14 Amazing Benefits Of Blackberries For Skin, Hair And Health

1. Fights Free Radicals:

Anthocyanocides and polyphenols are two antioxidants found in abundance in blackberries. These help in fighting free radicals. The collagen-forming Vitamin C and Vitamin A make it only more appropriate for skin. These vitamins also act as antioxidants. Regular consumption of blackberries protects skin against the damaging UVA and UVB and aids in skin cell renewal.

2. Hydrates Skin:

Blackberries comprise more than 85% water with an abundant dose of fiber. Both of these are essential for healthy-looking skin. Consumption of blackberries detoxifies the body, maintaining the elasticity of skin.A good way to enjoy the goodness of blackberries for your skin is through a face mask. Here’s how:

This face mask is ideal for hydrating the skin while supplying essential nutrients to it.

3. Rejuvenates the Skin:

Vitamins A, C and K in blackberries are excellent for skin rejuvenation. Their Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids-rich seeds are vital for healthy skin.

Here’s an effective face mask recipe for skin rejuvenation.

• Grind a bunch of blackberries.
• Blend these with some fresh yoghurt.
• Add a pinch of nutmeg powder and ¼ lemon juice.
• Apply this mask evenly on your face and neck.
• Wash off after 25 to 30 minutes with lukewarm water.

Regular application of this face mask will help your skin rejuvenate. It will also ensure smooth, moisturized and hydrated skin.

4. Skin Cleanser for Oily Skin:

Blackberries are great for cleansing and detoxification of oily skin too.

Prepare a natural skin cleanser for oily skin with this recipe:

• Mix 2 tbsp of fullers’ earth with 1 ½ tbsp of blackberry juice
• Mix well to form a thick paste.
• Add a few drops of tea tree oil (only if you suffer from acne)
• Dampen your face and apply this mixture evenly over your face.
• Wash off after 2 minutes.

This natural skin cleanser will help remove excess oil and shrink the pores – purifying your skin from deep within.

5. Treatment of Wounds:

Blackberry leaves contain tannins with brilliant astringent qualities. These prevent the formation of blood clots. Traditionally, the fruit leaves are used to heal wounds, open sores and scratches. Blackberries also assist in soothing skin ailments psoriasis. The antioxidants aid in clearing acne. The brew, made from blackberry leaves, is applied topically to cure Eczema.

Benefits of Blackberry Fruit for Hair

The high content of antioxidants in blackberries makes it ideal for hair care too.

6. Healthy Hair:

Vitamin C, found in blackberries, is largely responsible for collagen production and contributes to strong hair. The antioxidants help combat the harmful and damaging effects of the environment on hair. Topical application of the fruit extract is known to add instant volume, shine and bounce to hair.

Benefits of Blackberry Fruit for Health

7. Gum Care:

The leaves and bark of the blackberry plant are known for being consumed traditionally. They are used to treat mild gum inflammation and bleeding gums too.

8. Menstrual Bleeding:

Consuming blackberry leaves helps get relief from excessive bleeding during menses. The fruit is also used to regulate menses and considered a uterine tonic.

9. Dysentery:

Blackberry leaves and fruit can help treat diarrhoea. To use, simply boil the leaves or fruit. Strain and drink the water to get relief.

10. Diabetes:

The high potassium content of blackberries helps reduce insulin. Daily consumption of blackberries with one teaspoon of honey helps control diabetes. For good results, it is best advised to have this for at least a week. Not only can the fruit, blackberry leaves also be consumed for its anti-diabetic properties.

11. Healthy Bones:

The decent content of calcium, found in blackberries, contribute in strengthening bones.

12. Red Blood Cells:

Blackberries contain minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Together, these help a great deal in producing white and red blood cells.

13. Haemorrhoids:

The pulp made from blackberry fruits, is widely used to heal haemorrhoids and even conjunctivitis.

14. Cancer:

Blackberries have antioxidants called Ellagic acid. These can help in the prevention of certain cancer cells.

How to Select and Store?

Tips for Selection:

When buying blackberries always:

• Choose the ones that are moderately firm, plump, dry and uniformly dark purple in colour.
• The bunch should be fragrant and without the stem caps attached.
• When the hulls are attached, it means that the berries were picked too early before they could mature.
• Avoid berries with odd spots, colours or shades.
• Signs of bruising or staining on the container indicate bruising and injury.
• Try and buy locally grown berries. These are likely to be sweeter and juicier than the ones that are bred for shipment.
• Watch out for molds. These are common in berries and they spread quickly. Hence, a moldy berry should never be placed next to a good one.

Tips for Storage:

Blackberries perish quite fast. They can turn soft, mushy and moldy within mere 24 hours. So here are some storage tips:

• Handle blackberries carefully
• Try and consume them as soon as possible.
• Never wash or hull blackberries until you want to have them.
• Unwashed berries should be refrigerated immediately.
• Soft, overripe berries should be removed for immediate consumption.
• Smashed or moldy berries should be discarded.
• The remaining berries should be blotted dry with a paper towel. They can be placed in a box or spread them on a shallow plastic pan or plate. Cover with a paper towel and wrap with plastic.
• Fresh blackberries generally last for 2 days. But they can be frozen and enjoyed all the year round.

To Freeze Berries:

• You may get pre-packaged frozen berries. But remember, these might contain added sweeteners.
• Spread the berries in a single layer, slightly apart on a baking sheet.
• Now place the sheet in the freezer until it is solid frozen.
• Now transfer it to an airtight container or a heavy plastic bag.Seal tightly, pressing out all the air.
• These will sure last for 6 months.
• Alternately, individual berries can be frozen on a cookie sheet and then packed into zip-lock bags, plastic bags or plastic containers.
• They can also be frozen by mixing with ¾ cup of sugar per quart of berries or packed in sugar syrup for freezing.

To Use Frozen Berries:

• Remove frozen berries from the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours prior to serving.
• Blackberries taste their best at room temperature.

Usage Tips (Cooking/Eating)

Blackberries sure can be enjoyed in its raw and natural form. But there are other delicious ways of relishing this juicy fruit. Here are few cooking and eating tips:

1. Drizzle fresh blackberries with honey or toss them with a little sugar.

2. Combine different berries and relish the goodness of a yummy fruit salad.

3. Mash blackberries and strain them through cheesecloth or a fine sieve to remove the seeds. This juice can be either mixed with water or sweetener. It can also be canned or frozen for future use.

4. Add the above prepared juice to smoothies, mocktails and cocktails.

5. Use whole blackberries and sugar to prepare lip smacking jams, jellies and conserves.

6. Blackberry syrup can make for a tempting topping for ice creams and pancakes. When serving as a dessert topping, sprinkle some toasted almonds and hazelnuts. It can also be used as fruit syrup to add more flavour to drinks.

To Make Blackberry Syrup:

• Boil equal amounts of blackberry juice and sugar for 2 minutes.
• Your blackberry syrup is ready!
• This syrup can be refrigerated.
• To increase its shelf life, place the syrup in a sterile jar and process it in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

7. A handful of blackberries can be added to an apple crumble to prepare a delicious autumnal pudding. It can also be mixed with apples in blackberry pies, muffins and cakes.

8. Use it as a condiment with meat and sea-food.

9. Blackberry liquor is also loved by many. To make this, berries and sugar are macerated with 80 or 100 proof vodka for two weeks. The mixture is then strained and more vodka is added to it.

10. Mix blackberries with apples, kiwi and strawberries to make a delicious fruit salsa. Enjoy it with chips.

11. Blackberry leaves are used for a refreshing cup of tea or enhanced as a therapeutic drink. It has a bitter taste so add honey or other sweeteners to enjoy it better.

Are you a blackberries’ lover too? Tell us how you include blackberries in your diet. Also share the benefits that blackberries have had on you by leaving your comments below.

TARO/ TARO ROOT - HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES: TARO AND BEEF CURRY RECIPE beniftis

TARO, DASHEEN, COLOCASIA ESCULENTA, KACHALO IN PUNJABI

Taro is a starchy corm which originated probably in Malaysia andIndia, where it still grows wild. It can grow in wet or dry places although there is one variety which has been bred to only grow in dry ones. It has heart shaped leaves which can be eaten like spinach, and the root looks like a Jerusalem artichoke only bigger. In Urdu it is arvi and kachalo in Punjabi. It was cultivated in the Indian subcontinent by 5000BC. The Hawaiians call it kalo and have really taken to this root over the centuries. It comes into their Creation myth, and they believe that people are related to this root. It is now found throughoutSE Asia and the Pacific Islands. It is known by other names around the world apart from those already listed, in Africa it is the old cocoyam and edoe or eddo is another name for it. It arrived in the Caribbean at some stage, and is now grown in many countries around the globe.

  The taro that grows on dry land is has a dark purple skin and white roots, and has a nutty flavour when cooked, and it must be cooked as it contains calcium oxalate a crystal-like substance that breaks down when cooked. You should take care when peeling taro as it can cause skin irritation.

  The Hawaiians hold this root sacred, and there are various ways of using it. It is used in traditional medicine, and when made into a purple paste they call poi, it turns up at the luaus or pig feasts. Research has been done into the health benefits of poi, and as the root is highly nutritious and easy to digest, it is good for infants who fail to thrive. Recent research has found that the root may be liver protective and can detoxify the liver, although the experiments were carried out in vitro on rat livers. It is also good for people who suffer from allergies.

  In 2004 researchers Amy C. Brown and Ana Valiere found that poi might be beneficial to sufferers of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), diabetes, a depressed immune system, inadequate lactose digestion and some cancers, and Dr. Brown and others published results in 2005 which suggested that poi “might have novel tumour-specific anti-cancer activities”( Phytotherapy Research Journal 2005).

  

It is believed that taro corms can help regulate blood pressure and blood sugar, and may help protect us from cardio-vascular disease and cancer.

  Taro corms contain vitamins A, C, E and K plus the B-complex ones of thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, B6, folate B12 and pantothenic acid (B5) and choline. It also contains the mineralscalcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, sodium, zinc and selenium, as well as Omega-3 and-6 fatty acids. There are 18amino acids in the corm and bet-carotene, so it is packed with nutrients and a very healthy addition to a diet, which is good as it is a staple food in some Asian and African countries.

  It was also a staple in ancient Egypt and from there it became known to the Greeks and Romans. They ate not only the root or corm, but also the leaves which they say taste a bit like cabbage. I have only eaten the corm, which tasted like a starchy Jerusalem artichoke to me, in fact when I first saw it that’s what I thought it was. You can do the same with a taro corm as with a potato, a sweet potato or even a yam, and add them to soups or stews to thicken them.

  

The leaf juice is used to treat piles and as a laxative in some traditional medicines systems, while in Hawaii poi is mixed with arrowroot for diarrhoea. The heated tubers are applied to joints to ease rheumatic pains, and the raw juice is mixed with other plant juices for fevers. The ash of a burnt coconut shell is mixed with grated corms for thrush (candida) and it is also used for insect stings. In Pakistan and India taro corms are sold on the street in much the same way as in Britain you can buy a baked potato at a stall and take it away to eat.

  Because taro corms contain a fair amount of sodium, you may not want to add salt to them. Try this recipe and is you haven’t got taro you can substitute potatoes or yams.

     

TARO AND BEEF CURRY

Ingredients

½ kilo beef, cubed

4 large taro corms, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, chopped

3 or 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ tsp mustard seeds

2 or 3 curry leaves

3 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 tbsp tamarind (imli) paste

½ tsp turmeric (haldi)

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tsps garam masala

2 tsps dry-fried coriander seeds,ground

1 cup water

oil for frying

Method

Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin and mustard seed; fry until they release their aroma.

Add the onion, garlic and curry leaves and fry until translucent. Then add the meat and seal it on all sides.

Add the taro corms and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Now add the tomatoes, chilli powder and coriander and fry for 4 minutes.

Add the tamarind pulp cover, with water put a lid on the pot and cook for 30 mins.

Add the garam masala and black pepper, freshly ground if you want to use it (I do, but I can’t not have black pepper).

You shouldn’t need to add more water, but if you do add a little now.

Cook for 10 to 15 minutes then turn off the heat and let it settle for about 10 minutes.

Serve with rice.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

Foods That Improve Sperm Quality

Before we continue, we should know first about How is sperm quality measured? The World Health Organization identified five factors to assess sperm quality. All five are necessary for the best chances of conception:

• Number of sperm cells
• Concentration of sperm
• Sperm Motility
• Speed
• Morphology

For more information about normal parameters of sperm quality and what affects it you might want to check Sperm Disorders, Causes, and Treatments, with Video

So, what foods should i eat to improve my sperm quality? There are many studies that suggest eating foods rich in :

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• Zinc has been shown to increase number of sperm and sperm motility by 80% to 200% by aiding testosterone synthesis. Coupled with amino acids like L-Carnitine and L-Arginine, zinc should increase ejaculate volume significantly. Good sources of zinc is oysters. Bananas, avocado and almond or other nuts are also rich in zync.

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• Vitamin A has been shown to enhance sperm production and affect overall sperm quality. Good sources of Vitamin A are carrots, milk, chicken, fish oils, butter, cheese, eggs, and liver. Deficiencies in vitamin A in men have been linked to lowered fertility due to sluggish sperm,

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• Vitamin Cis another important nutrient that has been shown to improve sperm production and the motility of sperm cells. Good sources of Vitamin C are strawberries, oranges, broccoli, and kiwi fruit. According to practitioners, Vitamin C decreases sperm abnormalities and increases sperm number and quality. Vitamin C plays an especially important role in protecting the sperm’s genetic material (DNA) from damage. Ascorbic acid levels are much higher in seminal fluid than in other body fluids, including the blood.

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• Vitamin E is found in almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, peanut butter, peanuts, spinach, and broccoli. vitamin E is easy to find in food. studies show that men who have increased levels of vitamin E in their diet, have higher fertilization rates and better sperm motility than men who don’t have high levels of vitamin E.

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• Selenium is an antioxidant that can prevent chromosome breakage (a problem linked to both birth defects and miscarriages). Garlic is rich in selenium and therefore is a must for a fertility diet. Selenium and vitamins C and E can improve both your sperm cells’ production and their motility (swimming action)

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• L-Arginineis shown to double sperm and semen in recent studies; sperm health and activity also increase. Good sources of arginine include dairy products, beef, pork, granola, oatmeal, and nuts. Preliminary research indicates that taking L Arginine over a period of months helps boost sperm count, according to the University of Michigan Health System website. But in men with extremely low natural sperm count, L Arginine seems to be little or no help.

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• L-Carnitine is found in high concentrations in healthy sperm. Proven to significantly increase the percentage of highly motile sperm. This compound is biosynthesized from the amino acids lysine and methionine. L-Carnitine plays a powerful role in sperm formation, sperm maturation, and the maintenance of sperm quality. Beef is where you find high doses of L-carnitine, and there are small amounts in asparagus, and leafy greens. It is found in trace amounts from some select nuts and seeds.

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• Lycopene is the most common carotenoid in the human body and a very potent antioxidant. Lycopene has been shown to increase sperm quality. Fruits and vegetables that are high in lycopene include tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, pink guava, papaya, and red bell pepper. Armand Zini, MD, associate professor of surgery at McGill University in Montreal, addressed this issue during the 2004 meeting of the American Dietetic Association (ADA). He reported that oxidative damage is linked to male infertility, as is a low semen lycopene level.

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• Dont forget to drink enough WATER!. Dehydration is the number one cause of poor sperm production. Sperm components is mostly from water. Try to eat at least 8 glass of water a day.

How To Do It All In One Easy Step

When you eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that includes five servings of fruit and vegetables, two to three servings of dairy and protein products plus about five to six servings of grains, you automatically take in all the vitamins and minerals you need you need to produce healthy and high quality sperms every day. It is not recommended to eat the same menu over and over, instead well balanced diet is the key to maintain maximum benefit of every nutrients in food.

Beside foods, what should I do?

Other important lifestyle changes can also help increase sperm count, such as:

Exercise. Regular exercise will help reduce stress, and also improve your overall health but be careful. Excessive exercise can cause harm, as can certain exercises that may negatively impact the testicles, such as bicycling.

Enough rest. Make sure you sleep adequately about 6-8 hours a day to give the body enough time to regenerate itself, including sperm.

Ejaculating less often. The more often a man ejaculates, the less dense the semen will be. Maintain a gap of three days between ejaculations.

Try to eat organic foods. Some studies suggest a connection between chemical fertilizers and pesticides with both male and female infertility.

Early morning/afternoon ejaculation. It is believed that sperm levels are often highest in the morning, due to the peak testosteron level in the blood.

Lose any excess weight, which tends to cause testosterone/estrogen imbalances

What I Should NOT do?

Sperm quality also can be reduced by a number of factors.

Smoking definitely can lower sperm quality as can Excessive drinking/alcohol or drug use.

Avoid to highly stressing work or job, as stress can increase the amounts of free radicals in your body and therefore decrease your sperm quality.

Too frequent ejaculation can also slow sperm production, so try to wait 2-3 days between ejaculations.

Tight underpants, bathing in hot water for too long, and prolonged periods of sitting/ bicycling as these things have all been shown to lower sperm quality.

Anabolic steroid use and zinc deficiency have also been linked to low sperm quality.