cranberry fields forever
I eat sugar-free now, but I’ve recently been able to start introducing small amounts of low-sugar, healthy fruits whose health benefits outweigh their sugar content. Particularly, I’ve started to allow some berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries). Green apples and pears are also good choices for low-sugar fruits. (Bananas and watermelon, on the other hand, are not. However, watermelon is second only to lemon juice as the #1 Alkalizing Food that you could consume – in other words, assuming you don’t have a problem like mine where you have to restrict sugar, the consumption of watermelon helps the body detox fast and restore itself to a balanced pH level. When you think Alkaline, think meditation, prayer, peace, kindness, and love; when you think Acidic, think overwork, anger, fear, jealousy, and stress. Personally, I think we could all use a little push in the alkaline direction 🙂
Cranberry juice is the newest addition to my diet. *Keep in mind that pure cranberry juice is very different from cranberry juice cocktail, the sweet/sugary version that we all buy and drink with breakfast. Pure cranberry juice is extremely tart, so I like to dilute it with water, and occasionally add a few drops of stevia extract (I buy the pure kind from Trader Joe’s) to sweeten the flavor.* Cranberries are an excellent choice for battling H. Pylori, as the flavonoids they contain inhibit the growth of the bacteria in the stomach. But the health benefits don’t stop there. Other wonderful things cranberry juice can do for you include:
– Preventing UTIs (though not curing existing ones)
– Inhibiting tumor and cancer cell growth
– Doing awesome antioxidant things
– Doing awesome anti-bacterial things (such as preventing tooth decay, colds, and ulcers)
– Inhibiting cancer cell growth
You can read more details here. Basically, I just get pumped up knowing how much I’m helping my body with the foods I’m consuming, so I want to share the excitement. Feel free to glean profusely!
*More information about stevia can be found here. There are many benefits, but keep in mind that this is a relatively new, breakthrough product, and it is still being researched. Everything in moderation, my friends. And of course, please remember that using natural produce like berries and other fruits to sweeten foods is almost always preferable to extracted sweeteners. They have powerful nutritional properties that we know unequivocally to support your body in its quest for health 🙂