The Food Remedy - Chickpeas

Chickpeas Chickpeas or garbanzos are delicious and nutritious round bean that is popular in central Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines. It’s also available in a flour and is the main ingredient in hummus.

Cholesterol and a Healthy heart

Chickpeas, are rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that helps excrete bile, which contains cholesterol, and ships it out of the body. Research suggests that regular intake of Chickpeas can lower LDL (bad) and total cholesterol. They also contain the significant amounts of folate and magnesium. Folate lowers the levels of the amino acid, homocysteine and strengthens the blood vessels. Studies have found chickpeas could lower the risk of heart attack.

Digestive disorders

Research studies have shown that insoluble fiber not only helps to increase stool bulk and prevent constipation, but also helps prevent digestive disorders. Chickpeas contain good amounts of the fibre.

Vegetarian and Vegans

Chickpeas are a good source of vegan protein. However it is considered an ‘incomplete’ protein as it does not contain all the 9 essential amino acids, Chickpeas lack the essential amino acid methionine and whole grains lack lysine. However when vegetarian and vegans combine things like hummus and whole meal pitta bread this produces a complete protein that contains all of the essential amino acids.

Weight Loss

Chickpeas have a low GI value which means the carbohydrate in them is broken down and digested slowly. The low GI and the high fiber content are excellent for weight loss as they keep you full longer and help controlling the appetite.

How to eat them

Chickpeas are delicious addition to salads can be mashed and made into falafels, vegetarian burgers, or blended and made into hummus.

The Food Remedy - Ginger

GINGER 

Scented, strong and spicy, ginger adds a special flavor and zest to dishes from warming teas to cakes right through to stir fries. The health properties of ginger are vast and widely researched.  Ginger is available in various forms including whole fresh roots, dried roots, powdered ginger, crystallised ginger and pickled ginger.  The root, is the part of the plant most widely used in alternative forms of medicine, is rich in volatile oils that contain the active component gingerol.

Ginger has broad-spectrum antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-parasitic properties, to name just several of its more than 40 pharmacological actions

Ginger also contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly as it appears to reduce inflammation in a similar way to aspirin and ibuprofen . Gingerols inhibit the formation of inflammatory cytokines; chemical messengers of the immune system. It is also a valuable source of pain relief for those who suffer from menstrual pain, headaches, and other inflammatory diseases.

Ginger is a thermogenic substance with beneficial impacts on metabolism and fat storage

Ginger contains chromium, magnesium and zinc which can help to improve blood flow and assist in the maintenance of normal blood circulation, as well as help prevent chills, fever, and excessive sweat. As well as encourage increased and prolonged erectile function!

Ginger improves the absorption and stimulation of essential nutrients in the body. It does this by stimulating gastric and pancreatic enzyme secretion.

How to peal ginger.

Hold a piece of ginger root firmly in one hand and the bowl of a metal spoon firmly in the other hand. Scrape the edge of the spoon against the ginger to peel off the skin. Work your way around the ginger root, peeling only as much as you think you will use.

Always store ginger with the peel on as it lasts longer.

The Food Remedy, Health benefits of Cucumber

Cucumber 

Cucumbers are one of the most cultivated vegetables in the world and known to be one of the best foods for your body's overall health.  They have many benefits from assisting you digestive system, to easing acid reflux and research also suggests that it may help prevent some types of cancers.

Digestive Health

Cucumber skins contain insoluble fiber, which helps add bulk to your stool and helps food to move through your digestive tract more quickly for healthy elimination.

Cancers 

Cucumber contain three lignans - lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol. These three lignans have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of several cancer types, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and prostate cancer. They also contain phytonutrients called cucurbitacins, which research has found could possess anti-cancer properties

Diabetes

Cucumber juice contains a hormone which is needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin which is believed to be beneficial to diabetic patients.

Heart health

Cucumber contain plant sterols which are well documented for there ability in helping reduce cholesterol levels. They also contain a lot of potassium, magnesium and fibre, that work together to help regulating blood pressure. This makes cucumbers good for treating both low blood pressure and high blood pressure.

Stress

Cucumbers contain multiple B vitamins, are known to help ease feelings of anxiety and helping ease some of the damaging effects of stress.

Cucumbers are great in salad, in stir fries or eaten with dips as a nutritious snack.

The Food Remedy - Beetroot

Beetroot is a delicious root vegetable with dark, purple skin and pinky purple flesh. It sweet flavours and vivacious colour offers itself to both sweet and savoury dishes. It can be eaten you raw, by simply peel with a potato peeler and grate into a salad or my favourite way it using a spiralizer which turns into pretty ribbons. It can also be cooked in boiling water this usually takes around 15 minutes, or roasted at 180ºC until soft.

Since Roman times, beetroot has been viewed as an aphrodisiac. It has a 'medium' Glycaemic Index of 64 and a an extremely low GL of 2.9 which means it’s converted into sugars very slowly which helps to keep blood sugar levels stable keeping you in the health promoting zone.

One study by Wake Forest University in North Carolina, USA found that the high content of nitrates in beetroot may help fight the progression of dementia as nitric oxide in the blood, produced by the nitrates in beetroot, helps increase blood flow to the brain. Beetroot’s folic acid may also play a part as studies suggest it can help protect against Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Folic acid is also essential for normal tissue growth and is crucial to the development of a baby’s spinal cord during the first three months of pregnancy as it helps prevent spinal cord defects such as spina bifida. Making beetroot a great food for expand mums to be munching on in the first few weeks of pregnancy.

Beetroot contains soluble fibre, which has also been shown to have cholesterol lowering competencies. It also contains carotenoids and flavonoids, which help prevent LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol from being oxidised and deposited in the arteries.

Raw beetroot should have their stalks fresh, not wilting and roots nice and firm and intact.