Lifesaver Tomatoes

The tomato is the world's most popular fruit.
And yes, just like the brinjal and the pumpkin,
botanically speaking it is a fruit, not a vegetable.
More than 60 million tons of tomatoes are produced per year,
16 million tons more than the second most popular fruit,
the banana. Apples are the third most popular (36 million tons),
then oranges (34 million tons) and watermelons (22 million tons).

Tomatoes were first cultivated in 700 AD by Aztecs and Incas.
Explorers returning from Mexico introduced the tomato into Europe,
it was first mentioned in 1556. The French called it "the apple of love,"
the Germans "the apple of paradise."

Tomatoes are rich in vitamins A and C and fibre, and are cholesterol free.
An average size tomato (148 gram, or 5 oz) boasts only 35 calories.
Furthermore, new medical research suggests that the consumption of lycopene -
the stuff that makes tomatoes red - may prevent cancer.
Lycopene is part of the family of pigments called carotenoids,
which are natural compounds that create the colours of fruits and vegetables.
For example, beta carotene is the orange pigment in carrots.
As with essential amino acids, they are not produced by the human body.
Lycopene us the most powerful antioxidant in the carotenoid family and,
with vitamins C and E, protect us from the free radicals that
many parts of the body.

The scientific term for the common tomato is lycopersicon lycopersicum,
mean "wolf peach." It is a cousin of the eggplant, red pepper,
ground cherry, potato, and the highly toxic belladonna,
also known as the nightshade or solanaccae.
There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes.
Tomatoes are used in many food product, including,
of course, tomato sauce (ketchup), pasta and pizza.
According to a Steel Packing Council survey of 1997,
68% of chefs use canned tomatoes for convenience, quality and flavouring.
It hasn't changed much since.

Scientists have found a substance in tomatoes that can help
prevent heart attacks and strokes.
It works by helping to stop blood becoming sticky and
forming the clots that can cause potentially fatal
blockages in arteries and veins. The lycopene which gives tomatoes
their red colour is known to protect against various cancers.
The anti-clotting properties are found in the yellow fluid surrounding the seeds.
It was found that the stickiness of platelets -
the particles in blood that cause clotting -
was reduced by 70 per cent when 220 volunteers
had a drink containing the tomato extract.

Blood platelets are vital for helping wounds heal after an accident or surgery,
but if they become too sticky, then they bind together,
which can stop the free flow of blood.
The tomato substance reduces the stickiness of platelets
so they flow smoothly through blood vessels,
reducing the risk of a blockage occurring.

Up to 50,000 people a year die as a result of clots caused
by a buildup of platelets.

Those most at risk are people who have already had a heart attack
or stroke, smokers, women on the Pill, long-distance air travellers,
the long-term sick and pregnant women.

Research has shown that the anti-clotting substance
in the drink has no detrimental effect on the natural clotting process.
Nor does it cause the side-effects, such as gastric problems,
often associated with blood-thinning drugs.

LIVER CARE!

The liver is the largest single gland in the body.
It is located on the right side of the abdomen under the lower ribs
and just under the diaphragm which divides the chest from the abdomen.
Liver performs a number of important functions in the body.
When the liver is healthy it works very smoothly.
But the liver can be affected by a number of serious disorders,
such as virus infections, parasites, and disturbances of the circulation,
stone formation in the bile ducts, injuries due to poisonous substances,
and various kinds of tumors.

Most of the foods we eat are stored in the liver,
after having been digested and absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.
The liver has another very important function, that of detoxifying
or destroying many harmful poisons and even certain medicines
that are taken into the body for other purposes.
When the liver is sick these functions are impaired
and soon the whole body suffers.
Not only does the liver store food materials, it also produces bile,
a golden-yellowish liquid that is needed for the absorption
of fat from the intestine. Another important substance
produced in the liver is cholesterol, part of which passes into the bile.
It may even form stones in the bile ducts and gall bladder under certain conditions.

Another important component is prothrombin,
which is needed for the clotting of the blood.
Urea, an important component of the urine,
is also produced in the liver. The production of all these
substances may be changed under certain disease conditions.

Jaundice is a disease marked by a yellow discoloration
in the skin or in the whites of the eye.
This is due to excessive amount of bile in the blood stream.
Hepatitis is an acute inflammation of the liver caused by
some infectious or toxic agent. The skin may be discolored
and the whites of the eyes turn yellow. Various substances and
organisms may be responsible for hepatitis, including germs,
viruses, and toxic agents.

Another important disease of the liver is the cirrhosis of the liver.
It is mostly associated with alcoholism.
Poor nutrition may be responsible for this condition also.
In some cases chronic poisoning with industrial fluids,
such as carbon tetrachloride, may also play a part.
In the early stages of the disease there may be frequent
attacks of gas and indigestion, with occassional nausea and
vomiting and with abdominal pain and weight loss.

Cancer may occur in almost any organ of the body.
When it begins in the stomach or large bowel,
the liver may soon be involved mainly because the blood flows
toward the liver from all the digestive organs including
the pancreas and gall bladder.
This is known as metastatic carcinoma.

HOME REMEDIES FOR LIVER CARE

Papaya has been found beneficial in the treatment of cirrhosis
of the liver, caused by alcoholism and malnutrition.
Take a tablespoon of juice by grinding the seeds,
mix with ten drops of fresh limejuice,
and take it once or twice daily for about a month
as a medicine for this disease.
This is one of the important home remedies for liver care.

The herb trailing eclipta, botanically known as eclipta Alba (Bhringaraj ), has proved invaluable in cirrhosis of the liver. Take the juice of all parts of this plant in doses of one teaspoon, mixed with one teaspoon of honey, three times daily.

Picrorhiza known as picrorhiza kurroa (Katuki) is a drug of choice in ayurveda for cirrhosis of the liver among adults. Mix a tablespoon of the powder with an equal
quantity of honey, take this thrice daily.

The juice of carrots, in combination with spinach juice,
has been found beneficial in the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver.
Mix -200 ml of Spinach juice with 300 ml of carrot juice to
prepare 500 ml or half a liter of combined juices.
Similarly, 300 ml of carrot juice, combined with 100 ml each of
cucumber and beet juices can be used effectively.
The patient must stop taking alcohol in any form.
One of the best home remedies for liver care.

Vegetables such as beets, squashes, bitter gourd, eggplant,
tomatoes, carrots, radishes, and papaya are especially
useful in this condition.

The patient should avoid all refined, processed, and canned foods;
spices and condiments; strong tea and coffee; fried foods;
all preparations cooked in ghee, oil, or butter; all meats;
and all chemical additives in food. The use of salt should be limited.

Application of hot and cold compresses, for two to three minutes each,
on the liver area are beneficial.

Daily morning exercises, which involve stretching and deep breathing,
are also effective in preventing the liver.
Stretching and deep breathing kind of exercises early in the morning
provide the most benefit for anyone with sluggish liver.

Soak 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of Bentonite clay in 1 cup
of filtered water for 12 hours. Then add ½ to 1 tablespoon of
psyllium husks or plantago seeds to the clay mixture and mix well.
Drink and eat the whole cup of mixture immediately and
then followed by 1 cup of warm water before bedtime.
This is an effective home remedy for liver.

Drink at least 8 cups of warm water a day including 2 cups
first thing in the morning. Epsom salt may help in flushing
out the stones from the gall bladder. Epsom salt dilates the bile duct.

Take 2 tablespoons of GCG to crush the stone and wait for
1½ to 2 hours before taking 1 tablespoon each of Coptis and Curcuma again.
The crushed stones appear to move easier and the pain is relieved.
This is one of the best home remedies for liver care..

Milk thistle is found useful in patients who have developed
acute liver disease from drugs, environmental toxins or
ethanol or mushroom poisoning.

Another good home remedy for liver care is to take
one tablespoon each of Coptis and Curcuma can usually help to
push out the stones or other blockages.

A licorice root extract called glycyrrhizin has also shown
good result as a possible remedy for chronic hepatitis C and liver cancer.
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Potatoes could become toxic

Here's an important piece of information that not many of us know about.
Green in potatoes indicates the presence of a rather harmful toxin.
When you see patches of green in your potatoes as you peel them, cut out the green parts entirely and discard them.

What is the green? Actually it's chlorophyll.
The chlorophyll indicates that the potato has been exposed to sunlight.
Where the potato has been exposed to light it is where a natural toxin in the potato (solanine) becomes concentrated at harmful levels.
So, never store your potatoes on the counter.
Always keep them in a cool, completely dark place.
According to the Wikipedia, deep-frying potatoes at a high temperature (306°F) effectively lowers the level of toxins.
But boiling them (212°F) has no effect.

To be on the on the safe side, just cut away any green parts on potatoes.
The NIH website mentions that the potato sprouts can also have concentrated solanine, so those too should never be eaten.

Chocolate is good for you

Chocolate may be better for your health than tea because it contains more of a chemical that could prevent cancer and heart disease, researchers have said.

The findings follow earlier research revealing that moderate chocolate consumption offers health benefits.

The new research measures the amount of catechins - the chemical thought to be behind the benefits - in different types of chocolate.

The substance is also found in tea - leading the researchers to recommend a cup of tea with a chocolate biscuit as one way to help maintain good health.



Chemical diet

The researchers, from Holland's National Institute of Public Health and Environment, published their findings in The Lancet medical journal.

Dr Ilja Arts and colleagues examined the chemical compounds in a range of foods and discovered that catechins are found in chocolate.

Up until now tea was thought to contain the largest amount but the new research indicates that dark chocolate has four times as many.

Catechins are believed to protect against heart disease and cancer and so eating products that contain them could have health benefits.

In the UK, where more than £3.5bn is spent on chocolate each year - the research is likely to be welcomed by those with a sweet tooth although dentists may be less pleased.



Tea and biscuits

Dark chocolate had 53.5mg of catechins per 100g, milk chocolate contained 15.9mg per 100g, and the black tea infusion contained only 13.9mg per 100ml.

In a later survey, the researchers found that in a sample of 6250 men and women, tea was the most important source of catechins, accounting for 55% of total intake.

Chocolate contributed to 20% of the total intake of catechins.

The researchers said: "Drinking a cup of tea and eating a chocolate cookie might be not only enjoyable but healthy as well."

DARK CIRCLES UNDER THE EYES

Dark circles under the eyes tell us about the health
of an individual. They are produced due to overstrain,
after an illness or an allergy.
They can also be the result of undernourishment.
But these dark circles do not produce any harm to the body.
So anybody with dark circles should not worry about them.
In fact, sometimes they're not even an
indication of physical problems.

Dark circles can be aggravated by fatigue, allergies,

overexposure to the sun, menstruation or pregnancy.

But they're usually hereditary; if your parents have them,

there are more chances that you do, too have them.

Dark circles are the result of the engorged

blood vessels under your eyes.

Because the skin under eyes is thinner than skin

anywhere else on body, therefore blood vessels

there are more noticeable, especially in fair skinned persons.

Dark circles are caused by hyper pigmentation of melanin,

the substance that gives color to the skin.

In western countries, the kidneys are related to

the adrenal glands and with stress levels in life

being so high; these glands are very often exhausted.

When these glands are weakened, allergies are prevalent.

Dark circles under the eyes are known to be a

classic symptom of an allergy, together

other signs including edema and fatigue.

Dark circles under eyes may also be due to

aging which thins the skin around the eyes.

Eight hours of sleep is essential.

Do not leave cream on the skin around the eyes for long periods.

Circles under the eyes can worsen in people

who smoke or suffer from allergies.

HOME REMEDIES FOR DARK CIRCLES UNDER

THE EYES

Apply a cold compress this will help to constrict
blood vessels and turns tissue white,
and dark circles will lighten.
Drink at least eight to ten glasses of water everyday.
Put slices of raw potatoes or cucumber by closing
eyes over the eyelids for 15-20 minutes.
Wash with warm water and apply a cream.
Take out the juice of the cucumber.
Prepare a mixture of lemon juice, lanolin cream and
cucumber juice and apply around the eye for 10-15 minutes.

Prepare a mixture by adding equal quantity of potato
and cucumber juices. Dip a cotton swab in this mixture
and put the cotton on eyelids and keep for 20 minutes.
Wash your eyes with cold water.

Prepare a mixture of lemon and tomato juice (equal parts)
and apply it on the black circles 2 times a day.

Make a paste of turmeric powder with pineapple juice
for dark circles under the eyes.

Apply crushed mint around the eye.

Another home remedy for dark circles under the eyes
is - massage with almond oil under and around eyes at
bedtime daily for 2 weeks.
Almond helps to remove dark circles.

No cream should be left on the skin around the
eyes for long periods.

Rub the area with a powdered Vitamin E capsule
and wash off with a mixture of honey and egg white.

Put hot and cold clothes alternatively under eyes
for 10 minutes. Then apply some almond oil on the dark circles
before going to bed.

The acupressure point for eyes is on the mount
below the index finger of your palms.
Pressing this mount may help.

Dip some carrot leave in hot water and leave for a
few minutes. Drink the liquid 3 times a day before meals.

Dip cotton balls in rose water or cold water and
keep under the eyes for 10 minutes.

Make a paste of 1 tsp. tomato juice, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice,
a pinch of turmeric powder, and 1 tsp. of flour.
Apply around eyes. Leave on for 10 minutes before washing.
This is an effective home remedy for dark circle treatment.

Take some freezed parsley. Use the parsley cubes instead
of eye creams to reduce the dark circles and puffiness.
Parsley is packed with chlorophyll which helps fade darkness,
while the ice cubes reduce the swelling.

Takes vasoline, put it on a metal spoon and freeze it for

15 minutes. Then apply it to the eyes for a few minutes.

Add some mint leaves, lemon juice, and salt to

tomato juice and drink.

Grate some cucumber and freeze in an ice tray.
Massage frozen cucumber cubes onto eyes to
reduce puffiness and dark circles.

Avoid excess of chocolates and try to take more

fibres in the diet.

To prevent dark circles take 2 magnesium tablets per day,

especially if you're taking calcium.
Use a sunscreen especially made for the face with

a sun protection factor (SPF) to keep the sun's rays

from darkening the skin under your eyes
Eat vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin A for

the treatment of dark circles under eyes