• Zeaxanthin = has been shown to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 50.
  
• Lutein = other carotenoid that's also shown to play a key role in AMD prevention. Leafy green vegetables are the best sources of lutein, while zeaxanthin is most plentiful in yellow corn, orange pepper, squash, mango, honeydew, broccoli, and egg yolks.
  
• Lycopene (which gives tomatoes, watermelons and pink grapefruit their red color) is well known mostly due to studies that have shown this carotenoid to offer protection against breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers, as well as heart disease.
  

• USDA study (5 yrs. ago) revealed that three cups of diced watermelon, taken daily, may result in blood serum lycopene and beta-carotene concentrations that are five times higher than in people who don't get a good intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Or put some heat under a tomato. Studies have shown that the body absorbs lycopene from tomatoes more efficiently when tomato dishes are heated.
  
• Some studies have also suggested that eating cooked tomatoes along with a source of fat – such as cheese or meat – may improve lycopene absorption as well.

This of course is a myth. Too much can kill you, even a gallon of water a day is too much, the old 8- 8 oz. treatment works.

• Human beings are made up of around 75 per cent water. Two thirds of our bodily water is found inside our cells, with the rest between the cells and in our blood.
• Water provides the medium in which all the body's chemical reactions take place and the solution in which foodstuffs are dissolved and transported. It helps regulate our body temperature through sweating.
• A 2 percent loss in the water surrounding our cells can result in a 20 per cent drop in energy levels. That's how important water is for us.
• Water is the most vital requirement for human life. While our bodies can survive without food for around three weeks, without water we can only live for three days.

• Dr Keith Barnard, GP, says, "The body tries desperately hard to retain water if there is no intake, so hardly any urine is passed. If a person is in a normal temperature and not exposed to the wind they could probably last longer than three days - maybe as long as a week."
• On average, your body loses 1-1.5 litres of water a day. If someone is undertaking a lot of activity, and therefore breathing and sweating more, they would lose more.
• Dr Barnard says: “It is not essential to always drink a set amount regardless of circumstances. The body is very good at regulating water. If you drink too much, your body will get rid of the excess, so you will pass urine more often and it will look almost clear. If you don't drink enough, your body will save water by concentrating your urine, which will look darker, and your brain will tell you that you need more water by making you feel thirsty.”
• Another thing to keep in mind is that water is found in fruits, vegetables, milk and juices. Water from these sources will go some way to meeting your daily requirements, so people do not need to drink a full eight glasses of water on top of this
• Macrobiotic cook and teacher Bob Lloyd says, "The type of foods we [people following a macrobiotic diet] eat contain a lot of water and are less dehydrating, therefore there is less need to drink."
• A reasonable water intake can help with weight loss. We need around half a cup of water for every 100 calories we burn.
• Dr Roger Henderson, GP, explains, “Drinking before eating may help you lose weight because the brain can generate energy from water and food. When water is used instead of food then none is stored as fat - as is the case with unused food - and excess water passes out of the body with no weight gain.”The minimum figures for the body's daily water loss are 500ml through urine and 700ml through breathing and sweating.Doctors advise that to be on the safe side we should drink at least 1.2 litres of liquids (2.5 pints).

Bottom Line: So, remember, although water is essential, you don't need to become obsessed about drinking eight glasses a day.

• The problem with hamburgers is that man has so altered the cow by feeding it grain instead of grass, by giving it chemicals to grow faster, by injecting an untold number of chemicals into the soil that the cow’s food comes from that commercial ground beef can be very unhealthy. There are alternatives to commercial ground beef however.
• Grass Fed Beef is a good alternative because the cow is eating what God intended it to eat and that is grass. Also, the grass that the cow is eating is not treated with chemicals or insecticides.
• Bison is another good alternative. Most people don’t know this about bison, but it has less fat and cholesterol than skinless chicken breasts. Ground bison tastes fantastic.
• There are some practical ways to make hamburgers less fattening…
• Consider eating your hamburger on an open-faced bun. This will reduce 50% of the calories from bread.
• Another practical way to reduce calories is to not have cheese and to replace the mayonnaise with mustard or even ketchup. This could eliminate almost 300 calories from the hamburger.
  

• When you eat a sandwich open-faced, especially a cooked sandwich, you reduce a good number of the calories and especially the starchy calories.
• Another healthy byproduct of eating an open-faced sandwich is that it usually requires you to cut each bite. When you are cutting each bite you are chewing the previous bite longer, thus getting more enzyme activity promoting better digestion.