Rootz Healing Foods

This is the only vegan restaurant in Roseau right now. As I went yesterday I noticed this sign:

Great meal again; well rounded with raw salad foods; breadfruit; green fig; lentils; sweet potato; rice …. nutritious and delicious!

Roots Healing Foods
53 Kennedy Ave.
Roseau
Beside Black’s Barbershop and La Plaine Bus Stop

Eat Local! Eat Healthy! Eat Kenip

Kenip season is in full swing in Dominica; sidewalk stands offer a wide variety of sizes and shapes; sellers calling sweet kenip; sweet kenip as people pass by. They sell them by the roadside too for those who want a healthy snack while driving although I find some of the locations a little dangerous.

For just a dollar or two we can get a delicious nutritious snack that nourishes us and gives us energy.

Kenip (Melicoccus bijugatus) is a large tree from the Sapindaceae family originally thought to be from tropical America, related to the litchi (lychee), rambutan, akee and soapberry.

Names for this fruit abound – when I was studying nutrition and cooking in the Caribbean every island seemed to have a different name! To name just a few: Chenette in Trinidad; Mamoncillo in Cuba; Guinep in Greneda; Honeyberry in Guyana; Knepe in French West Indies or Spanish Lime in Florida and the Dominican Republic. To make it more confusing some islands have more than one name!

The fruit resembles a small green lime growing in clusters. The green skin is thick, leathery, slightly brittle and surrounds a thin layer of salmon or yellow coloured flesh enclosing a seed or seeds. The flesh is soft, translucent, juicy and refreshing. Flavor varies from sour to semi-sweet. In most fruits there is a single, large, yellowish-white, hard-shelled ovid seed, while some have 2 hemispherical seeds. The kernel is white, crisp, starchy, and astringent.

Kenip is mainly eaten raw and the kernels of the seeds are roasted and eaten like nuts.  

This fruit is one of those very special eating experiences in Dominica. When you gently squeeze the skin and a lovely juicy fruit pops out to be sucked and rolled around in the mouth until all the pulp is gone it is a small taste of heaven! No wonder they call it fruit/mouth candy!

The fruits are also used to make jams, jellies, juices and ice cream and a liquor called “bilí”.  In the southern areas of Mexico, it is generally eaten with chili powder, salt, and lime. Indians of the Orinoco consume the cooked seeds as a substitute for cassava.

The seeds of this fruit are viable and can make babies unlike many fruits we eat! A high proportion of the fruits we eat are hybrids and are unable to reproduce! 

Nutritionally this fruit is high in: tryphtophane which can help you sleep well, enhance feelings of well being, satisfy hunger and lysine which helps build muscles and stimulates growth hormone. It also contains calcium and phosphorous and lots of vitamin C. The University of Bonn says it is a good source of iron.

The Amerindians made a dye from the juice of the raw fruit which makes an indelible stain.

If you want to attract hummingbirds and honeybees to your garden they love the flowers of this tree. The tree is esteemed by Jamaican beekeepers; the honey is somewhat dark in color but of agreeable flavor.

InPanama, the leaves are scattered in houses where there are many fleas. It is claimed that the fleas are attracted to the leaves and are cast out with the swept-up foliage. Some believe that the leaves actually kill the fleas.

 The heartwood is yellow with dark lines, compact, hard, heavy, fine-grained; inclined to decay out of doors, but valued for rafters, indoor framing, and cabinetwork.

InVenezuela, the roasted seed kernels are pulverized, mixed with honey and given to halt diarrhea. The astringent leaf decoction is given as an enema for intestinal complaints. In Jamaica UWI studies recorded Guinep was traditionally used for hypertension, fever and cough.

Caution there is a choking hazard for young children.

According to Caribbean folk wisdom (especially in Jamaica), we learn the art of kissing by eating the sweet flesh of this fruit.

By the way – find a local stand pipe or other place to wash your kenip if you open them withyour teeth.

Eat local! Eat healthy! Eat Kenip!

This information is not meant to replace the knowledge and wisdom of an MD. For more information on healthy lifestyles contact Rainbow Yoga Health and Wellness at rainbowyoga@yahoo.com.

Processed Meats and Disease

I am a dedicated vegetarian who has never once craved meat in over 35 years. I feel everyone has to listen to their body and perhaps some people do need some meat to survive; especially when living msustainably from their environment.

In August 2006 a University in Sweden published a ’meta-analysis’ in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, collating 15 studies covering 4,704 subjects during the period 1966 to 2006. They found the risk of developing stomach cancer increases by between 15% and 38% when consumption of processed meat products increases by just a half-portion per day.

Results of a study by the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and the University of Southern California reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2005;97:1458-65) of 190,000 people, ages 45 to 75, for seven years state that those who ate the most processed meat (bacon, ham, cold cuts) had a 68% higher risk of pancreatic cancer than those who ate the least. “Most” was defined as at least 0.6 ounce processed meat, one ounce beef or 0.3 ounce pork per 1,000 calories consumed.

Read more:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/16361276/#ixzz0rjS2Z75d

tp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8688104.stm

http://www.naturalnews.com/028824_processed_meat_heart_disease.html

Higher Risk of Heart Disease, Diabetes from eating Processed Meats

Zeb Kweyol

When you buy direct from local farmers, your dollars stay within your community, and strengthen the local economy. More than 90¢ of every dollar you spend goes to the farmer, thus preserving farming as a livelihood and farmland.” ~ Eat Local

Eating Local is a rapidly growing movement internationally driven by farmers who wish to increase their incomes and consumers who want to incorporate an ecological awareness into their kitchens and cooking.

Dominica has a remarkably wide range of local natural and organic products. Making a concerted effort to purchase them will improve our life and the health of the nation. The challenge here is to find the grocery store, the little shops or the corner on the street that the product is sold in.

 Zeb Kweole is one of those shops I treasure in Roseau. It is tucked into the corner of the building on Old Street in the Old Market. It reminds me of the old time health food stores of  North America with wooden shelves and floors.

 I buy honey; natural vanilla; naturally scented candles; fresh turmeric; vegetables and fruits; vegetarian natural soap; herbal preparations such as cream for the skin or cough syrup; herbal mixtures and dried herbs for a host of conditions. Some of the products are organic; not all products will likely be in stock at one time.

My all time favourite is the dried fruits. I have a sweet tooth and these are a healthy nutritious snack that can satisfy my cravings for sweets. Grown; dried and packaged locally; yum!

So far I have tasted bananas; papaya; mamee apple and golden apple. I am looking forward to tasting more fruits preserved in this local technologically appropriate way.

I mix the dried fruits with nuts and whole grain Oat O’s for trail mix. I add them to salads or make a compote to sweeten pancakes or porridge. I love the occasional rice dish incorporating dried fruits.

Hand Made Coconut Shell Coconut Grater

I love to use all kinds of equipment in the kitchen. I find traditional kitchen equipment fascinating and often opt for this old time grater when grating my coconuts.

Macia’s

I remember going to Macia’s Vegetarian Cafe on a back street in Roseau over 10 years ago.

She has dedicated her life to promoting health through healthy eating.

I remember when she was considering opening the Catering Business she has now – her thoughts were “these office workers in Roseau need good food delivered right to their desk!”.

Well for many years now she has provided healthy catering services throughout Roseau; just call and order your healthy food; when it is right there you will eat it rather than unhealthy choices that are easily available.

Macia 614 0409

Avocados – Super Foods; Super Nutrition

Avocados are locally refered to as “pears” or “zabokas”. Many people avoided them in the past as a result of the common misconception that they are fattening and contain dangerous levels of unhealthy oils and cholesterol.

Studying the Centenarians Lifestyle helped me to stay on a healthy path; seeing they had no ill effects from eating masses of avocados in season; I just kept on enjoying them.

I am very glad I took the path less travelled as the true value of avocados has come to light recently.

We now know eating avocados can be an enjoyable way to help protect ourselves against many illnesses and it may even delay the processes of aging.

Eating avocados contributes to a strong immune system and healthy muscle, brain and bone development.

Avocados are very nutrition-rich per calorie. They are excellent sources of: vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin E, vitamin C, folacin, niacin, vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, copper, potassium, and pantothenic acid.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition in March 2005 showed that adding avocados to salad increased absorption of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lutein, 7.2, 15.3, and 5.1 times higher, respectively, than the average amount of these carotenoids absorbed when avocado-free salad was eaten.

The avocado contains three important antioxidants; vitamins E, C, and A or beta-carotene, as well as copper and iron, two mineral constituents of antioxidant enzymes.

Avocados are high in healthy, monounsaturated fat that has been found to reduce harmful (LDL) cholesterol while maintaining beneficial cholesterol (HDL) and increasing metabolic rate.

Avocado oils stimulate production of anti-wrinkle collagen, which, together with vitamin E, makes them the best food to eat for a plump, youthful skin and healthy complexion.

The avocado has large amounts of both soluble and insoluble forms of fibre. High fibre intake lowers the risk for cardiovascular disease, some cancers, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and obesity.

Among fruits, avocados are exceptional for the quantity and quality of their protein. The avocado protein contains all the amino acids essential for humans – unlike most plant sources.

To quote William Sears, M.D., author of several books on infant nutrition; “Avocados are an ideal first food for infants.”

The avocado can be part of a successful weight-management program. Its high nutrient density can make the diet more wholesome and better balanced, thus promoting better general health. Its high fat content gives a quicker feeling of satiation, which helps reduce overeating and the temptation to binge on foods high in processed carbohydrates, sugars or unhealthy fats. Its monounsaturated fat speeds up the basal metabolic rate.

A study in Australia reported that a control group who ate either half or a whole avocado per day for a month all succeeded in lowering their cholesterol levels and most also lost weight even though their caloric and fat intake had increased.

Avocado has a very high content of a natural plant compound called Beta-Sitosterol – a phytosterol. Studies in the US found that phytosterol may inhibit growth of some cancer tumours in animals.

The British medical journal, the Lancet, reported on a test among 200 men suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Those given Beta-Sitosterol showed significant improvements in urinary difficulties.

A study of stroke conducted by the Schools of Medicine of the University of California San Diego and Cambridge University in England found a 40% reduction in stroke risk was associated with an average daily increase in potassium consumption of about 400 mg, the amount supplied by less than half an avocado!

Blood pressure, a stroke factor, has been linked to a potassium-sodium imbalance, namely to a sodium excess. The avocado has about 52 times as much potassium as sodium.

Avocados can be served in many variations in: hors d’oeuvres, soups, salads, garnishes, sandwich spreads, dips, the half-shell, entrees, desserts and even beverages. Substitute avocado for butter, margarine, and cheese.

Avocados are soothing to the alimentary tract. Native Americans have, for many generations, recommended avocados especially for the ill.

The pulp from the fruit has been used as a hair pomade to stimulate hair growth and topically to hasten wound healing.

Avocado has a long history of internal use as an aphrodisiac.  

Historically, American Indians used the seeds, leaves, and bark internally to treat diarrhea.  

In skin care, the two major advantages of the avocado are its marked softening and soothing nature and its rate of absorption.

Among eight plant oils, avocado oil proved the most effective sunscreen.

The flesh of a ripe avocado soothes sun burnt skin. Just cut the fruit in half and rub it gently over the affected areas.

The pulp is also believed to be both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. 

Avocado can be found as an ingredient in skin moisturizer, cleansing cream, makeup base, sunscreen, lipstick, bath oil, and hair conditioner.

Check with your doctor before eating avocados if you are using antidepressants.

Eat local! Eat Healthy! Eat Avocados!

The article above is for your information and is not meant as any kind of medicinal guidance.

Breadfruit

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)

Originating in the South Pacific, the breadfruit is so ingrained in the Caribbean traditional diets it is hard to believe it is not indigenous to this area.

Breadfruit is a delicious and often nutritionally superior substitute for any starchy vegetable. This versatile fruit is consumed in different ways in 4 different stages of maturity! When purchasing breadfruit tell the vendor what you want to do with it so they can give you the breadfruit that suits your needs.

Mature, but still firm, the breadfruits are used like a vegetable typically boiled or stewed while the more mature but not yet soft breadfruits  are excellent for steaming; baking and roasting.

Breadfruit is nutritionally much superior to white flour or white rice, containing complex carbohydrates, fibre, 2 carotenoids (lutein + zeaxanthin), Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folate, C, E, K plus calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and traces of copper, manganese and selenium. On top of all this breadfruit contains 9 amino acids!

Commercially; breadfruit is frozen, dehydrated, canned and processed into flour, starch, and chips. Breadfruit was traditionally preserved by drying or fermenting in a long involved process using sea water. 

Breadfruit flour is gluten free and can substitute for a portion of wheat or other flours used in making porridge, bread, crackers and other baked goods. Breadfruit flour is much richer than wheat flour in lysine and other essential amino acids.

Ripe mature fruits become soft and sweet, and are used like a fruit in beverages (such as juice, shakes and smoothies), breads, cakes, candy, cookies, flan, fruit leather, pies and puddings. 

Small, immature fruits can be boiled, pickled or marinated, and have a flavor similar to that of artichoke hearts.

Breadfruit leaves (very young) are said to be good sources of Vitamin C, iron, and calcium.

In Jamaica fallen male flower spikes are boiled, peeled and eaten as vegetables or are candied.

The breadfruit tree leaves, flowers, sap, latex, root and bark were an important part of the native pharmacopoeia in many different tropical islands.

Wood is used for canoes, construction materials, drums and surfboards, bark for cloth, the leaves provide shade and make great disposable food platters and the milky sap is used as glue. Dried male flowers were burned to repel mosquitoes.

The breadfruit tree’s beneficial impact on the natural environment of Dominica and the health of the people could contribute towards a more sustainable future!

– by Trudy Scott Prevost; rainbowyoga@yahoo.com.

Coconut Water; Super Food; Super Nutrition

Coconut water is a superfood filled with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes, and growth factors. ~ Dr. Bruce Fife; a certified nutritionist and naturopathic physician. He is the author of 20 books including the recently released “Coconut Water for Health and Healing”. 

 Green Coconut Water (the liquid endosperm of the coconut) – locally called “jelly water” – is a traditional Dominican beverage. It is the clear liquid from the tender young coconut before the nut has matured and hardened.

Farmers fill the back of their pick ups or wheelbarrows with these huge green yellow nuts and stop along the road to take up cutlass and dispense this refreshing, cooling drink. We drink it right out of the coconut; then eat the jelly inside with a coconut spoon cut off the side of the nut!

I like to pay the farmers more than they ask for this delicious nutritious beverage! They have to climb the tree, carry these huge heavy nuts and then work hard for hours in the sun dispensing coconuts and smiles. We think nothing of paying 3 or 4 dollars for a bottled beverage often containing harmful ingredients; let’s support the coconut water industry in the same way!

A true connoisseur of coconut water knows whether they want young coconut with little or no jelly (less sweet) or perhaps a little more mature with soft jelly (my favourite) or more mature still where the jelly has turned to nut. The biochemical profile of coconut water varies – the mineral content remains fairly constant but the sugar and protein concentrations increase as the nut matures – so there are a variety of delicate subtle flavors. 

Fresh out of the nut is the very best way to get your coconut water; there is no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives added and freshness and purity are ensured as the liquid rapidly loses most of its nutritional characteristics and begins to ferment once exposed to air.

In 2004 FAO was granted a UK patent for a cold sterilization processing method that will allow manufacturers to bottle coconut water without losing its flavour and nutritional characteristics. They are making the patented process available to all interested companies.

This beverage is a tropical super food. In addition to natural sugars, it contains a complex array of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C and traces of B Vitamins. It is high in potassium, phosphorous, chlorides, calcium, and magnesium; with traces of iron and a modest amount of sodium, sugar, and protein.[1]

This refreshing liquid is the best diet drink around low in carbs, fat and sugar.

 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations are promoting coconut water as the next wave of natural sports/energy drinks. “It’s a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood.” – Mr. Morton Satin, FAO.[2]

 It is said that during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water – siphoned directly from the nut – to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers. Studies released in 2000 from Universities in the United States [3] and Germany [4] as well as Malaysia report the successful use of coconut water as a short-term intravenous hydration fluid.

 Initial studies show coconut water can aid the quick absorption of some drugs and makes their peak concentration in the blood easier by its electrolytic effect. [5]

 In Jamaica coconut water has traditionally been used as a heart tonic and modern studies at the University of West Indies are proving this is true.[6]

Other studies indicate that both tender and mature coconut water has beneficial effects on serum and tissue lipid parameters in rats fed a cholesterol-containing diet. [7]

This local drink is said to be one of the richest sources of cytokinins; plant hormones which are being studied for their anti-aging effect on human cells. [8]

 Jelly water is an excellent oral re-hydration medium that can replace fluids lost when ill with fever, vomiting, diarrhea or dysentery. [9]

A School of Medical Science and Technology study shows coconut water shows remarkable potential to contribute in the development of novel antibiotics from natural sources.[10]

Some cultures feel that applying coconut water jelly to the skin has healing softening properties. Recent studies are showing this may be true.

 Coconut water has a host of yet scientifically unproven but traditional uses for coconut water in cultures all over the world:

* as an aphrodisiac and to promote fertility.

* for intestinal gas, acidity or gastric ulcer .

* as a tonic; easily digested for the infirm or sick.

* for its cooling properties throughout the tropics. It can even ease the heat of menopausal symptoms.

* applied externally to soothe heat rash, measles and chicken pox.

 * pregnant women traditionally use coconut water to: combat nausea and fatigue; keep cool; make themselves and their babies strong and promote lactation.

* as a safe, nutritious water for babies to drink.

 * as a diuretic - recommended for kidney stones and urinary tract infections.

I am looking forward to new studies in the future but to me the greatest proof of coconut water’s benefits are the Centenarians of Dominica!

 Eat local; eat healthy; drink coconut water; eat like our centenarians did!

 –        by Trudy Scott Prevost. For more information; 245-2474, rainbowyoga@yahoo.com. This is a researched not copied article. For a fee an article with links can be provided. 

Warning: Coconut water is best avoided in patients with hyperkala

Lunch at Rootz Healing Foods

I love to eat local and I love to eat healthy food. Rootz Healing Foods provide healthy local foods.

I also like that they do not cook with soy chunks (80% of all non organic soy products are from genetically modified soya beans and highly processed). There food is not highly salted and their juices are not very sweet; often there is a non sweetened option.

Roots Healing Foods
53 Kennedy Ave.
Roseau
Beside Black’s Barbershop; La Plaine Bus Stop and Car Wash