Juice Plus+® Health News

Juice Plus+® Is Not A Cure or Treatment, however read this MS case...

Although Juice Plus+® is not a cure or treatment for any sickness or disease - nothing is, except for a drug approved by the FDA, according to LAW - it can be helpful to the health of the body. And why not, it is fruit and vegetable nutrients, and most people are not getting enough good nutrition in their diet each day. Here is an amazing testimonial (name withheld, but on file) from an individual who decided that Juice Plus+® would provide benefit to her health, just on the basis that she knew she wasn't eating enough fruits and vegetables and getting enough proper nutrients in her diet. Read this one woman's amazing story --

Dear Health Conscious Friends:

My name is (withheld) and I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in the fall of 2003. I have mild relapsing-remitting MS and I am currently 39 years old.

My first symptom was a numb spot on the left side of my face that didn’t go away. An MRI showed that I had several small lesions on my brain. The neurologist said it looked like MS but it was too soon to tell.

Over the next year my health progressively deteriorated. The numbness went into my left arm and left leg within 2 weeks. Soon after, a “burning” sensation developed in my arm and hand. My symptoms presented themselves primarily on the left side of my body. During this year as symptoms progressed, I consistently began to experience being off balance, became extremely fatigued, my hearing would go out intermittently and/or I heard a high pitch sound, I experienced sleep disturbances, I felt the extremely painful sensation of having needles shoved up the bottom of my feet, I suffered from cognitive issues, and developed extreme sensitivity to heat and changes in the weather. All in all come any afternoon I was pretty much done with participating with life. Upon coming home from work, my husband had to pick me up off of the couch and carry me up the stairs to our room. We were making plans to sell our two story house because I could no longer walk up the stairs due to the pain. I was no longer able to be with my family for fun activities sitting on the sideline, telling my kids not to touch me because it hurt too much. After almost a year, I was diagnosed by my neurologist and was scheduled to go on interjection therapy. We went to the Mayo Clinic for a second opinion and were told I had MS. My neurologist said it was ok if I didn’t go on injection therapy right away. I was being a baby so opted out of giving myself a shot everyday. I did steroid IVs and a heavy dose of a drug for nerve pain and an anti-depressant to help me sleep. Many people were affected by my disease. I had friends and family helping with my three young children, preparing meals, and cleaning my home. The magnitude of not being able to be the wife and mom I desired to be was truly crushing.

Being very discouraged, I began asking my doctors what I could do to stop this disease. The reply was- “Nothing, just keep your body in as good of shape as possible.” As depression set in, both neurologists recommended I see a psychologist to figure out how to cope with my MS diagnosis. Realizing that we were coming to the end of what the neurologists could do for me, we set out to find alternatives.

I had many people offer up advice of this, that and the other which overwhelmed us since there were a lot of things out there to consider. My husband and I started doing our own research and were amazed at the number of alternative options we found.

We decided to try 3 different natural options over the course of a year based on recommendations of others who had success managing MS. Nothing worked for me, but in my research I was beginning to understand more and more that my diet played a huge role in my health status. Wow -my diet- who would have thought? and this was something I could change. My neurologist kept asking me if I had MS in my family, but I didn’t. I had cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s and on and on, but not MS. So I couldn’t even blame it on my genes.

During this year we were slowly making many dietary changes like eliminating transfats, cutting back significantly on refined sugars, grains and pastas, eliminating high fructose corn syrup, MSG, artificial sweeteners, and reducing the amount of animal protein which included dairy. (highlighted and italicized to increase the importance of how a healthy diet can aid in the prevention and HELP of all conditions and diseases!)

My dad talked to an RN about my condition and she asked if he had ever heard of Juice Plus+®. My dad hadn’t, but after talking to her he understood it was fruits and vegetables in a capsule and it had been researched all over the world by independent institutions like Yale University, University of Maryland, University of Milan, along with 20 other institutions. He was persistent always encouraging me pursue more information.

I of course was resistant after spending hundreds of dollars on the other supplements in the previous year. Every time my dad called, he asked if I had called the RN, and of course I kept blowing it off. Finally I called not because I wanted to learn about another “supplement,” but because I wanted to honor my dad and not have him ask me about it anymore. Of course I knew he cared about me and wanted the best for me.

I called the RN and told her I wasn’t interested but was honoring my dad. She proceeded to tell why I should be interested. Juice Plus+ was simply 17 fruits, vegetables and grains plus 9 berries in capsule, chewable or gummi form. I had been juicing and understood the benefits of fruits and vegetables to some extent, but I really did not fully understand that fruits and vegetables were the foundation, not an accessory to good health.

My husband was the skeptic in our family and he said, "We are not eating the recommended 5-9 servings (NOW 7-13 servings) of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables every day, and it’s just fruits and vegetables. The research was carried out at major universities and institutions so we are starting our whole family on Juice Plus+." When I looked at the research behind Juice Plus+, I was so encouraged. There were 3 studies on the immune system that really got my attention. They showed that Juice Plus+ helped put the immune system back into balance. (People with autoimmune disorders have an immune system that is out of balance which creates havoc in the body in some way). Also, several studies on DNA and 9 bioavailability studies showed that Juice Plus+ gets in your cells protecting the DNA making the body more resistant to disease. I really liked all of this research because it was conducted at major Universities and not by the company.

The RN asked that I commit to eating Juice Plus+ for a year, and of course I didn’t want to hear that. I was looking for a quick fix, never mind that my body didn’t come into a diseased state in only months. My neurologists explained that it took several years before the first symptoms of the disease were apparent. This nurse strongly suggested I eat more JP+ than the research results were based on because my immune system was failing, and in this case, the more fruits and vegetables I could eat the better.

I started Juice Plus+ in late December of 2004 by eating the recommended 2 Orchard capsules, 2 Garden capsules and 2 Vineyard capsules, because this is what research was based on. The next month I doubled the amount to 4 capsules of each per day. You see I was already paying too much for my disease. I had a cleaning lady out of necessity and had much more significant “costs” of not being able to do what I wanted to do. The third month, I tripled my amount of Juice Plus+® taking 6 capsules of each per day. It was only food so I didn’t need to worry about overdosing like a vitamin, herb or drug. Now before you fall out of your chair, I never tell people to eat as much as I do. We just chose to invest in my health. I tell people, absolutely start with 2, 2, 2 capsules per day.

By the third and fourth month, I slowly started feeling more energy and a little less pain. During the course of that year, I gradually started feeling “normal”! My neurologist was amazed. At the outset of my disease, I had new lesions showing up on every MRI, but after improving my nutrition by adding JP+ I had no new lesions and the lesions I did have were now stable. My symptoms today consist of occasion slight numbness in my right cheek or leg when I have not managed my stress well or have lacked sleep, etc. I am pain free, have no motor or hearing problems, and have plenty of energy to get me through the day. I am able to do all of the activites I was doing before noticing symptoms, and we were able to stay in our home. I still eat 6 capsules of the Orchard Blend, Garden Blend and Berry Blend per day and I will for the rest of my life.

What I have learned from my illness is that many people with autoimmune diseases kid themselves about the seriousness of their disease, and I used to be one of them. If you have a compromised immune system, your front line defense is not working the way it should….so your body is wide open to disease. If MS runs in your family, it’s more likely due to the habits passed from generation to generation rather than a genetic issue. I’ve also learned that over 70% of the disease we experience in this country is preventable with good nutrition. Did you know that? I didn’t at the time. Nutrition has changed my disease completely.

I am always asked if JP+ might help someone else with Multiple Sclerosis, diabetes, high blood pressure or other illnesses. My response is this: Whether you have MS, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or any other physical ailment, you are still supposed to be eat 7-13 servings of fresh, fruits and vegetables every day. Are you doing that? If you aren’t like I wasn’t, you are fooling yourself if you think your body can magically get better. Food is fuel and it will either build your body up or it will tear it down. Food is not neutral.

I continue to educate myself to make the best decisions for my entire family. Most of us don’t have an understanding of what we can do to be healthy. Today, my extreme passion is focused on sharing the message about the relationship between what we eat and how we feel and look from the inside out. Of course I’m passionate because I have my life back! Juice Plus+® is NOT a substitute for the fruits and veggies you should be eating every day. Juice Plus+ is available to bridge the gap between what we can’t, won’t or don’t eat everyday, and it is the easiest, most affordable and convenient way to get many fruits, veggies, grains, and berries into our bodies. We can be on the path to illness years before we feel a symptom. I had disease in my body for years prior and didn’t feel it. Because of this, I will no longer gamble with my family’s health waiting for a symptom to occur. You can take action to safeguard your health and be confident that although it almost seems too easy or simple, fruits and vegetables always have and will continue to have a profound positive impact on your health. If you can’t won’t or don’t eat at least 7 to 13 servings of fresh raw vine ripened fruits and vegetables every day, trust the results of research conducted at the University of Arizona, Georgetown University, MD Anderson, Brigham Young University, King’s College London, University of Sydney in Australia, UCLA and many others. Third Party research (research not carried out by the manufacturer),is proof that JP+ will go to work in your body too. Eating many fruits and vegetables and adding JP+ everyday is an insurance policy for my entire family to maintain good health. Can you think of an easier more affordable way to safeguard your health? Educate yourself and be empowered by what you can do. We don’t need to be a victim of disease, and although I don’t know what it’s going to do for your illness, I do know this: Sick or not, you need 7-13 servings of fresh, raw fruits and veggies every day as a foundation to better health.

I hope the best for you on your journey towards better health.

Comment: The important thing to note here is that a HEALTHY DIET is best for maintaining good health, and sometimes correcting poor health. And it starts with plenty of fruits and vegetables, the foundation for a healthy diet. As our 'testimonial' said, if you can't, don't, or won't eat the minimum recommended, then add Juice Plus+® until you do. It's a great "insurance" to help you be sure you are getting closer to the nutrients your body needs!

Dr. J. Patrick Havey
The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+® Independent Distributor

Cranberries, Juice - Good Source For Prevention

Juice Plus+® is recommended for those who do not eat enough fruits and vegetables.

Cranberries are a good food with many antioxidant properties. Like any fruit or vegetable, it is best in its unadulterated form. The whole food is always better than you might find with the juice form, mainly because most times there is added sugar. And sugar is one of the top contributors to many health problems, including obesity.

Cranberries and the juice that most people like to consume made from them, has properties that seem to prevent or assist with healing certain infections, bladder specifically. Look at some of the reasons for this and why cranberries are healthy --

1. Acidifying or alkalizing action: It is said that an acidic environment can cure bladder or kidney stones. Cranberries also have high vitamin C content which makes the urine all the more acidic. However, you need to drink high concentration of cranberry juice to fight against the infections. Women with negative urine culture can also consume cranberries to reduce the symptoms of bladder infections.

2. Inhibiting bacterial microbes: The urinary tract infections are caused due to E-coli bacterium that sticks to the bladder walls and impairs functioning of urinary bladder. The cranberry juice contains condensed tannins and proanthocyanidins that restrict the sticking of bacterium on the bladder walls. Later on, the bacterium gets flushed out of the urinary tract. It can also be used to treat stomach ulcers and tooth decay.

3. Cranberries are effective antioxidants. Two glasses of cranberry juice can keep the bacterial infections at a bay. The natural remedy improves the immune system of the body. Moreover, the juice dampens the smell of urine which is a common phenomenon among individuals using catheters. People who are victim of recurrent UTI can notice decreased infection after consumption of cranberry juice. (Source)

More information on cranberries and cranberry juice interactions with anticoagulants --

Most people know that cranberry juice can help lower the risk of urinary infections, at least in some cases. But in 2003, doctors found what appeared to be a less beneficial side effect.

A handful of people taking the popular anticoagulant warfarin complained that drinking large amounts of cranberry juice seemed to heighten the drug’s effects, causing unusual bleeding. Soon, other reports of cranberry complications came to light, and investigators theorized that compounds in the fruit might deactivate an enzyme that normally breaks down warfarin, prompting British health officials to issue warnings.

But many experts now suspect that the cases were coincidental. A clinical study by researchers at Tufts, for example, found no evidence that cranberry juice enhanced warfarin’s effects. Nor did a separate study in 2007 that tested the effects of drinking about seven ounces of cranberry juice a day in people taking warfarin.

Dr. Jack Ansell, chairman of the department of medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, and some colleagues found in a randomized, double-blind study that patients on warfarin who drank up to eight ounces of cranberry juice a day had no greater risk of bleeding than those given a placebo.

“My recommendation to patients on warfarin therapy is that they should feel free to drink cranberry juice in moderation,” Dr. Ansell said.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Cranberry juice, in moderation, appears to be safe for anticoagulant users. (Source)

NOTE: One thing that is interesting to note, is that Juice Plus+® has a Berry, also called Vineyard, Blend that is made with 9 different grapes and berries, cranberry included. While it may not be all that common, this author and family - all of whom take the Juice Plus+® Orchard and Garden Blend along with the Vineyard Blend - have not had bladder infections or kidney stones in the four plus years that these have been consumed (on a daily basis). Coincidence? Maybe. But if you don't get enough fruits and vegetables in your diet, it may be another reason to consider adding Juice Plus+ to your diet. The Orchard Blend also contains cranberries!

Either way, a diet rich in whole food, raw fruits and vegetables is the best defense against any condition, sickness, or disease.

Juice Plus+® Helps Support A Healthy Diet

Diet and exercise can help reduce the risk of degenerative diseases like heart disease and stroke, diabetes and cancer. Juice Plus+ - learn why eating fruits and vegetables is especially important, and how you can benefit from adding Juice Plus+® to your diet. Juice Plus+® is the most thoroughly researched nutritional product in history.

The following Study may help you understand the importance of a healthy diet, rich in fruits and vegetables. And since Juice Plus+ contains nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables, it may help too!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Certain breast cancer survivors who load up on fruits and vegetables, eating far more than current U.S. guidelines, can slash their risk the tumors will come back by nearly a third, according to a U.S. study released on Monday.

The finding only held for women who did not have hot flashes after their cancer therapy, the researchers said -- a finding that suggests fruits and vegetables act on estrogen.

Their analysis suggests an explanation for why some studies have shown that eating more fruits and vegetables lowers the risk that breast cancer will come back, while others do not. It may depend on the individual patient, they report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

"Women with early stage breast cancer who have hot flashes have better survival and lower recurrence rates than women who don't," said Ellen Gold of the University of California Davis, who helped lead the study.

Several studies have shown this. And this study showed that women who had hot flashes after treatment for breast cancer had lower estrogen levels than women who did not.

As estrogen drives the most common type of breast cancer, this suggests that eating extra servings of fruits and vegetables -- above and beyond the five servings a day recommended by the U.S. government -- may lower harmful estrogen levels in cancer survivors, the researchers said.

"It appears that a dietary pattern high in fruits, vegetables and fiber, which has been shown to reduce circulating estrogen levels, may only be important among women with circulating estrogen levels above a certain threshold," said John Pierce of the University of California San Diego.

The researchers took a second look at data from 3,000 breast cancer patients in a study aimed at seeing whether a diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables might keep their cancer from coming back.

Such a diet has been shown to lower overall risk of ever getting breast cancer in the first place.

The women were on average 53, and half were told to double their fruit and vegetable intake to 10 servings a day, eat more fiber and lower fat intake more than government recommendations. "We compared the dietary intervention group to a group that received '5-a-day' dietary guidelines," the researchers wrote.

About 30 percent of the original 3,000 breast cancer survivors said they did not have hot flashes -- a common side-effect of breast cancer treatment.

The researchers looked at the data on these women specifically and found that only 16 percent of those who doubled up on fruits and vegetables had their tumors come back after seven years, compared to 23 percent of those merely given advice on food guidelines.

Women who had been through menopause lowered their risk by 47 percent if they loaded up on salads, fruit and other plant food.

Bottom line: The most important thing you can do for your health is to be sure to eat a healthy diet - one that is full of plenty of fruits and vegetables, water, lean protein, and includes exercise regularly. Because most people don't or won't eat enough fruits and vegetables, The Health & Wellness Institute recommends a fruit and vegetable supplement called Juice Plus+ that contains nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables. A healthy body is contingent upon many things, the first of which is a healthy diet. Eat healthy, be healthy, live long.

The Health & Wellness Institute

Vitamins, NOT Whole Food Supplements, Can Do Harm

The nutritional supplement I recommend is considered a 'whole-food supplement' because it contains nutrients from the whole food, not a singled out vitamin or two. Learn more about Juice Plus+®.

More bad news for the industry that relies heavily on sales of what I refer to as 'expensive urine'. Most vitamin supplements of the synthetic variety are not readily absorbed into the bloodstream. And the amount that is absorbed is missing all of the supporting nutrients that are present in the whole food. That's why eating whole food fruits and vegetables is the best action to take in the prevention of sickness and disease. There are literally thousands of nutrients that work together to support good health. It's not just the Vitamin C in an orange that is responsible for keeping you healthy. It's the vast array of nutrients that are present in that orange. Here's a report about the damaging effects that vitamins can have on your health --

Antioxidant vitamins can undo some of the most important health benefits of exercise, research has shown.

Taking vitamins C and E after a workout appears to prevent physical exercise improving the body's energy regulation, a study found.

Some vitamins can block this beneficial effect of exercise, the new findings published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggest.

Exercise is known to increase sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which governs the way cells use sugar as an energy source. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant and less sensitive to insulin.

Ironically, it is the supplements' health-boosting properties that appear to be to blame.

Vitamins such as C and E neutralise destructive "free radical" molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage cells and DNA, and speed up ageing.

These molecules are a by-product of metabolism and generated in larger numbers during vigorous exercise.

But the new research suggests that as well as causing damage, oxygen free radicals also spur the body into becoming more sensitive to insulin. By mopping up the molecules, antioxidant vitamins cancel out this beneficial effect.

In addition, scientists from the University of Jena in Germany found that the vitamins weakened the body's own exercise-induced free radical defence system, which relies on the production of natural antioxidants.

The findings add to the growing evidence that vitamins have complex effects on the body which can do harm as well as good. (Reference)

On the subject of nutritional supplements, it is important to know the research that not only shows synthetic vitamins' harm, but benefits of whole food nutritional sources, like Juice Plus+®. There are many institutions, universities, and organizations that have performed studies on concentrated fruit and vegetable nutrients to show their efficacy, the benefits to your health.

Diet and exercise can help reduce the risk of degenerative diseases like heart disease and stroke, diabetes and cancer. Learn why eating fruits and vegetables is especially important, and how you can benefit from adding Juice Plus+® to your diet. Juice Plus+® is the most thoroughly researched nutritional product in history.

Dr. J. Patrick Havey
The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+® Distributor

Athletes Use Juice Plus+® For Fruit And Vegetable Nutrients

While the evidence of a product's efficacy can only be confirmed by official peer-reviewed published studies (in credible Medical journals), certainly the feedback from athletes is good confirmation that a nutritional supplement like Juice Plus+® proves to be beneficial. And why not? Juice Plus+® contains whole food nutrients from fruits and vegetales. Why wouldn't it be good? Regardless, here is the story about a German team that is enhancing their diet with these nutrients --

NSA AG new licensing partner for the German Olympic team

The German Olympic Sports Federation (GOSF) now has a new “Exclusive Partner for Nutrition” with Juice Plus – starting March 6, 2009. The partnership will last at least until The Olympic Games in London in 2012.

This announcement was given by NSA and the GOSF, represented by its official marketing agency German Sports Marketing (GSM), on Friday at a sales meeting in the commercial firm the Wiesbaden Rhein-Main-Hallen known.

NSA is known as the “Exclusive Partner for Nutrition” with its brand “Juice Plus.” Our top athletes know about the the growing importance of balanced food – a matter which GOSF also plays an important role: “Fitness and healthy diet are key issues that stand high on the agenda. NSA will make a valuable contribution as our partner,” says the GOSM director, Michael Vesper. The athletes will benefit directly from the partnership.

Juice Plus consists of concentrated, vine-ripened fruits and vegetables, and is available in capsule form from NSA Distributors. Since 1995, regularly commissioned studies show that the natural substances in Juice Plus, among other things, support the regeneration processes and strengthens the body’s defenses. (Read more...)

Comments: You can't go wrong by eating more fruits and vegetables. If you can understand that an athlete who is in the middle of a competition may have difficulty carrying around a bunch of fruits and/or vegetables, then it's easy to understand how he might enhance performance with easy-to-carry fruit and vegetable nutrients in a capsule. Now for the everyday dieter who doesn't get the minimum recommended amounts of fruits and veggies each day, Juice Plus+® may be an excellent supplement.

No matter what you choose to add to your diet, be sure that it is whole food nutrition. That is, a supplement that delivers as much of the gamut of nutrients from the whole fruit and/or vegetable, not just a few vitamins...especially not the synthetic variety.

Dr. J. Patrick Havey
The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+® Independent Distributor

Eating More Fruits And Vegetables, Not Reading Nutrition Labels, Is the Way to Better Health

Learn why eating fruits and vegetables is especially important, and how you can benefit from adding Juice Plus+® to your diet. Reading nutrition labels isn't going to make you healthier. More fruits and vegetables will!

While any juice drink, food, or consumable needs to have the proper nutritional label so that buyers can make educated decisions for their diet, this doesn't come close to solving a bigger problem. And that is a lack of proper nutrition in most diets. You can put all the details you want on any product, providing carb, protein, vitamin, ...whatever exists in that product, but it still doesn't change the fact that most people are eating and drinking stuff that has little nutritional value.  The macronutrients isn't a problem - you know, the carbs, proteins, and fats; except for the proper balance in which most people are consuming them. That is, too many people are eating way too high a percentage of fats and carbs, with a low percentage of proteins, relative to the total calories from the three. Here's more about how reading the nutrition labels may assist with a healthy diet --

From calorie-counters to the chronically ill, Isa Carani has some simple advice -- break out your reading glasses and start checking the fine print on nutrition labels.

A registered dietitian with the Lake County Health Department, Carani is promoting label literacy to combat diseases such as diabetes and promote healthier lifestyles.

The average adult consumes 2,775 calories per day, according to the most recent USDA statistics, which is nearly 40 percent above the recommended amount.

With obesity rates soaring, dieting is a national concern, but for the nearly 24 million Americans with diabetes, it can be a matter of life and death.

At increased risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and other complications, diabetics use the labels to help regulate caloric intake and blood sugar levels, a crucial daily regimen. (Read more)

Comments: While trying to get dieters to read labels may seem like a solution to the overweight and obesity problem, it is a good idea at best. The real campaign that needs to be implemented is to spread the word about the importance of getting the minimum recommended number of fruits and vegetables each day. You can't argue the fact that if everyone 'filled up' on fruits AND vegetables each day that we would have an obesity epidemic. Sadly, we don't realize just how many health problems would most likely 'go away' with just this one simple action.

If you want to get healthier, and it makes no difference if you seek to lose weight (but this is the perfect recommendation for you too!), then start striving to eat the minimum fruits and vegetables in your diet (try to get a minimum of 5 each day, but 7 is a better number to get to).

In the meantime, because fruits and vegetables nutrients are so important to the body's health, I recommend you add Juice Plus+® to your diet. Juice Plus+® is whole food nutrition made from a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Dr. J. Patrick Havey
Official Juice Plus+® Distributor

Superfoods For Good Health And Prevention of Sickness

Fruits and vegetables are the best source of nutrients for the prevention of sickness and disease. If you don't or won't eat the minimum recommended per day, try adding Juice Plus+® to your diet.

There are a list of foods that should be a part of your regular diet because they will support your health and help in the prevention of sickness and disease. Most foods that are consumed today contain very little, if any, nutrition and may actually contribute to poor health, including raising the risk of obesity.

In order to stay healthy – now and well into your future years, it is important that you eat the right foods. The old adage “you are what you eat” is definitely true when it comes to good health. So much so, that science has identified certain foods as “superfoods” – those foods which are packed with powerful nutrients to help you live a longer, healthier life. There are seven superfoods that you should not miss when it comes to good health. How many of these superfoods are you eating on a daily basis? Here is a list of some recommended "superfoods" --

1. Blueberries - Loaded with Antioxidants

Antioxidants help keep your immune system healthy, and help fight off those nasty free radicals that lead to accelerated aging. Some foods are loaded with more antioxidants and vitamins than others. Blueberries are considered to be not only a superfood, but a “superfruit” as well. Not only are they packed with antioxidants, they are also high in the B vitamins, niacin as well as vitamin C. They are considered to be one of the healthiest foods you can eat and are among the healthiest domestic fruits. Fresh blueberries are your best bet, however. As is the case with most fruits and vegetables, the health content can be slightly compromised if eaten frozen or canned. 

2. Broccoli - Loaded with B Vitamins

Broccoli is considered to be one of the healthiest vegetables and is loaded with essential B vitamins. You should try to eat this green veggie a couple of times a week for good overall health. Broccoli is also loaded with antioxidants and, like blueberries, is thought to ward off certain types of cancer. 

3. Brazil Nuts - Great for the Heart

Brazil nuts are great for your heart. Like most nuts, they are high in protein and fat (the “good” fat), but are very beneficial for boosting your heart strength. Nuts are an excellent form of protein and studies indicate that Brazil nuts are one of the best varieties to eat for heart health. 

4. Apples - Keep the Doctor Away

The old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is true! Apples are also loaded with vitamins and will not only keep the doctor away, but the dentist, too. Again, it is essential to eat apples fresh in order to receive the true health benefits. So sorry, apple pie doesn’t apply! (read the full list) 

Comments: Good health starts with your diet. What your eating is going to have the biggest influence on whether or not your risk of sickness and disease is higher, or minimized...for most people. A diet rich in foods that are high in antioxidants - namely, fruits and vegetables - are going to be the best defense against illness, and the best offense for good health. Choose what you eat wisely.

Juice Plus+® is the choice for nutritional supplements because Juice Plus+® is made with the following fruits and vegetables: apple, orange, pineapple, cranberry, peach, cherry, papaya; carrot, parsley, beet, kale, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, tomato. There is also a Vineyard Blend made using Concord grape, blueberry, cranberry, blackberry, bilberry, raspberry, red currant, black currant, elderberry. With Juice Plus+, you get nutrients from all these sources.

Freshly Squeezed Juice Lowers the Risk of Obesity

Juice Plus+® is an excellent way to add whole food nutrients to your diet. Juice Plus+® is made using a variety of fruits and vegetables, that are juiced then dried; so what's left is the nutrients without the sugar and water.

This may be a stretch, but apparently freshly squeezed juice can help lower obesity risk. The real kicker is getting the good nutrition from juicing fruits (and vegetables), instead of the unhealthy calories that most overweight people get from soft drinks and fast foods. Not to mention the calories that are burned from preparing your juice machine, juicing the whole foods, then cleaning up. It is worth the time and effort if you can do it, because of the healthy nutrition that is provided. But I've found that most people burn out of juicing after 2 or 3 weeks. What's starts out as a daily thing, turns into every other day after a couple weeks (at most), then dwindles to once a week, and eventually infrequently if you can remember where you put all the parts of your juice machine.

However, if you take the leap to juice your fruits and vegetables, then you may be interested in this report about how it could help you and your health (from NaturalNews.com)--

 Drinking a glass of freshly squeezed juice every morning will not only bring your body joy, but a new study now shows that it will lower the risk for obesity. That glass of fresh orange juice is looking tastier than ever. Previous studies that show the downfalls of fruit juice have failed to distinguish between store bought fruit juice and freshly squeezed juice; there is a big gap between the two, and this new study proves it..

The Study
The study contained data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey between 1999 and 2004. Dr. Mark Pereira from the University of Minnesota and co-author Dr. Victor Fulgoni found that those who drank 100% freshly squeezed juice had lower mean body mass index, smaller waist circumference and lower insulin resistance, compared to those who did not consume fresh juice on a daily basis. They found an inverse association between the amount of juice consumed and the above parameters. .

Based on the analysis that the researchers did they found that the risk of obesity was 22 percent lower and risk for metabolic syndrome was 15 percent lower in the people who drank 100% freshly squeezed juice, compared to those that did not consume juice on a daily basis. "We know that maintaining a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables is linked to decreased risk of some chronic diseases," said Dr. Pereira, associate professor in the University of Minnesota`s Division of Epidemiology and Community Health. "One-half cup of 100% fruit juice counts as a serving of fruit and, based on our analysis, 100% juice consumption is associated with some of these same benefits." .

According to the researchers, an intake of 100% freshly squeezed fruit juice was associated with other healthful behaviors. Among the 14,000 participants in the survey - a multiethnic sample of American adults aged 19 and older, the people who consumed fresh juice had higher physical activity, lower fat intake, higher fiber intake and lower added sugar intakes. After the researchers took these lifestyle variables into account, the inverse relationship between fresh juice and metabolic syndrome was no longer statistically significant. However, the risk of obesity still remained: a 14 percent lower risk even after the adjustment was made. .

Short Summary
If you don`t have time to eat all those fruits or just enjoy drinking juices, then juicing your own fruits and even vegetables can be a healthful way of getting enough of these foods every day. Drinking the juice as quickly as possible after they have been juiced will ensure that you get the maximum benefit from them. (Source)

Comments: The thing to keep in mind is the overall picture of health comes from your daily choices. Good health is a lifestyle, not a diet, or a juice drink, or any one particular action. And getting to and staying at a healthy weight should not be a goal. That will happen naturally as long as your choosing to live healthy - healthy foods, exercise, avoiding the junk. So choose wisely, and you'll be healthy.

Dr. J. Patrick Havey
Official Juice Plus+® Distribuotr

Learn why eating fruits and vegetables is especially important, and how you can benefit from adding Juice Plus+® to your diet.

Juice Plus+ May Help Risk of Macular Degeneration

Juice Plus+® is recommended for those who do not eat enough fruits and vegetables. Juice Plus+® contains nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetabes.

There are many health problems that could be avoided if a healthy diet was followed. It is this author's opinion that most health problems are actually a result of a poor diet. Considering the number of unhealthy foods, processed foods, and consumables that contain too much sugar and/or fat, it isn't a stretch to believe that the money spent on doctors visits and health care would be cut substantially.

New studies show that just one of many common health problems could be avoided, at least to some significant extent, by eating a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables. (Remember, any form of cooking will deplete the nutritional value from the original raw, whole food form.) Here's more from the NYTimes.com --

Eating for Eye Health Eating a diet rich in leafy vegetables, nuts and fish and low in starchy carbohydrates appears to lower risk for age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over 50.

The findings, published this month in the journal Ophthalmology, is the first to calculate the combined effect of certain dietary nutrients and eating habits on a person’s risk for age-related macular degeneration. The data were collected from 4,003 participants in the ongoing Age-Related Eye Disease Study led by researchers at the Tufts University Jean Mayer U.S.D.A. Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging.

The dietary nutrients linked with lower risk for macular degeneration are vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin and the omega-3 fatty acids known as D.H.A. and E.P.A. Notably, the nutrient often associated with eye health, beta carotene, was not linked with lower risk for macular degeneration.

The greatest benefit was seen among participants who regularly consumed a combination of the protective nutrients as part of a low-glycemic index diet. The glycemic index ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on blood glucose levels. Processed foods like white bread and pastries, as well as starchy carbohydrates like potatoes, have a higher glycemic index because they are digested and absorbed quickly, producing rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. Lower glycemic index foods, such as most vegetables, protein and nuts, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels.

The protective nutrients linked with eye health are typically found in fruits, green vegetables, nuts and cold-water fish. Citrus fruits are a good source of Vitamin C. Food sources of vitamin E include green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts and vegetable oils. Beans, nuts, seafood and whole grains are sources of zinc. Food sources of lutein and zeaxanthin include eggs, kale, spinach, turnip greens, romaine lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, garden peas and Brussels sprouts. Fatty fish such as salmon is a good dietary source of the omega-3 fatty acids D.H.A. and E.P.A.

Scientists aren’t sure what causes macular degeneration, but risk factors include aging, cigarette smoking, family history and obesity. Women and Caucasians also are at increased risk. Although the disease has a strong genetic component, a growing body of research shows that healthy behaviors can lower risk. People with macular degeneration lose the central vision in their eye. This vision loss simulator shows how vision changes as macular degeneration worsens. (Source)

Comments: While a diet that is rich in whole food fruits and vegetables is not the final answer to all health problems, the potential difference that it could make if each person followed a recommended minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day (the new recommendation is actually 9-13 servings!) could be life-saving! We shouldn't continue to ignore the most obvious problem when it comes to our health - a poor diet. Why we don't address this as the primary problem to our health care woes is ashame. Maybe too much money from the wrong sources keep this from happening (i.e. McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Restaurant Association, National Cancer Institute, and many more).

If you don't or won't eat the minimum recommended fruits and vegetables to keep you healthy, I recommend adding Juice Plus+® for more fruit and vegetable nutrients.

Dr. J. Patrick Havey
Official Juice Plus+® Distributor

Diet Pills Taking Off The Shelves

The side effects are many, the positive results seen are few, yet too many people continue to be 'taken' by the lure of easy weight loss from diet pills like the ones offered in Hydroxycut. It's more important to get proper nutrition in your diet for good health, than it is to be at a healthy weight. For this reason Juice Plus+® is recommended, because most people don't get those important fruit and vegetable nutrients in enough quantity.

While a healthy weight is important, the end won't justify the means. If you're going to risk your health for the sake of achieving a certain weight, then the effort is pointless. If you looked like and measured a few pounds more than a 'perfect' weight, but your diet consisted of 10 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and you were avoiding all processed foods, fast foods, soft drinks, or juice drinks...then chances are pretty good that you are healthier than 95% of the rest of the country.

One celebrity has shed her pounds lately. According to USAToday.com --

Entertainer Marie Osmond, 49, says that after she lost 45 pounds, her 19-year-old daughter, Rachael, revamped her wardrobe.

"She went into my closet and threw everything away and said, 'I'm dressing you now because you are hot, and then I can borrow your clothes,' " Osmond says. "She said: 'No more long jackets, no more full skirts. You don't need to hide anything now. You just need to hide your credit card from me.' "

The singer dropped from a size 12/14 to a size 2/4 in four months in late 2007 and has kept the weight off since then. "When you think about 45 pounds, that's like carrying around a small preschooler," she says. "Trust me, it wears out your knees." (story)

It's a shame that diet pills like Hydroxycut have been sold to unsuspecting and desperate dieters of all ages, only to have many of them only realize unwanted effects like liver damage. According to WWLP.com --

"Hydroxycut" has been recalled by its manufacturer since the FDA issued a warning telling consumers not to take this weight loss supplement.

Fourteen variations of "Hydroxycut" have been recalled. The FDA says there have been 23 reports of liver damage and one death as a result of "Hydroxycut" use.

The Director of Weight Loss Surgery at Baystate Medical Center, Dr. John Romanelli, told 22News that "People need to understand that over the counter supplements may have a beneficial effect, but they may also have side effects that doctors aren't aware of." He said that if people have been taking "Hydroxycut" or any of the 14 products that have "Hydroxycut" in them, they should see their doctor and check for liver damage. He said that anyone who has been using other dietary supplements should see their doctor and make sure they are safe before continuing to take them.

Also, parents need to make sure their children aren't taking "Hydroxycut" since it was available over the counter. (story)

Comments: We need to focus on sound nutrition and add some regular exercise. There is no need for dangerous diet pills with stimulants that cause organ damage and possibly life-threatening side effects. The proven way to get healthy is a balanced diet, avoiding fatty foods and sugary drinks, and getting regular exercise. Sounds simple...and it is simple to understand anyway. The real challenge is being motivated to do it everyday.

If you don't get enough fruits and vegetables in your diet, add Juice Plus+®.

Dr. J. Patrick Havey
Official Juice Plus+® Independent Distributor