Green Tea Fights Fatal Health Conditions
by: Darren Haynes
The excellent health advantages of green tea are not limited to weight loss. It is the natural compounds in green tea, titled catechins, that provide a plenitude of other health benefits.
Grown men who administer themselves high doses of polyphenols like catechin have 75 percent less probability of having a stroke. Green tea reduces the amount of bad LDL cholesterol and raises good HDL cholesterol count. This brings forth a more beneficial balance between LDL and HDL plasma levels. Additionally there is confirmation that polyphenol catechins can help thin the blood and lessen blood pressure.
Protection from cancer is associated with green tea drinking, too. Scientists have shown that damage to our DNA is one known determinant of cancer. Our DNA strands come under attack from thousands of unstable oxygen molecules everyday. This is a normal thing for DNA. The amazing news is that our cells is able to repair itself.
Still, our DNA can cave in to this assailant and the DNA strings will become permanently damaged. Damaged DNA will produce a mutant code and start creating cancerous cells! It is then great for us that the antioxidants of green tea can head off and subdue free radicals. This helps reduce our possibility of falling victim to cancer! Vast amounts of research has also concluded that green tea reduces the risk of prostate cancer, lung cancer, bowel cancer, skin cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer and bladder cancer!
Green tea polyphenols elevate our count of white blood cells. A high white blood cell count is essential to a powerful immune system. There are two different white blood cells that polyphenols can strengthen - B-cells and T-cells. B-cells construct antibodies that defeat foreign objects and infectious microorganisms. T-cells engage particular invading organisms such as viruses and malignant cells.
For the purpose of detoxification the liver is our biggest weapon. It sponges up foreign chemicals from our blood and with the help of metabolic agents, chemically alters poisons into inert soluble materials. The harmful substances can then be excreted to the feces for elimination. With the levels of pollution in our environment and in our food in this age the liver experiences vast levels stress! On the up-side catechins come to our aid! These the compounds in green tea really do protect the liver from a number of these harmful substances by aiding the enzymes specific to detoxification. In this process the liver is spared somewhat
About The Author
Darren Haynes is a health and nutrition writer who focuses on antioxidants and healthy beverages.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Eat flowers!
Good enough to eat
by: Helen Ellison
We are all familiar with vegetable flowers in the form of Cauliflower, Broccoli and Artichokes, but other, more ornamental flowers have been used in the cuisine of cultures all over the world for thousands of years. The Romans were keen on them, as were the ancient Chinese, and European medieval writings talk about feasts of venison cooked with marigolds and violets in salads.
Using peppery Nasturtium flowers in salads and sweet, perfumed rose petals in desserts is quite well known, but did you also know:
• The young shoots of Hostas are good spinach alternative – Hostakopita is a Greek spinach pie made with hosta shoots and in Japan nori maki sushi is filled with parboiled hosta shoots marinated in soy sauce, sugar & salt. They can also be steamed like asparagus. Only use young shoots though as older leaves are too tough.
• Hemerocallis – Day Lily – the flowers and buds have a sweet nutty flavour and look pretty in salads. (Don’t use other types of lilies though as they are poisonous!)
• Violets & Pansies – the sweet, fragrant flowers can be used in salads, desserts and drinks and can be crystallised for cake decoration.
• Sunflowers – we all know you can eat the seeds, but did you know you can also eat the buds & petals? The petals have a bitter-sweet taste and can be used in salads. The unopened buds can be steamed and have a flavour similar to artichokes.
• Lilac – the flowers have a floral, slightly lemony flavour and can be used in salads.
• Honeysuckle – the flowers have a sweet honey flavour and can be used as a garnish for salads and desserts. (Don’t eat the berries though as they are poisonous).
• Fuchsias – the vibrant flowers look great as a garnish.
• Campanula – the narrow leaves make a sweet addition to salads.
• Yucca – the white flowers have a thick and crunchy texture and a sweet flavour. Be careful of the spines at the tips of the leaves when picking though!
• Typha – Reed Mace – the young shoots taste similar to water chestnuts and the rhizome can be eaten raw or cooked, or dried and ground into flour!
• Even the humble Daisies and Dandelions in your lawn can be picked and used as garnishes.
N.B. It’s fun to use some of these more unusual edible garden plants, but do be careful you are sure what they are, as so many of our common garden plants are in fact poisonous. If in doubt, leave it out!
Also, never use insecticides or chemicals on plants you may want to eat, and make sure you wash them carefully first – not least to get rid of the creepy-crawlies!
About The Author
Written by Helen Ellison of Floral and Hardy Gardens, who specialise in Garden Design Bromley
The author invites you to visit:
http://www.floralandhardy.co.uk
by: Helen Ellison
We are all familiar with vegetable flowers in the form of Cauliflower, Broccoli and Artichokes, but other, more ornamental flowers have been used in the cuisine of cultures all over the world for thousands of years. The Romans were keen on them, as were the ancient Chinese, and European medieval writings talk about feasts of venison cooked with marigolds and violets in salads.
Using peppery Nasturtium flowers in salads and sweet, perfumed rose petals in desserts is quite well known, but did you also know:
• The young shoots of Hostas are good spinach alternative – Hostakopita is a Greek spinach pie made with hosta shoots and in Japan nori maki sushi is filled with parboiled hosta shoots marinated in soy sauce, sugar & salt. They can also be steamed like asparagus. Only use young shoots though as older leaves are too tough.
• Hemerocallis – Day Lily – the flowers and buds have a sweet nutty flavour and look pretty in salads. (Don’t use other types of lilies though as they are poisonous!)
• Violets & Pansies – the sweet, fragrant flowers can be used in salads, desserts and drinks and can be crystallised for cake decoration.
• Sunflowers – we all know you can eat the seeds, but did you know you can also eat the buds & petals? The petals have a bitter-sweet taste and can be used in salads. The unopened buds can be steamed and have a flavour similar to artichokes.
• Lilac – the flowers have a floral, slightly lemony flavour and can be used in salads.
• Honeysuckle – the flowers have a sweet honey flavour and can be used as a garnish for salads and desserts. (Don’t eat the berries though as they are poisonous).
• Fuchsias – the vibrant flowers look great as a garnish.
• Campanula – the narrow leaves make a sweet addition to salads.
• Yucca – the white flowers have a thick and crunchy texture and a sweet flavour. Be careful of the spines at the tips of the leaves when picking though!
• Typha – Reed Mace – the young shoots taste similar to water chestnuts and the rhizome can be eaten raw or cooked, or dried and ground into flour!
• Even the humble Daisies and Dandelions in your lawn can be picked and used as garnishes.
N.B. It’s fun to use some of these more unusual edible garden plants, but do be careful you are sure what they are, as so many of our common garden plants are in fact poisonous. If in doubt, leave it out!
Also, never use insecticides or chemicals on plants you may want to eat, and make sure you wash them carefully first – not least to get rid of the creepy-crawlies!
About The Author
Written by Helen Ellison of Floral and Hardy Gardens, who specialise in Garden Design Bromley
The author invites you to visit:
http://www.floralandhardy.co.uk
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