The health benefits of cabbage include frequent use as a treatment for constipation, stomach ulcers, headaches, obesity, skin disorders, eye disorders, heart diseases, aging, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Did you know that the inexpensive, humble and widely used cabbage can practically work miracles? Cabbage is a leafy vegetable of Brassica family, and is round or oval in shape. It consists of soft, light green or whitish inner leaves covered with harder and dark green outer leaves. It is widely used throughout the world, and can be prepared in a number of ways, but most commonly, it is included as either a cooked or raw part of many salads.

This is how cabbage looks like;

Cabbage is beneficial in curing various health ailments and a short list of those researched attributes include:

1. Deficiency of Vitamin C

Scurvy is a disease commonly characterized by spongy and bleeding gums, cracked lip corners, weakened immune system, frequent infections and cold, premature aging, and depression.

Remedy: Cabbage is an abundant source of Vitamin C. You might be surprised to know that it is actually richer in vitamin C than oranges, which is traditionally considered the “best” source of that vital nutrient. Vitamin C, as one of the best antioxidants, reduces free radicals in your body that are one of the fundamental causes of premature aging. It also helps in repairing the wear and tear on the body through the course of your life. Therefore, cabbage is very helpful in treating ulcers, certain cancers, depression, immune system boosting, and defending against cough and cold. It can also speed up the healing process for wounds and damaged tissues, regulate the proper functioning of the nervous system, and reduce the effects and presence of Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative neural diseases.

2. Deficiency of Roughage

This is a very serious deficiency but one that is commonly overlooked in the maintenance of personal health. A lack of roughage in food can result in constipation, which is the root cause of many other ailments and health hazards such as stomach ulcers, headaches, gastrointestinal cancers, indigestion and a subsequent loss of appetite. The dangers of roughage deficiency even extend to skin diseases, eczema, premature aging and hundreds of mild to serious conditions.

Remedy: Cabbage is very rich in fiber, the main health benefit of roughage. This helps the body retain water and it maintains the bulkiness of the food as it moves through the bowels. Thus, it is a good remedy for constipation and other digestion-related problems.

3. Deficiency of Sulphur

Sulphur is a very useful nutrient because it fights infections. A deficiency of sulphur can result in microbial infections and a greatly reduced rate in the healing of wounds.

Remedy: Again, cabbage is rich is sulphur. So, it helps fight infections in wounds and reduces the frequency and severity of ulcers.

Other Health Benefits of Cabbage

1. Cancer Prevention

Cabbage is a member of the Brassica family, also known as cruciferous vegetables. One of their most important celebrated benefits to health is their powerful antioxidant quality. This means that cabbage and other similar vegetables scavenge free radicals from around the body, which can be very detrimental to overall health and are major contributors to things like cancer and heart disease.

Cabbage also has a number of anti-cancer compounds, like lupeol, sinigrin, and sulforaphane, which are known to stimulate enzyme activity and inhibit the growth of tumors, which can lead to cancer. One study, performed primarily on Chinese women, showed a significant reduction in breast cancer when cruciferous vegetables like cabbage were regularly added to their diet.

2. Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Cabbage is known to accumulate a build-up of cadmium-binding complexes in its leaves, and one of the main components of that is glutamine. Glutamine is a strong anti-inflammatory agent, so consuming cabbage can reduce the effects of many type of inflammation, irritation, allergies, joint pain, fever, and various skin disorders.

3. Eye Health

Cabbage is a rich source of beta-carotene, so many people, particularly as they get older, turn to cabbage for its ability to prevent macular degeneration and generally promote good eye health and the delay of cataract formation. Beta-carotene has also been positively linked to reduced chances of prostate cancer, which is an extra bonus on top of the other anti-carcinogenic effects of cabbage!

4. Weight Loss

Cabbage is frequently recommended for people who want to lose weight in a healthy way. Since cabbage is packed with so many beneficial vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, it is a healthy dietary option for people to eat a lot of, and it is quite filling, since it has high levels of fiber, which add bulk to the bowels. However, cabbage is extremely low in calories, only 33 calories in a cup of cooked cabbage. Therefore, people can go on the popular “cabbage soup” diet, and eat plenty of food to stay healthy, without gaining excess weight!

5. Brain Health

Let’s not forget that cabbage is a very powerful brain food! The presence of Vitamin K and anthocyanins within cabbage can give a strong boost to mental function and concentration. These are primarily found in red cabbage, and vitamin K has been well-researched, although it is often called the “forgotten vitamin”. Vitamin K is essential in the production of sphingolipids, the myelin sheath around around nerves. This wrapping is what protects nerves from damage and decay. Therefore, consuming vitamin K can improve your defense against neural degeneration, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.

Furthermore, the anthocyanins in cabbage are a current area of research, but early indications point to it being a more powerful source of antioxidants than vitamin-C, and red cabbage has even more types of anthocyanins than normal cabbage. It also appears that the nutrient uptake is not limited by anything, and that people can eat as much cabbage as they want, and continue to accumulate antioxidants, which help fight off diseases, reduce chances of cancer, improve the nervous system, and increase brain function.

6. Bone Health

Cabbage, as well as all cruciferous vegetables, are great sources of minerals, like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. These three essential minerals are integral in the protection of bones from degradation and the onset of conditions like osteoporosis and general bone weakening.

7. Blood Pressure

The presence of potassium in cabbage also makes it a wonderful way to protect yourself from elevated blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Potassium is a vasodilator, which means that it opens up the blood vessels and eases the flow of blood, so it isn’t being forced in a stress-inducing way through constricted arteries and veins. Overall, cabbage is a great shield against many types of dangerous conditions!

8. Skin Care and Premature Aging

As mentioned already, cabbage has a wealth of different antioxidant sources, including vitamin-C, anthocyanins, sulphur, and other smaller sources, since it is a cruciferous vegetable. Antioxidants play a major role in skin health and the general toning and improvement of the body in response to the aging process. Free radicals can be an underlying cause of wrinkles, skin discoloration, spots, and many other conditions. Therefore, the antioxidants you gain by eating cabbage can cause a turn-around in your aging processes, leaving you feeling and looking healthy and young!

9. Muscle Aches

When certain bacteria ferment the sugars in cabbage, such as during the cooking of sauerkraut, lactic acid is released. It isn’t the easiest compound to find in a diet, but it has been shown to reduce muscle soreness and aches, so in some small way, cabbage can help general pain relief and muscle soreness, depending on how it is prepared.

10. Detoxification by cabbage

Cabbage acts as a good detoxifier too, meaning that it purifies the blood and removes toxins, primarily free radicals and uric acid which are primary causes of rheumatism, gout, arthritis, renal calculi, skin diseases, and eczema. This detoxifying effect of cabbage is due to the high content of vitamin C and sulphur in cabbage.

Other benefits of Cabbage

Cabbage, being rich in iodine, helps in proper functioning of the brain and the nervous system, along with keeping the glands of the endocrine system in proper condition. It is good for the brain and is useful in the treatment of neural disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. The various other nutrients present in cabbage, such as vitamin-E, keep the skin, eyes and hair healthy. The calcium, magnesium, and potassium found in cabbage is very useful for a wide range of health benefits. Cabbage can also be used for the treatment of varicose veins, leg ulcers, peptic and duodenal ulcers.

Basically, that very common component of your Chinese dishes could be a miraculous addition to your diet. Don’t be afraid to add cabbage to your daily diet, whether it is in your soup or salad, and that small change will help you live a healthier and longer life.

Recommendations 

Cooked cabbage is how most people get it into their diet or system, but the cooking actually causes many of the nutrients to be lost, particularly the high levels of vitamin-C, and the other nutrients will become harder for the body to absorb. The best option is to eat the cabbage raw!

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Hello how is today...?, 

I have been received so many questions form my community on facebook and email subscribers that, what are the amazing tips to gain weight fast, Now this is the solution if you want to gain weight within two weeks..

What Does “Underweight” Really Mean?

Being underweight is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5. This is estimated to be less than the body mass needed to sustain optimal health.

Conversely, over 25 is considered overweight and over 30 is considered obese.

Use this calculator to see where you fit on the BMI scale (opens in new tab).

However, keep in mind that there are many problems with the BMI scale, which only looks at weight and height. It does not take muscle mass into account.

How to Gain Weight, The Healthy Way

If you want to gain weight, then it is very important that you do it right.

Binging on soda and donuts may help you gain weight, but it can destroy your health at the same time.

If you are underweight, then you want to gain a balanced amount of muscle mass and subcutaneous fat, not a bunch of unhealthy belly fat.

There are plenty of normal weight people who get type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other health problems often associated with obesity.

Therefore, it is absolutely essential that you still eat healthy foods and live an overall healthy lifestyle.

Now let’s look at several effective ways to gain weight fast, without ruining your health at the same time.

1. Eat Lots of Protein

The single most important nutrient for gaining healthy weight is protein.

Muscle is made of protein, and without it most of those extra calories may end up as body fat.

Studies show that during periods of overfeeding, a high protein diet causes many of the extra calories to be turned into muscle.

However, keep in mind that protein is a double-edged sword. It is also highly filling, so that it can reduce your hunger and appetite significantly. This can make it harder to get in enough calories.

If you’re trying to gain weight, aim for 0.7-1 grams of protein per pound of body weight (1.5 – 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram). You can even go above that if your calorie intake is very high.

High-protein foods include meats, fish, eggs, many dairy products, legumes, nuts and others. Protein supplements like whey protein can also be useful if you struggle to get enough protein in your diet.

2. Eat More Calories Than Your Body Burns

The most important thing you can do to gain weight is to eat more calories than your body needs.

A caloric surplus (calories in > calories out) is needed. Without it, you won’t gain. Period.

You can determine your calorie needs using this calorie calculator.

If you want to gain weight slowly and steadily, then aim for 300-500 calories more than you burn each day according to the calculator.

If you want to gain weight fast, then aim for something like 700-1000 calories above your maintenance level.

Keep in mind that calorie calculators only provide estimates. Your needs may vary by several hundred calories per day, give or take.

You don’t need to count calories for the rest of your life, but it helps to do it for the first few days/weeks to get a feel for how many calories you are eating.

I recommend using tools like Cron-o-meter or MyFitnessPal to track your intake.

3. Eat Lots of Carbs and Fat, and Eat at Least 3 Times Per Day

Many people try restricting either carbs or fat when they are trying to lose weight.

This is a bad idea if your goal is to gain weight, because it will make it harder to get in enough calories.

Eat plenty of high-carb and high-fat foods if weight gain is a priority for you. It is best to eat plenty of protein, fat and carbs at each meal.

It is also a bad idea to do intermittent fasting. This is useful for weight loss and health improvement, but can make it much harder to eat enough calories to gain weight.

Make sure to eat at least 3 meals per day, and try to add in energy-dense snacks whenever possible.

4. Eat a Lot of Energy-Dense Foods and use Sauces, Spices and Condiments

Again, it is very important to eat mostly whole, single ingredient foods.

The problem is that these foods tend to be more filling than processed junk foods, making it harder to get in enough calories.

Using plenty of spices, sauces and condiments can help with this. The tastier your food is, the easier it is to eat a lot of it.

Also, try to emphasize energy-dense foods as much as possible. These are foods that contain many calories relative to their weight.

Here are some energy-dense foods that are perfect for gaining weight:

• Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, etc.
• Dried fruit: Raisins, dates, prunes and others.
• High-fat dairy: Whole milk, full-fat yogurt, cheese, cream.
• Fats and Oils: Extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil.
• Grains: Whole grains like oats and brown rice.
• Meat: Chicken, beef, pork, lamb, etc. Choose fattier cuts.
• Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams.
• Dark chocolate, avocados, peanut butter, coconut milk, granola, trail mixes.

Many of these foods are very filling, and sometimes you may need to force yourself to keep eating even if you feel full.

It may be a good idea not to eat a ton of vegetables if gaining weight is a priority for you. It simply leaves less room for energy-dense foods.

Eating whole fruit is fine, but try to emphasize fruit that doesn’t require too much chewing, such as bananas.

5. Lift Heavy Weights and Improve Your Strength

In order to make sure that the excess calories go to your muscles instead of just your fat cells, then it is absolutely crucial to lift weights.

Go to a gym and lift, 2-4 times per week. Lift heavy, and try to increase the weights and volume over time.

If you are completely out of shape or you are new to training, then consider hiring a qualified personal trainer to help you get started.

You may also want to consult with a doctor if you have skeletal problems or any sort of medical issue.

It is probably best to take it easy on the cardio for now. Focus mostly on the weights.

Doing some cardio is fine to improve fitness and well-being, but don’t do so much that you end up burning all the additional calories you are eating.

6. More Tips to Gain Weight

Combining a high calorie intake with heavy strength training are the two most important factors to gain weight.

That being said, here are a few more tips to gain weight even faster:

1. Don’t drink water before meals. This can fill your stomach and make it harder to get in enough calories.
2. Eat more often. Squeeze in an additional meal or snack whenever you can, such as before bed.
3. Drink milk. Drinking whole milk to quench thirst is a simple way to get in more high-quality protein and calories.
4. Try weight gainer shakes. If you are really struggling then you can try weight gainer shakes. These are very high in protein, carbs and calories.
5. Use bigger plates. Definitely use large plates if you are trying to get in more calories, as smaller plates cause people to automatically eat less.
6. Add cream to your coffee. This is a simple way to add in more calories.
7. Take creatine. The muscle building supplement creatine monohydrate can help you gain a few pounds in muscle weight.
8. Get quality sleep. Sleeping properly is very important for muscle growth.

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Chili peppers are the fruits of Capsicum pepper plants, noted for their hot flavor.

They are members of the nightshade family, related to bell peppers and tomatoes, and most belong to a species known scientifically as Capsicum annuum.

There are many varieties of chili peppers, such as cayenne and jalapenos.

Chili peppers are primarily used as spices, or minor ingredients in various dishes, spice blends and sauces.

They are usually eaten cooked, or dried and powdered, in which form they are known as paprika.

Capsaicin is the main bioactive plant compound in chili peppers, responsible for their unique pungent (hot) taste and many of their health benefits.

Nutrition Facts

	Amount
Calories	16.854
Water	0 %
Protein	0.6 g
Carbs	3 g
Sugar	0.5 g
Fiber	1.4 g
Fat	0.9 g
Saturated	0.17 g
Monounsaturated	0.15 g
Polyunsaturated	0.44 g
Omega-3	0.03 g
Omega-6	0.41 g

Vitamins and Minerals

Chili peppers are rich in various vitamins and minerals.
However, since they are only eaten in small amounts, their contribution to the daily intake is very small.Vitamin C: Chili peppers are very high in vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, important for wound healing and immune function.
Vitamin B6: A family of B-vitamins, some of which have important functions in energy metabolism.
Vitamin K1: Also known as phylloquinone, vitamin K1 is essential for blood clotting and healthy bones and kidneys.

• Potassium: An essential dietary mineral that serves a variety of functions in the body. Adequate intake of potassium may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Copper: Often lacking in the Western diet, copper is an essential antioxidant trace element, important for strong bones and healthy neurons.
Vitamin A: Red chili peppers are high in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body.

Other Plant Compounds 

Chili peppers are a rich source of spicy-hot capsaicin.
They are also very high in antioxidant carotenoids, which are linked with numerous health benefits.
Here are the main bioactive plant compounds in chili peppers:

Capsanthin: The main carotenoid in red chili peppers, responsible for their red color, and often accounting for up to 50% of the total carotenoid content. Its powerful antioxidant properties may act against cancer.
Violaxanthin: The major carotenoid antioxidant in yellow chili peppers, accounting for 37-68% of the total carotenoid content.
Lutein: Most abundant in green (immature) chili peppers, the levels of lutein decrease with maturation. High consumption of lutein has been linked with improved eye health.
Capsaicin: One of the most studied plant compounds in chili peppers. It is responsible for their pungent (hot) flavor and many of their health effects.
Sinapic acid: An antioxidant, also known as sinapinic acid. It has a variety of potential health benefits.
Ferulic acid: Similarly to sinapic acid, ferulic acid is an antioxidant that may help protect against various chronic diseases.
The antioxidant content of mature (red) chili peppers is much higher than of immature (green) peppers.

Health Benefits of Chili Peppers

Despite their burning taste, chili peppers have long been considered a healthy spice.

Pain Relief

Capsaicin, the main bioactive plant compound in chili peppers, has some unique properties.

It binds with pain receptors, which are nerve endings that sense pain. This induces a burning sensation, but does not actually cause any real burning injuries.

Even so, high consumption of chili peppers (or capsaicin) may damage the pain receptors over time, causing desensitization to the burning flavor of chili.

It also makes these pain receptors insensitive to other forms of pain, such as heartburn caused by acid reflux.

One study found that when red chili peppers (2.5 grams/day) were given to patients with heartburn (dyspepsia) it worsened pain at the beginning of the 5-week treatment, but improved it over time.

This is supported by another small study showing that 3 grams of chili each day for 6 weeks improved heartburn in patients with acid reflux.

The desensitization effect does not seem to be permanent, and one study found that it was reversed 1-3 days after capsaicin consumption stopped.

Weight Loss

Obesity is a serious health condition that increases the risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.

There is some evidence that capsaicin, a plant compound in chili peppers, can promote weight loss by reducing appetite and increasing fat burning.

In fact, studies have shown that 10 grams of red chili pepper can significantly increase fat burning in both men and women.

Supporting this, other more recent studies have shown that capsaicin may significantly increase fat burning.

Capsaicin may also reduce calorie intake. A study in 24 regular consumers of chili found that capsaicin before a meal led to reduced calorie intake.

Another study found a significant reduction in appetite and energy intake only in those who did not regularly consume chili.

Not all studies have found chili peppers to be effective. Other studies found no significant effects on calorie intake or fat burning.

Despite the mixed evidence, it appears that regular consumption of red chili, or capsaicin supplements, may be helpful for weight loss when combined with other healthy lifestyle strategies.

However, they are probably not very effective on their own; tolerance to the effects of capsaicin may develop over time, which limits its usability.

Adverse Effects and Individual Concerns

Like most foods, chili peppers can have adverse effects in some individuals, and many people do not like its burning hot flavor.

Burning Sensation

Chili peppers are well known for their hot, burning flavor.

The substance responsible is capsaicin, which binds with pain receptors and causes an intense burning sensation.

For this reason, an extract of chili peppers called “oleoresin capsicum” is the main ingredient of pepper sprays.

In high amounts, it causes severe pain, inflammation, swelling, and redness.

Over time, regular exposure to capsaicin may cause certain pain neurons to become insensitive to further pain.

Stomach Pain and Diarrhea

Eating chili can cause intestinal distress in some people.

The symptoms may include abdominal pain, burning sensation in the gut, cramps, and painful diarrhea.

This is more common in people with irritable bowel syndrome. Chili can temporarily worsen symptoms in those who are not used to eating it regularly.

For this reason, people with irritable bowel syndrome may want to limit their consumption of chili and other spicy foods.

Cancer Risk

Cancer is a serious disease characterized by abnormal growth of cells.

There is mixed evidence on the effect of chili on cancer.

Test-tube experiments and animal studies indicate that capsaicin, a plant compound in chili peppers, may either increase or decrease the risk of cancer.

Observational studies in humans have linked chili pepper consumption with increased risk of cancer, especially in the gallbladder and stomach.

Additionally, eating red chili powder was found to be a risk factor for mouth and throat cancer in India.

Keep in mind that observational studies cannot prove that chili peppers caused cancer, only that people who ate chili peppers were more likely to get it.

Further studies are needed to determine whether heavy chili consumption or capsaicin supplementation is safe in the long-term.

Recommendation: 

Chili peppers are a popular spice in many parts of the world, well known for their hot, pungent flavor.

They are rich in vitamins, minerals, and various unique plant compounds.

This includes capsaicin, the substance that causes the burning sensation in the mouth. Capsaicin is linked with several health benefits, as well as adverse effects.

On one hand, it may help promote weight loss and relieve pain, if consumed regularly.

On the other hand, it causes a burning sensation, which is unpleasant for many people, especially those who are not used to eating chili peppers.

Chili peppers may also cause digestive distress, and some studies have associated chili consumption with cancer, although the evidence for this is very limited.

At the end of the day, using chili peppers as a spice may be healthy for many people, while those who experience digestive distress should avoid them.

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Onions Health Benefits And Nutrition Facts

Onions are super-healthy, they are excellent sources of vitamin C, sulphuric compounds, flavonoids and phytochemicals

 Phytochemicals, or phytonutrients, are naturally occurring compounds in fruits and vegetables that are able to react with the human body to trigger healthy reactions. Flavonoids are responsible for pigments in many fruits and vegetables. Studies have shown that they may help reduce the risk of  cardiovascular disease and stroke.

 valuable flavonoid in onions is quercetin, which acts as an antioxidant that may be linked to preventing cancer. It has a host of other benefits, as well, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, reducing the symptoms of bladder infections, promoting prostate health and lowering blood pressure

 Partly because of their use in cooking around the world, onions are among the most significant sources of antioxidants in the human diet. Onions are healthy whether they're raw or cooked, though raw onions have higher levels of organic sulfur compounds that provide many benefits. 

A 2005 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that there is a high concentration of flavonoids in the outer layers of onion flesh, so you'll want to be careful to remove as little of the edible part of the onion as possible when peeling it.

Health Benefits of onions

1. Heart health

Onions encourage a healthy heart in many ways, including  lowering blood pressure and lowering heart attack risk.  The quercetin in onions may also help prevent plaque buildup in the arteries, which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.

 2. Immune system

 The polyphenols in onions act as antioxidants, protecting the body against free radicals. The quercetin in onions also reduces allergic reactions by stopping your body from producing histamines, which are what make you sneeze, cry and itch if you're having an allergic reaction.

3. Cancer

Quercetin may be a powerful anti-cancer agent, the quercetin may especially inhibit cancer cells in breast, colon, prostate, ovarian, endometrial, and lung tumors. Study showed that people who ate onions absorbed twice as much quercetin as those who drank tea, and more than three times as much quercetin as those who ate apples.

4. Digestion

The fiber in onions promotes good digestion and helps keep you regular. Additionally, onions contain a special type of soluble fiber called oligofructose, which promotes good bacteria growth in your intestines. One 2005 study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that oligofructose may help prevent and treat types of diarrhea. The phytochemicals in onions that scavenge free radicals may also reduce your risk of developing gastric ulcers, according to the National Onion Association. 

5. Bone density in older women

A 2009 study in the journal Menopause found that daily consumption of onions improves bone density in women who are going through or have finished menopause. Women who ate onions frequently had a 20 percent lower risk of hip fracture than those who never ate onions.

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Vitamin C helps reduce the risk of pregnancy complications like pre-eclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction and maternal anaemia, according to a study. Nutritionist Swati Dave lists 7 such foods that are rich in Vitamin C and recommended for pregnant women.

1. Orange Juice

One glass of fresh orange juice everyday is a must for pregnant women. It helps boost immunity and maintains blood pressure level

2. Cabbage

Cabbage is ideal for a pregnant woman as it has low calories and also improves digestion. Again 40-50 grams of cabbage a day is sufficient during pregnancy.

3. Strawberries

 Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C and highly recommended by doctors. Not only does it build your immune system during pregnancy but is also good for your eye health.

 4. Radish Leaves

 

40-50 grams of radish leaves per day is recommended for a healthy pregnancy. You can either cook it or add it to your soup during meals.

5. Guavas

Guavas, being a good source of Vitamin C, help prevent infections during pregnancy. 40-50 grams of guava a day will keep the infections away.

6. Coriander Leaves

Coriander leaves help keep viral and bacterial infections away. Just add some to your salads everyday or have it raw (wash it properly if you are eating it raw).

 7. Amla

Amla or Indian gooseberry is a rich source of Vitamin C and also helps maintains blood pressure level during pregnancy. 40-50 grams of amlas per day will be sufficient to fulfil your Vitamin C requirement.

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The benefits of jaggery include its ability to cleanse your body, act as a digestive agent, sweeten your food in a healthy manner, and provide good amounts of minerals. 

Most of you might not find its look very interesting or attractive as a food item, because the dark yellow color and its amorphous and sometimes gooey look is more than enough to keep some of you away. Of course, there are probably some daring dieters who say that jaggery’s color and appearance is far more appealing and interesting than that monotonous, white, crystalline sugar. After all, color is all around us, and one of the best parts of the visual experience of life! Live a little!

Jaggery often sticks to your hands and lips while eating, which can also be a nuisance. In Myanmar, the native country of jaggery, people don’t notice this, since they have been eating jaggery since childhood and it is a mouth watering sight for most of them. Furthermore, if you hear about the way it is manufactured and stored and the standards of hygiene there, you might never think of eating it, but it is far-far better than those frozen meats and so called hygienically packed food items with chemical preservatives in them that are stored for weeks or months before reaching the consumer. In fact, in some cases, the jaggery blocks may contain some particles of sand or ash that flies in from the oven, but I don’t think they are unhygienic in any way. We eat a multitude of dust and pollutants every day while we breathe and talk. Still doubtful?  

This is how Jaggery look like...

Health Benefits of Jaggery

1. Prevents constipation

Jaggery helps prevent and relieve constipation by stimulating bowel movements. It activates the digestive enzymes in our body and thus helps in proper digestion of your food. This is the reason, why most people tend to eat gur after their meals. Here’s how to relieve your constipation with these easy home remedies.

2. Energy Food 

We know that carbohydrates, consumed in our food, give us energy upon oxidation. The simpler the carbohydrate, the sooner the energy released. On one hand, this simplicity comes as a blessing for athletes and people suffering from serious fatigue because they need instantaneous energy and can find quick relief. Therefore, sugar and glucose is the proper carbohydrate for them, because they are very simple and are absorbed in the blood stream almost instantaneously to fill them with a sudden burst of energy.

But on the other hand, studies show and doctors advise that this sudden rise in sugar or energy level can be a major threat to the integrity of internal organs, particularly in the case of diabetics. In the long run, this may even give rise to diabetes, since the fluctuating sugar levels may affect the pancreas, to the point where the pancreas may lose its capacity to release large amounts of insulin at once to counter the quick increase in the body’s sugar level. This sudden uplift may cause severe damage to kidneys and eyes, can raise blood pressure, and create a number of other problems in the related organ systems. Jaggery is a more complex form of carbohydrate than plain sugar. When you eat jaggery, it is digested and absorbed gradually and releases energy over an extended period of time. This can provide the eater with warmth and energy for a more extended period without harming their internal organs.

 3. Digestive Agent

 This may sound strange, but in India, it is recommended to take a few grams of jaggery after a heavy meal or after eating meat because it facilitates digestion.  Jaggery activates the digestive enzymes and itself changes to acetic acid in the stomach, thereby speeding up digestion and making the process go very smooth, reducing strain on the intestines and digestive tract.

 4. Cleansing Agent 

You may not normally connect sweeteners and sugars with “cleansing the body”, but that is actually one of the well-proven benefits of jaggery. It effectively cleans the respiratory tracts, lungs, food pipe, stomach and intestines. It pulls out dust and unwanted particles from the body, while also giving relief from constipation, perhaps due to presence of fiber in it. Reducing constipation and stimulating the movement of the bowels further cleanses the body of the toxins which jaggery just cleaned out and prepared for excretion.

 5. Source of Minerals 

Unlike sugar, jaggery is rich in minerals, mainly iron with traces of other mineral salts. While most of the iron in jaggery comes through its processing in iron vessels, the other minerals come directly from the sugar cane juice, since the juice does not undergo refinement or bleaching of any kind. Therefore, jaggery is a very good source of minerals for the body.

 6.Increases immunity

Our body’s ability to fight infections and keep us healthy is greatly dependent on our immune system. Jaggery is loaded with antioxidants and minerals like zinc and selenium, which help prevent free-radical damage and also boost resistance against infections. Here are 5 amazing tips to improve your immunity.

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Sweet, succulent blackberries are summer delicacies in the northern temperate regions. As in raspberries, they too grow on shrubs known as "brambles". The plant is native to sub-arctic Europe, and now-a-days grown at commercial scale in North America, particularly in the USA, to as far as Siberia.

Binomially, brambles are a small perennial shrubs belonging to the vast Rosaceae family of bush berries, in the genus: Rubus. Botanical name: Rubus fruticosus.

Blackberries nutrition facts

nutrition fact of blackberries

Depending upon cultivar type, blackberry bush can be classified into erect, semi-erect, and trailing types. Erect type bush generally features cane thorns, and spreads by root suckers (which send cane shoots) along the hedgerows. Whereas, trailing shrubs require trellis to support growth, and spread through fresh shoots known as canes or primocanes. During the second year, these primocanes become floricanes. White or pink flowers appear in the floricanes.

Technically, blackberry is an aggregate fruit consisting of small drupelets arranged in circular fashion. Each drupelet composes of juicy pulp with single tiny seed. Each berry measures about 3-4 cm in length containing about 80-100 drupelets.

Loganberries and phenomenon-berriesare hybrids between blackberry and red raspberry. Several other bramble berries such as boysenberry, nessberry, youngberry, marionberry etc., are hybrids of dewberry, blackberry, and wild raspberry cultivars.

Health benefits of blackberries

• As in other kinds of bush berries, blackberries too packed with numerous plant nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and dietary fibers that are essential for optimum health.
  
  The berries are very low in calories. 100 g provide just 43 calories. Nonetheless, they are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber (100 g whole berries consist of 5.3 g or 14% RDA of fiber). Xylitol is a low-calorie sugar substitute existing in the fiber content. It absorbed into the blood at a rate slower than glucose inside the gut. It, thus, helps in steadying blood sugar levels.
  
  Blackberries compose significantly high amounts of phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, tannin), quercetin, gallic acid, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol, and salicylic acid. Scientific studies suggest that these antioxidant compounds may have potential health benefits against cancer, aging, inflammation, and neurological diseases.
  
  Fresh berries are an excellent sources of vitamin-C(100 g of berries contain 23 mg or 35% of RDA), which is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin-C helps develop resistance against infectious agents, counter inflammation, and scavenge harmful free radicals from the human body.
  
  They carry adequate levels of vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin K (16% of RDA/100 g). Further, they are rich in several other health promoting flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin, and ß-carotene in small amounts. Altogether, these compounds 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.
  
  Blackberries have an ORAC value (oxygen radical absorbance capacity, a measure of anti-oxidant strength) of about 5347 µmol TE per 100 grams.
  
  Further, blackberries contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Copper is required in the bone metabolism as well as in production of white and red blood cells.
  
  They contain moderate levels of B-complex group of vitamins. It contains very good amounts of pyridoxine, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, and folic acid. These vitamins work as co-factors for enzymes that help metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats inside the human body.

Selection and storage

blsckberries storage

Blackberry season generally lasts from June until September. Fresh berries can either handpicked or harvested using machines in large-scale farms. In general, the berries are ready to be harvested once they come off receptacle easily and have turned into deep color. At that stage when they are supposed to be well ripen and the sweetest.

In the stores, choose fresh berries featuring bright, shiny, completely black, and plump in constancy. In general, the berries are packed in a firm box, spread out evenly in a single layer.

Avoid unripe (purple), overripe, bruised, damaged, and mushy berries. In general, the berries are highly perishable and sensitive to handling. At home, use them as soon as possible.

To store, place them inside the refrigerator where they stay fresh for up to 4-5 days.

Preparation and serving methods

Fresh blackberries can be eaten out of hand directly from the bush. If you are purchasing from the stores, they best used immediately.

To prepare, do not wash them until you are ready to use. Just rinse in a bowl of cold water, swish around to remove any surface dirt. Gently lift them out of water and pat dry using an absorbent towel. This method will also help revive them back to normal room temperature, increases their flavor and enrich their taste.

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Pleasant, delicate sweet flavored leeks are cylindrical leafy stalks obtained from the onion-family plant, in the Allium genus. They are biennial, tall, slender herbs with long cylindrical stem composed of concentric layers of overlapping leaves. They are commonly employed as vegetables in many parts of Europe, America, and Asia.

Leek Nutrition Facts

Botanically, leek belong to the Alliaceae family of bulbous plants, in the genus: Allium. However, unlike their fellow allium members such as onion, shallots, garlic…etc., they do not form underground bulbs.

Scientific name: Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum.

Leek requires well-drained, fertile soil to flourish. In general, it is cultivated as annual crop in many parts of Europe and Asia. Planting can be done by either sowing seeds or transplanting seedlings that take about 100-120 days to harvest.

In general, leeks are planted in deep trenches to deprive them exposure to sunlight which otherwise would turn stems green (chlorophyll pigmentation) due to photosynthesis. As the plant grows in height, the trench is filled gradually by pulling surrounding earth to create a mound around the stalk. This method is employed in order to obtain long, white, blanched stalks instead of green, pungent ones.

Health benefits of Leeks

Leeks contain many noteworthy flavonoid anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins that have proven health benefits.

Leeks are moderately low in calories. 100 g fresh stalks carry 61 calories. Further, their elongated stalks provide good amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber.

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  Though leeks contain proportionately less thio-sulfinites than that in garlic, they still possess significant amounts of these anti-oxidants such as diallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide and allyl propyl disulfide. The compounds convert to allicinby enzymatic reaction when the leek-stalk was subjected to crushing, cutting, etc. The total measured anti-oxidant strength (ORAC value) of 100 g leek is 490 TE (Trolex Equivalents).
  
  Laboratory studies show that allicinreduces cholesterol formation by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductaseenzyme in the liver cells. Further, it also found to have anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal activities.
  Additionally, allicin reduces blood vessel stiffness by facilitating nitric oxide (NO) release in the vessel wall, and, thereby bring a reduction in the total blood pressure. It also blocks platelet clot formation and has fibrinolytic action (clot-breaking) in the blood vessels. Thus, allicin helps decrease an overall risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral vascular diseases (PVD), and stroke.
  
  Leeks are a great source of vitamins that are essential for optimum health. Their leafy stems indeed contain several vital vitamins such as pyridoxine, folic acid, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin in healthy proportions. 100 g fresh stalks provide 64 µg of folates. Folic acid is essential for DNA synthesis and cell division. Their adequate levels in the diet during pregnancy can help prevent neural tube defects in the newborn babies.
  
  Additionally, leeks are one of the good sources of vitamin-A(1667 IU or 55% of RDA per 100 g) and other flavonoid phenolic anti-oxidants such as carotenes, xanthin, and lutein. They also have some other essential vitamins such as vitamin C, K, and vitamin E. Vitamin C helps the human body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
  
  Further, its stalks hold small amounts of minerals such as potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and selenium.
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  Preparation and serving methods

  Leeks impart mellow, sweet onion-flavor to the dishes they added to. They exude less pungency than garlic or onions. Although used sparingly outside the European continent, their delicate stems have recently found favor among Far-East Asian and Mediterranean cuisine.
  To prepare; remove its thick top greens. Similarly, trim away lower root end. In a large bowl of water, swish the stalk gently to remove any surface grit, sand, and soil. Drain and mop dry using a paper towel.
  Peel their outer layers by hand. You may want to cut them into rings, slice lengthwise or in squares using knife depending on recipes to prepare.

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