Thoughtful Thursday…A simple recipe for fat loss and other health benefits...?
Welcome to Thoughtful Thursday. This GreenNote Fitness newsletter mindfully gathers and distills useful information that is supportive to our journey. It is my mission to educate, inspire, and propel you into action that moves you towards your goals and life of purpose. Take control of your journey today.
Cranberries offer a host of benefits due to their richness in antioxidants - one of the highest amount of antioxidants of any fruit, specifically proanthocyanidins, which gives cranberries their vibrant color. Antioxidants protect cells against free radical damage and aid in the prevention of chronic disease.
Research shows that cranberries and cranberry juice can help reduce several risk factors of heart disease, including blood pressure, triglyceride levels, inflammation and insulin resistance. Further, research also shows that it can help lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, increase beneficial HDL cholesterol and prevent a stiffening of the arteries in people with heart disease.
The benefits of cranberries don’t end there. They help reduce body-wide inflammation, boost immunity, and can help with weight loss. This potent little berry has become a staple in my diet.
Let’s delve into this potent little berry!
When was the last time you drank unsweetened cranberry juice? Wasn’t it refreshing? I’m about to share with you why I’m drinking a cran-water concoction and how you can easily incorporate this into your healthy lifestyle.
I recently was introduced to the benefits of cranberries by author of Radical Metabolism, Ann Louise Gittleman. I am finding a wealth of information in her book and recently wrote about it here.
As Gittleman explains a few of cranberry's benefits:
It helps to flush sluggish lymph
Balance blood sugar
Strengthen capillaries
Assists in ridding the body of parasites
Helps to balance pH levels
"Cranberry juice is a natural diuretic and packed with flavonoids, enzymes and organic acids such as malic acid, citric acid, and quinic acid which have an emulsifying effect on stubborn fat deposits in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system — the body’s “garbage collector” — transports all kinds of waste products not processed by the liver. With the help of the organic acid components, cranberry juice digests stagnated lymphatic wastes.”
Gittleman’s Fat Flush Cran-water Recipe:
Mix together 1 oz. 100% pure unsweetened cranberry juice with 7 oz. plain filtered water. To save time during the day, mix a full batch (64 oz.) in the morning – add 1 cup (8 oz.) cranberry juice to a half-gallon container and fill the rest with water. Brands to look for: Knudsen, Trader Joe’s, Mountain Sun, or Simple Truth.
Adequate hydration with diluted cranberry juice helps with normal bowel and kidney function to rid the body of stored wastes and fats. It decongests the lymph and plays a role in cellulite reduction. I’m drinking the cran-water daily to help keep my liver and lymph in optimum cleansing mode. It’s pretty simple just to mix the cranberry juice with water. Although an ounce at a time of cranberry juice isn’t much, it really adds a nice flavor to water. The combination of water for hydration and the cranberry juice really feels good in the tummy.
Whether you want to loose weight, increase your HDL (good cholesterol), lower your LDL (bad cholesterol), help with constipation or bloating, reduce inflammation, boost immunity, or even help with preventing chronic disease, consider incorporating this simple, easy cran-water recipe in your healthy lifestyle.
It’s very inexpensive, it’s simple and easy, and offers a host of benefits. Give it a a try!
Research studies:
Enjoy your journey,
Lisa Schaffer
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