lycopene

No backyard barbecue would be complete without some refreshing watermelon. This Summer fruit has more to offer than the raw material for a seed spitting contest. Here are five great things about watermelon:

1. Red, juicy watermelon is high in the super antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene can be found in few other red and pink foods, including tomatoes and pink grapefruit, and it looks like it might play a significant role in preventing certain kinds of cancer.
2. Watermelon is beneficial to the skin and aids in the regenerative process. Eating the melon has benefits, but you can make a toner with it too. What else are you going to do with all the post BBQ melon?
3. This red melon is a low calorie food and one cup of melon balls contains just under 50 calories. It is also high in vitamin C.

To see if watermelon is nature's Viagra, just read more

Tomatoes might just be my favorite "veggie that is really a fruit." And now I have yet another reason to love them. It appears that eating tomatoes can improve the skins ability to protect against UV rays, which can cause premature aging of the skin as well as skin cancer. Although the study was quite small, involving only 20 volunteers, the results are promising. Ten volunteers ate 55 grams (just shy of two ounces) of tomato paste with 10 grams of olive oil daily, while another 10 volunteers ate 10 grams of olive oil daily. After three months, the tomato group had 33 percent more protection against sunburn (like wearing a very low factor sunscreen) and considerably higher levels of procollagen, which gives the skin its structure and keeps it firm.

Researchers believe that the antioxidant lycopene gives tomatoes their healthy edge. Good news is that concentrations of lycopene increase when tomatoes are cooked. So bring on the red sauce!

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Barbecue season has basically come to an end and pizza is taking over now. While we may be tempted to order a meat lover's pizza with extra cheese (this is NOT on the Atkins Diet by the way), we should rethink our topping choices so we can still have our pizza and enjoy it too! Plus, besides pizza being yummy, it can also be really good for you (think lycopene in the tomato sauce and veggies galore).

Here are some fabulous ideas from MSN for keeping your pizza healthy and tasty:

• Vegetables are by far the best topping for a pizza and offer a wide range of options. Experiment with different varieties such as green and red peppers, zucchini, broccoli, or be adventurous and pick a fruity topping like pineapple or mango.
• Cheese belongs to the Milk and Alternatives food group and is an excellent source of calcium and protein. Keep the fat content to a reasonable amount by ordering regular cheese, rather than "double." (I personally like to order "light" cheese, most pizza guys will know what you mean.)
• Meat is a source of protein - and fat. Leaner choices are chicken and ham. Typically, pepperoni is leaner than beef and sausage. Multi-meat pizzas contain high levels of fat, calories and salt.
• Crusts made from whole wheat or multi grain are more nutritious. They deliver a boost of fiber and fewer calories than traditional dough crusts.

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I know buying salsa in a jar is so easy, but it doesn't have nearly as many vitamins as when you make it with fresh ingredients. Once you have all the ingredients, whipping up a batch of your own salsa is simple, delicious, and always a hit at a BBQ.

This salsa is made with tomato (a great source of the antioxidant lycopene) and all kinds of delicious fresh fruits. I love it because it's so juicy and refreshing on a summer's day. It's a much better alternative to downing a ton of greasy potato chips and fattening dip, and much tastier in my opinion.


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If you want to see the recipe then read more

When the nights are warm, I always wake up craving something cool for breakfast. Grapefruit from the fridge is one of my top choices because it's so tangy, juicy, and refreshing - it really energizes me.

Not only do I love the taste, but grapefruit offers many health benefits. It acts as an excellent cleanser for the digestive and urinary tract, and promotes healthy skin.

Grapefruit is also rich in Vitamin C which supports a healthy immune system, and may help to reduce cold or flu symptoms. Vitamin C also helps to reduce inflammatory conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Drinking grapefruit juice can reduce your risk of kidney stones and helps protect against lung and colon cancer. Grapefruit also contains pectin, a form of soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol.

Isn't that amazing? With all that said, I was wondering if there was a difference between white and pink or red grapefruit. Is one healthier for you? To find out read more

Grapefruit is packed with disease-fighting antioxidants, lycopene, vitamin C and fiber. In fact, half a grapefruit provides 110% of the recommended value for vitamin C and contains more than 60 phytonutrients, which health experts believe help your body battle heart disease, cancer and other maladies -- a high level of pectin found in the fruit may also help you maintain healthy levels of cholesterol.

With health in mind, the Florida Grapefruit for Your Best Life Chef Recipe Contest was born! The contest was hosted by The Florida Department of Citrus and Bob Greene (Oprah's personal trainer) -- Together, they sought out recipes that bring flavor and good health together using grapefruit and fit the health criteria of The Best Life Diet (Bob's book).

And the winning recipe is...
Florida Grapefruit and Jerk-Grilled Chicken with Arugula Salad by Chef Matthew Laman (pictured)

To read the recipe, read more