Category Archives: General Health
The avocado tree (Persea americana) originated from Latin America where it has been cultivated since around 500 BC . The tree can reach a height of 10-20 metres and there are cultivars available to suit different climates such as Bacon, Fuerte, Hass and Reed. The fruit is a large berry with a single seed, providing a valuable source of nutrients for poor people subsisting in countries such as Mexico.
(more…)Chili (Capsicum annuum) is a small plant of about one metre height, with lush green leaves and angular branches that bear white flowers followed by purple, red or yellow fruit. Chili has been cultivated in South America for thousands of years and was discovered by Christopher Columbus on his voyages to the New World in the 15th century. He introduced it to Europe before Portuguese and Spanish traders took this new spice to India and Asia, where it has since become an integral part of the cuisine. Despite its heat, chili is a nutritious fruit containing vitamins A and C, β-carotene, magnesium, potassium and iron.
(more…)Protein
We live in a time when meat is abundant and vast tracts of wilderness and rainforest are rapidly being converted into ranches. Indeed, for decades we were encouraged by food industry lobbyists to eat meat three times a day, that is, until the advent of Dr Keys and the ‘lipid hypothesis.’ This great urban myth, fostered by pharmaceutical industry lobbyists and the participating health care industry, put an end to guilt-free meat consumption with dire warnings that saturated fat and cholesterol were ‘villains’ responsible for the early demise of legions of sedentary urban people.1–3
(more…)There are many potential benefits from regularly eating oily fish such as sardines. They contain protein to build and repair the body, fibre to support the digestive system, and omega-3 fatty acids for heart, skin and brain health. Then there are the vitamins A, B, D and E, as well as important minerals including calcium, magnesium and potassium, because we eat the bones. And don’t forget iodine for the thyroid, zinc for the immune system, and on it goes—more than we may find in a multivitamin pill.
(more…)
While most readers would have a reasonable idea about what kind of food constitutes a Cafeteria-style diet, few would be aware that it is actually a fast-evolving scientific construct used for clinical research into common metabolic diseases. In fact, a lot of our current evidence-based research is founded on clinical trials involving lab-rats such as pedigree Wistar or Sprague Dawley rats, which are fed a variety of controlled pelletised diets called ‘rat chow’.
(more…)The eucalypts (Eucalyptus spp.) occupy a genus of about 500 trees in all habitats of Australia. Some eucalypts such as bloodwood (Eucalyptus gummifera) secrete an edible gum, others have a starchy root bark, while the flowers of many species produce a sweet nectar. Some gum-tree exudates such as manna can be collected and then soaked together with honey or nectar to make an edible liquid that sets much like jelly. The seeds of a few species may also be eaten, including the river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and blue mallee (Eucalyptus gumophylla), while the roots of other gum-trees can be dug up and tapped in order to obtain drinking water.1
(more…)The modern industrial world presents us with many potential causes of malignancy and it is therefore surprising that this condition is not more common. The body, however, is resilient and it can take several sources of stress working in concert over a long period of time to ware down its protective mechanisms and regenerative power.
(more…)Apple cider vinegar was made famous by D.C. Jarvis in his book Folk Medicine, which was published in 1960. He worked as a doctor among the rural people of Vermont (USA), and in the course of his work discovered that the use of simple remedies such as apple cider vinegar, seaweed, and honey was often effective in treating common health problems.
(more…)Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) has been cultivated since the time of the Romans, and people of Mediterranean origin still often still grow this old-fashioned vegetable in their gardens in Melbourne, knowing its health benefits. In fact, the French herbalist Maurice Messegue says that it is ‘the best preventative medicine for people in their fifties.’1 Only the tender parts of the unopened flower are usually eaten once the heads have been steamed, and they are garnished with olive oil and lemon juice.
(more…)Constipation refers to the infrequent passage of stool, where the norm is considered to be once per day. Constipation affects most people from time to time due to a temporary change of routine or diet; however, chronic constipation is a major problem affecting many people living on the modern urban diet and leading a sedentary lifestyle. Hypothyroidism, coeliac disease, diabetes, iron supplements, or pharmaceutical medication are other possible causes. Constipation is also a common complaint during pregnancy.
(more…)