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.

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.

Mango – Super Food Super Nutrition

Mango season is on! Hillborn always gets me mangos first crop for Christmas!

Juicy, flavourful mangos are a cultural phenomena in Dominica; people of all ages; all walks of life; gather under these beautiful trees looking for the perfect mango. 

They knock down these mangos by throwing something at the stem that holds the mango. Then they calmly reach out one hand to catch it! Amazing!

I have flung many a stone or old mango working to perfect my skills and get that perfect mango - ripe but firm; aromatic; without a bruise or mark. Success is rare but I never give up as I enjoy those mangos a lot more than the ones I get at market!

Mango (Magnifera indica), known locally as mangue is native to East Asia and now grown in nearly all tropical areas of the world. Locally it is related to the Cashew, Hog Plum and Golden Apple.

Interestingly it is also related to the Poison Ivy and Poison Oak family as well as Pistachio. 

The ripe mango, half ripe mango, unripe mango, unripe small mango (about torch bulb size), mango kernel or seed, the skin, the sap, the leaves, the wood and the bark are used.

The ripe mango fruit is a nutritional powerhouse; containing Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, folate, C, E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, fluorine, iodine, copper, selenium, sulphur and potassium.

They are high in pectin and fibre which is useful in lowering blood cholesterol levels. In “Plants Against Cancer” Jonathan L Hartwell describes mango as rich in phenols and enzymes with cancer preventative and cancer healing qualities.

Fully ripe mangos have a rich aromatic flavour. Ripe mangos are used fresh or frozen in juices, preserves, jams, jellies, custards, compotes, toffee, salads, desserts or puréed into baby food, sorbets, ice creams, smoothies and sauces.

Half ripe mangos are used in some of the ways ripe mangos are; as well they are particularly suited to being dried or made into cereal flakes, dried fruit bars and fruit leather.

Unripe fully developed mangoes contain citric acid. As the fruit ripens, acid content decreases. Chutney, pickles, salads, juice and salted dried slices are prepared from unripe, green mangoes.

The leaves contain calcium, phosphorus, iron, Vitamin A (carotene), thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and ascorbic acid. In Manilla; Thailand and other countries the immature mango leaves are cooked and eaten.  

The mango kernel contains protein, amino acids, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and carbohydrates. In India, after soaking, the kernels are dried and ground to flour which is mixed with wheat flour to make bread and puddings. In times of food scarcity in India, the kernels are roasted or boiled and eaten.

The traditional or cultural uses of this plant are many.

The ripe and half ripe fruit have been used traditionally as a: laxative, diuretic, anti-haemorrhagic (stops bleeding), antiscorbutic (anti-scurvy), astringent, antidiarrhoea, anti-syphilitic & tonic.

The unripe fruit is acidic, astringent and antiscorbutic, a drink made from boiled unripe mango with salt and sugar is used in India as a remedy for heat stroke.

The leaves are traditionally taken in a tea as remedy for diarrhea, fever, chest complaints, diabetes, hypertension, and other ills; in some places a combined decoction of mango and other leaves is taken after childbirth. Indians also chew the leaves to improve gum health. Some cultures used a leaf extract rubbed on the forehead to treat headache. 

The mango kernel tea and powder are used as vermifuges and as astringents in diarrhea, hemorrhages and bleeding hemorrhoids.

The skin of the fruit is astringent. In India the fried skin of the unripe fruit is given with sugar in menses disturbances2; its powder is given with milk and honey for bleeding dysentery and as a tonic for the digestive organs.

The young unripe mango (of about torch bulb size) is claimed to clear stones from the kidneys.

The resinous liquid or gum contains mangiferen, resinous acid, mangiferic acid, and the resinol, mangiferol. It has been used traditionally for rheumatism, diphtheria, syphilis and a dressing for scabies and other skin diseases such as cracked feet.

Dried mango flowers, have traditionally been used in tea in cases of diarrhea, chronic dysentery and urinary diseases.

Mango butter is extracted from the de-shelled fruit kernels. It has many beneficial natural properties: emollient, oxidative, healing, and regenerative (good for scars and stretch marks). It is also said to have a protective effect against UV radiation. Mango butter is most commonly used as a base ingredient in body care formulas, skin care products, hair care products and soaps.

The bark contains mangiferine and has been employed against diarrhea, rheumatism, malaria and diphtheria in India and Africa.

Recent studies support some of the traditional uses of mangos.

Experts say mango fruits: – can help to prevent colon cancer, especially in cases where there is a lack of fibre in the diet; – contain a compound called mangiferin, which has several medicinal attributes; – contain the chemicals gallic acid and quercetine, which give protection against viruses.

 “We think mangoes have some unique antioxidants as well as quantities of antioxidants that might not be found in other fruits and vegetables,” said Percival, an associate professor with a US University.

Another University study analyzing how individual components of the fruit affect human cells suggests mango components act on the same pathways that diabetes and cholesterol drugs target.

Other studies have shown magniferin has an effect against herpes simplex 2 and that extracts of unripe fruits and of bark, stems and leaves have shown antibiotic activity.

Sounds like a mango a day will keep the doctor away.

Eat Healthy! Eat Local! Eat Mangos!

CAUTION! Some people are allergic to mangos as they are relatives of poison ivy and poison oak. 

Locally - people burn the wood and they make furniture with it. The trees provide much needed shade and many “yards” have a mango tree or two.

Internationally - burning of mango wood, leaves and debris is not advised – it is warned that toxic fumes can cause serious irritation to eyes and lungs. Sap of tree and unripe fruit, especially peel, contains mangiferen, resinous acid, mangiferic acid, and the resinol, mangiferol; it can be severe irritant for some people, with typically delayed reaction, as with Poison Ivy; hypersensitive people may react with considerable swelling of eyelids, face, and other parts of body; condition referred to as “mango poisoning”.

This information is provided for general interest only. It is not intended as guidance for medicinal use.