Category Archive: Fruits

Mangosteens

I love eating mangosteens.  Mangosteen is a superfruit that contains a rich nutrient base along with the potential impact for lowering risk against various diseases. Mangosteens are also considered a ‘cooling’ fruit and many people will eat this fruit after eating durian – the king of fruit, to expel ‘heatiness’ from the body.

The flesh of fresh mangosteens is very white. However, sometimes among the white flesh, the flesh in some segments have a coating of yellowish slimy paste.  Whenever I see this yellow paste, I will throw the entire mangosteen away. I wonder what the yellowish coating is and if it is detrimental to our health.

Would you eat the other segments of the mangosteen if a few segments have this yellow coating? Or you eat the yellowish flesh as well?

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Do You Eat Mangosteen Seeds?

In the recent years, mangosteens have been over-rate and touted as one of the world’s top Super Foods, citing it as amongst the most powerful antioxidants found in nature. One of these life-enhancing antioxidants is found in Mangosteen pericarp and is called Xanthone.

Some of the claimed health benefits of eating mangosteen:
Anti-viral
Anti-bacterial
Free radical fighter
Cardio support
Immune system Enhancer
Powerful antioxidant
Skin rashes, infections and wounds
Diarrhea
Anti-inflammatory
Vasorelaxant

Whether mangosteens are the acclaimed super food or not, all of us in the family love eating mangosteens. We normally grab a bag of mangosteens after buying durians. This is because mangosteens are believed to be ‘cooling’ for the body and durians are ‘heaty’. Thus eating mangosteens after eating durians may balance the yin and yang of the body, by expelling some ‘heatiness’ from the body.

While I love eating mangosteens (minus breaking them up), I find that the seeds of the mangosteen rather irritating. In the past, I used to spit out the seeds until recently, where I chew them together with the flesh and swallow everything down. I find that if I keep spitting out the seeds, I would have nothing much to eat! Since mangosteens are considered a super food, I guess there is no harm in swallowing the seeds too. But just the other day, as I was eating mangosteens and chewing the seeds too, it just dawned on me whether it is safe to eat the seeds too. I know that the seeds of certain fruits (like lime) are toxic to the body. For mangosteen, I am unable to find much information on whether the seeds are harmful to the human body.

I wish to seek an answer and hope someone can enlighten me.

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Health Freak Granny

My mum is one of the healthiest 60 something year old woman I have ever known. Everything that goes into her mouth are healthy, bland in taste (as very little seasonings are used) and many are home-grown. Her dishes are mostly steamed with very little soy sauce and salt… if she cooks her own food.   When we were back at my parents’ in Ipoh during the school holidays, she prepared some healthy beverages for us with her Nakada beverage maker and Breville juicer.

This is a multi-grain and seed beverage, consisting of black sesame seeds, walnuts, ground flax seed, Job’s tears, barley, millet, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and a dash of brown sugar.

The product…. iLike it!! It’s tasty in both ways – hot or cold. It fills you up with the good carbs and fibre. Excellent for kids and adults.

Beet root, carrot, green apple, cucumber and celery juice…

The Vampire girls loving their ‘bloody juice’!

My mum’s expensive Breville juicer…. yet she is contemplating to buy an even more productive and effective juicer which costs over RM2k – a juicer that allows you to dump the whole fruit in and everything, including the skin, core and seeds will be juiced till they are dry! And if she does buy that RM2k++ juicer, I will be the happy beneficiary of this Breville juicer kekekeke….

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mulberries health benefits

There is this lady which sells organic veggie and fruits at the park near where I stay. She only goes there twice a week. Each time she comes, housewives and grandmas will flock her small stall at the pavement. Sometimes she will sell packets of mulberries. Sometimes she will blend the organic mulberries with sugar cane that she plants in her farm and sell the bottled juice, which will be all snapped up in a jiffy.  Whenever my mil is staying with us, she will buy mulberries from this lady and boil them with rock sugar as the mulberries are very sour. The boiled mulberries taste a tad like Ribena. I am a huge fan of berries of all kinds as I know how powerful they are in antioxidants and vitamins but I didn’t quite like mulberries, which are pretty sour if eaten raw. Since I am really into juice-making recently, I bought a packet of mulberries and blended them together with apples, oranges and carrots – all these of which are naturally very sweet. The juice turned out very refreshing and not sour at all. And my girls and big boss loved it!

Food For Thought:

Cancer Prevention
Mulberries are a good source of resveratrol, a potent phytonutrient also found in grapes that researchers believe can prevent cancer and aid in the fight of existing cancers.

Life Extension
Because of their resveratrol content, mulberries may be a tool in one’s life extension arsenal, as resveratrol has shown in several studies to extend the life of mice.

Blood Tonic
In Chinese medicine, mulberries are considered a blood tonic, meaning that they cleanse the blood and increase its production, strengthening the entire system.

Kidney Strengthener
In Chinese medicine, mulberries are believed to strengthen the kidneys.

Liver Cleanser
In Chinese medicine, mulberries are believed to be effective in cleansing the liver.

Better Hearing and Vision
In China, tea made with mulberry paste is believed to strengthen one’s hearing and vision.

Constipation Cure
In Turkey, a treatment for constipation is to eat white mulberries on an empty stomach with a glass of water.

Anemia Treatment
Because they are quite high in iron, mulberries are a great food to use in the treatment of anemia.

Cold and Flu Treatment
In Turkey, mulberry molasses is used as a treatment for colds and flu. Their effectiveness in this way may be due to their high vitamin C content.

Premature Gray Hair Remedy
In several countries, mulberries are considered an effective remedy for prematurely gray hair.


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Bell Peppers Health Benefits

I have never like capsicums or bell peppers. Knowing how powerful this fruit is, I am beginning to fall in love with this fruit. I try to add capsicums into my veggie dish or simply eat them raw in stave off hunger pangs.  I will throw in some of these colorful peppers into my bi-weekly juicing too and must remind myself to get a bag when I do my grocery shopping today. And the next time I feel soreness in my throat, I better run to the market to get a bag of bell peppers to juice them for the anti-septic properties may help to treat the sore throat.

Last week, I bought a punnet of baby bell peppers from the supermarket and have been eating them raw. They are sweet and crunchy and even my kids eat them, albeit they are not their preferred choice of fruits.

The health benefits of capsicums far exceed that of many other fruits as it contains far more anti-oxidants that derive from its rich colors.

The stronger the color of the bell peppers, the higher the concentration level of anti-oxidants. A small bell pepper could provide up to three times more of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, much more than any citrus food.

Each color of the bell peppers have different phytochemicals and provide different nutrients. Consumption of the variety of the colored peppers are recommended in order to benefit from all the nutrients.

Yellow – lutein, zeaxanthin
Red – astaxanthin, lycopene
Orange – alpha, beta and gamma-carotene
Purple – anthocyanin

Bell peppers have very high content of vitamin A, C and E (all anti-oxidants) that help to effectively neutralize free radicals. Anti-oxidants protects the body from carcinogenic and toxic substances. Just by this virtue alone, it is a good remedy for many health problems.

This fruit also has almost the whole range of vitamin B complex (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B9). Other minerals are potassium, manganese, thiamine, molybdenum, trytophan, copper, cobalt and zinc.

Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal: The anti-septic properties in capsicum makes it effective in fighting food poisoning. Coupled with a good supply of probiotics, yeast and fungal infection problems, like ring-worm, shingles, athlete’s foot, etc. can be easily eliminated.

Anti-aging: We all know that anti-oxidant is highly effective in helping to protect the skin from free radical damage known to cause signs of aging.

Blood clots, prevent: The very high content of vitamin C in capsicum makes it very effective in preventing blood clot, thus preventing strokes.

Cancer: All the colored capsicums contain very high anti-oxidant and phytonutrients that are especially helpful in preventing cancers of the bladder, cervix, pancreas and prostate.

Cholesterol: These colorful juices can significantly help to reduce cholesterol. The concentrated anti-oxidant fights oxidative stress that is the main culprit in oxidizing the LDLs in our blood. In the process, it also retards the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and lower blood pressure.

Cold feet: During the winter when you have cold feet, cut up capsicum and put them in the socks. The mild “hot” will help keep your feet nicely warm.

Digestive system: Capsicum is a stimulant herb. It helps relieve gastrointestinal problems like indigestion, stomach ulcers, colic, dyspepsia, diarrhea and even help reduce excessive flatulence.

Immune system: The strong content of vitamin C stimulates white cells to fight infection, naturally building a good immune system.

Metabolism, enhanced: Increases our body metabolism by lowering triglycerides which are stored in our body fats. This helps to burn calories more effectively.

Nose bleeding: The rich vitamin C helps to heal, repair, build/strengthen the lining of the mucous membranes to prevent nose bleeds. Mix capsicum juice with lotus root juice for better effect.

Optical system: The high vitamin C and beta-carotene makes capsicums especially beneficial in preventing eye problems like astigmatism, cataracts and macular degeneration.

Pain relief: Capsaicin in capsicum blocks transmission of pain, so it can help relieve pain to a certain degree. It is also effective for eliminating headaches and migraines.

Respiratory problems: The high level of vitamin C coupled with flavonoids make capsicum a very good food that helps prevent respiratory problems like asthma, emphysema, wheezing, lung infections, etc.

Sore throat: Gargle some capsicum juice to help eliminate a sore throat. The anti-septic properties does the work super well.

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Healthy Juices

Before the kids came along, I was a health freak who would diligently make fruits and vegetables juice several times in a week for my hubs and myself. After the kids’ arrival, everyone in the house including the helper have never been busier. Within a time span of 5 years, I popped 3 babies. Life has been crazy with 3 screaming babies – for me, the helper and everyone else in the family LOL! Now that my girls are bigger, things are more settled… albeit life is still as crazy! I have recently fished out my juicer, wrapped in layers of plastic bags to start juicing again! The health benefits one can reap from drinking freshly squeezed fruits and vegetables juice are vast. I now make fresh juices for my hubs, kids and myself 2-3 times in a week.

My juices normally consist of carrots, celery, cucumber, green apples, oranges, beet root (my girls hate beet root juice though), guava and banana.  I normally throw in 4-5 varieties of fruits and vegetables.

My 3YO girl has just gulped down half a cup of fresh juice here… and is now enjoying 1/4 slice of avocado. I am including lots of fruits and vegetables in this girl’s diet, to help combat the severe constipation that she frequently suffers from.

Do you juice too? What’s your favorite concoction of juice?

And what type of juicer do you use? I am still contemplating buying a more advanced juicer, i.e. one that can even juice a fruit without the need of removing the seeds and core. My current juicer does not do a thorough job. My helper has to put the fruits into the juicer twice to adequately extract the juice from the fruits.

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Sour Sop Soup

The man whom I normally buy vegetables and meat from on the mobile market van sells sour sop fruits occasionally. He told me that sour sop can be used in soups and extolled the health benefits of sour sop, citing that it is good for reducing cholesterol, killing cancer cells, etc. So for the second time, I bought a huge sour sop from him. The first time, I ate it raw but had to throw 3/4 of the fruit away as I had cut it when it was not sufficiently ripe. This time, I made soup with the sour sop. I threw in some lean pork, red dates, preserved big dates, chinese wolfberries or gei chee and dried longans.

And my pot of sour sop soup turned out very tasty. It has a tang of sourness from the fruit with sweetness from the red dates, big dates and longans. The kids loved it too. Will definitely make this soup again soon.

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Soursop Health Benefits

The other morning, I bought a soursop from my regular supplier of veggie and meat as I could not remember ever eating it before and I wanted to try after hearing and reading so much about the goodness of soursop. The seller told me that the soursop was still very raw and recommended to me to have it boiled as soup with some pork ribs. So I bought a medium size soursop which cost over RM6. After leaving the soursop in my kitchen in room temperature for about 2 weeks, I got impatient and decided to cut up the fruit, though the fruit did not feel completely soft.  After it was cut up, the inside was still hard. And it did not taste pleasant. It tasted like a cross between a tasteless raw pineapple and ‘fun kok’ (a root used to boil soup). That’s the price to pay for being impatient. I should have waited for another week for the entire fruit to ripen. I was told that a ripe soursop is very sweet and the flesh is creamy and soft.   I forced myself to eat a quarter of this tasteless, hard fruit while telling myself that this stuff is chokefull of health benefits.  My mum suggested that I cooked veggie curry with this fruit but I had left it in the fridge and had forgotten all about it until a week later.  It ended up in the bin, sigh.  The next time I buy a soursop, I’ll make sure I choose a completely ripe one to enjoy it.

Food For Thought:

Soursop health benefits:

1. Prevents UTI (Vitamin C)
Soursop is an excellent source of vitamin C, a nutrient which increases the acidity level of urine, resulting in decreased number of harmful bacteria that may be present in the urinary tract.

2. Prevents constipation (Fiber)
Go natural! Let this fruit’s rich fiber content be the solution to problems in bowel movement.

3. Prevents leg cramps (Potassium)
It contains half the potassium in bananas. Lack of potassium, together with magnesium, calcium and sodium (also known as electrolytes) in the body can cause muscle weakness and cramping.

4. Prevents water retention (Magnesium)
Women who experience water retention before their monthly period would benefit from the soursop’s rich magnesium content. It may help alleviate this annoying premenstrual symptom.

5. Helps the body produce energy (Thiamin)
Feeling a little tired? Eat soursop! It can supply the body a good amount of thiamin, the B vitamin which is needed in aerobic energy production, the process when oxygen is used to help convert sugar into usable energy.

6. Keeps bones healthy (Copper)
It is loaded with the trace mineral copper. Calcium contributes only about 25% to the prevention of bone loss as magnesium, manganese, zinc and copper are also equally crucial for healthy bones. Zinc and copper boost the effectiveness of vitamin D, which promotes the absorption of calcium.

7. Boosts good cholesterol levels (Niacin)
Worried about your cholesterol? Fresh fruits and veggies are the perfect choice! Soursop is a good source of niacin, a vitamin which studies show has significant benefits on levels of HDL, the good cholesterol

8. Prevents pregnancy complications (Folate)
This spiky fruit contains folate. Studies have proven that folate intake during pregnancy prevents deficiency in pregnant women. A lack of this mineral during pregnancy may contribute to birth defects and pregnancy loss.

9. Helps prevent anemia (Iron)
It can provide iron which prevents the common blood disorder anemia – a condition in which the blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells. RBC is responsible for the distribution of oxygen to the body tissues, giving the body energy.

10. Helps prevent migraines (Riboflavin)
Headache? Try soursop! It has riboflavin. Several studies have shown that high riboflavin intake helps prevent migraines.

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How Do You Eat Grapefruit?

I like to eat my grapefruit by cutting it into half, then juice it. If I slice the grapefruit and eat it from the skin, I find it super messy and the acidic juice tend to sting the skin surrounding my mouth.

Thus, I find that drinking the juice of the grapefruit is the most efficient and fastest way of eating my grapefruit!

Health Benefits of Grapefruit
1) Citric acid of fresh grapefruit juice has an alkaline reaction that increase the alkalinity in the body. The fruit juice has been found useful in treating many diseases caused by too much acid in the body system.

2) Grapefruit is a rich source of pectin. Pectin is a soluble fibre that helps to lower blood cholesterol.

3) Pink and red grapefruits contain high amount of lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant that is know for lowering the risk of prostate cancer.

4) Grapefruit stimulates appetite and posses unique ability to burn away fat, for many years people have used the fruit to lose weight.

5) Prevent and treat diabetes – eating grapefruit can help people lose weight which in turn can decrease the risk for diabetes.

6) Grapefruit peel is rich with pectin which is used for the preservation of other fruits. The peel oil can also be use as soft-drink flavouring.

7) The pulp of grapefruit is valuable in relieving constipation. When wholly taken, it supplies healthy bulk to aid bowel action.

8) The bitter properties of grapefruit can remove the burning sensation of fever and is excellent remedy for influenza.

9) Grapefruit contain natural ‘quinine’ which is used to treat malaria. This ‘quinine’ can be extracted by boiling a quarter of a grapefruit and straining the pulp.

10) The protective plant chemicals found in grapefruits induce the production of enzymes that help to prevent cancer.

11) Grapefruit juice inhibits a special enzyme in the intestines that is responsible for the natural breakdown and absorption of many medications.

12) Eating grapefruit daily seems to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other inflammatory disorders symptoms.

13) Grapefruit juice is extremely rich in vitamin C and potassium. Therefore, it is used as a medicine in scanty urination caused by kidney, liver and heart disorders.

14) Grapefruit is a natural source of soluble dietary fibre that offers many health benefits.

15) Grapefruit juice can boost anti-cancer drug.

Other grapefruit benefits include: Waste from grapefruit packing plants can be converted into molasses for cattle. The hulls can be used for soil conditioning, when combined with the dried pulp it can be used to feed cattle. Old grapefruit trees can be salvaged to use for firewood.


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Dole Tropical Gold Sweet Pineapple

I bought a Dole Tropical Gold sweet pineapple from Jusco the other day. It was delicious, juicy and sweet but it cost a whopping RM7 each!! Last week, I saw it at a fruit stall and it was selling at RM7.80 each and I bought it too. I love sweet pineapples and can even polish off the whole head of pineapple all by myself! I love to eat pineapples after a heavy meal as they are good for digestion.

Goodness of Pineapples
Pineapple is loaded with Vitamins and Minerals. The benefits of pineapple are all the vitamins and minerals the fruit is loaded with. Its nutrients include calcium, potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. It is also low in fat and cholesterol.

Pineapple Strengthens Bones
One of the benefits of pineapple is that it helps to build healthy bones. Pineapples are rich in manganese, a trace mineral that is needed for your body to build bone and connective tissues. Just one cup of pineapple provides 73% of the daily recommended amount of manganese. The benefits of pineapple can effect the growth of bones in young people and the strengthening of bones in older people.

Pineapple is Good for Colds and Coughs
While many people often take extra vitamin C or drink extra orange juice when they have a cold, few consider eating pineapple. The benefits of pineapple when you have a cold or cough are the same as the benefits of orange juice, but there is an additional benefit of pineapple. Bromelain, which is found in pineapples, has been found to help suppress coughs and loosen mucus.

I just discovered that pineapples can help suppress coughs and loosen mucus. So the next time you have a cough and phlegm, instead of going to the doctor’s office, go get a head of pineapple and chomp down a few slices. Who knows it really works in treating your cough!

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