Health Benefits Of The Tomato

One of the main reasons for eating vegetables in your diet is they contain such a lot of goodness, what I am going to talk about in this post is the tomato, tomatoes contain something called lycopene there have been various studies around the world on this particular ingredient of the tomato and its properties for lowering risks of cancers is well documented this particular ingredient of the tomato works best for prostate, lung, and stomach cancers.

But there are other parts of the body where it can work as well lycopene also appears to protect both hearts and lungs against oxidative damage also, in one study, at a university in Toronto found that a couple of servings of tomato juice once every day for a week would itself stop some damage to certain proteins within the body, some other studies in Europe, tends to lend itself that it may stop the onset of a heart attack, so as you can see sometimes it pays to think about food that you're actually eating and putting in your body.

Vegetables have something in them known as the phytochemicals, these chemicals have brilliant antioxidant properties and prevent your body from getting various diseases this is also why it important to have plenty of vegetables in your diet because of the mineral content and also the properties within the food.

When Your Health Is In A Soup

I am convinced that both prevention and management of disease can be obtained without drugs. Especially conditions like diabetes, obesity, low energy, frequent infections, menstrual problems, high cholesterol, gastro intestinal problems, menopausal problems etc.

People come to me for dietary reform usually because they realise, as they go through life, that food has something to do with their disorders and symptoms. So they willingly follow the dietary advice as they want to experience better health by using food as medicine. These are people who are health aware and therefore conscious. Naturally, that makes it easier for me to treat them, but I am addressing the average person who is completely disinclined to change his diet that he has followed all his life, even if it is causing him a lot of discomfort. Dietary modification to such a person does not mean 'healthy living' but an interference with the pleasures of life. But unless a person realises that vibrant health, mental clarity and high energy can be attained by improving his selection desired. Drink it hot two to three times a day.

Antacid soup: Late nights and over-eating is common during a festive season. This may lead to nausea, vomiting, gas and acidity in those individuals having a weak liver. You should know that your liver needs help, when you get frequent headaches, sugar cravings, poor digestion, low energy, abdominal bloat, mood swings, food allergies, etc. This soup will help reduce heart burn and acidity. In two cups of low fat curd, add one grated cucumber, lots of (at least 10) ice cubes, black salt and blend. Chill in refrigerator and serve in soup bowls garnished with mint leaves.

Gas fighting salad: Flatus (gas) is produced in the intestine by undigested food. Excessive eating, too much non-veg, insufficient water intake, alcohol all contribute to indigestion and gas formation. Constipation also results in flatus. Dozens of herbs help reduce gas eg., saunf (fennel), cardamom (elaichi), peppermint, etc. This gas fighting salad can be used when you want to eat lightly and digest last nights greasy meal. Combine pomegranate (2 whole), black raisins (10 nos), fresh amla finely chopped (1 large) in a salad bowl on a bed of lettuce leaves. Dress with few drops of vinegar and black salt.

Tomato's Ten Functions Of Medical Treatment

Tomato is a very ordinary food, but in terms of treatment of diseases and play a vital role. Dozens of treatment efficacy listed below for your reference.

Treatment of skin:
Will fresh tomatoes, peeled and cooked seeds after mince, adapted to be applied to affected body parts a daily 2 to 3 times, to cure fungal infection of he skin;

Hairdressing,prevent Senility:
Will fresh tomatoes, peeled and cooked seeds after mince,plus a little sugar to spread face every day, make skin delicate and smooth, excellent effect for hairdressing and prevent Senility,

Anti-Cancer:
Not only because of tomato nutrient rich and have cool the internal heat and detoxify the body, Inhibitory effect of lesion,Persist daily raw 1 ~ 2 fresh cooked tomatoes can be played anti-cancer and adjuvant treatment of cancer;

Treatment of hypertension:
Every morning electoral 1 ~ 2 fresh cooked tomato dip white sugar to eat,significantly effect of hypotensive;

Treatment of anemia:
Tomato, apples each one, sesame 15 grams, eat once finished, the daily eating 1-2 times, uphold for a long time, to cure anemia;

Treatment of ulcer:
Peptic ulcer patients with mild, tomato and potato can be squeezing to mixed juice after drinking, Every morning and evening to use once, Continuous use 10 times, ulcer can be better;

Treatment of hepatitis:
Take a spoonful of tomato slices, the end of celery, carrot and lard all half spoonful ,mix with boiling rice porridge with soup, by adding salt, MSG adequate food, excellent results in the treatment of hepatitis;

Preventing heat stroke:
Take 1 ~ 2 tomato slices, a little salt or sugar,boiled for drink, can prevent heat stroke;

Retreat high fever:
Will tomato juice and the cup watermelon juice mixed drink, drink per hour, can retreat high fever;

Treatment of gingival bleeding:
Eat tomatoes ,Continue take a half months, bleeding gums can be cured.

Healthy Minestrone Soup Recipe

What sounds more cozy and satisfying on a chilly day, or when the sun fades and it finally cools down in the evening, than a comforting bowl of flavorful soup? In addition to the warmth and comfort soup can offer, it’s also a “secret weapon” for both improved health AND weight loss!

A study was performed in a laboratory in which twenty-four lean women ate breakfast, lunch and dinner under supervision in the lab on one day a week for a total of four weeks. On three of the four days, these women ate one of three different types of “snacks” seventeen minutes before sitting down to the lunch meal. One type of pre-lunch “snack” was a measured portion of chicken and rice casserole. The second type was the same amount of chicken and rice casserole served with a glass of water. The third type was a bowl of chicken and rice soup, which contained the exact same measured amounts of both the casserole and the water that had previously been served separately.

The average amount of calories these women ate at lunch following the pre-lunch snack of soup was significantly lower than on the other days when either just the casserole or the casserole plus a glass of water was ingested prior to the meal. Also, these women did not compensate for the smaller calorie intake at lunch by eating a larger dinner later in the day.

The result of this study suggests that eating soup can help a person to feel full and satisfied while taking in fewer calories. This is just one reason soup is considered to be an essential component of the Tortoise Diet's "Daily Seven for Success." Regularly enjoying broth-based soups filled with colorful vegetables and heart-healthy legumes is an easy way to increase the intake of fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins and low-fat protein- all in one satisfying bowl. In addition, eating a hot liquidy concoction, one spoonful at a time, forces a person to slow down the act of eating. This allows the stomach to get the "I'm full" message sooner, so over-eating is less likely.

Fast And Easy Minestrone Soup

A cold wind has blown in from the Dakotas, the temperature is dropping and, according to the weather forecast, Minnesota will have frost tonight. In my mind this forecast translates into "Make bread or make soup." Today I decided to make soup, but I had just gone to the grocery store and didn't want to go again, so I checked the food on hand.

In the pantry I found a jar of non-fat Marinara sauce. In the refrigerator I found a partial carton of chicken stock. In the freezer I found a bag of Italian vegetables. I combined these basic ingredients, added seasonings and pasta, and within an hour, had a kettle full of fragrant Minestrone soup. It was the perfect comfort food for a dark and chilly day.

You may make this recipe in a slow cooker. Just cook the pasta the day before and store it in the refrigerator. Combine the remaining soup ingredients in your slow cooker and set it on low. When you get home turn the dial to high, add the cooked pasta, and cook for another 25-30 minutes.

The best thing about this recipe is that you are getting lots of veggies and lycopene, a natural antioxidant found in tomatoes. For a smoky flavor you may add some leftover chunks of ham or a 2.8-ounce package of precooked bacon pieces. You may also add a can of drained kidney beans to the soup for extra protein.

FAST AND EASY MINESTRONE SOUP

INGREDIENTS
1 26-ounce jar of non-fat Marinara sauce

1 26-ounce jar of water

1 cup of chicken stock

1 1-pound bag of Italian blend frozen vegetables

1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder (or more if you love garlic)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon sugar or Splenda

Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup small pasta: acini de pepe (peppercorns), anellini (little rings), tubetti (little tubes), orzo (rice-shaped pasta), or elbow macaroni

METHOD
Combine all ingredients, with the exception of the pasta, in a large soup kettle. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, and simmer for one hour. Add pasta and cook until it is al dente (a little bit hard). Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 8-10 servings.

Traditional Italian Minestrone Soup

Traditional Italian Minestrone Soup
½ lb dried cranberry beans
2 ½ quarts of water
½ lb fresh green beans, broken into halves
3 oz diced salt pork
½ lb peeled and diced potatoes
1 ½ Tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ lb peeled and diced onions
12 oz can diced tomatoes, or 1 cup peeled and diced fresh ripe tomatoes
2 mashed cloves of garlic
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced with leaves
1 pork hock, or hambone
8 oz spaghetti
1/8 Cup butter

Soak and drain beans according to package directions. Add beans to the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add all the other ingredients (except the spaghetti and butter). Cover and cook for two hours.

When the beans are finished cooking boil a second pot of water to which add spaghetti broken into 1 ½ inch pieces. When the spaghetti is cooked drain it and add the butter. Place 1 oz cooked spaghetti in the bottom of each bowl.

Ladle one scant cup soup on top of spaghetti. Serve piping hot. ( I have found with this particular meal that about the time the soup is served people beginning to get full. So I stick with small portions which works very well. You want people to enjoy the entire meal. My father in law is the only person who has ever picked at this meal, but, by the end he says this is better than that stuff out of the jar.)

Basics For Healthy Soup Recipes

Soup, properly made, is one of the healthiest and most enjoyable styles of cooking. While most canned soups are way too high in fats and salt, when you make it yourself, you can get the nutrition without much of the bad stuff. You can create hundreds of tasty and healthy meals using this outline of the basic steps for making healthy soups. Learn the basics and enjoy the rewards for life.

The Base: We're going for simple and easy, here, so, instead of figuring out all the perfect soup base ingredients, let's just use bouillon cubes. They're cheap and easy to use. Just add 3 cubes to a gallon of water in a 6 quart Dutch oven or large pot. Use Chicken cubes for poultry soups and beef cubes for beef, lamb or pork. Get the water to start boiling before adding anything but the cubes. Your ingredients determine when to start the base. For example, a meat and vegetable soup can cook for 1 hour, but if bony meats and dried beans are included, it could take 2.5 hours. Actual prep time is about 30-60 minutes...the rest is simmering time.

The Bones: For bones (like left-over turkey, ox tails, etc.), start the base 1/2 hour early and boil the bones, then cool and remove edible parts to return to soup. Bones and shells are O.K. in soup if you warn people when serving.

Dried Beans, Rice, Noodles, etc: The dried stuff determines how long your soup will take to cook. Over 2 hours for dried beans, one hour for lentils, dried peas or rice, 45 minutes for noodles. I keep a variety of all that stuff in the pantry because I never know what I want to add until I'm cooking...it's usually 3-4 different things. A total of one cup of dried stuff usually gives the soup a solid quality. If you like thinner soups, this is where to do the thinning.

Meat: 1 pound of meat is usually plenty for this size soup. cut in 1/4" by 2" strips. Some meats can be cooked ahead and shredded using 2 forks, for a different texture. Raw meat should be added to the soup to cook about 45 minutes.

Vegetables: Make sure to include 8-10 cups of raw vegetables. My main 3 vegetables are carrots, celery and onions. Any vegetable will work, so be creative. Always press and chop 3-6 buttons of fresh garlic to add. It's a great flavor and aroma enhancer and it is very good for you. Fresh vegetables should be added to cook the last 30 minutes, except green beans (45 min) and leafy vegetables (10 min).

Spices: Most people add spices way too early, cooking off all their flavor. Spices should be added the last 15-30 minutes if you want to notice their contribution to the flavor of the soup. I use a lot of dried basil, fennel seeds, parsley flakes and fresh ground black pepper. This is an area of personal taste, though, so, follow my Mom's advice. "It's easier to put it in than to take it out." Because the Bouillon cubes have enough salt, you should not add more.

If you follow this basic recipe, you can make an unlimited variety of soups. I've used this system for about 10-15 batches of soup per year for over 15 years. Using whatever we had at the time, none of the soups were the same, but all were enjoyed. Soup is one of the easiest ways to stretch the food dollar. The ingredients I listed cost about $ 0.50 per serving.

Wow, health, creativity and economy all poured into one bowl. Enjoy!

What Makes Soup So Good?

Why is soup so common in all the world's cultures? What is it about soup that makes it so appealing, regardless of what local ingredients there are?

I think it is because every culture in history has had a "lower" class that has had to make do with the cheapest, least sought after ingredients. Higher "quality" ingredients often have as much to do with texture as with flavor, and the richest people in any society get the pick of the tenderest cuts of meat, the finest spring vegetables, and the freshest fruit. In contrast, the "peasantry" lives on the tougher cuts of meat, the bones often included, root vegetables and leftover fruit that has either been dried or fermented.

But these "lower" cuts of meat and root vegetables are not devoid of flavor, in fact they often have much more owing to what makes them less desirable: their texture. Tougher foods are denser, and contain more flavor, more varied tissues, and often more nutrients. Compare, for instance, an onion and an asparagus. Which has the more flavor? Sure, if you had to eat one raw you would probably pick the asparagus. But ask your self which one you would give up for life if you had to!

But using tougher foods does not mean you have to give up texture for the extra flavor; nor does intensity of flavor mean you have to have less subtlety. What it does mean is that you have to treat it differently from the way you treat "finer" foods.

For instance, a tenderloin, the tenderest cut of meat in most animals, is one that must be cooked quickly lest it get tough. But this type of cooking does little for the flavor, as it has no time to develop or convert the flavors that already exist. Again, the finer cuts are more about texture. But a flank steak, being much tougher already, benefits from a low, slow, wet cooking process that both extracts flavor and reduces toughness. Soups and stews are perfect for this method, as is braising. What you end up with is something at least as tasty as the tenderloin, and nearly as tender. And certainly cheaper!

Easy And Fast Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Here is a very easy and quick chicken noodle soup recipe for those who are time poor but still want something that tastes good. It should take you around 10-15 mins to prepare and will serve approximately 5-7 people depending how much you each want.

Personally I prefer richer cooked from scratch chicken noodle soup recipes to this one, but this recipe as I said is a quick, hence we have to use precooked chicken and packaged or pre made chicken stock, still it tastes good though.

Ingredients:
2- 2/1/2 Cups of cooked chicken pieces.

1350ml (45 fl oz) of chicken stock ( broth)

2 Medium sized celery stalks

3 medium carrots

1 medium to large onion

Noodles - preferably choose a short smallish egg noodle shape enough to serve around 5-7 cups of soup

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

Instructions:
You'll need precooked chicken to make this recipe fast, but you could cook your own from scratch, and for this chicken noodle soup recipe it really doesn't matter how the chicken was cooked. You can sliced up your chicken into little bite sized pieces or pull it apart roughly if you prefer. Its always nice to use chicken breast when you are making chicken noodle soup, but again it's up to you.

The Easy Vegetable Soup Diet

A vegetable soup diet is an incredible way to both lose weight and pack your body full of nutrients. There's different approaches you can take to a vegetable soup diet. You can go all out and do an exclusive vegetable soup diet, or you can simply replace it with a few of your meals, which will cut down your overall caloric intake, while adding a horde of new nutrients to your diet you normally wouldn't get. Whichever way you go about your vegetable soup diet, it's important to keep a few things in mind.

Just buying canned vegetable soup from the store is not the way to go for a true vegetable soup diet. The sodium content is through the roof and the vegetable content is often weak. This can easily lead to bloating and a false sense of nourishment and nutrition.

Standard vegetable soup diet recipes tend to involve adding a lot of salt to the mix causing the broth to once again contain a high level of sodium. And many vegetable soup diet recipes call for potato's which have a relatively high glycemic index count which one may not want when their goal is to lose weight with the vegetable soup diet.

So whats the answer to going about creating the easiest, healthiest vegetable soup diet? Use a food processor and/or juicer. A good inexpensive option I've come across is the juicer put out by the fitness guru Jack Lalanne. This isn't a plug, it's just a relatively cheap machine that i've found kills two birds with one stone. And it's easy as you don't have to stand around and peel all your vegetables. Most of them you can just stick right in the machine. What happens is you get a puree juice from the vegetables, and you also get the left over "pulp" as well in a separate container. This makes it perfect for a vegetable soup diet. You get both the broth and leftover vegetable chunks at the same time. Now of course for your vegetable soup diet you can also add your own cut up fresh vegetables. I make a tomato soup this way and then throw in fresh broccoli and bits of green pepper. This is not only good, but amazingly filling for a vegetable soup diet! You can also add in some fresh herbs or spices and you have a very unique, tasty, and filling vegetable soup diet that you'd never find in a can.