Foods/Drinks
The Health Benefits Of Lemon
Lemon is widely grown all over the world. Lemon grows in abundance in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mexico and West Indies. Unripe lemons are green in color.
When they are matured, the color is changed into yellow. Lemon is a must in the kitchen. It is a universally favorite fruit.
Benefits, Qualities and Uses of Lemon
The Ayurveda has regarded lemon as a valuable fruit and admired its properties. Lemon is sour, warm, promoter of gastric fire, light, good for vision, pungent and astringent.
It checks the excessive flow of bile and cleanses the mouth. It dislodges phlegm (cough) and expels wind from the digestive tract. It helps in digestion and removes constipation.
It prevents vomiting, throat trouble, acidity and rheumatism. It destroys intestinal worms.
Though lemon is acidic to the taste, it leaves off alkaline resides in the body. This is why it is useful in all symptoms of acidosis.
Lemon-juice is a powerful antibacterial. It has been proved by experiments that the bacteria of malaria, cholera, diphtheria, typhoid and other deadly diseases are destroyed in lemon-juice.
It also contains some vitamin A. Natural vitamin C is much more effective than the synthetic one. Vitamin C of lemon-juice is very effective because it is combined with bioflavonoids (vitamin P). In addition to Vitamin C, lemon also contains niacin and thiamin in small amounts.
One should not take concentrated lemon-juice. It should be diluted with water before taking it. Pure lemon juice contains acid which is injurious to the enamel of teeth.
The body is well cleansed if lemon-juice mixed with cold water and honey is taken on an empty stomach early in the morning. Warm water may be used occasionally to get relieved of constipation.
Lemon-juice prevents or restrains influenza, malaria and cold.
Lemon-juice gives good relief in fever. Lemon-juice mixed with water is useful in quenching the thirst of the patients suffering from the diabetes. It gives immediate relief in abdominal disorders.
Lemon acts as a sedative for the nerves and the heart and allays troublesome palpitation.
Lemon is especially appreciated for its Vitamin C value. When Vasco da Gama made his voyage round the Cape of Good Hope nearly two-thirds of his crew died of scurvy. But at present the recurrence of such a disaster is no longer possible owing to the wide spread use of lemon. Innumerable boatmen moving in sea have saved their lives with the use of lemon.
Vitamin P in lemon strengthens the blood vessels and prevents internal hemorrhage. It is, therefore, extremely useful in high blood pressure, in which cerebro-vascular accidents commonly occur.
The most valuable ingredient of lemon, next to vitamin C, is citric acid, of which it contains 7.2 per cent. Lemon contains more potassium than apple or grapes, which is beneficial to the heart.
Lemon is very much useful in maintaining the health of the teeth and the bones. The vitamin C content of lemon helps considerably in calcium metabolism.
Lemon has been used for many years in gout and rheumatism. Lemon-juice is a diuretic. It, therefore, gives relief in kidney and bladder disorders. It has been used in destroying intestinal worms.
It prevents vomiting and helps to cure hepatitis and other innumerable diseases.
Lemon has been proved to be a blessing for mountaineers. In the cases of insufficient oxygen and difficulty in breathing lemon comes to their rescue.
Edmund Hillary, the first man to put his foot on the top of Mt. Everest, has admitted that his victory over Mt. Everest was greatly due to lemon.
Ntubiri is a local delicacy of the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, usually prepared with water yam extract. It is commonly patronised in the day as lunch or some time at night when heavy meal is not required Ntubiri is a great source of fiber, potassium, manganese, copper, and antioxidants. It is linked to various health benefits and may boost brain health, reduce inflammation, and improve blood sugar control.
To prepare a serving for a standard family, get a standard size water yam tuber, crayfish or fresh prown, oil, periwinkle (unprocessed), pepper, salt, onion, and seasoning cube if desired.
Thoroughly wash the yam, peel and grate.Wash your fresh or dry prown, cut the periwinkle, slice your onion, and mix the yam substance with the ground crown, pepper, salt, seasoning and set aside
Set your pot on your source of heat add a little red oil. When hot, put the sliced onion and the washed periwinkle and allow to boil in the oil. Put a little water and then gently put the yam mixture, cover and allow to cook for ten minutes.
The meal can be served with any chilled drink. Enjoy your weekend.
Cowpea contains flavonoids also called bioflavonoids which are mainly found in legumes, citrus fruits, red wine, apples etc. The antioxidants are very good for the body as it helps in the fight against cancer, reduce cancer risk and other health conditions such as stroke, heart diseases and asthma.
It also contains folate which helps in the body’s red blood cell production and in dead cells regeneration.
Helps Boost the Immune System
Adding cowpeas to your diet may help in boosting your immune system, for example, some of the antioxidants which can be found in kidney beans help to remove the free radicals in the body, thus making the immune system stronger.
Cowpea is an edible bean which is predominately cultivated and eaten in Africa and Asia, and in other parts of the world especially countries in the arid areas.
There are also various species of cowpea or beans present globally, and though they may be commonly referred to as beans, they have names specific to them, this includes Black-eyed peas which are popularly referred to as White or Brown beans, Adzuki beans, Sweet beans, Black Beans, Chickpeas, Kidney beans, Mung beans, Pigeon peas, Pinto beans, Bambara beans etc.
In some countries, beans have its own local names such as Chawli for Blackeye beans in India, Chori for Adzuki beans in India, Ewa for Blackeye beans in Nigeria and also Black Beans (popularly called Akidi), Pigeon peas (fio-fio).
Beans in most countries, especially in Africa is the primary protein food source and can be specially cooked by boiling either as white beans or porridge beans; in Brazil, the black beans are cooked and served with stew and the food delicacy is known as Feijoada.
Cowpea or beans can also be processed into various nutritional grades of products for diverse purposes while maintaining its nutritional value.
Beans can be grounded into flour known as beans flour which is used in the making of moi-moi (beans pudding), Akara (beanballs or cakes) and can be commercially used as a baking flour too.