PEAR- Effective blood pressure controller
French: Poire; Spanish: Pera.
Description: Fruit of the pear tree ('Pyrus communis' L.), a tree similar to the apple tree of the botanical family Rosaceae.
PROPERTIES AND INDICATIONS:
Pears are noted for their content of sugars (12.7%), while they are lacking in proteins (0.39%) and fats(0.4%). The most abundant of these sugars is fructose or levulose, which makes them well tolerated by diabetics.
Pears contain small amounts of vitamins C, E and B, The most important of the minerals they contain are potassium, magnesium, and iron. They are also a good source of trace elements such as copper and manganese, and, in lower proportion, zinc. The pear's vitamin and mineral content is slightly greater than that of apples .
The pear is also a good sources of vegetable fiber (2.4%), an amount that is slightly less than the apple (2.7%). In contrast to the apple, the pear contains a greter amount of insoluble fiber rich in lignin (the material that makes wood and wheat bran hard).
Soluble fiber is more effective against cholesterol, while the insoluble is a more effective laxative.
In terms of non-nutritive components, the pear contains a lower proportion of organic acids than the apple and a greater proportion of tannins. These are responsible for the absorbent and anti-inflammatory effect of pears.
The pear is also diuretic, remineralizing, a mild astringent, and refreshing. These are its primary medical indications:
-Hypertention: The pear's capacity to lower blood pressure has been known since antiquity. This is attributed to its diuretic effect. Today it is known, as well, that the pear contains no sodium, a mineral that tends to retain water within the body, thus increasing blood pressure.
Additionally, the pear is very rich in potassium, a mineral with the opposite effect of sodium. There are studies demonstrating that the higher the potassium intake, the lower the risk of hypertension. New studies are constantly appearing that relate diet to hypertension apparently unknown causes.
-Renal failure: The pear stimulates renal function, thus it is a highly recommended fruit in cases of renal failure due to nephritis or nephrosis. In addition to containing no sodium and being very low in proteins, the pear is a good source of potassium and produces a mild diuretic effect, all of which benefit renal disorders.
Abundant pear consumption is recommended in cases of cardiac, as well as renal edema (fluid retention).
-Excess uric acid: Pear consumption promotes the elimination of uric acid and other nitrogenated substances through the urine. It has an alkalizing effect on the blood, which is of benefit in detoxifying diets used to neutralize excess acid residues produced by a high-meat diet.
-Obesity: The pear should be included in weight loss diets because of its mild diuretic action and its depurative effect.
-Digestive disorders: When it is ripe and tender, the pear is digested rapidly and easily. There is evidence that shows that within 90 minutes of eating, it has been digested and has arrived in the large intestine. it has a mild astringent action and works against the intestinal putrefaction and flatulence occurring in case of colitis (inflammation of the large intestine) and intestinal dyspepsia (indigestion at the intestinal level).
PREPARATION AND USE
(1)Raw: It is important to chew pears well, particularly those that are hard and gritty-textured. They should generally be peeled (because of potential external contamination). However, in the case of the pear, the peel is of dietary value because of its diuretic value. Of course, they must be well washed, and, if possible, organically grown.
(2)Cooked: Cooked pears are easier to digest but the cooking process destroys most of their vitamins while the sugars and minerals remain intact.
(3)Compoted and jams.
Chickpea- Just the thing for modern men and women
Synonyms: Ceci, Garbanzo (bean), Bengal gram, Calvance pea, Chick pea, Dwarf pea, Gram pea, Yellow gram.
French: Pois chiche; Spanish: Garbanzo, chicharo
Description: The seed of the chickpea plant ('Cicer arietinum' L), of the botanical family Leguminosae. Its fruit an ovoid legume containing two seeds, chickpeas.
PROPERTIES AND INDICATIONS:
The noteworthy therapeutic properties of the chickpea make this humble legume a dietary food ideal for modern men and women: they help reduce cholesterol and avoid constipation while strengthening the nervous system.
Additionally, the chickpea is nourishing and balanced as it contains a great deal of energy (364 kcal /100 g). It is good source of the most important nutrients except vitamin B12 (which is true of all plant-based foods). Even provitamin A and vitamins C and E are present, but only in small amounts. The remaining nutrients are well represented in the chickpea:
-Proteins: Chickpeas provide a significant amount (19.3%), equal or superior to meat and eggs but less than other protein-rich legumes such as soy, lentils, or beans. The legume-grain combination produces a protein of excellent biological quality.
-Carbohydrates: Chickpeas are very rich in carbohydrates (43.3%), starch being predominant. Starch is transformed slowly to glucose during digestion, but it must be well chewed and salivated.
-Fat: Chickpeas are 6.04% fat. This is considerably more than lentils or beans, but less than soy. Most of these fats are polyunsaturated.
-Vitamins: Chickpeas are a good source of vitamins B2 and B6. Folates, which are also involved in proper nervous system function and the reduction of heart attack risk, are very abundant: One hundred grams of chickpeas supply almost triple the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) of this nutrient.
-Minerals: The most noteworthy are iron (6.24 mg/100 g, almost three times that of meat), phosphorous (366 mg/100 g), potassium (875 mg/100 g), magnesium (115 mg/100 g), calcium (105 mg/100 g), calcium (105 mg/100 mg), and zinc (3.43 mg/100 g).
Chickpeas are an almost complete food whose nutritional proportions are quite well balanced. For this reason, they can be used as the main dish of a meal, as is the case in a traditional Mediterranean diet. Eating chickpeas regularly is recommended in the following situations:
-Increased cholesterol: Chickpeas contain a moderate amount of high-quality (mono and polyunsaturated) fats (6.04%) that aid in lowering blood cholesterol level. Chickpeas' fiber also impedes the absorption of cholesterol from other foods in the intestine (chickpeas contain no cholesterol). Consequently, eating more chickpeas and fewer meat products reduces cholesterol levels and improves arterial health. Finally, eating chickpeas prevents arteriosclerosis in all of its manifestations, including heart attack.
-Constipation: The fiber in chickpeas naturally stimulates intestinal peristaltic action thus moving the feces through the lower digestive tract.
-Functional disorders of the nervous system due to B vitamin deficiency, such as irritability, nervousness, and lack of concentration. Chickpeas are highly recommended for those suffering from stress or depression.
-Pregnancy: For pregnant women this legume is an ideal food because it is rich in folates, which prevent nervous system defects in the fetus. Additionally, chickpeas have a very high content of proteins, iron, and other minerals.
PREPARATION AND USE
(1)Cooked: This is the most common manner of preparing and eating chickpeas in the West. They can be added to soups and stews. They combine very well with rice dishes.
(2)Oven toasted or fried: When prepared in this way they are somewhat indigestible since a part of the starch becomes resistant to gastric juices.
(3)Chickpea flour: This is widely used in India to make a variety of culinary items such as falafel.
Zinc deficit
Some nutrition specialists emphasize the fact that plant-based food can be lacking in zinc. However, 100 g chickpeas contains more zinc (3.43 mg) than the same quantity of meat (2.97 mg). Chickpeas, the same as lentils and soy, are an excellent source of zinc.
STRAWBERRY - The most antioxidant fruit
Related species: Fragaria virginiana Duch., Fragaria chiloensis Duch.
French: Fraise (sauvage); Spanish: Fresa, frutilla.
Description: False fruit of the strawberry plant 'Fragaria vesca'L. or related species, of the botanical family Rosaceae. The true fruits are the small grains adhered to the surface of the strawberry , which contain the seeds. The strawberry is in reality a kind of fleshy thalamus formed in flowers by the union of the male and female parts.
PROPERTIES AND INDICATIONS:
The strawberry is among the fruits with the lowest calorie content (30 kcal/100 g), lower even than melon (35 kcal /100 g), or watermelon (32 kcal). Its protein, fat, and sodium content is also very low.
Sugars are the most significant nutrient in strawberries, together with modest amounts of vitamin C, folates, potassium, and iron, which amount to about 5% of their weight.
The color of strawberries comes from vegetables pigments known as anthocyanidines, which are similar to bioflavonoids. The ANTHOCYANIDINES found in certain fruits such as strawberries act as powerful antioxidants, in addition to reducing the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver.
A study carried out at Tufts University in Boston (USA) demonstrated that strawberries have the greatest antioxidant capacity of any fruit, followed by plums, oranges, and grapes. The antioxidant effect of a fruit was evaluated in terms of its ability to neutralize oxidizing FREE RADICALS.
The antioxidant capability of strawberries is due primarily to their vitamin C, bioflavonoid, and antocyanidine content.
Strawberries' composition, as well as their antioxidant and alkalizing properties, makes them particularly indicated in the following cases:
-Arterioclerosis: Because their great antioxidant capability, which neutralizes the effect of free radicals, strawberries are an effective means of avoiding arteriosclerosis (the depositing of cholesterol on artery walls, which later thicken and become narrow). Strawberries also contribute to arterial health by their lack of fat and sodium, and their richness in potassium, a mineral that prevents hypertension.
Eating strawberries regularly during the spring and the first months of summer helps prevent arteriosclerosis and avert its further development. Strawberries should be included in the diet of those who have suffered a heart attack or angina pectoris, as well as when there is poor circulation to the cerebral arteries or to those of the lower limbs.
-Excess uric acid: strawberries are diuretic (they increase urine production) and facilitate the elimination of uric acid with the urine because of their alkalizing effect. Because of this, strawberries are recommended in cases of gout and uratic arthritis.
-Constipation: Because of their richness in soluble vegetable fiber, strawberries facilitate passage of the feces through the intestines. They also decongest venous circulation in the portal system (veins in the bowel), thus they are useful in cases of hemorrhoids, ascites (fluid in the abdomen), and liver disorders such as chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis.
PREPARATION AND USE
(1)Fresh: Fresh strawberries should be washed just before eating. They go well with apples, orange juice, grains, and yogurt.
(2)Strawberry shake: This is made by blending strawberries with orange juice, nonfat milk, or soy beverage.
(3)Jam and compote: Strawberries prepared in this way retain almost all of their nutrients and active elements, although they lose vitamin C. They represent a means of having them available out of season, with the drawback, however, of a very high sugar content (around 50%)
(4)Frozen: Frozen strawberries are very popular since they make the fruit available year-round and virtually everywhere. Frozen strawberries tend to contain less added sugar (0%-20%) than jam, and retain most of their nutrients and active elements, including vitamin C.
