Mint leaves and it benefits

Mint leaves and it benefits

Benefits of using fresh mint leaves in our daily diet

• During summer while preparing sarbath and chutneys if u add mint leaves it relieves you from gas trouble
• Abdominal pain, gas trouble, vomiting sensation can be prevented by mixing ½ tea spoon of mint leaves extract in one cup of water.
• Inhaling fresh mint leaves relieves you from congestion problems, like sinus infections and common cold.
• Your teeth become white when you chew fresh mint leaves for a while at least once or twice a week.
• Mint leaves eliminate toxins from the body and when included in the diet on a regular basis, eliminates bacteria and fungus from the body.
• The antifungal properties associated with mint help in curing asthma and other allergic conditions.
• Mint helps in getting rid of headaches and migraines . Mental fatigue, stress, depressive states and headaches can be ameliorated if mint oil is applied over the temples and backhead.
• Mint oil is a powerful stimulant and tonic. Mint is recommended for the treatment of rheumatism, for disinfection of the oral pocket and in cases of ear inflammation. Due to the fact that it has an antibacterial action it can cure acne and blackheads.

How to brew an excellent fresh mint tea
• Drinking herbal mint tea reduces irritated bowel syndromes and cleanses the stomach.
• Mint is used in a variety of ways, but the most common is through the brewing of mint tea.Fresh mint tea can be made by pouring hot, but not boiling, water over fresh leaves of mint. When preparing mint tea, it is important that the preparation be covered while it is steeping to prevent the valuable volatile oils from evaporating.
• Milk and sweetener can be used optionally.

Mexican Bean Salad

Mexican Bean Salad

Several years ago, I dated a guy that had gone to cooking school. He constantly raved about how great of a cook he was especially when it came to Southern cooking. He went on and on (and on...) about how his red beans and rice was soooooo wonderful that I finally had to ask to taste it. Ugh, it tasted a lot like a cross between refried beans from a can and what I imagine Alpo to taste like. I ended up dumping it down the garbage disposal and just went on with life thinking I wasn't a fan of red beans and rice. That is until I had it at Taylor's Kitchen one night...I LOVED their red beans and rice and couldn't get enough of it! Since then I've had red beans and rice on numerous occasions- sometimes where it's been fantastic, sometimes when it's been mediocre but never as bad as that batch my date made for me. The lesson I learned from the "Red Beans Fiasco of 2008" is to always give food another chance before condemning it. It could be that you came across a bad batch, a bad recipe or just a bad cook. So in the spirit of my "Give It Another Chance" mantra I decided to give bean salad another whirl as well. I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant. My experiences with bean salad were mostly of the supermarket deli variety- a strong vinegar smell, overcooked mushy beans and lack of anything resembling flavor. Yuck! So imagine my surprise when I prepared a batch of this Mexican Bean Salad from Allrecipes.com for a party and I really liked it. It's colorful, flavorful and it works great as a salad or as a dip. I made a few adjustments in the ingredients' list to cater to my personal taste preferences but it was still simple to make. I liked how the corn kernels gave it some crunch, the hot sauce and chili powder added a bit of a spicy kick and the lemon juice offered up some fresh zing to balance the dish out. This salad can be thrown together pretty quickly after work, making it a great choice to bring to a potluck. You can make it even easier to put together by doing all your chopping the night before.


Mexican Bean Salad

Ingredients

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 orange bell pepper, chopped

1 (10oz.) package frozen corn*

1 small red onion, chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon sea salt

1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1.2 tablespoon ground black pepper

1-2 dashes hot pepper sauce (I used Crystal)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder


Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the beans, peppers, corn and red onion together.

2. In another bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Whisk dressing thoroughly.

3. Pour dressing over the vegetables. Mix together well.

4. Place in refrigerator to chill, giving the flavors some time to meld.


* Stick with using frozen corn which stays crisp when it thaws,  the canned stuff is a bit on the mushy side.

Fish oil benefits

Fish oil benefits

Benefits of fish oil:

Benefits of fish oil

 

Fish Oil Health Benefits:
• Fish oil helps keep the brain, heart and immune system healthy.
• Fish oil improves blood vessel functioning and lowers blood pressure.
• Fish oil reduces inflammation and pain in joints and other areas of

the body.
• Fish oil reduces triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood).
• Fish oil helps regulate blood sugar levels and reduces insulin resistance.
• Fish oil improves fat metabolism and increases fat burning during exercise.
Potential Fish Oil Health Benefits:
• Fish oil may reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
• Fish oil may help in the treatment of ADHD and depression.
• Fish oil may prevent age-related macular degeneration (an eye disorder).

Rice Health Benefits

Rice Health Benefits

Boiled Rice

Rice health benefits:

• Great source of energy- Rice is a rich source of carbohydrates and therefore, acts as a source of fuel for the body. Rice is made up of long chains of complex carbohydrates that take time to break down. Thus

, carbohydrates present in rice provide a constant supply of energy. Starch present in rice is beneficial for diabetics as it has very low carbohydrate content compared with other foods rich in starch.
• High nutritional value - Both white and brown rice have their unique nutritional value. White rice is high in minerals such as calcium and iron; it is also rich in vitamins, such as niacin, vitamin D, thiamine and riboflavin. Brown rice is a good source of fibre and therefore, improves digestion. Rice contains very low amount of saturated fats and cholesterol making it a healthful food for heart. It is owing to its high nutritional content that it is used worldwide in various cuisines.
• Controls a disease's occurrence - Rice is known to control various diseases. Brown rice contains high amount of neurotransmitters that prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease. Rice also contains antioxidant properties that protect the heart by minimising the occurrence of heart diseases and stroke. Rice husk has diuretic properties and is an efficient cure for dysentery.
• Cancer protection - Brown rice is rich in fibre and protects the body from various types of cancer. Rice fibre acts as a shield against cancerous cells, thereby protecting the body against cancer.
• Induces Weight loss - Rice is considered good for people who want to lose weight. A rice diet has low carbohydrate and fat content and therefore is great for people who want to lose weight.
• Controls Blood Pressure- Rice contains very low amount of sodium, hence, it helps in controlling high blood pressure.
• Prevents Constipation - Rice is an excellent source of healthy fibre. These help in the growth of beneficial bacteria that improve digestion and regularise the bowel movement.
• Gluten-free food- Rice does not contain gluten and therefore, it can be easily included in the diet of people suffering from celiac disease and those who are allergic to proteins such as those found in wheat, barley, rye and oats.

Vitamin and nutrition for your hair

Vitamin and nutrition for your hair

Vitamin E and Niacin>

Vitamin E is known to help produce healthy skin and has positive effects on the skin of the scalp. Circulation, and thereby blood flow to the follicles, is stimulated by both niaci

n and vitamin E.

Biotin>
Too little biotin causes hair to grow slowly and may cause the hair to thin. Biotin also helps to prevent graying.

Vitamin B6>
Vitamin B6 helps to keep hair from thinning. Vitamin B6 also increases the production of melanin, which is the chemical that gives hair its color.

Inositol>
Inositol is a compound found in the membranes of cells. It keeps the cells of hair follicles healthy so that they can continue growing healthy hair.

Vitamin A>
Vitamin A helps the scalp to produce healthy sebum. Sebum is a light yellow fluid produced by the body to keep the skin moisturized. The sebum produced by the scalp moisturizes the scalp itself and the hair. Too little sebum will cause the hair to be dry, and too much will cause hair to be oily.

Easy Roasted Vegetable and Sausage Bake

Easy Roasted Vegetable and Sausage Bake

Earlier this year, when I was working as a teacher full-time, life was ridiculously hectic.  When it came time to make dinner I had no energy or desire to cook and often made the easiest thing I possibly could (frozen pizza anyone?).  This recipe was born out of that time.  

It's not even a recipe really...more of a method.  You could add any different combination of vegetables, herbs and sausage here based on your family's likes and what you have on hand.  I usually just search through the fridge and pantry and see what needs to be used up and then toss it all in the roasting pan.  

And when I say easy, I mean EASY!  Easy to prepare, easy to get dinner on the table and easy to clean up.  Low effort all around.  

Recipe by Meal Planning 101

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Serves 4

5-6 medium potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 cup mushrooms, cut in half

1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 clove garlic, minced

1-2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Your favorite seasoning or fresh herb 

1 lb chicken apple sausage (or your favorite)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large roasting pan, add the potatoes and whatever vegetables you are choosing to use.  Add the garlic, oil and herb or seasoning and toss to coat.  Place in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes.

Remove from oven and place the sausages on top of the veggies.  Drizzle with a little bit of oil and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the sausages are cooked.

Serve.

*Veggies you could use:

• sweet potatoes
• carrots
• celery
• fennel
• onions
• squash
• zucchini

*Seasoning you could use:

• Herb and garlic
• Greek
• Montreal chicken spice
• anything you have in your cupboard!

*Fresh herbs you could use:

• thyme
• rosemary
• parsley or chives sprinkled on at the end

*Sausages you could use:

• Sweet or Hot Italian sausages
• English style bangers
• Turkey Cranberry sausages
• Honey Garlic sausages (like Jamie tried)

Click here for printable version of Easy Roasted Vegetable and Sausage Bake

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THE RESULTS?

I love this recipe for so many reasons:

1. It tastes great.
2. It's stupidly easy - chop some veggies, throw them in the oven, add sausage.  Done.
3. It's low effort - it takes 5 minutes to prepare. 
4. Easy clean up - you only have to use one cutting board, one knife and one roasting pan so it's low effort and easy clean up when the meal is over.
5. No special trips to the store - use what you have.

I've tried this recipe so many different ways, always just using up what I have on hand.  For example, if I have a recipe with fresh rosemary on my meal plan that week, I'll chop up some fresh rosemary and add it.  If I go to the store looking for chicken apple sausages but sweet italian sausages are on sale, I'll get those instead to use in this recipe.  It's so flexible!  

Meal Ideas:
The point of this recipe is that your whole meal is in one roasting pan. So go ahead and eat this just as it is, all by itself and you've got your starch, protein and veggies all in one.  If you've got more time or want to add a little more to it, stick with something simple:

• Easy Roasted Vegetable and Sausage Bake + a green veggie (broccoli, asparagus, peas, beans)

• Easy Roasted Vegetable and Sausage Bake + a salad

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