The Metabolism Boosting Properties of Asparagus

Organic asparagus is widely available that is now in season so be sure to take advantage of the supremely nutritious, detoxifying and metabolism boosting properties of this vegetable offers people. It so packed with nutrition it is ideal for those trying to maintain a hormonally balanced and healthy diet.

Asparagus is now widely grown commercial all over the world in the United States, Australia, Peru and China but it is best to by locally from an organic farmer if at all possible.  Steam it until it is soft and then season with salt, pepper and your favorite fruit vinegar.

The Asparagus Story

Asparagus is a common garden vegetable, but exotic versions also grow wild and can be foraged in some areas of the world.   Asparagus has long been recognized for its nutritious qualities and it was served up as delicacy to ancient Greeks and Romans. 

The asparagus is technically a lily that belongs in the illaceae family, which includes daffodils, tulips, but also sulphuric alliums like onion and garlic.  The plant is usually grown from a seedling and when it matures, it can reach feet in height.  The most nutritious edible asparagus spears first appear at the base of the plant in early May and continue growing throughout most of the summer.

White asparagus, by the way, is not really white. These delicate looking spears result when farmers cover emerging shirts with dirt to prevent them from turning green.  This is done because asparagus spears that spend too much in the sun tend to be less tasty and tougher.  When shaded from light the asparagus spear develops a delicate taste that is reminiscent of mushrooms. When young the shoots also tend to be purple or reddish in color.  So when you buy purple asparagus, it is likely that you are buying younger, tender shoots.

 Asparagus is Highly Nutritious

Asparagus has the overall effect of boosting your metabolism because it is such an effective cleanser and body builder.  Here is a quick look at the many benefits of consuming this vegetable.

Asparagus is the ideal diet food. Just 100 grams, or about six medium sized spears, provides just 20 calories while at the same time providing high amounts of vitamin and fibre. 

Asparagus cleans out the digestive and cardiovascular systems.  Asparagus is one of those vegetables that has several beneficial effects to both your heart and stomach because it is super-high in fibre with 2.1 grams per six spears.  Dietary fibre cleans the colon, decreases LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and helps balance blood sugar.

Asparagus is rich in folates and B vitamins. Folates rev the metabolism by helping cell DNA in cells breathe and regenerate themselves and asparagus shoots are one of the few vegetables to contain a complete B-vitamin complex.

Asparagus is also very high in antioxidants.  The shoots provide about 35% of the RDA of Vitamin K and high amounts of the synergistic combination of A, C and E.

Asparagus is high in minerals. The young shoots are especially rich in copper, iron, calcium, potassium, manganese and phosphorus.

Finally, realize that this is an alkaline food that helps balance out the kind of acidosis in your system that can cause disruptions to your metabolism and weight gain. The vegetables fibrous bulk acts like a little broom, sweeping out all debris out of your system so it can operate more efficiently.

Healthy and Active - The Metabolism Program for Weight Loss and Energy, A client perspective

Here is a fantastic testimonial from one of our naturopathic doctors from one of her female clients  in Toronto using the Healthy and Active Program:

I came to ***** Natural Health Centre with an abundance of issues.

I felt tired all the time, had low energy, my joints in my whole body were achy, I suffered from PMS, hot flashes, anxiety, depression, heart palpitations and I didn't sleep well.

My family doctor had gone through all routine checks and had found nothing wrong with me.

In addition, I was about 60lbs overweight. Although I was counting calories and tried to exercise, my weight seemed to increase slowly but steadily.

At *****I was first introduced to the "Healthy and Active Program". Through identifying which foods my body needs and which foods I have to avoid, and changing my diet, I quickly started to recover. I had energy again, my joints stopped aching, hot flashes, anxiety and depression went away, and I could sleep well through the night again. I also lost about 15 lbs over the next three months by just following the "Healthy and Active Program".

To get my weight problems further under control, ******Natural Health suggested the "HCG Protocol". The first round of this program helped me to lose 22 lbs in about four weeks. By following the "Healthy and Active Program" afterwards, I could easily keep the weight off.

I just finished my second round of the "HCG Protocol", which brought my weight down another 26 lbs.

With the two programs ******Natural Health Centre helped me to feel healthy and well again. I could not be happier. "THANKS" to all the wonderful staff at ******Natural Health Centre and the Healthy and Active program

C.F. from Ajax, Ontario, Canada

Now this is one of many, many success stories that let's therapist's know how easy it is to incorporate the Health and Active Program into any medical practice, and for those of us interested in the program for weight loss one woman's story is a source for much inspiration !!

Boost your Metabolism and Loose weight with Juicing

Juicing 101,  tips for getting more fruits and veggies in your diet

There is no doubt that juicing holds the benefits of increasing our fruit and vegetable concentration in the diet not to mention all the great minerals and vitamins it provides; I am always recommending daily smoothies to patients because they are a easy and simple way to up your intake of high quality and nutritious food. They also make you feel positive towards starting your day off with something nutritious and healthy

Which fruits and vegetables should you juice? 

There are no rules on what and what not to juice but there are a few guidelines that are useful to follow. First of all it's better to juice vegetables than it is to juice fruit. This is because fruits are much higher in sugar and when they are juiced the sugar is isolated from the fruit fiber. When isolated sugar is consumed it enters our blood stream much faster because it does not have the fiber to help slow it's absorption. High spikes in blood sugar are not good for our bodies ability to maintain a consistent blood sugar level and can lead to issues such as insulin resistance and diabetes. Stick to juicing fresh vegetables and only add in a few fruits here and there to help make the juice taste a bit sweeter. 

Michael Rahman, N.D. and Jamie Smellie, N.D.