Your health is your real wealth. Source: Nutrition
- Tempe Lombok is a good source of protein
- The Ashwagandha does more than smell like horses
- Everything about the Kudzu is edible, from root to flower
- Charcoal? Are you serious?
- The Mesquite brings about a sweet, nutty flavor
While I have nothing against generic foods, there are so many weird ingredients and foods out there for us to try that are packed with health-boosting benefits. There are so many of them I find it challenging to find a starting point.
When Covid-19 did a “hostile” takeover in 2020, I remembered hopping onto the health trend by going so far as eating whatever was recommended on those WhatsApp chain messages.
Hmmm, silly me ate lemons, did steam inhalation every day using traditional herbs like eucalyptus, and had so much green tea I nearly peed every five seconds.
Staying healthy shouldn’t be so exhausting for me and neither should it be for you. If healthy eating is your thing, then keep your eyes on this article.
1/ Sayur Tempe Lombok Ijo
A hearty comfort food. Source: Pidjar
Popular in Indonesia, “Sayur Tempe Lombok Ijo” is a green chili soup with coconut milk. Traditionally invented as a low-cost alternative protein source, it has since become prominent due to its taste and nutritional properties, making it one of the most common foods in Indonesia.
Tempe is typically prepared as a hot cuisine that is packed with vitamins, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and polysaccharides, as well as protein, vitamin B12, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds.
Here are some of the wonderful paybacks of the Sayur Tempe Lombok Ijo: it improves bowel health, and protects against cardiovascular diseases, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. It also eliminates flatulence, drops our cholesterol levels, and reduces plaque formation in the arteries.
2/ Goji berries
Wholesome and full of nourishment. Source: MyBalanceMeals
You would not continue drinking something that tastes awful, would you? After all, the flavor is important. Most of us have tried to be health-conscious since the pandemic hit the world, and we have become more mindful of the things we purchase. With the trending homemade smoothies, why not juice up with Goji berries? It’s also known as Lycium barbarum.
The dried Goji berries may look like wannabe raisins, but they are nutrient-dense, being a great source of vitamin A and C, protein copper, and selenium. They are best served in smoothies and cereal such as muesli.
Check out the amazing benefits you can get from the Goji berries: metabolism boost, improvement of skin sensitivity, reduced skin irritation, blood sugar stabilization, and reduced liver damage.
3/ Ashwagandha
A key supplement that will help boost your overall well-being. Source: everydayhealth
The Ashwagandha berries and roots are used for medicinal properties. It can also be ingested through various teas, supplements, extracts, and powders. Over the years, it has gained popularity due to its ability to regulate stress and anxiety.
Just so you know, Ashwagandha means “the smell of the horse.” It has a bitter taste and comes with a wealth of health benefits such as reducing fat and blood sugar, improving sexual function in women, enriching testosterone and fertility levels in men, improving strength and muscle size, and enhancing memory and cognition.
4/ Kudzu
A fast-acting solution with healing properties. Source: Gardenista
Kudzu is a type of vine that spreads quickly under favorable growing conditions. It covers almost everything that doesn’t move out of its way, making it a popular invasive species.
Kudzu is used to cure alcoholism and alleviate hangover symptoms such as headache, upset stomach, dizziness, and vomiting. It can be easily incorporated into meals as it is fully edible, from root to flower.
Source: Healthline
The easiest way to use it is by grounding the Kudzu root into powder which can then be used to thicken soups and sauces. Or you could simply steam the roots and add them to tea.
Kudzu is also used to treat high blood pressure, heart palpitations, and other respiratory issues such as cold, hay fever, flu, and skin problems like itching and psoriasis.
5/ Charcoal
Charcoal benefits your gut in many ways. Source: Healthline
Charcoal is an impure type of graphitic carbon that is produced as a by-product when activated carbon is partly burned with restricted air access. Activated charcoal is used to treat poisoning, reduce intestinal gas, prevent hangovers and also help with bile flow difficulties (cholestasis) during pregnancy.
One easy way for you to ingest charcoal is by adding it to your water, juice, or even your food as a sprinkled garnish. It can also be added to your bread batter before baking.
6/ Mesquite
A good way to get nutritional and medicinal powers worth your time. Source: JustSoulFood
Mesquite is very rich in protein, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and iron. Flour made from mesquite bean pods has a sweet, nutty taste and they have been used to make low-glycemic baked goods that are devoid of gluten.
Commonly used to make desserts mesquite has a flavor to die for. Aside from being a deliciously sweet addition to baked goods and hot beverages mesquite has some noteworthy health benefits.
It has amazing minerals for vegans and is rich in amino acid lysine. It has a low GI of 25 which helps maintain stable blood sugar levels as well. Another factor is it is commonly found in hotter Central & South American climates, northern Africa, and eastern Asia.
The health advantages of mesquite bean pods include weight management, muscular regeneration, digestive regulation, blood pressure control, and diabetes management.
Apart from this, you can make homemade remedies to act as a natural disinfectant powder for various animal stings and bites, you can also dissolve it in water to improve bowel movements and more.
The bottom line
Consider adding these foods and ingredients to your diet for a powerful nutritional boost. With all the health benefits and flavors available, I am totally on board with these. You do not have to try all of them at once! Try something different every day and see what you would like to keep in your everyday food plan.
