About Testimony: What is a Spiritual Conversion

From a talk by Brother Larson at the Korean branch

A testimony is an event of feeling, by the power of the Holy Ghost.  It is powerful but not life changing. to gain a testimony one needs to be an earnest seeker of truth, asking, seeking, and knocking with a sincere heart, really intent, and faith in the Savior.  It is not in all, but merely a launching point.  I have met many strong members, return missionaries who fall under the pressures of life and fall away.  Ward missionaries, full-time jobs working with the practice.  How and why does this happen?

Testimony alone is not a change of heart.  Consider Peter in Matthew 16:15-17
He said unto them, "but who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered and said, "you are the Christ, the son of the living God."
Jesus answered and said unto him, "Blessed are you, Simon bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my father who is in heaven."

Luke 22:32, just hours before the garden.
"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted, strengthen my brother."  Notice that he did not say "now that thou art converted"; he said "when thou art converted".

So what is conversion?  Elder Bednar says:
The essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature a possible through the Savior's atonement.  True conversion brings a change in one's beliefs, heart, and life to accept and conform to the will of God and includes a conscious commitment to become a disciple of Christ.

Conversion as an enlarging, a deepening, and a broadening of the undergirding base of testimony. It is the result of revelation from God, accompanied by individual repentance, obedience, and diligence.  Any honest seeker of truth can become converted by experiencing the mighty change of heart and be spiritually born of God.

Conversion is an ongoing process.  It is a long, quiet and seamless process without any clear and.  This makes it difficult to measure, until we are put under what the Scriptures describe as "life's furnace".

Elder Oaks stated that conversion is accomplished through suffering and afflictions rather than through comfort and tranquility.

It is in these times of testing that are conversion takes place. when you are suffering don't ask, "why me?"  But ask "what can I learn from this?"

Much of the suffering that we go through is a big part of conversion.  Line upon line-brick upon brick.  Until we are strong enough to weather life's challenges.

In Alma 23:6-8, starting with the end of verse 6:
"...  As many of the Lamanites has believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord never did fall away.
For they became a righteous people; they did lay down their weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God anymore, neither against any of their brother and.
Now, these are they who were converted unto the Lord..."

Note: they were not converted to missionaries, or personalities, or to some of the wonderful programs of the church.  They were not converted to a heritage or tradition, but they were converted unto the Lord.

Brother Larson talked about his son he was a little bit less than fully developed when he went on a mission.  He prayed and prayed that he will succeed, and come back a more capable man.  He did not return a fully capable man, but he returned with an immense testimony of Jesus Christ as if he had seen the Savior himself.

Elder Oaks stated that the world will ask, "What have you learned?"  God will ask, "What have you become?"

My Little Touch about Bangladesh

You would get to understand a lot about the Pakistan issue. Then you need to add knowledge of the history surrounding Bangladesh. I have a personal touch with the time that Bangladesh came into being. I speak to Indians in this day who nod when I speak of that time. 

In 1947, the region of Bengal under the British Empire was divided into East and West Bengal which separated the Muslim majority eastern areas from the Hindu majority western areas. East Bengal AKA East Pakistan. Riots ensued. West Bengal is part of India. East Bengal became Bangladesh after the Bangladesh Liberation War which lasted 9 months and It witnessed large-scale atrocities, the exodus of 10 million refugees and the displacement of 30 million people.

Part of that was The Indo-Pakistani War when Pakistan launched pre-emptive air strikes on 11 Indian airbases on December 3, 1971, which leads to a personal touch with me.

The boat I was on (Big E) was headed for home from 30 days on line early that month, running on minimum provisions, mail, and all the other stuff. It abruptly turned tail and headed into the Indian Ocean for nearly 30 more days. After some time, the admiral's plane brought mail, and the White Plains brought food. On the way out, I had a visit in Singapore with an old freighter captain who spoke of going into port in the Indo-Pakistan area and the stench of bodies along the roads.

War is generally about territory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Pakistani_War_of_1971

Oh, back to 1947, when the Brits divided things up. I was 7 years old, I remember my to-be aunt Mildred's nephew (got it?) xxx Sterner in white army officer uniform in the little "Shiloh" church near my parent's farm, giving a slide show about what was going on there. Yes the US must have had their nose in the mud there too. I remember no detail of his presentation. 

I was in touch with one of the Sterners of Nebraska a few years ago; he remembered that presentation.

Muslims, Ahmadi beliefs: peaceful, persecuted Muslims

Info about Ahmadiyya

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/10/in-pakistan-most-say-ahmadis-are-not-muslim/

http://aaiil.org/text/questionsanswersislamahmadiyya/differenceahmadimuslim.shtml

http://www.whyahmadi.org/2_2_2.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8711026.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmadiyya
http://pri.org/stories/2013-06-20/ahmadi-muslims-facing-persecution-abroad-finding-home-us
http://www.ahmadibeliefs.com/

From Michael:

As most of us know, the Muslim world is divided into three groups: (1) Sunni Muslims; (2) Shia Muslims, and (3) Sufi Muslims (who may are may not also be either Sunni or Shia). The Sufi mostly hang out in Indonesia where Pres. Obama was a young Muslim. The Sufi are peace loving and tolerant of all religions -- unfortunately, Pres. Obama isn't the smartest guy so he thinks that all Muslims are peaceful and tolerant of all religions, which is false. For example, the Muslims making the movies of decapitating alive, or burning alive, or burying alive, innocent people are Sunni; the Muslims raising hell in Israel murdering innocent women and children are for the most part Shia. The Sufi detest this violence by Sunni and Shia and are victims of it themselves without any revenge killings in retaliation.

The Sunni hate the Shia and the Sufi; the Shia hate the Sunni and the Sufi. The Sufi hate no one -- they are mystics who think Mohammad and the Qur'an are unimportant to knowing Allah (which pisses off the Sunni and Shia which have a penchant for bombing Sufi Holy Sites, among others). The US is an ally of the Sunni; Russia is an ally of the Shia. This explains why the US supports Sunni rebels trying to kill Shia in Syria and elsewhere -- the US even supports ISIS and its ilk in Syria and elsewhere even though ISIS uses the weapons the US supplies it to kill US Marines, Special Forces, Shiites, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Bahai, etc..

The Shia in Iran are stated enemies of Israel -- they are always saying "death to Israel" and "death to the US". The Sunni are more circumspect about their feelings towards Israel. The Sunni in Saudi Arabia, however, are leery of the Shia in Iran and want the nuclear option that Israel offers -- since Iran is the enemy of both Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the US.

Pres. Obama, again based on his actual average intelligence despite propaganda to the contrary, is sending a message to the Sunni that the US wants to play both ends against the middle by trying to become allies with the Shia in an effort to extricate itself from the mess the US created in the Middle East in its failed effort to establish military and political hegemony in the reason based on the US model of creating governments that support homosexuality, homosexual marriage, pornography, and other liberal democracy ideals anathema to practicing Muslims whether Sunni, Shia, or Sufi. Okay . . . .

So on with some tidbits to tickle our interest in what may be happening between Israel and Saudi Arabia that the mainstream political propaganda machines in the US are hiding:

http://www.activistpost.com/2016/05/secret-meetings-between-israel-saudi-officials-reveal-close-relationship-mutual-interests.html

Me

The Ahmadia are in fact a part of the total picture that needs to be described.

Michael

Thanks for the heads up on this group: the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam. Now if only we could get the Sunni and Shia to adopt the moderate, tolerant Sufi and type of Islam. From a post: 

One of the major differences that can be seen between the Sunni and Ahmadi is in the prophethood. Ahmedias do not believe that Mohammed is the last prophet. They believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmed of Qadian is the prophet who is supposed to come. This is a great violation of Islam, which considers Muhammed as the the last prophet. On the other hand, Sunnis believe in Prophet Mohammed.

While the Sunni sect has a long history, the Ahmadia movement was founded only in 1889. The Sunnis believe that Prophet Muhammed did not appoint any successor to lead the community before his death. After Mohammed’s death, a group of his prominent followers elected Abu Bakr Siddique (prophet’s father-in-law) as the first caliph.

The Ahmadia movement was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. He claimed to be the promised Mahdi awaited by the Muslims and the Messiah of Christ. The Ahmadis believe in the revival and propogation of Islam.

Sunni is a word that is derived from Sunnah, which means teachings of Prohet Mohammed. This means that Sunni is a word that refers to the followers of Prophet Mohammed. Though Ahmadia was formed in the 19th century, the name was only adopted a decade later. Ghulam Ahmad in a manifesto of 1900 said that the name was not a reference to him but refered to Ahmad, another name of Prophet Mohammed.

From Wikipedia: Ahmadi thought emphasizes the belief that Islam is the final dispensation for humanity as revealed to Muhammad and the necessity of restoring to it its true essence and pristine form, which had been lost through the centuries. Ahmadiyya adherents believe that Ahmad appeared in the likeness of Jesus, to end religious wars, condemn bloodshed and reinstitute morality, justice, and peace. They believe that upon divine guidance he divested Islam of fanatical and innovative beliefs and practices by championing what is, in their view, Islam’s true and essential teachings as practised by Muhammad and the early Islamic community. Thus, Ahmadis view themselves as leading the revival and peaceful propagation of Islam.

Me

Some of your description is a bit new to me.
To start with, the reason they need to be included is there are some of them in our midst, and there is one of their mosques in Lynnwood.

Where I come from is that I have become familiar with them, we have family friends and exchanged family vidsits, even had a fireside, with them. Attended interfaith initiatives with.

Their stance, which you have not mentioned, is that the gentleman who was born about 1830 (A) preached peace, and their members genuinely talk peace, and (B) that gentleman is revered by them to be a prophet. Thus, (C), they are viewed as heretic, hated, and violently persecuted by all the rest of the Islamic factions. The rest of them think its the most horrible thing in the universe to believe there is a prophet after the big M.

Regardless of what you academically took from Wikipedia: The items I have mentioned MUST be known as part of the picture. Core parts of the picture.

They are primarily from Pakistan. When our friends were in our home, we talked about how her (his wife) 's uncle had been killed two days prior in Pakistan due to that hate and persecution I described. We talked about how our friends sect chooses one type of saying out of the Koran, and the extremists choose another type: Picking and choosing what to pay attention to, and what to ignore.

The latter never ever happens within our faith, or within the broader Christian realm, does it?

I aver that within that issue lays some of the greatest problems and challenges there are to religious society - to those who claim to be Christian.

Congo

Too rich for its own good http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24396390

Best and worst appetizers - from WebMD

BEST: Vegetable Soup

Like salad, having a bowl of soup can curb how much you eat during the rest of the meal. The key is choosing a low-calorie option, such as a tomato-based vegetable soup. A 12-ounce bowl has about 160 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, and 1,240 mg sodium. Stay away from cream-based vegetable soups, which are higher in calories and saturated fats. When buying canned soup, look for those marked "low in sodium."

BEST: Lettuce Wraps

If you're craving spicy chicken, skip the wings and try lettuce wraps. You can make these at home by wrapping diced spicy chicken and vegetables in a lettuce leaf. Each wrap has 160 calories and 7 g of fat. If you order this appetizer at a restaurant, be sure to share. A plate of four wraps has a total of 640 calories, 28 g of fat, and 650 mg sodium.

BEST: Edamame

Go out on a limb and try something entirely different. These green pods, known as edamame, are a popular appetizer in Asian restaurants. It's fun to open the pods and pop the young soybeans into your mouth. One serving has 122 calories, and 5 g of fat.

BEST: Sliced Peppers with Salsa

For a homemade alternative to chips and dip, try sliced peppers or other veggie sticks with salsa. Cut up red and green bell peppers and use them as tortilla chips for dipping in salsa. This is a fun way to sneak more vegetables into your diet. You can dip a whole pepper's worth of "chips" and stay under 50 calories.

BEST: Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimp cocktail is very low in saturated fat and calories. It's also a refreshing source of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote healthy circulation. To keep the calorie count low, stick to tomato-based sauce. A serving of shrimp with cocktail sauce has about 140 calories.

BEST: Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffing mushrooms instead of potato skins helps keep the portion size down. Mushroom caps filled with cheese and breadcrumbs have less than 50 calories each. That means you can eat half a dozen and still keep your appetizer under 300 calories, along with 19 grams of fat, and 720 mg of sodium.

BEST: Crab Cakes

Blake recommends using appetizers to work inhealthy foods you might be eating too little of. Seared crab cakes offer an appealing way to get more seafood into your diet. Served with chili sauce, a typical crab cake has about 300 calories, 20 g of fat, and 960 mg sodium.

BEST: Beef Skewers

When you're craving a meaty appetizer, opt for beef skewers. In Asian restaurants, this may be listed as beef satay -- skewers of beef with peanut sauce. At home, you can grill skewers of lean beef with onions, garlic, hoisin, soy, and barbecue sauce. A quarter-pound serving has about 130 calories, 5 g of fat, and 803 mg sodium.

BEST: Spinach Salad

The best appetizers are low in calories, but satisfying enough to curb how much you eat during the rest of your meal. Salads made with spinach or other leafy greens do this very well. Studies suggest you'll eat about 10% less during a meal if you start off with salad. A cup of fresh spinach with a tablespoon of vinaigrette has about 80 calories

BEST: Vegetable Kabobs

Grilled vegetable kabobs offer a nutritious, low-calorie alternative to fried onions. If this isn't on the menu, ask for a side of grilled vegetables as your appetizer. Veggie kabobs are also easy to make -- try skewering onions, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and zucchini. Brush with a lower-fat garlic and herb marinade. Two large kabobs will have about 75 calories.

WORST: Chicken Wings

A typical appetizer portion of buffalo chicken wings has more than 700 calories and 40 g of fat. Ranch sauce adds another 200 calories and 20 g of fat. That's 900 calories and 60 g of fat -- not to mention more than 2,000 mg of sodium -- before you even get to your main meal.

WORST: Mozzarella Sticks

There's something about a stick of warm, gooey cheese that is irresistible -- until you take a look at the nutritional facts. A typical order has 930 calories, 48 g of fat, and 2,640 mg of sodium. That puts mozzarella sticks pretty much on par with chicken wings.

WORST: Chili Cheese Nachos

They may be a festive way to start an evening out, but nachos and cheese dip are among the least healthy appetizer choices. Eat an entire order yourself, and you'll take in 1,680 calories, 107 g of fat, and 4,270 mg of sodium -- nearly twice the recommended daily limit for sodium.

WORST: New England Clam Chowder

Clam chowder sounds like it should be healthy, especially as a way to take in some extra seafood. Unfortunately, the New England variety is made with a fattening cream base. A 12-ounce bowl contains about 630 calories, 54 g of fat, and 890 mg of sodium.

WORST: Fried Calamari

Like many forms of seafood, squid can be nutritious. But when you bread it and fry it in oil, you're drenching it with calories and fat. A typical restaurant portion contains about 900 calories, 54 g of fat, and 2,300 mg of sodium -- not including any sauce.

WORST: Loaded Potato Skins

Potato skins filled with melted cheese, meats, and sour cream are as fattening as they are tempting. "You're taking a potato and adding saturated fats," Blake cautions. At more than 150 calories a pop, the trick to enjoying these is to have just one. Devour a whole plateful and you'll take in about 1,340 calories, 94 g of fat, and 1,850 mg of sodium.

WORST: Cheeseburger Sliders

Don't be fooled by their size -- "sliders" pack a lot of calories into a tiny sandwich. A typical restaurant order includes three mini-burgers with cheese and sauce, totaling 1,270 calories, 82 g of fat, and 2,310 mg of sodium.

WORST: Cheese Fries

The worst appetizers can "take over the meal," Blake warns. "Some of them have more calories than the main entrée." One offender is cheese fries -- French fries with melted cheese on top. Variations may include bacon bits or ranch dressing. A full order packs up to 2,000 calories, 134 g of fat, and 2,800 mg of sodium -- more than you should eat in a whole day.

WORST: Spinach Artichoke Dip

Don't let the word "spinach" fool you. Traditional spinach artichoke dip is not a healthy starter. A typical order contains about 1,600 calories, 100 g of fat, and 2,500 mg of sodium. The trouble is the cream base, which is loaded with saturated fat. If you make this dip at home, try using a base of nonfat Greek yogurt instead.

WORST: Onion Blossom

It may be your waistline that blossoms if you're a fan of fried onions. "It's good to start off with a vegetable," says Joan Salge Blake, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "But once you fry it, you're frying in calories." The onion blossom at one popular restaurant has 1,949 calories, 161 g of fat, and 4,100 mg of sodium -- more than double the daily sodium limit for healthy adults.

Pot Pie Perils

When fall arrives, many of us turn to hearty foods, perfect for warming up, and, if we're not careful, gaining weight. Browse our gallery of fall's most fattening foods, starting with creamy chicken pot pie. One pie from the grocery freezer case can have more than 1,000 calories. For a fraction of the calories, try a flavorful roast chicken breast and a warm, whole-wheat roll.

Game-Day Grub

Game-day favorites -- chips, nachos, pizza, wings, and ribs -- spoil many diets. If you're a sports fan, you may also be glued to the couch for hours every week, so you're not burning off the extra calories from game-day foods. Try these tips:

• Serve veggies and low-fat dip as part of your spread.
• Eat from a plate instead of grazing at the buffet. This helps you keep track of how much you're eating.

Oktoberfest Fare

Oktoberfest brings calorie-laden beer, potato salads, and sausages. Bratwurst, one typical sausage, has about 95 calories per ounce, most from unhealthy animal fat. Three tips may help with fattening festival fare:

• Eat smaller portions.
• Set a drink limit for yourself, and alternate with lower-calorie, non-alcoholic drinks.
• Choose light beer over regular (110 calories vs. 150 calories in 12 ounces).

Chubby Chili

The damage from a bowl of chili can easily hit 500 calories with the wrong recipe.  The same goes for other meaty stews, which are often loaded with fatty beef or sausage and topped with gobs of cheese. Yet, chili and stew can be nutritional superstars when made right. Use small portions of lean meat, plenty of beans, vegetables, and spices, and just a sprinkle of low-fat cheese. In restaurants, check the calorie count before ordering.

Cream Soups and Hearty Stews

Cream of potato soup, broccoli cheese soup, and beef stroganoff  may seem like perfect fall foods, but beware. Warm soups and stews that are loaded with cream, cheese, or meat are also loaded with calories. If you serve them in a bread bowl or atop rice or noodles, you add even more calories. Tip:

• Choose broth-based and vegetable-based soups and stews to fill you up for fewer calories.

Seasonal Beverages

Fall drinks -- hot chocolate, pumpkin-spice lattes, eggnog, apple cider, and hot toddies -- are a quick and easy way to take in lots of extra calories. A cup of homemade hot cocoa (without whipped cream) has 190 calories. One 8-oz cup of eggnog packs 340 calories. Tips:

• Try a hot cup of green or flavored tea, rich with antioxidants and calorie-free.
• Opt for light beer or wine spritzers, and limit yourself to one or two.

Caramel Apples

An afternoon snack of apples with a thick layer of caramel and nuts can total more than 500 calories. Tip:

• Enjoy crisp apple slices with a small container of low-fat caramel dip for the same great taste -- with a fraction of the fat and calories

Halloween Candy – Frightening!

October brings bowls of candy bars at the office -- and tempting bags of candy at home awaiting trick-or-treaters. It's easy to get enticed by those bite-size candies. But few of us can have just one. Tips:

• Stash sweets out of sight.
• Satisfy your midday hunger pangs with something nutritious, like fruit.
• If you crave something sweet, chew a piece of sugarless gum.

Macaroni and Cheese

Mac and cheese is a favorite comfort food for both kids and adults. But it can wreak havoc with your diet. One cup can pack 300 to 400 calories, depending on the brand. Add sausage or ham and it's even more fattening. Tips:

• Modify the recipe by using a low-fat cheese and milk.
• Substitute veggies for meat to get more nutrition. It'll still taste great!

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Still using your mother's recipe for mashed potatoes? All that butter, heavy cream, and whole milk help cram about 240 calories into one cup. Ladle on 1/4 cup of fatty gravy and you're close to 300 calories in a side dish. To eat fewer calories, savor 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes, without gravy. Or experiment with newer, calorie-conscious recipes for better mashed potatoes.

Root Vegetables with Added Fat

Roots like yams and sweet potatoes are super-nutritious, but you quadruple the calories when you mix them with cheese, cream, butter, canned soups, or bacon. A sweet potato casserole can easily have 500 calories per serving -- 400 more than a simple roasted sweet potato. Slash the calorie count by eating root veggies oven-roasted or grilled.

Stuffing

Most stuffing contains high-fat ingredients such as sausage and butter. With gravy, stuffing is diet nightmare. Tips:

• Make a low-fat stuffing using fruits, vegetables, and stock.
• Keep the portion small, and try to resist smothering it in gravy.
• Chew slowly to enjoy each mouthful and allow your brain time to get the signal that you are full.

Apple, Pecan, Sweet Potato Pies

These fall favorites start with healthy ingredients such as nuts or fruits and vegetables. But once you add buttery pie crusts, sweet fillings, and whipped cream or ice cream topping, you have decadent pies full of calories. Tips:

• Skip the crust.
• Add a dollop of light whipped topping.
• Serve yourself only a sliver to enjoy these desserts without lots of extra calories.

Pumpkin Desserts

Pumpkin layer cake, cheesecake, bread pudding. There are many ways to turn vitamin A-rich pumpkin into a rich dessert. Be careful: If you add tons of cream and sugar, you negate the health benefits of pumpkin. Tip:

• Try crustless, low-fat pumpkin custard, or low-fat pumpkin muffins.

Enjoy the pumpkin without sabotaging your waistline.

All Things in Moderation

All it takes is an extra 100 calories per day to pack on 10 pounds a year. The best strategy for your health is to avoid weight creep altogether. You can do so by enjoying fall comfort foods in moderation.

• Check your portion sizes.
• Limit alcohol.
• Eat plenty of veggies prepared without added fat and sugar.
• Use low-fat cooking techniques and substitutions.  
• Put candy bowls out of sight.

Deep Dish Pizza With Sausage

The Count: 2300 calories, 164 g fat, 4910 mg sodium

Deep dish pizza can be deep trouble. One "individual" sausage pizza is 2300 calories. That's more calories than most people should eat in a whole day. It also packs in double the daily limit of fat. Skip the sausage and opt for thin crust.

Juice Wars: What's In Your Glass?

Who doesn't enjoy a tall, cool glass of juice? The color is vibrant, the taste sweet, and it's good for you, too. Not so fast, say some dietitians. Although the best kinds of juice deliver a bounty of vitamins, the worst are hardly better than liquid candy. WebMD helps you spot the difference.

Best Choice: Vegetable Juice

Drinking your veggies is a convenient way to add powerful plant-based nutrients to your diet. The lycopene in tomato juice appears to lower the risk of prostate cancer. Beet juice may reduce blood pressure. Pulpy vegetable juice is also packed with fiber that can help control hunger. And all of these benefits come without a catch. Vegetable juice has far less sugar and fewer calories than the typical fruit juice, but it is high in sodium unless you choose the low salt version.

Worst Choice: Juice 'Cocktails'

Be on alert for the terms juice cocktail, juice-flavored beverage, or juice drink. Most of these products contain only small amounts of real juice. The main ingredients are usually water and some type of sugar, such as high-fructose corn syrup. Nutritionally, these drinks are similar to most soft drinks — rich in sugar and calories, but low in nutrients. Research suggests that sugary fruit drinks put kids at risk for obesity and related health problems. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommends water over sugary drinks.

he 100% Fruit Juice Dilemma

What about pure fruit juice with no added sweeteners? Such an innocent-sounding drink has sparked endless debate. No one disputes the fact that real fruit juice is loaded with vitamins and disease-fighting antioxidants. The problem is juice can also be naturally high in sugar and calories. A cup of pure apple juice can have as much sugar as some candy bars. That's why many experts recommend sticking to one juice serving per day

Good Choice: Pomegranate Juice

If you're only going to drink one glass of juice each day, you want to make it a good one. So let's explore which juices offer the biggest nutritional payoff per sip. Pomegranate juice tops the list. It's high in sugar and calories, but delivers an abundant dose of antioxidants. These substances appear to protect brain function and may ward off cancer. In one study, 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily reduced the recurrence of prostate cancer.

Good Choice: Cranberry Juice

Cranberry juice is packed with vitamin C, which is vital to a healthy immune system. There is also evidence to support a folk remedy -- drinking unsweetened cranberry juice may help reduce your risk of urinary tract infections.

Good Choice: Blueberry Juice

Substances in blueberries may help keep the brain healthy. In a small study, researchers looked at the effect of blueberry juice on memory in adults in their seventies who had age-related memory decline. Those who drank 2 1/2 cups of blueberry juice for 12 weeks had significant improvement on learning and memory tests compared to those who drank a non-juice beverage. So choose blueberry juice to boost brain health.

Good Choice: Acai Berry Juice

Researchers have only begun looking into the health benefits of acai juice, which is made from a berry found in South America. But early studies are promising. Acai pulp appears to have a higher concentration of antioxidants than cranberries, blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries.

Good Choice: Cherry Juice

Besides delivering a wealth of antioxidants, some berry juices appear to have anti-inflammatory properties. According to one study, drinking cherry juice before and after your work-out can reduce exercise-induced muscle pain.

Good Choice: Red Grape Juice

We've all heard that red wine, in moderation, can be good for the heart. The same is true of red grape juice. Red grape juice contains potent antioxiodants -- flavanoids and resveratrol. The key is that wine and juice are made with the entire grape -- seeds, skin, and all. When you eat fresh grapes, you miss out on nutrients hiding in the seeds.

Good Choice: Prune Juice

Another viable folk remedy, prune juice has long been recommended to relieve constipation. It works because it's extremely high in fiber and contains a natural laxative called sorbitol. But the benefits of prune juice don't stop there. The juice is also packed with antioxidants, iron, and potassium.

What About Orange Juice?

It's a staple at breakfast, but does this popular juice carry its weight? The good news is orange juice is loaded with vitamin C, a star for its immune-boosting benefits. In addition, orange juice is often fortified with calcium and vitamin D, nutrients that strengthen the bones. Unsweetened orange juice has fewer calories than some berry juices or grape juice. The trade-off is that it also has fewer antioxidants overall.