Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. The faster you burn calories the more weight you can lose even if you eat the same amount, so it makes sense to do everything you can to boost your metabolic rate if you’re trying to lose a few pounds.

You use about 60% of the calories you need each day just by being alive. That’s your basal (or resting) metabolism. About 30% of the calories are accounted for by how much you move (your activity metabolism). The remaining 10% are used up by the process of digesting food (your thermic metabolism).

By making some simple changes you can fire up all three types of metabolism and become leaner faster.

1. Eat little and often

Small and regular meals throughout the day will keep your metabolism high. If you eat the same amount of food in just one or two large meals as you do in five or six mini-meals and snacks you will burn fewer calories. This is because your metabolism slows down between meals. Never skip meals to save calories. Having a low-calorie snack will work much better and will also stop you falling ravenously on the nearest chocolate bar later in the day.

2. Eat breakfast

Your metabolism slows down overnight. When you have been through a period of more than eight hours without eating you need food to get your metabolism going again. So have breakfast as soon as you can after you wake up. If you’re not a breakfast person take something healthy with you when you leave the house and have it is soon as you can face it. It’s not great for your weight loss plans to have to boost your metabolism with a mid morning cookie or cake.

3. Eat enough

If you eat too few calories, your metabolic rate will automatically drop. This is a self preservation mechanism, which kicks in when your body thinks you are starving. The safest bet is to eat about 250 calories less than you need at the sedentary level and to take 250 – 500 calories of exercise each day to give a steady weight loss of between one and two pounds a week.

4. Eat Lean Protein

It takes more energy for the body to digest protein than carbohydrate or fat. Studies have shown that people who eat a high-protein diet burn more than twice as many calories in the hours following their meal as those eating a high carbohydrate diet. While the safety of high-protein diets can be disputed, it does make sense to include some lean protein as part of each meal.

5. Eat Fibre

Food with lots of fibre also gives your thermic metabolism a boost. High-fibre foods like beans, fruit, vegetables and whole grains simply take longer to digest and therefore help burn more calories.

6. Spice up your food

Spicy foods (especially chilli) raise the metabolism by as much as twenty-five per cent for a few hours after eating. So eat hot and spicy food a bit more regularly and see if this helps you. Just go easy on the refried beans and guacamole if you decide to go Mexican!

7. Drink Coffee

Caffeine speeds up your heart rate and the faster your heart rate the more calories you burn. Not great if you have heart problems or difficulty getting to sleep however!

8. Drink Green Tea

The phytochemicals in green tea are supposed to raise metabolism slightly by causing your brain and nervous system to run more quickly. Although not many sizable and conclusive studies have been done on this to date, drinking green tea rather than milky coffee or other calorie-laden beverages will definitely help you lose weight!

9. Get active

Aerobic exercise for more than thirty minutes not only burns calories but also keeps your metabolism high for several hours afterwards. The best time for exercise is in the morning as it will help kick start your metabolism for the day. If you can do 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise almost every day your metabolism will soar. Interval training would help even more.

10. Walk it off

If you prefer to take light exercise, try going for a walk after lunch or dinner. This boosts the rise in metabolism you get after eating. No strenuous exercising on a full stomach though.

11. Build those muscles

Muscles burn calories even when you’re resting. For every pound of muscle you add, you burn about 50 extra calories a day without taking any more exercise. So it’s a great idea to include some resistance or weight training in your exercise regime. Twenty minutes three times a week is enough to make a big difference in your metabolic rate as well as the shape of your body.

12. Go hot or cold

Any extremes of temperature you experience will help raise your metabolism by up to 20 percent as the body attempts to cool you down or raise your temperature. Make sure it’s safe for you to go in the sauna or on the arctic expedition though before you try this one. You could have a go at keeping your home a few degrees cooler than is comfortable for sitting around in winter and restrict the air conditioning to the very hottest days in summer. In the winter it will help you get up and get moving and in summer encourage you to go to the pool to cool off!

13. Drink Iced Water

Another trick is to drink a glass of iced water a few times a day. You’ll raise your metabolism just by having to bring the water up to body temperature. Drinking water is required anyway, of course, to keep your bodily functions working smoothly (including your metabolism).

14. Watch the alcohol

On top of the empty calories that alcohol contains, it also has a dehydrating effect, which slows down your thermic metabolism. Alcohol tends to inhibit the process of metabolizing fat too, which can lower your basal metabolism. And there’s not much chance of you wanting to exercise after all that booze so it’ll have an effect on your activity metabolism too. Bad news all round!

15. Take up yoga

The chemical processes which comprise your metabolism are regulated by the endocrine system, especially the thyroid. Yoga has many postures which have a powerful twisting and compressing effect on the endocrine organs, strengthening and stimulating them and this can help to regulate and boost your metabolism.

If you boost your metabolism with these tips, you’ll be improving your general health as well as your capacity to burn calories. You’ll not only find that you lose weight more quickly but also that you will have more energy, greater strength and you’ll be able to get through everything you have to do in a day more easily.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

If you believe you are suffering from water retention (also known as fluid retention, or sometimes oedema or edema), you probably have a swollen tummy, or puffy hands, feet or face. Water retention causes swellings in any part of the body. The excess water leaks out of your tiniest blood vessels and gathers in the spaces between these and the cells which make up the tissues of your body (muscle, brain, skin tissue and so on). These spaces can store excess water, and as they do so, they expand, which causes the swelling.

Some of the causes of water retention are quite simple, such as eating too much salty food or not drinking enough water. Salt contains a chemical called sodium, which slows down your excretion of water. Not drinking enough water makes you dehydrated, which teaches your body to hold on to water. Drinking too much tea, coffee and alcohol dehydrates you too, by speeding up your excretion of water.

Heart And Kidneys

If your water retention is more severe, and is making your feet, legs or ankles very swollen, you should consult a doctor to check that your heart and kidneys are OK. Another cause of severe fluid retention–in this case in the tummy–is alcoholism. Liver damage caused by alcohol abuse can cause so much fluid to collect in your tummy that you can actually feel it swishing around.

If your doctor gives these organs the all-clear, you can be very thankful. It means your fluid retention probably has causes that are much easier to deal with.

Histamine Is One Of The Causes Of Water Retention

Histamine is a chemical that your body produces when it is inflamed. Have you heard of taking medicines called ‘anti-histamines’ for hay fever? Hay fever is a type of inflammation which occurs when someone who is sensitive to pollen inhales it. The eyes and nose stream as the body releases water from its tiny blood vessels in an attempt to wash away the pollen. But in the case of water retention the water is not released from the body through the eyes and nose. Instead it collects in the tissues.

Inflammation usually stops when the body is no longer exposed to the offending substance(s). But if the offending substances continue to affect the body, inflammation and swelling can become permanent. One of the causes of long-term water retention is eating foods that cause inflammation. I’m not talking here about severe food allergies like peanuts or shellfish. I’m talking about a milder form caused by not properly digesting some foods. If your intestines are a little bit inflamed, tiny particles of partially-undigested food can escape into your blood and cause your body to produce histamine just about anywhere. This situation can start suddenly and go on for a long time. The longer it goes on, the worse your water retention tends to get. People who have followed the waterfall diet (a diet which treats most causes of water retention) for about a week have lost ten pounds or more of retained water in just a few days,

Fighting Other Causes Of Water Retention

Many people suffer from water retention caused by nutritional deficiencies. Quite simply, if you eat and drink too much sugary food or deep-fried food, and not enough fresh fruit and vegetables, you will not get enough of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to produce the hormones that help to prevent water retention.

If you want to get rid of this problem, the first thing to do is eat dark blue and purple fruits as well as green vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli or dark green lettuce every day. Cut deep-fried foods, burgers, red meat and greasy sauces like mayonnaise down to no more than twice a week. Cut sweets, candy, sodas and chocolate down to once a week. And don’t forget to cut salt and salty food to a minimum and drink two litres of water every day.

These are just the basics of healthy eating. If you are eating a poor diet at the moment, then this advice will help reduce your problem a lot within just a couple of months.

If you don’t start to lose your water retention by following this advice, you may need to test yourself to find out if any particular foods are creating a lot of histamine inside your body. The waterfall diet book (see below) includes a test procedure and has helped a lot of people.

Did you know that belly fat not only alters your physique, but it also poses a threat to your health? You should know that there is more to be learned about belly fat and it is far more dangerous than just affecting your self-esteem. If left unattended the bulge can be fatal. So let’s take a closer look at how fats detrimentally affect your health.

It is a fact that as we reach our thirties, our metabolism slows down. This is the reason why it is harder at this time to get rid of the fats or to tone down.

The Anatomy of Fat

Fats are not all that bad. They are in the body for the purpose of insulation. The fats that you accumulate during the summer season are there to keep you warm when winter comes and food is not that abundant.

This type of adipose tissues is what you call subcutaneous fats. They are those that are found underneath the skin and above the abdominal muscles. But there is also another kind of fat, and it is the one that grows around your internal organs. These are what you call visceral fats. This is the more dangerous kind and can lead to a myriad of diseases. We can say that fats in general are dangerous, but even more so when they build up in your belly.

How Do Belly Fats Come to Be?

One of the common causes of belly fat is an uncontrolled diet. When you just eat without inhibition and you pair that with a sedentary lifestyle, this just increases your chances of forming a belly bulge.

Stress is also a factor in increasing belly size. When you are exposed to chronic stress, your body releases the hormone cortisol which retains fat and gather them up in the midsection.

The same thing happens when women reach menopause. When the amount of estrogen decreases, the fat distribution in the body is altered and mainly focuses on the belly portion.

Disadvantages of Belly Fat

As we have mentioned earlier, visceral fats are found hugging your internal organs. Since fats are also able to penetrate these organs, they are then absorbed into the bloodstream. In addition to that belly fat also brings with it harmful toxins or inflammatory substances that are continuously released.

Over time you start to develop hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, sleep problems, cancer, stroke and a list of other degenerative diseases. This is evidenced by increased levels of C-reactive proteins, which is the precursor to the various health issues mentioned.

To make it more understood; let’s take diabetes as an example. These nasty belly fats can release free fatty acids which affects your body’s ability to release insulin. With that effect you eventually develop diabetes due to the inability of the body to control the sugar.

The reason also why some individuals are more at risk for developing more visceral fats than others is that they maintain a diet that is high in carbohydrates. This means that there is just too much starch and sugars in what they are eating.

Because of its close proximity with other vital organs, belly fat can really create a serious threat and can easily also damage its neighboring organs.

How to Lose Belly Fat?

Since belly fat gives rise to the most common health problems you can protect yourself from the problem through proper diet with the right portions and regular exercise. Relieve yourself from anything that is causing you chronic stress and learn to adapt a positive and healthier lifestyle.

For women it should be that their waistlines should not measure 35 inches or more, and 40 inches or more for men. If so, this would be a cause for concern and would easily attract the various diseases we’ve mentioned earlier.

The dangers of belly fat is not only limited to concerns about one’s self-esteem, but more importantly it greatly affects physical health. So if you want to improve your condition make a conscious effort to make a lifestyle change. Through that you improve your looks and save your life!

Here are two flat stomach rules to get the flat belly you deserve, both of which are natural and don’t require any pills or other dangerous or expensive solutions. These techniques have been used by Asian Women for years, and I can verify just how well they work from my own experience!

Flat Stomach Rules – Get A Flat Belly

1. Raw food is one of the best ways to reduce stomach fat quickly, it’s one of the key reasons why Asian Women tend to have slim waists without killing themselves working out.

Some of the best raw foods I’ve found that have a strong effect in reducing stomach fat are centered around high-fiber low-calorie fruits and vegetables:

– Avocado

– Cabbage

– Carrots

– Cauliflower

– Pear

– Tomato

– Watercress

In my experience each of these foods tends to attack fatty deposits around the stomach, and fairly quickly. Add them to your diet in any way possible, as long as they are RAW. That’s the secret that Asian Women enforce as a rule, whichever food on the list you’re eating must be raw.

It works because the body has to work harder to break down and digest raw food, and in doing so it works dozens of muscles around the stomach…without you doing a single sit-up. This process also burns calories through the increased effort, which results in a more efficient fat-burning diet!

The benefit of raw foods, specifically the raw foods on this list, can go a tremendous way towards getting the body back that you deserve. Try it!

2. I’ve used a nice drink recipe anytime I want to get a flat belly that I learned about years ago from my Chinese Grandmother (and she probably learned it from HER Grandmother! haha):

Put about eight cups of water into a container along with:

– 1 x teaspoon, grated ginger

– 1 x cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly

– 1 x lemon, thinly sliced

– 10 x small spearmint leaves

Combine all the ingredients and let it stand in fridge overnight. Drink it all over the course of the next day.

It’s surprising I know, but Asian Women are skinny for a lot of reasons and this is one of them. Do it and see if it works for you.

With the popularity of raspberry ketone, it is hard to not be curious of the weight loss supplement. After all, it was touted by a popular celebrity doctor as the number one miracle in a bottle. Basically, it is a compound extracted from red raspberries, and before it got famous as a weight loss aid, it has been used as a cosmetic ingredient. The thing about it is that it is extracted at low amounts. So, if you are thinking of just eating red raspberries to help you lose weight, then you will have to eat around ninety pounds of red raspberries every day.

But what it is the real deal with raspberry ketone? Here are the pros and cons of the weight loss supplement:

Pros

The supplement is natural, so it ensures a healthy weight loss. What it does is that it increases the levels of hormone called adiponectin in the body. The hormone speeds up metabolism, making it a natural fat blocker. Another benefit of the supplement is that it suppresses your appetite by increasing your leptin sensitivity. Leptin is a hormone that signals your brain that you have sufficient sugar in your fat cells – in short, it is what keeps you from getting hungry.

The ability of the supplement to block the formation of fat and suppress appetite is the main reason why the supplement works as an efficient weight loss aid. The celebrated physician may have used hyperbole in describing it, but it does work.

Cons

On the other hand, there are certain issues that may arise when you take raspberry ketone. Well, it is not really about the supplement having side effects, but it is more of your attitude towards taking the supplement. The supplement does help you lose weight even when you are just sitting down, and this is one of its attractions. However, this can get you to set unrealistic expectations. This can get you into thinking that the supplement will do everything for you and all you need is sit around, dreaming about being able to wear your skinny jeans again.

What you should remember is that weight loss supplements are there to “supplement”. This means they are there to complete a whole. You should do your part as well. Yes, you may be a very busy person, and you do not have the time to do routine exercise, but at least get every chance you can to walk or climb the stairs. These things may seem trivial, but they do a lot of difference.

To sum up, raspberry ketone has all the important properties of an efficient weight loss supplement. And, given your right attitude while taking it, it can indeed yield the results you expect or even more than you expect.

Despite its lovely name, not one of us wants to keep those bulging, irritating, and sometimes, disgusting fats around our torso called Love Handles. No matter how much they assign fancy names to make it sound nice, we still do not want to keep it because of two things: it is deviating from what is beautiful and it is unhealthy. Men, women, and even children hate them so there should not be any reason why you should miss out reading this article that will talk about Colon Cleanse for losing Love Handles. We will tell you more on how to remove these for a better you!

Before we give you the secret, do you know what Love Handle is? This is the layer of subcutaneous fat in the lower abdomen and stomach area, which most people dislike. They are also referred to as Muffin Tops or Dunlap’s Disease during the late 1960s. The main reason why people tend to have them is because of poor diet and a sedentary life with minimal or no exercise at all. As soon as they discovered this certain fat in the stomach, many diet programs sprouted like grass, promising to help get rid of them. One of the most effective and popular choices is the Colon Cleanse for losing Love Handles.

In any weight loss program that you will try, cleansing the large intestines is a vital step for it to be successful. This is because you can never expect to lose any fat without cleaning your body system first, to get rid of toxins and parasites inhabiting it. Due to the presence of these toxins, the body is unable to digest food properly, so they end up as fat in the body. This is what the Colon Cleanse for losing Love Handles is for. It cleans the intestinal tract, eliminate toxins and other harmful bacteria, improve digestion and metabolism so the body can burn fats more effectively.

I had always heard about S.M.A.R.T. goals but I wasn’t sure what that actually meant. I struggled with setting goals and then actually accomplishing them. I would set several New Year’s resolutions each December, but I can promise you by January 31st, I couldn’t remember what they were.

I started working at various companies and had to actually set S.M.A.R.T goals in order to get a decent raise. I had to find things that would stimulate my growth in my current position, while helping the company prosper. I managed to do it, but I disliked it and always relied on someone else to tell me what my goals should be. I faked it pretty well and got my raises.

Now, I have my own business and I set S.M.A.R.T goals for myself; ones that I create and ones that I don’t want to fake my way through. If you’re like me and need help knowing what S.M.A.R.T goals are, here’s a breakdown:

SPECIFIC: You must bring clarity to what you what to accomplish by being as specific as possible:

Wrong Example: I will save more money this year

Right Example: I will save $5,000 by December 31st

MEASURABLE: This is where you can truly measure whether or not you hit a goal.

Wrong Example: I will lose weight

Right Example: I will weigh 125 lbs. by May 15th current weight: 130 lbs.

ACTION ORIENTED: Use action verbs when setting goals such as: reduce, save, earn, exercise, invest, enroll, run, etc.

Wrong Example: I will be more consistent with exercise

Right example: I will exercise five days a week

REALISTIC: If your goals are too big, you are setting yourself up for failure. I encourage you to set goals that stretch you and cause you to grow, but are also attainable.

Wrong Example: I will save $50,000 by May 31st (from my salary of $70,000 per year)

Right Example: I will save 10% of my current salary = $7,000 by May 31st

TIMELINE: Deadlines are motivating. Always establish a “due” date. It keeps you motivated to achieve the goal you’ve set. The most productive day of the year is the day before vacation. Why? There’s a deadline. The quickest way to clear your house is to invite company over. Why? There’s a deadline.

Wrong Example: I will write my book

Right Example: I will finish my manuscript by September 30th

It may take some time to set your S.M.A.R.T goals and start accomplishing them, but if you want your business to succeed, it is something you must learn to do!

Do you want to know how to lose weight and keep it off? The best way to start is to ask yourself where your focus lies! What do you focus on as you go about your day. Do you spend your time thinking about the things you want and desire or do you spend more time thinking about what you don’t want?

If there is any area of your life where you have a problem you probably, like most people, spend quite some time talking about what you don’t want or what you don’t like about the thing that is causing you pain.

If you are like most people you may say, “I don’t want to be fat,” or “I want to stop eating chocolate,” or “I want my wife/husband to stop being critical.” The majority of people spend their lives talking about those things they definitely don’t want and yet…

One of the most basic psychological rules in life is, ‘you always get more of what you focus on.’ In each one of the examples above, your mind has to focus on what you don’t want in order to make sense of what you said – the fat body you don’t want, the chocolate you want to stop eating and the critical partner who upsets you.

Because the subconscious part of your mind is both naive and primitive in it’s understanding it believes that the fat, the chocolate and the criticism is what you want. Talking about what you don’t want reinforces the image you have of yourself as a fat, out of control, chocoholic and seeing yourself in this way leaves you feeling helpless, hopeless and unmotivated.

In order to learn how to lose weight you must redirect your focus exclusively on to what you want which presumably will be slim and vibrant, in control, eating healthy foods and respected and loved by everyone.

Then you are sending a message to your subconscious mind to find and explore every possible opportunity to move towards your goal. By clarifying and vividly imagining exactly what it is you want for yourself, you are beginning the process of training your mind and body to give it to you.

Learning about and understanding the focus factor can literally change your life and your shape. The secret to knowing how to lose weight is to focus on a slim and vibrant you.

The HypnoSlimmer program is designed to help you to formulate your goals and to focus on them too. To find your local HypnoSlimmer consultant look on-line.

The size of your waistline is not just influenced by the amount of fat stored there. It is also influenced by the amount of wind and food stuck in your digestive system. Unfortunately, some of the foods you may be eating for your ‘health’ may be causing stomach bloating and abdominal distension. Another significant cause of poor digestive health is a lack of digestive enzymes and beneficial (probiotic) bacteria. Getting your digestive system cleared and functioning efficiently and avoiding those foods which cause your stomach to be filled with excess gas and air will eliminate one of the causes of an increased waistline. Here are some tips on how to eliminate stomach bloating and gas and flatten your belly.

1. Get Your Digestive System Functioning Effectively

Digestive bloating and gas are often caused by poor digestive tract health. An imbalance of digestive bacteria and/or insufficient digestive enzymes leads to poor digestion and food fermenting in the digestive tract resulting in gas, bloating and belly expansion. Digestive enzymes can be gained from eating raw foods, especially sprouts and raw whole fruit. You can increase the amount of probiotic bacteria in your digestive system by eating naturally fermented foods every day. This includes naturally fermented sauerkraut/vegetables, live plain yoghurt, kombucha, kefir and naturally fermented miso. However, most people living in modern urban environments are exposed to so many factors that kill off the probiotic bacteria in their digestive system that for optimum health it is best to take a probiotic supplement on a regular basis.

2. Avoid Non-Health Promoting Causes of Abdominal Gas/Bloating

These include:

Excess refined table salt

During the intense processing it goes through, normal table salt is stripped of any other minerals except sodium and chloride. Sodium and chloride are two of the nutrients necessary for our organs to function. However, the intense heat processing of table salt alters the form of the sodium chloride crystals into one that is very difficult for your body to metabolise and use. In addition, water is attracted to sodium so when you eat high amounts of sodium your body will temporarily retain more water i.e. it is a cause of fluid retention. Foods that are high in refined salt include: chips, crackers, prepared meals, tomato sauce, baked beans, prepared sauces, prepared flavour mixes, fast foods, anything tinned/bottled in brine (olives, capers, fish) and cheese. Subtle sources of salt and sodium include packaged cakes and biscuits, diet foods and bottled mineral water.

Excess Grains

Grains are not all that easy for your body to digest and contain a number of anti-nutrients which inhibit the absorption of key minerals. They do not contain any nutrients that can’t be gained from other food sources so as long as you are eating plenty of low-starch vegetables (go easy on carrots, sweet potatoes and potatoes) for carbohydrates and fibre then you can eliminate grains altogether. I recommend no more than 2 small serves of grains a day and avoiding wheat altogether. Modern wheat is very hard to digest and eating wheat and store-bought bread are common causes of abdominal bloating.

Chewing Gum

When you chew gum you swallow air. This air can get trapped in your digestive tract causing pressure, bloating and belly expansion.

Hard lollies/sweets

When you eat hard lollies you also swallow a lot of air. This air can get trapped in your digestive tract causing pressure, bloating and belly expansion.

Eating too fast and talking a lot while you eat

Again, this causes you to swallow a lot of air. However, a leisurely meal with casual conversation is good.

Fizzy Drinks

Another source of trapped air/gas in your digestive system

Sugar alcohols

Sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol and maltitol found in artificial sweeteners may be low-calorie but are not a good thing to consume if you are wanting to balance your body size. You body can’t absorb or use these substances and they have been shown to cause wind, bloating and abdominal distention.

3. Observe for Any Other Foods Which May Cause You Excess Digestive Gas

Common foods that may cause excess digestive gas in some people include:

• Beans/pulses
• cauliflower
• broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• cabbage
• onions
• peppers
• citrus fruits
• prunes

Pre-soaking of beans/pulses and cooking of all these foods can help prevent them causing gas. Prunes are high in natural sorbitol (see sugar alcohols above).

Putting It All Together

It is best to work through these steps in order i.e. first get your digestive system working effectively by consuming plenty of raw food and sources of probiotic bacteria. Second, avoid the major causes of digestive bloating and gas which are also not good for your overall health e.g. chewing gum, sugar-free products, wheat and refined salt. Lastly, observe if some of the other foods which may cause excess digestive gas are a trigger for you even when prepared properly i.e. pre-soaking beans/pulses and cooking vegetables.

Discover the incredible weight loss benefits of snow peas, how to best prepare them and how much you should eat to get maximum benefit from these peas – one of nature’s amazing fat burning foods.

Snow Peas are a legume that can be eaten like a vegetable. Normally, they are 2-3 inches long with flat pods containing 5-7 seeds, all of which can be eaten. Because they are semi-translucent, you can see the peas inside of the green covering on the outside. The seeds found inside are sweet and starchy. They can be found any time of the year.

Fat Burning Benefits of Snow Peas

They are an excellent source of Vitamins A & C. They are also a good source of fiber and are low sodium, low calorie, cholesterol free, and fat free.

These particular peas have insoluble fiber that is good for digestion and can help lower cholesterol levels. Also, they contain iron, which most plant sources lack and is necessary to strengthen bones. The iron and Vitamin C found in these peas help boost the body’s ability to fight off disease. Peas are loaded with lutein, a carotenoid that effectively protects the eyes from developing macular degeneration and cataracts. Snow peas also contain potassium, which regulates body fluids, thus helping to keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels down.

The Vitamin K found in green peas promotes bone health by triggering osteocalcin, which is the main non-collagen protein in the bones. A body’s healthy blood clotting abilities are supported by Vitamin K. The build-up of homocysteine in the body is reduced by consumption of vitamin B6 and folic acid. When homosysteine levels rise in the body, stroke, heart attack, or atherosclerosis could result.

These peas contain both folic acid and Vitamin B-6, which work together to promote healthy cardiovascular function. Thiamin, riboflavin, Vitamin B-6, and niacin are pivotal to the body’s ability to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. They also contain iron, a mineral that helps to produce and maintain healthy blood cells.

Preparing Snow Peas

You can find these peas in your grocer’s produce department. You want to buy pods that are crisp, fresh-looking, bright in color, and contain small seeds. They are best prepared fresh, but can refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to 3 days. Before preparing them, you will need to rinse them in cool water and pinch of the ends.

You can include them in stir-fry dishes along with shitake mushrooms, sweet peppers, and onions. They are delicious in salads, along with slices of grapefruit and some salad greens. They can be added to any entree as a side dish.

Serving Size

The average serving size of snow peas is one half cup.