One of the most inocuous vegetables in our kitchens is garlic. But did you know that this humble vegetable is a miracle  food, better than a lot of medicines? Here, read about its benefits and see for yourself —

• Garlic is known to reduce cholesterol: The largest study so far has been conducted in Germany where 261 patients were given either garlic powder tablets or a placebo. After 12 weeks it was observed that mean serum cholesterol levels dropped by 12 per cent in the garlic-treated group and triglycerides dropped by 17 per cent compared to the placebo group [Anti-viral effects of Garlic by Peter Josling].
  

• Garlic fights infections: One of the most active
  compounds in garlic, allicin, is an excellent anti-microbial drug,
  which can fight a wide variety of infections. Allicin effectively
  blocks two groups of enzymes ? cysteine proteinases and alcohol dehydrogenases ? which makes it an excellent natural broad spectrum anti microbial.
  

• Garlic cures certain fungal infections: Garlic has long been a traditional cure for Candida infections, thrush and Athlete’s Foot.
  Again it is the allicin in garlic that has strong anti-candidal
  properties. Wash the fungus-infected skin with an infusion of garlic
  and water, and include plenty of garlic in your diet.
  

• Garlic and cancer: Garlic contains allyl sulfur and other compounds that decrease or prevent the growth of cancer
  cells. Demographic studies have shown that fewer number of garlic
  eaters have got cancer compared to non-garlic eaters. This is
  especially true of stomach and prostrate cancers. Studies conducted by
  the Penn State University have shown that a by-product of allicin,
  S-allyl Cysteine, prevents the growth of breast cancer cells. Another
  study conducted by the same university showed that garlic contained two
  compounds known as diallyl disulfide (DADS) and diallyl trisulfide
  (DATS) that helped in the prevention of lung, skin and colon cancers.
  

• Garlic and hypertension: Those suffering from hypertension can have garlic (along with their prescription medicines) to help in
  blood pressure management. Although it hasn't been proven conclusively,
  it does appear that there is some evidence to support the role of
  garlic in reducing blood pressure.
  The garlic sulphides, rather than allicin, help in this case. Since
  garlic helps in cholesterol reduction, it also indirectly helps in
  managing hypertension.

Interested in other foods that work better than medicines? See http://copperwiki.org/index.php/Super_Foods

The famous ancient Greek physician Hippocrates said, "Let food be your medicine and let your medicine be food."
In an age where most food comes from packets bought in supermarkets,
the most significant way in which we can ensure that what we eat is
actually good for us, is by learning to decode the fine print of food
labels.
Some vital bits of information that Food Labels contain are ' serving sizes, percentage daily values, added sugars, preservatives, fats, carbs, proteins, vitamins, cholesterol and fibre.
Most nutrients are measured in grams, or milligrams (mg). Other
information on the label is given in percentages of the daily allowance
of that specific nutrient, based on a 2,000 calories a day diet.

Many a time, food labels use different names for things people commonly like to avoid. Did you know, whenever a label shows the presence of corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates, honey,
molasses, corn sweetener, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose
corn syrup, invert sugar, lactose, maltose, malt syrup and sucrose, remember that these all are basically added sugars.

For more on this, read http://copperwiki.org/index.php/Reading_Food_Labels

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In my own hands I hold a bowl of tea; I see all of nature represented in its green color. Closing my eyes I find green mountains and pure water within my own heart. Silently sitting alone and drinking tea, I feel these become a part of me…

(Soshitsu Sen, Grand Master XIV, Urasenke School of Tea).

Tea is the world’s most popular beverage. There are probably as many ways of making and drinking it, as there are tea drinkers! Here are some of the most unusual ways in which tea is drunk –

*The Chinese and Japanese drink green tea and light black tea sometimes scented with jasmine.

*Europeans add milk and sugar to a light liquor of black tea.

*Indians boil it with a lot of milk, sometimes spices and a lot of sugar to make what is recognized the world over as Chai.

*The Tibetans lace their version with yak butter.

*Tea pickers in Darjeeling have theirs cold, with milk and salt.

*The Moroccans flavour their tea with mint, basil, or sage.

*The Americans drink it cold and black as iced tea.

*The Russians actually add jam into it

Finally, some health news we all can use!! Research shows thta Dark Chocolate is a Super Food with more than 300 chemicals good for health. It contains Antioxidants that prevent the buildup of bad cholesterol, stop platelets from clotting and increase life expectancy too! Chocolate even helps diminish anxiety and reduces sensitivity to pain.

So what are you waiting for? Go grab a bar of chocolate and read http://copperwiki.org/index.php/Chocolate for more!!

Nutritionists believe that in the age of processed food, far too many people are over-fed but under-nourished. What we all need to choose are SUPER FOODS — natural nutrient dense foods which are so rich in antioxidants that they rejuvenate the body and fight disease and ageing. They are as varied as chocolate, green tea, soya and garlic, but scientists believe that they have the power to keep even illnesses like cancer at bay!

For a list of Super Foods and info on how they work, please visit http://copperwiki.org/index.php/Super_Foods