Lemons and their juice have been used for many homeopathic remedies for many years. Not only does consuming lemon juice support normal bodily functions but the smell of lemon provides revitalization.

•    Anti-bacterial properties
•    Anti-fungal properties
•    Supports normal blood pressure
•    Used as a diuretic
•    Supports normal gastrointestinal functionality (keeps you regular)
•    Supports a normal respiratory system
•    Supports a normal immune system
•    Can help with acne and eczema
•    Stimulates brain activity (focus and concentration – lemon smell)
•    Supports natural weight loss through detoxification

Lemon juice is also known for helping people rehydrate after they have suffered heat stroke. The cooling effects of lemon juice help the body regulate its temperate back down to a normal level. Additionally, travelers and explorers have used lemon scent and lemons to boost themselves up when fatigue sets in.

Lemons are a powerful little fruit and fairly inexpensive. Go to your local grocery store and pick up a few lemons to keep on hand. Who would of thought that such a common, small citrus fruit could do so much for us?

Yours in Health,

MannaLife International

Sweet potatoes are more than just a carbohydrate. They have some very beneficial add-ons.

•    Natural source for vitamin B6
•    Natural source for vitamin C
•    Natural source for vitamin D
•    Natural source for iron
•    Natural source for magnesium
•    Natural source for vitamin A
•    Support normal insulin levels
•    Anti-inflammatory
•    Support normal blood sugar levels
•    Natural source for fiber
•    Low calorie food – great for dieters

Sweet potatoes have been around in Central America for over 10,000 years and is one of the oldest known vegetables that man has a history of consuming. They come in a rainbow assortment from  light orange  to purple in color and have a sweet, distinct taste thus awarding them the name of sweet potato. Most commercial grown sweet potatoes come from China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, India, and Uganda. Not to mention there are over 400 varieties of sweet potatoes.

We here at MannaLife International are sweet potato fans. A great way to cook them is in the oven on 450 degrees for about an hour. Then simply add a little salt and pepper and you practically have an entire meal!

Yours In Health,

MannaLife International

Used as early as the 1800′s,early American homeopathic physicians were using it a supplementary agent to support a healthy heart and is considered one of the top heart conscious herbs out there in the supplement market. The hawthorne berry has been identified to contain oligomeric procyanidins or OPC’s. This element is found in many of the ingredients used in MannaFeast™ including green tea, bilberry, blackberry, and black currants just to name a few.

Other potential supportive benefits include:

•    Antioxidant
•    Anti-Aging properties
•    Supports normal cholesterol levels
•    Supports normal heart function
•    Support normal blood pressure

Basically this herb helps to increase the circulation in your body. The medical industry likes to classify this herb as a vasodilator. Hawthorne berry helps the  blood vessels widen and relax. When this occurs, the blood flow naturally increases because there is less vascular residence. Now this happens normally with your body for many different reasons but because the American diet is so laden with high sugar, high fat foods (85% of the US population being overweight) our bodies may not react as quickly or at all leading to health complications.

So you can see that the American population may need a little extra support. Take a longer look at the hawthorne berry and see if it’s a supplement that may help support reaching your ultimate health goals.

Yours In Health,

MannaLife International

•    Natural source of Vitamin C
•    Supports a normal immune system
•    Anti-carcinogenic properties
•    Anti-inflammatory properties
•    Diabetic Friendly Food
•    Antioxidant

Strawberries and really, all the berry groupings we have been talking about over the past weeks have some surprisingly “behind the scenes” benefits.  Fresh fruit and vegetables are generally vastly under estimated for their nutritional value, density and contribution to you overall well being. Check out the breakdown for a cup of strawberries:

Calories: 50
Protein 1 g
Fat 0.6 g
Carbohydrates 11 g
Sugar 7 g
Fiber 3.5 g
Iron 0.6 mg
Sodium 2 mg
Calcium 22 mg
Phosphate 30 mg
Riboflavine 0.1 mg
Vitamin C 85 mg
Potassium 240 mg
Zinc 0.2 mg
Niacin 0.4 mg
Vitamin B6 92 mcg
Folate 34 mcg

It amazes us every time take a deeper look at one of MannaLife Internationals whole food concentrate ingredients. The concept of taking all these foods with all these additional holistic benefits and putting them into one, easy to use and great tasting supplement makes it a no-brainer when it comes to making a great supplement decision for your family.

Just like the 70′s commercial about Life cereal stated years ago, “Try it, you’ll like it!”

Yours In Health,

MannaLife International

What has been associated with using black currants through homeopathic remedies? Well take a quick peek:

•    Been used as a diuretic
•    Anti-inflammatory
•    Anti-bacterial
•    Anti-carcinogenic
•    Anti-aging
•    Antioxidant

There are a lot of “anti’s” in the list above, we know.

But part of the reason why they are such a naturally supportive superfood is because they contain high fruit to vitamin ratio’s of vitamin C as well as a whole laundry list of other vitamins and minerals. For example; 100 grams of fresh currants will give you around 300% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C. Black currants also have Vitamin A and Beta Carotene in them. Not to mention Vitamin B5, B6, B1, copper, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, and potassium.

And you can use black currants in almost anything they are a very versatile little fruit. According to the Black Currant Foundation out of  the British Isles, you can make smoothies, jams, dressings, use them a seasoning on meats, create decadent sauces, deserts like tortes, crème brulee, and cheesecake!

Don’t take this unassuming fruit for granted. Black currants can provide you with a supportive whole food resource chocked full of natural vitamins and minerals.

Yours in Health,

MannaLife International

Raspberries are actually a very delicate fruit. They should only be used a few days after ripening to get the maximum benefits from them. They are generally available year round but their peak season runs from June to October. Raspberries are great for baking and snacking and even on a salad!

Surprisingly one cup of fresh raspberries provides you with over 50% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C.  But the benefits don’t stop there, these red (also comes in black and yellow) berries pack quick a punch in such a small and colorful package.

•    Low calorie, low fat whole food
•    Xylitol is actually extracted from raspberries which is a sugar substitute
•    Considered a antioxidant not only because it contains Vitamin C but also contains Vitamin A , E, B and K
•    Are a heart healthy fruit because they contain potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese
•    Supports normal eye functionality

Raspberries have a long history that even trace back to prehistoric times. They were first used in medicinal practices back in 1548. Fresh raspberries are great to freeze too but they do tend to defrost a bit mushy so if you do freeze them use them in a baking dish or with another food.

Some people are very allergic to raspberries so before you eat anything that has them in it check with your medical practitioner to see if you can eat them without causing yourself any harm.

Yours In Health,

MannaLife International

PS. Happy Leap Year from MannaLife International

Cranberries are native to North America. These festive red berries were a source of food, nourishment, and dye to the Native Americans.  The Native Americans called what we know as the cranberry, the Sassamanash.

Cranberries and the consumption of both cranberries themselves and/or cranberry juice will deliver additional benefits that support overall well being.

•    Natural anti-inflammatory
•    Supports healthy cholesterol levels
•    Supports the buildup of plaque (on your teeth)
•    Contains Proanthocyanidins that have anti-adhesion properties (associated with bacteria adhesion)
•    Considered an antioxidant
•    Supports a healthy heart

Regular consumption of cranberry juice or eating cranberries on a regular basis has been studied and researched by well known universities such as Harvard Medical School and Rutgers University. Their preliminary findings show , and continue to show, that cranberries are a natural whole food that supports your overall health in the various categories listed above.

Fresh cranberries are always the preferred and recommended way to consume them.  MannaLife International always recommends to get fresh and local whole foods before referring to supplementation. But as most fruit is seasonal, cranberry season is from September to December, you sometimes can’t always get fresh resources all year long.

That’s why MannaLife International developed MannaFeast™ one of the most comprehensive fruit and vegetable supplements on the market today. Our dehydration process maintains the nutritional integrity of each ingredient we use.

You can’t get much closer to the nutritional value other than eating it fresh.

Yours in Health,

MannaLife International

The history of Elderberry is relatively new compared to some of the other superfruits we use in our MannaFeast formula. Elderberries were listed as a medicinal herb in 1985. An in somewhat recent history, elderberry juice was used to alleviate flu symptoms in Panama in 1995. But elderberries have additional medicinal benefits including:

•    Antioxidant/Anti-aging
•    Supports normal cholesterol levels
•    Supports eye health
•    Supports normal immune system
•    Support a healthy heart
•    Natural antibacterial
•    Excellent ‘detoxifier’
•    Supports normal bowel functionality

Almost every part of this plant has been used in medicinal practices; the flowers, the bark, the leaves, and of course the berries. The flowers and berries of the elderberry plant have also been made into topical creams that are used to help reduce inflammation.

You do need to take cautionary steps with elderberries though. They are not to be eaten raw and need to be cooked first. That rule applies to all parts of the elderberry. It is an evolved plant that has a defense mechanism of making the consumer of any raw parts of the plant sick. Eating raw elderberry can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

That’s why MannaLife International makes sure that we only dehydrate our elderberries AFTER they have been naturally processed in a way that retains their nutritional value but negates the potential toxicity of the raw plant.

You may think to yourself, “Why even risk including the plant in your supplement if in its raw form it’s considered toxic?” We know it’s hard to wrap your mind around a fruit that needs to be cooked to ensure its safe to eat. But think of it as the “meat” of the fruit world. You should always cook your meat right? Undercooked meat is just as dangerous and potentially toxic to our bodies as what we mentioned above about the elderberry.

So while we feel it’s important to mention this to you today so you are knowledgeable about the elderberry, don’t let it scare you. Just remember what we told you, “Elderberries are the meat of the fruit world.”

Yours in Health,

MannaLife International

And why are we talking about bilberries?

Well, if you didn’t catch on by now that’s ok, MannaLife International includes bilberries in their MannaFeast™  which is our fruit and vegetable supplement. And like all the other ingredients, they have additional benefits but we want to focus on one particular benefit for this article today.

That’s the fact that bilberries contain a considerable amount of anthocyanosides in them. Anthocyanosides are naturally occurring chemical compounds that control the pigment of the plant. These pigments have been studied to show that they aid the body in fortifying blood vessel walls which help with keeping blood vessels and capillaries flexible.

So what?

For those of us out there that don’t eat a diet rich in whole foods and fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats our diets are high in fat and cholesterol.

Cholesterol sticks to the walls of our circulatory system. Cholesterol is sticky stuff! Anyway, it sticks to the walls and then our bodies calcify the fat deposits as an attempt to eliminate it. But because of our instant gratification society, we continue to feed our bodies these high fatty foods and it just keeps building up and building up until we find ourselves with a health challenge.

Ideally, the body calcifies it to get rid of it because its programmed to do so thinking that you’ll only be subjecting your body to high fat intake for a little while. Once the onslaught of high fat intake is over the calcification breaks away and it is flushed out of the system naturally. But if the fat intake never stops… it never has a chance to “clean itself” and it keeps building up.

Your self-cleaning mechanism becomes obsolete.

Let’s tie this all back to bilberries shall we?

The bilberry helps keep your vascular system flexible via the anthocyanosides naturally within them. The more flexible your blood vessels, capillaries, etc., are the less likely cholesterol will be able to stick and build up. And if it does, that flexibility will help your body detach and expel that build up allowing your blood to flow where it needs to be and hopefully avoiding any health challenges.

Now of course you just can’t eat bilberries and expect 100% vascular flexibility to follow. Remember, this is just one piece to the puzzle. We also recommend that you monitor your diet, each plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. You also need to drink plenty of water and exercise regularly. Performing all these together will exponentially increase the potential of you reaching your ideal health goals.

Yours in Health,

MannaLife International

Blueberries are an amazing little fruit. They are a low calorie fruit that contains no fat yet they are packed with nutrients. The nutrient density ( the ratio between nutrients to calories) of blueberries is ranked as one of the top three in the fruit and vegetable category.

Just one cup of fresh blueberries delivers around 25% of your recommended vitamin C daily intake (around 14 mg). But that’s not all they do:

•    Side note: Vitamin C support collagen formation and helps the body absorb iron
•    Excellent source of dietary fiber
•    Support normal heart health
•    Supports normal bone health
•    Supports normal cholesterol levels
•    Have anti-carcinogenic properties
•    Support normal memory functionality
•    Have anti-bacterial properties
•    Of course, is considered an antioxidant

Blueberries season is the summertime (July is the peak) but you can get fresh blueberries all year long depending on where you live.

Add some blueberries to your yogurt or cottage cheese in the morning and give yourself a tasty treat and vitamin C infusion at the same time!

Yours in Health,

MannaLife International