Stuffed Courgette

Ms H

It is a light summer dish, it is suable for vegetarians, vegans, people with gluten and lactose intolerances.

This food is low in Saturated Fat and Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Niacin, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of dietary Fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese.

It helps to prevent inflammation and cancer because it contains selenium, folate and antioxidants. It aids to maintain good heart condition and blood pressure. High fibre intake can improve blood sugar, lipids and insulin levels.

Coconut oil	2 tbsp
Salt	Up to your taste
Black Pepper	Up to your taste
Red pepper powder	2 tsp
Egg	2     - optional
Cheese	50g grated -  optional

Method:

·      Cooke the soaked chickpeas or use ready cooked chickpeas.

·      Cooke the peeled and cleaned courgette in apple cider vinegar for 5 minutes. – Place the courgette into a baking tin and sprinkle it with apple cider vinegar and put it into the oven preheated to 180 ⁰C for 5 minutes.-

·      Using a big tablespoon of coconut oil fry the chopped onion and garlic in a pan until they get glassy and stir the sliced pepper in.

·      Add the cooked chickpeas.

·      Season it with salt, pepper and red Hungarian pepper powder.

·      Stir the chopped tomatoes in and cook it for 8-10 minutes.

·      Mix the 2 beaten eggs in. –optional

·      Spread a tablespoon of coconut oil evenly in a baking tin and place the half cooked courgettes in.

·      Fill the courgettes with this sauce.

·      Sprinkle the grated cheese on the top. –optional

·      Bake it in the oven for 15 minutes at 180 ⁰C.

7 Super Foods for Eyes As Sharp As a Hawk

By Janice Costa  

They say papaya is great for your skin, dairy products can do wonders for hair and lean fish can keep your heart pumping, but isn't there a part of your anatomy that you haven't been paying enough attention to? Your eyes! If you don't want glasses permanently perched on your nose and cataract blurring your vision in old days, you better take care of your peepers now. Here is our pick of 7 super foods that will do your eyes a world of good.

Carrots

Your mom must have grilled you about the importance of eating carrots since infancy and every bit of it is true. Carrots are loaded with beta carotene and antioxidants that help improve your vision and reduce the risk of cataract. Dice some carrots and add them to your soup, eat as munchies with your lunch or enjoy them with mayonnaise or a hummus dip. Get creative with your cooking; the plain-jane carrot does not have to be so bland anymore.

Tomatoes

Here is all the more reason to dig into juicy tomatoes. Tomatoes are a rich source of carotenoids and lycopene that help protect the retina from light-induced damages. When you include tomatoes in salad, we recommend adding olive oil dressing to the salad, as it boosts the absorption of lycopene, making it all the more nutritious.

Ostrich

The idea of eating ostrich might not exactly be appealing to your senses, but it does have its perks. Apparently, ostrich meat is loaded with proteins, zinc and iron - all of which are great for your eyes. Plus, it is not as fattening as beef or read meat. Cook the tender ostrich meat at just the right temperature and season it with herbs and you won't be able to tell the difference between ostrich and chicken meat.

Spinach

Just a cup of spinach contains approximately 20 milligrams of lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which can do wonders for your eyes. With enough lutein in your system you can safely keep the risk of muscular degeneration and cataract at bay. So, scrunch your nose and gobble up the spinach and your peepers will be thankful for it.

Eggs

If you are having a tough time keeping down the spinach, then you can also try eggs. Eggs have a decent amount of zeaxanthin that will work just as well for your system. Whether you like your eggs scrambled, poached or as omelet, make sure to eat at least two eggs every day.

Sweet Potatoes

Beta carotene to the rescue once again! The bright-orange cover of the sweet potatoes is loaded with beta carotene and you don't need to be told exactly how helpful it can be for your eyes. Sweet potatoes work great as side starch in dinner and when fried in little oil, it is the best fries ever, only minus the fat found in regular fries.

Nuts

You knew nuts can be great for your skin and hair, but did you know that it can also work wonders for your eyes? Nuts are an excellent source of vitamin E, which protects eyes from free radicals and slows down age-related muscular degeneration. Just an ounce of your favorite nut a day, be it walnut, peanut or sunflower seed and you are good for the day.

Don't forget to conduct regular eye exam, just to be sure.

If you don't want glasses permanently perched on your nose and cataract blurring your vision in old days, then you better take care of your peepers now. To find a reliable eye doctor, click on this link.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Janice_Costa/1768257

http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Super-Foods-for-Eyes-As-Sharp-As-a-Hawk&id=8344530 

How to Clean Your Fruits and Vegetables Appropriately

By Lilian Ritah Nekesa  

Cleaning your oranges, bananas, tomatoes and apples may sound like old plain common sense but have you ever wondered where your fruits were before you bought them! The fruits and vegetables you buy, may look clean when you pick them at the grocery store, but that's not always the case. Your fruits are handled by so many different hands all the way from the farm to the grocery store. Additionally, most produce are covered with a lot of pesticides and herbicides. All this means that a lot of bacteria and chemicals get accumulated. Such bacteria and chemicals could have potential risks to your health since they cause food-borne diseases.

We all need fruits and veggies in our diets but not the bacteria and chemicals that come along with them. Cleaning your fruits effectively is key especially when you plan to eat them raw. Many of us use just water to wash our fruits and vegetables, but we should consider the fact that pesticides are designed to withstand the rain, so using just water to remove the surface bacteria and chemicals may not be of great help. Many of us also think that it would be appropriate to wash our fruits and vegetables with dish soap/detergent. These household soaps have different properties and may contain undesirable chemicals as well. These soaps/detergents penetrate through the skin of fruits and vegetables making it impossible for you to rinse them off and that is why FDA does not recommend using dish washing agents/ detergents.

Here are 5 tips on how you can enhance the hygiene of your fruits:

1. Wash you hands with an anti-bacterial soap

Before you wash your fruits and vegetables, wash your hands with an anti-bacterial soap. Hands carry a lot of bacteria which can be easily transferred on your produce. However be sure to clean your hands thoroughly to ensure that you do not get the soap on your food.

2. Invest in a brush

Firm fruits and vegetables such as pineapples, potatoes, oranges and apples can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush while rinsing with clean water to remove dirt and residues.

3. Be thoroughly

Germs can bury themselves in tiny crevices. Before washing, cut off all stalks and stems which tend to be very dirty and ensure that you cut off stalks and stems. Remove bruised and damaged spots where bacteria can thrive. Also ensure that you wash everything, even if the pack states that they are pre-washed.

4. The outer layer

Despite the fact that you might peel the outer layer and throw it away, bacteria can still be transferred from the outer part to the inside part through the knife you use to peel. There shouldn't be an excuse of not cleaning the outer part in the name of 'I'm not going to eat the outer part.'

5. Consider cleaning using vinegar

Some dirt may not be entirely water soluble e.g pesticides, waxy preservatives and oils from hands of shoppers who touch each and every fruits and vegetable looking for the most appealing one. Vinegar could come in handy to dissolve such dirt. Consider using diluted vinegar solution of 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water which you can choose to keep in a spray bottle for convenience. The FDA does not currently recommend using soap however some food stores sell organic vegetable and fruit cleansers that are safe.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Lilian_Ritah_Nekesa/1348889

 http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Clean-Your-Fruits-and-Vegetables-Appropriately&id=7175737