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Don't miss out on the great August classes at DeCore. Mix up your activity routine with a Yoga, Zumba or Cross Training class! The intimate and personalized classes will support you in reaching your fitness goals. 

Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren't. Dr. Bowden is the author of "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,". Here is his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don't always find their way into our shopping carts. Here's his advice.  

So, how about you?

Have any of these foods found their way

into your shopping cart lately?

1. Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters. How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.  
2. Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes. How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches. 
3. Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes. How to eat it:Chop and saute in olive oil.
4. Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
   

   How to eat it:Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.

5. Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants. How to eat:Just drink it.
6. Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants. How to eat it: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.
7. Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
   

   How to eat:Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.

8. Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them "health food in a can." They are high in omega-3's, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins. How to eat:Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.  
9. Turmeric: The "superstar of spices," it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.
10. Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don't spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies. How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.   
11. Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories. How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Strength training is important for people of all ages, but it's especially important for older adults. Along with aging comes a gradual loss of muscle mass and overall muscle strength. Surprisingly, by age eighty about half of an adult's overall muscle mass has been lost. Not only does this loss of muscle make it more difficult to carry out their daily activities, it also increases the risk of injury and mortality in seniors. The good news is much of this loss can be offset by senior strength exercises and a good resistance training program. When it comes to preserving elderly muscle mass and muscle strength, another important consideration is diet. Getting an adequate amount of protein is important for preserving muscle, and it may be particularly important for older adults to get sufficient amounts of protein in their diet.  

Protein for Older Adults: Are you getting enough? 

As a generalization, seniors get less protein in their diet than younger adults. This stems from a variety of factors. One reason is older people tend to have reduced appetites and may take in inadequate calories, increasing their risk for protein deficiency. Some seniors also have difficulty digesting protein due to an age related decline in digestive enzymes and may end up with indigestion and bloating after eating a high protein meal. As a result, many seniors aren't meeting the daily recommended requirements for protein intake. This makes preserving senior muscle mass and strength more difficult despite regular resistance training exercises. After all, protein is needed for building lean body mass.

Protein for Older Adults: Why They May Need More: There's even evidence that seniors need more protein than younger people do. This is because their muscle cells are less responsive to the effects of insulin, the hormone which transports protein into the muscle cells. It's recommended that adults get one gram of protein for every kilogram of body weight. In terms of protein for older adults, one-and-a-half grams per kilogram may be more appropriate for preserving senior muscle mass. In terms of senior strength exercises and resistance training, the best time for a protein meal is immediately before and after a strength or resistance training workout. This timing allows the protein to be best utilized by the muscles for growth. Keep in mind that resistance training in the absence of sufficient protein will give minimal results.

Choosing Protein for Older Adults: When selecting protein for older adults, some good sources are tuna fish, lean chicken, and salmon. These types of proteins are easy to digest for most seniors. Other sources that may be more difficult to digest are lentils and low-fat dairy products. For older adults who have problems eating solid foods, there are a variety of high protein shakes available at most health food stores.

The Bottom Line? Protein for older adults is important for maintaining strength and muscle mass and should be combined with regular senior strength exercises and a resistance training program for best results. The good news is resistance training combined with a diet of high quality protein can have a dramatic impact on strength and muscle composition in older people which can help to reduce their risk of injury and premature death. References:Clinical Geriatrics. July 2009. pages 44-45 By Kristie Leong, MD  

Biophotonic Scans

About 1 in 3 adults suffer with hypertension or high blood pressure and is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease.

Consumption of pomegranate juice has been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure as it acts as an angiotensin converting enzyme or ACE inhibitor. Angiotensin acts to increase blood pressure by allowing the body to retain water and salt and also by acting as a vasoconstrictor.

Pomegranate contains potent polyphenols that possess many health benefits including cardio-protective and anti-cancer properties.

Source: The effects of pomegranate juice consumption on blood pressure and cardiovascular health.