When it comes to seasoning food, you’ll find on every restaurant table salt and pepper. Next time, you might want to just reach for the pepper. It’s been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, but the health benefits are really being looked at and studied now.

It’s high in antioxidants which helps lessen free radical damage that leads to serious health problems like heart disease and some cancers. And it has great anti-inflammatory benefits and some antibacterial properties which researchers think may help against infectious diseases and foodborne or other drug-resistant pathogens.

Black pepper contains piperine, which in some lab studies has been found to suppress cancer cells in breast, prostate, and colon cancers. And diets high in black pepper have been found to increase high-density lipoprotein – aka the good cholesterol!

Plus, there’ve been more studies related to helping blood sugar control, nutrient absorption, and even boosting brain function.

However, don’t use too much, because you might suffer from gastrointestinal side effects; but if you keep it simple, your body may just thank you.

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If you’re worried about the calories you’ll be consuming this holiday season, you may be considering a new diet that best fits you – whether it’s simply weight loss, or how easy it is to follow, or how healthy they are overall.

But if you’re simply looking to lose weight, the Flexitarian diet may be for you.

You’ll eat lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and plant-based protein. But if you’re craving meat, you can have that too!

It’s similar to the popular Mediterranean Diet – that’s where you’ll eat lots of produce and seafood, but dairy and meat are limited.

No matter what direction you want to go in, make sure you consult with a health care provider first, but if you’re looking to make some healthy choices, the right diet is out there for you!

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When it comes to fruit, there’s few more popular at your grocery store than a banana. While most of us go for a bright yellow, some claim that when they’re brown, they’re actually healthier? So, does the color and condition of a banana matter – green, yellow, or brown – when it comes to health?

Well…yes and no. It all depends on what your health goals are.

No matter the ripeness, bananas are healthy – rich in potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamins – and they reduce risk of stroke, help muscles and bones, even clearing up allergy symptoms.

Green bananas are usually starchier, which means they have a minimal amount of sugar – so it’s a better choice for those who have, or are at risk of, type 2 diabetes. And because they’re so fiber-rich, they’ll fill you up in a healthier way.

The opposite bananas, when they get freckled and brown, are ripe to the point of nearly being spoiled, but all the starch has now turned into sugar, so it’s a good way to satisfy your dessert cravings – and you get the added boost of more antioxidants too, helping with blood pressure and cholesterol.

And if you choose a traditional, picture perfect yellow banana, that’s where you’ll find the most micronutrients. But no matter the color, there’s no right or wrong answer, it’s all what you like and what you want to accomplish for your health.

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Right about now, it’s very likely you’re really struggling to get through the last hour of the workday – and you search for some sort of pick me up. Since you need energy, you might grab an energy drink – I mean, that’s what they’re called after all!

But while you might get a quick boost, they’re usually pretty bad for you overall. Studies show that everything from your heart to your liver get negatively affected by energy drinks. But which ones should you steer clear of?

Full Throttle has so much sugar that one can of it has 10% more than you should have in total during the entire day!

Monster Energy is even worse on the sugar front, with more than double the amount that women should have daily.

And besides sugar, Red Bull certainly has caffeine, but so much of it can increase blood pressure and heart rate.

So, think twice before grabbing an energy drink when you need energy.

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