What is it about garlic that makes it so beneficial to health?
Garlic contains a sulphur-bearing compound called allicin - the chemical that gives its pungent taste and smell, and it's believed to be the magic component of garlic responsible for its health qualities.
 Most of the recent research on garlic has focused on its ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as offering protection against strokes and heart disease. Regularly eating garlic also help the body fight off infections because of its antibacterial properties.
Cooking with garlic:
You can get the most out of garlic by crushing, blending or finely slicing its cloves. Allow to stand for a while (to allow the full development of allicin) before adding to cooking. Ideally garlic should be added about 5-10 minutes before the end of cooking to avoid the destruction of the valuable components, even though moderate cooking helps to develop allicin further.
Eating garlic daily goes a long way to protect and boost health!
Are all fats bad?
No! Some are actually essential for health and vitality.
There are two categories of fats; saturated and unsaturated.
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and can be found in animal products like meat, cheese, milk and ice-cream. These fats increase the body’s production of LDL cholesterol and increase the risk of coronary diseases.
Unsaturated fats on the other hand are good and essential for health because they can help to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL good cholesterol. These are found in vegetable oils, seeds and nuts.
Unsaturated fats are further categorised as mono and poly unsaturates. Both have health benefits. Sources of monounsaturates include: olives, avocados, peanuts etc.
Poly unsaturates are found in fish oil and palm oil.
Where to find those antioxidants?
Antioxidants fight against the damaging effects of free-radicals.
Free-radicals are unstable molecules that are produced by our bodies, normally during metabolism. Sometimes the body’s immune system’s cells create free radicals to neutralise viral or bacterial activities. Environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides can also cause the release/production of free radicals.
Normally, the body can handle free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur. Free radical damage can include deteriorating skin, eyesight, oxidising bad fat (LDL) which chokes arteries and cell damage. Without enough antioxidants, to counter the effects of free radicals, this can eventually lead to increased risk cell damage and other serious medical conditions.
Examples of anti-oxidants are Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Vitamin A.
Some sources of vitamin A: palm oil has the highest content of carotenes found in nature, carrots, foods with bright red-orange colour.
Some sources of vitamin E: palm oil, nuts and seeds, vegetable oils, fish oils
Some sources of vitamin C: tomatoes, citrus fruits, broccoli, spinach
Eating a diet containing 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables will ensure that you get high levels of antioxidants in your daily diet.
Truth about Chillis
There are hundreds of varieties of chillis known and used by humans. They are desired for their flavour and aroma which are believed to define dishes in which they have been used. Consumption of chillis cuts across continents from Africa to Asia and South America. All chillis contain a substance known as capsaicin which is responsible for the heat they provide when eaten. Chilli varieties have varying contents of capsaicin dictating how mild or hot the resulting dish is.
 Chillis are generally believed to have medicinal properties. Medical research shows that they can act as an effective decongestant, thin blood and aid digestion. They also contain small quantities of minerals and vitamins such as vitamin A & C.
Nigerians eat a lot of chillis in comparison with other West African nations. There is a popular adage which says, "a life without chilli is a weak life!" They are used a great deal in traditional cooking.
Cooking with chillis:
Scotch bonnets (rodo) is the most widely used variety of chilli in Nigerian cooking and is rated as Extra hot! Take care when handling them. To reduce heat you can remove the seeds before cooking. Dropping them whole into stews or soups rather than blending with other ingredients also reduces heat. Those who suffer from stomach ulcers or those who cannot tolerate spicy foods must avoid eating chillis.
The Truth about Palm Oil
Palm oil is the product of extracting, cooking and pressing the flesh of the palm fruit. It has an intense bright red colour which makes it desirable and defines the taste and appearance of the dishes in which it has been used.
Sometimes referred to as crude palm oil, red palm oil is the richest natural source of beta carotenes. It also contains powerful anti-oxidants that help to fight against aging effects and disease.
 Pure red palm oil is in a semi-solid state at room temperature, and has a very distinctive taste and odour. Used in West African diets for thousand of years, palm oil has been successfully used as a treatment for Vitamin A deficiencies.
In western countries, palm oil is often refined to bleach its colour, and remove tastes & odour to improve appearance and acceptance. But is must be said that the red unrefined pure palm oil remains the healthier choice.
Palm oil contains the highest quantities of carotene found in nature, about 30 times more than those found in carrots. Carotene is the basis for the formation of vitamin A in the body and this is essential for protection against night blindness, cataracts, age related muscular degeneration, free radicals (which cause cancer) and low immunity.
Some Palm Oil Fact
- Has a long history of dietary use spanning over 5000 years just live olive oil
- Highly organic and produced through a simple non-chemical process.
- Palm oil is high in both saturates (49%) and unsaturates (51%) but its saturates content is not classified as those found in animals.
- Palm oil is cholesterol free!
- Increasingly being used by food manufacturers as a substitute for trans-fat.
- Rich in tocopherols and tocotrienols (precursor for vitamin E) and carotenes (pro-Vitamin A)
- Palm oil saturates and unsaturates separate into two layers at room temperature. The saturates are solid and unsaturates remain liquid on the top layer.
- Palm oil saturates is excellent for frying with lower tendency to oxidise.
- Palm oil is readily digestible and absorbed to be utilised as a source of energy.
- It was found that Palm oil didn’t contribute to a rise in body cholesterol but significantly reduces lipoprotein in the blood plasma in those who regularly used it as the main source of their dietary fat.
Olive oil vs. Palm oil
Oliver oil has been used in the Mediterranean for over 5000 years and its benefits have been proven by its high content monounsaturates and oleic acid. Both olive and palm oils share one component in common: monounsaturated oleic acid. Olive oil contains a greater proportion, around 70%, compared with palm oil, which averages 42 to 53%.
Cooking with palm oil
Palm oil is suitable for cooking different dishes including stews and soups. It is also ideal for frying and dressing. Care should be taken as over heating of palm oil may deplete the carotene content. To preserve the components of palm oil it best to add palm oil to dishes towards the end of cooking to retain the nutrients.
Try this recipe for a change (courtesy www.palmoilconsumer.com)
Recipe for a dressing:
- ¼ cup red palm oil
- ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
- 1 crushed clove of garlic
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon style mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- A squirt of lemon juice
- Grated rind of half a lemon
- A pinch of chilli flakes
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