Celery is a Superfood

Hurray, science is gradually catching up with what Natural Health Circus readers have known for a long time -- that the lowly celery is in actuality a superfood.

Researchers, you see, are learning in on-going studies that celery generates luteolin and diosmin, two important compounds that help fight degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's.

Luteolin and diosmin appear to block inflammation that causes brains to start shrinking and dying. In experiments on mice with Alzheimer's, luteolin and diosmin reduced the levels of amyloid beta, which forms the sticky deposits that build up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We know a healthy balanced diet can reduce dementia risk. This work reinforces the need to eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.”

Well, I don't know about you, but I eat celery every day of my life and usually consume four or five big stalks with some hummus as a mid-afternoon snack.

During the spring and summer, I like nothing better than to drink 16 or so ounces of freshly extracted celery juice after mowing the lawn.

I know of no better mineral replacement drink than fresh celery juice.

And, happily, unlike so many veggies these days, celery is still a pretty good buy.

If you don't have celery in your diet, today is a good time to change that, isn't it? :)

Chet "Celery Lover" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

5 Happiness Tips

The following tips on how to be happy are so simple-minded, you may be tempted to not try them.

That would be a major mistake because these techniques were scientifically documented and verified by a British "happiness team" that included psychologist Dr Richard Stevens, psychotherapist Brett Kahr, work place specialists Jessica Pryce-Jones and Philippa Chapman, social entrepreneur Andrew Mawson OBE and Richard Reeves, whose expertise spans philosophy, public policy and economics.

Here are five steps to happiness that the team identified:

1) Plant something and nurture it.

2) Count your blessings -- at least five -- at the end of each day.

3) Take time to talk and have an hour-long conversation with a loved one each week.

4) Phone a friend whom you have not spoken to for a while and arrange to meet up.

5) Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it.

I don't care how busy you are, you can find a couple minutes in your day to try these five happiness tips.

So do it, by golly!

And if you have a tip on how to be happy, please use the "Comments" link below to share it with readers of The Natural Health Circus. :)

Chet "Mr. Happy" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Cabbage for Health

Cabbage isn't exactly the most glamorous or romantic of vegetables, but it is one of the healthier, and you should be eating the stuff on a regular basis.

If you want a healthy crockpot recipe with cabbage, try this one...

Pritiken's Potato Stuffed Cabbage

1 head cabbage
5 lb potatoes -- peeled
2 onions
1/2 cup rice, raw
1 tsp dill, dried
1/4 tsp black pepper -- ground
2 egg whites
1 can tomatoes (28 oz)
1 apple -- peeled and sliced
1/4 tsp ginger, dried -- ground

Parboil cabbage and separate the leaves. Slice off part of the heavy stalk of each leaf by slicing parallel to the leaf (do not cut into the leaf).

Grate potatoes, small inner leaves of cabbage, and one of the onions. Mix together. Add rice, dill, and black pepper. Beat egg whites until frothy and add to potato mixture.

Set aside two or three of the largest leaves. Fill each remaining cabbage leaf with approximately 2 Tbs. of the potato mixture. Fold up bottom of leaf, then fold in the sides, and roll up. Secure with toothpick if necessary.

Slice the reserved leaves and line the bottom of crockpot with them. Slice second onion and layer on top of cabbage. Add tomatoes, apple, and ginger. Place rolled stuffed cabbages into pot.

Cook at low heat for 4 to 5 hours.

The Cabbage Soup Diet

One more quick suggestion that's cabbage related...

The 7-day Cabbage Soup Diet works -- in the short term, anyway.

And there's a purity to it, especially in summer when it's wonderfully refreshing served ice cold. Ingredient proportions can be varied according to your likes and dislikes.

If you're interested in the popular The Cabbage Soup fad diet, yes, we have it on our website. Just click here to read all about it.

Chet "Cabbage Eater" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog