Learning From Bugs...

…as in Bugs Bunny!

The famous Looney Tunes character ‘Bugs Bunny’ was created in 1940 and this is 2013 and he’s still got ‘it’ – the ability to keep us all entertained! Wouldn’t it be neat to be so advanced in age and have all your faculties, energy and ‘jour de vivre’ (aka joy of living)? Well, I think I have an idea…

CARROTS!

Yes, you heard me right….carrots!!!

Taking this thought further, I was stunned when I read that Steve Jobs was a great fan of carrots too. It is said that he “would fast for extended periods of time, recognizing that it created a sense of euphoria within him that motivated his dazzling output of ideas. He also loved carrots, eating so many during one period that his skin turned a soft orange color”. I read this on Robin Sharma’s blog post yesterday (I seriously recommend Robin Sharma to anyone who wants to take their level of achievement to the next level).

Anyway, a friend of mine recently got me back to enjoying homemade smoothies – both fruit and veggie. And in experimenting with my smoothie maker/juicer at home I found that carrots make a good base/foundation for an excellent smoothie (keep reading and I will share my super detox smoothie recipe with you). Then I started reading up the benefits of the contents of my smoothies and how to get the best nutritional benefit from these and would like to share what I have learnt [specifically about carrots – for now].

In the mythical nation of heroes, carrots are top of the ‘hero-chain’ and really worth their weight in Vitamin A! So while here I am talking about the benefits of vitamin A, I am really singing the praises of carrots – I find that incorporating carrots to your diet is much easier and cheaper than buying vitamin A tablets (don’t know about you, but I always forget to take my supplements each and every day…).

So here we go….benefits of carrots (or vitamin A) to YOU & meJ:

ü  Improved vision: I’ll write this as I read it: Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which are converted to vitamin A in the liver. When this vitamin A gets to the eyes it is converted (in the retina) to rhodopsin – which is key for good night vision. Eye doctors also believe that beta-carotene help in the treatment of senile cataracts (I guess this is a particularly good thing to note for the elderly…)

ü  Cancer prevention: Studies have shown that carrots help (the key word is ‘help’) prevent lung, breast and colon cancer.

 

ü  Anti-aging: This is my best: Beta-carotene helps slow down the aging process – because it’s an amazing antioxidant.

ü  Healthy glowing skin (from the inside): Vitamin A’s antioxidant properties helps protect our skin from sun damage. This follows because we were taught in school that a deficiency in vitamin A could cause dry nails, hair and skin. I also found out that vitamin A helps prevent premature wrinkles, acne, dry ashy skin, pigmentation, blemishes and uneven skin tone. This is good EXCELLENT news to those of us thirty-something’s!

ü  Antiseptic (helps prevent infection): Western herbalists recommend carrots (used on cuts shredded raw or boiled and mashed) to prevent infections. 

 

ü  Beautiful skin (from the outside): A carrot mask will rejuvenate your skin in a few minutes. Just grate a carrot, add some honey and some extra virgin olive oil; use as any normal face mask. Leave on for 15minutes, and then wash off with warm water. I hear that this mask actually can help tone and clarify your skin.

I would appreciate it if you try this mask and give us feedback on your experience.

ü  Prevents heart disease: Apparently, carrots have not only beta-carotene but alpha-carotene and lutein which –if I got this right helps lower the risk of heart disease. Furthermore, personal experience and feedback from my doctor has taught me that when you are obese, you are highly susceptible to heart disease. So in addition to all of the things we do to lose weight, I think it would not hurt to add carrots to our daily diet.

Another plus is the fact that the fibers in carrots bind with bile acids which helps lower cholesterol levels.

ü  Cleanses body: Your liver works to flush out toxins from your body, and carrots in your diet help your liver in doing this – thereby cleansing your body. In addition, it helps reduce the fat and bile that could accumulate in your liver. You need a healthy liver to function properly – so get crunching.

ü  Healthy teeth & gums: Ever wondered why rabbits seem to have really white teeth? It’s all in the crunch of the carrots they eat. We humans can get the benefits of healthier teeth and gums from crunching on carrots regularly. The crunching motion scrapes off plaque on your teeth and triggers the production of a lot of saliva which is basically alkaline and balances cavity forming bacteria in your mouth.

 ü  Prevent stroke: A study from Harvard University suggests that people who eat more than 6 carrots a week are less likely to suffer a stroke than other people who eat one carrot a month or less. Don’t ask me how they came about their findings – I take it as fact, after all its Harvard!

So finally, with all of these benefits, what’s not to love, right? As we all try to lose weight, we often neglect our health, and end up looking washed out, unhealthy and saggy. What’s the use of shedding those extra kilos if you will end up looking 10 years older? That’s my thinking, and I will do all I can to add carrots to my daily routine…

Now as I promised, my super detox smoothie.

Liz’s Super Detox Smoothie (makes one cup)

Ingredients:

• 3 Carrots
• 1 stalk Celery
• 1 handful Parsley
• 1 medium Cucumber
• ½ cup of water
• 4 ice cubes (to chill)

Method:

• Stuff everything into your juicer/blender/smoothie maker with ½ a cup of water, and pulse until it’s all ‘smoothiefied’ (you know what I mean).
• Distill into your favorite smoothie glass
• Drink it all up...

Note:

• Please drink as soon as you make it, because after a while the sediments float to the top of your glass…I personally do not like this.
• I generally stay close to home when I take this – I don’t call it ‘super detox’ for nothing. But then, I have a sensitive system. This is just another drink to one of my fab sisters… (wink)

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