Lettuce

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Tzeitel

Lettuce is a vegetable very rich both nutritionally and medicinally. There are many varieties and all are delicious. Can be prepared in salads of all kinds and also added to sandwiches. Being a mild-flavored vegetable, it is easier for children and adults who dislike eating vegetables to accept them.

Depending on the color of its leaves will be different nutrients they provide. Always remember to give much variety of color to your meals to make sure you eat the different minerals and vitamins that you need to be healthy.

Properties: to relieve constipation, memory loss, help fall asleep and stay asleep in case of insomnia and for appetite loss. For all this you can eat a salad with plenty of lettuce and will be well in no time.

In cases of pediatric insomnia, one of the best grandma’s remedies that will help the most without causing harm to the child is the tea of lettuce. You should boil 3 lettuce leaves in 1 cup water; allow cooling and give it to the child a bedtime.

Remember that the World Health Organization recommends not giving teas of any kind to babies under 6 months.

Lettuce is also an excellent tranquilizer to eat after a hard day at work, so that we can relax and rest well.

Lettuce is also recommended to prevent and even cure inflammation of the eyelids and eyes, colds, flu, skin rashes and recurrent infectious diseases. All of these because it is rich in vitamins A, B and C.

For nursing mothers who have excess milk, that causes breast pain, apply cold lettuce leaves on the breasts to help reduce inflammation.

Artichoke and Chickpea

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Tzeitel

It’s no secret that a balanced diet rich in vegetables, helps to maintain health. What few know is that each plant has specific properties that will help with the health problems we face in a moment.
The artichoke for example, with it’s delicious taste, is very useful in the treatment of inflammations of the urinary tract, joints and diabetes.

An infusion of 4 tablespoons of artichoke leaves in a liter of water taken before meals will help flush uric acid and thus help reduce inflammation of the joints of those suffering from rheumatism and gout.

This tea has diuretic effect and will help cleanse the kidneys and urinary tract in general.

The fruit is very nutritious and helps replenish vitamins and minerals after convalescence. Prefer to prepare it in soup so that the water it’s cooked in is not lost. But if you want to boil them and eat them in salad, save the water and use it to prepare porridge later.

On the other hand we have the chickpeas, essential in Mediterranean food. It is an excellent food to increase libido, breast milk, it also helps expel kidney stones and gall bladder.

For cases where you want to increase the libido and the production of breast milk should be cooked in soup and drink the stock. Or you can boil them and drink the water with honey.

To dissolve kidney stones and gallstones, prepare an infusion of 5 tablespoons of chickpeas in 2 liters of water. Take a cup 3 times a day.

Chickpeas also have properties for external use. Such is the case of mature abscesses and boils. To that end boil 2 tablespoons of chickpea flour in a cup of water for 5 minutes, mix to form a paste and apply on affected areas.

Garlic

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Tzeitel

Garlic is a vegetable with excellent properties. In the culinary world is very much appreciated as it gives flavor to meals and is used in almost all regions. It is essential in Italian and Panamanian food.

In addition, garlic has many medicinal properties. Among the best known, we know that garlic is a disinfectant, so it kills the worms, is febrifuge, which means that it fights fever, and it is stimulating, increasing energy for vital functions, which normalizes the functioning of organs.

Other properties and uses: to relieve fever, reducing blood sugar for diabetes, arteriosclerosis relief, to lower blood pressure, dissolve uric acid and cure arthritis, should be ground from 3 to 10 cloves of garlic raw and added to food. You can also chop into small pieces and swallow with water.

In case of worms such as tapeworms or parasites like amoebae, you should ground 3 to 5 cloves of garlic in a mortar, mix it with a cup of boiled milk and take fasting for a week.

To eject the white worms called pinworms, very common in children of school age you can do an enema with 10 cloves of garlic in a pint of milk, boil, allowed to cool until barely warm and then applied.

Earaches are very common in children but there are also adults who have them. Garlic helps to relieve pain. You need to add 2 or 3 cloves crushed garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil, warm a bit and add 3 drops to the affected ear.

Garlic is a natural antibiotic and antiviral. In case of flu and colds, should be consumed in abundance. You can make a pot of chicken soup with lots of garlic. You can also make garlic tea with milk sweetened with honey or my favorite preparation: orange juice, onion, garlic and honey, taken by cups throughout the day. This preparation relieves symptoms and significantly reduces the duration of colds.

The Orange Fruit

Posted on February 18, 2012 by ana

The sweet orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) is one of the most delicious and healthy fruits in the world. Its flavor, especially of some varieties is really intense in terms of acidity and sweetness.

Like most citrus fruits, it contains from forty to fifty percent juice, twenty to forty percent peel and a twenty to thirty percent of its composition is the pulp and seeds. It contains approximately 90 percent of water content and about five percent of sugars. This tasty tropical fruit is derived from an ancient hybrid tree from India, Vietnam or southern China called Citrus × sinensis.

Oranges contains a high content of vitamin C, A, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber and are low in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol.
Some features and benefits that can be obtained from this fruit are:

• It is an excellent natural remedy for colds.

• Because of its high content of Vitamin C is one of the best antioxidant fruits.

• It also believes also helps to burn fat and prevents arteriosclerosis.

Not recommended for use if you have digestive problems such as ulcers, gastritis or heartburn.

The History of Agriculture

Posted on February 17, 2012 by ana

Agriculture is the art of working the land by cultivating in order to obtain products for human use.

There are different disciplines, agricultural infrastructures, scientific and industrial elements around this activity. For this practice, the study, preparation of land, development, cultivation, harvesting, processing, distribution, etc. is taken into consideration.

Agriculture is a very ancient activity, with probable origin in prehistoric times, and is now a key economic factor for the feeding of the world.
Today, thanks to this field, human beings have recognized the value that plants have in order to feed themselves and their pets.

Among the various agricultural crops around the world are several distinguished products, of extreme importance to humans, such as cereals, wheat, corn, rice, sugarcane, vegetables and fruits.

As for animal feed, soy beans and corn are of considerable importance.
Not all agricultural products have a feeding purpose. There also innumerable crops grown to produce materials such as rubber, plants fibers, oilseeds to create paint or synthetic chemical compounds, etc.

Agriculture is essential for human development, and this can be seen as almost half the world population is engaged in this activity.

Weeping willow

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Tzeitel

The weeping willow is a tree that is best known as ornamental plant than as a medicinal plant. It grows in both Europe and America and is very common on the banks of rivers and lakes. Panama uses it a lot to reforest newly built neighborhoods.

However, the weeping willow has healing properties also. Unlike most medicinal plants, in which healing substances are found in the leaves and flowers, the willow’s curative substance found in the bark. It is a white and crystalline substance called salicin.

Before the discovery of quinine and the cinchona tree, salicin was the greatest febrifuge in the world. In addition to his virtue to control fever from various causes, including malaria, willow bark also has healing properties, prevents hair fall, removes dandruff and helps remove corns and warts.

Uses: To relieve fever prepare an infusion with 2 tablespoons of willow bark in a pint of water, boil for 10 minutes, divide into four parts and drink during the course of the day.

To eliminate dandruff and prevent hair loss, cook 10 tablespoons of willow bark in a liter of water for 15 minutes. Let it stand and once the liquid is completely cool to use to wash your hair every day.

The same infusion is an effective healer. Use it to wash wounds and skin conditions for rapid cure.

To remove corns and warts, you should burn the bark of the willow tree until reduced to ashes. These ashes should be mixed with vinegar. The resulting mixture is applied on corns or warts, cover with a bandage and leave overnight. Repeat until the wart or callus fall, which must occur no later than one week.

Sage

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Tzeitel

Sage is one of the best known medicinal plants, including to those who are not familiar with this science. Its name comes from the word “salvus” meaning saved, and the reason is that it saves people from many diseases.

The two best known varieties of the plant are the that grows straight up, reaching up to 1.5 meters in height, and one that grows low to the ground, reaching only about 20 centimeters tall.

It is recognized primarily for its strong smell. Its leaves have a spicy and bitter taste. It has wrinkled leaves, green with a fuzz above them and are sticky to the touch. Its flowers are blue or purple.

Properties: Helps to cough up the phlegm, this function causes to relieve cough and bronchitis. It also helps with stomach problems such as dyspepsia, improves digestion and relieves gas. It cures vomiting and diarrhea.

It is very effective in relieving menstrual cramps. It also helps reduce blood sugar and is great for relieving headaches.

For all the uses listed above, take a sage infusion 3 to 4 times daily. This infusion is prepared by adding a tablespoon of sage leaves to a cup of boiling water, let it rest and sweeten with honey.

For external use, the infusion is prepared with 10 tablespoons of sage in 1 liter of water and cook for 10 minutes. With this liquid can be used to wash wounds, skin affected by pimples, rash and skin fungus, like ringworm.

A similar preparation, but a little thinner, prepared in the same way but reducing the amount of sage to 8 tablespoons per liter of water, serves to mouthwash and gargle in cases of ulcers, inflammation of the gums, throat and tonsils.

Rue

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Tzeitel

There are two kinds of rue and both have similar properties. The rue is used successfully to treat abdominal problems of different types.

Properties and uses: to relieve gas in the stomach and intestines and relieve colic. It also helps with the pain of menstrual cramps. It helps to calm nerves and anxiety effectively. And also helps the patient relax after a rage that causes dizziness and vomiting. For all this you should prepare an infusion of rue by adding half a cup of leaves to a cup of hot water. Let it stand for a couple of minutes and drink hot. You may take 2 to 3 cups.

It is also very helpful in relieving headaches. In this case you must make a tea with half a teaspoon of rue leaves and chamomile flowers in a cup of warm water and drink hot.

Infusions of rue also have benefits for external use. To eliminate head lice, prepare an infusion with a bunch of rude in a liter of water, let it stand overnight and wash your head very well with this water.

In case of lice is important to remember that these lay their eggs on the sheets and chairs where the infected person has laid. To prevent re-infection you have to wash everything thoroughly with boiling water and white vinegar.

To relieve ear pain and tinnitus, mash thoroughly rue leaves and apply its juice to the affected ear with a cotton swab.

Do not exceed the recommended dose of rue. The effects of rue on pregnant or lactating women are unknown, therefore its use is not recommended in such cases.

Uses of mint and peppermint

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Tzeitel

Mint is a plant that is widely used in the culinary world and in the world of natural medicine. Peppermint is one of its varieties, the best known of all and the one that has the most properties.
These are some of its properties: to expel worms, such as tapeworms, to fight bad breath, to relieve dizziness, nausea and vomiting from any cause, but especially the nausea and vomiting women experience during the first trimester of pregnancy. It’s also very good for liver colic.
For any of the above mentioned cases, prepare an infusion as follows: take three of the plant’s leaves and put them in a cup of boiling water. Let it stand for a few minutes and take three times a day in cases of dizziness, nausea and vomiting. You may take the same infusion up to 5 times a day in cases of intestinal problems, such as diarrhea, flatulence and colic.
For toothache you can take a mint leaf, chew it and apply it to the tooth that hurts. Another way of doing this is to extract the essence of the leaf in a mortar, soak a cotton ball in it and apply it to the tooth.
For tension headaches, rub mint leaves to both temples and rest as much as possible.
For ear pain, ringing of the ear or sensation of decreased hearing, you can extract the leaf’s juice in a mortar and pour 2 drops directly into the affected ear. Or you can put the juice in a cotton ball and insert if in the ear as a plug.
For motion sickness, it is good to have fresh mint leaves handy. Crush them a bit with your fingers an inhale the scent. The scent of peppermint will relieve the motion sickness immediately.

Matico

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Tzeitel

Matico is a plant that grows well in hot and cold weather. It prefers humidity. Matico has the ability to stop bleeding, because it helps to clot the blood coming from damaged blood vessels. This plant is also used in cases of ulcerous wounds, inflammation of the membranes of the mouth, gums, throat and tonsils. It is also very effective in the treatment of chronic respiratory symptoms that don’t improve with allopathic medical treatments.
Use: to cure pneumonia, sputum with blood, bloody diarrhea or dysentery, and bleeding from the uterus, and in cases of stomach ulcers, prepare a tea with 3 tablespoons of finely chopped matico per liter of water. Boil during 10 minutes and drink a cup before each meal.
To cure chronic and severe inflammation of the mouth and tonsils, as in case of sore throat: boil 8 tablespoons of matico in a liter of water for 10 minutes. Let stand and cool. This liquid should be used to rinse your mouth and gargle.
To clean wounds and promote their healing, prepare an infusion as follows, boil 10 tablespoons of matico in a liter of water for 10 minutes. Wash the wounds three times a day with this liquid.
In case of problems with the female reproductive system, such as inflammation of the uterus and yellowish secretions, prepare the following infusion: boil 8 tablespoons of matico in one liter of water for 10 minutes. Once it is completely cold, use it for douching with the help of an irrigator.
Remember to ask your doctor before starting any natural treatment. Herbs can enhance or annul allopathic medicines and for that reason it is imperative that your doctor is always aware of everything you are taking to avoid interactions.

Flor de La Pintada

Nursery