ExploreTraveler

International travel blog from Paris to National Parks.

Explore Traveler
Home » Potassium

Potassium

Vegetables: Bountiful In Taiwan

by Leave a Comment

Bountiful fruit and vegetable gardens, loving springtime in Taiwan!
Bountiful fruit and vegetable gardens, loving springtime

Vegetables: The Amazing Carrot

Vegetables are good for your health! Taiwan, being a tropical country, has gardens flourishing year around. Taiwan is known as the Kingdom of Fruits! There are not any edible fruits and vegetables that I know, of that are not good for you. Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Fresh, in-season vegetables, are a must in the diet of anyone who wants good health. When you are going to eat the skin, it is wise to choose organic. Join me as we look at the humble carrot. What is so great about a carrot? Are all carrots orange?

Most of the carrots we see in the market are orange, though some are almost a red. There are others that are purple or even white. Carrots are extremely sweet and crunchy. They make an excellent juice or a quality snack.  Carrots are one of the most valuable fruits and vegetables for the eyes.  They are extremely rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and are just loaded with fiber. Carrots are extremely low in calories, have almost no fat, and have no cholesterol. How can you not like this power-house of nutrition? Is there a better vegetable?

Among the fruits and vegetables found in Taiwan, the carrot is exceptionally rich in carotene and Vitamin A.  Studies have confirmed that the flavonoid compounds that this humble vegetable has  is amazing.  These compounds protect your skin, lungs, and oral cavity from Cancer. It is also loaded with Carotenoids that converted into Vitamin A in our livers. Carrots are loaded with Beta Carotene with is a powerful antioxidant. It is known to protect from free-radicals, maintain good eye health and helps with the reproduction system. This humble vegetable is loaded with folic acid, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), and thiamine. What nutrition! The carrot grows not only in Taiwan but in much of the world. It is a master-piece of good health when eaten fresh and raw.

This colorful vegetable also is complete with healthy levels of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, and phosphorus. Potassium is extremely valuable in controlling blood pressure. It even helps to control your heart rate. The humble carrot is perhaps one of the best-known vegetables and yet it is often overlooked. When people go searching for quality vegetables, they go right past this common power-house and look for things more exotic. But the carrot is easy and cheap to get. Most stores even carry Organic Carrots at a reasonable price. Pound for pound, you really get your money’s worth when you buy or grow carrots. Carrots are easy to grow and even can be done in deep pots. Several carrots can grow in the same pot. Even the carrot tops are a gold-mine of nutrition. They are excellent in soups and salads. Carrot tops are good to eat fresh and yes, even your bunny loves those tops.

The best place to get your carrots are from the farmers who grow them. They pick them fresh each morning. Taiwan is filled with this type of farmer to table products. Taiwan loves fresh everything!  Even in the USA, we can buy direct from a farmer who has just picked them fresh. If you ask around, you may find an urban farmer in the neighborhood! You can also choose to grow them. If you live in warmer regions like Florida, they will grow all year around. What a privilege!  You can get 10-12 pots, and as you use them , you can start a new pot. How easy can you get? Fresh carrots are the best! If you want to let them mature for the full 2 years, then plant 24 pots. Just remember that as you use them, to replant. However you choose to grow them, they take little room. Carrots are more than worth their mint in gold. What can get better, than going to the garden for dinner? Now that is fresh!   So whether you travel to Taiwan, or look for a reliable farmer, get the freshest carrots you can. Let’s make a new family tradition! Let’s eat a carrot a day!

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

 

Persimmons: Health Secrets From Taiwan

by Leave a Comment

Persimmons

Persimmons: Health Secrets From Taiwan

Persimmons, a major fruit found in Taiwan and most of Southeast Asia, are a powerhouse of nutrition. They are a deep yellow to orange in color and resemble a tomato in shape. They have a very sweet taste and make an excellent desert. They are delicious! They are a delightful treat! They are best fresh, though they are excellent as snacks when dried. If drying, dry slowly on low heat to preserve the vitamins. Most like to dry foods and then put into bags and run through a sealer. That helps them to last longer, than just putting into baggies. Freezing your dried foods also helps to prolong their freshness.

Persimmon leaves also make an excellent tea. Just pick leaves that are untreated and triple wash. Watch the back side of leaf carefully for bugs. Dry in the sun or in any food dryer. Persimmons are extremely delicious and are very good for your health. Persimmon tea is a delight! It is also good mixed with green tea.

Persimmons are excellent for weight loss, as they are high in fiber and have a lot of water content. If working out or doing active yard or house work, eat your persimmon first and then work off the sugar content as energy. The high water content of the fruit will help replenish the water that the body loses in sweat and also curtails sugar cravings.

Persimmons contains Lutein Zeaxanthin which is an Isomer. Isomers are a common Carotenoid alcohol present in nature. They are a superfood for the eyes. These Isomers are helpful in maintaining and improving vision and the general health of the eye.  Lutein works on the retina and stops eye related degenerative diseases like Macular Degeneration. It has also been known to prevent the growth of cataracts of the eye.

Persimmons have a high amount of fiber. Fiber provides roughage that the body needs during digestion. It is essential to improving the digestion process. Persimmons also contains a large amount of a nutrient that is believed to protect from free radicals. Free radicals are responsible for all types of cancer. Free radicals are believed by many to not only be responsible for causing cancer,  but also premature ageing.

Potassium  is an abundant trace metal found in the Persimmon fruit. Potassium helps in regulating optimum blood pressure. Potassium widens  the blood vessels and relaxes muscles in the body. It also is considered by many to be an excellent pain reliever for muscle pain. Persimmons are loaded with Potassium. What is there not to love about persimmons? Try one today.

Persimmons will grow in any tropical or subtropical climate. They can also be grown in large pots on the patio. They are an easy tree to grow. Fruit usually appears the fourth or fifth year.

Make persimmons one of the many fruits you discover on this years Taiwan vacation. Set aside a few days to study the many superfruits of this small island and take the wisdom home. For those living in a Northern climate, there are many places that you can order organic dried persimmons. Dried persimmons are an awesome snack. So grab your passport and pack your bag. See you at the Taiwanese fruit market.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dgrocery&field-keywords=organic+dried+persimmons

Exploretraveler.com

Published on steemit.com@exploretraveler on April 19, 2017 at:

https://steemit.com/travel/@exploretraveler/persimmons-health-secrets-from-taiwan

Taiwan’s Papaya Tree And It’s Uses

by Leave a Comment

Taiwan’s Papaya Tree

Taiwan’s Papaya Tree And How To Use It

Taiwan’s Papaya Tree is found all over the island of Taiwan. The humble Papaya Tree is grown in almost every small orchard and around every house. You can not even take a walk to the beach without seeing a Papaya Tree at the beach. So why the love affair with the Papaya Tree?

Taiwan’s Papaya Tree, as humble as it may appear, is one of the most well used fruits in the world. Papaya can be used for food, an aid in cooking meat, and also in traditional medicine. If you rub papaya on the meat or soak meat in its juices it is a natural tenderizer. It is a delightful fruit to eat. It is one of the three most important fruits in the world. Even the stem and bark of Taiwan’s Papaya Tree is used in the production of rope. In some cuisine, the small flower buds are cooked as a delicacy. It is loaded with Vitamins, Calcium, Iron, and Minerals and has 21 mg of Magnesium and 182 mg of Potassium. Even the black seeds are edible and are often used for the prevention and cure of internal parasites. The leaves when cleaned and dried make a good tea and can be used fresh on nervous wounds. So what is not, to like about Taiwan’s Papaya Tree?

When the fruit of Taiwan’s Papaya Tree is a yellow/orange it is considered ripe and can be eaten raw without skin or seeds. It is often eaten in salads, fresh in a fruit bowl, and is delicious with homemade vanilla ice cream. The green papaya is considered not ripe and is used in the cooking of stews, curries, and salads. Papaya is awesome cut up with vegetables and greens for a salad. I use the papaya, banana, and potato daily as they are an aid in the control of blood pressure. Papaya makes an excellent jelly due to the huge amount of natural pectin. Even the seeds are editable and are used in cooking. They can be put in smoothies and then drank to help with parasites. They are often dried and ground in a pepper mill. In cooking these dried seeds can be used in the place of black pepper. The leaves of Taiwan’s Papaya Tree are really good steamed like you would steam spinach. I sometimes prepare the two leaves together and serve with Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. In some parts of the world the leaves are made into tea and used to treat Malaria. For me, I just find it a good tea to drink in the morning. It is also used as a medicine against Malaria. Used daily it is a wonder drug for the keeping of a good heart and helps in the control of blood pressure. Papaya has even been injected to treat ruptured discs.

For more information on Taiwan’s Papaya Tree, check out the links below. Enjoy and remember that Papaya is only one of the reasons to come to Taiwan in.

http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-herbs/carica-papaya.html

http://www.online-family-doctor.com/fruits/papaya.html

Exploretraveler.com