Preparation and Storage
In Asian cooking ginger is almost always used fresh, either minced, crushed or sliced. Fresh ginger can be kept for several weeks in the salad drawer of the refrigerator. Dried ginger should be ‘bruised’ by beating it to open the fibers, then infused in the cooking or making ginger beer and removed when the flavour is sufficient. Store dried and powdered ginger in airtight containers.

Culinary Uses
Fresh ginger is essential to Asian and oriental cookery. It is used in pickles, chutneys and curry pastes and the ground dried root is a constituent of many curry powders. Tender young ginger can be sliced and eaten as a salad. Sometimes the roots will produce green sprouts which can be finely chopped and added to a green salad. In the West, dried ginger is mainly used in cakes and biscuits, especially ginger snaps and gingerbread. (more…)

The best way to choose a flavorful watermelon is to look at the color and quality of the flesh, which should be a deep color and absent from white streaks. If it features seeds, they should be deep in color.

Oftentimes, however, we do not have this liberty when purchasing watermelon since it is more common to buy a whole, uncut fruit. When choosing a whole watermelon, look for one that is heavy for its size with a rind that is relatively smooth and that is neither overly shiny nor overly dull. In addition, one side of the melon should have an area that is distinct in color from the rest of the rind, displaying a yellowish or creamy tone. This is the underbelly, the place that was resting on the ground during ripening, and if the fruit does not have this marking, it may have been harvested prematurely, which will negatively affect its taste, texture and juiciness.

For the most antioxidants, choose fully ripened watermelon. Fruits fully ripen, almost to the point of spoilage, their antioxidant levels actually increase. (more…)

Carrot juice has a number of health benefits. The carrot provides what is certainly the most important basic juice. The yellow color is due to carotene. Another name for this form of carotene, the transform, is pro vitamin A. Many authors write that carrots contain a lot of vitamin A. This is not actually true; what the carrot does contain is the pro vitamin. Carrot juice plays the most important part in an infant’s supply of vitamin A. When carrot juice is consumed jointly with milk, the utilization of carotene as vitamin A is considerably increased. A carrot and milk juice is the ideal vitamin A source for infants and can in no case lead 10 the risk of the child having too much A.

Carrots are widely used. Indeed it is estimated that in Germany carrots account for 10% of the total vegetable consumption. From the carrot juice point of view, the varieties to be employed are ideally those with the most carotene. It is fortunate that the pro vitamin is strongly colored for this means that so long as you use good colored carrots they are likely to be the best nutritionally speaking too. (more…)

The benefits of honey go beyond its great taste. A great natural source of carbohydrates which provide strength and energy to our bodies, honey is known for its effectiveness in instantly boosting the performance, endurance and reduce muscle fatigue of athletes. Its natural fruit sugars play an important role in preventing fatigue during exercise. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost, while the fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy. It is known that honey has also been found to keep levels of blood sugar fairly constant compared to other types of sugar. So, to experience these health benefits of honey, here are a few tips for you:

1. Next time before you go for a workout, take a spoon of honey to enable you to go for the extra mile.

2. If you are feeling low and lethargic in the morning, instead of reaching out for a can of carbonated energy drink , try honey. (more…)

According to alternative medicine advocates, one form of water therapy is the consuming of a gutful of water upon waking in order to “cleanse the bowel “. A litre to a litre and half is the common amount ingested. This water therapy, also known as Indian or Chinese Water Therapy, is claimed to have a wide range of health benefits; or at least no adverse effects. While ingesting about a litre and a half of water is usually harmless, this is approaching the level which can lead to water intoxication, an urgent and dangerous medical condition. Advocates of water therapy claim that application of water therapy at first will cause multiple bowel movements until the body adjusts to the increased amount of fluid.

We’re all used to hearing about drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day. Well, this is pretty much a calculated amount. Those 8-10 glasses are what a person on a typical day loses through activity. So those glasses of water are just to maintain your body’s ideal hydration. Though this 8-10 glasses may vary since different people have different routines. Some may be more physically active or are situated in warmer or colder climates. (more…)

Ganoderma Lucidum is a medicinal mushroom with a number of natural health benefits. Ganoderma isn’t a medicine but a mushroom with medicinal properties. Ganoderma isn’t a medicine because it is not a cure for any specific disease. Ganoderma is an alternative health remedy which can be used while undergoing treatment from modern health care professionals. Sometimes Ganoderma is also referred as Magic Mushroom, this is due to the fact that many people accidently discover some health benefits from Ganoderma which they least expected from it. Ganoderma isn’t based on a marketing gimmick but a marketing gimmick based on real health benefits that many people have realized themselves and the person who is writing this is one of them.

Ganoderma Lucidum is actually an ancient medicine of China which has a medicinal history of over 4000 years. It is a traditional medicine which has many popular names like in China it is called Lingzhi while in Japan it is known as Reishi. Ganoderma Lucidum is a botanical name. Gano and derma are derived from Greek where gano means shiny and derma means skin. So, natural ganoderma has a bright shiny appearance. (more…)

Several population-based clinical studies have shown that green tea helps protect against cancer. For example, cancer rates tend to be low in countries such as Japan where people regularly consume green tea. However, it is not possible to determine from these population-based studies whether green tea actually prevents cancer in people. Emerging clinical studies suggest that the polyphenols in green tea may play an important role in the prevention of cancer. Researchers also believe that polyphenols help kill cancerous cells and stop their progression.

Ovarian cancer. In a clinical study conducted on ovarian cancer patients in China, researchers found that women who drank at least one cup of green tea per day survived longer with the disease than those who didn’t drink green tea. In fact, those who drank the most tea, lived the longest. (more…)

If you are buying commercial lemons from the store, learn kinesiology and muscle test the lemons you buy so that you know one way or another whether the lemons you are purchasing are actually therapeutic for you.

It is also anti-scorbutic, a term meaning a remedy which will prevent disease and assist in cleansing the system of impurities
By drinking lemon juice regularly, the bowels are aided in eliminating waste more efficiently thus controlling constipation and diarrhea.

Sufferers of chronic rheumatism and gout will benefit by taking lemon juice, also those who have a tendency to bleed, uterine hemorrhages, etc.; rickets and tuberculosis. In pregnancy, it will help to build bone in the child. We find that the lemon contains certain elements which will go to build up a healthy system and keep that system healthy and well. (more…)

Honey has been known for its healing properties for thousands of years. The Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used it and so have many other cultures through the ages. Even up to the second world war, honey was being used for its antibacterial properties in treating wounds. With the advent of penicillin and other antibiotic drugs in the twentieth century, doctors and other medical professionals were under the misconception that medicine was more effective than honey.

Honey, a most assimilable carbohydrate compound, is a singularly acceptable, practical and most effective aliment to generate heat, create and replace energy, and furthermore, to form certain tissues. Honey, besides, supplies the organism with substances for the formation of enzymes and other biological ferments to promote oxidation. It has distinct germicidal properties and in this respect greatly differs from milk which is an exceptionally good breeding-ground for bacteria. Honey is a most valuable food, which today is not sufficiently appreciated. Its frequent if not daily use is vitally important. (more…)

Broccoli
This vegetable has proved effective foods to combat diabetes. Broccoli, a close relationship with the cauliflower, has long been a popular food in Europe. Rich in chromium, a trace element that appears in blood glucose. The trace mineral regulates blood sugar, which often reduces medication and insulin requirements in diabetes. In cases of mild diabetes, chromium prevents the onset of the disease completely. If someone in glucose tolerance, chromium can help control it. Even a low blood sugar can be put into normal Chrome.

Bitter gourd
The bitter gourd is a vegetable cultivated extensively. The drug has excellent virtues. This plant is used as a treatment for diabetes since ancient times. Research has found that contains insulin as a principle designated as plant insulin, which ultimately in reducing blood sugar levels in urine were found. (more…)

The health benefits of the apple cider vinegar and honey drink are widely known. It is seen as a powerful cleansing agent and natural healing elixir with naturally occurring antibiotic and antiseptic that fights germs and bacteria. Many people have recognised and made use of its cleansing and disinfecting properties to self-detoxify their body.

So, how does this vinegar and honey remedy actually work? A person’s bloodstream tends toward becoming acidic with our modern diet of fats, starches and processed foods, (e.g fast foods, meats, peanuts, seafoods, alcohol and coffee)and if your body is acidic, disease can flourish; if it is alkaline, it is in balance and can fight off germs and ailments such as bladder and kidney conditions, osteoporosis, brittle bones, joint pains, aching muscles, low energy and chronic fatigue, and slow digestion.

Raw fruits, leafy green vegetables, legumes, and tea are examples of alkaline forming foods. Interestingly and ironically, a food’s acid or alkaline-forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. (more…)

These are some tips to get more spinach in your diet program :

• Make quick and easy spinach dips to eat with crunchy raw vegetables and whole grain breads like pumpernickel, and enjoy the health benefits of spinach while you nibble on your favorite veggies.
• Use fresh spinach instead of lettuce to add a twist to your favorite sandwiches.
• Add chopped fresh or frozen spinach to omelets and frittatas. Make sure frozen spinach is thawed and well drained
• Add chopped fresh or frozen spinach to lasagna to up the nutrient content of this tasty comfort food.
• Add chopped or frozen spinach to your favorite vegetable soup recipe.
• Sauté spinach with a bit of garlic for a tasty super food combination. Try it on top of a baked potato.

Garlic is one of the oldest known medicinal plants, and it’s been credited with fighting heart disease, lowering blood pressure and helping to fight off colds. The therapeutic qualities of garlic are nothing new. Sanskrit records reveal that garlic remedies were pressed into service in India 5,000 years ago, while Chinese medicine has recognised garlic’s powers for over 3,000 years. Although Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin in 1928 largely took over from garlic, World War One overwhelmed the capacity and garlic was again, the antibiotic of choice

So, what is it about garlic that makes it such a boon to our health? When cloves are chewed, crushed or cut, they release a sulphur-bearing compound called allicin – the chemical that gives garlic its pungent taste and smell. And it’s the allicin that scientists have discovered is the magic ingredient thought to be responsible for garlic’s therapeutic qualities. (more…)

Although best known for their high content of beta carotene, carrots also contain a phytonutrient called falcarinol that may be responsible for the recognized epidemiological association between frequently eating carrots and a reduced risk of cancers.

Falcarinol provides protection against colon cancer, suggests a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Three groups of laboratory animals in whom precancerous colon lesions (aberrant crypt foci) had been chemically-induced were fed a standard diet, one supplemented with freeze-dried carrots naturally containing falcarinol, or one supplemented with an extract of falcarinol. After 18 weeks, precancerous lesions in the animals given diets containing carrots or falcarinol were much smaller than those in the control animals, and far fewer of the lesions had grown in size or progressed to become tumors.

Green tea has been extensively studied in people, animals, and laboratory experiments. Results from these studies suggest that green tea may be useful for the following health conditions:

Diabetes
Green tea has been used traditionally to control blood sugar in the body. Animal studies suggest that green tea may help prevent the development of type 1 diabetes and slow the progression once it has developed. People with type 1 diabetes produce little or no insulin, a hormone that converts glucose (sugar), starches, and other foods into energy needed for daily life. Green tea may help regulate glucose in the body.
A few small clinical studies have found that daily supplementation of the diet with green tea-extract powder lowered the hemoglobin A1c level in individuals with borderline diabetes.

Atherosclerosis
Population-based clinical studies indicate that the antioxidant properties of green tea may help prevent atherosclerosis, particularly coronary artery disease. (more…)