Health Benefit Of Green Pepper

Green chili is the fruit of the flowering plants Capsicum annuum and C. frutescens. It is mainly used as a spice in food, although it is included in some medicines. It yields an oil that is viscous, sharp and pungent, and can also serve as a seasoning. The chili can also be ground into a powder to use for similar purposes.

Vitamin A

The most abundant nutrient in green chili is vitamin A, according to World's Healthiest Foods. The vitamin is a carotenoid, also known as retinol, associated with the antioxidant beta-carotene. Vitamin A is essential for the health and maintenance of bones, teeth, mucous membranes, eyes and skin. The vitamin is essential for healthy eyes, as it produces retina pigmentation and promotes night vision. Vitamin A deficiencies result in weakened vision and immunity.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is the second most abundant nutrient in green chili. It acts as both an antioxidant and a vitamin. It is essential for the formation of collagen, scar tissue, ligaments, blood vessels and tendons. It also helps the body to maintain and repair wounds, bones, teeth and cartilage. As an antioxidant, it strengthens overall health and helps the body fight infections.

Dietary Fiber

Green chili has a large amount of dietary fiber -- 2 teaspoons of dried chili powder contains 10 percent of the Daily Value for fiber recommended by the Food and Drug Administration. Dietary fiber is indigestible and passes through the digestive system, pushing out waste. It also contributes greatly to satiety. Fiber can prevent constipation and help maintain a healthy weight as well as promote digestive health, particularly in the intestines.

Capsaicin

Capsaicin is a substance that occurs naturally in chili peppers, giving them their spicy flavor, according to the World's Healthiest Foods. The hotter the chili, the more capsaicin it contains. Capsaicin effectively inhibits neuropeptides that cause inflammation, thereby reducing inflammation when ingested. There is clinical evidence that capsaicin can also treat nerve-related disorders like persistent pain, psoriasis and neuropathy. Moreover, capsaicin acts as a natural pain reliever that is potent enough to help treat conditions like osteoarthritis.

                                     HEALTH BENEFIT OF WATER YAM

The yam, commonly referred to as wild yam, has been feeding the people of Africa and Asia since 50,000 BC. They are also used for their medicinal properties. It is important to note that in the United States, what is called a yam is a variety of sweet potato. Real yams can be found in some health food and Asian markets.
You should never eat a yam raw; it needs to be cooked to make sure any toxins are killed. They can be baked, boiled, fried or roasted. Use them in place of sweet potatoes in casseroles.In Nigeria there are many tasty recipes you can churn out using the water yam, my all time favorited is Ikokore, a delicacy from the Ijebus, a tribe in the western part of the country. For recipe of this lovely meal visit my page on the Facebook.
 • Cardiovascular Benefits – Yams are a very good source of B vitamins, especially high in B6. The B vitamins break down artery-damaging homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine in the blood may cause a heart attack or stroke in people who have normal cholesterol levels. Breaking down and removing it from your system will lower your risk for both of these life-threatening situations. The potassium content of yams will help keep your blood pressure under control; further reducing your chances for heart attack and stroke.
• Control of Blood Sugar for Diabetics – Being complex carbohydrates, yams break down into sugar more slowly than a simple carbohydrate. The sugar is released into the blood stream gradually over time, keeping sugar levels from going to high while keeping a steady supply to keep it from dipping too low. The manganese content contributes to this and to the production of energy during the process; keeping your body from becoming sluggish. If you are pre-diabetic, yams can help you to lose a bit of weight and regulate your blood sugar, keeping you from becoming diabetic and needing medication for it.
• Weight Control – yams keep a steady supply of sugar to the blood stream. This will keep you from becoming too hungry or craving something sweet to eat. The high fiber in yams keep things moving through your digestive system, keeping them from sitting in one place too long and turning into stored fat. Fiber also makes you feel full so you will not want or need to eat as much.
• Hormonal Balance, Menopause and Fertility – Yams contain diosgenins which aid in lessening the symptoms of menopause. They are able to help with the production of progesterone and estrogen, keeping your hormones in balance and preventing osteoporosis, breast cancer, mood swings and depression. The B6 helps in this area as well. Eating yams will also regulate your menstrual cycle, making becoming pregnant easier.
• Digestive Health – The fiber and starch content in yams will prevent constipation without causing diarrhea. It is also beneficial to people with ulcers or irritable bowel syndrome. They have been used for centuries for colic and upset stomachs.
• Cancer Prevention – As a good source of Vitamin C, yams have an abundance of anti-oxidants. These latch on to any free radicals in your system and prevent them from turning into cancerous cells. Vitamin C is needed for the production of Vitamin E, which is another anti-oxidant, further decreasing your cancer risk.
• Healthy Skin – Aiding in the replenishment of collagen, Vitamin C is also vital for a healthy, glowing complexion that does not look old, sallow and saggy. Cutting open a yam and applying the raw end to the skin will help heal abscesses and boils.

Tofu, Wara, Soy cheese...!

Tofu is and always been a favourite of mine growing up in Ijebu-ode, Nigeria and when i grew up and could make mine still remains the best of my meals, while researching i discover a whole lots of benefits you can get from eating this beautiful snack. As you read, endeavour to make it and add to your household meal, so many ways you can eat it, plain, fried, or add to your stews for rice,yam,plaintain...name it.

Diehard meat-eaters are considering tofu products as a way to improve their diets and provide a variety of health benefits.High in protein, vitamins and minerals while low in calories, sodium and fat, tofu packs a one-stop nutritional punch not found in many other foods.

Tofu, made from the curds of soybean milk, is primarily available in three textures: firm, extra firm and silken.Silken tofu has a custard-like consistency and is usually substituted into dressings, protein shakes and desserts.Firm and extra firm varieties are usually cut up into chunks that stand up well to marinating and can be sautéed, grilled or baked.Tofu itself is rather bland, but strongly absorbs the flavors used to prepare it.
Tofu's primary health benefits stem from its soybean base.Soybeans are very rich in protein, minerals and plant components called isoflavones, which act as a form of estrogen hormones in the body.This combination of nutrients, coupled with tofu's low sodium and fat content, delivers some significant health benefits for those who consume tofu regularly.

• Heart Health; Proponents of tofu for heart health point to the low incidence of heart disease in populations that consume tofu regularly, such as in Asia.The soy protein and isoflavones in tofu are considered a powerful cholesterol fighters - studies show that regular tofu consumption can lead to up to a 30% drop in overall cholesterol.Tofu is believed to lower LDL, or bad, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, strong indicators of heart disease.
•  Menopause Hormone Balance; The isoflavones in tofu act as a form of estrogen in the body, and have been shown to be beneficial to women in both peri-menopause and menopause.In peri-menopause, some believe that the plant estrogen in tofu can help the body regulate the dramatic fluctuations of the hormone during this time.When estrogen levels are low in menopause, isoflavones can help maintain hormone levels and fend off estrogen loss.The body's supply of estrogen affects many potential health conditions, including osteoporosis, breast cancer and gynecological cancers, so regulating this hormone is of vital importance to women.
• Prostate Health; The same isoflavones that protect women in menopause can be beneficial in fending off prostate cancer in men.Studies have shown that isoflavones can help slow prostate cancer growth and protect against enlargement of the prostate gland.
• Strong Muscles and Energy; One 4 ounce serving of tofu packs 18% of an adult's daily requirement for protein, and protein is crucial in building muscle.That same 4 ounce serving also contains one-third of the daily requirement of iron, as well as strong doses of antioxidants manganese, copper and selenium.These nutrients contribute to maintaining energy levels. Anti-oxidents are also believed to help prevent against a myriad of cancers by protecting DNA.
• Bone Health; Tofu is a good source of dietary calcium, protecting against bone weakness, loss, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.A single serving delivers 10% of the daily value for calcium, yet has less calories than many dairy products.
• Weight Loss; because tofu packs so many nutrients into a serving of between 70-100 calories, it can be a great part of a weight loss regimen or a way to maintain a healthy weight.It delivers the protein benefits of meat while still being low in saturated fat and sodium.
• With all these health benefits, adding tofu to your diet, in moderation, can improve your overall well-being and help protect against serious health problems.

Ukpo (Mucuna slonei)

Ukpo (Mucuna slonei) is among one of the legumes found in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. It is a food thickener known to originate from Asia and was introduced into the western hemisphere via Mauritus (Nkpa, 2004). It is known as “horse eye bean”; and with other local names in respect to different tribes and ethnic groups. It is called ‘ukpo’ by Ibos; ‘karasuu’ by Hausas and ‘Yerepe’ by Yorubas. They belong to the legumefamily fabaceae.
Nutritionally, the importance of Mucuna sloanei (Ukpo) lies in high content of protein and lysine. They are usually limited in the sulfur containing amino-acids particularly methionine. They are better source of phosphorous, but only fair in their supply of iron and calcium . Ukpo (Mucuna sloanei)
contain 20.0 – 25.4%, crude protein, 43.5% – 49% CHO; 5.05 - 7.0% fat; 25.0 - 27.4% crude fibre, and about 6.46% - 14% moisture.
‘Ukpo’ (Mucuna sloanei) is used in preparing various soups as soup thickeners (Ezueh, 1997). In
addition to their thickening property, Ukpo has gelation properties and imparts a gummy texture when used in soups. This is a desirable attribute for the eating of ‘gari’, ‘fufu’, pounded yam etc.

A bundle of benefits!

Cocoyam otherwise called Taro or dasheen corms have more calories than potatoes. Their calorie mainly comes from complex carbohydrates known as amylose and amylopectin. However, they are very low in fats and protein than in cereals and pulses. Their protein levels are equivalent to that of other tropical food sources like yam, cassava, potato, banana etc.
*The corms, however, are free from gluten. They feature high quality phyto-nutrition profile comprising of dietary fiber, and antioxidants in addition to moderate proportions of minerals, and vitamins.
*It is one of the finest source dietary fibers; 100 g flesh provides 4.1 g or 11% of daily-requirement of dietary fiber. Together with slow digesting complex carbohydrates, moderate amounts of fiber in the food helps gradual rise in blood sugar levels.
*Taro leaves as well as yellow-fleshed roots have significant levels of phenolic flavonoid pigment antioxidants such as ß-carotenes, and cryptoxanthin along with vitamin A.Altogether, these compounds are required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes, skin and vision. Consumption of natural foods rich in flavonoids helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
 *It also contains good levels of some of valuable B-complex group of vitamins such as pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), folates, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and thiamin.
*Further, the corms provide healthy amounts of some important minerals like zinc, magnesium, copper, iron, and manganese. In addition, the root has very good amounts of potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure.
 However in Nigeria particularly among the calabars, it is made into a tasty delicious soup that is actually a delicacy,i have included the recipe,so go ahead and make it,lets have your comment.

Who Says Fufu (Akpu) Has No Nutritional Value?

Fufu is a staple food in West and Central Africa. It is in a thick paste-like form usually made by boiling starchy root crops and pounding with a mortar and pestle until the desired texture is attained. Fufu tastes wonderful especially with groundnut soup, dried fish and assorted vegetables soup but it takes many hours of aborious work to prepare. First, you prepare any soup of your choice, boil the plantain, yam or cassava then you pound into a paste-like mix; something you can swallow without first chewing it. A lot of people think making fufu is very tedious. yet but it does has its nutritional value too which is mostly dependent on the soup and meat or fish that it is served with. Cassava is rich in carbohydrates which supply the body with energy. Plantain is extremely low in fat, high in fibre and starch, very low in cholesterol, rich in potassium, and is commonly prescribed by doctors for people who have low level of potassium in their blood. Vegetables used in the soup preparation provide important minerals and vitamins in human nutrition. Vegetables are also low in fat and calorie. In addition to proteins, vitamins, and minerals, fish oils contain polyunsaturated fats. These are essential for healthy skin, and the normal operation of the liver and kidneys. They also reduce the cholesterol level in blood, decreasing the chances of heart ~eNow Now.com ~

"Food"...Onje!

Hello friends, this was written by a friend of mine Bimbo Adebajo and posted on my Facebook group page, just thought i should share it with you, very insightful and oh so true.

For the WEEKEND folks...!

"FOOD".....onje..Chikula.....small but MIGHTY......!

Looking at the whole cooking process, from the very thought of hunger in the right side of the brain, the salivating of the ideas coming to our mind, checking the purse, should we go to MacDonald s, Tantalizers or Mama put by the mechanic shop under the bridge or should we rather go home and steam some vegetables and live healthy or should we go for our regular dodo and egg, indomie concussion or better still eat our regular Peanut Butter and Jelly (PBJ) sandwich.

Suddenly we remember the weight issue, we have been trying and using all available skills from Dr Oz to Dr Phil to Weight Watchers to 'mama alagbo' at the corner street on how to get our weight issue balance.

We all put on weight easily but find it chaotic to let go of the excess fat, our regular cat and rat game.... so what do you think of these simple everyday living recipes...!

•Get a smaller size plate for eating
•Eat inside and less Eating outside
•Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and less carbohydrate
•Eat small quantity on at least a 5 hours interval; no matter the job shift or life style
•Exercise regularly either by walking or going to the gym
•Drink more water and less soda
•Avoid eating late
•Divide your plate into 4 parts making service room for vegetables, carbohydrates, chicken or beef and protein

&......On the lighter mood, buy exactly your dress size and not a size bigger!
ENJOY your Weekend....!
BB.7.27.12