Onion



Onions are a crucial ingredient in almost any delicious meal. But you might not know that they have some great health benefits, too, and not just when it comes to nutrition! This wonderful bulb can actually be used as a highly versatile natural remedy. Take a look



1. Burns

Simply cut an onion in half and hold it on the burn until the pain goes away. The juices act as an immediate pain reliever, and the onion’s natural antiseptic properties can prevent scarring and reduce the risk of infection.

2. Insect Bites

Applying raw onion to a bug bite will help draw out the poison and reduce pain and swelling.

3. Earache

Place an onion core in the ear canal overnight, and it will soften the wax buildup and alleviate the pain. (it really works!)

4. Fever

Burning up? Place onion slices in your socks while you sleep! Strange as

5. Detox

Since onions absorb bacteria, leaving cut onions around the house can help prevent the flu and other virus-borne illnesses from spreading. it sounds, this has been known to help break a fever overnight.

http://boredomtherapy.com/remedies-using-onions/?shr=true

Cucumbers

Sweet Potatoes

Stressed? Eat sweet potatoes! Sweet potatoes have proven themselves to be great stress reducers. With their sweetness and high concentration of carbohydrates, sweet potatoes satisfy common stress-related cravings for sugar. They are also high in fiber, which means you'll feel satisfied longer. What is your "go-to" food to relieve stress?

Papaya

 

Papaya tree bears many spherical or pear-shaped fruits that can have about 6-20 inches in length and 4-12 inches in diameter. The average-sized papaya weighs about a pound. The fruit is said to ripen when it feels soft to thumb pressure, and its skin has attained an amber to orange hue.

Inside, the fruit features numerous black seeds, encased in a mucin coat, in the hollow central cavity. The flesh is orange in color with either yellow or pink hues, soft in consistency and has a deliciously sweet, musky taste with rich flavor.

Babaco fruit is closely related to papaya, has similar appearance and flavor as papaya.

Papaya fruit health benefits

• The papaya fruit is very low in calories (just 39 calories/100 g) and contains no cholesterol; however, is a rich source of phyto-nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.
• Papayas contain soft, easily digestible flesh with a good amount of soluble dietary fiber that helps to have normal bowel movements; thereby reducing constipation.
• Fresh, ripe fruit is one of the fruits with the highest vitamin-C content (provides 61.8 mg or about 103% of DRI, more than that of in oranges, or lemons). Research studies have shown that vitamin C has many important functions like free radicals scavenging, immune booster, and anti-inflammatory actions.
• It is also an excellent source of Vitamin-A (provides 1094 IU/100 g) and flavonoids like �-carotene, lutein, zea-xanthin and cryptoxanthin. Vitamin A is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for visual sight. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties; help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes. Consumption of natural fruits rich in carotenes has known to protect the body from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• Papaya fruit is also rich in many essential B-complex vitamins such as Folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin, and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to replenish and play a vital role in metabolism.
• Fresh papaya also contains a good amount of potassium (257 mg per 100 g) and calcium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids and helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure countering effects of sodium.
• Papaya seeds have been the proven natural remedy for many ailments in the traditional medicines. The seeds are found application as anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, and analgesic, and used to treat stomachache and ringworm infections.

Selection and storage

Papaya is usually harvested when it shows signs of maturity; evident as skin slightly turning to yellow. Organic papayas generally left to ripen on the tree; however, care should be taken since over-ripen fruits actually fall off themselves and spoiled.

In the store, papayas come in various sizes and maturity; therefore, select the one based on the serving size and timing. Choose the one with intact skin without any bruises or cuts. Unripe fruits can be kept at room temperature for few days but ripen ones should be stored in the refrigerator. Bring back the fruit to normal temperature when it is to be eaten to get their natural taste and flavor.

Unripe green papaya is cooked as a vegetable in many Asian and Pacific regions. However, the fruit should not be eaten raw as it contains toxic alkaloids in its milky latex.

Preparation and serving method

Wash papaya fruit thoroughly in cold running water to remove dust and any pesticide residues. Skin is bitter in taste and inedible. Remove skin with "peeling knife," cut the fruit longitudinally into two equal halves. Gently remove seeds and thin slimy layer loosely adhering to the flesh. Cut the fruit longitudinally like melon or cut into small cubes.

Here are some serving tips

• Ripe papaya fruit is usually eaten raw with a twist of lemondrops.
• Fresh papaya cubes are a great addition to fruit salads.
• Papaya juice with ice cubes is a popular drink.
• Its cubes are used in ice creams, shakes, sorbets, salsa, etc.
• Ripe fruit also goes well with chicken and seafood savory dishes.
• Unripe green papaya can be used as a vegetable, either cooked, usually in stews, stir-fry, curries, and soups.

Safety profile

Papayas contain white milk like latex substance, which can cause irritation to skin and provoke allergic reaction in some sensitized persons.

Ripe papaya fruit can be safely used by pregnant women. Unripe, green papaya should be avoided in them since it contains a lot of papain, a proteolytic enzyme that used commercially to tenderize meat. In addition, nripe-papaya fruit, seeds, latex, and leaves also contain carpaine, an alkaloid which could be dangerous when eaten in high doses. Unripe papaya, however, used safely as a cooked vegetable.(Medical disclaimer).

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/papaya-fruit.html

Cherry

Eating cherries may help you sleep better, lose weight and help prevent some diseases.

Sweet or sour, cherries are bursting with nutrition. Find out how these petite stone fruits can help improve your health, from a better night’s rest to a trimmer tummy to managing gout.
Get a better night’s sleep.
Tart cherries are one of nature’s few sources of melatonin, a hormone that lowers body temperature, making us sleepy. When study volunteers drank an ounce of tart cherry juice concentrate in the morning and again at night, they slept more soundly. Even better: sipping the tart concentrate may provide an alternative to a melatonin supplement. “The melatonin in tart cherry juice is very well absorbed and is utilized by the body to provide an effect that could rival melatonin supplements,” says study author Glyn Howatson, Ph.D.

Balance your blood pressure.Sweet cherries are loaded with potassium, a natural blood-pressure reducer. Potassium balances fluids in our bodies, essentially offsetting the blood-pressure-raising effects of sodium. So it’s no wonder studies have found that people who eat more potassium-rich foods, like sweet cherries, tend to have less hypertension. One cup of these ruby gems packs roughly the same amount of potassium as a small banana and also boasts some quercetin, an antioxidant that may help keep blood vessels relaxed and supple.

Ease muscle soreness.Tart cherry juice may quell post-workout pain, says a 2010 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition study. Runners who downed 24 ounces of tart cherry juice daily (about 480 calories) for seven days before a long-distance race, and again on race day, reported fewer aches afterward than runners who drank a placebo. Researchers believe that tart cherries’ antioxidants protect against attacks by exercise-induced free radicals, which can lead to painful inflammation.

Whittle your waistline.When scientists at the University of Michigan Health System put rats on a high-fat diet supplemented with either a tart-cherry powder (equal to 1% of the weight of their total diet) or the same number of calories from carbohydrate, those that got the cherry powder gained less weight and body fat. Why? The anthocyanins in tart cherries activate a molecule that helps rev up fat burning and decrease fat storage
Get a grip on gout.This form of arthritis is caused by too much uric acid in the blood, which causes swelling, inflammation and tenderness. A growing body of research reveals that cherries—both sweet and tart—can help. In a USDA study, eating about 2 cups fresh sweet Bing cherries daily lowered uric acid levels by 15% and also reduced C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation. Another study showed that drinking 8 ounces of tart cherry juice a day reduces uric acid

http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/cherry_nutrition_benefits

Watermelon

Strawberries

 

 

What Are They?

Strawberries

1 cup (whole berries): 46 calories, 0.5g fat, 1mg sodium, 11g carbs, 3g fiber, 7g sugars, 1g protein -- PointsPlus® value 0*

"Fragaria × ananassa, commonly known as strawberry or garden strawberry, is a hybrid species that is cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The fruit (which is not a botanical berry, but an aggregate accessory fruit) is widely appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness. It is consumed in large quantities, either fresh or in prepared foods such as preserves, fruit juice, pies, ice creams, milkshakes, and chocolates."

 

Why Do we Love Them

Full of vitamin c- citrus, take a seat. A cup of Strawberries has well over 100 percent of the daily value

of vitamin c, a.k.a. a super antioxidant

Crazy Versatile-,desserts, salads, and more! What Cant strawberries do?

 Heart Healthy - Strawberries contain lots of phytonutrients. This makes them serious powerhouses

when it comes to cardiovascular well being.



Bananas



Banana for Breakfast anyone???

This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

DEPRESSION:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:
Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

ANEMIA:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

BLOOD PRESSURE:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

BRAIN POWER:
200 students at a Twickenham school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

CONSTIPATION:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

HANGOVERS:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

HEARTBURN:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

MORNING SICKNESS:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

MOSQUITO BITES:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

NERVES:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system..

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

ULCERS:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chroniclercases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

TEMPERATURE CONTROL:
Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has FOUR TIMES the protein, TWICE the carbohydrate, THREE TIMES the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A BANANA a day keeps the doctor away!'

 Peter A Gould's photo.

 

Grandson Earning Orange Belt

Removing Melted Candle Wax

How to Remove Melted Candle Wax Using Heat or Cold

Viewing in General

Click website: http://www.ronhazelton.com/tips/how_to_remove_melted_candle_wax_using_heat_or_cold

 

You know, when you think about it, there are few things more beautiful in the evening than candlelight.  But sometimes, what you’re left with the next morning, well it’s not so pretty, wax drippings on your furniture. Now, there are two ways to get rid of these, the hot method and the cold method.  Let’s start with this one.  Now, heat softens, in fact it will liquefy wax, but the trick is to put on enough heat to melt the wax without damaging the furniture, for that a hairdryer is perfect.  For the cold method, you’ll need some ice, or you can use frozen vegetables, i happen to like peas.  The ice, or in this case, the frozen vegetables makes the wax very cold and very brittle, so that by taking something like this spatula, we can just chip it right off.  So go ahead, light up those candles, enjoy a romantic evening, you’ve got nothing to fear from wax drips.

Black Friday 11 25 11

 

 

Pumpkins and Pumpkins Seed

How to prepare:
Spread 'em on a baking sheet and give 'em a good roast, says Caplan. She recommends people either grab a handful as a stand-alone snack, or work them into a healthy homemade trail mix with dried cranberries and whole wheat pretzels. Big salad fan? Try sprinkling a handful on top of your next creation.

How to prepare:
Judy Caplan, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, suggests roasting or sautéing pumpkin "meat" with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. For a slightly sweeter treat, she suggests cooking the pumpkin with a bit of pure maple syrup.

Brussels Sprouts and Apples

How to prepare them:
There are hundreds of variations you can try on roasted brussels sprouts, or you can work them into brussels sprouts gratin.

How to prepare:
Throw a few apples in your bag and eat them, as is, throughout the day. Or for a slightly more substantial snack, slice them and enjoy them with a few slivers of cheese. Another tasty fall treat? How about some homemade apple sauce, sprinkled with cinnamon?

Pomegranates and Beets

How to prepare them:
Try sprinkling the seeds on top of hearty fall salads and desserts or sip some pomegranate juice, straight-up. You can also work the juice into a variety of dishes, from dinner entrees or in syrups and jellies.

How to prepare:
For a cozy fall dish, Caplan suggests roasting beets with some fresh garlic and rosemary (also in season) and maybe topping that off with some fresh goat cheese. Beets are also great in salads or soups.

7 Fall Foods

1. Persimmons - a good source of Vitamin C as well as manganese, potassium and (depending on their origin) calcium.
2. Pomegranates - the pulp surrounding the seeds, are high in antioxidants and a good source of fiber, potassium and vitamin C.
3. Beets are jam-packed with folate, vitamin C and magnesium.
4. Brussels Sprouts - good source of dietary fiber and folate and high in vitamin C
5. Apple are high in fiber and are a good source of several vitamins, including A and C.
6. Pumpkin Seeds are rich in healthy fats and oils.
7. Pumpkin - are a great source of fiber and vitamin A

Persimmons

How to prepare:
Once you've found persimmons that are truly ripe, try eating them as is or working them into deserts, like pudding or accompanying a fresh, coconut ice-cream. You can also eat them in dried form.