TAMARIND FRUIT, IT'S HEALTH BENEFITS AND TAMARIND SODA

the tamarind fruit

Tamarind Soda

tamarind in brief

The tamarind is a long-lived, bushy tree with drooping branches and leaflets that close up at night.

 The fruit has a hard, brown shell and in it, contains a fleshy, juicy pulp which is brown or reddish-brown when ripened.

We call this ‘asam jawa’- tamarind is native to tropical Africa, abundant in  India and South Asia. 

The tamarind fruit is used extensively in cuisines around the world with some traditional medicinal uses and over ten health benefits.
I really like the name “tamarind” or ‘tamarene’ as known by the Maoris of Cook Island… sounds beautiful.

It's edible pulp is more palatable when ripened. The unripe hard green pulp is sour and acidic too.

NUTRITION
The tamarind fruit has a sweet sour taste, high in acid, sugar acid, sugar, B vitamins, vitamin C, carotenes, calcium, fiber, potassium and magnesium.

culinary uses  

In Western cuisine, it is found in Worcestershire sauce and HP sauce.

In some other countries, it is used as in tamarinier jams and syrups and as snacks- either dried and salted, sweet, soft clusters or candied.

Or the tambran balls rolled with white granulated sugar and a blend of spices. 

Also used to make sour chilled drink and carbonated drink. 
Commonly for us in Southeast Asia, tamarind is used as a souring ingredient in food dishes. 

A salad dish of young tender tamarind leaves, boiled beans, topped with crushed peanuts and crispy fried onions, is served in rural Myanmar.

traditional medicinal uses  

In Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines and Javanese traditional medicine, tamarind leaves are used as a herbal infusion for malarial fever, the fruit juice as an antiseptic, and for scurvy and even cough cure. Throughout Southeast Asia, fruit of the tamarind is used a poultice applied to foreheads of fever sufferers.

In ayurvedic medicine, it is used for gastric and/or digestion problems, and in 
cardioprotective activity.

health benefits 

It is rich in antioxidants and this helps fight against cancers.
It also helps lower cholesterol and treat bile disorder.
Helps in digestion, acts as a mild laxative and can be gargled to ease sore throat.

Based on human study, tamarind intake may delay the progression of skeletal flourisis by enhancing excretion of fluoride. However, additional research is needed. Skeletal fluorosis is a bone disease caused by excessive consumption of fluoride.

Drinking tamarind juice can help reduce this risk for diabetics and is of benefit in relation to blood sugar levels.
The juice is good for the skin, apply on the skin for that healthy glow.

tamarind- it’s side effects

Although generally safe, tamarind juice can have adverse effects on health. It can increase the absorption of aspirin and ibuprofen by the body and should be avoided by those taking these medicines. It may cause acidity in people who suffer from acid reflux.
Links here  and  here 

other uses

Tamarind concentrate can be used to remove tarnish from brass and copper.

Tamarind Soda 

5 tbsp heap tamarind pulp

Brown sugar to taste

2 tsp nutmeg powder

1 can carbonated drink ( sprite, 7up or lime flavored sparkling mineral water)

Mix tamarind paste with 5 cups of water, squeeze out juice from pulp. Strain away residue. Add in sugar and nutmeg powder.  Heat up, when boiled, let steep for 5 minutes. Leave to cool.

Keep chilled, when ready to serve, add in carbonated drink.

WRAP UP 2012, COLLAGEN IS VITAL.

wrap up 2012 and unwind

FUN, FASHION, FOOD, flowers- NO WORK, NO SERIOUS COOKING

A food and beverage blog like mine, is a site centered around foods and drinks… health benefits if any, will be a priority bonus.

A wrap up recipe  for year end 2012 would be almost perfect…. .. But for me, end of year means  a time to relax and  stay cool… no hassle, no cooking, just eat out, socialize  and keep up with friends- until next year end …

I also spend some time looking at women mags and fashion…  like those designer clothes and accessories… and the humor that spice them all… some fun and stress free moments will be a real treat, like anti oxidant is to the body cells.

The way is, to strife for quality life –

hence the need for excellent health, mental alertness and slowing of the aging process. 

My way is, i must ensure my collagen intake is sufficient- 

and go for the five color fruits. 

Collagen cannot be produced without vitamin C. Over 90% of the collagen in the body, however, is of type one = ie:  skin, tendon, vascular ligature, organs, bone (main component of the organic part of bone)

Collagen nourishes the skin from the inside, strengthen skin tissues, prevents drying and reduce wrinkles. Also for cartilage, bases of cell basement membrane (eye lens, kidney) and cell surfaces ( hair and placenta) – to name a few of the 28 types of collagen.

The ratio of veggies (may include fruits) to other foods is 4:1

NO WORK NOW,,,,

FASHION as i saw in the mag 

best dressed of the year- critics choice.

1.Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackermann – 2.Emmy Rossum in Monique Lhuillier - 3.Sonam Kapoor in Salvatore Ferragamo –

best dressed of the year- readers choice

1. Diane Kruger in Vivienne Westwood –2. Coco Rocha in Zac Posen –3. Blake Lively in Zuhair Murad Couture – ‘Savages’ LA Premiere- 4. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in Jenny Packham –

2012  - 

To us, watching gala fashion shows on runway is part of an expensive entertainment,

to the models it is a fun  serious career.. 

They look like killer shoes- ankle twist or fracture is not impossible> my comment

I feel like a candy

each of us went through 
flip flops in our career..

looking back.... gardenia first love , a beautiful white

WONDER FOODS TO CLEAN CLOGGED ARTERIES.

UNCLOG YOUR ARTERIES THE NATURAL WAY.

STRAWBERRY CHERRY COLA RECIPE

Cholesterol will oxidize. Only oxidized cholesterol can stick to your artery walls and clog them up.

Due to personal commitments, i have been absent for almost a month. Now i am back, with a question on how to unclog arteries.

A doctor may give a wide variety of options, such as enzyme supplements and surgery is recommended in extreme cases. Here, i highlight on what foods we can eat in order to help unclog arteries naturally...  

my main reference link naturalegacy

List of great foods to unclog arteries, the natural way

Reason why I like these ten, let me count the ways and why.

1-Garlic: The greatest wonder food of them all! Eat at least 1 to 3 cloves of garlic daily, raw or cooked. Many studies showed that regular consumption of garlic reduces cholesterol by at least 10 percent, and helps maintain clean arteries

2-Purple Grape Juice: Grape skin/seed extract has great heart-health properties. Grape juice made from whole grapes, helps clear arteries. It's powerful flavonoids prevent cholesterol stickage, reduces inflammation, blood clots and clears blood vessels.

3-Cherries: This tasty fruit contains more than 17 compounds that help unclog clogged arteries. These compounds give cherries their red color.

4-Strawberries: Similar to cherries, they contain a wide range of compounds which cut cholesterol levels and help clear out arteries. Strawberries are also packed full of antioxidants.

5-Sweet Potatoes: Jam packed with cholesterol-lowering fiber, beta carotene, and other compounds, a great food to help clear up you arteries

6-Green Tea: Just one cup a day of quality green tea contains a large number of flavonoids which provides antioxidant protection. In addition, green tea contains ‘procyanidins’, which help prevent the formation of blood clots. 

Green tea is so effective as a diet aid because it increases your metabolism and reduces your appetite.

Cholesterol will oxidize. Only oxidized cholesterol can stick to your artery walls and clog them up.

7-Olive Oil: Omega-3 fatty acids are in abundance in olive oil, which counters the inflammatory effects of omega-6 found in vegetable oils. Particles of LDL, or bad cholesterol which is found in olive oil are much less likely to become oxidized than they are in other oils. Only oxidized cholesterol can stick to your artery walls and clog them up.

8-Salmon: Another great source of omega- 3 fats. Herring and tuna are also recommended. Wild salmon, is particularly rich in the omega-3 fats, and these help keep your arteries clean. Wild salmon is better than deep water fish such as tuna, as they contain less toxins.

9-Spinach: Packed with vitamin C and vitamin A. These compounds help prevent cholesterol from becoming oxidized. This helps prevent clogging and helps to release plaque lining the arteries.

10-Pomegranate (including seeds)- As in National Geographic news, according to a 2010 research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences., antioxidants contained in pomegranate juice may help reduce the formation of fatty deposits on artery walls, limit cell damage and hardening of arteries. The study was done at the University of Naples, Italy and the UCLA-US.  link- here

say NO to hydrogenated oils!

Remember, if you want clean arteries, say NO to hydrogenated oils! These are found in frozen foods, cookies, cakes, chips, pastries etc. If you have clogged arteries, it is particularly important that you avoid these foods, as they will only worsen your condition.

STRAWBERRY CHERRY COLA RECIPE

2 cups of mixed fruits- strawberries and cherries 

1 cup fresh grape juice

A pinch of ginger

Blend the above until pureed and chill for one-two hours.When ready to serve, add in chilled coca cola and ice cubes if you wish.

A 1890's advertisement showing model Hilda Clark in formal 19th century attire.
The ad is titled Drink Coca-Cola 5¢. (US) .. Coca-Cola 5¢, 1900

Was available in Canada from1996. Cherry Coca-Cola (Cherry Coke)in N America until 2006

THE PEACH BANANA LEMON JUICE

This fantastic thirst quencher is from the schweppes collection, where i have added a little more peach and some honey for a touch of natural sweetness.

For me, the schweppes combination of of fruit flavors in their juices and cocktail, are simply awesome.

       Ingredients 

• 2 peach fruit- skin and de-stoned
• 1 medium banana
• 6 mint leaves
• 40ml Schweppes Lemon Juice Cordial
• Honey
• Some ice cubes
• Blend all the ingredients  and pour into chilled glasses.

• Serve with ice cubes- makes two

BLUEBERRIES

BLUEBERRIES

Canadian Blueberries

Part One of a two part series.

Canadian  blueberries are of two types- The  “lowbush blueberries,” also known as wild blueberries and The Highbush blueberries”.

WILD BLUEBERRIES

A True Taste of Nature

The sunny days of late summer and early autumn are harvest time for Canada's blueberry crop. 

PART ONE -  LOWBUSH BLUEBERRIES

Canada is the world's largest producer of “lowbush blueberries,”  and is the world's second-largest producer and exporter of these delectable berries, after the United States.

In British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, workers hand-pick the sweetest fruits for the table market, while mechanical pickers scoop up the berries destined for freezing and processing.

These small blue globes have always been prized, and for centuries were a special favourite among Canada's First Nations  (natives). 

They had learned how to smoke the wild fruit for winter use, mix it with honey and cornmeal to make blueberry pudding, and make a blueberry syrup to cure coughs. 

Nowadays, Canada's making them unique—no other Canadian fruit shares this distinction.

Most are grown commercially in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. They are native to Eastern North America and grow best on treeless land or on land that has been burned over

Wild blueberries are unusual because growers do not plant them, but instead manage wild stands that spread naturally by means of underground runners

FIELD OF WILD BLUEBERRIES

Since managed wild blueberry fields can have several distinct runner systems, the berries are often not uniform in appearance—but the delectable taste is always the same. They ares mostly destined for processing and freezing.

EXCELLENT HEALTH BENEFITS

Diets supplemented with wild blueberry juice may affect memory  and learning in older adults, while reducing blood sugar and symptoms of depression.

Wild blueberries has a higher anthocyanin content.  Anthocyanin is the red, blue or purple color in a fruit/ veggie, depending on the pH. It is water soluble.

Anthocyanins have been shown to act as a "sunscreen", protecting cells from high-light damage by absorbing blue-green and UV light, thereby protecting the tissues from   (photoinhibition), or high-light stress.

This may be seen on  the color of autumn leaves and  of plant shoots , like the reddish hue of rose shoots.

Anthocyanins also act as powerful antioxidants.

Links- wiki-anthocyanin, also government websites- here  and here

BEAR EATING  WILD BLUEBERRIES

WILD BLUEBERRY SCONES AND JAM

LEMON DRINK WITH STARFRUIT AND GINGER

Relax and have a long cold drink in the hot afternoon….

Especially with lemon

LEMON DRINK WITH STARFRUIT AND GINGER

You need 1 1/2 glass mineral water, blend with

2 ripe star fruits  (remove pith)

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp young ginger root juice

Sugar to taste

Instead of mineral water, I prefer ginger ale- hmmm delicious !!

BUT you may prefer green tea instead… so nutritious !!

Serve with ice cubes – makes two glasses.

Ginger ale is  a carbonated drink flavored with ginger. I love shweppes 

PESTO SAUCE RECIPE.. OLIVE OIL HEALTH BENEFITS

THE BENEFITS OF OLIVES AND OLIVE OIL

PESTO SAUCE RECIPE

Olive is a fruit, bitter and tart in taste.
Olive oil is cold pressed olive juice. That’s why it's so healthy and is used in the finest cuisines all over the world. Cold pressed means that the olives are picked and squeezed and are not boiled before squeezing.

The green olive and black olive are the same plant; green olives are pickled before ripening, where black olives are pickled after being ripened.

Olive oil contains a wide variety of valuable antioxidants that are not found in other oils

Of all the categories, extra virgin olive oil presents the highest nutritional and health qualities, as well as the most "flowery" taste- robust, flavorful and wholesome.. 

Olive oil in culinary

Extra virgin olive oil is mostly used as a salad dressing and as an ingredient in salad dressings. It is also used with foods to be eaten cold. If uncompromised by heat, the flavor is stronger. It also can be used for sautéing.

If it is heated above 350 °F (177 °C), the unrefined particles within the oil are burnt. This leads to a deteriorated taste. Also, the pronounced taste of extra virgin olive oil is not a taste most people like to associate with their deep fried foods.

Olive oil can substitute margarine or butter in a 3:4 ratio for most recipes. In other words, if your recipe calls for 1 cup of margarine or butter, you can substitute with 3/4 cup olive oil (plus 1/4 cup margarine/ butter). 
Do not make this substitution if you plan on cooking the recipe at 400°F (200°C) or higher. The olive oil will start to smoke at these high temperatures and will give your food a metallic taste.link here

Olive oil and skin care 

Extra virgin olive oil has been known for generations not only for its healing qualities but also as a natural, deep penetration moisturizer, regenerating skin cells and softening the tissue.
It is also used in soap and cosmetics.

The higher the temperature to which the olive oil is heated, the more one should prefer the use of refined olive oils. 

Olive oil, a natural health remedy

The health benefits :

Prevention of heart disease

-It has been suggested that long-term consumption of small quantities of this compound from olive oil may be partly responsible for the low incidence of heart disease associated with a Mediterranean diet- whereby olive is a mainstay in the Mediterranean culinary.Even bread or toast are commonly dipped in olive oil.

Olive oil has a very high proportion of monounsaturated fats, most notably oleic acid and this helps prevent heart disease.

“It lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and raises HDL (good cholesterol) to prevent heart disease. Consuming olive oil is good for your health”- American Heart Association

 “Scientific studies suggest that eating about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil daily will reduce your risk of coronary heart disease.” US Food and Drug Administration site. Olive oil slowed breast cancer

“Recent research suggests that olive oil slowed breast cancer in rats. This study compared a corn oil diet to an olive oil diet and showed that a corn oil diet stimulated more cancers than a control diet, while olive oil led to fewer and smaller tumors than the control diet.” link here

-Olive oil is high in antioxidants Vitamin A and E which helps neutralise cancer-causing free radicals in our body, carotenoids.

-Olives grow in a warm environment  and the fruits contain a fenol-like substances  as protection from heat and bright sunshine. These substances  play a role in the prevention and cure of thrombosis and arteriosclerosis.
Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel

Arteriosclerosis refers to a stiffening of arteries.

-Olive oil is very easy to digest and mild for the intestines! 

Our energy must not be wasted. We need the energy to burn calories. We also need energy to fight illness and stay healthy. That is why we have to chew our food longer, before swallowing, so that the stomach will not have to use extra energy to digest food.

Test on the goodness of olive oil.   link here

Try this out. Pour some olive oil on your hands, notice that you can easily wash it off. It disappears fast in the sink and you don't need a lot of hot water and detergent to wash it away. Because your body is like a glass of water it reacts the same. 

If you have eaten some olive oil, your body will evaporate it within 1½ hour via your pores. This means your body can handle it easily and does not have to waste any energy to digest it. 
This works differently with baking butter and other products, especially those based on animal products. In this case you have to scrub hard and need hot water and detergent to dissolve the fat in the water so it can be washed away.

Use more olive oil 

Oil and butter based on vegetables are to be preferred but olive oil is best of course.

Everything you eat based on fruit or vegetables, will make you look and feel much healthier and younger too!

Recipe featuring olive oil.  

The Pesto sauce can be used as a sauce for pasta or for meat. It can be used as an ingredient in a variety of dishes. One classic use is to spread the pesto onto slices of bread before toasting them.

PESTO SAUCE RECIPE (Italian ) 

Ingredients

4oz (100g) fresh basil

About  8 oz (200gm) extra virgin olive oil.

1/3  cup freshly grate Romano cheese or parmesan

1/4 cup pines nuts (check “tips” below for substitutes)

4 cloves garlic- crushed

Freshly ground salt and pepper 

Preparation

Preheat  oven to 425°F (222°C). Toast the pine nuts in oven until slightly brown (10-15minutes). In a small frying pan (skillet), heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil, saute garlic on medium heat.

Mix the basil, garlic, cheese, pine nuts. Use a mortar and pestle/ blender to turn it into a smooth paste, slowly adding in the oil to reach a paste-like consistency.

This sauce can last for a week, if  stored in an airtight jar, top with a thin layer of olive oil  to prevent oxidation and keep refrigerated . If stored frozen, it can last several months. For longer storage, do not mix in the cheese, as it can get spoilt. Add the grated cheese later, before serving. 

 Ingredient substitutes and Tips.   

With all the tips here, you will find that pesto is a very versatile sauce and that you now have like half a dozen pesto recipes already.

1-You may replace some or all of the pine nuts with sunflower seeds, walnut, pistachios, almonds or sun dried tomatoes.  

2-For a creamy sauce, take two tablespoons of the pesto in a pan and heat on medium-low. Add one cup light cream and bring to a simmer. Use for pasta. Serves two. Alternatively, may add crème cheese instead.

3-Change the taste by changing the base of the pesto from basil to other  herbs/vegetables like cilantro (coriander) or spinach.

4-Do a slight twist to the standard basil/garlic combo , add shallots for a sweet taste.

5-Mix fresh chives, marjoram, and thyme with the basil to produce something akin to Valdostano-style pesto.

6-Another variant is to replace the basil with equal parts of leaf parsley and spring onions, or use arugula for a spicy result.

7-A vegan variant can be made by mixing walnuts, fresh basil, olive oil and small amounts (such as a table spoon per cup) of white miso paste.

This recipe is linked to The mad scientist’s hosting kitchen chronicles “Theme- Go nuts”  

http://madscientistskitchen.blogspot.in/2012/06/guest-hosting-event-kitchen.html.