AMPALAYA Health Benefits and Side Effects

Also known as Bitter Gourd or Bitter Melon is common in Southeast Asia, Amazon and in the Caribbean. Even before, folks believed and used Ampalaya as an effective cure to different illnesses. Fruits and leaves are both edible and is a good source of Vitamins. Good source for beta-carotene, Vitamin B, Iron, Calcium and Phosphorus.

In Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines, the Department of health approved and endorsed Ampalaya as an alternative medicine for diabetes mellitus 2. The study has been certified by the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC).

Clinical studies shows that ampalaya contains hypoglycemic properties found greatly in its fruit which is very effective in lowering sugar level in the body. Its efficacy is equivalent to medicine used to treat diabetes. The study revealed that a 100 milligram per kilo dose per day is comparable to 2.5 milligrams of the anti-diabetes drug Glibenclamide taken twice per day.


 Seeds and leaves can be pounded to treat wounds
 scalds and burns. Its powerful antibiotic properties is very effective in disinfecting cuts, scrapes, wounds and minor burns. Decoction of Ampalaya leaves and roots can be used as astringent for hemorrhoids.

Eating ampalaya can help prevent heart attack and stroke. It helps relaxing the vascular system walls helping blood to flow without restrictions from narrow passageways.
Its enzymes and nutrients can help to counter react the effects of alcohol and toxins to our body thus helps to maintain proper functionality of Spleen and Liver. Juice from ampalaya leaves and grounded seeds may serve as antiparasitic drug, it helps to expel intestinal parasites, can also be used in the treatment for dysentery,diarrhea,and chronic colitis.Grounded seeds can be taken 3x a day until ailments subsides.
It controls mucus build-up and the on-set chest congestion by restraining minor inflammation in the respiratory system making it effective to treat symptoms of colds such as coughing and fever.
By proper eating and including to healthy diet, it will help boosts immune system. It can help expel and regulates free radicals in the body and may prevent and protects us against diseases and certain cancers.
"Because of its purgative property large dozes of Ampalaya juice may cause pregnancy abortion" 
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Bitter Melon Salad

How To Prepare Hot Poultice

Things you need:

• Basin with 104°F hot water, or temperature of water patients' can take.
• Face towel or any thin cloth for poultice.
• Prescribed solution or guava leaves for infected wound.
• Oil or Cream for infants (Use only for Eye Poultice).
  
  Preparation:
• Boil water or with guava leaves for infected wound.
• Put oil or cream on forehead and eyelids for infants if poultice is for the eyes.
• Hold each end of the cloth to be used as poultice, and wring slightly. Dip or soak into hot water or into the solution and pull each end hardly to squeeze out excess water and solution.
• Pat poultice gently unto affected parts of the body.
• Continue applying to the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes, but change poultice every 3 minutes.
• Do not reuse poultice used for infected wounds.
• Dry the parts where poultice is applied using bath towel or dry cloth.
• Apply ointment or medication to infected wound, boil or ulcers as  prescribed by your doctor.
• Keep wounds dry and cover with gauze.
  
  
  • Helps increase blood circulation.
  • Helps to ease pain and congestion.
  
  

How To Prepare Cold Poultice

Things you need:

• Towel (face towel) or Bath towel for patience having convulsion
• Basin with 2/3 part of ice.
• Bath towel
• Fresh Shirt or garment to wear

Direction:

• Soak face towel into the basin and squeeze out the excess water.
• Gently and carefully pat it into affected parts of the body. Change poultice every 2 to 3 minutes.
• Continue using poultice until body temperature drops or stabilizes for patients with fever.
•  20 to 30 minutes for removing congestion's of body parts.
• Dry patients with bath towel and change the clothes to avoid chills.

Cold poultice is effective in:

•  lowering body temperature if applied to 1/4 part of your body or if applied in the back of neck and in the forehead.
• Helps lessen pain from edema or to injuries.
• Helps slows down bleeding.
• Helps to slow down heart beat if applied to chest above the heart.
• Helps to stop nose bleed.

Healthy Bitter Gourd Salad (Ampalaya Salad)

Ingredients:
1 full size Bitter Melon or Ampalaya
2 pcs Tomato
half slice red onion
ginger
2 tbsp vinegar  or 4 calamondin
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp. sugar

Slice Bitter Melon into thin slice, sprinkle 1 tbsp of salt and squeeze out the juice until it seems semi-transparent. Throw the bitter juice. Add the dissolve 1 tsp of sugar to 2 tbsp of vinegar or to calamondin juice. Add sliced Tomato and ginger then mix to cover all slices with vinegar. Top with thinly sliced ginger to add nice aroma and flavor.

Enjoy eating your healthy veggie salad.

Cough Natural/Herbal Home Remedy

Cough occurs when phlegm blocks the passage of air; and bronchitis.

Home Remedies:

• Put poultice in chest and back of the patient.
• inhale from steam from boiling water with 1 tsp. of Benzoin or Vicks.

Herbal Home Remedies

• Five-leaved Chaste tree or Lagundi -  Boil 4 tbsp of chopped dried leaves or 6 tbsp of fresh Lagundi leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes.
• Dosage:
• Adult - 1/2 glass, 3x a day.
• Infant - 1 tsp, 3x a day
• Children 2-6 years old - 2 tbsp, 3x a day.
• Children 7 - 12 years old - 1/4 cup, 3x a day

• Oregano - Boil 1 cup of fresh chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes.
• Dosage
• Adult - 1/2 cup, 3x a day
• Infant - 1 tsp, 3x a day
• Children 2-6 years old - 2 tbsp, 3x a day.
• Children 7 - 12 years old - 1/4 cup, 3x a day
• Chamomile - Boil 1 cup of chopped dried leaves and flowers or 1 1/2 cup of chopped fresh leaves of chamomile in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes.
• Dosage
• Adult - 1/2 glass, every 4 hours
• Infant - 1 tsp, every 4 hours
• Children 2-6 years old - 2 tbsp, every 4 hours.
• Children 7 - 12 years old - 1/4 cup,every 4 hours.
• Stink grass or coronitas (Kantutay) - Boil 1 cup of fresh coronitas leaves and flowers in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes.
• Dosage
• Adult - 1/2 cup, 3 x a day.
• Infants - 1 tsp. 3x a day
• Children 2-6 years old - 2tbsp. 3x a day.
• Children 7 - 12 years old - 1/4 cup 3x a day.  

• Fragrant Premna (Alagaw) - Boil 1 cup of chopped fresh leaves of Fragrant Premna inc glasses of water for 15 minutes. Separate leaves using strainer and squeeze 2 calamondin and add 1 tbsp sugar.
• Dosage
• Adult - 1/2 cup every 4 hours.
• Infant - 1 tsp. every 4 hours
• Children 2-6 years old - 2 tbsp every 4 hours
• Children 7-12 years old - 1/4 cup every 4 hours.

 "There are available herbal medicine in capsule or tablet form for cough, ask your pharmacist"

Green Fusion: Healthy Avocado and Moringga Puree

This is a very simple and nutritious recipe and the best way to "drink" your fruit and veggie.

'Green Fusion'

Ingredients:
1 whole avocado fruit (scraped from its skin)
1 cup Malunggay or moringga leaves
1 cup sugar (best if you use honey)
35g skimmed or powdered milk
Ice cubes or crashed ice
3 cups of water

throw into blender except the moringga leaves and blend until all ingredients and the texture become thick, add moringga leaves and quickly blend.

For Nutrtional Information of ingredients:
Malunggay (Moringga)
Avocado

Malunggay (Moringga): A tree of life

In the Philippines, Malunggay or Moringga tree is common and can be seen almost everywhere. Used as fence or planted for the purpose of its leaves which widely used by Filipinos for soup. Sad to say, even if the tree is known and common, thousands if not millions of people often unnoticed this tree as a source of Vitamins and minerals that can help prevent malnutrition. I was inspired to write this blog because I saw a street where Malunggay is very abundant and I noticed that nobody cares to pick a single leaf or pod for vegetable or medicinal purposes.

Here are the reasons why we should eat Malunggay:

Nutrition rich compared to other fruits and vegetables:

• Vitamin A - contains 6.8 mg compared to carrots which contains 1.8 mg.
• Calcium - contains 440 mg than milk with 120 mg only.
• Potassium - contains 259 mg compared to banana which contains 88 mg.
• Protein - 6.7 g compared to 3.1 g in yogurt
• Vitamin C - 220 mg compared to 30 mg in orange.
• Contains 3x more iron than spinach

The best part of Malunggay are the leaves because its Nutritional Value. Can be dried and used as healthy tea.

Moringa oleifera leaf, raw 

Carbohydrates	8.28 g
-Dietary fiber	2.0 g
Fat	1.40 g
Protein	9.40 g
Water	78.66 g
Vitamin A equiv.	378 μg (47%)
Thiamine (vit. B1)	0.257 mg (22%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2)	0.660 mg (55%)
Niacin (vit. B3)	2.220 mg (15%)
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.125 mg (3%)
Vitamin B6	1.200 mg (92%)
Folate (vit. B9)	40 μg (10%)
Vitamin C	51.7 mg (62%)
Calcium	185 mg (19%)
Iron	4.00 mg (31%)
Magnesium	147 mg (41%)
Manganese	0.36 mg (17%)
Phosphorus	112 mg (16%)
Potassium	337 mg (7%)
Sodium	9 mg (1%)
Zinc	0.6 mg (6%)

 Percentages are relative to
US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database


The mature seed pods also known as "drumstick" are commonly cooked and eaten. It is high in Vitamin C. The seeds from mature pods can be eaten roasted or like peas. In the Philippines mature seeds are used as medication to lower high blood pressure.

Moringa oleifera pods, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	37 kcal (150 kJ)
Carbohydrates	8.53 g
- Dietary fiber	3.2 g
Fat	0.20 g
Protein	2.10 g
Water	88.20 g
Vitamin A equiv.	4 μg (1%)
Thiamine (vit. B1)	0.0530 mg (5%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2)	0.074 mg (6%)
Niacin (vit. B3)	0.620 mg (4%)
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.794 mg (16%)
Vitamin B6	0.120 mg (9%)
Folate (vit. B9)	44 μg (11%)
Vitamin C	141.0 mg (170%)
Calcium	30 mg (3%)
Iron	0.36 mg (3%)
Magnesium	45 mg (13%)
Manganese	0.259 mg (12%)
Phosphorus	50 mg (7%)
Potassium	461 mg (10%)
Sodium	42 mg (3%)
Zinc	0.45 mg (5%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

.
 More benefits from Malunggay:

• helps maintain cholesterol balance in the body.
• said to stimulate more milk for lactating mothers.
• known to balance sugar level in the body, making it more healthy to diabetic person and may help to prevent others to prevent diabetes.
• helps boost immune system of the body and very powerful in fighting malnutrition.
• helps prevent blindness because of high beta-carotene content.
• promotes healthy digestive system.
• believed to increase semen count.
• loaded with pythochemicals  to help you fight against cancer.
• aide to lower blood pressure.

Because it can effectively boost the immune-system of a person, it can help strengthen the health of HIV infected person and may slows down in developing AIDS.