RResearch indicates that eating the right foods can not only improve your physical health, but also your mental health.
Cutting down on food "stressors" and increasing the amount of "supporters" in your diet improves your mood and positive outlook.
- Stressors include: sugar, caffeine, alcohol and chocolate.
- Supporters include: water, vegetables, fruit and oil-rich fish.
Lebanon has been blessed with a great variety of organic fruits and vegetables. Eat plenty of them on a daily bases and reduce your intake of red meat to 200 grams per week. Don't forget to enjoy locally grown nuts such as almonds, walnuts and pine nuts. Also, use Koura Olive oil for salads and cooking, in moderation, of course!
Physical exercise should also be a part of your daily activities. If you take half an hour to eat every day, make sure to also exercise for at least the same amount of time. If you are 50 years of age or above, a brisk walk at heart rate of 136 for half an hour a day is sufficient.
Benefits of certain common foods
| apples | Protects your heart | prevents constipation | Blocks diarrhea | Improves lung capacity | Cushions joints |
| apricots | Combats cancer | Controls blood pressure | Saves your eyesight | Sheilds against Alzheimer's | Slows aging process |
| artichokes | Aids digestion | Lowers cholesterol | Protects your heart | Stabilizes blood sugar | Guards against liver disease |
| avocadoes | Battles diabetes | Lowers cholesterol | Helps stops strokes | Controls blood pressure | Smoothes skin | bananas | Protects your heart | Quiets a cough | Strengthens bones | Controls blood pressure | Blocks diarrhea |
| beans | Prevents constipation | Helps hemorroids | Lowers cholesterol | Combats cancer | Stabilizes blood sugar |
| beets | Controls blood pressure | Combats cancer | Strengthens bones | Protects your heart | Aids weight loss |
| blueberries | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Stabilizes blood sugar | Boosts memory | Prevents constipation |
| broccoli | Strengthens bones | Saves eyesight | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Controls blood pressure |
| cabbage | Combats cancer | Prevents constipation | Promotes weight loss | Protects your heart | Helps hemorroids |
| canteloupe | Saves eyesight | Controls blood pressure | Lowers cholesterol | Combats cancer | Supports immune system |
| carrots | Saves eyesight | Protects your heart | Prevents constipation | Combats cancer | Promotes weight loss |
| cauliflower | Protects against Prostate Cancer | Combats Breast Cancer | Strengthens bones | Banishes bruises | Guards against heart disease |
| cherries | Protects your heart | Combats Cancer | Ends insomnia | Slows aging process | Sheilds against Alzheimer's |
| chestnuts | Promotes weight loss | Protects your heart | Lowers cholesterol | Combats Cancer | Controls blood pressure |
| chili peppers | Aids digestion | Soothes sore throat | Clears sinuses | Combats Cancer | Boosts immune system |
| figs | Promotes weight loss | Helps stops strokes | Lowers cholesterol | Combats Cancer | Controls blood pressure |
| fish | Protects your heart | Boosts memory | Protects your heart | Combats Cancer | Supports immune system |
| flax | Aids digestion | Battles diabetes | Protects your heart | Improves mental health | Boosts immune system |
| garlic | Lowers cholesterol | Controls blood pressure | Combats cancer | kills bacteria | Fights fungus |
| grapefruit | Protects against heart attacks | Promotes Weight loss | Helps stops strokes | Combats Prostate Cancer | Lowers cholesterol |
| grapes | saves eyesight | Conquers kidney stones | Combats cancer | Enhances blood flow | Protects your heart |
| green tea | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Helps stops strokes | Promotes Weight loss | Kills bacteria |
| honey | Heals wounds | Aids digestion | Guards against ulcers | Increases enery | Fights allergies |
| lemons | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Controls blood pressure | Smoothes skin | Stops scurvy |
| Limes | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Controls blood pressure | Smoothes skin | Stops scurvy |
| mangoes | Combats cancer | Boosts memory | Regulates thyroid | aids digestion | Sheilds against Alzheimer's |
| mushrooms | Controls blood pressure | Lowers cholesterol | Kills bacteria | Combats cancer | Strengthens bones |
| oats | Lowers cholesterol | Combats cancer | Battles diabetes | prevents constipation | Smoothes skin |
| olive oil | Protects your heart | Promotes Weight loss | Combats cancer | Battles diabetes | Smoothes skin |
| onions | Reduce risk of heart attack | Combats cancer | Kills bacteria | Lowers cholesterol | Fights fungus |
| oranges | Supports immune systems | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Stregthens respiration | |
| peaches | prevents constipation | Combats cancer | Helps stops strokes | aids digestion | Helps hemorroids |
| peanuts | Protects against heart disease | Promotes Weight loss | Combats Prostate Cancer | Lowers cholesterol | Aggravates diverticulitis |
| pineapple | Strengthens bones | Relieves colds | Aids digestion | Dissolves warts | Blocks diarrhea |
| prunes | Slows aging process | prevents constipation | boosts memory | Lowers cholesterol | Protects against heart disease |
| rice | Protects your heart | Battles diabetes | Conquers kidney stones | Combats cancer | Helps stops strokes |
| strawberries | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | boosts memory | Calms stress | |
| sweet potatoes | Saves your eyesight | Lifts mood | Combats cancer | Strengthens bones | |
| tomatoes | Protects prostate | Combats cancer | Lowers cholesterol | Protects your heart | |
| walnuts | Lowers cholesterol | Combats cancer | boosts memory | Lifts mood | Protects against heart disease |
| water | Promotes Weight loss | Combats cancer | Conquers kidney stones | Smooths skin | |
| watermelon | Protects prostate | Promotes Weight loss | Lowers cholesterol | Helps stops strokes | Controls blood pressure |
| wheat germ | Combats Colon Cancer | prevents constipation | Lowers cholesterol | Helps stops strokes | improves digestion |
| wheat bran | Combats Colon Cancer | prevents constipation | Lowers cholesterol | Helps stops strokes | improves digestion |
| yogurt | Guards against ulcers | Strengthens bones | Lowers cholesterol | Supports immune systems | Aids digestion |
This lovely mountain resort town is perched above the eastern end of
the beautiful Kadisha Gorge and at the foothills of the Cedars of Lebanon.
It is the brith place of Lebanon's most famous author
Khalil Gibran. It has a small museum which pays tribute to him.
Beiteddine palace was built over a period of thirty years by Emir Bechir Chehab II.
It's architecture reflects the typical oriental architecture of the 19th century Ottoman Era.
It is remarkable for its glamorous
arcades, multicolored mosaic floors, reception rooms, harems, hammams
and even by its guest house "Diyafa" where passing guests were lodged
(French poet Lamartine stayed once there).
Detail of the Sarcophagus of Ahiram, king of Byblos, seated
on a cherub throne, before an offering table, 13th century B.C (National Museum of Beirut).
Around 1200 B.C. the scribes of Byblos developed an alphabetic phonetic script, the precursor of our modern
alphabet. By 800 B.C., it had traveled to Greece, changing forever the way man communicated.
Located in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, Baalbek is an ancient city
that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally
Canaanite (3rd century BC), the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines,
and Arabs successively occupied Ba'albek and left their imprints on the
place, often modifying what existed previously.



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