The Vegan Lifestyle

Horse raddish is a miracle vegetable. Scientifically known as moringa oleifera, it has 46 antioxidants and 36 anti-inflammatory substances in it. It has 17 times the calcium of milk, 10 times the vitamin A of carrots, 9 times the protein found in yogurt, 15 times the potassium of banana, 25 times the iron of spinach, and 7 times the vitamin C of orange. It has also the full compliment of minerals, and all the amino acids of meat. (more…)

Potassium is a very important mineral that is essential to life. It is the most important among the three electrolytes needed by the body to function properly. The other two electrolytes are sodium and chloride. Potassium and sodium are positively charged molecules, while chloride is negatively charged. These three operate in pairs. These electrolytes, when dissolved in water, conduct electricity around the body.

Our body cells need more potassium. Potassium helps maintain the acid-alkaline balance in the blood and tissue, and prevents over-acidity. It is needed in muscle contraction, and helps the kidneys to detoxify the blood. Potassium acts as an electrolyte, converting the blood sugar into glycogen, and storing this in the muscles, liver, and brain. When there is not enough potassium, there is also not enough glycogen for the muscles to burn, thus causing extreme fatigue and muscle weakness. Potassium also promotes hormone secretions in the body.

Potassium deficiency causes sodium (salt) accumulation in the body. This results to edema, high blood pressure, and heart failure. Other deficiency symptoms are constipation, muscular weakness, extreme fatigue, low blood sugar, and nervous disorders.

Potassium works closely with magnesium. Caution: Potassium and sodium must be kept in proper balance at all times to avoid serious heath problems. Too much sodium, disrupts the potassium-sodium balance in the body. A high-sodium, low-potassium diet can cause a lot of diseases such as cancer, high blood pressure, heart attack, and strokes. But a high-potassium, low-sodium diet protects the body from the above diseases.

Potassium is found in almost all vegetables, especially in green leafy ones. Bananas and the thick peelings of white potatoes are rich sources of potassium.

Dosage: RDA 1,875 mg; ODA 2,500; TDA 5,500 mg. Recommended: 1.9-5.6 g. Caution: High dosage of potassium salts in pill form can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and ulcer.

Most people are not aware of the many health benefits of peppermint. Some people have  only used peppermint as a food flavoring. The sweet aroma of peppermint enhances the flavor of viands, and other food or drink preparations.

Peppermint contains menthol, menthone and menthyl esters that are widely used in the manufacture of tea, ice cream, soap, shampoo, toothpaste and chewing gums.

Peppermint oil contains vitamin A and vitamin C. It also contains  calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, folate,  potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

The health benefits of peppermint are many. Peppermint has essential oils that stimulate the gastro-intestinal membrane, and aids in digestion.  It is a carminative herb with volatile oils that stimulate the expulsion of gas from gastro-intestinal tract.

Among the health benefits of peppermint is its  stimulating diaphoretics property which increases body perspiration, and affects the whole circulatory system. This property of peppermint makes it good in cooling the skin and the body when its leaves are applied externally.

Peppermint has antispasmodic property that is good for the relief of cramps, muscular spasm, and convulsions. It is also a good stimulant that assists the functional activities of the body to increase energy.

Peppermint has pain-relieving property. When taken internally as tea or oil, peppermint is good for the relief of headaches, migraines, nausea, menstrual cramps, heart trouble, and rheumatism. It is also used to treat fever, chills, morning sickness, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, dysentery, and measles.

Peppermint oil contains menthol which helps in clearing the respiratory tract.  It is an effective expectorant that provides temporary relief in numerous respiratory problems such as nasal congestion, sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis, cold and cough.

Peppermint tea is also good for insomnia, nervous disorders, and hysteria. It increases stomach acidity for better digestion, and is good for irritable bowel syndrome. The stimulant property of peppermint also makes it good for poor appetite.

The pain-relieving property of peppermint makes it good for toothaches. Peppermint provides local anesthetic to pains and inflamed joints. Peppermint oil has  antiseptic property that is useful in dental care. It removes bad breath,  and promotes healthy gums and teeth.

The health benefits of peppermint are indeed many. It is not only used as an aromatic for foods and viands, but it is also useful to relieve body pains, and to treat various ailments.

Raw vegetables are better that cooked.  Vegetables loss most of its nutrients when cooked. Heating, and boiling vegetables kill its enzymes and nutrients that are important to good health. Most of these nutrients become useless and are washed out in soup.

How to eat raw vegetables? Is it safe? Will it not cause harmful effects to the body?

As in most food, thorough washing is necessary. Vegetables, life fruits are sprayed with pesticides, and sometimes preserved fresh by applying formalin. Most of them are handled by vendors and consumers alike before reaching your home, and lots of bacteria thrive on it. so be sure to wash them thoroughly with enough water to remove these chemicals and bacteria. Do not worry of  not being able to remove them completely. We have been exposed to them since birth. They are everywhere –   in market places, in slaughter houses, in worksites, in offices, in the air, and at home. We are ubiquitously surrounded by them all the time. So do not worry like a hypochondriac.

Vegetables are better eaten raw. Its enzymes and phytonutrients are alive, and are easily digested, assimilated, and absorbed by the body. There are many health benefits in eating raw vegetables. It has curative powers against many diseases, including certain types of cancer. Many have been cured of terminal cancers by the use of the juices of fruits and raw vegetables.

When eating raw vegetables, do not pare or scrape off its skin or rinds. The phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables are mostly found in their rinds or skin. This is specially true of the deep- green leafy vegetables. Studies showed that deep colored vegetables are rich in phytonutrients very essential for maximum body functioning.

Are raw vegetables palatable? Are they not bitter?

Indeed,  raw vegetables are palatable. They are not bitter except for few ones. You will surely like it as soon as you get used to it. It is just a matter of conditioning your taste buds.

When you eat your vegetables raw, be sure to put some natural enhancers like onions, garlic, and lemon. Tomato is a good enhancer too. Put a little salt to taste. Actually, there is no need to put salt to enhance its taste – the above-cited enhancers are enough. But we need a very little amount of salt or sodium chloride in the body. It works closely with potassium and chlorine inthe maintenance of proper electrolyte balance. It controls and maintains the osmotic pressure into and out of the cells that enables the blood to carry the nutrients throughout the body.

I became a vegetarian four five years ago. Befor going seriously into it, I experimented eating raw vegetables for three weeks. I was amazed of the result: I become stronger; the body pains disappear; my stamina  improves a lot, and I had the vigor and the vitality to run uphill and downhill without feeling exhausted during my physical exercises. And the most outstanding result is my having attained a very good memory. I noticed,  during the course of my experiment that I can easily memorize long verses in the Bible. I was able to memorize seventeen long chapters in the Bible in a little span of time.

So I decided to become a vegetarian. Most of the time, I ate my meals with raw vegetables.  With the so many health benefits in vegetarianism, I firmly resolved to remain a vegetarian in my whole life.

Egg yolk has many nutrients that are very good for the body. People avoid eggs, and the egg yolk specifically because of its high cholesterol content. But egg yolk is a powerhouse of almost all nutrients needed in the proper functioning of the body.

Egg yolk  contains fat, protein, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium, copper, zinc,  vitamin B1 ( thiamin), vitamin B2 ( riboflavin), vitamin B3 ( niacin), vitamin B5 ( pantothenic acid), vitamin B6 ( pyridoxine), vitamin B12 ( cobalamin), folate, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, omega-3, omega-6, carotenes, selenium, lysine, leucine, tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, methionine, valine, and phenylalanine.

Egg yolk contains 100% of the carotenes compared to the egg white, and all the essential fatty acids, and vitamins A, D, E, and K. It is an excellent source of DHA, which is a precursor of EPA. DHA is essential for the brain, and for the proper retinal function of the eye.

Egg yolk  is lesser in volume compared to egg white. Though greater in volume, egg white contains fewer nutrients.

Many people believe that raw egg yolk is more  nutritious when consumed raw. Some   mix it with orange juice, fruit juice, softdrinks, or beer. Most testify of the extra energy they acquire when the drink egg yolk mix in juices or beer. But here is a word of caution: never include the egg white in this drink. Egg white should not be eaten or consumed raw. Egg white contain avidin, an anti-nutrient that binds to biotin – a B vitamin, and can cause deficiency of this vitamin. Also, egg white contains trypsin inhibitors, which inhibit the proper digestion of protein. But when cooked, egg white is safe. Cooking destroys avidin and the trypsin inhibitor in egg white.