Author: Monica

Monica

The Cantaloupe

This fruit is so easy to start growing, even in my small window garden.  The seeds did not take long to sprout (about 5 days) and before I knew it, I had plants about 4 inches high.  I am not actually expecting for my plants to yield fruit while just growing them in my small window garden, but I just love to experiment with gardening and it is more of a hobby for me until I get some land to actually expand.

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These delicious and nutritious melons are usually oblong in shape, measure 4.5- 6.5 inches in diameter and weigh 450 – 850 gm. Its flesh ranges in color from orange-yellow to salmon and has a soft consistency.  Like most fruits, the riper it is the sweeter it is.   There are seeds in its hollow center that are off-white in color and surrounded by a network of stringy fibrous-like strands.

So, why have I decided to write about this melon…..well, for one it was on sale for a great price at the store and it is in season.  Usually the season starts in April and ends in August for cantaloupe.  I find that if you go with the flow and eat what is in season, you can reap more benefits from the fruit because it will be at its best, therefore, more nutritional benefits for us.  Being from America, I was used to having just about all kinds of produce available almost all year round.  It was not until I came to Israel that I realized that oranges are primarily harvested in the Winter! What!  Imagine the benefit we receive in the vitamin C boost going into the cold and flu season.

Reason number two that I purchased the cantaloupe melon is because of the many nutrients it contains and the health benefits:

  • Its very filling and therefore in my opinion helps to tame my appetite and only 34 calories per 100 grams
  • Cantaloupe is an excellent source of Vitamin A (100 g yields 3382 IU or about 112% of recommended daily levels).  Vitamin A is an excellent anti-oxidant and great for eye mucus membrane and skin health.
  • Due to the beta-carotene content, it may also be good protection against certain cancers (colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers).
  • As a moderate source of potassium (a very important electrolyte) it is important for cell and body fluids and helps control blood pressure and heart rate.  It may help to protect against stroke and coronary heart disease.  It provides 267 mg of potassium in a 100 gram serving.
  • If that is not enough, cantaloupe contains a good portion of B-complex vitamins.  Niacin, pantothenic acid and vitamin C plus other minerals like manganese take us right back to free radical fighters and antioxidant properties.
  • I have found that if I am feeling really weighed down, it really gives me a boost of energy to get me to the next meal and rehydrates me.  It is such a versatile fruit that you can cut it into cubes and eat it cold as a snack, with breakfast or as a dessert.

So, what are you waiting for…….can you give the cantaloupe a chance?  Let me know how you feel about it.  Don’t forget to comment, like and subscribe!

Reference:

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/cantaloupe.html

Monica

“Sugar? Spice? No It’s Pumpkin…So Nice”

Pumpkin Seeds eaten raw have some amazingly super health benefits!

 

Pumpkin Royalty Free Stock Photography

Pumpkin seeds contain a vast amount of proteins, manganese, fibers, potassium and phosphor. They also are important for the immune system because of their high level of zinc.  And what do you know, like other things that are good for the immune system, they also help in the fight against cancer.

Other benefits of these amazing little seeds are as follows:  they repair our body’s damaged DNA, help to control diabetes and make our vision better.

The substances in the pumpkin seeds that have been used for treatment of various types of cancer in its early stages are Cucurbitacins.  These give the seed its potent anti-inflammatory properties also.  The zinc and phytosterols in pumpkin seeds help in the prevention of prostate cancer development. They are also beneficial in DNA repair.

What else?

Well, so glad you asked.  If the above benefits are not enough, pumpkin seeds also contain a large amount of nicotinic acid, trigonelline and D-chiro-inositol.  Nicotinic acid and D-chiro-inositol have been proven to control blood sugar, and D-chiro-inositol prevents the onset of diabetes also.

Since these little seeds also contain a lot of zinc, a lot of the common cold prevention products try to copy or mimic their zinc fighting action.  Zinc is so great for the immune function that the National Institutes of Health recommends 8 mg of zinc per day for women, which is about one cup of pumpkin seeds.

Last but not least, zinc allows vitamin A to travel from our liver to our retina (in the eye) to make melanin. Melanin is a pigment that protects our eyes.

Try the below tasty recipe in reference number 2 if you are like me and not SO excited about eating the seeds raw.  Of course you get the best health benefits eating them as is, but I guess I would rather get some of the benefit than none at all due to the thought of eating them raw… not too exciting!  This is one thing that I have reviewed that I am not so eager to try again as is….however, the great minerals and nutrients as well as health benefits gained from them are too great to let you all sleep on them.

References:

  1. http://complete-health-and-happiness.com/eating-raw-pumpkin-seeds-repair-dna-control-blood-sugar-spikes-improve-our-sight/
  2. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/10/cinnamon-sugar-roasted-pumpkin-seeds-recipe.html

 

Monica

Pearly Whites Not So White?

 

You know, through the years our teeth can take a beating just like the rest of our body through just normal every day trauma.  Even trying our best to take care of them, over time, they lose that beautiful bright color that we once had as young children.  Well rest assure, there are some simple and inexpensive things we can do to enhance the appearance of our teeth, thus enhancing our smile!  It won’t even take a lot of time….just 3 minutes!

What you will need:

The juice from 1/2 of a lemon (preferably organic)
1/4 cup of baking soda (if you are preparing for Passover/Pesach, be careful that this goes out with the other Chametz)

Instructions:
Squeeze the lemon juice over your baking soda.
The mixture will begin to bubble and you should allow it to sit for a few minutes.
Use a cotton ball to place the mixture onto your teeth.
Only allow the mixture to stay on your teeth for about one minute.

After a minutes, brush your teeth as you normally would do to remove the acidic mixture.   Warning:  Do not let the mixture stay on your teeth indefinitely, it could cause erosion on your teeth.  Just remember that even natural products can have some adverse effects.

Check out the third reference on how often you should use the mixture.

I challenge you to try it and send in your before and after!  Tell how it worked (or maybe how it didn’t work) for you!

My Before Picture:

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Will post an after pic in a few weeks.

http://www.loveme.com.ng/2015/10/see-how-to-whiten-your-teeth-in-just-3.html

http://everydayroots.com/teeth-whitening-at-home

http://www.wikihow.com/Whiten-Teeth-With-Baking-Soda

 

 

Monica

All About Chia Seeds

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You all probably remember the famous “Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia”.  How many of us grew those chia plants back in the day and had no idea what it was?  Well, I have just become a user of these cool little seeds.  Top 8 reasons why to incorporate Chia Seeds into your daily diet:

  • One big reason is you get a lot for doing so little.  Chia seeds are packed with so many nutrients and very few calories.  They contain 11 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, 5 grams of Omega-3s out of the 9 grams of fat, 18% of the recommended daily allowance of Calcium (RDA), 30% of the RDA of Manganese, 27% of the RDA of Phosphorus, a generous amount of Zinc, Vitamin B3/Niacin, Potassium, Vitamin B1/Thiamine and Vitamin B2.
    • In just 1 ounce, you get a power-packed 137 calories (this is just 2 tablespoons).  Since a lot of these calories are fiber and may not be used by the body, these ends up being about 101 calories per ounce.  Chia seeds are usually grown organically and considered a “whole grain” food.  They are non-GMO and also gluten free without any manipulation.
  • Chia seeds have been found to have a high amount of anti-oxidants
  • As mentioned earlier, almost all of the calories are from fiber.  Since fiber won’t raise your blood sugar level, eating chia seeds doesn’t require so much usage of insulin because only a small percentage is actual carbs.  Fiber absorbs a lot of water and eating these seeds in other foods and drinks will “fill you up” so to speak.  This may lead to you eating fewer calories, thus, it may help in weight loss.
  • Chia seeds are high in protein which helps to keep you full and suppress apetite!
  • They are high in Omega-3-Fatty acids
  • May reduce your risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes
  • They contain nutrients that are healthy for bones.  This is important to me since I made a decision not to drink or give cow milk to my family.  I wanted another source of calcium and phosphorus.  These nutrients also include magnesium and protein in which Chia seeds contain a great amount.
  • These little seeds may cause improvement in Type 2 Diabetes patients due to their ability to significantly lower blood pressure and a marker for inflammation.

I hope you will give these little seeds a try, but before doing so, just consider that it is best taken in small amounts like an ounce or so mixed in with other food and drink.  Also, please consult your healthcare provider before introducing anything new.  This just keeps them in the loop and helps you to be safer!

References:

  1. https://authoritynutrition.com/11-proven-health-benefits-of-chia-seeds/
  2. https://www.nutrition.org/asn-blog/2012/03/the-real-scoop-on-chia-seeds/