Moringa Information Archives - Page 2 of 2

Lose Weight Fast, But Safely

Are you wondering how fast is fast, and how slow do you have to go to be safe?

Almost everyone wants results fast. Let’s face it, being on a diet is no fun. Besides, you probably have a specific reason for wanting the pounds off and you want to get on with it.

So what’s wrong with a fad diet if it works?

What’s wrong is it usually doesn’t work, at least not in the long run, you know, when you start eating like other people again. The truth is you don’t need a fad diet.

The key is to find a way to lose weight quickly, but to support your body with good nutrition while you’re doing it. That way, once you achieve your weight goal you’ll not only have lost the pounds, but you’ll have the basics of new eating habits to help keep you at your new weight.

So what is this new way of eating?

First, you need to eliminate processed and empty calorie foods from your diet. For example, you really don’t need white bread and sugary desserts. Maybe at some point in the future you can reward yourself with a treat you especially like, if you must, but your day-to-day food habits need to eliminate these foods.

Second, you need to eat unprocessed food and emphasize veggies and low-sugar fruits, and get plenty of lean protein. And you need to stay hydrated, so eliminate calories from sugary drinks and drink plenty of water throughout the day. For a change of pace, try fancy bottled water, but make water your drink of choice.

Look online, visit a book store, or head to the library and you’ll notice that several health experts have books available on healthy weight loss. Make sure the books you review are from health experts, not fad diet experts. When you see a plan that seems to fit the way you live, give it a try. What do you have to lose?

The bad news for some people is that you’ll need to exercise as well. Our bodies are made to move. Movement helps us establish and maintain an ideal weight, and it helps us stay healthy.

But the good news about movement is that you can move in ways you enjoy. You don’t need to do any specific exercise. Pick something you enjoy!

Some people like to dance, some like to jump around, some like aerobics, and some like yoga. It doesn’t matter how you move; it just matters that you move.

Visit the library again and get a feel for available programs. Or maybe your work has an exercise benefit. It couldn’t hurt to look into it. Who knows, you might just lose some weight and improve your health.

Finally, weight loss experts report that many dieters are successful because they not only change the way they eat and exercise, but they also keep a food journal. A journal is a way to track what you eat and how you feel. Over time you might spot emotional eating patterns that are interfering with weight.

To lose weight, and to keep it off, you’ll need to be sure you’re eating for fuel, and not eating to try and fill an emotional need. That may sound difficult, but often it’s a matter of noticing a pattern, of becoming aware of it, because then you can make a change.

Moringa Oleifera for Breakfast?

Yes, it’s for any meal, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You get big a nutritional punch to your diet by adding Moringa oleifera, or, as it’s more commonly known, Moringa Tree.

Never heard of it? If you grew up in Asia or Africa you might know it by one of its other English names, like Drumstick tree, because the pods are long, or Horseradish tree, because the leaves have a slightly peppery flavor.

Moringa Tree grows most everywhere in the tropics and has been valued for at least two thousand years as a food source, and also for its ability to treat a large number of diseases. It’s now being thought of as a superfood. You can use the leaves much as you would spinach, and you can eat the pods, cooking them as you would green beans. You can also buy Moringa Tree oil, which is processed from the seeds. The oil is used for cooking and eating, and you can use it on your skin as a moisturizer. The oil is valuable because it doesn’t tend to go rancid.

If you can’t find fresh Moringa, you can buy Moringa Tree in powder or capsule form at natural food stores or on the Internet. Moringa tea is also available. Keep in mind that even if you’re buying Moringa in supplement form, it’s a food. It isn’t meant to be a quick, one-time fix for what ails you. But used over time, it can greatly enhance your health.

As with other green supplements, start slowly. Most experts suggest starting with a quarter of a teaspoon or so for a couple of days. If that agrees with you, gradually add a little more over a few days and see how you feel. A teaspoon or so is a good amount in a day, but check the label of the product you buy. If you don’t like the taste, try capsules.

Why start slowly? If you aren’t accustomed to Moringa Tree, you might feel some nausea. Or Moringa can have a laxative effect, depending on how your body responds to it and on much you ingest.

Smoothies are a good way to use Moringa because if you don’t like the taste you can hide it by adding fruit. Sprinkle Moringa on salads and other dishes, or add it to juices. Most experts suggest not cooking with Moringa powder because cooking reduces the nutritional value. So sprinkle it on just before you eat.

Cooking the leaves as you might cook spinach is a common practice. Or you can use the leaves in a salad. Cook the pods as you would green beans.

Most herbal and natural food remedies come with the warning to your doctor before using them. If you haven’t tried Moringa Tree, that’s not bad advice, although Moringa is safe for most people. Moringa is counter indicated if you take a blood thinning medication because Moringa is a blood thickener.

Some traditional practitioners use Moringa to nourish pregnant and nursing women, and to help increase breast milk, but other health experts warn that Moringa might not be safe for infants. So if you’re pregnant or nursing, you’re also advised to talk to your doctor.

Moringa Oleifera for Skin and Hair

Have you heard about Moringa oleifera, or Moringa Tree? The highly nutritious leaves, pods, and oil that come from this tree are important sources of food in much of Asia and Africa. Moringa Tree provides high-quality nutrients, including protein, several vitamins and minerals, and amino acids.

How, you might ask, will that help my skin and hair?

The idea is that skin and hair problems, for example thinning hair, or dandruff, or maybe lots of split ends and breakage, are associated with how well you feed your body. The better you eat, the better chance your skin and hair have of feeling and looking their best.

Of course you could supplement your diet with synthetic vitamins and minerals. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. Moringa Tree is real food, which logically supports the idea that the body is better able to absorb the nutrients from Moringa that it would synthetic nutrients.

Also be aware that Moringa Tree is high in antioxidants, which means it supports your body in fighting free radicals, which are a major cause of early aging. So reducing or limiting free radicals will lead to improvement in the overall appearance of your skin and hair. Another benefit of Moringa that will directly improve your skin and hair is that it builds collagen.

How to Improve Your Nutrition

If you don’t have access to fresh Moringa, you can supplement with powder or capsules, and you can use Moringa oil.

Add the powder to smoothies, for example, or make a tea. The taste is slightly peppery, somewhat like radish. Experiment and try it various ways. Maybe add the powder to soup, for example, to learn what suits you best.

If you can find fresh leaves, you can use them as you would spinach. Add them to salads, for example, or cook them. Cook the pods as you would cook green beans.

Moringa oil is traditionally used for cooking, and is valued because it doesn’t tend to go rancid. You can also use it in salad dressings, as you would use other oils.

How to Use Moringa on Your Skin

Moringa oil is valued by Ayurvedic practitioners for its ability to moisturize the skin, and it’s valuable for treating dry or rough skin, for example for psoriasis or dermatitis. And it soothes sunburns, and helps with insect bites and rashes. So rub it on your face and any areas that need attention. In addition to applying the oil directly to your skin, you can make a paste with Moringa powder and use it as a mask. You can also buy a product called Moringa seed extract. At first this might not sound like something you need, but it’s worth a try. Moringa seeds are used in water purification because they have an ability to bind impurities. Because of this “binding” quality, people sometimes use the seed extract in facials. It will help reduce fine lines and protect the skin from environmental pollution, and it may help clean and detoxify the skin,

How to Use Moringa on Your Hair

Besides ingesting Moringa Tree, people make use of Moringa oil by rubbing it directly on the hair. This is especially useful if your hair is dry or breaking, and it helps with split ends.

Moringa Tree and Allergies

Our immune systems defend against foreign invaders by creating antibodies in the blood. The antibodies attack what the immune system identifies as an invader. The immune system even creates a specific antibody for each perceived invader, which goes a long way to explaining why allergies hit us the same way each year.

Allergic symptoms like runny noses and sneezing occur when your immune system decides a substance that wouldn’t necessarily affect most people, such as a reaction to an insect, or something in the air, or a food you eat, is an invader. Your body creates histamines and you experience symptoms.

Of course you need to avoid substances you know you’re allergic to, but that’s not always possible. You need to go outside, and you don’t always know what’s in the food you eat.

One way to fight allergies is to keep your immune system strong. You know, eat your fruits and veggies; exercise; get the proper amount of sleep; and don’t let stress get you down. You can also visit the doctor and discover the latest in allergy care for your particular reaction.

You need to do all these things, but thanks to Moringa oleifera, or what’s more commonly called Moringa Tree, you’ve got another weapon in your arsenal. Moringa helps fight allergies in two ways. First, it provides excellent nutrition. Second, it has anti-histamine properties.

Some are saying that Moringa Tree is the newest superfood, and it might well be, although it’s been a vital food source in Asia and Africa for thousands of years. Moringa Tree is so nutritious that it’s used to help treat malnutrition, and some alternative health practitioners are encouraging the use of Moringa supplements in place of multi-vitamins. And Ayurvedic practitioners have had great success in using Moringa Tree for treating many diseases, including allergies. So Moringa may be a superfood, but its proven results are not.

Your doctor might suggest an anti-histamine prescription, or you can purchase an anti-histamine at the drug store, but you might experience side effects with these medications. For example, you might experience drowsiness and so be unable to drive for a period of time. Another way to mitigate histamine symptoms is to eat anti-histamine foods, of which Moringa Tree is one. So you not only get superior nutrition for your immune system, but you get Moringa anti-histamine properties as well.

One study found that Moringa Tree inhibits more than 70 percent of the histamines causing allergic symptoms. People with asthma often react to allergens, and Moringa Tree has traditionally been used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat asthma. It’s now being used by alternative health providers as well.

If you can find fresh Moringa leaves, you can eat them as you would spinach, or you can use Moringa Tree powder of capsules. For example, you might add the powder to smoothies, just as you would other green supplements. Or, depending on how you like the taste, you might sprinkle the powder to stews or soups after cooking them.

Moringa Tree and Your Health

Moringa oleifera, otherwise known as Moringa Tree, is an amazing plant. It’s been touted as a superfood, with the leaves, pods, and oil all being edible, and has been a significant food source for thousands of years in tropical Asia and Africa.

Its oil has also been prized for its cosmetic value. People everywhere today are finding uses for it, for example, as a moisturizer and to sooth summertime skin problems.

On top of all this, Ayurvedic medicine uses Moringa Tree to treat hundreds of health problems. Of course you can improve your overall nutrition by eating Moringa Tree leaves and pods, or by taking supplements. But if you already have a health concern, Moringa Tree may also be of help in solving the problem.

Some properties of Moringa Tree, for example its ability to lower blood pressure and to thicken the blood, make it inappropriate for people who already have low blood pressure or who are using a prescription blood thinner. And if you are pregnant or nursing you’re advised to consult your doctor before taking Moringa Tree.

What sorts of health issues can Moringa address?

Antibacterial value. Moringa is a germ killer when used on the body, and it’s also used to inhibit bacteria in areas where you need sanitary conditions, for example around food.

Anti-fungal properties. Moringa fights diseases caused by fungi.

Asthma and allergies. These are among the most common uses of Moringa in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Moringa performs like an anti-histamine.

Arthritis. Moringa has anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe arthritis.

Cancer, even ovarian cancer. Studies show that Moringa Tree may retard the proliferation of cancer cells and speed their death.

Cardiovascular system and hypertension. Moringa supports heart health with its high levels of antioxidants. It reduces high blood pressure and helps to balance normal blood pressure. It reduces cholesterol and is thought to help prevent arterial thickening. Moringa is also thought to help reduce abnormal blood clotting, which can lead to thrombosis and heart attack.

Constipation. Moringa is useful in treating constipation as it has a laxative effect, especially if taken in larger doses.

Diabetes. Moringa has been shown to lower blood sugar levels, and also to decrease the amount of sugar rise from a given meal in diabetic patients.

Herpes. Moringa helps control skin lesions caused by the virus.

Immunosuppressant. Moringa acts to suppress the immune system in treatment of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and for organ transplants.

Inflammation. Inflammation is an underlying problem in many diseases and Moringa is effective in fighting the free radicals associated with inflammation.

Kidney stones. Moringa is useful in stopping stones from forming.

Liver. Moringa helps reduce inflammation and infection.

Mood. Moringa is effective in helping people reduce depression, anxiety, fatigue, and stress. Many people report increased energy and a feeling of well-being when using Moringa.

Thyroid. Moringa can help balance thyroid hormone production.

Weight loss. Moringa is a good weight loss food because of its high nutrition value, and it has high levels of fiber and is low in fat.

Wound healing. Moringa helps disinfect wounds, and has been shown to help wounds heal faster and better.

Sickle cell anemia. This is a genetic disease in which many red blood cells are sickled and thus can’t carry enough oxygen to the cells of the body. Moringa seems to have anti-sickling properties.

Moringa Tree Seeds

Maybe you’ve heard about the tremendous benefits of Moringa oleifera, of Moringa Tree. It’s a superfood, and has many applications in Ayurvedic medicine. In recent years interest in Moringa Tree has expanded in the west, for its use as a food source, and in medical and pharmaceutical research.

The tree grows quickly, and isn’t fussy about soil conditions, plus the leaves and pods can be harvested year round.

People eat almost everything except the root because it can be toxic, although the root is sometimes used by Ayurvedic practitioners. Don’t use it without professional advice. Practitioners sometimes use the bark for treating diarrhea, but again this needs to be done under the supervision of a practitioner.

The leaves, pods, and oil are all everyday basic food sources in Asia and Africa, and they’re gaining in popularity in western countries. They’re all excellent sources of nutrition, even sometimes used to treat malnutrition. Moringa oil, which is made from Moringa seeds, is highly valued because it doesn’t tend to grow rancid. It’s used for cooking and, for example, in salad dressings, just as you would use any vegetable oil. Like olive oil, Moringa oil is high in oleic acid and is an unsaturated fat. Moringa seeds serve a variety of purposes. The residue from processing the seeds for oil is used to purify water from wells, and at least one study shows that Moringa seed extract may be useful in controlling mosquitos. The seeds are also being studied for new applications in cosmetics and pharmacology.

Moringa seeds are effective in water purification because they have an ability to bind impurities. Because of this researchers are studying the seeds as a possible way to internally detoxify the body. For the same reason, Moringa seed extract has cosmetic uses in facials.

As with other parts of the Moringa plant, the seeds are high in vitamins and minerals, and they have the same antibacterial and antiseptic qualities.

You don’t typically find much written about Moringa seeds as a food source, but the seeds can also be eaten. People report that at first they taste slightly sweet, but then the taste become slightly bitter.

People who eat the seeds report using them in dishes such as stews, casseroles, and soups, and also popping the seeds, like you would pop popcorn in a frying pan.

Eating the seeds comes with the same possible side effects that can occur from eating the leaves and pods. Moringa Tree has laxative qualities and if you eat too much you might have a problem. People are also advised to slowly add Moringa, either food or supplements, to the diet because too much too soon can cause nausea.

You can grow your own Moringa Tree from the seeds. Planting them directly in soil will usually cause them to sprout. If they don’t, soak the seeds in water overnight and then lay them on paper to sprout. Once they sprout you’ll be able to see the root side, and you can plant it in soil.

Moringa, a Marvel of a Tree

If you knew a way to prevent or cure a few hundred diseases or so, what would you do?

Well, according to Ayurvedic medicine, Moringa oleifera, or Moringa Tree, offers such a possibility. They should know because Moringa Tree, which is native to Asia, is used by Ayurvedic practitioners to address all sorts of health concerns. But you don’t need to take their word for it. Studies support these claims and more. For example, studies indicate that Moringa Tree may have anti-cancer properties, and it be of help in regulating thyroid function.

Moringa Tree grows rapidly, some say like a weed, and better still the leaves and pods can be harvested throughout the year. Even better still, the leaves and pods are superfoods. They contain a large variety of nutrients and are an important food source in many parts of the world. An equivalent serving of Moringa leaves beats the calcium you get from milk, the iron from spinach, and the vitamin A from carrots. Well, you get it, the Moringa Tree provides great nutrition.

What other benefits might you get from eating Moringa leaves and pods? You’ll get antioxidants to help fight free radicals. If you’re diabetic you can expect to get lower blood sugar, and you’ll be able to reduce inflammation and lower cholesterol. Ayurvedic practitioners use Moringa Tree for a wide variety of health issues, for example to treat stomach ulcers, to help nursing mothers with milk flow, to improve digestion, and to help reduce high blood pressure. It’s also thought to have anti-fungal properties.

Moringa oil, which is made from Moringa seeds, is used for cooking. Unlike many vegetable oils, Moringa oil resists going rancid. The oil is also thought to help protect the liver from inflammation, and is commonly used to treat arthritis. Many people use it as a skin moisturizer, and it’s increasingly used in cosmetics.

Some other facts about Moringa Tree are that it helps protect the body against arsenic from contaminated food or water, and a really interesting use for the seeds is to purify well water. Apparently the seeds contain a protein that attaches to impurities and causes them to aggregate, and as a water purification method this works better than many synthetic materials. Some researchers are pondering the question of whether this protein may perform the same function in the body, which would mean Moringa might prove useful in detoxifying the body. So how do you get these benefits from Moringa Tree? You can buy Moringa as powder or capsules. You can also buy Moringa oil, although be aware that it’s expensive, much more so than high quality olive oil.

If you have access to fresh Moringa leaves, use them like you would spinach, for example in salads or by boiling them. They have a sort of peppery taste, reminiscent of radish. The powder works well added to smoothies or sprinkled on salads. But, like a lot of green supplements, a little goes a long way. Start slowly and taste often is the best advice.

What Do You Choose, Drugs or Supplements?

Okay, maybe you don’t have a choice. Say you’re being treated by your doctor right now for high blood pressure, or diabetes, or any of a hundred other conditions. You need to follow doctor’s orders, and doctor’s orders often involve taking prescription drugs for the duration of the problem. We all know that. We see the doctor and follow the recommendations and hope for the best.

But what about supplements? You know, vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal remedies, and the myriad of other products available for solving any kind of health problem you might be experiencing. Do supplements have a place in your ongoing efforts to improve your health and so your ability to enjoy life to the fullest?

Does it matter to you that you have a choice, regardless of whether you’re exercising that choice at any particular point in time? Like some of us who routinely supplement with vitamins and minerals, and who sometimes use herbal remedies for specific conditions, does it matter to you that at any moment you choose you have the option to stop by your natural food store and pick a remedy from the shelves? The Food and Drug Administration oversees the efficacy of all supplements sold in the United States. And as anyone knows who pays much attention, the FDA is proactive in guarding us from any harm related to supplementation. If you really pay attention, you might have noticed the focus, in fact, on supplements. This is surprising considering the high usage of supplements and low rates of associated problems as compared to prescription drugs.

Here’s the thing. More than two-thirds of adults in this country use supplements in one form or another, mostly vitamin and mineral supplements, but many others as well. Just scan the shelves in any natural food store and you’ll quickly understand that many people are using many kinds of products for many reasons. It’s a booming industry.

No statistics exist to prove the case either way, but people don’t necessarily use supplements to cure health problems. Many people routinely use supplements in an effort to stay healthy, for example, by using a multi-vitamin or by taking an herb like burdock root to support the immune system.

Yet there are problems associated with the use of prescription drugs, and you’d think the FDA would have their hands full guarding us from that. Read the drug information included with almost any prescription and you’ll find a lot to worry about. You’ll see warnings for possible side effects that can make the original health problem seem benign in comparison.

And take a look at the death rates in any given year associated with the use of prescription drugs. Well over a 100,000 people die each year after taking such drugs. And those are drugs taken as ordered. Those aren’t drug deaths associated with misuse.

Some people are starting to ask why there is so much focus on supplements when they have proven to be much safer than prescription drugs. In most years, for example, there are no deaths associated with the proper use of supplements.

What it comes down to it we need prescription drugs and we need supplements. What we need is the FDA is use their resources to keep both drugs and supplements available and safe. A world without drugs doesn’t work, and a world without supplements doesn’t work, either. What we need is for the FDA to get that message.

Will Moringa Tree Help You Lose Weight?

Moringa leaves are packed with superior nutrition, including protein, large amounts of numerous vitamins and minerals, and it provides all essential amino acids. As an example, besides a truckload of vitamins and minerals, one serving of Moringa supplies a large percentage of your daily protein, and it supplies lots of B vitamins to help your body use the food as energy.

Moringa Tree is so nutritious that many are calling it a superfood, which is no exaggeration. If the only food you had was Moringa Tree, you could definitely survive being shipwrecked on a deserted island.

So yes, Moringa supplies the nutrition you need. It also has lots of fiber and is low fat. It’s an ideal food for supplying nutrition while helping you lose weight.

So far so good, sounds like other articles you’ve read on dieting, right? Well yes, and no. Yes, you’ll get the nutrition you need, but there’s more to Moringa Tree.

Studies haven’t given us a lot of data yet on whether or how Moringa can help you lose weight, but dieters who’ve lost weight using Moringa are reporting success, and they’re saying many of the same things.

What Dieters Say about Moringa Tree

Dieters report they feel fuller, more satisfied, when taking Moringa, and so are better able to pass on processed carbs and sugary foods. In other words, Moringa is helping people stop the cravings and live with a diet of the right foods for weight loss, and helping them control portions.

Second, people report a feeling of well-being. This fits with Ayurvedic reports about Moringa, where it’s used to improve mood and lift depression.

Dieters also report that Moringa seems to speed up their metabolism, which is also supported by Ayurvedic medicine.

How to Add Moringa to Your Diet

You’ve got choices because Moringa Tree leaves, pods, and oil are all edible. You can also use Moringa as a tea. If you don’t like the taste, you can use Moringa powder and capsules.

Eat the leaves as you would spinach, for example, by adding them to salads or cooking them as a vegetable. Cook Moringa pods as you would green beans.

Moringa oil can be used in salad dressings and in cooking. It will last a long while because it doesn’t tend to grow rancid as is the case with most other vegetable oils.

If you use powder, you’re advised not to cook it because it loses some nutrients. Add it to smoothies and sprinkle it on other foods, for example stews or soups.

Consult your Doctor

We know it’s smart to consult your doctor before dieting, and adding Moringa to your diet is no exception. Most of what we know about Moringa and dieting is anecdotal, and you may or may not get the same results that other people experience. This is especially of concern if you take prescription medications because Moringa may have interactions with them.

Also be aware that some people shouldn’t use Moringa at all. Those with low blood pressure and those who use blood thinner medications should avoid Moringa because it lowers blood pressure and is a blood thickener. Pregnant and nursing women should also consult their doctors because using Moringa.