Grapefruit Slushie Recipe

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There are so many health benefits to eating grapefruit. If you're  not having at least a few a week you are really cheating yourself and your diet out of some great benefits. Take a look:

WARNING: If you are on medication that lowers cholesterol ie: statins, check with your doctor before consuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Grapefruit does not mix well with certain statin medications and can have serious health implications if taken together.


1. Grapefruit is low in calories - One whole grapefruit is only about 80 calories
2. Grapefruit is low in sodium
3. High in Potassium
4. High in Vitamin C
5. Full of fat burning Enzymes
6. No fat

Now that is just a small list, there are some amazing studies that have named Grapefruit as one of the most healthiest fruits you can eat. But for now, here's a simple recipe for a Super healthy Grapefruit slushy, perfect for breakfast, as a snack, or an alternative to dessert. Important note, you'll need a powerful blender for best results. See a product review on Product Dudz about the new Ninja Master Prep Professional Blender. 

Grapefruit Slushie

Ingredients:
One large grapefruit
1/4 cup of sweetener, (I recommend using either Stevia in the raw or Truvia)
25 ice cubes
Serves:
This can serve up to four people depending on what size glass you use.

Instructions:
1. Halve one grapefruit and squeeze juice into blender. Make sure your blender is capable of crushing ice very well. If your blender isn't great at crushing ice, use ice that has already been crushed if you have it on hand.

2. Once you have juiced the grapefruit, peel and add any remaining pulp to the blender. I never throw away the pulp, its where the fiber is and why waste it. You'll also get any remaining juice from it too.

3. Pulse. At this stage I like to give the blender a few good pulses to get the juice and remaining pulp pieces well blended.

4. Add in 1/4 of Stevia in the Raw,  or Truvia. Pulse a few more times to get it mixed in well.

5. Add in 25 (yes I counted them) 25 ice cubes and begin pulsing until ice has been completely crushed to snow like consistency. The slushy should look pink at this point and be somewhat thick.

6. Serve.  Pour or scoop into glasses and serve with a straw. You can add a little sprig of mint for garnish.

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Healthy Homemade Lemonade

Fresh squeezed Lemonade  photo by Dawn Gagnon

If you are frustrated with the limited drinking options out there for dieters, or if you just want healthy alternatives to sugar laden juices, and sodas, homemade Lemonade is the ticket. Why? Well in recent years a lot of publications have come out about the health benefits of Lemon water. Try this beverage hot as well for optimal benefits but do not heat it up in the microwave as this changes the chemical properties of the Lemon and it's benefits.

Here are a list of the reported benefits:


Aids in digestion-
When mixed with hot water. Ailments such as heartburn, intestinal parasites,nausea, bloating, and belching can all be relieved with regular consumption of lemon water.

Blood purifiying-
Lemon juice acts as a purifier and internal cleansing agent for the whole body. Including assisting your liver in the production of more bile. It is also reported to help in the prevention of both gall stones and kidney stones.
Tooth ache- Rubbing lemon juice on the tooth helps rid the tooth of the pain. Using lemon juice on the gums helps with gum bleeding as well.

Great for weight loss-
Lemon juice is high in Vitamin C, Vitamin C is an important factor in assisting the body in regulating insulin levels.  It has been suggested that  people who consume enough Vitamin C are able to oxidize up to 30 percent more fat during moderate work outs. For best results drink Lemon juice with warm to hot water. It is a mild diuretic that helps detoxify the body. You can also add lemon juice to a cup of good quality green tea for even more added health benefits.

How to make homemade sugar free Lemonade:
Use one lemon per 12 ounce glass, cut in half and squeeze both sides into your glass add your choice of sweetener, ice and water and stir. Enjoy~
Truvia is also a good sweetener to try for individual glasses. I like Stevia in lemonade because the lemon juice overcomes the slightly bitter aftertaste of Stevia. :) Try any natural sweetener you like.

***One word of caution, check with your doctor if you take certain types of high blood pressure medicines to make sure it is ok to have citrus juice.  Just to be on the safe side. :)

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Worst 6 sugared beverages

Image via Wikipedia

We all love sweets and for many of us a dose of sugar now and then won't really pose any real health risk. However, for those that are borderline diabetic, have a history of diabetes in the family or just trying to lose weight this list is some of the worst for sugar content on the market. Are they currently in your refrigerator? At any rate this is just a small sampling of some of the worst sugared beverages out there. There are many that can make this list but hopefully you will be checking the labels more often after reading this list.

1. Hawaiian Punch-
   Hawaiian Punch is one of the worst sugared beverages out on the market today, with their worst choice, Bodacious Berry coming in at a staggering 29 grams of sugar per 8 ounce serving. If you must have Hawaiian Punch, a better healthier choice would be their Fruit Juicy Red Light which has only 2 grams of sugar and 10 calories per serving. Keep in mind, their 10 ounce bottles actually have more than one serving, and will be even higher in sugar. If you have diabetes, this beverage is a definite no-no.
   
   
2. Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice-
   If you thought Hawaiian Punch was bad, and somehow believed Cranberry juice was better, check again, Ocean Spray Cranberry juice packs a whopping 36 grams of sugar per 8 ounce serving. A better alternative would be Ocean Spray's Diet Cranberry juice which has only 5 calories and 2 grams of sugar per serving, and uses sucralose as a sweetener. See more on sucralose in item #4 of this article. Oh, and if you're only drinking this to get rid of a bladder infection, try cranberry pills instead, there are many on the market, they are sugar free, and taken with large amounts of water and they're very inexpensive to boot.
   
   
3. Tropicana Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice-
   Let's face it all of Tropicana's juices are over 25 grams of sugar per serving, however, the one that had the highest amount came in at 59 carbs per 15.2 ounce serving and that is Tropicana's Ruby Red Grapefruit juice. All is not lost however, and Tropicana like many beverage manufacturers has figured out to stay in competition means to produce healthier choices for the consumer. In walks Tropicana's Light and Healthy Orange Juice at 50 calories and with 13 carbs per 8 ounce serving. The key thing to remember with all these beverages however, is how many ounces constitute a serving, for instance, Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice may have 59 carbs per 15.2 ounces but if you drink half of that amount at roughly 8 ounces, the carb count of course is around 30. If you have diabetes, a safe amount of sugar in beverages should not exceed 15 grams, ideally 12-15 grams per serving.
   
   
4. Sunkist Orange Soda- 
   You've probably heard this before and it's true. While visiting the Sunkist website, there was no place to find nutritional information on Sunkist sodas. In fact, there was a lot of information on everything but their soda. However with a little research and perseverance the nutritional facts were found and Sunkist Orange Soda has 34 grams of sugar per serving. A better alternative isn't far behind with their Sunkist Diet Orange soda which tastes similar and is a zero calorie, zero grams of sugar beverage. Keep in mind though in recent years the medical community at large is discouraging the use of sweeteners like Aspartame as research is now suggesting it is not as beneficial to those with type 2 diabetes. Splenda and other non natural sweeteners are not healthy alternatives. However products that are all natural such as Stevia etc. which are natural and come from plants are gaining in popularity and are encouraged as a healthy beverage sweetener. One product on the market currently is called Zevia, and is sweetened with Stevia. The website for this soda is located at the bottom of this article.
   
   
5. Welch's Grape Juice-
   A staggering 36 grams of sugar per serving is what you find if you think this is a healthy alternative to other beverages on the market. It's also a 150 calories per serving and is made from concentrates. Their soda, has 51 grams of sugar per 12 ounce can. Stay clear of it if sugar intake is a concern.
   
   
6. Starbucks Double Chocolate Chip Frappucino Blended Creme- 
   Well the name should say it all but if you want a blast of liquid diabetes this beverage may just do it. Coming in at a whopping 590 calories, 24 grams of fat, and 67 grams of sugar, not to mention super high in sodium, there's just nothing healthy about this beverage.

One suggestion that may make sense for a family that loves fruit and juice is to invest in a good quality juicer. The beauty of these machines is that they can do so much and improve health for the whole family. You can sneak in veggies that can't be tasted, with fresh fruits and have a great drink that is far healthier. Let's face it commercially prepared juices and beverages are formulated to appeal to your taste buds, not your health.
For information on Natural low calorie sweeteners see: Truvia vs. Stevia

If your local grocer does not carry Zevia soda, here's details on how to have it stocked:

Request Zevia

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