Showing posts with label Nutrients. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nutrients. Show all posts
So here's another one on my list, Dragon fruit. So what exactly is a dragon fruit? This unusual looking fruit, brightly colored and named Dragon fruit is also known as Pitaya. I heard there's a story behind why it's called Dragon fruit, but don't know the exact story.
At first, i found the fruit a little scary, because it reminded me of the plant from that movie" little shop of horrors " the plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. hahaha! (I'm sorry but i was six then, and even though it was a comedy movie it scared the hell out of me.) But this fruit won't eat you but you will eat this fruit.
This healthy food is rich in vitamins and minerals especially vitamin C. Here are the rest of the nutrients that you can get from the dragon fruit.
Protein, Niacin
Fiber,Iron
Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Calcium, Vitamin A
It also has antioxidants, and we all know how antioxidant helps our body to prevent certain diseases or even cancer. This is one vitamin-packed fruit.The dragon fruit is best eaten by cutting the fruit in half and scooping the flesh out, like eating a sherbet. And best eaten when chilled. It has a refreshingly sweet taste. SO the next time you're looking for a new and healthy fruit to eat. Look for the dragon fruit. The name is too big to forget.
Moringa or Malungggay is not your ordinary green leafy vegetables. According to Dr. Lydia M. Marero of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Philippines:
Called “Malunggay” in the Philippines, “Sajina” in the Indian Subcontinent, and “Moringa” in English, is a popular tree. Malunggay, known scientifically as Moringa oleifera Lamk, is one of the world's most useful plants. It is used as food, effective flocculant or water treatment, antibiotic, source of oil, and coagulant for turbid waters.
It is also called mother's best friend, and miracle vegetable by many who know malunggay's beneficial uses. It is cultivated in all countries of the tropics. It is easy to plant and is available year-round.
Malunggay's (Moringa) image was even used as the official logo of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, an agency of the Department of Science and Technology here in the Philippines
One hundred grams or 1 cup of cooked malunggay leaves contain:
- 3.1 g. protein
- 0.6 g. fiber
- 96 mg calcium
- 29 mg phosphorus
- 1.7 mg iron
- 2,820 mg ß-carotene
- 0.07 mg thiamine
- 0.14 mg riboflavin
- 1.1 mg niacin
- 53 mg ascorbic acid or vitamin C.
The antioxidant activity of malunggay is about 71%, with µ-tocopherol (vitamin E) equivalent of 45.
Malunggay leaves are an excellent source of vitamin A and B, and minerals such as calcium and iron. It is even an excellent source of protein, being higher than the amino acid pattern of Food and Agriculture Organization-reference protein, yet contains very low fat and carbohydrates. The leaves are incomparable as a source of the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine, often the natural minerals humans lack.
Due to its high vitamins A, C, and E, which are very potent antioxidants, malunggay is a very good quencher of unstable free radicals that can react with and damage molecules that cause aging. Antioxidants reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. They also prevent the onset of various chronic diseases like arthritis, cancer, and heart and kidney diseases.
Malunggay contains the phytochemical niaziminin, which is found to have molecular components that can prevent the development of cancer cells (Faizi et al., 1992) and correlated with inhibitory ability against superoxide generation. The first naturally-occuring thiocarbamates, novel hypotensive agents niazinin A, niazinin B, niazimicin and niaziminin A and B were isolated from malunggay.
Malunggay(Moringa) is called miracle vegetable because it is not just a food, it is also a medicine. It may therefore be a functional food. Malunggay promotes:
- good eyesight
- digestion
- facilitates bowel movement
- cure for stomach ache.
It is also used to cleanse wounds and ulcers. It helps alleviate scurvy, asthma, earache, and headaches. For its high calcium content, lactating mothers are advised to eat malunggay leaves to produce more milk.
Malunggay (Moringa) is usually cooked with chicken as tinola, or with fish and other vegetables, mongo soup dishes, and blanched as salads.
For daily herbal medicinal use, just prepare malunggay tea which is about 1 cup leaves boiled in 1 and 1/2 glass of water. Drink this daily. You can improve the taste by adding lemon grass (tanglad) or pandan leaves. A single preparation can be stored up to 2 days in a thermos bottle, however, a fresh preparation is always recommended.
Search Amazon.com Health/PersonalCare for moringa products
Search Amazon.com Health/PersonalCare for moringa products
Fruits (citrus fruits, apples) and vegetables (green leafy vegetables and tomatoes) make up the glow foods, a review of elementary school science will remind us. These foods contain essential vitamins and minerals for youthful skin, as so dairy products, such as milk and cheese, eggs, and animal protein. There are a lot vitamins and minerals that the skin needs, including the fat soluble vitamins (vitamin A, E, K) vitamins B and C, folic acid, biotin, selenium, and zinc. Even essential fatty acid are also important for a healthy skin. Here are the vitamins and minerals naturally found in food that keep skin looking young and glowing. You'll be amaze that all of this foods are also found in the food pyramid.
Vitamin A - maintains and repairs skin tissue and may reduce the risk of psoriasis.
It can be found in:
- sweet potato
- carrots
- mango
- spinach
- milk
- egg yolk
- cheese
It can be found in:
- green leafy vegetables
- beans
- peas
- meat
- fish
- dairy products
- fortified grains
It can be found in:
(vitamin C)
- citrus fruits
- green leafy vegetables
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- bell pepper
- Vegetable oils
- nuts
- seeds
- olives
- spinach
- asparagus
It can be found in:
- green leafy vegetables
- broccoli
- spinach
It can be found in:
- green leafy vegetables
- beans
- wheat germ
It can be found in:
- bananas
- eggs
- oatmeal
- rice
It can be found in:
- whole grain cereals
- seafood
- garlic
- eggs
It can be found in:
- liver
- seafood
- beans
- nuts
- whole grains
It can be found in:
- oysters
- poultry
- lean meat
Perhaps you noticed the variety of foods listed above, All the food groups are represented. It is important to eat variety of foods, using the food pyramid as a guide for the food groups and portions. Following the food pyramid, will help you include the variety of nutrients your body needs, including the ones for our skin that can help to have a healthy glowing skin for all daily functions .
