FOOD TO INCREASE IMMUNITY

Tomatoes - Tomato contains amazing amounts of lycopene which is said to have anti oxidant properties. Studies have shown that tomato can reduce prostate cancer especially in synergy with broccoli. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggested that ‘the intake of tomatoes and tomato products is associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer. This benefit may be related to the antioxidant properties of lycopene, but other potential mechanisms and other beneficial tomato-based components instead of or combined with lycopene cannot be excluded’.

Broccoli - Broccoli contains a substantial amount of nutrients that are extremely good for health including vitamins A, C, folic acid, fiber and calcium. Broccoli contains an unusual combination of three phytonutrients, glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiian, and glucobrassicin. Together these nutrients have a strong impact on our body’s detoxification system. Eating raw broccoli is the best way to get all its offered nutrients.

Brussels sprouts –  Brussels sprouts are very high in fiber, and they belong to the disease-fighting cabbage family. Indeed, they look like miniature cabbages. Like broccoli and cabbage — fellow cruciferous vegetables — Brussels sprouts may protect against cancer with their indole, a phytochemical. These little green veggies are especially important for pregnant woman because they’re packed with folic acid, a B-vitamin that prevents neural tube defects. Brussels sprouts are also packed with vitamins C and K as well as fiber, potassium and omega-3 fatty acids.

Carrots  - These orange-wonders are loaded with eye, skin and hair-enriching nutrients. They’re also the richest vegetable source of some important antioxidants, like vitamin A. And because they’re rich in vitamin C, carrots protect your cardiovascular system from damage. Along with 400% of your daily vitamin A, a serving of carrots will provide vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, C, E and K, and plenty of fiber, manganese and potassium. Organic carrots have a little bit of everything.

Sweet potato - Sweet potatoes are absolutely loaded with nutrition and considered to be one of nature’s most perfect vegetables. Packed with beta carotene and vitamin A, one serving of sweet potatoes provides more beta carotene than 23 cups of broccoli. One daily serving of sweet potatoes per day can greatly reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and even cancer.

Eggplant  - Eggplants high amount of phytonutrients has the ability to protect brain cell membranes from free radical cells from damaging them. The high amount of B complex vitamins in eggplant also has the ability to keep us thinking clearly and prevent stress. The antioxidants in eggplant even have the ability to prevent brain tumors and cancer from forming by attacking the free radicals that cause tumors cancers.

Spinach - Spinach is a nutrition superstar, even a fairly good source of iron. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals, some of which are hard to find in other foods.

Onions - Onions are a very good source of vitamin C, B6, biotin, chromium, calcium and dietary fibre. In addition, they contain good amounts of folic acid and vitamin B1 and K. A 100 gram serving provides 44 calories, mostly as complex carbohydrate, with 1.4 grams of fibre. Onions contain a large amount of sulfur and are especially good for the liver. As a sulfur food, they mix best with proteins, as they stimulate the action of the amino acids to the brain and nervous system.

Drumsticks: The Powerhouse of Minerals

“The miracle tree” Moringa oleifera is the tree from which the drumsticks (popularly called ‘sahjan’) is obtained have been used for culinary purposes, immense nutritional benefits and use in traditional medicine.
The nutritional value of Sahjan is well established now and it has become a promising food for developing countries where malnutrition is prevalent.

Drumsticks and Food Facts

• The drumsticks are prevalent as part of cuisine in India.

• In South India, the pods are used to prepare a variety of sambhar and other curries.

• In West Bengal of India, drumsticks are made into a variety of dishes mixed with poppy seeds, coconut and mustard.

• The state of Maharashtra uses drumsticks in preparing specialty sweet and sour curries.

• In Gujarat and Maharashtra, the pods are used in preparing a spicy curry preparation known as saragava ki kadhi.

• They are also used sometimes to add flavor to the food.

• Tender drumstick leaves are also used for garnishing vegetable dishes and salads.

Nutrition Value of Drumsticks

The tree of life, Moringa or drum stick tree is considered to be the most nutrient rich plant on earth.

Drum stick is a tree that is extremely nutritious and has many potential and healthy uses.

In a gram per gram comparison:

Drumstick ≡ 7 times Vitamin C in oranges

                     4 times Vitamin A in carrots

                     4 times Calcium in milk

                     3 times Potassium in banana

                     2 times Protein in yoghurt

                     4 times Fiber of oats

                     9 times Iron of spinach

Drumstick has emerged as a valuable food resource to prevent malnutrition and other childhood diseases such as childhood blindness associated with vitamin deficiency, diabetes, blood sugar, viral infections, and endless diseases which result from lack of nutritional elements in the diet.

           All parts of the plant are edible and the content of minerals, protein and vitamins is outstanding. It is loaded with nutrients, oxidants and healthy proteins.

The various constituents present in it are:

• Proteins
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B complex
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Iron
• Calcium
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Sulphur
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Copper
• Essential amino acids       

Home Remedies and Drumstick

• All parts of the tree, the small, white flowers, the rounded leaves, the drumstick pods, seeds and fruits are used for different purposes in traditional medicine and for their nutritional value.

A few home remedies of drumsticks are –

• Juice of drumstick is mixed in milk and given to children for strengthening the bones of children and also provides them calcium.

• Drumsticks are commonly used as blood purifier.

• Drumsticks should be eaten by pregnant ladies to prevent any pre and post-delivery complications.

• Drumstick soup is taken for relief from chest congestion, cough and sore throats.

• Water in which drumsticks have been boiled is inhaled for comfort in asthma and lung diseases.

• Leaves are taken for their benefits in catarrhal affections.

• A curry is made from unripe pods to remove the intestinal worms.

• A soup made from pods is taken in diet for enlarged liver and spleens, articular pains, tetanus, weakness of nerves, paralysis, pustules, patches and leprosy

• Drumsticks in the form of juice or as such is given to the infants and growing children as tonic.

• A mixture of drumstick juice and lime applied on the face adds to the glow of the face.

• Leaves rubbed against the temple can relieve headaches.

• A poultice of fresh leaves is applied to stop bleeding from wounds.

• The powder ground from dried drum stick leaves is used in the treatment of scurvy skin diseases.

• Flowers juice improve the quality and flow of mother’s milk when breast feeding.

• Flower juice is useful for urinary problems.

• The mature pod seeds are roasted, pounded and mixed with coconut oil and seed oil are applied to the problem area for the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism, gout, cramp, boils and sexually transmitted diseases.

The various ailments for which drumstick has been used in the treatment of the following diseases which even has clinical evidence now:

• Anemia
• Anxiety
• Asthma
• Blackheads
• Blood impurities
• Bronchitis
• Cold
• Chest congestion
• Cholera
• Conjunctivitis
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Eye and ear infection
• Fever
• Swollen glands
• Head ache
• Abnormal blood pressure
• Hysteria
• Joint pain
• Psoriasis
• Respiratory disorders
• Scurvy
• Semen deficiency
• Sore throat
• Sprains
• Tuberculosis

DETOX AFTER VACCATIONS....

Taking a vacation... ... Clear blue water and sandy beaches. Or maybe hiking,hanging out in your hometown, relaxing reading, checking out local spots you’ve always wanted to try.  Any way you go with your vacation, it is a break from your everyday routine.  Vacations are a great ways to relax, recharge and refresh your body, mind and spirit. 

But they can also sabotage your healthy habits. You might indulge in foods or drinks you don’t ordinarily. You might skip your workout routine, stay up late, sleep in late. While these things are fine to do on occasion, after a week or more of doing this, you are changing your rhythm, your pattern, and your habits.

This is why it can be so difficult to come back to “reality” after a trip. Here’s what I recommend you do during your trip and after your trip to keep yourself on track.

So it is important for us to re-focus as soon as we get back.

Here are some ways to detox your body and get back on fast track:

The after vacation detox diet has five key rules:

• No sugar

• No alcohol / aerated drinks

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables

• Restrict your coffee / tea intake

• Drink lots of water

• Food that help body to detox:

• Oat meal : great carb for your breakfast . oat meal has an amazing amount of fibre that help restart your digestive system and start expelling the toxins and waste that is accumulated in your body.

• Apples: Contain lots of fiber and nutrients. They are particularly rich in flavonoids such as quercetin and phlorizin that support liver function.

• Artichokes: Support liver, gallbladder and kidney function, helping the body eliminate toxins.

• Beets: High in fiber and also rich vitamins and key minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. They are also good for both liver and gallbladder. Beets help the body produce glutathione, our most powerful antioxidant detoxifier.

• Flax seeds: High in fiber, but also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are excellent at reducing inflammation, boosting circulation and supporting the detox process.

• Garlic:  Garlic contains allicin, a sulphur compound that helps the body eliminate toxins. Helps eliminate pathogens that are also part of our toxic load.

• Turmeric:  Used for liver ailments and to support digestion and cleansing.

• Sea vegetables:  Rich in antioxidants and minerals, also do a good job removing heavy metals and radioactive isotopes.

• Broccoli :  help modulate hormone balance, support detoxification and fight cancer.

• Cabbage : helps your liver with the byproduct being lower cholesterol.

• Asparagus : it help to detoxify the body, it can help you wage the anti-aging battle, protect you from getting cancer, help your heart to stay healthy, and is a general anti-inflammatory food.

• Avocados : Because of its fiber and antioxidant count this is a food that is making it onto more and more detox lists.

• Dandelions : Happy liver, healthy life is the motto here, and dandelion root can help you on your quest to a healthy liver that does its daily duties. This plant is considered a weed by most lawn enthusiasts, but it has several healing properties for the liver.

• Garlic : Many detox diets list garlic as a crucial piece of the puzzle. The reason is that garlic boosts up the immune system as well as helping out the liver. One good thing about garlic is that you can up your intake of it without having to worry if your body is going to get used to it or build up a resistance.

• Ginger : This is one root whose medicinal value dates back to ancient  civilizations, and one that is still believed to offer many health benefits. Often used in a tea or other drink, you can add it to the meals you make as well. It is thought to help the liver function, and has some astringent properties.                          Some detox diets ask you to chew on ginger root. You may also find that adding it to hot water makes the water taste better. Basically any way you can think of it get it into your system is going to be beneficial, especially if you’re suffering from a fatty liver caused by too much alcohol, or too many toxic foods and drinks.

• Grapefruit : The fiber and the nutrient-rich juices in a grapefruit pack a nice detox punch and can really get your body into action as far as detoxing goes. It’s all about flooding the body with good things for it while helping it dislodge the bad things. The effects of grapefruit on weight loss are well-established, and one reason may be because of the way it makes the liver burn up fat.                                                    The big takeaway on grapefruit is that it gets your liver fired up and ready for action, while infusing the rest of your organs with nutrient-laden fruit juice. It’s a winner when it comes to detox foods.

• Green tea : Green tea is often thought of as a great addition to any detox program because of its high antioxidant value. Antioxidants are helpful because they will help seek out and kill free radicals before they can do any damage. This is a great beverage to drink on a daily basis for this factor alone.                    Getting into a healthy state of mind is a matter of feeling like you’re doing what’s best for your body. It can be something as simple as substituting green tea for colas, juices, and other teas so that you can actually be benefiting your body from a beverage instead of hurting it.

• Lemongrass : This is an herb that is used in Thailand and other parts of the world as a natural way to cleanse several organs at once. It not only helps the liver but also the kidneys, the bladder, and the entire digestive tract. Benefits of using it in your cooking, or drinking it as a tea include a better complexion, better circulation, and better digestion.                                                                                      It is most often used as a tea in the world of detoxing, and there are several recipes you can try until you find one that suits your tastes best. 

• Lemons : Lemons and lemon juice are often mentioned when detoxing, and there’s even a few Lemon Detox Diets floating around out there. It’s simply a matter of adding lemon juice to water and drinking it. It’s supposed to flush toxins from your body. Some people add cayanne pepper and sweeten it with sugar, but sugar is not recommended if you’re trying to get a detoxifying effect from it.                          It helps with your digestion and you can drink a cup of hot water with lemon added in order to prepare your digestive system for that day’s work. 

• Olive oil :  Some liver cleanses out there call for olive oil mixed with fruit juice in order to trigger your liver to expunge its gallstones. But aside from that olive oil should be your go-to oil for use in cooking when you’re trying to detox the body. That’s because it has a lot of healthy properties, and makes for a better choice of fat than most of your other options.                                                                                  Just be sure not to cook with it at high heat. Use it as a salad dress to help things like dark leafy greens go down.

• Turmeric : This is an herb that usually shows up as a tea, and it has specifically been studied in relation to the effect that it has on the liver. It’s said that you can do a detox using just turmeric tea, and drinking it for a week straight along with a healthy diet.                                                                                If you are simply looking for a way to start adding detoxifying foods to your diet, it would be good to keep this on hand and to substitute it for another beverage to reap its healthy benefits.

• Water : Water is often overlooked but is so important for all of your organs, and for flushing toxins out of your body. If you’re exercising and taking saunas to help release the toxins it becomes even more important to stay hydrated.                                                                                                                          If you’re not used to drinking water daily, be sure to only increase your intake by one cup at a time so you don’t overload yourself. Your kidneys won’t know what to do if they’re not used to getting water and then get a ton of it.

• Wheat grass : All of those health nuts that have been drinking wheatgrass shakes for years were onto something. This is a great boost to your liver and it can help you feel good all day due to its alkaline property.                                                                                                                                                    It’s also effective at lowering your blood sugar and for getting your metabolism back on track. It’s simply a great food to consume, and is a nice counteraction to any junk you may have eaten in the past. Show your body you really do love it.