Health
Okra and Ladys Finger:Hits and Misses
Okra is yummy as fried finger food. Its also known as Lady’s finger or Gumbo in some regions. They are dainty to look at and delicious if cooked right. But if cooked too long or with too much water, they turn slimy. The trick is to cook it so that they keep their shape intact, crunchy on the outside and tender inside.
How to buy Lady’s finger?
Best to cook okra fresh or keep it for a few days in the fridge to avoid moisture.
Avoiding overcooking is a must for taste and nutritional benefits.
The young green seed pods are used as a vegetable.
The mucilage extracted is used to thicken sauces, soups, stews.
When you buy okra, they should be firm and not soggy or wilted. If it looks too big or with dark ends better not buy.
Keep okra dry, and do not wash it until you are cooking
Okra recipes
Before cooking, wash it under running water. Strain the water out. Pat dry with a tissue. Using a sharp knife, cut off the end with the stem. Then make half to one-inch pieces. Avoid washing after cutting.
You can cook stuffed Lady’s finger with onions tomatoes and tangy achaar.
I like my okra cooked just right. It has to be a little crisp and cooked properly. Not mushy. Bengalis cook okra in many ways. Cooking with poppy-seed paste or posto is a delicacy It’s also used in, mixed veggies.
The crunchy okra tastes great, but so does the side dishes. Its best eaten with Indian style tawa roti or phulka. But the fried okra tastes yummy with daal chawal(rice and pulses) too.
Okra recipes fried
During my Dilli days, I was a novice cook and okra helped solve many real issues. It is simple to cook.
Just air fry or shallow fry it with a little Kalo jeera, turmeric, green chillis, and salt, till the outside turns crunchy and the inside is cooked.
Okra Nutrition facts
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database, 100 grams uncooked okra contains:
33 calories
1.93 g of protein
0.19 g of fat
7.45 g of carbohydrate
3.2 g of fiber
1.48 g of sugar
31.3 milligrams (mg) of vitamin K
299 mg of potassium
7 mg of sodium
23 mg of vitamin C
0.2 mg of thiamin
57 mg of magnesium
82 mg of calcium
0.215 mg of vitamin B6
60 micrograms (mcg) of folate
36 mcg of vitamin A
Okra also has some iron, niacin, phosphorus, and copper.
Ladys Finger :Health benefits
Okras antidiabetic effect is under research.
It is used as a part of dietary therapy to lower sugar and in hypertriglyceridemia.
Okra’s high fiber and high mucilage help aid digestion.
One 100-gram cup of okra with 60 mcg of folate is a good way to increase folate in the diet. They have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
They also have an anti-Fatigue effect.
Lectin a protein found in okra, beans, peanuts, and grains. Lectin from okra was used in a study to treat human breast cancer cells.
Okra health precaution
Okra has a high amount of in oxalates. Calcium oxalate stones are the commonest kidney stones. People who have suffered one episode of kidney stone are at risk for another episode. They should include okra in the diet only under doctors recommendation.
Okra is high in vitamin K.If you are on a blood-thinning drug like warfarin or coumadin, don’t include okra in your diet without consulting your doctor.
I wrote a book on Fruits for Life, listen to the free chapters on my podcast. My book on Probiotics for Life is available as a summary here .Subscribe to my newsletter and you will get a chance to download my book for Free when it’s up for a promo!
Asparagus: Also a medicinal plant
Beetroot: Benefits and worries
Health Food not so healthy:Myth of food labels
Joints: Anti-inflammatory diet
Okra
Disclaimer: This post is meant for spreading healthcare information and not meant as a replacement for a professional medical opinion. Always consult a medical professional before taking any decision related to health and healthcare. Healthcare information is a rapidly evolving field. While all attempts are made to keep this website updated, the author/s and or website disclaim all responsibility for any inadvertent omission/commission. Read my full disclaimer.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24746837
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5759678/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26516905
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6337517/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6337517/#B8-molecules-24-00038
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6337517/#B9-molecules-24-00038
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Protected: Nutrition:Truths and myths
Kale: A super food? #BlochatterAtoZ
Kale is an acquired taste. Good or bad it’s not everyone’s favorite food. But it has several powers which will make Kale eaters feel happy.
7 Facts about Kale
Kale is a cruciferous vegetable.
Winterbor F(1) type of kale has an excellent nutritional quotient. They have high antioxidant activity. Lower the processing, better is the nutrient content after cooking. Blanching is okay, but raw is best. Cooking can lower antioxidants like Vitamin C, polyphenols and to some extent Beta carotene. (1)
Lentil and kale added to a cereal-based diet has the magical ability to increase intake of essential minerals and vitamins. (2)Micronutrient malnutrition is responsible for many lifestyle diseases.
Kale stands at position 15 in a list of powerhouse fruits and vegetables made by Centers for Disease Control (a serving providing ≥10% of 17 essential nutrients (3).
Research finds Kale having vitamins A, K, C, and some folate, essential minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium.
Kale is a rich source of fibers. This is said to help prevent post-meal blood sugar rise(4). Eating kale-containing salad or any side dish with at least 7 g of Kale helps exert this effect.
Kale like other crucifers is a goitrogenic food (5)and should be only taken under supervision for those with thyroiditis or Hypothyroidism. But its a must have for those with hyperthyroidism.
When I started writing for Blogchatter A to Z this year, I didn’t know whether I could write enough. I also thought about whether it will make sense to spread this info. After all, everyone eats veggies. Right? But while researching for the posts I learned a few things which made me sit up.
Did you know there are more veggies in CDC power food list than fruits? Did you know eating the rainbow makes sense every day? Did you know obesity has a deep relationship with micronutrient deficiency? Diet is a key step to improve the quality of life.
Like the anti-inflammatory diet, is not only good for joints but also your body as a whole. What’s important is to know what processing does to the food and decide accordingly. We also need to know which kind of nutrients are easily absorbed and utilized by the body and cook our food accordingly. All this and more in this series and in the book releasing in May.
I wrote a book on Fruits for Life, listen to the free chapters on my podcast. My book on Probiotics for Life is available as a summary here .Subscribe to my newsletter and you will get a chance to download my book for Free when it’s up for a promo!
Other posts in this series
Asparagus: Also a medicinal plant
Beetroot: Benefits and worries
Health Food not so healthy:Myth of food labels
Joints: Anti-inflammatory diet
Disclaimer: This post is meant for spreading healthcare information and not meant as a replacement for a professional medical opinion. Always consult a medical professional before taking any decision related to health and healthcare. Healthcare information is a rapidly evolving field. While all attempts are made to keep this website updated, the author/s and or website disclaim all responsibility for any inadvertent omission/commission. Read my full disclaimer.
References:
1)Composition and antioxidant activity of kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) raw and cooked.
Sikora E1, Bodziarczyk I.
2)Metabolic and bioactivity insights into Brassica oleracea var. acephala.
Ferreres F1, Fernandes F, Sousa C, Valentão P, Pereira JA, Andrade PB.
3)Defining powerhouse fruits and vegetables: a nutrient density approach.Di Noia JPrev Chronic Dis. 2014 Jun 5; 11():E95.
4)Intake of kale suppresses postprandial increases in plasma glucose: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study
Sumio Kondo,1 Asahi Suzuki,2 Mihoko Kurokawa,2 and Keiji Hasumi3
5)Effects of the Environment, Chemicals and Drugs on Thyroid Function
David Sarne, M.D
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Protected: Health Food not so healthy:Myth of food labels #BlogchatterAtoZ
Ginger :Raw or cooked? #BlogchatterAtoZ
Ginger is very popular in my kitchen. I add it in my morning cup of green tea, in my curries and I also have ginger infusion water. Ginger tea is a childhood favorite. In green tea or milk tea, I love my ginger.
With milk tea, adding too much ginger early on can curdle the milk. But with green tea, no such problem. Raw ginger has several amazing benefits. But it can be difficult to chew it raw. Adding it to my glass infusion water bottle, helps me have my raw ginger water without trouble.
Can you grow a ginger plant?
Yes. It’s easy. The only thing you need is a piece of ginger root. Just make small nicks, on a piece of ginger tuber and plant it in a little soil. The green shoot will appear and there will be several small ginger tubers appearing below it. Harvest when the green shoots die.
Ginger powder: is it any good?
Nothing like the natural and dried powder is used if you don’t have access to the real thing.
What are the active chemicals in Ginger?
The active ingredients in ginger root are gingerols, shogaol, and paradols. Gingerol is the main bioactive compound in ginger. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Benefits of ginger
Antioxidant and anticancer effect
Ginger and some of its components are effective antioxidants in vitro. Due to the antioxidant property, it is considered to exert an anticancer effect. It has potential action in colon cancer. In humans in vivo action needs further research.
The cognitive improvement and neuroprotective effects occur due to the antioxidant effect.
Even dried ginger may have beneficial effects in treating dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (Ghayur, Gilani, Ahmed, Khalid, Nawaz, Agbedahunsi, Choudhary, Houghton 2008). But this effect in Alzheimer’s disease is not conclusive.
Better digestion and prevents nausea
Several research data show that active ingredients of ginger accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract. But the exact mechanism of action is still not clear.
Ginger also reduces cholesterol and improve lipid metabolism. This makes its role in the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases significant.
A survey of a group of obstetricians and gynecologists: Most recommend taking an antiemetic (71.3%), and specifically ginger (51.8%), to patients with moderate to severe nausea (Power, Holzman, and Schulkin 2001).
Ginger has been recommended to combat nausea associated with chemotherapy.
Gingerol in ginger helps maintain orodental health by its antibacterial activity.
Ginger is used in many illnesses, such as colds, nausea, arthritis, migraines, and hypertension since ages.
Even when we see the safety profile of ginger, there is an incomplete understanding of the mechanism of action. Thus you need caution while trying any therapeutic uses. But including ginger in your diet will only enhance the taste. Do you include ginger in your diet?
Other posts in this series
Asparagus: Also a medicinal plant
Beetroot: Benefits and worries
Disclaimer: This post is meant for spreading healthcare information and not meant as a replacement for a professional medical opinion. Always consult a medical professional before taking any decision related to health and healthcare. Healthcare information is a rapidly evolving field. While all attempts are made to keep this website updated, the author/s and or website disclaim all responsibility for any inadvertent omission/commission. Read my full disclaimer.
Reference:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/
Sharma and Gupta 1998Grant and Lutz 2000
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665023/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5008850/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665023/
