Thursday, 6 September 2012

Wednesday, 5 September 2012

Healthy Snacks for weight loss

Would you like to eat just about anytime of the day? Well, here are healthy snacks for weight loss. You can prepare them ahead of time and store them in your refrigerator.

Source: self.com via Tenette on Pinterest

Tuesday, 4 September 2012

Sunday, 2 September 2012

Nose Congestion?

I saw this on Pinterest and i know i will be making one of these when i get home. This is such a nice treatment for your stuffy nose. Why not try it?


Let me know if it works for you?

Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Health Benefits of Banana

This morning while i was having my breakfast of Bread and some Hotdogs, i saw that the banana fruit was there lying around in one corner of the table. And so, i reached out for it and opened it. Thinking what nutritional health facts does a banana have.
Then i came to realize that Bananas are rich in Potassium and Magnesium, which when taken can help our circulatory system.It also saves us from the risk of having high  blood pressure. It also relives us from muscle cramps.
Bananas have B6 that helps in our immune system by protecting our body against infection.
They also help in our digestive system. A banana can either help us when we are constipated or when we have diarrhea. It also helps us when we have ulcers because it coats the lining of the stomach.
Aside from the fruit nutritional benefits. Bananas can also be used to heal wounds by making a paste and covering the wound. It can also soothe out itchiness in the body caused by insect bites.
So why not grab a banana everytime you feel like eating. It can prevent you from eating that sugary dessert/pastries which can lead you to diabetes.


Sunday, 19 February 2012

Yerba Buena ( Peppermint)

Yerna Buena or commonly known as peppermint.
Peppermint/ Yerba Buena/ Daun Mint

Scientific Name is Clinopodium douglasii. Belongs to the mint family. In the Philippines, this plant has been listed in the 10 Medicinal Plants of the Philippines and is recognized for its medicinal value.

It is a small herb with elliptical leaves.

Use the leaves for the following:

a.) Headache and Stomachache : Boil chopped leaves in 2 cups of water for 15 mins. Cool and strain and drink every 3 hours.

b.) Rheumatism, arthritis: Crush the leaves and massage on knees or where pain is

c.) Cough and Colds : Soak in a cup of hot water 10 fresh leaves and drink as a tea.

d.) Menstrual and gas pain: soak a handful of leaves in a glass of boiling water.
Drink infusion. It induces menstrual flow and sweating.

e.) Nausea and fainting : crush leaves and apply at nostrils of patient

f.)  Toothache : squeeze sap of a fresh leaf. Soak a piece of cotton in the sap
and insert this in aching tooth cavity. Mouth should be rinsed by gargling salt
solution before inserting the cotton. To prepare salt solution add 5 grams of
table salt to one cup of water.


g.) Insect bites: crush leaves or pound leaves unitl paste-like then apply juice on affected part

The leaves can also be used for cooking.

This plant can be readily planted on a small pot so that everytime you want to use it. Its readily available.

Why not plant Yerba Buena today so you have it when you need it.

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Ginger

Zingiber officinale L.
Ginger is a rhizome (underground stem) that grows almost everywhere. We use it for a lot of purposes, medicinal or as a food.

Ginger has a lot of medicinal benefits. Here are some:

1. For colds and sore throat : Boil grated ginger with enough water for your tea. Add lemon and honey. Sip while hot. Try to inhale the steam for your clogged nose so it will loosen up.

2. As an anti-inflammatory : Pound some ginger and place on inflamed area. Or you can wrap it on a fabric and place on top.

3. For Nausea and indigestion: Finely grate some ginger and eat it.

4. For headaches and menstrual cramps: Boil some ginger and drink the water.

So next time you are sick, why not try this. Let me know whats the outcome is.

Thursday, 10 November 2011

Wednesday, 26 October 2011

Soursop

guyabano picture
Annonas muricata L.
While we were eating dinner, my husband mentioned that his officemate started to drink Soursop leaves or Guyabano leaves for almost 3 months now. And the lump on his back started to disappear.
This made me dig further for more information about this plant.
The Soursop tree or the Guyabano tree originated from Central America and some parts of Southern America. But it is abundantly cultivated and grown in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines and Indonesia where it is available all year round.
In the Philippines it is known as Guyabano and in Indonesia it is known as Sirsak. The fruit is abundantly sold in the market and in groceries and supermarkets.
The Soursop is a tree that grows up to 12-24 cm in height. The leaves are alternate, oval in shape, pointed at both ends, smooth and shining, 7 to 20 centimeters long and with petioles about 5 millimeters long and the fruit is green in color and has spines. When ripe it is soft to the touch.
The Soursop plant can be propagated by grafting, cutting and budding.
The fruit, seeds , leaves and bark has medicinal uses.
The fruit when taken as a drink or even eaten raw is a good source of Vitamin C and thus a good boaster for the immune system. It is also good in treating liver ailments.
The seeds when pulverize can be used to treat head lice and even bed bugs.
The leaves when mashed can be used to treat skin eruptions and a good anti-inflammatory agent for the skin.
The leaves and the bark when boiled in water for 8-10 minutes and then strained. And the water is used as a drink can treat cancer patients. Studies have been made that it effectively targets and kills malignant cells in 12 types of cancer, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancer.. 
With all these medicinal uses, we can say that the Soursop or Guyabano is  miraculous. So why don’t you drink one today.
Recently, i found  a good source of Dried Sirsak leaves in capsule form. Recent studies from Purdue University shows that the leaves, stems and bark contains a phytochemical called Annonaceous Acetogenins which has antitumorous and anticancerous properties. People have started using it as an alternative to chemotherapy.  If you are interested, please send me your email.

Monday, 3 October 2011

Kalamansi

Citrus microcarpa L.

Citrus microcarpa L.

This wonder fruit is cultivated and grown in the Philippines. This is a must for every household. The plant is a shrub that grows with tiny spines.  The fruit is normally green but when ripe it turns yellowish.

The fruit is rich in Vitamin C. 34 pcs of the medium ripe Kalamansi can meet the dietary allowance of Vitamin C which is 90 mg/day.

The fruit is used to treat cough, colds and a sorethroat. It can also be a bleaching agent for freckles and helps clear up acne. It is also used as a face mask if used together with milk. The fruit crushed with gugo is used to wash the hair and can stimulate hair growth.

Why not grab a calamansi today and make a fruit juice.

References:

www.stuartxchange.org

www.fnri.dost.govt.ph

Thursday, 29 September 2011

Guava

Psidium guajava L.

The guava tree and its fruit has a lot of medicinal use. Guava is scientifically known as Psidium guajava L. It belongs to the Myrtaceae family.

It is cultivated in tropical countries. In the Philippines, it grows almost anywhere. In Indonesia, the ripe fruits which turns red inside are mostly found in Java Island and they are so sweet.

I became interested in this fruit when my two sons had dengue. The Vitamin C content of 160 g of a red guava fruit is almost 377 mg (Nutrient data source: US Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database from Nutritiondata.com). This much of Vitamin C can help increase the immune system.

The fruit is also rich in phosphorus and calcium. Some varieties are rich in beta-carotene.

The leaves are boiled and the water is used to cleanse wounds and also used to apply on inflamed areas of the skin. The leaves has a good antiseptic  and disinfectant property. In fact, the water can also be used to gargle to relieve toothaches and cleanse gum sores.

Sources:

http://cvsingh.hubpages.com/hub/health-benefits-medicinal-properties-Guava

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guava

Saw Palmetto

I became interested on this because some of my relatives and friends have used it.
So what is Saw Palmetto? It is a plant and the extract of the ripe seeds are the ones used for medicine. The scientific name of Saw Palmetto is Serenoa repens. SawPalmetto
http://www.tanyadokteranda.com/artikel/2008/05/pembesaran-prostat-vs-saw-palmetto
It is rich in fatty acids such as lauric, myristic, oleic and palmitic  .It also contains phytosterols. And some polysaccharides.
Saw palmetto is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) – which is the enlargement of the prostrate gland and thus makes it hard for one to urinate . Because the enlarge prostrate presses on the urinary tract.
Saw palmetto prevents testosterone from converting into dihydrotestosterone ( DHT). The latter is the main cause of the enlargement of prostrates and also causes hair loss in men.
Although there are no conclusive evidences on this but it would be best to consult a physician before drinking this medicine.
However, the recommended dosage for this is 160 mg/day.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saw_palmetto_extract
http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/health-supplements/saw-palmetto.htm

Wednesday, 28 September 2011

Garlic

Alium sativum L.
Have you ever wondered what food in your refrigerator or in your garden is good for high blood pressure? Yes, there is one. Its the white thing that you use always when you saute your food. YES! It's the GARLIC bulb that you use everyday. So what can garlic do? First let us know more about garlic.

The fresh cloves are the ones that we need. It is available everywhere. Go to a marketplace  and its there. Choose the ones that are fresh.

The scientific name of garlic is Alium sativum L.
The active component of Garlic is Alicin, which is primarily responsible for its medicinal uses.

Garlic is a perennial that grows all over the world. The bulb is use for medicinal purposes. It contains 4-20 cloves.

The Garlic clove is termed "wonder drug" it is used to cure a lot of diseases from the ordinary cold to managing blood cholesterol levels. It can also cure acne. It has an antioxidant property that helps build our immune system and helps prevent cancer. It is also a good antibacterial agent.

Garlic is a natural blood thinner, thus it helps increase blood flow.

Recently, i just read that cloves of garlic can be eaten just before a flight. It helps prevent nausea, giddiness, headache, malaise and extreme fatigue caused by the reduced oxygen level in the airplane.

Garlic can be eaten raw, fried or roasted. Garlic Oil and standardized garlic powder are now used to make the drug.

Although too much consumption of garlic can induce hyperacidity.

So just eat the right amount. 6-8 cooked cloves daily is enough.