HOW TO PREPARE NIGERIAN DELICIOUS PORRIDGE YAM.

#RECIPES/#INGREDIENTS
-Yam
-Palm oil
-Salt, Seasoning Cubes
-Smoked or dry fish
-Grinded pepper
-Vegetables (Either Spinach or Pumpkin/ugu leaf)
-Onion
-crayfish
-Water.

PRE-COOKING PROCEDURES

1. Peel and cut the yam tuber into medium sizes.
2. Wash the yam cubes and place in a sizeable pot.
3. Wash and cut the onions into tiny pieces. Grind or blend the chilli pepper. Set these aside.
4. If using dry fish, soak and pick the bones.

COOKING METHOD

1. Pour enough water to cover the yam cubes and start cooking at medium to high heat. If you are using dry fish, you can add it now.
2. When the yams starts boiling,  add the onions, ground crayfish, pepper, stock cubes, palm oil and the smoked fish.
3. Cover the pot and continue cooking till the yam is done.
4. Add salt to taste, stir properly and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the green vegetable, stir and leave to stand for about 2 minutes.
YUMMY......  YOUR DELICIOUS PORRIDGE YAM IS READY TO BE SERVED.

HOW TO PREPARE NUTRITIOUS NIGERIAN VEGETABLE/EDIKA-IKONG SOUP

#RECIPES
-Meat (washed)
-Stockfish(washed)
-Salt
-Kpomo/kanda (cut some into tiny pieces)
-Periwinkle (washed)
-Maggi seasoning cubes
-Water leaf (washed and sliced)
-Pumpkin leaf (Ugu leaf, washed and sliced)
-Iru (optional)
-Palm oil
-Pepper (either yellow or red pepper)
-Onion (washed and diced)
-Crayfish

METHOD OF PREPARATION

-Put your washed stock fish in a pot with little water and place under minimal heat, allow to heat for few minutes then add your washed meat, kpomo, periwinkle and allow to steam for few minutes.

-Add a seasoning cube, pepper and salt to taste, stir, cover the pot and allow to heat until d little water added is almost dried. Then put the pot down.

NOTE: This is done in order not to have excess  water in the soup because the vegetables already has enough water contained in it.

-Bring a clean pot, place on the fire, add your Palm oil, do not allow the oil to bleach so as not to loose the nutrient under heat.

-Add salt and stir, add your washed sliced water leaf and stir until the oil is well circulated.
-Now add your pumpkin (ugu ) leaf and stir until you have an even mixture.

-Pour the steamed mixture of meat, Stock-fish, kpomo, periwinkle etc into the vegetable mixture, add pepper, onion and stir together. Taste for salt and add more if required.

-Now your vegetable soup is ready for consumption.
-It can be eaten with Semovita, Fufu, Eba, Pounded Yam, Amala as the case may be.

#NUTRIENT #CONTENTS.
Vitamins
Calcium
Water
Carbohydrate
Protein
Iron

Vegetables aid proper bowel movement and quick digestion because of its fibre content.

7 SIGNS THAT SAYS YOU NEED A GLASS OF WATER

Water is a very essential fluid to the body. It helps in the transportation of nutrients round the body. Without it, there will be an imbalance of salts and sugar in the body which will lead to disruption of body functions. That is why dehydration can be deadly.
The common sign of dehydration is thirst but the listed below signs are telling you to get a glass of water or re-hydrating fluid, as quick as possible.

1. Dry and sticky mouth i.e. thick saliva.

2. Fatigue; feeling tired.

3. Dry and cool skin.

4. Headache.

5. Dizziness.

6. Minimal urine.

7. Muscle cramps.

We are in the dry season, when our body easily lose water as sweat to the atmosphere in order to regulate its temperature.
Try to keep yourself hydrated by keeping a bottle of water close to you and gulp down some when you feel thirsty.

LETS TALK ABOUT #UKWA (#BREADFRUIT )

-This super food has a great nutritional value which includes an excellent source of potassium, vitamin and minerals.

-It maximizes the effect of sodium in the body.
-It's dietary fiber controls cholesterol levels.
-It contains antioxidants which helps the body develop resistance against  infections.
-Its a good source of energy.
-It is recommended for diabetic patient, because it helps in the production of insulin.
-It contains omega 3 and 6 fatty acid.
-It help radiate the skin because of its collagen content.
- It aids in speedy wound healing.

Consume breadfruit today and enjoy its Nutritional Benefits.

SWEET POTATO LEAVES : You might not want to throw them away after reading this.

Sweet potato roots are good source of carbohydrates, while sweet potato leaves along with stems contain additional nutritional components in much higher quantities than many other vegetables.

Sweet potato leaves are a physiologically functional food that offer protection from diseases linked to oxidation, such as cancer, allergies, aging and cardiovascular problems.

Sweet potato leaves are edible and cooked as a vegetable or curry in many parts of the world.

They are rich in vitamin B, βcarotene, iron, calcium, zinc, protein and contain high moisture than any other leafy vegetables.

Sweet potato leaves with their high nutritive value and antioxidants may become an excellent leaf vegetable.

Studies have shown that sweet potato leaves contain as many vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as spinach.

Levels of iron, calcium and carotene rank among the top, as compared with other major vegetables.

Health benefits and medicinal uses of sweet potato leaves

Antioxidant

Sweet potato leaves contain polyphenols, vitamins and anthocyanin which are great to fight against free radicals in the body.

Reduction of liver injury

Sweet potato leaves are rich in anthocyanin, βcarotene which helps to protect liver and reduce chances of liver injury.

Antimutagen

Sweet potato contains polyphenols, vitamins and anthocyanin
which act as antimutagen and helps to maintain proper metabolism homeostasis.

It also act as tumor suppressor and protect the cells against tumor-like behavior, such as high proliferation rate.

Anti-cancer

Sweet potato leaves contain ganglioside which is anti-carcinogen and helps to protect body from cancer.

Anti-hypertension

Eating sweet potato leaves exhibits anti-hypertension activity due to the presence of components like polyphenolics, vitamins and anthocyanin.

Anti-inflammation

Sweet potato leaves protect the body from inflammation or related diseases.

Promotion of bowel movement

Sweet potato leaves contain dietary fiber and jalapin which promote bowel movement and helps to relives constipation.

Anti-diabetes

Presence of acidic glycoprotein makes sweet potato leaves anti-diabetes and can control blood sugar naturally.

Anti-caries

Chewing sweet potato leaves is good for tooth health and helps to prevent tooth or bone decay.

Ultraviolet protection effect

Polyphenolics and vitamins present in sweet potato leaves also exhibits UV protection effect.

AMAZING HEALTH/MEDICINAL BENEFITS OF AFRICAN CHERRY (Agbalumo, Udara)

The African cherry, popular­ly called Udara (Udala) by the Ibos, and Agbalumo by the Yorubas, is a seasonal fruit that dominates the streets at the onset of harmattan in Nigeria.

Cherry has a chewable-edible skin that is green when unripe and orange-red colour when ripe. Its taste is sweet and sour at the same time with three to five big seeds inside.

Cherries are healthy for all. Like many other fruits and vegetables, they have anthocyanins in the skin. But the one in cherry is sci­entifically proven to act like anti- inflammatory drugs on enzymes and offers potential health effect on painful muscles and sports in­juries. This makes it a powerful an­ti-oxidants.

It is also a good source of copper, with small amount of zinc, iron, manganese, and potas­sium that are important for body fluids and regulating blood pres­sure.

Cherries provide us with 5% of our daily required Vitamin A and C. It has calcium that strengthens the bones and teeth. Its ascorbic acid is higher than that in orange and guava. It has melatonin that helps to ease the brain, calm nerv­ous irritability, relieves insomnia and even headaches.

It also serves as natural source of anti-oxidant booster that fights free radicals in the body. It reduces premenstrual cramps, eases hun­ger pain and stomach bloating. Re­search also has it that the anti-oxi­dant in cherries helps fight cancer, ageing, neurological diseases and even pre-diabetes condition.

It contains low fat and is high in fib­er that aids digestion which makes it ideal for weight watchers.

The tree is an excellent tree be­cause of its medicinal use. Research has it that the leaves help in reduc­ing glucose level in diabetics, there­by, serving the same function as in­sulin. It can also be used to treat tooth abscess, hypertension and intes­tinal issues. The seeds may also be used to reduce fever and diarrhea. Instead of being discarded, it is used for lo­cal games.

Cherries are, as well, ener­gy boosters when eaten between meals because it has 15g of carbo­hydrate.
Fresh ripe cherries can be eaten as a whole, in­cluding the skin to get the maxi­mum benefit.

NOTE: contact us for directions on how to use the leaves and seeds for medicine.