Hemorrhoids is a real pain the … well, you know where.  Essentially, varicose veins in an extremely inconvenient spot, hemorrhoids some of which bleed and some of which don’t – typically occur with chronic  constipation, the result of repeated straining to go to the bathroom.  (Diarrhea can aggravate hemorrhoids.)  Hemorrhoids are more common with age as the muscles that help propel blood through the veins tend to weaken – especially if we become overweight and sedentary.  They are also common in pregnant women because of the extra pressure the baby puts on abdominal veins and because pregnancy hormones relax blood vessels, both of which cause veins to swell.

Many of us who are not pregnant can probably blame the problem on the typical Western diet – and the typical Western lack of exercise.  What is the solution then?  Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains — foods that promote regularity and along with foods that strengthens blood vessels.  Why not cook dinner tonight?  You can sneak in plenty of these foods and get out of your chair for a while (sitting for long periods also contributes to hemorrhoids.)

FOOD PRESCRIPTION:

1.  Water:  When you do not drink enough water, fiber becomes a plug instead of a broom.  The other thing you can do with water is sit in it, preferably with some Epsom salts added, since salt literally pulls fluid from the blood trapped on a varicose vein or hemorrhoid to reduce swelling and inflammation.

Strive to drink between 8 and ll eight-ounce glasses or 2-3 liters, a day.

Foods that help prevent constipation.

Hemorrhoids are mainly associated with constipation, and in view of this, you will want to follow all the advice regarding constipation.

Fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains, these are all full of fiber, the key to a smooth running digestive system.  These absorb fluids to bulk up and soften waste material.  That helps stool pass more easily through the colon, where muscle contractions move it along.  Fiber is particularly dense in the skin, stems, and leaves of fruits and plants so do not peel that apple or toss those broccoli stalks.

Dark green leafy vegetables (like spinach, petchay, Kangkong, sweet potato tops, Malunggay, Saluyot, broccoli, spinach, etc.) can do double duty not only because of their fiber but also because of their high magnesium content.  Be sure to increase your fiber slowly; a sudden jump may wreak havoc with your system.

A great way to get fiber is to start your day with a bowl of oatmeal topped with prunes rather than sugar.  Set an objective or at least 25 to 35 Gms o fiber a day. 

Prunes are now known as dried plums, they act as a mild laxative, stimulating muscles to push waste through the large intestine five prunes provides about 3 grams of fiber, but because prune juice is equally effective as a laxative, researchers doubt that fiber is the key.

1 cup of prune juice with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or 4 prunes a day. Stewed prunes or prunes that have been soaked overnight may be easier to digest than the dry variety. Warning though, do not overdo it or you will end up with diarrhea.

Coffee and other hot liquid gives us that “get up and go” but it also gives us the urge to “sit down and go”.  Part of the reason in that hot liquids help move the bowels.  Coffee may also trigger intestinal muscles to contract.  It is not a good long-term solution especially because coffee is a diuretic (so drink plenty of water as well), but in the short term, it should help do the trick.

Another alternative is hot water mixed with 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice.  The juice stimulates the release of bile, and that can kick-start intestinal contractions.

Aim for only a cup or two of black coffee or an 8-ounce mug of hot water mixed with 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Flaxseed and Psyllium Both help to bulk up stool.  Try drinking a cup of cocoa with a teaspoon of ground flaxseed mixed before bedtime.  Or Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flaxseed over cereal that lists psyllium as one of the first ingredients.

Aim for 1 or 2 teaspoons daily with plenty of water.

Salad, European-style In Europe, many people eat their salads at the end of a meal.  Adding that crunchy fiber as a finishing touch can help push the rest of the food through the digestive tract. Eating fruit an hour before or after a meal can also help.  Aim for eating a fruit one hour before or after a meal and a small salad at the end of dinner.

Berries The darker the berry the sweeter the fruit and the more flavonoids it contains.  Flavonoids found in many berries but also in citrus fruits and onions, help to reduce inflammation and strengthen blood vessel walls.  Some researcher suggests that they may also reduce the pain, bleeding itching, and even the recurrence of hemorrhoids.

The French prescription medicine for hemorrhoids are finely ground highly purified flavonoids called diosmin and hesperidin are the active ingredient of Dalfon.

Kale, Spinach and other foods high in vitamin K Vitamin K is key for helping blood clot and eating more of these foods may benefit people who have hemorrhoids that bleed.

Herbs and spices add distinctive flavors to our cooking.  But little do most people know that the red, yellow and brown powers they sprinkle on their food – not to mention the fresh herbs they cook with—also add significant health benefits.  Herbs and spices come from plants, and many plants as scientists are continuously learning, contain a variety of healing substances—often found in high concentrations in the seeds, oils, and other plant parts that make up herbs and spices.

You think of blueberries when you think about antioxidants, but you should also think of cloves.  You know by now that fatty fish combats inflammation, but so does ginger.  Certain herbs and spices such as garlic and tumeric in particular – may even help us stave of cancer.  And many are potent killers of bacteria and viruses.

These selected ten herbs and spices are the most outstanding of the group.

Cayenne:  The burning sensation you get when you eat foods spiced with cayenne, comes from capsaicin, the oily compound behind most of the health benefits of cayenne and its pepper relatives.  Capsaicin is the active ingredient in many prescription and over-the-counter creams ointments, and patches for arthritis and muscle pain.  Over time, it short-circuits pain by depleting nerve cells of a chemical called substance P, which help transfer pain signals along nerve endings to the brain.  It is also used for treating shingles pain and diabetes-related nerve pain.

1.  It will enhance the traditional cold remedy of chicken soup if it is sprinkled with cayenne.  Cayenne shrinks the blood vessels in the nose and throat which relieves congestion.
2. It is a metabolism enhancer as it speeds up the calorie-burning furnace of the body for a couple of hours after eating.
3. It is thought to act as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant.
4. It is believed to have anti-cancer properties.

Cinnamon:  It is one of the most powerful healing spices. 

1. It is most famous for its ability to improve blood sugar control to people with diabetes.
2. Some of its compounds improve insulin functions significantly lowering blood sugar with as little as ¼ tsp. to ½ tsp. per day.
3. The same amount could cut down triglycerides and total cholesterol levels by 12 to 30 percent.
4. It can help prevent blood clots making it heart smart.

Cloves:  This is an aromatic spice common in Indian cooking, which contains an anti-inflammatory chemical called eugenol.  This chemical inhibitor COX-2, a protein that spurs inflammation.

1. It ranks extremely high in antioxidant properties based on one study.
2. The combination of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties plenty of health benefits, from boosting protection from heart disease to helping stave off cancer.
3. Slows down the cartilage and bone damage caused by arthritis.
4. Compounds in cloves, like those found in cinnamon, also improve insulin function.

Coriander:  The seeds yield cilantro also known as Chinese parsley (Wansoy) a staple in Mexican, Vietnamese, Thai and Indian cooking. 

1. The seeds have been used for thousands of years as a digestive aid.  Make a strong tea from crushed seeds.  Strain before drinking.
2. It can help some people with irritable bowel syndrome because it calms intestinal spasms that can lead to diarrhea.
3. It used traditionally also as an anti-anxiety herb.
4. Its essential oils fight bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella.
5. Currently it is being studied for its potential cholesterol-reducing benefit which studies revealed that it lowered cholesterol in animals.
6. Coriander acts as an anti-oxidant and Cilandro leaves provide the most anti-oxidant punch of all.

Garlic:  Smash a clove of garlic and take in the pungent aroma.  That famous odor comes from byproducts of allicin, the sulfur compound believed to be responsible for most of the herbs medicinal benefits.  It is what gives garlic its sting.

1.  In some studies, Garlic can reduce moderately cholesterol levels between 5 to 10 percent thus levels the risk of heart disease be as much as 76% by thinking the blood and thereby staving off dangerous clots, and by acting as an anti-oxidant.
2. Its sulfur compounds also appear to ward of cancer, especially stomach and colorectal cancers. 
3. The compounds flush the carcinogens before the damage cell DNA, and force cancer cells that do develop to self-destruct.
4. It is a strong antibacterial and antifungal and can help with yeast infections, some sinus infections and the common colds. 
5. It also repels ticks, even friends and family if you enjoy eating garlic.

Ginger:  This root is a major player in Asian and Indian medicine for centuries, primarily as a digestive aid. 

1. Ginger‘s property to combat inflammation has made researchers very excited about it.
2. Ginger and tumeric reduces pain and swelling in people with arthritis.
3. It works against migraine by blocking inflammatory substances called prostaglandins.
4. In view of this, it may also play a role in preventing and slowing down the growth of cancer.
5. Ginger is god for the stomach because it works in the digestive tract, boosts digestive juices and neutralizes acids as well as reducing intestinal contractions
6. It is proven to be effective against nausea.  It works as well as Dramamine and other nausea stopping drugs, with the added benefit that it does not make one sleepy.
7. It is effective as a preventive medicine, i.e. take it before you feel the symptoms.
8. It is a good short term treatment for morning sickness.

Mustard:  It is made from the seeds of a plant in the cabbage family – considered as a group of strong anti-cancer plants.  Based on studies conducted, mustard seeds contain compounds that suggest may inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

1.    It packs heat that break up congestion.  It is usually used for chest plasters. 

2.  Like Cayenne pepper, it has the ability to deplete nerve cells of substance P, a chemical that transmits pain in the brain, when used externally.

3.    It also stimulates appetite by increasing the flow of saliva and digestive juices.

4.    Mustard powder when added to footbath helps kills athlete’s foot fungus.

5.    Eat not more than a teaspoon of mustard seeds otherwise it can induce vomiting, 

Nutmeg:  It is one of the more important spice imported from the Spice Islands, where it got its

name.

1. Nutmeg has hallucinatory effects those results from the ingestion of large amounts of nutmeg.
2. Its active ingredient myristicin is similar to that caused by the drug ecstasy.
3.  Nutmeg poisoning is real this is the nasty side effect of nutmeg if ingested in large quantities.
4. Nutmeg is a seed of an evergreen tree. And mace is the outer covering of the seed.  Both have strong anti-bacterial properties.
5. Myristicin inhibits an enzyme in the brain that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.  Its potential as an antidepressant is under study.

Sage:  Like many other herbs and spices, it has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties as well as anti-cancer actions. 

1. It is known as a memory enhancer and has been shown in some laboratory studies to protect the brain against certain processes that lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
2. One of its phyto-chemicals is thujone, best known as a chemical in liquor absinthe that is falsely said to have hallucinatory effects. 
3. Sage shows potential as a diabetes treatment. 
4. It appears to boost the action of insulin and reduce blood sugar.
5. It is sometimes called nature’s metformin since it performs like the common anti-diabetes drug. 
6. Some schools already suggested that sage supplement may help prevent type 2 diabetes.

Tumeric:  The spice that gives yellow color to curry. 

1. It is used in Indian medicine to stimulate the appetite and as a digestive aid.
2. It is fast becoming known to be a potential powerful cancer fighter.
3. Curcumin the chemical that gives tumeric it golden yellow color is considered a top anti-cancer agent.
4. It helps to quell inflammation that contribute to tumor growth and working in much the same way as broccoli and cauliflower to dear carcinogens away before they can damage cellular DNA and to repair already damage DNA.
5. Resents laboratory studies revealed that tumeric helps stop the growth and spread of cancer cells.
6. Research suggests that it may protect against colon cancer as well as melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
7. It is also linked to reduced inflammation in a number of conditions including psoriasis. 
8. In animal studies curcumin decreased the formation of amyloid, the staff that makes up the brain deposits characteristic in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Diverticula are small pouches that budge into the colon or the large intestines. If you have these pouches, you have a condition called diverticulosis.  This condition of our body comes with age beginning age 60, and almost half the populations of the world have diverticulosis.  It is believed to be caused by lack of fiber in the diet.

There are no symptoms that a person can associate with diverticulosis, except that they get to have mild cramps, bloating, or constipation.  For example, a person who needs to have colonoscopy will be found to have diverticulosis during the colonoscopy for cancer screening.  A high fiber diet and mild pain reliever will often relieve the symptoms.  If the pouches become infected or inflamed, you have a condition called diverticulitis.  The most common sign is abdominal pain, usually on the left side.  One can also have fever, nausea, vomiting, cramps, chills and constipation. In serious cases, there can be bleeding, tears or blockages.  Treatment may include antibiotics, pain relievers and liquid diet. Sometimes, a prolonged stay in the hospital, and surgery.

Nutrition and Healthy Eating:

Do you know why fiber is good for you?  You would be advised.  Eat more fiber.  Do you know why it is good for you, here are the reasons:

1.  Dietary Fiber found in fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole grain, is best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation.  But foods containing fiber can also provide other health benefits as well, such as maintaining healthy weight, lowering the risks of diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Find out how much dietary fiber that you need each day and find out the foods that contain it and plan your menu accordingly.  It is said that adult men 30 and above need about 30 grams of fiber each day.

Fiber is commonly classified as soluble fiber which dissolves in water, and insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve in water.

1.  Soluble fiber is fiber that forms a gel-like substance when in contact with water.  It can lower cholesterol and glucose level.  This can be found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.

•  Insoluble fiber on the other hand promotes movement of materials to your digestive tract and increases stool bulk, so it helps those who suffer from constipation or irregular bowel movement.  Whole wheat flour, whole grain, wheat bran, beans, nuts and vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans potatoes and sweet potatoes.

To achieve the greatest health benefit, eat a wide variety of high fiber foods.

In summary, here are the benefits of eating high fiber foods:

1.  Normalizes bowel movement.
2.  Helps maintain bowel health
3. Lowers cholesterol
4. Helps control blood sugar level
5. Aids in achieving healthy weight
6. Helps us to live longer.

Welcome to the new word of Food as Medicine, where nature’s bounty has the power to ease, erase, and abolish many of the nagging health problems and major killers of our day.  Actually, this is not something new, we are back to the basics.

Food  can help heal what ails you.  That is adding the right food in your diet, while leaving others off the  menu, can bolster your body’s defenses against disease, treat disease directly, and even slow the aging process.  This dates back to the Garden of Eden when God In Genesis 1:29 said:  “Look, I have given you all the plants that have grains for seeds and all the trees whose fruits have seeds in them.  They will be food for you.”

The tools of these medicines are not scalpers and scanners, but rather serving spoons and spatulas.  You will spend lesser time in the grocers than in the pharmacy line. Start thinking of food in a novel way – as a form of therapeutic and preventive medicine – and you may need a lot less of the kind of medicine that gets itemized on insurance bills.

Snack on tangerines instead of candy bars, make breads with chewy slices of whole-grain bread instead of the nutrient-challenged white variety. Taking simple measure such as these can have profound effects on your health and well-being, and not just because they spare your body from a lot of unhealthy stuff, such as saturated fat and refined sugar, through that certainly is a good start.

Exciting new studies have confirmed what some healers have believed for thousands of years:  Many foods are packed with beneficial chemicals that can promote health and protect your body from the ravages of disease.

The idea of nutrition therapy goes all the way back to the beginning.  “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” said Hippocrates, the ancient Greek who was widely regarded as the father of modern medicine.

True to his word, Hippocrates prescribed a grocery list of edible cures, everything from bread soaked in wine to boiled fish.  If those remedies don’t exactly perk up your appetite, don’t worry.  Following next would be a cornucopia of foods that please the palate and contain remarkable medicinal qualities:  Almonds, avocadoes, Strawberries and sweet potatoes;  Fruity extra-virgin olive oil and delicacies from the sea.

You probably know that these foods are good sources of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.  But you may not realize that fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods also contain thousands of newly discovered compounds, known as phytochemicals or phytonutrients, that scientists are still busy cataloging.

FATS AND OILS

DEFINING GOOD FATS:

The human body is very good at making its own fat, stored in the most prominent places, the hips, thighs, and midsection. Eating a lot of rice, carrot sticks or rice cakes convert the sugars in those foods that it doesn’t burn as energy into triglycerides, the storage form of fat.  However, the body cannot make some types of fatty acids – the building blocks of fats—that are essential to health.  That is why the diet should include the aptly named essential fatty acids that come from plant oils and fall into the broader category of unsaturated fat – but mounting research suggests that you may not live as long or as well as people who do enjoy plenty of these other good fats.

MONOSATURATED FATS:  OLIVE OIL AND BEYOND

Olive oil is the cornerstone of the traditional Mediterranean Diet.  It is one of nature’s richest source of monosaturated fat.  To say that it is the only thing that gives this nutritional power is wrong as there are also fruits and vegetables in the Mediterranean Diet that are also included in the frequently served meals. Canola oil is another good source of monosaturated fat.  Nuts are also a good source as well as peanut butter and peanut oil and avocado.

Although this recipe takes longer to prepare, it does not need any accompanying vegetables.

Ingredients:                

            1 piece onion                                                   2 Tbsps. vegetable oil

            2 cups mushrooms                                           1 green capsicum

            2 pcs. Carrots                                                  14-16 ounces tomatoes seeded          

            1 bay leaf                                                        ½ tsp. dried basil

            2 cups medium or firm tofu                            1 lb. mushed potatoes

Procedure:

• Chop the onion and sauté in the oil until just tender.

•  Chop the mushrooms, green capsicum, and carrots.  Add to the onion and stir well.

• Add the tomatoes, bay leaf and basil.  Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Crumble the tofu into the mixture and cook for a further 5 minutes.

• Turn into a greased casserole, cover with the mashed potatoes, and bake in the oven at 375^o F (190^oC, Gas Mark 5) for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. May be served hot or at room temperature, but preferably hot.

                                           TOFU BURGERS 1

Ingredients:

2 onions                                                           3 celery sticks

2 Tbsps. vegetable oil                                      2 – 3 cups firm tofu

1 cup rolled oats                                               1 Tbsps. soy sauce

1 tsp. garlic salt                                                Additional oil for frying

Procedure:

1.  Chop the onions and celery finely.  Sauté in the 2 Tbsps. oil until lightly browned.
2.  Crumble or mash the tofu in the bowl.  Add the oats, soy sauce, garlic salt, and the sautéed onion and celery.  Mix well and knead with the hands.  Form into burgers and shallow-fry until browned on both sides.

Ingredients:

            2 Tbsps. Oil                                         2 onions, chopped

            4 carrots chopped                                2 sticks celery, chopped

            Salt                                                      Freshly ground black pepper

            2.5 liters (4 quarts) water                    few fresh sprigs parsley

            1 tsp. dried thyme or 2 fresh               1 bay leaf

                 Thyme sprigs         

            1 clove garlic bruised

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan and cook onions until golden.  Add carrots and celery, sauté for 4 minutes, stirring.  Season with salt and pepper and add 2 tbsps. of the water.  Cover pan and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add remaining water, bring to the boil, and then skim.  Add parsley, thyme, bay leaf and garlic.  Reduce heat and simmer until all vegetables are tender.  Strain.

Makes about 2 liters (3-1/2 pints of vegetable stock.

Ingredients:

            2 Large aubergines, roughly chopped                     4 courgettes, roughly chopped

            2/3 cup olive oil                                                           2 onions sliced

• Fresh Thyme Sprig                                                      1 tsp. coriander seeds, crushed

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped                                             1 red pepper, seeded and chopped

• 3 plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped        8 basil leaves, torn

• Salt and black pepper                                                  Fresh parsley or basil sprigs,

                                                                                    To garnish

Procedure:

1. Sprinkle the aubergines and courgettes with salt, and put them in a colander with a plate and weight on top to extract the bitter juices.  Leave for about 30 minutes.

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.  Add the onions, fry gently for about 5-7 minutes, until just softened, then add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

• Rinse the aubergines and courgettes and pat dry with kitchen paper.  Add to the pan with the peppers, increase the heat and sauté until the peppers area just turning brown.

• Add the herbs and coriander seeds then cover the pan and cook gently for about 40 minutes.

• Add the tomatoes and season well.  Cook gently for a further 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft but not mushy.  Remove the sprigs of herbs.  Stir in the torn basil leaves and check the seasoning.  Leave to cool slightly and serve warm or cold, garnished with sprigs of parsley or basil.

(Even with the oven packed full; you should still be able to find a corner for these delicious potatoes.  If necessary, cook them in individual portions.  They could be put over a barbecue or real fire, too, and left for long slow cooking, serves 4.)

Ingredients:

16-20 very small baby potatoes                           1-2 sprigs of thyme, tarragon and

in their skins                                                oregano or 1 Tbsp. mixed dried herbs

4 Tbsps. Olive Oil                                                Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

• Preheat the oven to 200C / 400 F /Gas 6. Grease one large sheet or four small sheets of foil.

• Put the potatoes in a large bowl and add in the rest of the ingredients and seasonings.  Mix well so the potatoes are thoroughly coated.

• Put the potatoes in the middle of the foil and seal up the parcel (s).  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 40 – 50 minutes.  The potatoes will stay warm for quite some time.

Note:   It will be a good accompaniment to the Stir-fried Florets with walnuts .

(A rich walnut dressing turns crunchy cauliflower and broccoli into a very special vegetable dish.  Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups cauliflower florets                     1-1/2 cups broccoli florets

1 Tbsp. Sunflower oil or Olive Oil             1/4 red Chili finely chopped or

Salt and black pepper to taste                    1 tsp. chili powder

4 Tbsps. Vegetable stock                            Thin rings of chili or chopped red

 1/2 cup walnut finely chopped                 pepper to garnish

Procedure:

1.  Make sure the cauliflower and broccoli florets are all of an even size.  Heat the oil in a saucepan or wok and toss the florets over a high heat for 1 minute.

• Reduce the heat and continue stir-frying for another 5 minutes, then add the finely chopped walnuts, chili and seasoning.

• When the cauliflower is crisp and tender, add 4 tablespoons of vegetable stock continue heating through.  Serve at once, sprinkled with the chili rings or chopped pepper.

Note:  The crisper these florets are, the better, so cook them just long enough to make them piping hot, and give them time to absorb all the flavors.

A typical stir-fried vegetable dish popular all over China.  Chinese leaves are like a cross between a cabbage and a crunchy lettuce, with a delicious peppery flavor. Two other names of Chinese leaves are Savoy Cabbage or Napa Cabbage.

Ingredients:

            3 Tbsps. Sun flower oil                                   1 Tbsp. Sesame oil

            1 Garlic clove, chopped                                  2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small

            1 cup sugar snap peas                                         pieces

            1 Whole Savoy Cabbage, sliced                     4 spring onions, finely chopped

            2 Tbsps. soy sauce                                           2 Tbsps. dry cherry or cooking wine

            1 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds lightly toasted

Procedure:

• Heat the oils in a wok or large frying pan until really hot, add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

•  Add the broccoli and stir-fry for 3 minutes.  Add the sugar snap peas and cook for 2 minutes, then toss in the Savoy cabbage and the spring onions and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes.

• Pour on the soy sauce, sherry or cooking wine and 2-3 Tbsps. water and stir-fry for a further 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender.  Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and serve hot.