Garlic: an antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal tonic.

A broad spectrum antibiotic, garlic isn't just an antibiotic. As well as the powerful antibacterial allicin, garlic produces a number of other potentially beneficial compounds. It can have positive effects for the immune system as a whole. In this way it might indirectly help the body to fight off illnesses for which modern antibiotics would be inappropriate.

One very tasty and simple way to keep colds away is to make a basic garlic sauce with crushed garlic, water, salt, a bit of lemon and a spoon of olive oil and mince well until it becomes creamy. Poor this sauce over the cooked meat and vegetables(it works great with potatoes) and you will get a tasty healthy dish. If you want a thinner version of this garlic sauce, just add some water or tomato juice/paste.

Fibre is an energy stabiliser. High fiber foods will give you strength and reduce the risk of high blood sugar, obesity and heart disease. Fiber slows digestion, providing a more steady supply of energy throughout the day. Boost your fibre intake by eating red beans.

This a very tasty and simple dish. It is traditionally done in Romania, but I have changed a few things in order to make it healthier: I use red beans instead of white ones because the red beans are more easily digestible and they have the best nutritional value of all beans.

So here is the recipe for 2 servings:

- 200g of red beans (Before boiling the beans they must be kept in water for about 3 hours. This will shorten the boiling time)
- 2 onions
- 1 medium carrot
- salt to taste
- basil and caraway - a quarter spoon of each (these are very good for digestion)
Boil all these together for about 35 minutes, then pour almost all water and use a blender for mashing everything together.
Mix 30 ml of extravirgin olive oil with a spoon of paprika and fresh red onion (quantity to taste)cut in pieces and pour this on top of the mashed beans.
Bon appetite!

Health info:
Red beans are good sources of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and thiamin. They're also an excellent low-fat, low-calorie source of protein and dietary fiber. Red beans also contain phytonutrients that may help prevent chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Mashed Red Beans (Fasole rosie batuta/Mancare de fasole)

Greek salad is essentially a tomato salad made of chopped tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, and kalamata olives, seasoned with salt, black pepper, and oregano and dressed with olive oil.



Quantities (2 servings):
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 tomatoes—chopped
¼ red onion—sliced into rings
½ cucumber—sliced into thick half-moons
½ green pepper—chopped
120g feta cheese—cut into small cubes
16 kalamata olives



Salad:How To Make Greek Salad

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.






Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with
fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-
minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading
athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or
prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our
daily diet.
Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people
suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because
bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin,
known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose
levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood
and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt,
making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug
Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the
fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped
through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid
to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can
assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel
action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana
milkshake, sweetened with honey.. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of
the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates
your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from
heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels
up and avoid morning sickness
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area
with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing
swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found
pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at
5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-
pressu re jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need
to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two
hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its
soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in
over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating
the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can
lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand ,
for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool
temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they
contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The
B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the
body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen
to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our
metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced
with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating
bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take
a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold
the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple,
it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five
times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.. It is also rich
in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

- 1 pear
- 2 oranges
- 1 banana
- 1 spoon of honey

(2 servings)

- 1 apple
- 1 orange
- 200 ml natural yogurt
- 2 spoons of honey

Honey with Horseradish














Grate fresh horseradish, put it in a jar and pour honey over it.
This is great for your respiratory system (bronchi, lung etc) and you can eat a spoon of this every morning during winter.

Here are some easy to prepare things that will help your organs function better

Soaked Nettle



Soak fresh nettle for 8 hours (during the night) in cold water. In the morning you can drink the liquid resulted from this.
It will clean your blood! You can do this every spring (March, when nettles appear)and drink it for a month.

Smoothies are an excellent breakfast, a quick pick-me-up.

My blender for smoothies:



As an advice, buy a blender with at least 450W of power. It will make your life easier.

My kitchen help for salads:

1. The two main nutrients that make your cholesterol high: saturated fats found mostly in animal products (cream, cheese, butter, suet, tallow, lard and fatty meat, chocolate) & cholesterol (all products of animal origin)
2. Excess meat
3. Excess refined sugar
4. Excess salt and spices
5. Lack of vitamins
6. Lack of fiber
7. Big meals
8. Eating between meals
9. Poor breakfast
10. Psychological stress
Cholesterol in Blood Vessels
Cholesterol is essential for human health, i.e. the cholesterol that comes from raw food (salmon, egg yolk). Human body composes some very important substances of cholesterol. But avoid eating processed food with cholesterol in which, due to the influence of heat, cholesterol is oxidized and becomes your no.1 enemy. Over time, high cholesterol can damage the blood vessels and you may develop fatty deposits in them as you can see in the picture.

The average daily cholesterol intake for a healthy person should be less than 300 mg!

A List of High Cholesterol Foods

Food	Serving Size	Cholesterol Level
Boiled egg	1	225 mg
Cream cheese	1oz	27 mg
Cheddar cheese	1oz	19 mg
Butter	3.5oz	250 mg
Lamb	3.5oz	70 mg
Beefsteak	3.5oz	70 mg
Chicken	3.5oz	60 mg
Kidney, beef	3.5oz	375 mg
Liver, beef	3.5oz	300 mg
Ice Cream	3.5oz	45 mg
Sponge cake	3.5oz	260 mg

Foods Highest in Cholesterol

Food	Cholesterol Content by Mass (mg/g)	Cholesterol Level (mg/100 g)
Chicken Liver	5.61	561
Chicken Giblets	4.42	442
Eggs	4.24	424
Beef Liver	3.81	381
Turkey Giblets	2.89	289
Butter	2.18	218
Pork Liver Sausage	1.8	180
Shrimp	1.73	173
Sardines	1.42	142
Heavy Cream	1.4	140
Veal	1.34	134
Pork Ribs	1.21	121
Lamb	1.21	121
Turkey Neck	1.2	120
Pork Shoulder	1.14	114
Beef Chuck	1.05	105
Lard	0.94	94
Duck Meat	0.89	89

For a comprehensive list of food high in cholesterol you can visit this link.