Lentil, Kale and Carrot Soup

Lentils, compared to other types of legumes, are relatively quick and easy to prepare. They come in a wide variety of colors, are available throughout the whole year and offer great nutritional properties. Combine lentils with kale, carrots and other aromatic vegetables to get a tasty and super-nutritious soup.

Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup lentils
4 large kale leaves, ribs removed
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
⅓ cup parsley, chopped
6 cups organic low-sodium vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
red-pepper flakes (optional) Read more

Foods That Detox Your Body and Mind

There is a huge connection between your body and your mind. Basically, how your body feels is largely dependent on how your brain functions. If your brain doesn’t function well, you would feel sluggish, would have problems losing weight and may also suffer problems like acne, digestive disorders, aches and pains and much more. This is the reason it is essential to take steps to cleanse your body and your mind so both of them function properly. Detoxification is a process that can nourish your body and cleanse it from the inside out. It can help remove toxins and free radicals that do harm to your body and protect you from skin and health related problems. Detoxification has been practiced for ages and there are a number of foods that can assist you achieve optimum health. Here’s a look at some of the common foods that can help detox your body and mind.

Asparagus

Asparagus is not only a tasty vegetable, but it is also beneficial for the health. Whether you are looking to lose weight, fight premature aging, stay healthy or protect yourself from diseases and illnesses, you must incorporate asparagus in your diet. The veggie has anti-inflammatory properties and it is also known for filtering toxic materials from the foods you consume.

Beets

If you are planning to go on a detox diet, you must consider including beet because of the benefits they offer. Beets help eliminate free radicals from the body and also make sure that toxins get out of the body without getting reintroduced. Read more

5 Foods for More Beautiful Skin

Everyone wants beautiful and radiant skin. In fact, the desire to have flawless skin has turned the beauty industry into a billion dollar industry. Every now and then new products and lotions are launched that claim to do wonders for the skin. Wherever you look today, you will find beauty products of all sorts. But, do these beauty products really work? While some do help make the skin smoother and softer, the key to have beautiful skin lies in what you eat. As said, radiant and clear skin is all about what you take in and not what you put on. On this note, here’s a look at 5 foods that can make your skin more beautiful.

1. Salmon

Salmon offers numerous health benefits. The omega 3 fatty acid it contains is beneficial for the heart and the skin as well. According to a number of studies, elderly people who ate more fish in their lives had fewer wrinkles than those who did not eat much fish or restricted their diet to meat only. It is also true that salmon can lower the risk of skin cancer. There are a number of delicious dishes that can be prepared using salmon. Therefore it is quite easy to fit this fish into any beautiful diet. Read more

10 Non-Dairy Foods Highest in Calcium

Calcium is one of the essential nutrients needed by the body. It is needed by almost every cell in the body in one way or the other. It is required for the health of your teeth and bones. However, it also affects your nerve function, muscles, hormones and the ability to form blood clots. According to research, calcium may help with problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure and PMS.

Calcium is stored in the bones which provide support to the body. But, when we age, the ability to absorb calcium from the foods we eat decreases. This causes the body to take calcium from the bones and over time, the aging process leads to osteoporosis which is a kind of bone disease where the bones become brittle and weak.

Dairy products such as milk and cheese are considered as good sources of calcium. But, there are a number of nutritionists and health experts who suggest that you should not be entirely dependent on dairy products to get all the calcium your body needs. There are some nutritionists who are against the use of dairy in diet. In fact, some nutritionists and health experts have reported that consuming calcium from dairy products alone can reduce its absorption. An average adult needs about 1,100mg of calcium per day and according to recent studies, only about 30 percent of calcium is absorbed by the body when it comes only from dairy sources. Read more