Benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil

Sunday, January 24, 2010
Image source: www.psotreatment.com
Taking 2 tbsp. of pure Virgin Coconut Oil daily in your diet is giving immune system a boost. Fresh concentrated milk from coconut fruit is an alternative source if availability of V.C.O is not possible. Just shred coconut meat out of the shell, squeeze it until milk comes out, and take 2 tbsp from it. Other user may add V.C.O in their food or cereal in my case, and it tastes good! To give moisture on skin and hair, massage it onto scalp before bathe and moisture your skin after.

Virgin Coconut Oil may be hard to find and are not readily available in some areas. Some would find it expensive. The good news is that you can produce your own virgin coconut oil at the comfort of your own home. Here’s how you can make Virgin Coconut Oil.

Materials:
1. fresh coconut blender
2. cheesecloth/coffee filter
3. wide glass jar

Procedure:
1. Extract coconut milk from fresh coconut.
a. To produce its milk, remove the meat from the shell.
b. Cut the coconut into strips or chunks. Place them in the blender.
c. Add a small amount of coconut water.
d. Blend it for a few minutes.
e. Place the cheesecloth over the mouth of the glass jar.
f. Pour a little of the mixture over it.
g. Squeeze the cheesecloth to obtain the milk and separate the pulp.
h. Repeat the process with the remaining mixture.

Tips:
• Put just enough coconut water. Too much liquid will overly dilute the milk.
• You may opt to refrigerate the coconut strips before blending. Freezing them and then thawing will soften the coconut meat. This will enable you to extract more juice. Freezing does not alter the taste or nutrient content.

2. Now that you have your milk let it rest in a covered glass jar for 1- 2 days.
3. As effect of the fermentation process, the water and oil will separate. A layer of curd will form on top and the water settles down. The oil is to be found in the top two layers.
4. Remove the curd from the jar which is found on the first layer.
5. Remove the oil or you may siphon it and transfer to other jar.
6. Throw the remaining water/liquid after you’ve removed the oil.
7. You may put cheesecloth over the mouth of the glass jar
8. Pour the oil mixture into the cheesecloth.
9. Let it drain for a couple of hours.
10. Squeeze the cheesecloth and discard the remaining curd.
11. And you’ll have your Virgin Coconut Oil.

Depending on the size of the coconut, this process will produce 3-4 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil.

Tips:
• Fermentation occurs best at temperatures of 85-105 degrees F. Place the oil in a slightly heated oven, if your room is not this warm.
• In draining the oil in the cheesecloth, make sure that the room temperature is 76 degrees F. This is to ensure that the oil will not solidify.

Coconut Fruit-Tree of Life

Friday, January 22, 2010
Image source: www.gubadds.com
Known as “the tree of life”, the wonderful fruit of the coconut palm is rich in specific fats that have incredible health benefits. Its meat, juice and oil are popular all over the world due to its delicious taste and abundance of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Coconut meat contains lauric acid, which helps fight bacteria from intestinal parasites and wards off countless infections ranging from HIV to the common cold. Coconut water helps the kidney and bladder maintain proper functioning. Eating coconut helps fight gas, constipation, ulcers, and other digestive and stomach ailments. Coconut also supports thyroid function and can help prevent goiter (an enlarged thyroid) because it naturally contains iodine. Coconut has even been shown to protect the body from cancer and osteoporosis, dissolve kidney stones, reduce epileptic seizures, and reduce symptoms associated with pancreatic disorders.

Coconut oil (and all saturated fats) has been blamed for many years as a cause of bad cholesterol levels, which supposedly leads to heart disease. But studies done on traditional tropical populations that consume large amounts of coconut oil show just the opposite. One of the best ways to study the affects of coconut oil on human nutrition is to look at tropical populations that get most of their caloric intake from the saturated fat of coconut oil. Logic would dictate that if the saturated fat/cholesterol theory of heart disease and obesity were correct, those populations with the highest consumption of saturated fats would be the most overweight and have the highest rates of heart disease.

Coconut water contains vitamins, nutrients, sugars, minerals and salts. It’s also free cholesterol, fat free and is naturally low in calories. It is suitable for all ages. So why not drink the coconut water instead of throwing it. Below are some reasons why we should consume coconut water:

1.Coconut water has more nutrients than the whole milk because it has no cholesterol, low fat, low in carbohydrates and low in natural occurring sugar.

2.Coconut water has a natural balance of potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium.

That is the reason why it is a healthy electrolyte drink. Potassium can help our body to regulate the blood pressure and heart function. Coconut water can stabilize electrolytes in the body.

3.Coconut water can normalize digestive system, because it contains a certain kind of acid. The coconuts are also used to raise metabolism by helping to prevent intestinal gas, helps in removing toxins and increases the digestive system’s ability to absorb nutrients. Coconut water balances acid levels and flushes toxins out.

4.Coconut water heals damage induced by antibiotics and toxins in the digestive system. People know those coconuts are anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-microbial. Coconut water enhances antibody and fights virus that may cause disease.

5.For people who suffers urethral stone kidney, it is very good to drink coconut water regularly since it will help to destroy the stone in the kidney and help them to out from the body.

6.Coconut water also helps people who have difficulty to urinate. A glass of coconut water will heal the pain because of difficulty eliminating urine.

7.If you feel drank, a glass of coconut water can help you to recover soon.

8.For menopausal women, calming and cooling benefits of coconut water relieves burning sensations and hot flashes thus restores emotional stability.

9.Since coconut water regulates the functioning of the intestine, it will promote smoother and prettier skin for the user.

Brown Rice Instead of White

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
www.pinchmysalt.com
Also called as unpolished rice, brown rice is extremely rich in nutrients and is thus beneficial for our overall health. Most of us usually consume white rice. However, there are various nutrients like Vitamin B1, B3, E and other nutrients like magnesium, potassium and iron that are lacking in white rice. This lack can be overcome by brown rice which is rich in all the essential nutrients.

Being good source of fiber, brown rice is beneficial for our digestive system. It aids our bowel movement and thus provides relief from problems like constipation. It is also beneficial for people suffering from problems like intestinal ulcers and diarrhea.

By eating brown rice, you can also reduce your chances of suffering from a heart problem as brown rice helps in naturally controlling blood pressure along with aiding in heart’s health.

According to medical research, the high fiber content of brown rice can also help in naturally controlling cholesterol level in the body. In addition, brown rice also helps in keeping blood sugar levels under control.

Along with being rich in important nutrients, brown rice also contains anti-inflammatory compounds that can help in naturally treating asthma. They also help in reducing wheezing and breathlessness associated with the problem of asthma.

According to research, brown rice also contains certain compounds that can help in cancer prevention. It can reduce the risk of pancreatic and colon cancer amongst others.

Brown rice is thus beneficial for our overall health and wellness. The grains of brown rice are tough than the white ones and thus you need to soak them in water before cooking.

Looking at the various benefits of brown rice, you should include it in your diet to receive its numerous health benefits.

Benefits of Mango Fruit

Sunday, January 17, 2010
Image source: www.knowphuket.com
Mangoes, both ripe and unripe are very good sources of vitamin C. 16mg of vitamin C is present in 100 gms of mango. Both vitamins A and C are anti oxidants and help to prevent free radical injury and thus reduce the risk of certain cancers. Ripe mango provides a good source of calories.

Mango is a delicious and aromatic tropical fruit. Mangoes are very nutritious and excellent source of carotene as compared to other fruits. 100 gms of edible portion of the mango contain about 1990ug of beta-carotene (vitamin A), which is much higher than in other fruits. The total carotenoids in mango increase with the stage of ripening. Eating mangoes in the season may provide a store of vitamin A in the liver, sufficient to last for the rest of the year and highly beneficial for the prevention of vitamin A deficient disorders like night blindness.

The tender leaves of the mango tree are considered useful in diabetes. An infusion is prepared from fresh leaves by soaking them overnight in water and squeezing them well in water before filtering it in the morning. This infused water should be taken every morning to control early diabetes. As an alternative to infusion. leaves can be dried in the shade, powdered and preserved. Half a teaspoonful of this powder should be taken twice a day, in the morning and evening.

Replenish Everyday

Image source: www.inquisitr.com
Our body is essentially a bag of water that facilitates all of the chemical processes that makes us who we are. It is important to realize just how important proper hydration is to the operation and healing of our body. We know, of course, that the efficient elimination of waste products through our kidneys and skin requires adequate water. Older people can go for days, scarcely drinking anything because they don't 'feel' thirsty, although their body may be crying out for water. Sometimes older people interpret thirst as hunger and eat more than the need. Many old people drink only when they take their medications.

Drinking enough water is extremely beneficial to our body, relieving the symptoms of high blood pressure, for instance, sometimes eliminating the need for high blood pressure medicine. Those who specialize in treating cancer using alternative medicine, stress the importance of drinking an ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight, every day. This is very difficult to remember if you don't feel thirsty. The best way to do it is to set a timer to sound every half hour and take a drink every time the alarm sounds. Bottled water is very 'in' so there is no social stigma to carrying a bottle in your car, pocket or purse. It is best if your drinking is distributed evenly during the day but start your morning at least 4 glasses of water to neutralize the acidity of the stomach and to also aid elimination.
 

Coffee and Me Copyright © 2011-2012 | Powered by Blogger