Researchers tested pomegranate juice against other polyphenol-containing beverages (like red wine, orange juice, blueberry juice acai berry juice) and discovered that 100 percent pomegranate juice has the highest polyphenol content and the most of every type of antioxidant of any beverage.

It may reduce your risk for cancer and heart disease and other degenerative diseases. It may also promote and preserve healthy skin against UV radiation.

Pomegranates also contain vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, calcium, selenium and fiber.

An average pomegranate weighing 154 g has 104 calories, 1.5 g pro, no fat and is very low in sodium.

If you’d rather not deal with picking off the pesky seeds, you may take advantage of the fruits of someone else’s labor. The nutritional profiles are not all the same, but there are lots of more convenient products to choose from.

PomWonderful Juice is probably the most recognizable drink out there and is a dense source of potent antioxidants.

8 oz. glass: 160 calories, 0 g fat, 10 mg sodium, 40 g total carbs, 0 g protein. But, if you’d like to be even more efficient with your drinking, make your a.m. coffee fix an antioxidant rich one too.

POMx Iced Coffee combines Rainforest Alliance Italian-roasted coffee beans, fat free milk and a a proprietary blend of pomegranate extract (Pomx), without the pomegranate juice taste. A 10.5 oz bottle of cafe au lait, chocolate and vanilla weigh in at 190 calories, 160 mg sodium, 49 g total carbs (30 g sugar, 10 g sugar alcohol), 10g protein.

For a lower calorie option, try Hint Premium Essence Water Pomegranate-Tangerine. This sugar free drink is infused with all-natural fruit and has no aftertaste. 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g carbs, 0 g protein.

For a spiked option, try HINT’s Falling for the Pom Pom:

Falling for the Pom-Pom
2.5 Ounces Citrus Vodka
2 Ounces Pomegranate-Tangerine HINT
1 Ounce Triple Sec

Bigelow Green Tea with Pomegranate provides a double boost of antioxidants–from the tea as well as the fruit infusion. 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g carbs, 0 g protein.

If you’d rather eat your antioxidants, try Das Foods’ Fab-O-Pom lollipops. They contain concentrated pomegranate extract and a fragrant orange oil with just a taste of orange zest. 1 lollipop is 30 calories, 0g fat, 7g total carbohydrate, 0g protein.

The red fruit isn’t just reserved for fancy fruit platters. Protein-rich Chobani Pomegranate Yogurt works both for breakfast and as an afternoon snack. One 6oz. container: 140 calories, 0 g fat, 21 g total carb, 75 mg sodium, 14 g of protein.

Because you can’t take this fruit on-the-go, pack a NuGo Organic Nutrition Bar, Dark Chocolate Pomegranate. This all-natural good source of vitamins and nutrients (Vit A, C, E, B12, Ca, Iron) doesn’t contain any hydrogenated oils or trans fatty acids. 1 serving (1.76-ounce bar): 190 calories, 5 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 26 g total carbs, 60 mg sodium, 190 mg potassium, 2 g fiber, 10 g protein.

At 50 calories a Tbs., Crofter’s Organic Pomegranate Jelly may have a few more calories per serving than other types of jelly, but it has the added benefit of being all natural, organic, and Fair Trade Certified and has a high concentration of real fruit.

Your digestive system doesn’t have to do all the work. Try using Pomega5 Green Tea Skin Detox Kit on your skin. This combination beauty treatment contains Omega 5 (an essential oil for skin) and antioxidants. Packaged in an eco-friendly green organza bag, the kit includes: Verbena Green Tea Cleansing Bar, Green Tea Mattifying Moisturizer, Verbena Revitalizing Treatment, and Green Tea Blend with Rosebuds.

As the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, begins tonight, so will the tradition of dipping apples into healthful honey to symbolize a sweet year. However, it isn’t obligatory to pour the golden stuff from a bear-shaped bottle that often gets jammed with a crusty residue. Instead, try one that seamlessly drops in your dish while also getting the benefits of antioxidants, B vitamins and amino acids that make queen bees proud.

Honibe

Resembling a portable honeycomb, the Honibe Drops do just that, travel with you, (without sticking) and sweeten your tea and coffee with 100% natural honey once they are torn from their individual packages, and dissolved into your cup.

Sold at: Modern Tea With Company (160 East 27th Street), William Poll, Inc. (1051 Lexington Avenue), Nimli Inc.
(252 W. 38th St., Suite 306) and Karen’s on Astor (1 Astor Place), www.honibe.com

Zambezi

A sustainable, organic approach to honey-making isn’t a trendy concept in Zambia, where the Lunda people have been producing the sweet stuff for 500 years, from a rare honeybee that only feeds on flowering trees.

Their products also contain significant antioxidant properties, higher than the normal levels (the National Honey Board gave them a 10, most rank between 3 and 5). Plus, it’s tinged with the woodsy taste of toasted caramel. http://www.zambezihoney.com/

Savannah Bee Company

Because a holiday party should invite honey too, the Savannah Bee Company dressed up their Tupelo Honey Flutes for the occasion. Harvested for two to three weeks before getting corked in the slim and sleek bottle, once poured, the flavors overflow with tastes of melon, crème brulée, butter, and dried pear.

www.savannahbee.com/, flutes are 15% off through the end of September.

FILLING: Water-dense foods take up volume in our stomachs, thereby reducing cravings
BURSTING WITH ANTIOXIDANTS: Vegetables offer molecules that zap harmful free radicals, interfering with disease.
EASY: Just chop and add water and…oh, you’re done.

WATERMELON SOUP

Adapted from A Culinary Journey, Exotic Kosher Cuisine, by Shari Bar Kochva (Xpress Digital Printing, 2004)

4 pounds of seedless watermelon, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of lime juice, 1 cup of blackberries, 1 cup of raspberries, 1 cup of cherries, 1 cup of strawberries, 1 hand held stick blender

Remove rind from watermelon, cut remainder into chunks and puree in a bowl with stick blender. Mix puree with sugar and lime juice. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.

When ready to serve, remove pits from cherries and cut in half. Slice strawberries.Divide berries and cherries into soup bowls. Pour chilled watermelon puree over them and serve.

SDC’S Gazpacho

• 3.5 cups tomato juice
• 2 cucumbers, diced
• 3 large beefsteak tomatoes, diced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbs. Worcesterschire sauce
• ½ tsp. Tabasco sauce
• freshly ground salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

In large glass bowl, combine vegetables with tomato juice. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Add half the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Combine puree with original mixture. Chill for 4 hours. Ladle into individual bowls and serve with sliced toasted French bread or croutons, on top.