Article By: Johnny Fontana

With spring comes the start of the season for many fruits and vegetables. The spring and summer months seem to be the time of year when most tropical fruits are eaten. Pineapple is one of the most popular, bursting with both tropical flavor and smell. Not only does it taste great, but underneath that tough shell is a fruit loaded with nutrients.

Pineapples have been credited with keeping your immune system strong, giving you energy and aiding in digestion. Since the spring and summer months are also our most active, who has time to be achy, sick or tired? Get on some daily pineapple and you’ll be on your way to enjoying your spring and summer like never before.

Why So Good?

Energy

Pineapples are packed with trace minerals which are essential to human vitality. One such mineral is manganese, of which pineapples hold over 100% of the daily value. Manganese is great for energy production because it fights off free radicals that can harm the mitochondria. Mitochondria are known by scientists as “cellular power plants” because they generate ATP, which is a main source for energy. It also contains a B vitamin called thiamin, which is another energy aid. Eat a little pineapple in the morning and you will be storing up energy for the rest of the day.

Get Some Bro

An enzyme-rich compound called bromelain is a major source of pineapples’ extensive health benefits. Actually, enzymes found in bromelain have been extracted and used as dietary supplements. It is great for preventing inflammation, which can lead to a host of health issues.

Bromelain is found most abundantly in the core and stem of a pineapple. This compound is a great digestive aid and is regularly recommended to people with digestion issues. Plus it gives you an excuse to put down some Pina Coladas the next time you’re sitting poolside.

How To Eat?

I don’t think I have to tell you how to eat pineapple. Fresh or frozen are both great choices, and because of its energy- producing value, I recommend eating it in the morning.

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Article By: Johnny Fontana

I remember watching “Popeye the Sailor” at my grandfather’s house when I was a little kid.  Even though I was born decades after the show originally launched, I still grew up watching the show.

I think we all know that Popeye is famous for slamming down a can of spinach in order to win his girl Olive back, but did you ever think of the cultural impact this image made?  In a day and age where cartoon characters are more likely to be seen chomping down a fast-food hamburger or drinking a soda, we have lost track of the importance of someone like Popeye. As Popeye began to fade off the television screen, whole foods began to fade off of our nation’s dinner plates. It is funny (actually it’s kind of depressing) that this sailor who lived in a garbage can may have literally been holding one of the keys to health. Popeye may have depended on spinach to provide him with super strength, but it also boasts a whole host of other health benefits as well.

Why So Good?

Power Packed

Last month the first spinach season of the year began, marking a time when it is most widely abundant and tastiest. Words like antioxidants and phytonutrients are tossed around quite often these days by people who hope to sound like they know something about nutrition. But when talking about spinach, it is hard to avoid using those terms — spinach boasts at least 13 different flavonoids, packed with antioxidant and anticancer benefits.

Cancer Fighting

The anticancer benefits of spinach have gotten a ton of attention by researchers. Neoxanthin is a carotenoid that has been linked to fighting prostate cancer. Neoxanthin has shown to prevent cancer cells from reproducing and in some cases even cause cancer cells to self-destuct. Spinach is also very rich in kaempferol, which has been linked to preventing ovarian cancer.

Get Your Vitamins

Of all the vitamins we talk about, vitamin K may get the least amount of recognition. The fact that vitamin K helps build and maintain strong bones should not ignored. One cup of spinach holds about 180% the daily recommended amount of vitamin K.

What Else?

The lutein in spinach is fantastic for eye sight, iron (35% DV) is fantastic for women and vitamin E is very beneficial to the brain. You will also find some Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, folate and manganese in spinach. And at only 7 calories per serving, spinach is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet.

How To Eat?

Go O

Some may be resistant to try spinach after the E. coli scare that happened a few years ago.  People should not worry, however, because that e. coli outbreak was most likely the result of animal waste.  Purchase organic spinach to be safe, as those who grow spinach by conventional means do not do a great job of protecting their crop. You should still wash the leaves even if you buy it bagged, like you would with salads.

Cook It Up

Other than that, you can boil, sauté or eat spinach raw. It proves as a great side to an entree or can be the base for a dinner salad. I personally love a spinach salad with some strawberries. I doubt the creators of Popeye really understood what they were doing by putting a can of spinach in his hands, but they couldn’t have picked a better of a food.

Otherwise, use real butter and ghee just as you’d use the butter you find in most grocery stores.

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Article By: John Fontana

From 1946 to 1964, more than 76 million babies were born in the United States, a generation now holding the most popular nickname of all time “Baby Boomers.” 2010 is now an inverse year for them, as the oldest (born in 1946) are now 64 and the youngest (born in 1964) are now 46. As many of them are winding their professional careers down and looking to enjoy their retirement, health seems to be a major concern. But it seems a bit ironic that Baby Boomers are suddenly so concerned with health considering how much they’ve negatively changed the foods we eat over the years.

The Baby Boom generation’s concerns are certainly valid. With age typically comes a variety of health concerns including loss of memory, loss of vision, and risk of cancer. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but these are real issues that need to be faced and addressed. While we have never been better equipped to battle diseases thanks to advanced drugs and pharmaceuticals, a heavy focus should also be aimed at preventative methods. Food can really be the make-or-break for long-term vitality. Following a healthy diet can add many healthy years to your life, while eating poorly will not only shorten your life but also decrease your chances of successfully fighting off illness and disease.

Certain foods should be staples in everyone’s diet, especially with those who are facing the challenge of staying healthy while aging. There are a few foods that I think Baby Boomers should eat on a regular basis because of the specific health benefits they provide. Because of this I am naming blueberries the official fruit of the Baby Boomer generation. Blueberries have shown to help with memory, eye sight and fight specific cancers that are notorious for affecting people as they age.

Why So Good?

Brainy Blueberries

One of the biggest benefits of blueberries is that they are great for your brain and memory. Certain chemical compounds in blueberries have show to benefit many diseases that are related to aging. These antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds reduce inflammation and oxidative stress that show up in just about every type of disease. As people age, memory begins to fade and the brain’s ability to process certain neurological signals goes down. Balance and coordination begin to deteriorate a bit because the neurons are not “talking” to each other the way they once were. Polyphenols found in blueberries have shown to signal the neurons to interact with one another. The constant communication between the neurons and blueberries’ ability to aid in neuron development in the brain make them the ultimate brain food.

Safe From Cancer

The risk of colon cancer can go down tremendously with continuous consumption of blueberries. The growth of certain cancer-causing cells was drastically reduced in certain studies when blueberry extracts were included. Colon cancer risk increases steadily the older a person gets and therefore so should blueberry consumption.

Ovarian cancer is another type of cancer that blueberries can help prevent. Kaempferol is a type of phytonutrient that is commonly found in blueberries and can be a major benefit to women. Women who eat kaempferol-rich foods have been shown to reduce their risk of ovarian cancer by nearly 50%. There is no doubt that aging women suffer from a higher risk of ovarian cancer, and blueberries may be a major protector from that.

Blueberries: The Antioxidant King

The ORAC is a system that scientist use to measure the antioxidant power of foods. Of all the fruit in the world, blueberries come up with the highest ORAC rating. Certain antioxidants work better when paired with other antioxidants and the ORAC rating system measures how well these antioxidants interact with one another. Considering that antioxidants help to fight free radicals, which are the building blocks to any disease and blueberries have the best combination of antioxidants in any fruit, I think eating them is a good idea.

When it comes down to it, prevention is way more important than curing. If you can prevent many diseases from developing in your body, you will never have to worry about a cure. Blueberries are clearly a food that have some amazing disease-preventing properties. It is never too early or too late to start taking these preventative measures and going out to buy blueberries today is a great start.

How To Eat?

Since blueberries have a very thin skin, I recommend that you always buy organic. The sprays that farmers use on conventionally raised blueberries will effect the chemical makeup of the berries and reduce the amount of positive phytonutrients. Buying wild, organic blueberries is the way to go and it is even good to buy the frozen kind. Frozen fruits are actually really good because they hold a lot of the nutrients that are in the blueberries right when they are picked. Some fruit will lose those nutrients the longer they sit on shelves, so don’t be afraid to buy the frozen type.

Blueberries are great either straight out of the container, mixed into yogurt or blended with a shake. There are really unlimited ways to get blueberries into your diet, so there is really no excuse not to eat them. Buy a pack today and start to prevent any diseases that may follow with age.

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Leave a response at the bottom of the article,

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Article By: John Fontana

Every Sunday morning I make the trek down to Hollywood and Vine to grab some fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and whatever else looks good at the time. The Hollywood farmers market is one of many in Los Angeles that is packed with an assortment of foods that come straight from the farmers. A farmers market has a feel to it that no grocery store can contend with.

From the buzzing excitement of the patrons to the street musicians jamming on their instruments to the vendors shouting, this isn’t your typical shopping experience. On top of that, you have multiple selections of just about any food item you can imagine. If I want strawberries or avocados I can stroll up and down the isles looking at the many options until I find a look and price I like. Many of the brands that Whole Foods stocks their shelves with get their start on the farmers market scene, testing out the goods before offering them to a major distributor. Each and every visit is exciting because a wide variety of new fruits and vegetables are always coming into season giving new options to chose from.

One of the foods that I was excited to see this past trip was guava, which looks like a cross between a green apple and a small pumpkin. Although it is rare to stumble upon guavas, whenever I see them I grab a few because of their great taste and nutritional benefits. Guavas are typically seen in jellies and juices but rarely in raw form. Usually by the time they are juiced or jellified (I know its not a word) a lot of the good fiber has been taken out of them. Either way, guavas are highly beneficial to your health and if you spot them you should grab up a few.

Why So Good?

Nutrition Facts

One guava will typically yield you around 110 calories. Of those calories you will find about 24g of carbs consisting of 9g of fiber and 15g of sugar. The fiber in the fruit will balance out the sugar keeping your blood insulin from spiking. This is another example of why the sugar in fruit is much different in sugar in fruit juice or high sugar treats. You will also find only 2g of fat, 4g of protein in the fruit and 209% daily recommended vitamin C. It is host to a low glycemic load and has pretty good anti-inflammatory benefits. All this makes guava a well balanced food to eat as an early day snack.

Antioxidant Power

Guava has consistently ranked within the top 10 of fruits and vegetables tested for ORAC value. ORAC is a test given to fruits and vegetables to see how much antioxidant value a food has. Some of the key players in the antioxidant levels are potassium and lycopene. Potassium is known to help prevent muscle cramping but can also help aid in digestion, regulate blood pressure and keep your skin healthy.

Lycopene is known to be most beneficial to males by keeping the prostate healthy. What many don’t realize is that it is actually very good for women to consume lycopene to help prevent breast cancer. The main source of lycopene for American’s are tomatoes, but guavas actually host almost 20% more lycopene per serving. Lycopene helps repair cells that are damaged by free radicals. Free radicals are linked to just about any and all health issues but are most commonly known to be cancer causing.

How To Eat?

Although it is tough to actually digest all of the lycopene from tomatoes, guava’s lycopene is fully and readably available. Tomatoes have tough cell walls which actually make it hard for our bodies to break down without cooking or processing. On the other hand guava’s do not, making it easy to get all the antioxidant benefits from lycopene simply by biting into a raw one.

I suggest eating the guava raw or mixing them in with a smoothie. Do not juice a guava because much of the 9g of fiber can be taken out of the fruit by doing so. Other than that get creative and mix them in a salad or a fruit cocktail.

One of my favorite nutrition sites is Nutritional Data. There you can see a detailed breakdown of the nutritional information including glycemic load and anti-inflammatory benefit. Here is the information for the Guava Nutritional Data.

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Article By: John Fontana

Besides chocolate, strawberries are perhaps the one food most commonly associated with sex. Pop culture has done a great job of placing strawberries in the hands of beautiful and seductive women for years, making it just about the sexiest food there is. Personally, strawberries have always been my favorite fruit, and that’s even before I could register their correlation with sex. There is something about a ripe, perfectly red strawberry that is extremely appetizing.

But the appeal of strawberries shouldn’t just be about aesthetics. They boast a very real heath appeal as well. Most people know strawberries are healthy, but the amount of health benefits is not widely recognized. For example, did you realize they had Omega-3 fatty acids in them? Didn’t think so. Keep reading and get ready to be awed.

Why So Healthy?

Fight Cancer

So you’re aware that strawberries are filled with antioxidants, but do you know how powerful those antioxidants are? Strawberry extracts have been shown to fight against both cervical and breast cancer. Studies have also shown that strawberries reduce the likelihood of tumors forming.

Prevent Arthritis

Phenols are a type of phytonutrient found in strawberries that help promote this amazing antioxidant activity. These phenols help fight the free radicals in our bodies that can sometimes develop into illness or disease. Cyclooxygenase (COX) is an enzyme found in the body that has been linked to arthritis and other types of inflammation. The phenols in strawberries can block COX and work as a pain reliever.

Get Your Vitamins

Vitamin C is also found in abundance in Strawberries (130+ % of daily value), in addition to manganese and potassium. One cup only yields 43 calories and contains valuable fiber and fatty acids.

Perhaps all the imagery of gorgeous women eating strawberries isn’t just about selling sex. Maybe the media’s actually known about strawberries’ major health impacts all along. If their taste alone wasn’t enough reason for you to start consistently eating them, their health benefits should.

How To Eat?

Go Organic

After all the positives, there is only one major drawback to strawberries. They have been recognized as one of the most contaminated fruits when it comes to pesticides and other chemicals. Conventional store-bought strawberries are loaded with sprays that make them look big and perfectly red. Unfortunately those sprays also make them full of chemicals that you should definitely avoid.

Since conventional strawberries are loaded with sprays, I highly recommend buying organic. Once you make the switch to organic, I guarantee you will taste the difference in flavor – you’ll actually start to notice the taste of chemicals in the conventional brand. It may be about a dollar more expensive to buy the organic type and they may not look quite as appetizing, but the decision will make a big difference. Buy from a local farm at a farmers market or pick them up at a health food store.
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I encourage any questions or comments, please:

Leave a response at the bottom of the article,

E-mail me personally at jfontana@shadowfit.com

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By now, most people are somewhat familiar with the negative impact mass production has had on the beef industry.  Though beef was once seen almost universally as a great source of protein and nutrients, increased demand from ubiquitous fast-food chains like McDonald’s transformed the way beef was raised, and in so doing, transformed beef into an unhealthy food to avoid.  For those who read the articles about Grass Fed beef vs. Grain Fed, you’ll recall how transitioning cows from a grass diet to a seemingly more efficient grain diet was greatly responsible for this unfortunate transformation.

You may not realize that similar mass-producing strategies are being employed with salmon.  The mass production of salmon is putting it at risk to go from an amazingly healthy food to one that should be avoided.  The difference between the types of salmon need to be noted as you may think they are similar products but in fact are getting can be completely different.

Wild caught salmon is a nutrient-rich fish that has long been known for its health benefits.  But those very health benefits and the increased popularity of Omega-3 fatty acids have put a strain on supply, leading to the increased use of “salmon farms.”  If you’ve ever looked for salmon in a grocery store, you’ve most likely come across the words “farmed” or “farm-raised.”  These terms refer to fish raised in small bodies of water called “net pens,” which the food industry relies on to meet demand.  Thousands of salmon are raised in these oversized fish tanks, with very little room to move around.  Though naturally carnivorous, inside net pens salmon are fed grains. The high volume of fish and closed quarters yield an exponential amount of waste, which causes a lot of diseases for the fish.  To counteract the illnesses, the fish are fed antibiotics, which get caught up in their bloodstream and stay with them all the way to the store shelf and eventually onto your plate.   As a result, farmed salmon should be avoided whenever possible, though wild-caught salmon should be a regular part of your diet.

Why So Good?
Wild salmon is naturally loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, which provide amazing health benefits.  Omega-3’s have been found to increase brain function, aid in heart health and work as a major anti-inflammatory.  What’s more, just 3 ounces of salmon yield about 18g of protein, which is right on par with beef.  But due to several unnatural and unsanitary farming practices, farm-raised salmon lacks the nutritional punch of its wild-caught brethren.  For example, the grain-fed salmon raised in net pens lack astaxantin, a carotenoid that wild salmon get from the krill and shrimp they eat.  Responsible for salmon’s pink hue, astaxantin also holds some amazing antioxidant properties, even more so than beta-carotene, a well-known antioxidant.  Wild-caught salmon also contain high levels of potassium, niacin, vitamin B12 and selenium.  Not only do farm-raised salmon miss out on many of these great health benefits, they also boast some harmful side effects.  In addition to all of the toxins you get from the antibiotics and grains, farm-raised salmon are also high in Omega-6’s, an inflammation-causing fat.

Clearly the difference between wild-caught and farm-raised salmon is significant, and while wild-caught may be a bit harder to find, it’s well worth the hunt.

How To Eat?

Salmon can be cooked many different ways and depending on your preference it can have many different tastes as well.  If you are a sushi lover, find a sushi-grade salmon and eat it raw or smoked.  You can also bake, grill or sauté salmon, using any number of seasoning rubs or marinades. Salmon goes well on a bed of rice and beans or as part of a salad for a power lunch.  This Web site has a ton of different recipes that can be used to make your salmon the way you like it http://www.thesalmons.org/lynn/salmon-recipes.html.  If you’re not a big fan of the taste of salmon, just remember how healthy and great for you it actually is.

Many times when we hear about “powerfoods”, the experts are talking about fruits, vegetables or other food varieties.  A lot of the time these are either expensive, really hard to find or not that great tasting.  Many people have a very hard time with their diet and everyone is telling them to “eat more protein”, “stop eating carbs”, “cut out sugar” or “watch out for fats”.  It is nearly impossible to be able to just pick one “diet” or rule to live by and expect it to work for everyone.  However, there are some amazing spices and seasonings that can be used everyday and do some great things for your body.  With no further ado here you are:

Ground Cinnamon: NOT CINNAMON SUGAR.  Sure it tastes great on toast with some butter, but it can hardly fall in the category: super spice.  Cinnamon has been proven to regulate blood insulin, which is highly important if you are body composition (body fat) conscious. This will help the insulin work towards building lean muscle, which everyone wants.

How To Use: If you are someone who enjoys a post workout shake, sprinkle some cinnamon in there.  Otherwise use it with breakfast foods or with fruit such as apples, pears or bananas.

Sesame Seeds: These powerful little seeds found many times on breads (hamburger buns, bagels) actually have great health qualities.  Sesame seeds have plant compounds that go by the name of lignins.  Lignins have actually shown in some studies studies to burn fat.  They also help normalize blood pressure and improve vitamin E absorption.  Sesame seeds are packed with magnesium, fiber, iron and potassium.

How To Use: This one is easy; sprinkle them on salads, meat or vegetables.  The flavor is not too powerful at all and really can be used with anything.

Turmeric: This is the spice that makes Indian food yellow, and is a main player in curry.  Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory, has anti cancer properties and looks out for the liver. Seeing how many illnesses, diseases and pains come from inflammation, the more you can get the better.  This is likely the one seasoning you are not using, which you should start to.

How To Use: This taste good on just about everything, really it does.  Scrambled eggs go great with turmeric and many different dinner combinations.  Look up some curry recipes and load it up with turmeric.

Oregano: You have likely heard a lot about foods being antioxidants; well here is an antioxidant seasoning.  This one definitely has a lot of healing properties and is likely one you are using and do not realize how good it is for you.

How To Use: This one is obvious; dinner is spiced up with some oregano.  Use it with just about anything and it adds some great taste to your dish.

Garlic Powder: Hopefully by now many of you have heard that garlic is great for lowering cholesterol.  Seeing how it can be a pain to chop up some garlic for every meal, use the powder when you’re feeling lazy.   Not only will it help lower cholesterol, but also it has been shown to be full of antioxidants, and help prevent infections.

How To Use: Anything that you would throw garlic on, throw garlic powder on.  Although nothing beats the real deal of raw garlic, powder is great when you are in a rush and don’t have time to chop up a clove.