating after eating a particularly hot tamale, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. In fact, studies have shown that eating hot peppers can boost the metabolism by up to 25%, with the spike lasting for up to 3 hours.

Continue reading: “11 Foods That Speed Up Your Metabolism”

Lately there’s been increasing interest in the effects of lemon juice on the liver. Specifically its effectiveness as a liver detox agent. While there is a good bit of truth to this claim, there’s also a growing pile of misinformation being produced by people who don’t really understand how the human body operates, or the basics of organic chemistry.

Lemon juice naturally contains potent levels of citric acid. When mixed with distilled water and consumed regularly, it can benefit the body in a number of ways.

First and foremost, lemon juice helps break down food in your stomach for better digestion. In part because of its own acidic qualities, and in part because it stimulates the stomach to produce more digestive juices.

Continue reading: “Does Lemon Juice Detox the Liver?”

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Readers of my blog probably won’t be surprised to hear that blueberries and probiotic bacteria are a great way to help the body naturally defend itself against intestinal disease. Still, it’s always nice to see more scientific research making its way into the mainstream media.

This latest clinical study, conducted at Lund University in Sweden, shows that eating blueberries can ease and protect against intestinal inflammation. They also found that these beneficial effects on the body are increased by the consumption of probiotic bacteria along with the berries.

The two researchers, Camilla Bränning and Åsa Håkansson, have found that when taken together, blueberries and common strains of probiotic bacteria performed better than either did when tested alone. They also found this combination to be more effective in fighting the symptoms of intestinal disease than probiotics paired with other types of dietary fiber such as oat and rye bran.

Continue reading: “Study: Blueberries & Probiotics Help Counteract Intestinal Diseases”