TOP 10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF JACKFRUIT

Jackfruit nutrition facts

Jackfruit is one of its own kind tropical fruits, recognized for its fruity flavor that can be appreciated from a distance. The fruit is unique for its size and delicious sweet taste. In common with other tropical fruits such as durian, banana, etc., it is also rich in energy, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins and free from saturated fats or cholesterol, making it one of the healthy summer seasons treated to relish!

Botanically, this popular Asian tropical fruit belongs to the family of moraceae, genus: Artocarpus and is closely related to figs, mulberry, and breadfruit. Scientific name: Artocarpus heterophyllus.

Health benefits of jackfruit

• 100 g of edible jackfruit bulbs provide 95 calories. The fruit is made of soft, easily digestible flesh (bulbs) with simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that when eaten replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly.
• Jackfruit is rich in dietary fiber, which makes it a good bulk laxative. The fiber content helps to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time and as well as binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon.
• Fresh fruit has small amounts of vitamin-A, and flavonoid pigments such as carotene-ß, xanthin, lutein and cryptoxanthin-ß. Together, these compounds play vital roles in antioxidant and vision functions. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining integrity of mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin-A, and carotenes has been found to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• addition, jackfruit is a good source of antioxidant vitamin-C, provides about 13.7 mg or 23% of RDA. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals.
• It is one of the rare fruits that is rich in B-complex group of vitamins. It contains very good amounts of vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), niacin, riboflavin, and folic acid.
• Fresh fruit is a good source of potassium, magnesium, manganese, and iron. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
  
  

  Jackfruit seeds

   
  
  
  Jackfruit seeds are indeed very rich in protein and nutritious. In general, the seeds are gathered from the ripe fruit, sun-dried and stored for use in rainy season in many parts of South Indian states. Different variety of recipes prepared in Southern India where they are eaten either by roasting as a snack or added to curries in place of lentils.
  
  
  
  

  Selection and storage

  Jackfruit is the summer season fruit that coincides with other tropical commoners like mango, durian andmangosteen.
  In the store, buy the fruit that emits mild yet rich flavor and just yields to thumb pressure. Thorn like projections becomes soft in the ripened fruit. Once ripen, the fruit deteriorates rather quickly unless stored in the refrigerator.
  
  

  Preparation and serving method

  The fruit is cut in a similar fashion like other larger fruits likewatermelon. White, gummy latex oozes from the cut ends even in ripen fruit but to a lesser extent than in the unripe ones. The latex problem can be overcome by applying little coconut oil on the hands while separating bulbs since protective gloves would not help.
  
  
  Another great way of dealing with this problem is mopping or rubbing the cut sections with lemon slice. The thick rind that runs through the middle of the fruit is then removed, and the whole section is gently twisted few turns in order to loosen individual bulbs.
  
  
  Each edible bulb is made of thick orange-yellow flesh; cut open it with small knife or split the bulb with fingertips vertically. Inside each bulb, you find thick light brown color seed; keep it aside and enjoy the delicious flesh (sheath).
  
  
  Here are some serving tips:
  
  
  
  • Jackfruit bulbs have unique flavor and sweet taste. Enjoy them without the additions in order to experience their rich taste.
    
    
  • Jackfruit slices, mixed with grated coconut, honey and banana slices and relished in one of the wonderfully delicious preparations commonly served on festive occasions in southern parts of India.
    
    
  • The fruit is also used in jam, jelly and dessert preparations.
    
    
  • Fruit slices are a great addition to fruit salad.
    
    
  • Jackfruit seeds are a good source of protein and minerals; used like vegetables and pulses in curry (sabzee) preparation in several Asian countries.
    
    
  • Unripe green fruit is used like vegetable in the preparation known as "kathal sabzee" in some North Indian states.

HOW TO HEAL YOUR THYROID NATURALLY

How to Heal Your Thyroid Naturally

Steps

1. 1
   Consult with a medical professional in order to assess the health of your thyroid and receive advice on how to deal with problems. You may want to consider meeting the following types of health professionals.

• Homeopaths that use herbal treatment.
• Naturopaths that use various natural healing methods.
• Licensed doctors that can prescribe modern medicines as well as traditional/natural remedies

2. 2
   Increase your intake of the following foods if you suffer from hypothyroidism (alternately, you can also decrease the intake of the following foods if you have an overactive thyroid, although such cases are more rare).
• Foods that are rich in Vitamin A such as carrots and eggs.
• Seafood such as arame, dulce, kelp and nori that contain high levels of iodine.
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• Foods that are rich in zinc such as beef, chicken, nuts, spinach, and tuna.

1. 3
   Avoid the following if you have an underactive thyroid (once again, you can reverse this rule if you have an overactive thyroid).
• Refined foods
• Saturated fats
• Sugar
• White flour
• Certain fruits and vegetables that can diminish the thyroid's production of thyroxin such as broccoli, cabbage, peaches and pears.
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Herbal Remedies

1. 1
   Drink teas or ingest the following herbs in other forms if your body is suffering from a lack of thyroxin.
• Black walnuts that contain iodine to stimulate the thyroid.
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• Irish moss and kelp. These herbs boost the metabolism, improve blood flow and increase the productivity of the thyroid gland.
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• Ginseng strengthens the body.
  
                               
  

  

Meditation and Exercise

1. 1
   Exercise regularly to improve blood flow, which will help supply the cells in your body with fresh nutrients and oxygen while burning off toxins. Cardiovascular and aerobics exercises such as jogging and skipping are encouraged.
2. 2
   Close your eyes and imagine a blue light entering into your thyroid as you breathe in and out. This visual meditation technique is known as color therapy and suggests that imagining the color blue can help soothe and heal certain parts of your body.

Tips

• Many patients of hypothyroidism have found homeopathy to be the most effective form of treatment. Continuous use of homeopathic treatment and herbal remedies can not only help maintain thyroxin level in the body but also eventually heal your thyroid naturally so it can produce more thyroxin, hence removing a person's dependency on external supplements and stimulants.

References : http://www.wikihow.com/Heal-Your-Thyroid-Naturally   

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4 WAYS TO DETOX YOUR BODY

Gentler Ways To Detox The Body

Toxins come into the body through anything we eat drink or breathe. Toxins also enter the body
through the pores of the skin from the water we bathe with and the air we live in. These toxins
drain us of all our energy and induce body aches telling us that it is time to detox our system.
If you want to have a clearer skin texture, with renewed levels of energy along with a stronger
immune system and an overall sharper mind than you have to consider detoxifying your system
through the many procedures available to you. This process is mainly a cleansing process of
the blood where the toxins are removed. The cleansing system mainly includes the kidneys,
liver and the lymphatic system.

How Do You Detox Your Body?

If you are interested in cleansing your system of toxins then you first have to stop consuming
alcohol and smoking cigarettes. You will also need to stop consuming fats, refined foods, brews
such as coffee and aerated drinks. These are all contributors of toxins and need to be
eliminated before the purification process is started.

Then there are the other sources of toxins that need to be controlled. These are cleaners that
are used in households and health products; these include chemical shampoos, deodorants and
toothpaste. The toxic chemicals in these products end up in our system and wreck havoc.
Though there re a number of ways to detox your system you must choose and decide which
way suits you best.

1. Fasting. This is the most popular way to rid the body of the harmful toxins that cause
disease and suffering. When we never knew the meaning of the word 'toxin' our
ancestors used to fast on every Friday to cleanse the system.

2. One of the best ways of detoxing the body is to go on a fruit and vegetable juice diet.
Vegetables such as carrots, spinach, celery and cabbage along with fruit juice such as
juice from apples, pineapple will rid the system of toxins, however you will need to stick
to this juice diet for at least 5 days and remember not to during citrus fruit juice.

3. Lose weight through fasting and exercise. Obese people are known to have the highest
levels of toxins in their system. If you go on a juice fast for a period of 30 days you can
lose at least 30 pounds of excessive weight.

4. Go on a week long vegetarian diet that includes a lot of green leafy vegetables and a lot
of fruit. Remember to drink a lot of water, at least 4 liters per day.
With the proper detox regime you will be able to rid your system of all the toxins in your system
leaving you a healthier and more productive person.

DETOX DIETS: KEEPING YOUR BODY IN SHAPE THROUGH PROPER EATING

Detox Diets : Keeping Your Body In Shape Through Proper Eating

A feeling of sluggishness accompanied by a feeling of having a permanently full belly and
sometimes indigestion are all signs that it is time to detoxify your system. Sometimes you might
feel that you are overweight and obese and if you find that your liver may be complaining of
excessive toxins, you must sit up and take note as this might be a wake up call for you.
A very common feeling is that of feeling like bring up or a slight nauseous feeling when you see
very rich food such as fried stuff or very sweet food. This is a sign that your liver may be
unhealthy and that your system needs to be cleansed – and fast. This is the time to figure out
and go on a detox diet for a while and give your body time to rejuvenate.

Detoxification is a systematic plan of reducing if not completely removing harmful toxins from
the system. There are many detox plans that one may resort to if they need to cleanse the
system of harmful toxins. The best plans are the natural plans and consist of detox diets that
last from 5 to 10 days. There also detox exercise plans along with the diet that assist the body
to get back into shape. You may have detox massages, medication and yoga but the best laid
plans that cannot go wrong is the detox diet plan.

A detox diet plan is a plan that will teach you how to eat and what to eat apart from when to eat.
All these parameters are equally important and need to be learnt. When you know the right food
that can help you lead a healthy life you might just stick to eating healthy. This way you will not
need to detoxify your system for years.

A detox diet consists of mainly organic food. This food is mainly green leafy vegetables and
fruit. Without the harmful ingredients such as preservatives and additives the food is naturally
accepted without the body having to go all out to eliminate the harmful chemicals that go into
processing meats and processed foods. Natural food is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and
minerals these are much needed for the development of a healthy mind and body. Then there
are the natural fibers these foods provide the body. These fibers are very necessary for the
body to repair tissue.There is some caution that needs to be observed while on a detox diet though. If you are
planning on getting pregnant or already are, it is best that you stick to the diet you are used to
until after you have recuperated from your delivery. You will need all the energy you can get. A
detox diet will be a drastic change that your body may not be able to take.

So if you are thinking of starting a detox diet do confer with your medical service provider first.
Remember that too much of a good thing is bad too. However, there are many advantages of
detoxification and it should be tried at least once a year.

BODY DETOX HERBS CAN DO WONDERS IN YOUR LIVES

Body Detox Herbs Can Do Wonder In Your Lives

It is a well known fact that the atmosphere and the food we eat and drink are crammed with
harmful chemicals that enter the body and add to the build up of toxins that hamper the proper
functioning of the body.

Add to this the pesticides and fumes we breathe in unknowingly adding
to the build up of toxins.

 Before long the body will begin to reel under the effects of these
harmful toxins and will need to be cleansed. This cleansing process is called detoxification.

Our body does have a natural cleansing mechanism and this works through the kidney and liver
at times the system can become over burdened and may need some external help from us to
clean out the circulatory and excretory systems of the body.

Some of the processes practiced for detoxification is prolonged fasting. This is an unhealthy process as the body needs nutrients to sustain itself.

 The best way is to resort to a detox diet assisted with detox body herbs as well.

Since the immune system is the mechanism that defends he body from disease, toxins cause
the person to fall ill as the immune system is the first to be affected by harmful levels of toxins in
the system. This is why it is necessary to remove the toxins from the body through a detox
process.

 The benefits of detox herbs is not unknown to the medical fraternity as a potent way to
detoxify the system. These are the best and the most natural way to detoxify the system and
instill a feeling of well being.

Some of the detoxifying herbs used to cleanse the system are:

1. Psyllium seeds. These herbs induce bowel movements and clean the bowls of toxins very
effectively. The herb itself acts like a sponge absorbing the toxins and passing out with the
excreta.

2. Cascara Sagrada is another very effective laxative that is used to flush out the toxins from
the system and is used along with the psyllium seeds.

3. Milk Thistle simulates the protein synthesis in the liver the cleansing organ of the blood.

4. Nettles are used in combination with other detox herbs for cleaning the urinary system of
toxins.

5. Burdock roots are used when the need to cleanse he system is very urgent. This herb
reduces the build up of metals causing problems within the system.

6. Dandelion roots are herbs with the strongest detoxifying properties. These herbs are used to
clean the gall bladder of waste as also the kidneys. The Dandelion root is used in conjunction
with other detox herbs as other organs need to be cleansed simultaneously

.
The main source of toxins for humans is the pollution in the air and the toxins present in the
processed food we eat.

 Due to a lack of time people are turning more and more to processed
foods not realizing the health hazard they are exposing themselves to

Toxins need to be purged from the system and many people are doing this twice a year. Doctors emphasize that the need to detoxify our system is indeed necessary, however, the more natural the process the
better it will be.