Garlic

I personally have always thought of garlic as an herb, but it’s actually a vegetable. It belongs to the Allium class of bulb shaped plants, which also includes Onions, Chives, Leeks, and Scallions.

I know from experience as I’m sure most everyone does that garlic causes some nasty garlic breath after you eat it. Here’s a helpful fact to solve that problem. Drinking lemon juice or eating a few slices of lemon will stop bad garlic breath. 

Back before I got IBS, I ate pizza all the time. My favorite kind of pizza was garlic pizza. I could eat more slices of that pizza then a girl my size should be able to eat. Afterwards my breath would smell like garlic for days. No matter how many times I brushed my teeth I couldn’t get the smell out. Even mouth wash didn’t work. So knowing how to stop garlic breath would have been really helpful to know.

Garlic is a powerful natural antibiotic, but it doesn’t target specific issues. It will help with a broad spectrum of problems. The best part is, bacteria in the body does not develop a resistance to garlic as they do to the modern day pharmaceutical medicines.

Garlic also helps loosens plaque from the artery walls and strengthens the body’s defense against allergies.

It can help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke for multiple reasons. It lowers blood pressure, decreases platelet aggregation, lowers LDL or bad cholesterol levels and increases HDL or good cholesterol levels.

Even though I can’t eat pizza any more I still eat garlic. I put garlic on my popcorn; something my older sister introduced me too. I thought it would be awful but it mixes with popcorn and butter really well.  I don’t even put that much on, just a couple of pinches worth.  I’ve also sprinkled it on my other vegetables to help enhance their flavor. Raw vegetables in my opinion need some kind of flavor enhancement to be enjoyable.

Home Remedies

Toothaches - cut raw garlic and rub the cut edge on the tooth and gums a couple of times per day

Warts – crush fresh garlic cloves and apply until the wart disappears

Bloating/ stomach cramps – cut a garlic clove into tiny pieces and swallow them all in one shot with a bit of water.

Asthma – mix 10 drops of garlic juice with 2 teaspoons of honey and swallow

Warnings

Eating too much of raw garlic can cause irritation or damage to the digestive tract.

Garlic can thin the blood, similar to the effect of aspirin.

The Olive

I’d love to say that olives have no health benefits at all. Why? Because I don’t like them and don’t want a reason to eat them.

Oddly enough I first decided I didn’t like olives, not because of the taste, I had never tried any at that point, but because of a school project.  In eighth grade I had to take the dreaded technology class. That year we did different aspects of technology every quarter. I was pretty bad at all of the units, especially the one with the power tools. One of the units though was a computer program. We had to design different objects in this program. One of the objects we had to do was an olive. Not the black kind but the green kind with the red center.  Can I just say that those olives look disgusting.  Now since I was no good at this program I couldn’t get the olive put together right, so I ended up staring at this ugly thing for many classes. Who wants to stare at that for days, really?  It was then that I decided I didn’t want anything to do with olives.

Olives are rich in Iron, vitamin E, copper, and have a good source of fiber.  They also have the healthy monounsaturated fats which increase HDL or good cholesterol 

 All of these things combined make olives have a protective effect on cells that can lower the risk of damage and inflammation.  They help reduce the severity of asthma, and osteoarthritis. They help prevent heart disease and colon cancer. Interestingly enough they also help prevent the frequency and intensity of hot flashes in women going through menopause

I did try olives at one point because I knew I shouldn’t discriminate against them because of their looks, but they tasted just as bad as they looked.  I pick them off everything or eat around them now. Sometimes the dining hall will have olives in something and I won’t see them so I’ll eat it. It’s not a good day for me when that happens.

Even though olives do have health benefits, which was really disappointing to me. I have decided that I am still not going to eat them. For all of you out there who like them though they, especially the women, they are very helpful.

Sweet Peach

When thinking about peaches most people think yellow peach but there is also a white peach. What’s the difference? The white ones are white in color on the inside and they are sweeter.

I found out that the white peaches even existed by accident. The friend of mine that has been trying to help me learn how to bake decided that we should make a peach pie. I was over the moon about it because I love peaches. She went to the store and grabbed all the ingredients and when she got back she called me over. It was baking time!

Peaches contain a ton of vitamins and minerals, for example iron and fiber, but it contains one that has been rumored to prolong the life span, potassium.  If you don’t have enough potassium, you're likely to have fatigue, anxiety, muscle weakness, skin problems, poor memory, congestive heart failure or heart deterioration. So peaches are a good way to keep your potassium up.

When my friend and I started slicing up the peaches I noticed they were white on the inside. I asked her if they weren’t ready or something. 

“Crap! I grabbed the wrong ones. These are white peaches,” she said.

So that day I learned about the existence of white peaches and made a white peach pie. For the record it was absolutely delicious.  I liked it just as much as I like yellow peach pie. I’d be happy to munch on either kind now. 

Peach tea is known in Eastern cultures to be a kidney cleanser. They don’t mean the peach flavored tea that most of us drink.  This tea has to be made from the pits of peaches. It has been claimed that peaches are good for relief of stomach ulcers and other digestive issues like colitis and kidney disease.

Peaches also contain lycopene and lutein. These are carotenes, like beta-carotene. There are studies and signals that these two substances, can help prevent macular degeneration, cancer and heart disease.

A couple years ago my dad decided he wanted to plant some fruit trees in the backyard to go along with his garden.  He knew he wanted a cherry tree but he wasn’t sure what other kind to get. I voted peach tree and made sure to remind him of that on a daily basis. My mom also agreed with me and so we ended up with a peach tree. The peaches have not yet grown to full size on the tree but for the past couple of summers I’ve gone out there and watch it bud.  I watch those cute little fuzzy peaches get a little bigger and can’t wait until the tree is big enough to let those guys grow to size. I’m dying to eat them.

Magnificent Mangos

Did you know that mangos originated over 4000 years ago?

Mangos are a fruit that I didn’t even know existed until I went to college. The first time I had some, one of the dining halls on campus was throwing a Hawaiian themed dinner which was amazing. I fell in love with mangos immediately. I didn’t know what I was eating but it was ranked as one of my most favorite fruits after that. Lucky for me someone I was with knew what mango was so I was able to find and eat it again.

Mangos have enzymes that help break down protein. It also contains fiber. Both of these things help the body with digestion.

My neighbor and close friend (who goes to the same college as me) has been trying to teach me how to bake over the past year. I admit regretfully that I’m a disaster in the kitchen though she is optimistic. I’ve managed to make the crust of lemon bars completely disappear before even though it was there and intact before it went into the oven. I’ve never figured out how that one worked. I’ve also set the microwave on fire like three times. When I got engaged I wanted to try and change that and become a baking goddess.  Needless to say that hasn’t happened. Even so I want to bake a mango into a pie, but my friend tells me that when she looked it up she found that heated mango wasn’t very good.  I’m disappointed.

Mangos are said to be connected to healthy skin when eaten or applied externally. They clear clogged pores and get rid of pimples (I should probably eat one of these right now because I’ve been breaking out recently). Here is a link to a homemade mud mask. It shows you how to make it if you want to give it a try. http://realfoodforlife.com/randys-mango-mud-mask/ I find it very interesting and might try it myself.

Mango leaves have been known to normalize insulin levels. A home remedy is to boil the leaves in water and leave them soaking all night. Then consume in the morning.

I also found that mangos are supposed to improve sex! :0   They contain a good source of Vitamin E. It is found that a balanced amount of Vitamin E can improve sex (I had mangos with my fiancé once but it was right before I had to get on a plane and come back to New York so I have no idea if that one really works).

Mangos are also a great source of Vitamin A and C so they help improve vision and boost the immune system. 

I love it when food I enjoy eating turn out to be so good for me because then it isn’t a struggle when I try to be healthy!

What about Salads?

Warning:

25% of this leaf is made into fresh cut salads. It wants you to believe it has as much nutritional value as its brothers and sisters but it doesn’t.  The only thing it’s good for is weight loss because its high water content equals low calories. But a large portion of what calories it does have comes from sugar. Its main use is for its texture and crispiness. It makes you believe you’re eating healthy when you’re not.

Now don’t get me wrong Iceberg Lettuce has iron, fiber, Vitamin A,C,K and B6 in it but you can get all that and more from Romaine Lettuce.  I used to eat Iceberg Lettuce all the time a few years ago.If I wanted to be healthy I’d go make a salad. It would consist of Iceberg Lettuce, a couple cucumbers, and a ton of ranch dressing.  After I finished eating I’d pat myself on the back for being healthy.  I later found out that I wasn’t helping myself at all this way. Romaine Lettuce was what I should have been using. Also I should have been piling on the other vegetables and not using Ranch dressing.

I’m not the only one who has looked at salad made with Iceberg as a way of being healthy. I had a friend who joined the biggest loser competition on my college campus. She started eating salads made up of Iceberg lettuce, a few vegetables and ranch dressing every day.  She couldn’t understand why she didn’t lose more than 5 pounds.

Iceberg lettuce is tasty and I do love its crunchy texture. It doesn’t hurt to mix it in with Romaine as long as the salad has more Romaine in it. I grew up eating Iceberg so switching was hard for me because it’s what I liked and was used to.  I’m happy though that if I eat salad now I do it right; little dressing, mostly Romaine lettuce, and tons of vegetables.

The Little Green Trees

Broccoli, or little green trees as I call them, have been one of my favorite vegetables since I was little. I was never one of those vegetable adverse kids who hid the healthy food in their napkins.  My sisters always thought I was a freak. I always thought they were weird for not liking this stuff.  I prefer to eat broccoli when it’s cooked because I think it tastes better, but you get more nutrients from it when it’s raw so I try to eat it that way now.

Broccoli is a good source of vitamin C and K as well as calcium. For those people who can’t or choose not to eat/drink dairy products think about eating broccoli.  It’s good for building and maintaining strong bones.  Eating plenty of broccoli will help make up the difference of not having dairy.

Broccoli contains glucoraphanin which helps the skin detoxify and repair itself. So if you get sunburned for example eating broccoli should help speed up your recovery because it’s helping your skin repair the damage.

Broccoli is also a rich source of Fiber. It not only has non soluble fiber, but soluble fiber as well. If you have IBS like I do you might know that soluble fiber is one of the best dietary aids for preventing symptoms from occurring as well as relieving them once they occur.  So broccoli is great to include into the everyday diet.

One really interesting thing that I found was that broccoli can fight birth defects. One cup of broccoli has 94 mcg of folic acid. This is a B-vitamin essential for proper cell division.  If the fetus doesn’t get enough of folic acid its nervous system cells won’t divide right. Folic acid deficiency during pregnancy has been linked to birth defects. So if you are pregnant be sure to eat your broccoli.

If you don’t like to eat broccoli raw try dipping it into something like lite ranch dressing or blue cheese. This will help improve the taste and guarantee you get all the nutrients you can from your broccoli.

If you can’t stand the thought of eating it raw you can steam the broccoli, or cook it. I found a recipe that sounds really delicious from allrecipes.com

Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli

This serves about 6 people.  Prep time is ten minutes and cook time is fifteen minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 heads broccoli, separated into florets
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, toss broccoli florets with the extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until florets are tender enough to pierce the stems with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving platter. Squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli before serving for a refreshing, tangy finish

Grapes Galore

Did you know grapes are not only available in red and green but in blue too?  They don’t just have pretty colors though. These guys can fix multiple problems. 

Grapes increase the Nitric Oxide levels in the blood which prevents blood clots and reduces the chance of a heart attack.

Also ripe grape juice is a home remedy for curing migraines. It should be taken in the morning but don’t mix any additional water to it.

When I was six, my family moved into a nice suburban neighborhood. My sisters and I became friends with the two girls across the street from us.  When playing in their backyard we discovered that they had a grape vine that grew an abundance of green grapes.  They smelled divine and were so delicious. My neighbor’s parents would pick them off the vines because the bees loved the smell too and we didn’t like bees. But it was us kids that devoured them.  

            Merriya, the older of the two girls, taught us how to eat them. I mean sure you could throw them in your mouth and eat them whole if you wanted but her way was more fun.  What we did was pinch the grape between our fingers and put the tip to our mouths. We’d squeeze the grapes from the bottom and suck from the top until the middle popped into our mouths.  The middle was amazing. I’m pretty sure we didn’t bother with the skin, just tossed it.

Light and white grape juice replenishes the iron content that is present in the body and will help prevent fatigue.  Be careful though not to use the dark grape juice for this purpose because the dark grape juice does not replenish iron, but can actually decrease it.

Grapes are good for providing release during constipation. They are considered a laxative food because they have organic acid, sugar and cellulose.

If you ever get the chance to have grapes right off the vines don’t hesitate. They are really tasty and very memorable.

Strawberry Summers

Strawberry Jam Ingredients:

2 Quarts of strawberries: The peak season for fresh strawberries is between April and October. It’s extended because of advances in technology.

 Before my grandfather on my mom’s side died we would go strawberry picking every summer. My grandma loved to make jam and it was tradition. Sometime between May and July my mom, my grandma, my three sisters, and I would rub on the sun tan lotion and head out to the fields. We would each get a box to fill. We picked for at least an hour, until our baskets were overflowing.

1 box Sure-Jell fruit pectin: Strawberries are rich in iodine which is helpful for proper functioning of the brain and nervous system. They are also a great source of Vitamin C, folic acid and Fiber.

Once we got back to my grandma’s house we would dumb the strawberries in giant bowls filled with water.  Then we had to yank the green stems off the strawberries and put the strawberries in water free bowls. My grandpa would be sitting in the kitchen watching while on his nebulizer, which he always called his pipe.

7 cups of sugar: Strawberry Juice combined with honey will reduce inflammation or sunburn. Rub the mixture thoroughly into your skin before rinsing off with warm water and lemon juice.  Strawberries are also a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories which help fight cancer.

After that was done, my grandma would give all us girls a bowl full of strawberries that had to be mashed. That was always my most favorite part. I would wash my hands, stick them in the bowl and squish. Strawberry bits would ooze through my fingers as I continued to squeeze and flatten. It felt so gross and yet so awesome.  When I finished my bowl mom made me wash my hands again, then sent me into the living room. My part was done and it was TV time.

Directions:

BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

STEM and crush strawberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. Put fruit into 6- or 8-quart saucepot.

STIR pectin into the saucepot. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with a metal spoon.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of the tops. Wipe the jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing the middle of the lid with your finger. (If the lid springs back, it is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

It makes around 8 jars: Homemade strawberry jam is not very healthy for you, but it’s the best jam I’ve ever had, and it always reminds me of my grandparents and strawberry summers.

Recipe found at http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/surejell-strawberry-jam-51957.aspx

Carrots

Did you know that there are more than 100 species of carrots that range in size and color? Yes color. Carrots are not only orange but they can be red, white, yellow, and purple also. 

Like a few other people I know, I have not eaten enough carrots in my life time. My eyesight is terrible. I’m in permanent vertigo without my eyeballs (contacts, as I call them) in.  It’s pretty common knowledge that carrots have vitamin A, which helps your eyesight, but actually vitamin A also helps your body fight off infection and keeps your skin and hair healthy, all the more reason to eat these veggies.

Carrots have been found to reduce the risk of cancer due to a compound called Falcarinol.  Falcarinol is a natural pesticide found in carrots that protects the roots from fungal diseases.

Carrots also contain beta carotene which is an antioxidant that helps the body fight cell damage. It also helps slow down the aging of cells and various negative effects associated with aging. So to anyone who wants to look younger longer eat more carrots because they have a natural anti-aging effect.

Another thing that they do is help clean your teeth. They act as a natural abrasive, which means they help in eliminating the sticky dirt from teeth and stimulate gums.  The minerals in carrots help to kill germs in the mouth and prevent tooth damage. If you eat a few carrots after your meal it will help get any extra food off your teeth which will help eliminate those embarrassing moments when someone points out you have something stuck in your teeth. I don't know about you but I've definitely been there.

To end this time I have carrot recipe because not everyone likes to eat raw carrots. I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com. It’s called Parmesan Crusted Baby Carrots.

Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook Time: 20 minutes. Calories: 57

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots chopped

2 teaspoons butter

¼ cup parmesan cheese.

Directions:

1)      Place carrots into a large pot with water and cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium low. Let simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.

2)      Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in carrots. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes.

3)      Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Wait 30 seconds before stirring into carrots. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes.

4)      Eat and enjoy! J

Cucumbers

My favorite vegetable has forever been the cucumber.  If I get a salad I want it to have cucumbers in it or it’s not a salad. During family gatherings I go right for the cucumbers in the vegetable bowl. I am a cucumber fiend.  So of course I ended up looking them up.

Cucumbers are mostly water, either 95% or 96% water.  I have looked up multiple sources and some say 95 and others say 96 so I’m not certain which it is. Either way cucumbers are mostly water. Because of this they keep the body hydrated, regulate the body’s inner temperature, and help the body flush out toxins.

Cucumbers also have vitamin K. One cup of cucumbers has 12% Vitamin K, to be exact.  Vitamin K helps build bone strength. It can help reduce the risk of arthritis and osteoporosis later on in life.  This makes me wonder if my adoration of cucumbers has something to do with the fact that the only bone I’ve ever broken in my life is my nose. I swear I should have broken my fingers multiple times by now but it hasn’t happened.

Another fact is that the skin of cucumbers contains a good amount of Vitamin C and fiber, so it’s beneficial to leave it on when eating cucumbers. But for those of you who don’t like to eat the skin (that would be me) you can use the skin to relieve sunburn and mild skin irritations. Its effects are similar to Aloe Vera.

Cucumbers have also been found to reduce dark circles under the eyes has well as puffiness. Just lay down and put cucumbers on your eyes for 15 to 20 minutes, or dab a cotton ball in cucumber juice and apply to the skin just under the eyes.

I want to end with an interesting fact I found that has nothing to do with health benefits and everything to do with yumminess.  For those out there like myself who love to munch on cucumbers, did you know that the flavor comes from their seeds?  Medium sized cucumbers with soft small seeds have the best flavor. So keep that in mind when grocery shopping.

Limes

I looked up limes because of a massage I got once.  It was actually my first professional massage ever. When I was done they gave me some water to drink. It tasted really interesting and I looked to see what was in it and they had a bundle of cut up pieces of fruit. I noticed the lime in there and wondered about it. I had never drunk lime juice before. So I went to the store and got a lime, cut it up and started putting it in my water every day.  I noticed I had to go to the bathroom a lot, and not in a bad way. One glass of lime water had a similar result to drinking two glasses of regular water.  So I got curious.

Like lemons limes are rich in vitamin C but not as rich as lemons. Also just like lemons, the seeds of a lime are poisonous.   

Limes aid in digestion for a couple of reasons. The first is that the scent of a lime makes the mouth water, so saliva floods your mouth before you even taste the lime and digestion has started. The second reason is the acid in limes help break down food in the stomach.

Limes also help with weight loss. The citric acid in limes is a great fat burner.   Drink a couple glasses a day and you will start to see results.

These multitalented fruit also help with urinary disorders.  Limes have a high potassium content which is helpful for removing toxic substances. Also it’s disinfectant properties help cure infections in the urinary system. 

What can limes do for your skin? You’d be surprised.  When you consume it or apply it externally it can revive the skin and keep it shinning. Limes also protect skin from infections and can reduce body odor do to the amount of vitamin C and Flavonoids in them.  When you apply it to your skin externally the acids help scrub out dead cells, helps with rashes and bruises, and can help cure dandruff.

Like lemons, limes have even more uses that I haven’t even talked about though they are more for people with specific problems.

Lemons

My name is Deanna and I have irritable bowl syndrome (IBS). If you don't know what IBS is I'll give you a quick rundown. IBS is a problem with the digestive system. If I eat certain foods I'll get sick or have some nasty bodily reactions. Every time I eat I always end up feeling nauseous. Because of my condition I have a tendency to look up different foods to find out how they might be able to help me feel better. I have found some interesting facts and health benefits of fruits and vegetables during my research and decided I'd like to share them.
 
Today I wanted to talk about the different health benefits of Lemons.

First a warning. The seeds of a lemon are poisonous and can be life threatening if eaten in large amounts. So remember to avoid swallowing lemon seeds if possible.

Lemons are rich in vitamin C. Eating foods that are rich in vitamin C can help reduce the risk of dying from cancer, stroke and heart disease.

If you have high blood pressure you should try drinking lemon juice. It contains potassium which helps control blood pressure. It also helps control dizziness and nausea.

If you have constipation put a lemon in your water every day or squeeze some juice into your beverages because lemon juice can get things moving again.

Now here is a real interesting fact, lemons can stop internal bleeding. They have antiseptic and styptics properties. If you put lemon juice on a small cotton ball and stick it gently inside your nose it can help stop a nose bleed.

Lemon juice is also a cooling agent. If you apply it to burns it will give off a nice cooling sensation and ease the pain. It also will help the scares of burns fade.

Another really nice use of lemon juice is for foot relaxation. If you add some lemon juice to warm water in a bucket (or whatever you want to stick your feet in) it will do wonders for those sore aching feet.

These are only a handful of the things lemons can do for you. They can also help with hair care, skin care, dental care, weight loss, respiratory disorders, cholera, fevers and more. It's fascinating how  lemons can really benefit people.