Variety comparisons and diverse culinary forms, such as juices or dried extracts, determine the nutritional value and physiological impact of plant-based diets on systemic health.
Black pepper is a favored spice, included in most recipes, making it a difficult allergen to avoid. Producers derive this spice from dried berries from pepper trees, known as peppercorns, growing primarily in southern India, Ceylon and Malaysia.
Read more →
Prunes are marketed as a fruit snack, but you can use them in a variety of recipes ranging from soufflés and puddings to cakes and muffins. This unique-tasting fruit is well known as being an excellent source of fiber; however, prunes also provide other essential nutrients.
Read more →
Apricots offer a succulent, sweet flesh with many vitamins and minerals, but the fruit is quite perishable. As a result, Americans often find Turkish apricots in dried form only.
Read more →
The pomegranate is a fruit that is often known as a “superfood” thanks to its high antioxidant content. Originally native to Iran, the fruit is similar in dimension to a medium-sized orange, but has reddish-pink, leathery skin.
Read more →
Guyabano and soursop are but two of the many names for the same fruit. Perhaps because the fruit from the Annona muricata tree flourishes in warm regions throughout the world – and is exported to countless countries – soursop has spawned more than two dozen common names.
Read more →
Hot peppers, including jalapenos, habaneros and ghost peppers, are a tasty addition to many recipes, and many people enjoy eating them plain. While this vegetable is a nutritious option for your meal plan, hot peppers may also have advantages and disadvantages for your stomach.
Read more →
Plump, juicy strawberries are chock full of vitamin C and fiber, but some young children can have an allergic reaction. There is some disagreement among experts as to when strawberries should be introduced into a child's diet.
Read more →
Brandy gets its name from the Dutch word brandewijin, or burnt wine. Dutch traders in the 17th-century distilled wine to preserve it during transport. Brandy is distilled by cooking wine, which causes the alcohol to condense while the water burns off and evaporates. The alcohol liquefies as it cools leaving brandy.
Read more →
When planning a diabetic meal, fitting potatoes into the plan means accounting for the carbohydrates. Despite the misconceptions, nothing is off limits for a diabetic, but certain foods are harder to incorporate than others are. Potatoes in any form contain carbohydrates.
Read more →
If you have blood vessel or heart disease, or if your blood flow is poor, your doctor may recommend you take blood thinners. When prescribed new medication, it is important to talk to your doctor about possible food interactions with the medication.
Read more →
Bilberries and blueberries are often confused in everyday life. Both have a dark bluish, smooth skin and are similar in size, the bilberry being slightly smaller. Bilberries have been popular in Europe for centuries, and blueberries were first widely grown in the U.S. in the 1920s.
Read more →
For optimal health, Americans should try to increase their fruit intake to comply with the recommendations of ChooseMyPlate.gov. Pears and apples are two fruit options available year-round in the United States and are easy to include in your diet.
Read more →
Tart cherry juice gets its bitter taste from the antioxidants that are responsible for its anti-inflammatory effects, reports Oregon Health and Science University. The juice has been shown to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with exercise as well as the chronic inflammation of arthritis.
Read more →
Bowel movements are individual, so it is important to pay attention to your normal schedule. Some people have bowel movements more than once a day, whereas others regularly have them three times in a week.
Read more →
Grapefruit is a healthy addition to your breakfast a great source of vitamin C, which may reduce the risk of some diseases. But this nutritious fruit can interfere with the metabolism of a number of medications, including some antibiotics used to treat certain respiratory, stomach and other infections.
Read more →
If you have diverticulosis, small pouches lining your colon bulge through weak spots. Each of these pouches is called a diverticulum. This is a common condition – about 10 percent of U.S. adults over 40 have it. Your chances of developing diverticulosis go up as you age.
Read more →
Grass jelly is an Asian dessert commonly served in China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. In some parts of Asia this dessert is also known as leaf jelly. Generally, manufacturers sell grass jelly in cans, and you typically cut the grass jelly into pieces prior to eating.
Read more →
Several varieties of junipers are native to the United States, from tall trees to bush-like formations. All have lacy, leathery evergreen foliage. Junipers produce dusky blue berries that are actually cones containing seeds. Birds, foxes and other wild animals eat juniper berries.
Read more →
Raisins are a nutritious snack and a tasty topper for salads and oatmeal, but only if you balance your diet with a variety of other healthy foods. By including raisins as part of a diet that includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein, you'll stay full, satisfied and healthy.
Read more →
Beet greens and radish greens are not only safe to eat, they are packed with nutritional value. Both are hardy plants that are easy to grow. You might even want to grow them primarily for their leaves, which can be harvested gradually as the plant matures.
Read more →