Health benefits of Bitter Gourd or Ampalaya and its natural healing properties

Scientific name: Momodica Charantia
Commom Names: Ampalaya, Bitter melon, Bitter Gourd
Other Names: papailla, melao de sao caetano, bittergourd, sorosi, a'jayib al maasi, assorossie, balsam apple, balsam pear, chin li chih, ejinrin gule khandan, fu-kua, karela,k'u kua kurela, kor-kuey, ku gua, lai p'u t'ao, pava-aki, salsamino, sorci, sorossi, sorossie, sorossies, pare, peria laut, peria

Ampalaya is a Tagalog term for "bitter melon" or "bitter gourd". It's a tropical vine which easily grows in the South East Asia such as the Philippines. It is called "bitter gourd" because the ampalaya fruit and leaves have a bitter taste and it's more intense when cooked.

Ampalaya is one of the Philippine vegetables which is considered herbal medicine and well known for its many health benefits and natural healing properties.

Nutritiona Facts of Fresh Ampalaya/ 100 grams

Vitamin A - Every 100 grams of ampalaya has 471 IU or equivalent to 16% of recommended value per day. Vitamin A is good to maintain healthy eyesight and prevents all other eye defects.

Vitamin C - every 100 grams of ampalaya contains 84 mg of Vitamin C which is equal to 140% of recommended value per day. Vitamin C is good to boost immune system, and it helps keep the skin, hair and teeth healthy.

Folates - every 100 grams of ampalaya has 72 µg of folate which is equivalent to 18% of recommended value per day.

Lutein-zeaxanthin - every 100 grams of ampalaya has 170 µg of luthein, the most essential phyto-nutrients that protects the eye from damage.

Dietary Fiber - it helps in better digestion and healthy colon.

Aside from these essential nutrients,ampalaya also has carbohydrates, protein, energy, niacin, thiamine, calcium, magnesium, manganese and Zinc. (basede on USDA,mommyyah.com)

Medicinal Properties of Ampalaya
Filipino people consider ampalaya as medicinal plant and it is supported by the Department of Health. Ampalaya is recommended to use as an alternative medicine for liver disease and diabetes.

Based on scientific research, regular eating of ampalaya can increase the production of beta cells in the pancreas which is the most important substance to produce enough amount of insulin.

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that allows your body to use sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates in the food that you eat for energy or to store glucose for future use. Insulin helps keeps your blood sugarlevel from getting too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia) (endocrineweb). Therefore ampalaya is highly recommended for diabetics.

In some refions, ampalaya is also used as herbal treatment for HIV, coughs, skin diseases such as eczema, and as purgative.

Like the fruit, ampalaya leaves are also excellent sources of Vitamin B, iron, calcium, and phosphorus. It is also rich in beta carotene.

There are many kinds of ampalaya recipes in the Philippines such as pinakbet, ginisang ampalaya with eggs (saute ampalaya with eggs) and ensaladang ampalaya.

Because ampalaya has so much health benefits, it is now one of the top seller food supplements. Food supplement manufacturers uses ampalaya or charantia as the main ingredient of their health products.

Like this Ampalaya plus which has been very popular here in the Philippines and abroad. Ampalaya plus is made of pure ampalaya which is best to maintain the right level of insulin.

Since there are many Filipinos who are diabetics, this product became very popular. Many diabetics don't want to regularly inject insulin, so they turned into using this ampalaya plus capsules to increase their insulin levels. Today, many people trust natural way of healing rather than taking drugs and undergoing to surgical treatments.

Amazing Facts about Water melon

water melon

Water melon is a vine bearing flower plant that endures in watery soil. It is believed to be originated in South Africa and some parts of Asia. In the Philippines, it is called pakwan. There are two kinds of water melon, the and the newly breed yellow.The outer cover of water melon can be plain dark green or yellow green with map-like print. Water melon  commonly has small, brown seeds, but some breed are seedless.

Health Benefits of water melon

Antioxidant - water melon contains 91% of water which is good in internal cleansing. The juice is believed to cure kidney failure.

Vitamin C -as with many other fruits, water melon is rich in Vitamin C which is good in boosting body's immune system, it like wise takes care of our bones, skin and teeth to keep them healthy.

Vitamin A - a vitamin that we need to have healthy eyesight and.

Watermelon has a low content of fat, cholesterol and sodium.

bawang- bawangan

bawang-bawangan plant

orchids flower

Violet orchids

Different Spicies of Santan

Bonsai santan

yellow santan

red santan

White santan

pink santan

Bogaimbilla

Bogaimbilla

Alugbati facts and Uses

From the kingdom of plantae and belongs to the family of basellaceae, Alugbati is also known as malabar spinach, one of the most nutritious vegetables that can be found in the Philippines. Alugbati has violet vines that sometime fades to color maroon. The leaves of alugbati are heart shaped and green in color. The plant is easy to grow in a tropical weather like we have in the Philippines. This leafy vegetable has so much health benefits to enjoy. In the Philippines, alugbati is well known in recipes like "bulanglang" (stew) and "ginisa sa sardinas" (saute vegetables with sardines). And because alugbati is very healthy to eat, some vegetarians use this as one salad ingredient. Alugbati leaves has a sticky texture when cooked and this maybe why it's good to eat to eases constipation. The taste of alugbati is a bit similar to camote tops and they are also similar when it comes to health benefits and uses.

Alugbati as Medicinal plant

Alugbati is also considered as medicinal plant. The leaves as I mentioned is a very good laxative that aids to relieve constipation because of its fiber content. Boiled alugbati tops aids in headaches, stomach discomfort that includes ulcer and also helps reduce inflammation. In an article written Dr. Bahram Tadayyon, he mentioned that alugbati contains a very important phytochemicals called "saponins" which is known to help prevent heart disease and cancer. Indeed, alugbati can be considered as wonder plant.

Here are some nutritional facts about alugbati.

Per 1/2 cup serving

5 g calories
0.17 g of non-saturated fat which is good to maintain your diet.
0.5 g of fiber for a healthy digestive system
13 microgram of Vitamin A to help maintain good eyesight, healthy hair and skin
0.33 mg of iron that gives us extra energy and keeps our brain healthy and alert
25 g of folate promotes proper DNA and healthy brain

Ginisang Alugbati

1 cup Alugbati tops
1 can sardines
2 cloves minced garlic
1 medium sized chopped red onion
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 pieces chopped red tomatoes
Salt
seasoning

Procedure :

Heat cooking oil on a pan
Saute garlic, onion and tomatoes
Add sardines
Saute for 3minutes with continuous stirring
Add Alugbati tops
Add salt and seasonings then cover. Lower down the heat to below medium
Boil for at least 3 minutes
Share and Enjoy!

Sampalok or tamarind facts

Sampalok (tamarind)

Sampalok is a Tagalog term for tamarind with a scientific name of Tamarindus Indica. It came from the kingdom of plantar and belongs to the family of fabaceae. Tamarind trcee is believed to have only species so it is considered as extra ordinary fruit. The tree is common in tropical areas like Philippines. It is easy to cultivate and doesn't need extra care. Tamarind plant can easily survive in sunny weather and dry soil. Planting tamarind is easy, just plant a matured seed in a dry soil and it will show its spring after a week or two.

Tree- can grow up to 40 feet tall. It leaves spread widely like umbrella. I remember when I was a kid, we an old sampalok tree in our farm where I used to play. Ripened tamarind fruits fall on the ground and we patiently pick them one by one and spread a pinch of salt on it and eat it. Those were the days...Tamarind tree indeed was one of those things which remind me my childhood.

 Leaves-when boiled in water is considered as cough relief as well as cure to some illnesses like malaria, intestinal problem, stomach discomfort and head ache. The tamarind leaves are boiled in water and cooled down to make an after birth tonic for mothers who just recently gave birth. It is done on the first after birth bathe.

 Fruit- the tamarind fruit is color brown outside ripe or raw, green inside when raw and dark brown inside when ripened. It has seeds that colored green and brown. Seeds are not advisable to eat. The fruit is one of the main ingredients in a Filipino stew "sinigang" it's either fish sinigang, shrimp sinigang or pork sinigang that usually added with vegetables. The ripened fruit when cooked with a sugar caramel is a very yummy fruit candy.

 Health Benefits- tamarind is high in ascorbic acid which is a good source of Vitamin C. It also contains calcium to help in maintaining bone health and healthy teeth. It also contains sugar than supplies energy to our body.

Papaya uses and health benefits

papaya

What is Papaya?

Papaya is a tropical fruit tree that is native to the tropics of America and commonly found out in the Philippines. It is the fruit tree which is being referred to the classic Tagalog song "Leron, leron sinta". The papaya tree has in my one single stem that grows up to 10m tall. The leaves are large palm shaped that grows wide for about 30 inches in n diameter. Ripe papaya usually colored light orange of light yellow. The fruit is eaten raw, cooked, ripe of half ripe. The fruit texture is soft like a jelly and tastes sweet. It has many small black seeds inside.

Papaya Uses

Papaya when blend with milk, ice and sugar can be a perfect fruit shake. It can also mix in fruit salad as ingredient. Papaya can be eaten half ripe dipped in vinegar with garlic, black pepper, salt and sugar just like the way we eat pipino. Raw papaya is cooked to prepare a meal. Some dishes that uses papaya are: tinola,  achara and saute vegetables. Raw papaya has the ability to tenderize meat because of its papa in content. Ripe sweet papaya is served as dessert.

Some nutrients of papaya
Vitamin A/carotene- protects eye from various disorders. Audsvin achieving healthy skin.
Dietary fiber- prevents indigestion and constipation
Vitamin C- among those tropical fruits, next to guava,it has the highest content of vitamin C which strengthens the immune system

Medicinal Uses

In some countries, dried papaya leaves when boiled in water is a perfect tea that treats "malaria"
They say that papaya has a power to increase platelet level of most dengue virus patients and fasten recovery. It is proven that papaya  can cure intestinal discomfort. Because of the fruit's high content of vitamin C, eating too much of it can possibly cause miscarriage or abortion.

Lanzones Facts and its Health benefits

Family: Meliaceae
Scientific Name: Lansium Domesticum
Other Names:
Philippines: lanzones
English : Langsat, Lanzones
Indonesian: Duku, Langsat, Kokosan
Malay: Langsat, Langsa,Langseh
Spanish: Lanzones
Vietnamese: Lon bon,Bon bon

WHAT IS LANZONES?

Lanzones is a fruit bearing tree which commonly found in the Philippines especially in the province of Laguna. The plant is native in Southeast Asia. The tree grows up to 30 meters tall. The fruit is yellow like small potato, round or oval shaped that usually measures from 5 by 4 cm. It has a combination of sweet and sour taste with green seeds inside. It can be too sour or too sweet depending on its breed.

Health benefits of lanzones

Per 100 g  fruit

Moisture (86.5 g) - helps to moisturize skin and keeps the body hydrated.
Carbohydrates (9.1g)- gives the body enough energy
Protein (0.8 g)- helps in muscle build.
Fiber (2.3g)- helps in healthy digestion
Calcium (20 g)- keeps healthy teeth and bones
Vitamin A (13 IU)- prevents eye disorder, maintains healthy skin, because it contains carotene, it also acts as our body's anti oxidant that detoxifies the body and kills free radicals that causes serious diseases.
Riboflavin  (124 mc)- helps the body in producing red blood cells and support the body's growth.
Thiamin (89g)- uses the body to break sugar.
Ascorbic (1g)- strengthens the body's immune system.

USES OF LANZONES

Medicinal use- the of lanzones tree when boiled in water is boiled in water to make a tea is used to treat diarrhea. The fruit  is use to rehydrate the patient.

Insecticides -the dried bark and peel  is used as insecticide, the unique aroma if lanzones drives mosquitoes away.

Lanzones fruit has so many health benefits but eating too much of lanzones will cause difficulty in breathing, that's why it is not recommended to people with asthma particularly children.

Basic Facts about Pandan

Family: Pandanaceae

Scientific narme: Pandanus Tectorius

 Other names: 

English- fragrant screwpine

Bangladesh-ketaki

Indonesia- pandan wagi

Burmese- soon mhway

Thai-bai tooey

What is pandan?

It grows up to 3-5 meters tall, branched and leafy plant that grows in tropical areas of Asia. Pandan leaves have a sweet flavor and a very unique aroma that is commonly used in Southeast-Asian countries as flavoring to enhance taste of prepared dishes like dessert and rice cakes (puto). The leaves are long and shiny green. I remember when i was young, my mother used to put tied pandan leaves on top of a rice cooker. The sweet aroma of pandan will then make the rice smell more attractive and good taste as well.

There are many uses of pandan leaves. Many pepole uses pandan as materials in woven products. Dried long leaves of pandan is use to make craft like basket, hat, bags, shoes, slippers and many more.

Medicinal uses

The elderes believe that pandan can be used as medicinal plant. Below are some beliefs that until now is being followed by many people especially here in the Philippines.

The roots of pandan plant has aphrodisiac and cardiotonic properties, when boiled is best remedy for headache, arthritis, stomach and spasms.

Poultice of fresh leaves mixed with oil also used for headache.

 Pulverized dried leaves used to heal wounds. also used for arthritis and avoid spontaneous abortion. Chewing the roots believed to strengthens gums.

Guyabano The Ultimate Cancer Cure

Scientific name: Anona Muricata Linn

Other names: custard apple, soursop (English)

Guanabana (Spanish)

Corossol (French)

Graviola (Portuguese)

Pawpaw (Brazil)

What is Guyabano? - a fruit which is green in color when raw and a bit yellowish when ripe. The fruit is rich in vitamin C  and the entire plant has so much health benefits that's why it is called a "miracle plant". The guyabano tree can adapt to warm areas such as the Philippines and other tropical countries in South east Asia and South America. The fruit is a combination if sweet and sour taste, clear white color and very smooth like cotton texture. The tree is grown up to 20-30cm tall and the fruit can weigh up to ,15 lbs. Or 6.8 kilos.

USES OF GUYABANO

Fruit shake - blend with milk, ice and sugar and enjoy a very refreshing guyabano shake

Juice- mix the fruit extract with water and sugar then add ice to make a refreshing guyabano juice.

Candy- dry and cook the fruit in sugar.

Medecine- As we all know, guyabano is a miracle plant that can cure and kill cancer. To make a guyabano tea, boil 40 pcs. of matured guyabano leaves into a liter of water for 20 minutes. Let the tea cool down and refrigerate to last for 24 hours. Drink a glass of guyabano tea 3 times a day before meal. Do this for 30 days then visit  your doctor for progress. In an article I read about guyabano tea, it says that taking guyabano tea for more than 30 days can harm your health so you have to stop for a while to refresh your system then you can continue after if cancer still occurs.

Why is it called a Miracle Plant?

According to researches from Purdue University and Catholic University of South Korea, guyabano extract ( bark is more powerful than fruit) is 10,000 times more potent than chemotherapy drugs. Laboratory test shows that it targets and kills damaged and cancer cells alone, leaving the healthy cells alive. Cancer types can be cured by this miracle plant including prostate, breast, ovarian,colon,lung,pancreatic and kidney.Unlike chemo where all cells are killed whether good or bad that decreases the body's immune system.

According to research, guyabano has a nerve tonic effect that aids in maintaining intestinal health. Each part of the guyabano plant have been used and tested for medicinal purposes. It also has a power to lessen pain, prevents urinary tract infection, head ache relief, cures anemia, constipation, bone health, leg cramps,boosts energy level, asthma and other pains.

Rambutan facts and health benefits

Family:Sapindaceae(soapberry)

Scientific Name: Nepheleum Lappaceum L. var. Lappaceum

English: rambutan

Indonesia: rambutan

Cambodia: saaw paaw

Chinese: hooun mo daon; (putoghua): shah tsz

Vietnam: chom chom, vai tieu

What is rambutan?

Rambutan is an Indonesian term for hairy. It is considered as one of the most exotic fruit in Southeast Asia. According to research, rambutan fruit is native in Indonesia and Malaysia and now commonly cultivated in countries with warm weather temperature like the Philippines. This sweet little lychee like fruit tree grows about 12-29 m tall. The leaves are green and grows up to 30 cm long. The rambutan tree starts to bear fruit 2-3 years after it was planted. In the Philippines, rambutan fruit matures during September until October and gets fewew in November.

Uses of rambutan.

In Malaysia and Indonesia, rambutan is traditionally used as medicine for hypertension, diabetes, diarrhea and other ailments. It also has therapeutic function to kill and remove intestinal parasites which usually causes intestinal infection that leads to fever to children. The sweet taste of rambutan is best to make juice, ice cream, jam and jellies. In some countries, rambutan is cooked to make a soup. This fruit is also a best salad ingredient.

Nutrients of rambutan.

Rambutan is a good source of energy because it is rich in vitamin B complex. The fruit is also rich in vitamin C that protects the body from getting damaged by free radicals. The detoxifying ability of rambutan is strongly believed to be the best armor of our body to fight Cancer. Rambutan has a high water content that hydrates the body and leaving your skin soft and smooth.

Nutritional Facts of Rambutan according to USDA database:
Per 100 g (3.5oz)

Energy...343 kj
Carbohydrates... 20.87
Dietary fiber...0.9g
Fat...0.21g
Protein...0.65g
Thiamine (vit.B1)...0.013mg (1%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2)...0.022mg (2%)
Niacin (vit. B3)...1.352 mg (9%)
vitamin B6...0.02mg(2%)
vitamin c...4.9mg (6%)
Calcium...22mg (2%)
Manganese...0.343 mg (16%)
Phosphorus... 9mg (1%)
Potassium...42mg (1%)
Sodium...11mg (1%)
Zinc... 0.08mg (1%)

Amazing Facts about Kamias

Name: Kamias or Kalamias 

Scientific Name: Averrhoa Bilimbi 

English Name:  Bilimbi

Kamias or Kalamias are two tagalog terms for Bilimbi. Kamias based in history is originated in Indonesia. It is commonly found in the Philippines, Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia and other South East Asian Regions. In our backyard, we have kamias tree and I guess it is almost 10 years old already. Sometimes if the tree bears so much fruit, we tend to eat them with salt or soy sauce or fish sauce. Kamias is very sour, I can't explain it but it has a very high density of sour taste that's why you have to balance it with salty condiments.

When I was young, my mom used to make "kamias jam". I remember how she makes it, she boils kamias in water, "apog" (lime) and sugar until it caramelize or becomes thick. The jam is being preserved in a bottle and we used to make it as sandwich spread. Those were the days with my mom, oh! how I missed her so much! Back to kamias, the lime will make the jam thick and perfect to spread. The taste of kamias jelly is somewhat similar to other jams like strawberry jam.

In the Philippines, kamias leaves are used to first bathe of  mothers who gave birth. The leaves are boiled in water and the cooled  boiled water with kamias leaves will then be used to bathe mothers who recently gave birth and they called it  "after birth tonic". Kamias is also used as recipe ingredient especially "sinigang". It substitutes tamarind, tomato and calamansi in giving sour taste to food. Kamias can be eaten raw, cooked and sun dried. Sun drying of kamias fruit is a method to preseve it. Me, I preferred to use dried kamias in cooking because I find it more tasty and delicious than the fresh ones.

Like any other fruit, kamias also has nutrional contents that gives our body so much health benefits. The moisture that kamias has keeps our skin smooth and healthy.  Kamias also has protein which helps in repairing damaged tissues, providing energy and  keeping the body's immune system healthy. Kamias has Calcium content that aids in keeping the teeth, hair and bones strong. It also has iron, Thiamine,
carotene, Niacin and most of all, it has a high content of ascorbic acid which helps our body fight illnesses.
Some believe that kamias can act as anti-fertility drug, I just don't know if it's true.

There are other uses of kamias. My mom used to make kamias as stain remover, she said that the acid that kamias has helps soften the stain to cloth and therefore it will be easy to remove it. Some traditional textile manufacturers use the flower of kamias as red dye. if you are interested to plant kamias, well, it's easy to grow in well drained soil. It can even be planted on sand and lime stones.

Camote or Sweet Potato Health Benefits

Name: Kamote or Camote

Scientific Name: Batatas Ipomoea

English Name: Sweet Potato 

Kamote as we call it in the Philippines but widely known as sweet potato. It is a vine with root crop which is commonly found in the Philippines. Kamote is easy to plant and grow in a warm climate like our country. They say that Kamote is originated in Mexico and introduced here by the Spaniards. It is easy to propagate kamote plant, it's done by cutting the tops and planting it then it will eventually grow and produce more vines, it can likewise be planted by burying the crop in a healthy soil .


Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy                 359 kJ (86 kcal)
Carbohydrates       20.1 g 

Sugars                    4.2 g 

Dietary fiber             3 g
Fat                             0.1 g
Protein                       1.6 g

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamin A                    709 μg         (89%)
Beta Carotene               8509 μg      (79%)
Thiamine (B1)              0.078 mg     (7%)
Riboflavin (B2)             0.061 mg     (5%)
Niacin (B3)                    0.557 mg     (4%)
Pantothenic acid (B5)    0.8 mg         (16%)
Vitamin B6                    0.209 mg     (16%)
Folate (B9)                       11 μg         (3%)
Vitamin C                         2.4 mg      (3%)
Vitamin E                       0.26 mg       (2%)
Calcium                            30 mg        (3%)
Iron                                   0.61 mg     (5%)
Magnesium                     25 mg          (7%)
Manganese                      0.258 mg    (12%)
Phosphorus                        47 mg       (7%)

Potassium                          337 mg      (7%)
Sodium                               55 mg       (4%)
Zinc                                     0.3 mg      (3%)

source: wikipedia

Camote tops contains a lot of health giving nutrients that our body needs. It has a high content of iron that help keeps the brain active and alert. Kamote tops is high in calcium which keeps our bones, hair and teeth healthy. It also has phosphorus and it is a very good source of dietary fiber that helps improves our digestive system.

Some people believe that kamote tops when eaten regularly can cure diabetes and helps to  regulate the blood flows. Kamote leaves also support the supply of insulin that stabilizes the blood sugar. It also has a power to modulate the metabolism of glucose and blood liquid in the body. Kamote leaves and roots also has a fair content of vitamins A, B and C which are very essential in keeping our body healthy and active.

The root and leaves  of kamote is not eaten raw. The crop is usually boiled in water until cooked and eaten with sugar or grated coconut, this is how we eat kamote in the Philippines. The root crop of kamote is also one of the main ingredients of some Filipino dish like: nilagang baka, kaldereta and afritada. The most popular kamote recipe is "camote que" wherein the sliced kamote is deep fried in oil and added with caramelized sugar. Camote que is commonly found in Philippine streets as street food and commonly served as snack. Kamote leaves are also a recipe ingredients for Pinoy dish like: sinigang, ginisa with sardines and ensalada.

They say that eating kamote crop in the morning completes your body required nutrients that will keep you going for the whole day. Kamote leaves and crop are inexpensive so they are easy to find anywhere in the market. So start eating kamote now and make it a habit!

Amazing Health Benfits and Uses of Patola (Luffa or Gourd)

Patola 

Scientific name: luffa acutangula

English: luffa or ridge gourd 

Patola, is a tagalog term for luffa or ridge gourd. It belongs to the family of vegetables which is very common in the Philippines. Patola is the main ingredient in making Filipino soup dish. In my personal experience, patola is best when added to pork sinigang because it adds extra-ordinary taste that you'll surely love. 

Patola is very easy to grow. In Philippines' temperature, when you plant patola seeds, you just have to wait for 4-7  and you'll see its spring. The patola plant is considered as aerial plant because it grows creeping on trees or trellis. A single patola plant can bear more than 100 fruits if taken care. But patola plant doesn't live long, after it bears fruit it will eventually die after a month or two.

Health Benefits of Patola

• The raw patola fruit is a great source of calcium and iron and an incredible source of phosphorus and vitamin B. 
• The root is utilized as a stomach cleanser, it has the power to discharge the unwanted substance of the stomach.
• The decoction of the leaves is utilized within Java for uraemia and amenorrhea. Uraemia is aggregation in the blood of nitrogenous waste items (urea) that are typically discharged in the pee 
• The leaves are applied in the skin to cure splenitis, hemorrhoids, and leprocy. 
• The juice of the fresh leaves is dropped into the eyes of youngsters in granular conjunctivitis and is also known to be the best aid to diabetes. The juice also applied to injuries and the bites of poisonous creatures. 
• The oil of the seeds is utilized as skin lotion to cure skin diseases. 

Uses of Patola:

Patola fruit is vegetable with plenty of health benefits. Raw patola is a good source of calcium, iron and phosphorus. Patola fruit is considered as a fair source of vitamin B.

In some countries, patola leaf is used to  cure amenorhea and hemorrhoids. The leaves extracts is also believed to be a cure for animal bites. Some also believe that patola seeds when eaten can expel intestinal worms, and also leaf extract can be applied to eczema. There are studies that patola seeds can be used as insecticides.



Luffa Scrub

Dried patola fruit is used as sponge. Many sponge manufacturers use patola as the main material in making sponge or bath scrub. 

The rough texture of dried patola fruit when wiped with bath soap is enough to scrub the body's dirt and clods.

Amazing Health Benefits of Moringa (malunggay)

Malunggay Leaves

Scientific name: Moringa Oleifera

English name: horseradish

Malunngay is a tagalog term for "moringa" or "horseradish". This plant is generally found in the areas around asia like, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines.

The malunggay plant can grow up to  more than 10 feet tall. In our backyard, we have malunggay plant which is very nearly 10 years of age and as I see the plant, I assume that it is just about 11 feet tall now. Malunggay is currently considered as a miracle herb on the grounds that it is a good wellspring of nutrients and minerals.

Health Benefits and Nutrients of Malunggay:

• Seven times the vitamin C that oranges has - fresh moringa pods and leaves are an excellent wellsprings of vitamin-C. Every 50 g of pods contain 75 µg or 120% of everyday required intake of vitamin C. Likewise, for every 50 g of green moringa leaves contains 26 µg or 43% of everyday recommended level of Vitamin C. As we all know, Vitamin C is the most essential vitamin that our body needs to achieve stronger immune system.
• Four times the Calcium we can get from milk - moringa leaves is a good source of Calcium. In fact, for every 100 grams portion of moringa leaves, there are 434 mg of Calcium, 4 times the calcium we can get from a glass of milk.
• Four times the vitamin A  we found in carrots - there is about 7-8 mg of beta carotene (pro-vitamin A). Our body needs just 1 mg of beta carotene per day. Vitamin A is a very essential element to help fight against all kinds of infections and likewise a very helpful nutrient to help bone healing and development.
• TWO times the protein that milk has - moringa is considered as the only plant on Earth to have the highest content of protein which is two time that we can get from milk. Like soya, moringa can supply enough protein to babies and breastfeeding mothers but, unlike soya, there is no evidence that moringa can cause allergic reaction.
• Three times the Potassium we get from bananas - bananas are a good source of potassium, but the best wellspring of this mineral is non other than moringa. Moringa (100 gms) can supply three times the potassium that we can get from eating a piece of banana.

Malunggay Supplements

There are bunches of malunggay supplements that are available in the market. Moringa products are now one of the top growing suppelement business around the world. Malunggay in the Philippines is standout among the most widely recognized food supplement formulas.

For breastfeeding moms who cannot prepare malunggay soup evryday, they use Moringa capsules to sustain the milk gland in producing fresh and healthy milk for their babies. Malunggay capsules are made from dried malunggay leaves , some are from the root, barks and fruit. As mentioned, every part of malunggay plant has  essential health benefits.

Malunggay as Cooking ingredient

In the Phiippines, the leaves and tree grown fruits of malunggay is used as a basic ingredient in stews  like bulanglang,ginataan and tinola. Malunggay is normally included in noodle soup to include more wellbeing profits for children who love eating instant noodles.

Malunggay for Lactation

One of the best profit that malunggay can give is it enhances lactation for nursing mothers. As per studies, malunggay aside from the nutritional facts mentioned above, it also has a nutrient that helps the mother's milk to activate its milk gland and to continuously produce natural and healthy milk. In connection to this, the green leaves of malunggay is rich in iron, phosphorus, vitamins A,b and C, thiamine, which are all essential to growing kids.

Malunggay for Beauty

Some beauty experts believe that malunggay leaves extract helps the hair grow healthy. Just put the extract on your hair and leave for about 30 minutes before taking a bath. The hair will become healthy, shiny and strong. It can also prevent hair fall because of its calcium and vitamin C contents.

No wonder why malunggay is considered as miraculous plant and some even call it "wonder plant". In case you're searching for a sound nourishment, make this plant as your kitchen's best-friend while preparing healthy meal for your family. Malunggay is additionally accepted to cure diabetes and other major diseases on the grounds that its leaves and pods contain more than 90 supplements and 46 antioxidants.

Oregano Uses and Health Benefits

Oregano is considered as herbal medicine in the Philippines. It belongs to the mint family that many Filipinos believe that it can cure cough when the patient takes the leaves extract. In some countries especially Italy, oregano is one of the most used  ingredients as spice. Oregano is easy to grow especially  in PH temperature. It can grow up to 20 inches tall. Oregano leaves are green and it bears purple small flowers.

When using in culinary, oregano is dried and finely grounded perfect to spread in food recipes, It added spice and warm to food plus it also has aromatic smell. For curing cough, 5 leaves of oregano is being boiled in 1 cup of water and the stack should be taken by the patient. I don't know if the curing method has scientific studies so I'm not encouraging anyone to do this.

In some scientific studies, oregano is a great source of Vitamin K. Vitamin K is very essential to have healthy bones and healthy blood circulation. Some herbal medicine experts believe that oregano has anti-bacterial properties that help fight bad bacteria inside our bodies. Oregano is also a good source of anti-oxidant because of its thymol and rosmarinic acid content.

As for me, I prefer to use herbal than those anti biotic medicines, but there are certain illnesses that these herbal can cure. In my own conclusion, I believe that mild illnesses is best cure by herbal medicines, but severe should seek professional doctors. Herbal medicines for me are perfect to use as preventive maintenance while the body is healthy, take as many anti-oxidants as you can from herbal medicines like oregano for preventive maintenance. Cleansing our inner body will keep us away from serious illnesses because prevention is always better than cure.

Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/oregano/#ixzz2CgJUU0ix

42 times more antioxidant activity than apples, 30 times more than potatoes, 12 times more than oranges and 4 times more than blueberries.”

Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/oregano/#ixzz2CgJUU0ix

42 times more antioxidant activity than apples, 30 times more than potatoes, 12 times more than oranges and 4 times more than blueberries.”

Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/oregano/#ixzz2CgJUU0ix

Rhapis

Rhapis or rapis according to studies belongs to the family of arecaceae that has 10 species. It looks like a small palm and it is a type of plant that doesn't bear fruits or flowers. It is an in-door plant that usually beautifies home interior. It is also one of the most favorite plant of landscapers. Rhapis can grow easily in any type of soil as long as you water it at least every other day or when the soil becomes dry.

Many landscapers here in Laguna uses rhapis as part of the land lay-out. Aside of its green color which is very relaxing to our eyes, rhapis is easy to multiply. A single rhapis plant can have unlimited springs to raise individually.  A well groomed rhapis can grow as tall as 10 feet.