Posts Tagged ‘Hibiscus’

Healthier Mexican Food

October 6, 2014 Written by JP

For Mexican food lovers (myself included!) there is a simple approach to improving the health benefits and nutritional quality of Mexican-style meals. It really doesn’t matter if you’re eating out at Mexican restaurants or preparing it yourself at home. There are potential pitfalls in both instances which can be largely avoided by practicing a basic technique I call “crowding out”. The concept is that you crowd out most or some of the unhealthy foods and replace them with better options. In the realm of Mexican cuisine, this means minimizing your intake of chips, rice, sweetened beverages and tortillas and focusing instead on foods containing more fiber, healthy fat, nutrients and protein.

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Posted in Diabetes, Food and Drink, Nutrition | 13 Comments & Updates

Sour Tea for Diabetes and Hypertension

June 28, 2013 Written by JP

Recently, a Persian reader of this site relayed a positive testimonial about a traditional drink from his homeland called “sour tea”. When I was listening to his account of how he used this tart, vibrantly colored beverage to avert diabetes and high blood pressure, I thought to myself – sour tea? It sounds sort of familiar, but I can’t place it. As it turns out, sour tea is the commonly used name in Iran for hibiscus tea. The next question that popped into my mind was whether this gentleman’s experience could be bolstered and substantiated by reviewing the medical literature.

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Posted in Diabetes, Food and Drink, Heart Health | 10 Comments & Updates

Healthier Ice Cubes

November 8, 2012 Written by JP

One of the keys to improving your diet is looking for practical ways to increase your intake of health promoting nutrients and phytochemicals. Ice cubes may seem like an unlikely way to further this cause, but that all depends on what you use to make ice cubes. By using coconut water or ginger and hibiscus tea, you can transform conventional ice cubes into flavorful and healthful additions to common beverages such as lemonade and mineral water.

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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Food and Drink, Nutrition | 9 Comments & Updates

Herbal Tea Revolution

June 21, 2010 Written by JP

It’s not uncommon for me to have a glass of biodynamic or organic red wine with my evening meal. As I was planning dinner last night, I got to thinking about why I enjoy wine and also about the rather substantial number of people who can’t or choose not to include alcohol in their lives. That thought process lead me to a decision to brew a cup of chamomile tea instead of having my usual glass of Pinot Noir. I remembered a study from last year that described the anti-anxiety properties of chamomile. So I wondered whether this herbal brew could provide a similar soothing effect as I’d come to expect from wine. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it did. This experience is the basis for my Healthy Monday tip of the week: Drink more herbal tea! (1) Read more »


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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Food and Drink, Heart Health | 8 Comments & Updates

Natural Remedies for High Blood Pressure

March 24, 2009 Written by JP

Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Currently blood pressure readings of 120/80 and lower are considered normal. 120-139/80-89 are referred to as “prehypertension” and 140/90 and above is classified as high blood pressure. Read more »


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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Food and Drink, Heart Health | 11 Comments & Updates