Power of Vegetables

If you have always advocated beetroots and carrots to your children, it is rewarding to know how nutritious these salads are. Not only are they full of vitamins and minerals, but they also do not add to the body fat.

ASPARAGUS

This is the perfect vegetable to eat if you suffer from bouts of water retention. Asparagus is loaded with vitamin A, C, K, B complex, potassium, iron and a few minerals. It also facilitates normal clotting of human blood and is an excellent source of plant protein.

BEETROOT

Beetroot is a powerful blood and kidney cleanser and works like magic on the digestive system. It is filled with natural sugars and complex carbohydrates, but most importantly it contains a few minerals and manganese, iron and potassium. It also contains amino acids like phenylalanine, lysine and valine. But do avoid raw beets as the oxalates can combine with calcium to form kidney stones.

BROCCOLI

If your immunities are weak, broccoli provides protection to the respiratory as well as the gastrointestinal tract. But it is best utilized when combined with some other juice. You can get the goodness of both fresh oranges and milk from the unique broccoli, as it is rich in vitamin C as well as calcium. It also has a high content of vitamins A, E, K as well as important minerals like selenium and potassium. Although it has high protein, it does not have enough amino acids. Therefore it goes well with bean sprouts.

CABBAGE

This vegetable is perfect for restoring energy and vitality. It has an amazing effect on the lower intestinal tract. It can help protect the immune system against environmental damage caused by cigarette smoke and chemicals. But be careful, as too much of it will cause gas problems. The humble cabbage is full of vitamin A, C

and K, calcium, potassium and organic sulphur. It also contains a group of chemicals called goitorgens that cause enlargement of the thyroid gland. So avoid having it in large quantities.

CARROTS

Carrot juice is the most amazing natural liver cleanser. It also protects the respiratory tract, larynx and esophagus from environmental damage. It has high vitamin A content, which prevents night-blindness in people. Carrot also contains B complex as well as vitamin C, iodine, potassium, manganese and amino acids like arginine, valine, tryptophane and hisidine.

CUCUMBER

A beautician's secret, cucumber is excellent for facial skin. It also promotes the growth of healthy hair and nails. And of course, we all know the wonders that it performs on baggy eyes and dark circles. It contains vitamins like B and C, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.

LETTUCE

Lettuce is a very good tranquillizer for excitable adults and hyperactive children. It contains a good amount of Vitamins A, C, K and minerals like calcium, potassium, iron and iodine. It is also a source of protein.

SPINACH

Spinach is rich in Vitamin C, A and B complex. It is also abundant in minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and protein. But because of the presence of oxalic acid in spinach, it should be eaten with other sources of protein. Spinach also stimulates the liver and also has a laxative effect. But as the oxalates combine with calcium to form kidney stones, it is not advisable to have it in excessive amounts.

TOMATO

Freshly squeezed tomato juice is an excellent liver tonic. It cleans out all the toxins in your system making you feel light and fresh. It is also a source of vitamin C and minerals such as potassium and calcium. But always remember to have fresh tomato slices or juice, as preserved tomato loses its nutrition value.

Benefits Of Garlic

Did you know that garlic contains more than 100 biologically useful chemicals, with tremendous health benefits? Here are just a few of them.

Here's why you should be munching on garlic!

Pregnant? New research suggests that garlic is very beneficial if taken during pregnancy.

Pre-eclampsia

This is a condition when your blood pressure increases, and there is excessive protein retained in the urine. If you take garlic during pregnancy, it cuts the risk of you developing pre-eclampsia.

Boosts the baby's weight

Taking garlic boosts the weight of babies in the womb. Thus, when they are born, they are heavier than they would have been if you hadn't taken garlic. Some babies are born too small, so garlic is a definite boon in these cases.

Other Benefits of Garlic

Reduces cholesterol

Garlic plays an important role in reducing the 'bad' cholesterol in the body. There have been numerous studies of the effects of garlic on reducing cholesterol, and they have well substantiated this fact. So if you have high cholesterol, increase your garlic intake. It also helps reduce blood pressure.

Reduced risk of stroke

Reduced cholesterol and blood pressure translates into a reduced risk of heart attacks and heart diseases.

An aphrodisiac?

Did you know that garlic plays the role of an aphrodisiac? Garlic improves blood circulation, and also helps prolong an erection! Great help for temporary impotence. Of course, the smell can bring your raised libido crashing down!

An anti-carcinogen

Yes, garlic also helps reduce the risk of cancer, due to its anti-carcinogenic properties. It helps prevent cancerous compounds from forming and developing into tumors. It also inhibits the growth of tumors. In fact, tumors that have already formed can be reduced by 50 to 70 percent by increasing garlic intake!

Blood clots

Garlic helps prevent blood clots from forming, and it's extremely beneficial especially if you are prone to blood clots in the legs. Garlic also helps regulate blood sugar. It is a natural antibiotic, and it has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.

How To Take Garlic

Mash 2-3 small cloves of garlic and eat it raw or boiled, before going to sleep. You could have it with a glass of milk or with water. Avoid taking garlic in the daytime as the smell may linger.

Carrot Benefits

Did your child have a glass of carrot juice today?

Here are just some of the reasons you should make sure your child gulps down at

least one glass of carrot juice a day.

1. Carrots are excellent for the eyes. 2. Carrots contains large quantities of vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene. 3. Juicing a carrot removes the indigestible fiber. Thus, the nutrients in it are

available to the body in much larger quantities than if the carrot was eaten whole. This is because many of the nutrients are trapped in the fibre, and while fibre aids digestion, some part of the fibre is indigestible. Thus, you

don't get the benefits of the nutrients that are trapped in the indigestible fibre. Did you know that if you eat a carrot raw, you only get access to about 1% of the available beta carotene? But, when you or your child has a glass of carrot juice, you your system absorbs almost 100% or the beta carotene!

4. Does your child drink more Pepsi or Coke than water? While you may feel that these are just sweetened substitutes, you are wrong. In fact, these beverages have substances that require more water to eliminate them from the system. So, whenever your child asks for a soft drink, give him juice instead. Juice increases the water intake.

5. Carrot juice has anti-carcinogen properties. Thus, it helps prevent cancer. It is also believed to have cancer-curing properties.

6. Beta carotene is an anti-oxidant, and thus it prevents cell degeneration. Anti-oxidants also slow down the ageing process. Another fruit which is an excellent anti-oxidant is the berry.

7. Carrots are also good for the skin. 8. Carrot juice is like a tonic. It will improve the overall health of you and your

child, and increase immunity. In fact, two glasses of carrot juice a day can increase your immunity by as much as 70%!

9. Carrot juice is rich in so many minerals, that it's no less than a miracle juice! You could also add some spinach or beetroot to your carrot juice. Squeeze some lime into the glass, add seasoning if you must, and a tasty glass packed with nutrients is ready!

Garlic, The Wonder Food

A clove of garlic a day keeps cancer away. But it does more than that. It also keeps the possibility of a love life away! Take heart however. There's always Close Up to remedy the situation!

Garlic contains a chemical called Allicin, which has already proved to have numerous health benefits. A team of Israeli scientists recently used this chemical to successfully kill cancer cells as well as malignant tumors in mice. Allicin is not present in an unbroken clove of garlic. It only gets released when the clove is crushed, so when using garlic in cooking, make sure you crush it and use it. Don't add the entire unbroken clove in your food, as though this will give you the flavour of garlic, it will not provide you with the benefits of its anti-carcinogenic properties. The clove needs to be damaged, so it is more effective crushed than cut. When crushed garlic is added to a dish, any parasites, bacteria or other microbes get killed even

before the temperature kills them, so if you are worried about eating outside food - the safest option would be to order food with a strong garlic flavour. Chances of food poisoning would be slim! Garlic, as we all know or should be knowing, is a natural antiseptic, and eating a clove of garlic a day also helps ward off most infections.

Italians and Chinese eat plenty of garlic in their food, and have very low incidences of cancer. Pizzas and pastas, Italian dishes rich in maida and cheese, have liberal dozes of garlic, with the result that Italians seem relatively immune to other problems associated with such a diet such as high cholesterol and heart ailments. Similarly, Chinese food is rich in garlic, and the Chinese too are statistically less prone to cancer and heart ailments.

How should you eat the clove?

Needless to say, crushing a clove of garlic and eating it raw would not be the most pleasant of experiences. Garlic has a very strong flavour, and it needs to be mixed with other foods in order to be enjoyed. The best way to eat garlic would be to add it in food while cooking it. Allicin gets distributed throughout the meal, providing you with the benefits of its anti-carcinogenic and antiseptic properties.

Make sure you peel the garlic before cooking it. Cooking garlic in its peel destroys its curative properties. Similarly, peeling the garlic days before and crushing and storing all the crushed garlic together to be used a little at a time may be very convenient as a time saver, but you lose many of garlic's potent health properties. The natural compound of Allicin as found in garlic loses its beneficial properties within hours because it begins to react with garlic's other components as soon as the clove is crushed.

Peel the garlic and let it sit for fifteen minutes before cooking. Just before cooking, crush it. Consume soon after.

While you can get garlic supplements if you are looking for the easier way out, it is highly recommended that you get your daily doze of garlic the natural way - through the clove itself. As already mentioned, garlic has numerous other health benefits, and eating the garlic fresh would give you all these benefits. If you can consume the garlic raw, there's nothing like it! Peel it, crush it fifteen minutes later and down it, followed by a little milk. Do this every night - so you will not smell of garlic the entire day. Before long, you will see your health and immunity improve, and you needn't fear cancer again.

Fat-free fruit juices that can substitute the meals of the day.

The juice extracted from any fruit is not only refreshing but also a substitute to a complete meal. It is easily digestible, fat-free, without cholesterol, and therefore a very healthy diet alternative in these fast-paced times. Here are a few special juice recipes that are recommended for different times of the day.

Breakfast Special

An energy-packed alternative to a full breakfast.

10 strawberries. 1 banana 1 cup yoghurt. 2 cups of orange juice. 2 tablespoons honey.

Blend the strawberries along with the banana and yoghurt. Then add the orange juice and honey and blend once again. Serve immediately. You may use sugar instead of honey, depending on taste.

Mid-Morning Special

A smooth thick juice that can well replace a snack.

1 cup milk 2 bananas 2 cups of pear juice. 1 cup blueberries. A pinch of cinnamon powder. 2 tablespoons honey/sugar.

Blend the bananas along with the milk and pear juice, until the combination is smooth. Then add the blueberries, cinnamon powder and honey/sugar and blend once again. Serve immediately.

Late Afternoon Special

Early evenings are very tempting snack times. Have this special juice.

½ cup cherry juice. ½ cup ginger juice. 3 cups cold soda. 4 teaspoons lime juice. 4 tablespoons sugar.

4 lime slices. Crushed ice.

Mix the ginger juice along with the cherry juice and limejuice. Add sugar to this and keep stirring until it dissolves completely. Fill the bottoms of your glasses with crushed ice and pour this juice on top of it. Then add the soda and garnish with slices of lime.

Health Special

A classic special that is highly nutritious and energizing. You could have it instead of lunch or dinner.

1 cup yoghurt. 1 cup orange juice. 1 1/2 bananas. 3 strawberries. 7 tablespoons wheatgerm. 4 tablespoons blackstrap molasses.

First blend the orange juice and yoghurt together in a food processor. Then add the bananas and strawberries. Blend for just a few more seconds. Then add the wheatgerm and blackstrap molasses and blend until all the ingredients are smooth.

Summer Special

An exotic summer cooler.

4 cups orange juice. ½ cup cherry juice. 2 tablespoons honey. ½ teaspoon pepper powder. Salt to taste.

Mix the cherry juice with the orange juice, honey, red pepper and salt. Stir it well until the honey and salt are completely dissolved. Serve chilled.

Winter Delight

A hot and spicy winter special.

2 cups orange juice. 6 cups pineapple juice. 8 cloves.

A cinnamon stick. 4 tablespoons honey.

Heat the orange juice, pineapple juice, honey, cloves and cinnamon stick in a pan. Give it one boil and then let it simmer for 20 minutes. Strain out the cinnamon and cloves and serve hot steaming mugs of this unique concoction.