Food TREASURES

 

The next time you eat those foods listed below, do not throw away certain parts which seemingly deemed useless. You will be amazed their nutritional value could be higher than the food itself. Check if you have unknowingly wasted any so far.

FISH EYES

Fish eyes, especially mackerel family, contains high quantity of DHA and EPA which are very rare unsaturated fatty acid. The human brain is almost 70% fats and almost 20% of these fats are the Omega 3 fat DHA. Both DHA and EPA are essential fats, which mean our bodies cannot manufacture them and must be derived from food source. Lacking these nutrients, the development of brain and nervous system (especially for the children) can be adversely affected.

Hence, it has the ability to stimulate human brain cells, improve memory and thinking power, and also very helpful in preventing memory decline, high cholesterol and hypertension diseases.

Omega 3 has high concentration of DHA, a main component in the retina to build a better protective membrane in the eye cells and can help to lower pressure build-up. Clinical experiments showed that fish eyes can help to reduce the deterioration of eyesight.
You can go for fish supplements if gulping down fish eye is a NO-NO.

FIBRES OF ORANGE/GRAPEFRUIT PEELS

After removing the peel of an orange or grapefruit, do not remove all the fibres that cover the fruits. This is because the fibres contain vitamin C proven to help to maintain the elasticity and density of the arterial wall, which in turn reduces the danger of bleeding especially in the fine arteries. This is especially so for hypertension patients who experience brain hemorrhage and diabetic patients with retina hemorrhage. Aging people with tendency of artery hardening should eat more fibres of oranges and grapefruit peels.

A word of caution - high concentrations of pesticides have been found in orange peels. Hence, one should only consume the peels of organically grown and processed oranges too.

PORK BONES

The nutritional value of bones are higher than that of the meat. Comparing the nutritional values of pork bones and pork, the bones contain far more protein, iron, sodium and calories than meat.

Bones contain 23% more protein than milk powder, 61% more than beef, three times as much as pork and more than double that of eggs. It has abundance of essential minerals that humans require, like vitamins A, B1 and B2 that are useful for slowing aging. The best part is, when boiled in soup, these nutrition become more readily absorbed by human body than plant-based food.

Traditionally, bone broths have become the nourishing recipes amongst older Chinese, believing that animal bones contain high level of calcium. In fact, the amount of calcium content is generally low and even adding few drops of vinegar does not yield much more.

For us in Asia, bakuteh is the perfect dish you can indulge in occasionally. Remember to cook your pork well to avoid unpleasant consequences.

CHILLI LEAVES

Chili leaves contains complete range of amino acid four times more than the chili fruits and double anti-cancerous properties. Also, they are rich in calcium, beta carotene, various vitamins and other nutrients.

Other benefits include:

- Enhances secretion of digestive juices, improves appetite, treats diarrhoea and gastric and stomach discomfort.
- Regular intake of helps in warming body, strengthens liver, improves eyesight, reduces weight and improves beauty.
- Traditionally use as a plaster on skin to treat joint aches, sprains, swelling, burns and insect bites. (apply 2-5 leaves, moist enough to adhere to the aching area).

No wonder, chilli leaves are widely used in the Philippines for treatment purpose and make into tea, cook as a dish, fry with meat or a soup. However, note that chilli plants are usually sprayed with insecticides and thorough cleansing is required before cooking.