Monthly Archives: July 2009

July 10th, 2009

post by admin | | 3

Custard Apple

There used to be a very fertile custard apple (hoong mo lai cee in Cantonese) tree that my late maternal grandma planted decades ago that bore us lots of fruits for many years. We had so much that my brothers and I got fed-up of eating them. There was also a huge guava tree that also bore loads of guavas and my brothers and I used to climb that tree to pluck ripe guavas.

The other day, hubby bought a huge custard apple that cost RM5 each. It tasted a tad different from the ones bore by the custard apple tree that my grandma planted. It was more fleshy, did not have a ‘sandy’ texture and there were not as many seeds as the ones that I used to eat when I was little. It was really sweet and really tasted like custard (well of course, that’s why it’s called custard apple).

I did a google search and found out that the custard apple has many nutritional and health benefits.

Given below is nutritional value per 100 gm of custard apple:

* Thiamine (B1) – 0.05 to 0.08 mg
* Vitamin A -1 mg
* Riboflavin (B2) – 0.08 to 0.1 mg
* Natural Sugar – 14 to 18 gm
* Niacin (B3) – 0.5 to 0.8 mg
* Carbohydrate – 23.71 gm
* Iron – 0.7mg
* Total Acidity – 0.4 mg
* Energy – 76 to 96 cal (310 to 420 kJ)
* Protein – 1 to 4.3 gm
* Zinc – 0.2 to 2.7mg
* Magnesium – 32 to 88 mg
* Copper – 2.4mg
* Potassium – 250 to 578 mg
* Sodium – 4 to 14 mg
* Calcium – 17 to 22 mg
* Vitamin C – 22 to 43 mg
* Fibre – 1 to 3.2 g
* Total Soluble Solids (Brix) – 22.3%

Health & Nutritional Benefits of Eating Custard Apple

* Custard apple is a storehouse of Vitamin C, which is an anti-oxidant and helps in neutralizing free radicals.
* Vitamin A present in the fruit is good for hair, eyes and healthy skin.
* Custard apple contains magnesium, which plays vital role in relaxing muscles and protecting heart against diseases.
* Potassium and Vitamin B6 are also present in custard apple.
* Copper is yet another useful ingredient of custard apple.
* It is a rich source of dietary fiber, which helps in digestion.
* As it contains low fat levels, it is good for maintaining optimum health.
* The paste of the flesh of the fruit can be used for local application on ulcers, abscesses and boils.
* The fruit, in its unripe form, can be dried, crushed and used for treating diarrhea and dysentery.
* Custard apple serves as an expectorant, stimulant, coolant and haematinic and is even useful in treating anemia.
* The seeds of the fruit have insecticidal and abortifacient properties.

Fruits

July 8th, 2009

post by admin | | 5

Health Freak Baby

Here’s another way of keeping Baby still on her high chair – by giving her a wedge of raw carrot to nibble on. My Baby sure is a health freak. The other day, I put 2 things in front of her and asked her to choose – a biscuit and a carrot stick…. and here’s what she chose:

As she nibbled happily on the carrot stick, she kept giving me the thumbs up sign… which in her case, it was a forefinger up sign….telling me that the carrot is yummy!

Cassandra, Food for toddlers, Healthy Food

July 5th, 2009

post by admin | | 2

Vitamin B Complex To Treat Mouth Ulcers

Remember my earlier post on Alycia having a painful ulcer on her lower inner lip? On the advise of my mum (who had recurrent mouth ulcers recently but was healed and now have no more attacks), I bought a bottle of Vitamin B Complex and gave her a tablet a day. After just 3 tablets, she told me that the ulcer wasn’t causing her pain anymore and the ulcer is now fading. I will continue to feed Alycia with Vitamin B Complex to keep those mouth ulcers at bay. Hubby is also obediently popping the Vitamin B Complex now as he is also very prone to mouth ulcers.

On the first day, Alycia didn’t want me to crush the tablet. She said she wanted to try swallowing it. It was her very first time swallowing a bitter tablet and she was so conscious of the tablet in her mouth that she just could not swallow the tablet and after a minute or so trying hard to swallow the tablet, she puked all her dinner out! The second day, she agreed to have the tablet crushed into powder. I then mix the crushed Vitamin B Complex with some homemade pineapple jam and she had no problem eating it.

A recent study reported that a nightly dose of 1000 mcg of vitamin-B12 helped patients with recurrent mouth ulcers in reducing ulcers and in decreasing the duration of their outbreaks.

The vitamin B complex tablets, pill crusher and pineapple jam.

We also got Alycia a tube of Bonjela gel to apply on the ulcer and made her gargle her mouth with salt water twice-thrice a day. All these helped the ulcer and pain to subside.

Home Remedies, Mouth Ulcer

July 3rd, 2009

post by admin | | 33

Feeding Infants And Children With Coconut Water

Ever since I found out that coconut water is packed with healing properties and can be used to prevent UTIs, I have started to feed Baby C with it. However, I am still doubtful if it’s save for a toddler to drink too much coconut water since the Chinese old wives would say that it is too cooling for the body. I did a google search and found this article from BabyCenter :

Tender coconut water (elaneer / nariyal pani) is one of the richest sources of electrolytes. It is high in chlorides, potassium, and magnesium and has a moderate amount of sugar, sodium and protein. Coconut water is also a good source of dietary fibre, manganese, calcium, riboflavin and Vitamin C.

Coconut water relieves exhaustion by replenishing the natural salts lost by the body. It is ideal for children to prevent dehydration when they suffer from diarrhoea. In the hot summer months, when your toddler is thirsty, coconut water is so much more preferable than the empty calories of packaged fruit juices and aerated drinks. It is naturally sterile so it is perfect for children while travelling since you don’t have to worry about contamination.

Coconut water is a natural diuretic and hence increases the flow of urine; this helps prevent urinary tract infections and cools the body. Coconut water also helps relieve constipation, improves intestinal function and promotes digestive health. It may also help infants suffering from intestinal problems.

Coconut water contains high levels of lauric acid which is what is used by the body to make monolaurin — a disease fighting fatty acid derivative. Babies make monolaurin from the lauric acid in their mother’s breast milk so coconut water is recommended for nursing mothers. Lauric acid has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties which protect young children against various infections.

Coconut water is a nourishing beverage and very suitable for children of all ages.

Home Remedies, Natural remedies

July 2nd, 2009

post by admin | | 40

Health Benefits Of Coconut Water

One of my all-time favorite drinks is coconut water. I love the juice, drunk directly from the coconut and my favorite is the small coconut that produces fragrant coconut water, which tastes a tad like juice of pandan leaves (screwpine leaves). This type of coconut is slightly costlier than the big regular ones.

There is a coconut stall right outside where I stay and we are regular patrons of this stall. We patronize this stall at least once or twice a week. The Chinese old wives would always tell a woman who has just conceived that she should avoid coconut water as it is very cooling to the body, thus may cause a miscarriage. I don’t know how true this taboo/fact is but I recently found out that coconut water has many health benefits and healing properties. Remember the old movie Blue Lagoon, starring Brooke Shields? In that movie, she didn’t know that she was pregnant and gave birth to a baby in an island. She fed the baby with coconut water and the baby thrived and grew up!

These are some very interesting and amazing health benefits of coconut water, extracted from this website and this website:

* The body retains its coolness and temperature that is proper.

* The body gets orally re-hydrated and contains all the required isotonic beverages.

* It carries oxygen and nutrients to the body.

* The immune system gets boosted.

* Helps in weight loss.

* The body fluids gets replenished naturally after exercise.

* Raises the body’s metabolism.

* Fights viruses and detoxifies.

* Diabetes gets controlled.

* The digestive system gets cleansed.

* Helps the body in fighting viruses such as herpes, AIDS and flu.

* Reduces the risk of cancer.

* Urethral stones and kidney can be treated.

* Improves circulation.

* Contains less sodium.

* Good source of potassium.

* Coconut water is good for the functioning of the kidneys.

* It is useful in the case of urinary bladder problems.

* Useful for re-hydration.

* Contains less fat.

* Contains no cholesterol.

* Natural balance of magnesium and calcium as well as sodium and potassium.

* An electrolyte drink.

* Refreshes and revitalizes on a hot summery day.

* Stabilizes electrolytes.

* A useful source of fiber for diet.

* Can improve good cholesterol (HDL).

* Free from contamination. Useful while traveling.

* Beneficial for those suffering from acidity.

* Heart burn, sluggish digestion during pregnancy can be taken care of by drinking coconut water.

* Drinking coconut water for infants are effective for natural treatment of intestinal worms.

* Coconut water consumption aids in natural destruction for intestinal worms and it is safe for children to administer this herbal remedy on them.

* Coconut water contains natural albumen, thus it is perfect natural SOS drink for cholera affected patients.

Wow, I never knew that coconut water is so therapeutic! Since it’s also beneficial to the kidneys and can treat urinary bladder problems, I started feeding Baby C with some coconut water yesterday. My 2 older gals love chilled coconut water too and it’s an excellent leong sui (cooling drink) for them on a hot day or after a heaty meal of deep fried food or spicy food.

Home Remedies, Natural remedies