June 24th, 2008 admin
Coffee has become an essential part of every society. Flavor and blend of a coffee depends on coffee beans. There are several varieties of coffee beans existing in which 25 main types are most used. The major types of coffee bean varieties are Arabica coffee beans and Robusta coffee beans.
Arabica coffee beans are regarded as the highest quality commercial beans worldwide. The beans have a delicate taste and it is more costly than other coffee beans varieties and the best coffeemaker. Arabica beans can be used in its fresh form or it can be used as a base for other coffee mix. The taste of Arabica beans differ with the geographic conditions where they are grown. Arabica beans from Indonesia provide the full-bodied taste of coffee. Beans produced from the South and Central America area are special with its modest aroma.
The second most preferred type of coffee beans are Robusta coffee beans. It has a strong taste and it is more economically feasible. Robusta beans blended with Arabica coffee beans produce best flavors. With a great aroma, Kona coffee beans also have high demand worldwide. These coffee beans are rarely blended with other types. As with the variation in altitude, techniques, weather condition and other aspects, the coffee beans from different countries produce different flavors. Coffee beans from east Africa is regarded as highly flavorful beans. With a slight acidic flavor, Columbia and Guatemala coffee beans are perfect for light food.
Choosing the right coffee beans is significant. Many people buy fresh green coffee beans and roast the beans at home. Roasting of coffee beans in the best coffeemakers improves the coffee’s aroma and releases strong oils. Coffee beans are roasted until it gives a sharp and unique flavor. Green coffee beans cost less than roasted bean varieties. Arabica coffee beans are perfect for roasting.
Nowadays most of the manufacturers provide roasted coffee beans. There are different type roasted coffee beans are available in market. American roast coffee beans provide a medium-bodied coffee. Brazilian roast coffee beans are slightly darker roasted beans. French roast beans are a favorite type of roasted coffee beans with dark chocolate color. The darkest roast available in the market is called Espresso. The espresso roasted beans produce strong, black coffee. Whole roasted coffee beans are best to purchase.
Best class coffees for the best coffee makers have strong and fragrant aromas. Coffee experts rate coffees as per their aroma, body, taste and acidity. The flavor of the coffee is confirmed as mellow, earthy, or grassy. To find what types of coffee beans are best for your daily routine, you can carry out a flavor test. Prepare different type of beans independently and taste the coffees separately. When the coffee is cooled, taste it again.
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June 16th, 2008 admin
Wheat grass powder contains a prolific array of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, trace elements, chlorophyll, enzymes, amino acids and tender young fibres all packaged together by nature in natural proportions. The most nutritious of all cereal grasses, wheat grass is the young plant before it produces grain. Wheat grass is 100% pure dried leaf and is reportedly a rapidly assimilated natural source of energy. It seems that wheat grass powder can assist in boosting energy and vitality, potentially increases detoxification helping to maintain the correct acid-alkaline balance.
Wheatgrass powder can also help in promoting bowel and gut health. Wonderful Wheat Grass contains a prolific array of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, trace elements, chlorophyll, enzymes, amino acids and tender young fibres, all packaged together by nature in natural proportions. Wheat grass (leaf), being vegetable, does not contain gluten. The most nutritious of all cereal grasses, wheat plants reach their nutritional peak only when grown without synthetic chemicals as a winter crop (slower germination) in rich soil and harvested before development of the stem.
Right then, after me, “ass-eye-eeeâ€Â. And again, “ass-eye-eeeâ€Â. That’s how you pronounce
‘acai’, the Brazilian palm tree super berry that has been rocking our world for some time now. Not only is it thought to be the world’s richest natural source, pound for pound, of antioxidants, but it also tastes gorgeous and is a lovely shade of purple. The good bit of the acai berry is the dark purple skin – it’s the bit that contains the anthocyanins (the clever antioxidants that can help you stay very healthy). The rest of it (about 90%) is a small, hard stone that it’s inadvisable to consume. But there are uses for this stone. Indeed in Brazil you might find people making necklaces out of them. Palm tree bling. You heard it here first.
All chocolate comes from the Cacao beans
- the seeds of the cacao fruit - that grows on a jungle tree. In 1753 Carl von Linnaeus, the 18th-century Swedish scientist who developed the plant and animal Latin categorization system, thought that chocolate was so important that he named the genus and species of the chocolate tree himself. He named this tree Theobroma cacao which literally means: cacao, the food of the gods. Just what the indigenous native Central Americans called it. In ancient Central American cultures, raw cacao beans were actually used as money. Imagine an edible money! When the Spanish came, they called cacao black gold (oro negro) or seeds of gold (pepe de oro). Maybe this is because Cacao beans contain over 300 chemically identifiable compounds making it one of the most complex food substances on Earth!
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June 11th, 2008 admin
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop. In the UK it is known as lucerne and Lucerne grass in India. Alfalfa is a cool season perennial legume living from three to twelve years, depending on variety and climate. It resembles clover with clusters of small purple flowers. The plant grows to a height of up to 1 metre, and has a deep root system sometimes stretching to 4.5 metres. This makes it very resilient, especially to droughts. It has a tetraploid genome. The plant exhibits autotoxicity, which means that it is difficult for alfalfa seed to grow in existing stands of alfalfa. Therefore, it is recommended that alfalfa fields be rotated with other species (e.g. corn, wheat) before reseeding. Like other legumes, its root nodules contain bacteria, Sinorhizobium meliloti, with the ability to fix nitrogen, producing a high-protein feed regardless of available nitrogen in the soil.
Goji berries are the common name for the fruit of two very closely related species: Lycium barbarum and L. chinense, two species of boxthorn in the family Solanaceae (which also includes the potato, tomato, eggplant, deadly nightshade, chili pepper, and tobacco). Although its original habitat is obscure (probably southeastern Europe to southwest Asia), wolfberry species currently grow in many world regions. Only in China, however, is there significant commercial cultivation. According to the United States Department of Agriculture Germplasm Resources Information Network, it is also known as Chinese wolfberry, goji berry, barbary matrimony vine, bocksdorn, Duke of Argyll’s tea tree, or matrimony vine.[4] Unrelated to the plant’s geographic origin, the names Tibetan goji and Himalayan goji are in common use[5] in the health food market for products from this plant.
Cacao nibs contains Magnesium, Sulphur, and Anti-oxidant, Monoamine Oxidase Enzyme Inhibitors, Phenylethylamine, and Anandamide. These substances can help us having healthy heart, relieving us from stressful mood, and much more. So recent years cacao nibs are becoming a popular healthy food. It is much easier to consume cacao nibs than directly eating cacao seeds. For example, you can easily pour
Cacao Nibs into smoothies. It is raw and wild chocolate. You can eat Cacao Nibs in the following way: Add to smoothies; eat it as it is; eat it cold (Freeze cacao nibs with sweeteners, e.g. honey); Mix cacao nibs with maca and make herbal teas; Eat it with ice creams (crush cacao nibs first). Of coures, to make chocolate, cacao nibs must be crushed and ground into a thick paste called chocolate liquor (there is no alcohol in it). However, please be aware that when eating cacao nibs avoid the consumption of dairy produce to gain maximum benefits as it has been shown that the addition of dairy produce actually blocks the body’s ability to absorb anti-oxidants.
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June 7th, 2008 admin
Apricot kernels are, like most nuts and seeds, very nutritious. Among the nutrients they contain is one called amygdalin, which is also known as vitamin B17. This attacks cancer cells, and thus can help prevent cancer from breaking out in our bodies. We are told that our bodies are creating cancer cells all the time. Normally the immune system can deal with them. However at times of stress or in a particularly weak part of the body, or under extreme or regular exposure to carcinogens, then the multiplication of cancer cells may become too great for the immune system to handle. Amygdalin comes alongside the immune system and attacks the cancer cells directly. The cancer cells have within them an enzyme which unlocks the poison in the amygdalin, and in this way the cancer cells are destroyed. Normal, healthy cells do not have this enzyme. In fact they have a different enzyme which unlocks the amygdalin in a different way and releases nutrients and also a neutralising agent which would neutralise any of the poison it came into contact with. Researchers at Imperial College London have been experimenting using cyanide to kill cancer cells, and state that any poison that escaped into the bloodstream would be quickly neutralised by the liver.
Guarana (pronounced gwa-ra-NAH) is a creeping shrub native to Venezuela and northern Brazil in the Amazon rain forest. The fruit are small, bright-red, and contains black seeds. Guarana seeds are rich in caffeine and contain up to 4-8% caffeine, more than coffee beans, which contain approximately 1–2.5% caffeine. The seeds are also rich in tannins and xanthine alkaloids theophylline and
theobromine. Guarana is reputed to be a stimulant and increase mental alertness, fight fatigue, and increase stamina and physical endurance. Guarana drinks and sodas are very popular in Brazil (where guarana is considered to be a health tonic), almost as popular as cola-based sodas. Sweet, carbonated guarana drinks include the popular brands Guaraná Antarctica, Guaraná Brahma, and Kuat (from Coca-Cola Company). In North America, guarana has recently become a popular ingredient in energy drinks and teas.
Hemp seed has been consumed by mankind (and animals) for centuries. Indeed, whole populations have survived off hemp seed in times of famine. In China, at the cinema, you can still buy roasted hemp seeds in the same way as you can buy popcorn in the West. Hemp has 3 unique nutritional factors. It has an ideal balance of Omega 3 and 6 for sustainable human health, hemp seeds has a full amino acid spectrum meaning it provides complete protein, and it has a massive trace mineral content - truly one of nature’s superfoods. Consumption of hemp oil and hemp seed is ideal for people with low essential fatty acid intake, and also perfect for athletes. It is of course particularly valuable to the veggie/vegan population, and even more so for veggie/vegan athletes, who are always looking for complete protein sources.
One of the easiest ways of consuming hemp is in smoothies. Just mix a handful of organic hemp seed (whole or de-hulled) with fruit and juice of your choice in a blender. Perfect for children too.
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June 4th, 2008 admin
The Carob tree is an evergreen shrub or tree native to the Mediterranean area. It is cultivated for its edible seed pods. It grows well in warm temperate and subtropical areas and tolerates hot and humid coastal areas. It is a drought-resistant. The carob tree is typical in the southern Portuguese region of the Algarve, and in southern Spain, and on the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia. The tree bears fruit (carob pods) after six to eight years of growth. When the tree reaches 12 years old, it can easily yield 100 pounds of pods a year. When the tree grows older, its annual yield can increase to an average of 200 to 250 pounds. Amazingly it can continue to yield carob pods for 100 years. Nowadays many people like to mix carob with raw chocolate for a good taste. Chocolate has lots of magnesium, whereas carob has lots of calcium. It has about three times more calcium than chocolate, but only 60% calories of chocolate. In
addition, Carob powder has as much V-B1 as strawberries; and more V-A than asparagus etc. It also has Vitamin B2, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and the trace minerals iron, copper, nickel, manganese, and chromium. It is also known that carob has therapeutic effect on of diarrhea, and can help with nausea, vomiting, and upset stomach.
Bee pollen is one of nature’s unique and most powerful foods. It has been estimated that honeybee pollen contains almost all enzymes and coenzymes our bodies need, many times more than any other food. Enzymes in the body are not only necessary for perpetual healing and digestion but for life itself. Without enzymes, life is impossible. Also, enzymes protect against premature aging. It has been reliably stated that only honeybee pollen contains all known enzymes in perfect proportion and perfect balance. Bee pollen offers a treasure trove of special plant nutrients and a wide range of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes . Bee Pollen is made up of 5-25% Amino Acids, upto 40% Carbohydrates, 5% Fatty Oils and up to 35% protein and it’s why bee pollen is such a valuable supplement to the diet, because it supplies many of the dietary antioxidants, bioflavonoids and polyphenols that we are missing by not eating our recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.
Himalayan Crystal Salt comes from Himalayan primal seas since the beginning of lives. At that time, there was no pollution, and it was sun-dried naturally. Therefore Himalayan Crystal Salt is completely pure, no pollutant and has many mineral and trace element we need. Crystal salt can help us recover and balance the bodies energy, rebalance acid-alkaline levels, dissolve and releases crystallised deposits (the cause of rheumatic disease, kidney and gallbladder stones), helps breakdown heavy metals such as mercury from dental fillings and cadium from smoking and everyday pollution, normalises blood pressure, cleans the intestines, heals skin diseases, respiratory ailments and helps to weaken addictions.
Himalayan Crystal Salt is versatile and can also be used to flush the sinuses to prevent runny and congested noses and sinus infections, used as an eye bath to restore moisture to dry eyes, for inhalations to treat respiratory disorders such as bronchitis, as a cleansing bath that has the same detoxifying effect as a three day fast, and for beauty masks and wraps to treat skin irritations, tissue injuries, joint problems, cellulite and for regenerating and tightening the skin.
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June 3rd, 2008 admin
Chlorella can carry away metabolic wastes from our blood because its fibrous material can bind with heavy metals and pesticides which can accumulate in our blood. A clean bloodstream with an abundance of red blood cells to carry oxygen is essential for our body to function properly. In addition Chlorella is rich in Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is very similar to hemoglobin, a protein found in the red blood cells. Hemoglobin can carry oxygen thus “fuelling” all over our body. So Chlorophyll can also carry oxygen in blood around our body and our brain. Our body must maintain a balance between alkaline and acid, and such balance should be neutral, with PH values around 7.2-7.4. Unfortunately most of us take overcooked, processed foods, fast food, and soft drinks (a pH of 2.7) every day, most of our PH values are not balanced. An acidic environment can lead to many diseases, however, such disease will not likely start in an alkaline environment. Chlorella is Alkaline. Therefore eating Chlorella can help us to maintain a neutral PH value.
Research team at Duke University School of Nursing in Durham have recruited 161 men recently diagnosed with prostate problems and split them into four groups. One group ate three tablespoons of flaxseed each day (by mixing it with yogurt or water, for example) and maintained a low-fat diet. Of the remaining three groups, one maintained a low-fat diet, another ate flaxseed, and the last was a control that made no lifestyle change. This study shows that eating flaxseed is beneficial in improving the prostate problems.
Flax seed is also a helpful supplement for people with diabetes. One tablespoon of ground (milled) flaxseed and three tablespoons of water may serve as a replacement for one egg in baking by binding the other ingredients together. Ground flaxseeds can also be mixed in with oatmeal, yogurt, water (similar to Metamucil), or any other food item where a nutty flavour is appropriate.
Manuka honey is a type of honey which has a high value in the marketplace because it has a distinctive
flavour or other attribute due to its being predominantly from the nectar of one plant species. While all honeys have some medicinal value, active manuka honey containing the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) has been shown to have higher antibacterial activity than other tested honeys. But not all
Manuka honey is active. The pollution level is still almost zero in New Zealand. It is not as yet fully known why only some Manuka honey has an antimicrobial property not shared by other honeys. The presence of this activity can be detected by laboratory testing, which is conducted by the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. Honey that is tested and verified to have a level of 10 or more is given a UMF rating and is referred to as ‘Active’.
New Zealand’s active manuka honey is used as a natural product both internally and topically on the skin. Apitherapy, the name given to treatment with natural honey, has been used by many different cultures throughout history. Such uses are now being reconsidered by a modern world in light of new research into the properties and uses of active manuka honey.
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June 2nd, 2008 admin
Wheatgrass is the young grass of the common wheat plant (Triticum aestivum), taken just after sprouting. It is freshly juiced or dried and grounded into flour for human consumption. Wheatgrass also contains 20 amino acids, several hundred different enzymes not found in other foods, as many as 90 out of 102 possible minerals, vitamins and other important nutrients. It is a great supplement for people on diet, for sports people, and for people who want to maintain a healthy immune system. For detoxification, some users may increase their intake to 3–4 times per day. It should be noted that consumers with a poor diet may experience nausea on high dosages of wheatgrass. Outdoor wheatgrass is harvested for a few days each year from plants grown in the “bread basket” regions of the US and Canada. Winter wheat requires more than 200 days of slow growth in cold temperatures to reach the peak nutritional content.
Spirulina are floating filamentous cyanobacteria with cylindrical trichomes in left-hand helix. Spirulina grows naturally in tropical and subtropical lakes with high pH and high concentrations of carbonate and bicarbonate. It is commonly used as food supplements. For centuries Aztecs have been eating Spirulina. The earliest record reveals that it grew in Lake Texcoco, and was collected and sold as food. The first Spirulina manufacturing factory was established in 1970s. Spirulina is a rich source of potassium, and also contains calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, sodium, and zinc. Spirulina contains many pigments including chlorophyll-a, xanthophyll, beta-carotene, echinenone, myxoxanthophyll, zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin, diatoxanthin, 3′-hydroxyechinenone, beta-cryptoxanthin, oscillaxanthin, plus the phycobiliproteins c-phycocyanin and
allophycocyanin.
Barley is a cereal grain. Large proportion of Barley crop is used as an animal feed. It is also widely used for malting and is a key ingredient in beer and whiskey production. Many people have reported weight loss effect after drinking barley grass juice regularly. According to scientific research, it is because of the enhancement of the cytochrome oxidase enzyme system which is essential for cell metabolism. Barley grass also contains another enzyme: superoxide dismutase (SOD), a powerful antioxidant, which protects the cells against toxic free radicals which are thought to be a primary culprit in aging and many other diseases. There are two common forms of consuming barley grass, as juice or as tablets. Like wheatgrass powder, barley grass powder is an easy way to make barley grass juice.
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June 1st, 2008 admin
Recent years have seen the increasing popularity and consumption of goji
berries in western countries such as US, Japan, Canada and Europe etc. I have done some research about goji berries, and would like to share my findings with other people. Recent medical research has identified several powerful medicinal properties of goji berries, including: anti-aging, anti-cancer, weight loss promotion, enhancing libido and fertility, immune system boosting and much more. To maximise the medicinal benefits of goji berries, ensure that you eat the whole berry as nature intended. There are a number of processed products on the market that include a small amount of goji berry extract. These include goji juice, goji tablets, etc. All natural foods that have been processed lose a significant amount of their nutritional properties due to the oxidation process that occurs during manufacturing.
Cacao is also known as Theobroma cacao. It is a tall evergreen tree, and native to the tropical area of Amazon in America. The Cacao Tree grows in lowland tropical forests with little seasonality. Naturally it grows under heavy rainforest canopy, it is cultivated underneath Banana or Casaca (Tapioca) or other large leaf, tree-like, grasses. It needs a consistent climate: temperatures of 21 to 32 degrees Celsius year round - never lower than 15 C, and 100 to 250 cm of rainfall, well distributed throughout the year with no month less than 10 cm. It grows only below 1000 meters of elevation, and usually below 300 meters. All of this means that it grows only in the tropics - almost exclusively within 10 degrees latitude of the Equator and only in places that are not too mountainous and do not have monsoons or droughts.
Maca is an herbaceous biennial plant or annual plant in Peru. Maca has been grown and consumed by South Americans for thousand of years. Maca can enhance our immune system, increase brain capability, and improves our bodily functions. It can revitalize men and women of middle and older age. Andeans have been using maca root to increase their energy, to alleviate physical and mental tiredness, and to enhance their daily intake with various nutrients. In addition, it can also help us get rid the problems caused by
ageing, and can prevent and cure osteoporosis and anaemia. It also regulates women’s hormonal irregularities: menstruation, eases period pains, alleviates menopausal symptoms.
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