Health benefit's of cucumber

The health benefits of cucumber cannot be overemphasized. As a matter of fact, it is extremely beneficial.
According to history, cucumbers were very popular in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece; their uses were not limited to just being food. It was venerated for the effect it had on the skin.
The fruit (cucumber) that is commonly thought to be a vegetable, is low in calories and contain a good amount of water and soluble fiber, making it an agent that does not only promote hydration but also help in weight loss.
In addition to the above benefits, cucumber also contains unique polyphenols and other compounds that may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases and much, much more.
Read on to see some of the amazing health benefits of cucumber
1. It protects the brain
Cucumbers contain an anti-inflammatory flavonol called fisetin. And the importance of this fisetin cannot be overemphasized when it comes to playing a major role in brain health.
Because it improves your memory and protects your nerve cells from age-related decline.
2. It reduces bad breath
When bacteria finds comfort in the mouth, bad breath becomes a guest.
However, with the rich presence of water in cucumber, the production of mouth saliva increases upon consumption; which in turn helps wash away the bacteria that cause the odor in the mouth.
3. It helps reduce the risk of cancer
Cucumbers contain polyphenols called lignans (pinoresinol, lariciresinol, and secoisolariciresinol), which may help to lower the risk of breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.
They also contain phytonutrients called cucurbitacins, which has been proven to have anticancer properties.
4. It helps manage diabetes
Over the years, cucumbers have been useful for diabetic patients. Cucumbers possess a hormone required by the beta cells during insulin production.
The Glycemic Index of cucumbers is actually zero.

 What every expectant mother should eat during this periodperiod

If there's ever a time when eating healthy cannot be overemphasized, it is when a woman is pregnant.
And this is because what a woman eats and drinks during pregnancy, becomes her baby's primary source of nourishment.

Owing to this, experts have recommended that a mother-to-be should choose a variety of healthy foods and beverages that are essential for the baby's growth and development.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, an expectant mother needs more calcium, folic acid, iron and protein than a woman who is not expecting.

However,  we will not only be talking about what to eat when pregnant but also why calcium, folic acid, iron, and protein are good for an expectant mother.

1. Calcium
Calcium is a mineral used for the building of a baby's bones and teeth. Its usefulness is very important for both mother and baby.

Hello everyone today we will be talking about chilled melon soup

Chilled Melon Soup

Preparation.
 Dice enough watermelon to measure 1 cup and combine in a small bowl with cucumber, 2 tablespoons lime juice and scallion green. Place the remaining melon and 4 tablespoons lime juice in a blender and blend it,then pour it into a bowl. Refrigerate the soup until chilled, 2 hours. Stir the reserved diced melon mixture and divide among 4 soup bowls.

Afang Soup

This delicious soup is native to the Efiks, the major occupant of (Cross River & Akwa Ibom State).This is made with afang leaves (ukazi) and water leaves, this two different leaves combines seamlessly to make a delicious looking afang soup

They are nutritious, medicinal and contain fiber that helps the body cells to function properly. Don’t let your focus be on just Foods alone, also make sure they are also healthy for consumption.

              Most people complain that vegetable soups are not easy to prepare, usually because it takes time to pick and slice the different leaves. But once you pass that phase, the rest is chocolate!

Sliced fresh water leaves (1kg)

1/2 cup of ground crayfish

Ground fresh Ukazi leaves (200g)

3 cubes of knorr (sweetener)

1 stock fish head (medium size)

2 medium sized dried or roasted fish

1.5 cups of palm oil

1 cup of Periwinkles (optional)

Snails (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste (red fresh pepper)

Pkomo (Optional)

1-2KG of any meat of choice.  

How to Make Afang Soup

Assorted meat is the most suitable for afang soup but if you can’t find it in your location you can use any meat you can find. I used a combination of assorted meat and pkomo.
Wash the snails with lime juice or grape juice and be sure it is rid of its slimy fluid. The periwinkle (isam) are usually cleaned by the sellers, you just need to wash.
The ground ukazi leaves act as thickener for this soup, I use fresh leaves for all my soup but if you can’t find fresh stuff in your location, go ahead and substitute with the dried alternative. You can tell from the image above that the leaves are fresh.
Just go ahead and start parboiling the meat with all the necessary ingredients. (2 cubes of knoor, half cup of sliced onions, salt and other spice of choice)
Some people wash the water leaves before slicing them while other choose to slice them before washing; I prefer the later. Slice and wash the water leaves and set aside in a plastic sieve to make sure that water is properly drained away.
Most people don’t like trace of water in their afang soup, but to achieve this you may have to really overcook the water leaves or dry them in the sun. But I kick against those practices as it will likely improve the loss of its nutritional value. So I really don’t care about the extra water, as long as it is not too much.
Voila!

Soak the dried fish with warm water, remove the center bones and wash thoroughly with just water; also wash the stock fish head with warm water. Add them to the cooking meat and cook till they are soft and the pot is almost dry. Add the palm oil, crayfish and stir all together. Add the remaining cube of knoor, ground pepper, snails and salt to taste, allow cooking for 3-5 minutes.
Add the water-leaves; allow to simmer for 3 minutes before adding the ground ukazi. Stir all together, cover the pot and allow another 2 minutes and you are done with a delicious afang soup.
That is how to prepare afang soup, it can be served with fufu, eba, pounded yam, wheat. Any nice soft drink would be a welcome addition.

Proper Table Manners & Dining Etiquette

It’s important to make a good impression at mealtime, and your table manners can say a lot about your  sense of personal style

There are all kinds of opportunities to impress, such as dates, meeting the parents, lunch with the boss, not to mention the Holidays, plus more and more job interviews are being done over a dinner table. One faux pas and you can kiss that promotion goodbye or never get to kiss the blind date across from you! From the beginning of time, the act of eating together has had a pleasant social significance.  The word companion and company comes from the Latin “com-“, meaning “with” or “together” and the Latin “panis” meaning “bread” or “food". A companion is someone you eat with! So that the experience is as pleasant and inoffensive as possible requires developing acceptable techniques of eating.

“You should wipe your spoon before passing it to a neighbor.” “Do not blow your nose with the same hand that you use to hold the meat”   

How to take care of your eyes

Hello everyone today we're going to talk about the eyes;
 1. What it is                                                                                      
 2.  How to take care of it.


 The eyes
  Eyes are windows of the soul; it communicate with the soul fast in understanding things
Eyes is a sensitive part most delicate and must be taken good care of, the need to take care of your eyes cannot be overemphasized.
Just as most people go to the gym, abstain from chocolate,cake,and drink gallons of water only in the name of good health, so also your eyes needs to be taken care of .

Hello everyone Back again

Today we will be talking about  bitter leaf soup.

      
THE HEALTH BENEFIT OF BITTER LEAF
It is known by everybody, it grows every where and it is a homely plant. The igbo calls it onugbo, the Yoruba calls it ewuro and the hausa calls it shiwaka. Bitterleaf mostly is esed mostly as a vegetable in igbo land while the Yoruba use it more as a medicine. The fact is that bitter herbs are good for the body. Bitter herbs helps to tone the vital organs of the body, especially the largest organ of the body. Bitter leaves should always be taken fresh. Nigerians eat a lot of bitterleaf, but they often squeeze out the bitterness from the leaves before eating it. What is left then, is mere chaff, with little or no medicinal value. The following are some of the uses of bitter leaf