Berries Prevent Sun-Induced Wrinkles

We know you.

You love the golden look of a natural tan, but hate the fact that it makes your skin wrinkle. It’s scary how you can see the aging immediately after spending an extended period in the sun, unprotected.

We posted earlier on about how tocotrienols (i.e. raw coconut oil) can help to prevent sun damage when ingested or applied topically at night.

Now, new research coming from Koren and American researchers found that myricetin, a major flavonoid found in berries, grapes, tea, red wine, fruits, vegetables, and walnuts, inhibited UVB-induced wrinkle formation in the skin of mice.

What’s really interesting is that myricetin was shown to interfere with the chemical reaction that takes place when UVB interacts with skin to form wrinkles. The flavonoid literally nips skin aging in the bud:

There’s also evidence that myricetin is one of the flavonoids which helps to fight cancer cells.

These foods all have a high source of myricetin:

• onion leaves
• papayas
• guavas
• raspberries
• cranberries
• black currants
• crowberries
• blueberries
• bilberries
• fresh fava beans

Ingrid’s got a great recipe for a berry tartlet here. Enjoy!

By the way – our Hot Yoga Retreat in April is filling up quickly. Grab one of the last spots before prices go up April 1st!

Sources:

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf9811065

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11410016

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf00024a011

How Nutrition Affects IQ

Eating healthy won’t just help your waistline – it can give you an unfair competitive advantage at school, work, and life.

Margarine decreases IQ

The Department of Paediatrics from the University of Aukland found that children who eat margarine on a daily basis are associated with significantly lower IQ scores. (1)

Sugar decreases IQ

A remarkable study conducted by Dr Jane Goodman at the University of Connecticut found that test subjects who drank a single coke had a decline in mental performance just 30 minutes after consumption, and made twice as many mistakes on a test 1 hour later, compared to the control group.

It was deemed that the sugar in the coke is what was primarily responsible for this effect. (2)

Fresh fruits & vegetables increase IQ

An informal experiment done at the University of Oregon by a professor was set up to test the IQs of his students. Students took an IQ test, then  ate only raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds for 2 whole days following the test, and then took the IQ test again. Students on the raw diet scored an average of 40% higher on their IQ tests compared with their individual scores just 2 days earlier.  (3)

Try increasing your fresh produce intake and watch your mental performance take off.

Sources:

1. Dr. Russell Blaylock MD

2. Ibid

3. The Live Food Factor