7 Food Storage Tips to Help Retain Nutrients

Fresh fruits and veggies are packed with phytonutrients (organic components of plants thought to promote human health) and vitamins. But fruits and veggies can quickly lose these valuable nutrients if they are not stored properly. It's the perfect time to take stock of your fruit and veggie larder.

Did you know that in some instances, frozen veggies may actually have more vitamins than fresh veggies that have been sitting on a store shelf for a week or more. How long have your perishables been sitting? Next time you head out for groceries, consider your local farmer's market first. Fruits and veggies at the farmer's market are often harvested and sold the same day.

Here are 7 food storage tips to help retain nutrients in your fruits and veggies:

1. Keep veggies covered and chilled.
2. Don’t soak your veggies.
3. Don’t keep food hot for too long, as vitamin levels will start to fall within a few minutes.
4. Store your fruits and veggies at the bottom of the refrigerator or in a cool, dark cupboard.
5. Store bananas away from other fruits, which will help keep them from ripening too fast.
6. Don't sore bananas in the refrigerator.
7. Refrigerate prepared juices and store them for no more than 2 or 3 days.
   

Do you have food storage tips to share? We'd love to hear from you. Post your best tips as a comment and on the ACHSedu wall here http://www.facebook.com/ACHSedu.

@ACHSedu Top Tweets from 2010

Over the last year, Twitter reportedly grew by more than 100 million users. That's a whole lot of 140-character-long thoughts and ideas sharing about.

We know there are a lot of health resources to choose from, and we want to thank you for loyally following ACHS tweets to learn what's new in health and wellness.

As part of our year in review, here are 10 of our top tweets shared by @ACHSedu in 2010! (They're in no particular order.) Some got the most clicks. Some reflect important world developments. Some sparked sentiments and sharing with you. For your 2011 wellness stories, health tips, and lifestyle suggestions, follow us at @ACHSedu!

1. Reading about New York's effort to seek a national reduction of salt in food. Average American consumes 3,400-3,500 mg/day http://ow.ly/W59B

2. Obama's Statement on the earthquake in Haiti has been posted to YouTube. Find out what U.S. relief efforts are planned http://ow.ly/W4tC

3. Haiti earthquake relief: How to help. Here's a list of organizations working to provide basic needs and health care http://ow.ly/WsW4

4. Good tips from Massage Today about how to use essential oils to go green for a healthier office http://ow.ly/Wu2Q and http://ow.ly/Wu2R

5. Added new article to wikiHow, "How to Make a Decoction." Learn how to make your own herbal teas to support optimal health http://ow.ly/W5kr

6. 20 ways to get healthier for free (or pretty cheap). Download free holistic health info http://ow.ly/WRjv Get tips here http://ow.ly/WRjw

7. Great article on growing $700 worth of produce in a small garden: http://ow.ly/1aXxl Free gardening classes at ACHS start next month!

8. The ACHS Holistic Kitchen .... recipe for how to make baked kale, dandelion coffee, fresh tomato sauce from the garden http://ow.ly/30XuM

9. Posted new Photo of the Week. Can you identify the herb? Thank you Shelli Johnson for sharing your pic with us all! http://ow.ly/2KucX #herb

10. Have you seen Numen?It's the first feature-length film to explore traditional herbal medicine use in the US http://ow.ly/2GVXa #herbs#health

November is American Diabetes Month: Cinnamon May Help Regulate Blood Glucose

For those who follow us on Twitter (ACHSedu), you already know that November is American Diabetes Month. Sponsored by the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Month raises awareness for diabetes prevention and the new Stop Diabetes movement. How will you help stop diabetes?

As part of your diabetes education, check out the recent study in the Diabetic Medicine journal exploring the potential use of cinnamon in regulating blood glucose and blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes. Who knew of of the oldest traditional plants used for digestive troubles (and for culinary and flavoring purposes), may also help with type 2 diabetes!

The October study "Glycated haemoglobin and blood pressure-lowering effect of cinnamon in multi-ethnic Type 2 diabetic patients in the UK: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial" tested 58 patients with type 2 diabetes and concluded that: "The intake of 2 g of cinnamon for 12 weeks showed reduction in HbA1c levels, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure within patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. These results indicate that cinnamon should be considered in addition to standard therapy to regulate blood glucose and blood pressure levels to treat patients with type 2 diabetes."

READ more about the Diabetic Medicine study HERE.

* This information is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. You should always consult with your primary care physician before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.