Healthy Eating………… Healthy Living

I have decided to blog on the benefits of corn because we are in its season and as God has made every plant with its medicinal value, corn also has its own.

Just before I dish out the medicinal benefits of Corn, am sure many are now aware of what some corn sellers do to deceive us by making us feel that a corn is fresh as in “Ibe eni”…….if you get me.

From the July 5th edition of The Nation newspaper, a Natural Health Columnist - Femi Kusa wrote of a woman who confessed to him that they now soak the corn/maize in a saccharine solution to sweeten their maize for sale.

This sugary substance has been banned by the World Health Organisation as it is said to be carcinogenic (causing cancer).

According to Femi Kusa, the best way to eat maize is to have it roasted with the skin on and to be removed from the heat source when the layers of skin have been burnt to the last one and it can be peeled to reveal a roast dripping in the oil! The corn exposed directly to charcoal fire is often burnt. The burn creates tar and as tar causes cancer, it is better to avoid burnt corn.

……..But almost everyone is found eating one especially on the streets of Lagos, so if you can get to have one done by yourself or a trusted seller, then go ahead and eat your corn as it has some benefits/medicinal values which I’m going to list below:

Corn is rich in fibre. It is commonly applicable in constipation treatment. A constant intake of corn contributes to an increase in faecal volume. Corn also accelerates faecal passage through the intestines. Hence, it facilitates the elimination of toxic substances from the body. Corn meal also protects the mucous of the digestive tract, thereby reducing stomach acidity and promoting gall-bladder functions.

Cereals, generally corn, wheat, oatmeal, rice and millet should be consumed in abundant quantities because they are the main sources of complex carbohydrates (starch and others). According to WHO, the abundant use of grains has some combative effects on cancer, because it cuts down the risk of cancer development.

I have been unable to update my health blog - Healthy Eating…….Healthy Living because of my other commitments and my desire to heck out a living on the internet, though I have not been able to, I believe with determination and perseverance, I will one day make dollars on the internet (not the yahoo yahoo way)…….

I have decided to come back to my blog ( I’ve changed the template), - i.e. God willing I intend to continually update it with the latest in nature’s health and by the time I get to where I hope for, I will get my own domain name and leave all this free host…….

If you read my post on water therapy and you’ve not been practising it (I’m not compelling you), it’s up to you but I already have a testimony….

Thanks for stopping by and let’s hope for the best…………..

Water therapy is a scientific method of drinking water to promote health and bring healing. Now this is the method:

When you wake up in the morning, drink at least five cups of water. This is better done as soon as you wake up, even before brushing your teeth.

During the course of the day, drink as much as you can, but never while eating, why you may ask – its simple: the body is known for producing its own enzymes for digesting any food, drinking while eating therefore leads to the dilution of this enzymes, making them to lose their concentration. You should therefore drink water at least one hour before or after meals. Also before going to bed, you should drink at least two to three cups of water.

The safest and purest drinking water comes from the springs.

This method is so simple that you might decide to take it for granted, however its efficacy has been scientifically proved and documented. Cases of hypertension, arthritis, stroke and other illnesses have been reversed through water therapy. Let us make use of water for the health and betterment of ourselves and the world.

by Karen Collins, R.D., American Institute for Cancer Research

Many of us have trouble meeting recommendations to make vegetables and fruits a major part of our diets. Is drinking more juice the solution? Research supports categorizing juice as a nutritious beverage, but juice cannot provide the full benefits that come from eating solid vegetables and fruits.

Evidence continues to accumulate on the many ways that vegetables and fruits promote good health, reducing risk of major chronic disorders such as heart disease and cancer. Although for more than 20 years Americans have been told a mostly plant-based diet lowers cancer risk, American’s consumption of produce has grown slowly. Surveys estimate that less than a quarter of American adults today meet the minimum recommendation of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, much less the 7 to 10 servings considered optimal. Some people may wonder whether drinking more juice to increase our servings of fruits and vegetables might be easier than changing the foods we select throughout the day.

Depending on the particular choice, juice can be a good source of important nutrients, including vitamin C, beta-carotene, the B vitamin folate and the mineral potassium. Juice also contains other antioxidants that protect the body. It’s no surprise that people who eat low amounts of fruit and vegetables add several servings of juice daily, the antioxidants in their body increase, reducing risk of heart disease, cancer and perhaps even age-related eye disease and dementia.

However, studies show that most fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants in the skins and peels, which do not make it into juice.  For example, one study reports that a whole orange contains up to five times more of one major antioxidant than a glass of orange juice.  The antioxidant is found in the white pulp and membranes that separate the orange segments from each other.

Eating a variety of vegetables and fruits, which provide a full array of natural plant compounds, is key to reducing cancer risk. Cancer protection comes from far more than accumulating antioxidants. When we eat berries, garlic, and cruciferous and dark green vegetables, for example, we get compounds that lead to the self-destruction of cells that might develop into cancer.

Solid fruits and vegetables also provide dietary fiber not found in juice. Bacteria in our colon break down soluble fiber, producing fatty acids that some studies suggest protects our colon against cancer-causing influences. Overall, studies have produced conflicting results on the significance of fiber for cancer prevention, but it is far too early to dismiss.

Eating solid fruits and vegetables can also lower risk of cancer and heart disease by helping you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Juice does not offer the same weight control benefits. Fruit juice is a more concentrated source of calories than solid fruits and vegetables. A one-half cup serving of most vegetables and fruit contains from 25 to 70 calories. Even a modest serving of most fruit juice six ounces contains 70 to 105 calories. (Tomato-based juices are the low-calorie exception.) Furthermore, numerous studies show that we don’t tend to make up for calories we drink by eating any less. When we eat fiber-rich food like fruits and vegetables, however, we tend to feel full and thus, eat fewer calories.

One or two daily servings of juice can certainly have a place as part of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet. But don’t be misled: juice is not an equal substitute for solid fruits and vegetables. The benefits of fruits and vegetables are worth the effort of learning to include them abundantly in your meals and snacks.

http://health.msn.com/

"May your food be your medicine, and may your medicine be your food". - Hippocrates

Nutrition is fast emerging as the most practical way of preventing some diseases. It has been established that the consumption of improper food is perhaps the root cause of many diseases. Everybody wishes to live a healthy and happy life free from all diseases, but very few of us make the right and serious effort in this direction.

What we eat determines to a great extent the state of health we enjoy. Whether based on belief or science, certain foods have some natural healing powers.

In addition to providing nutrients and energy, some foods have outstanding healing and preventive power. However, some foods can cause some diseases and disorders.

A famous Canadian Physician Dr. Coler once said “90% of all sickness, leaving aside infections and accidents are related to diets”.

I have taken it upon myself to provide sufficient health information on food products/ingredients, in order to enable you make effective decisions relating to your health.

In addition to this, I shall also provide you with up to date information on nutritional substances in food/natural health which scientist have discovered to have an impact on healthy living.