The American Cancer Society has identified another super food – black rice. Black rice is most commonly found in China where it is also known as “forbidden rice”. According to Chinese legend, black rice was so rare, tasty and nutritious it could only be served to the Emperor. But now everyone can enjoy the antioxidant powers of this high iron, high fiber grain. Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than a spoonful of another popular super – blueberries. Anthocyanin antioxidants are responsible for the red, purple and blue color of many fruits, vegetables, grains and flowers and have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Other anthocyanin antioxidant rich foods include red grapes, strawberries, red wine, red cabbage, red onion, and blood orange juice. Best of all, black rice has an intense nutty flavor and has less natural sugar than blueberries. At this point black rice can be hard to find in the United States. However, now that the American Cancer Society is singing the praises of this ebony grain I am sure that it won’t be long before you start noticing black rice at your local grocery store.
I have said many times that my Good Health mission is to increase awareness. That’s why I feel compelled to tell you that in the past 5 years doctors has seen an increase in chemical burns caused by at-home vaginal bleaching creams. ??????????????? Women are using these creams to reduce the normal discoloration of their vaginal and anal area, discoloration that occurs as a result of the aging process and hormone changes from pregnancy. Of course, most women of a certain age would agree that vaginal bleaching is ridiculous. Just another one of those things, like Brazilian bikini waxes, that seem like a good idea – if you’re a porn star. But, I do worry about the crazy things young women are doing to themselves these days. It’s just not worth the possible irritation and blisters that vaginal bleaching has been known to cause. Dare to ignore this risky trend and leave your vulva as God intended.
Labor Day is the unofficial start of fall and apple season! In my opinion, you really haven’t lived until you have enjoyed a Minnesota-grown Honeycrisp apple. How fortunate that something so tasty is also so good for you. A recent study concluded that people who eat five or more apples a week have better lung function. Make the time to be good to you and your lungs -- enjoy an apple today.
And . . . make sure you let me know what you think of this month’s Good Health message by adding a comment to this post.
Good Health!
Terry
“The healthiest response to life is joy.” ~Deepak Chopra
