Do you find it hard to make healthy lunch choices? It can be hard to know how to pack healthy lunches, but with a little planning, you can eat healthy all week long! Here are some ideas for healthy lunches!

I'm sure you've heard the buzz about fresh green juices. It seems everyone who's into health is drinking them! It can be a bit pricey to buy gree juices, but you can save a little money by making your own! The bonus is that you get a ton of nutrition and antioxidants in a serving of green juice. It is estimated that you get at least 5 servings of vegetables in a serving of juice! This is why I juice - my husband doesn't love to eat big salads like I do, and this is one way I can get lots of nutrition into him!

We all know that eating fruits and veggies is good for our long-term health, but did you know it can actually help you feel happier in the here and now? A recent study out of Australia studied over 12,000 people and they can up with some pretty astounding findings! 

Lemons are an amazing little fruit. You may not think about them much because of their sour flavor, but they are packed with vitamin C! In fact, one raw lemon (minus its peel) contains over half of your daily dose of vitamin C! This is why it has been commonly used to treat scurvy, which may make you think of pirates! Aye, matey, them there lemons will cure what ails ya! OK. Enough of the pirate talk for now!

Your diet while going through menopause can have an impact on how your body responds to the hormonal changes. Some claim that a vegan diet my help women to get through menopause with much more ease. In any case, eating a healthy, whole foods diet is always a good idea.
Some good foods to add to your diet during menopause include:

• wheat germ
• mung beans
• string beans
• seaweed
• spirulina
• millet
• black beans
• tofu
• kidney beans
• barley
• black sesame seeds whole wheat
• leafy greens
• nuts
• seeds
• egg whites
• legumes
• cold-pressed cooking oils

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As little as 3 mg of boron can double blood levels of estrogen. If you want to increase these levels, include boron containing foods in your diet. Top boron-containing foods include strawberries, peaches, cabbage, tomatoes, dandelion, apples, asparagus, figs, poppy seeds, broccoli, pears, cherries, beets, apricots, currants, parsley, dill, cumin seed (in descending order of potency.)

Soy contains photoestrogens which can ease symptoms of menopause and may decrease the risk of breast cancer. Although those with a history of breast cancer should check with their doctor before consuming large amounts of foods containing phyroestrogens.
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Avoid tea, coffee, alcohol, processed foods, dairy, sugar, deep-fried fatty foods, and excessive meat. Animal-based meats affect hormone levels rapidly and strongly.

You often hear the advice to “Eat your greens!”  However, it’s important to eat food of a variety of colors because they contain different nutrients.  Purple and blue are often neglected colors in the average diet.  In fact, eighty-eight percent of people don’t get enough purple and blue in their diet.  Purple and blue foods only make up three percent of the average diet.  These foods are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants.  Scientists believe that compounds known as anthocyanins, found in these foods, get rid of free radicals and soothe inflammation. 

A study done by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study found that people who ate blue and purple fruits and vegetables had a lower risk for high blood pressure and were less likely to have low levels of HDL “good” cholesterol.  These people are also less likely to be overweight.  By reducing three of the five risk factors for metabolic syndrome, it is also believed that eating purple and blue foods will reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  

The white group of fruits and veggies contain healthy compounds that may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and may help reduce the risk of stomach cancer and heart disease. 

Bananas are a good source of potassium, which helps prevent high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.  Bananas also ease constipation, protect the stomach against ulcers, reduce depression, reduce the risk of stroke, promote kidney health and help build strong bones. 

Potatoes are a good source of vitamins C and B6, manganese, copper, potassium, fiber and tryptophan.  The health benefits of potatoes include protection against heart disease, reduction of blood pressure, increased endurance, and maintenance of normal brain cell and nervous system activity. 

Cauliflower is full of nutrients such as vitamins C and K, folate, fiber, and the B-complex vitamins.  Cauliflower helps to detoxify your body, promotes heart health, and protects against rheumatoid arthritis. 

Orange and yellow fruits and veggies are usually colored by beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A.  These foods help keep your eyes and immune system healthy and can help reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease.  They also often contain vitamin C and folate as well.  Lemons are a good source of vitamin C, which had been found to reduce the risk of death from all causes. 

Red fruits and vegetables contain phytonutrients such as ellagic acid, anthocyanins, lycopene and more.  These phytonutrients may help regulate blood pressure levels, lower bad cholesterol, and reduce tumor growth.  Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants that help prevent cell damage, help keep your heart healthy, and reduce the pain from arthritis and gout.  Lycopene may help reduce the risk of some kinds of cancer, such as prostate cancer, breast, colorectal, endometrial, lung and pancreatic.  The best way to get your daily dose of lycopene is in cooked tomatoes with a small amount of fat, such as a marinara sauce with a little olive oil in it.  

Are you finding that you are really sore after a workout? Adding cherry juice to your diet could reduce soreness after exercise.  Research from Oregon Health & Science University found that people who drank 2 cups of tart cherry juice two times a day for a week felt less muscle pain and soreness after a race than those who didn’t.  

Cherries have a natural anti-inflammatory antioxidant, known as anthocyanin.  It can be used to reduce the pain and inflammation from gout, arthritis, muscle pain and back pain.  They may also offer some protection from colon cancer, heart attack and stroke.  Everyone is different, so the amount you need to consume and the time it takes to see benefits may vary.  To receive benefits you should drink at least one ounce of tart cherry juice concentrate, a quarter cup of dried tart cherries or 1 ½ cups of frozen tart cherries.  All cherries contain anthocyanins, but tart cherries have twice the amount as sweet cherries.  It could take a few days to several weeks to see results.