Earth News

farmeric March 22nd, 2010

Here’s our second series about the Truth About Coconut Oil. The first post was about Is Coconut Oil Bad for You?.

Another reason people believe coconut oil must be bad for you is misguided association: it is a saturated fat and “saturated fats are bad for you.” Dietary guidelines inevitably fail to distinguish between different kinds of saturated fats and insist that saturated fats (meaning all saturated fats) are harmful.

This is not just misleading. It is bad science. Leading scientists now recognize that just as there is good cholesterol, there are also good saturated fats.

Fats are classified as short-, medium- or long-chain based on the number of carbon molecules they contain. Nearly two-thirds of the saturated fat in coconut oil consists of medium-chain fatty acids.

When we eat long-chain fatty acids, they must be Continue Reading »

Tags: benefits of coconut oil, coconut, coconut oil, tree of life

• Environment , Food , Health , Herbal , Natural Cures , Plants , Uncategorized , coconut
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farmeric March 21st, 2010

Is Coconut Oil Bad for You? Hardly.

There is widespread misconception that coconut oil is bad for you because it is said to raise blood cholesterol and cause heart disease.

In fact, studies said to “prove” these assertions were flawed. In one study, there were no Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) provided in the diet; the absence of these EFAs alone would be expected to cause the results.

Other studies used hydrogenated coconut oil. It is now known that the process of hydrogenation creates “trans fatty acids” (TFAs), which are toxic entities that enter cell membranes, block utilization of essential fatty acids (EFAs) and impede cell functionality. TFAs also cause a rise in blood cholesterol. These substances are not present in natural coco- nut oil.

In other words, a study based on hydrogenated coconut oil has no relevance to the non-hydrogenated coconut milk or coconut oil that you eat.

Widespread studies of coconut-consuming populations such as those found in Polynesia and Sri Lanka, show that “dietary coconut oil does not lead to high serum cholesterol nor to high coronary heart disease mortality or morbidity.” Other studies show no change in serum cholesterol level from coconut oil.

And if it is true that the herpes virus and cytomegalovirus have a causative role in the initial formation of atherosclerotic plaques, coconut oil may be beneficial in preventing heart disease.

Tags: benefits of coconut oil, coconut, coconut oil, tree of life

• Environment , Food , Health , Herbal , Natural Cures , Uncategorized , Virgin Coconut Oil , coconut
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farmeric November 6th, 2009

This is a story as told by Dr. Vivencio Mamaril, a member of the Bureau of Plant Industry Biotech Core Team.

Among the vegetables we eat, malunggay has already earned various tags- healthiest vegetable, a miracle tree, lowly but high in nutrition, and many others. It’s now even tagged as the most healthiest food and miracle food as well.

Malunggay Vitamins and Minerals

There must be something and someone in malunggay that made it as the most popular vegetable in the country today.

Here comes the story, as it happened and is happening before Dr. Vivencio Mamaril very own eyes.

The basic, malunggay has seven times in amount of vitamin C as compared with orange fruit, four times the calcium in milk, four times the vitamin A in carrot and three times the potassium in banana.

According to Dr. Mamaril, it has been so long time that we were not aware of the vitamins and other nutrients malunggay can provide not until the Department of Agriculture (DA) made some noise about malunggay.

The Department of Agriculture (DA), through its Biotechnology Program Implementation Unit, were surprised to learned that there is a business enterprise that is much interested to buy malunggay foliage and seeds. The demand for foliage and seeds is so huge that no single grower or an aggregate of growers can fill the demand.

The truth is, there are no malunggay growers who can produce seeds and foliage in great quantity, and there is no existing technology for it as well. Due to this challenge, Continue Reading »

Tags: malunggay, malunggay recipe, malunggay vegetables, Moringa Recipe

• Environment , Food , Health , Herbal , Plants , malunggay
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farmeric September 13th, 2009

Eating, Drinking Your Way To A Healthy Life

An interview with Dr. Maxima Flavier of UPLB
By   VIRGINIA   ANN   BURGOS

A HEALTHY lifestyle today is associated with the use of natural compounds derived from food crops. Nutraceuticals, the food substances that provide medical or health benefits including prevention and treatment of diseases, and cosmeceuticals, substances that bank on natural ingredients to enhance beauty, are the emerging trend in health and wellness, especially in the US and in Europe.

The use of traditional components is not new to Filipinos. Long before researches on nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals were undertaken, traditional herbs were already being used as health remedies, especially in the rural areas. Some of the most common herbs used in the rural areas include banaba, for urinary tract infection, lagundi, commonly used as expectorant but also has many benefits, and ginger, for arthritis, these herbs are now being developed for commercial consumption by other pharmaceutical companies.

The utilization of natural medicines is one of the advocacies of Dr. Maxima Flavier, director of the Institute of Chemistry (IC) at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños (UPLB). “I prefer to use traditional natural products; you get them by eating their sources,” she told Biolife as she discussed the benefits of natural products like rice bran and siling labuyo.

Dr. Flavier was also the co-adviser of a study undertaken by IC on the health and medicinal benefits of rice bran as an angiogenic. Before this, she stayed in Japan for a year as a visiting professor conducting research on the effective utilization of rice bran.

Their study in UPLB showed that rice bran contains Phytosterols. Phytosterols are now being incorporated in the production of food and beverage, as studies have showed that they help prevent heart diseases by reducing the level of bad Continue Reading »

Tags: Food, Health, healthy diet, natural medicine, rice bran, siling labuyo

• Environment , Food , Health , malunggay
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farmeric July 2nd, 2009

You should never brew Malunggay Tea with hot water and then cool it to prepare cold or iced tea.  Instead, please double the amount of the Malunggay Tea leaves used to brew it in cold water in a sealed container.   This way you keep the aroma, the natural color and the medicinal health benefits of the Malunggay Tea.  The reason this way is better, is that you avoid oxidation that can occur if the tea is left open to the air in an attempt to cool it after hot brewing.

The brewing time is actually very short.  For example, 10-15 cups of tea can be brewed in a jar in the ice box in just 30-45 minutes.  Please note that you can refill the jar with water to brew more tea when the level reaches one third full.

You may repeat the same procedure up to 3 times using the same Malunggay Tea leaves.

Malunggay iced tea is better than drinking water for walkers, runners, cycling, mountain climbing or any athletic sport in general that demands replenishment of body fluids.

7 Guidelines for Good Tea Making

1. Always start with spring water or distilled water (ideally spring), and make sure it is fresh and cool.
2. Bring the water to a full, rolling boil in a stainless steel kettle, and then remove the kettle from heat immediately, as water that is allowed to boil too long loses the oxygen gas dissolved in it and can cause your tea to taste flat. Continue Reading »

   Tags: Food, how to plant malunggay, malunggay recipe, uses of malunggay
   

   • Environment , Food , Health , Herbal , Plants , Uncategorized , malunggay
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farmeric June 28th, 2009

Malunggay tea processing is the method in which the leaves from Moringa oleifera are transformed into the dried leaves for brewing. Malunggay tea is considered a dietary source of important vitamins and minerals.  Tea from malunggay is a healthy drink and contains a higher level of polyphenols (flavonoids), which are known for anti-oxidant activity.

Harvesting and collection of leaves for drying. Harvesting is done by picking 2-3 younger green leaves and with no signs of yellowing of the compound leaves with snap.  Collected leaves are placed in a tray before transporting them in a drying shade.

Sorting and cleaning. Immediately after harvesting, collected leaves are cleaned and sorted out with un-necessary materials such as dust and laid out in a in a plastic tray or basket with 2-3 cm. fine mesh.

Air-drying. Air drying will last with in 2-3 days in a shade house and not sun dry for this will affect the quality of the tea if it is exposed to sun.  The tea leaves will begin to wilt soon after picking, with a gradual onset of enzymatic oxidation. Air drying is used to remove excess water from the leaves and allows a very light amount of oxidation. The leaves can be left in a cool breezy room to pull moisture out from the leaves. The leaves sometimes lose more of their weight in water during wilting. Continue Reading »

Tags: allergies, coconut oil, flower, fruit, Health, Herbal, herbs, honey, malunggay, medicines, Plants, seeds, sickness, tea, treat, vitamins, worms, wound

• Environment , Food , Health , Herbal , Plants
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farmeric June 25th, 2009

Every day we face health risks in the workplace. From commuting using public transportation until we arrived in our work. It is our duty to protect ourself and be in good health while on the job.

Keeping yourself healthy and safe at work is mostly common sense, but we tend to get so busy and stressed out that we sometimes forget to take the basic precautions.
Common sense tips you can use every day to stay healthy at work.

• Use ergonomically designed equipment if possible. Make sure your chair, your keyboard, your mouse, and your monitor are positioned for your greatest comfort.
• Don’t let your workspace become a breading ground for germs, insects, or other nasties.You might not have that much control over others’ hygiene, but try to keep your own equipment and workspace reasonably clean.
• If you have or have recently had a cold, periodically wipe down your monitor, keyboard, and phone. And, use tissues and dispose of them properly. Continue Reading »

  Tags: colds, flu, Health, sickness, swine flu
  

  • Environment , Food , Health , Tips
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farmeric June 18th, 2009

Just this April and May, we suffered from a sudden swine flu spread. This illness originated from the country of Mexico. Lots of people died from the swine flu.

Some of its symptoms are fever, sore throat, and body aches. Remedy is an intake of the antiviral medicine.
The word swine is actually another name for PIG and this animal carries the virus of Influenza A (H1N1). It is transmittable in humans when somebody near coughs or sneezes. Washing your hands is a good way to prevent getting infected or using hankies or tissues to cover the mouth when sneezing instead of only your hands. Another fact is that the swine flu is not the same as the seasonal flue, which is present during fall or winter.

A good daily hygiene habit  is the right thing to do to avoid it. Steps are:

• Regular washing of hands, especially before and after eating
• Prevent eyes, nose and mouth contact from your hands, because germs gets easily transmitted thru this
• Have your own cup or pair of utensils
• Stay away from infected persons, even of other flu’s

Swine flu is here to stay for a long period of time. Months, weeks or even years (maybe?) might be the contamination swine flu season and before its story gets told.

Tags: flu, h1n1 virus, influenza, swine flu

• Environment , Food , Health
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farmeric June 5th, 2009

Influenza A (H1N1)

Influenza A (H1N1) is a new virus causing illness in people.  This new virus was first detected in people in April 2009 in the United States.  This virus is spreading from person-to –person, probably in much the same way that the regular seasonal influenza viruses spread.

Influenza A (H1N1) is fatal to humans

Signs and symptoms in humans

- similar to the symptoms of regular flu such as

• Fever
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Lack of appetite
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Cough

- V omitting or nausea
- Diarrhea

Mode of Transmission

- Exposure to droplets from the cough and sneeze of the infected person
Influenza A (H1N1) is not transmitted by eating thoroughly cooked pork.

Prevention

- Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing Continue Reading »

Tags: flu, h1n1 virus, influenza, swine flu

• Environment , Food , Health , Tips
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farmeric March 27th, 2009

On March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm, tens of millions of people around the world will turn out their lights for one hour — Earth Hour—to demonstrate their concern for our living planet and send a loud message to our leaders that they support action on climate change. Here are a few ideas for ways your organization can support and publicize Earth Hour:

1. Hold a contest among employees with a prize for the best ideas for reducing waste and cutting energy consumption in your company’s daily operations.
2. Ask your business partners, suppliers and industry peers to support Earth Hour. Hang banners and posters so that your support is visible to all who enter your offices or buildings.
3. Turn your website “go black” during the week leading up to Earth Hour; make all white backgrounds black and all black text white. (Google did this in 2008!) Post a blurb about the event on your homepage that links to the Earth Hour home page.
4. Hold a company-wide event or celebration for employees the week proceeding Earth Hour and serve “green-themed” refreshments. Host an Earth Hour “lights out” party for your staff, customers and vendors on the night of the event. Be sure to turn out at 8:30 pm local time. Continue Reading »
   

   Tags: 60 minutes, climate change, earth, earth hour, electricity, Global warming, green house, hour, lights out, wwf
   

   • Environment , Global warming
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