CINNAMON & DIABETES

As my mother has been diagnosed with diabetes and we were talking about this with a friend, the friend mentioned cinnamon as being a very good aid in dealing with this condition. 

This seemed rather odd to me and of course went straight to the internet. To my surprise I discovered a lot of information on exactly this subject. 
 
RESEARCH
The encouraging think about this is that a great deal of research has been done on cinnamon and its usefullness in healing deal with diabetes. 

Not only does cinnamon add a wonderful taste to so many of our recipes, it also adds to our health.

YAM BEANS

A couple of weeks ago at  my fruit & vetable shop I noticed this rather unusual fruit/vegetable I had never seen before. Being a rather curious type I naturally had to ask what it was & what to do with it. The explanation was a little difficult to follow and so I did what we all do these days, went to the internet of course. I found an amazing amount of very interesting information on yam beans! Not least of which how incredibly healthy it is. 

Also very interesting was how much research has been done on this incredibly healthy food. It is jam-packed with vitamins and minerals and I gained the impression that this is a food that perhaps we should all regularly add to our diet for general health and well-being. 
 
The yam bean can be eating raw or cooked, it can be eaten as a fruit or included in savoury dishes. I peeled and cut it and discovered that the flesh is white and raw tastes a cross between perhaps a potatoe and a pear. This may not sound all that appealing at first but I assure you, it is very tasty. Certainly, I thought so. 


I will now have to experiment by using it as a vegetable in main meals. There are a lot of sites on the internet for recipes as well as information on its healthful properties. Just google 'yam bean' and a large number of sites will come up.

HAPPY YAM BEANING!


I would love to hear what you think of this fruit/vegetable. So please add a comment and also share this information around.

CURCUMIN

I came across this gem the other day via a forum I am on, NICABM, and followed it up on Google. 

it would appear that curcumin from Tumeric has amazing health properties. Curcumin has been extensively scientifically researched and is now available in capsule form. If you are not into taking supplements, then adding Tumeric to your cooking would be a good way to go. 

Tumeric is a wonderful, deep yellow/orange spice that is added to curry and has been used by the Indians in their cooking for thousands of years. I have been using Tumeric in cooking for years and add it to soups, stews and and any other dishes that seem appropriate. It adds a wonderful flavour to sauces as well. 

One of the gifts I like to give my clients who see me for weight reduction, is to give them permission to enjoy food again. When we can incorporate such a wonderful spice as Tumeric into our cooking, it both increases taste and at the same time is good for our health. What could be more wonderful than that? 

Check out this website on curcumin. http://www.turmeric-curcumin.com/

Elke