Fruit

Food / Fruit / Nutrition / Vegetables — No Comments
7
Dec 10

Benefits Of Eating High Fiber Vegetables And Fruits

Many common diseases and ailments including high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and constipation are related to an unhealthy diet rich in processed foods. Our body is starved of the nutrition that it needs and the foods that help it stay cleansed. You may have heard nutritionists’ advice that people eat high fiber vegetables and foods. Interestingly, most often such fiber cannot be digested by the human body but helps the intestines and colon function effectively by keeping them clean. For your body to remain healthy it is crucial for the digestive system to function efficiently, and high fiber fruits and vegetables help in this direction.

High fiber vegetables

Some vegetables that contain high fiber include beans, carrot, potatoes with skin, green vegetables such as kale and collards, peas, peppers and rhubarb. Fruits that contain high amounts of fiber are apples, avocados, bananas, oranges, guavas and dry fruits such as apricots, raisin and dates. Experts recommend that we eat about 30 to 40 g of fiber every day. This can come from grains, fruits or vegetables. Some foods contain soluble fiber. When digested it gets bound with the fatty acids in the body and increases the time it takes to digest food. This helps control blood sugar and accordingly diabetes.

Advantages of eating high fiber food

The organ systems in the human body are interlinked and if there are problems in one system it influences the functioning of others too. The digestive system is vital because it ensures that the body receives nutrition and gets rid of toxins. If one mostly tends to eat processed foods that contain low fiber then the digestive system is the first to be affected, leading to constipation. By adding fiber vegetables to your diet you can control many ailments and this also helps in losing fat and weight.

Food / Fruit — No Comments
23
Sep 10

The Truth Behind the Chia Seed

The seed that has been getting more attention today is the chia seed, from the species Salvia Hispanica, a species of flowering plant in the mint family. It existence dates back to the ancient times of Mexico when Aztec warriors rely on the seed to sustain them for an entire day, complete with hydrating, endurance and energy components to keep them going. However, the cultivation of chia plants to preserve chia seeds has been dismissed due to religious and agronomic reasons when the conquistadors have arrived to colonize the Aztec empire.

Today, commercial production of the chia is widespread from Mexico to Guatemala, to as far as Bolivia, Ecuador, and Australia. Its rebirth is attributed to the efforts made by University of Arizona professor Dr. Wayne Coates when they began their research in cultivating new crops in Argentina. He co-authored a book with Ricardo Ayerza entitled Chia: Rediscovering a Forgotten Crop of the Aztecs.

Chia has about 16% protein, 31% fat, and 44% carbohydrates (by which about 38% is dietary fiber). Its seeds are very flexible when it comes to storage. As long as it is stored in a dry place, it can be stored for several months to more than a year. It doesn’t go rancid too easily. Even when you grind it, its benefits are still present because of its natural antioxidants.

It is convenient to mix it with fresh fruit juices and as a part of a dish or recipe. It is best consumed uncooked so that its nutrients won’t be affected by heat. The chia doesn’t have a hard seed coat, so grinding the seeds isn’t really necessary at all. You would just have to add or sprinkle the seeds to your salads, sandwich spreads, cereals, or oatmeal.

Both black and white chia seeds are not grown with pesticides. The reason for this is that insects do not like the taste of the seeds.

Fruit / Health — No Comments
8
Apr 10

The Health Benefits of Cherries

The cherry grew in the wild in western Asia. It was brought to Europe since ancient times, thanks to the roman Lucullus.

The health benefits of cherries

This fleshy fruit appears to have been provided by nature only for the pleasure of its juicy pulp. But the analysis suggests that the cherry has a strong detoxifying and purification action and it is recommend to rheumatic and persons who suffer from gout or constipation, those with renal and biliary lithiasis.

You can achieve remarkable results with a cherry cure. There are two ways of following treatment: a mini – cure and an exclusive cure. The mini – cure: in the morning on an empty stomach, begin with a minimum dose of 3.5 oz. The dose is increased gradually to reach the end of the third week to 17 oz. When you reach 10.5 oz the dose is divided in three doses until noon, and you will not consume any other food.

During the cure do not abuse animal fat, refined sugar or alcohol. Light lunches and dinners will be welcomed for this natural therapy to have positive effects. This cure is also recommended if you want to get a flat stomach and instead of the cherries, you can try juicing recipes that include the fruit.

The exclusive cure stretches over three or four days, while you only eat cherries, this diet can be resumed within a month. During the day it is recommended to drink mineral water. The amount of cherries is between 4 and 7 pounds per day. Some authors recommend up to 11 pounds of cherries per day. But the absorption capacity is variable from one person to another. This quantity of fruit is consumed in several doses during the day.

Cherries are rich in pro vitamin A, which increases visual acuity and maintains tissues (skin, mucosa, epithelia).