| David Michael Cain, you are receiving this email because you purchased The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods ➤ Read it on The Lost HerbsHi David Michael Cain, Before we start talking about eating chili peppers for breakfast, let’s understand why chili peppers were used in the first place. Yes, chili peppers add flavor to food but spices played a role beyond taste in the past. They actually helped prevent spoilage, which was very important in warm climates. In cold climates, you could “freeze” your food in snow or even place it in a frozen pond but in warm climates food would spoil quickly. This is where spices come into play. Many spices contain antibacterial/anti-microbial properties, which would aid in preventing food spoilage. Now, what benefits do chili peppers have? What makes them hot is also the chemical that aids in food preservation. What is it? Well, you guessed it: capsaicin. This hot chemical that gives heat to peppers is also a very powerful anti-microbial that is known to kill 75% of bacterial growth that could cause food spoilage. Why would one want to start their day with a breakfast dish that has chili peppers in it? Well, to answer that question let’s take a look at other benefits that hot peppers provide.Promotes A Healthy Heart Hot peppers help the circulatory system by reducing blood serum cholesterol levels and lipid deposits. This, in turn, can reverse excessive blood clotting. They are also known to dilate blood vessels so that the blood can travel through the veins more freely.  Helps With AllergiesCapsaicin found in hot peppers is an anti-inflammatory, which can aid in preventing allergies and addressing the symptoms of allergies.Prevents Bad BreathEating hot peppers, using hot sauce and/or hot pepper powder is one way of preventing bad breath. Yes, you heard it right. Eating hot peppers can keep your breath smelling fresh but how. It seems that hot peppers disinfect the mouth, which prevents bad breath. Fights Cold, Flu, And Fungal InfectionsSince hot peppers are full of antioxidants, eating them is a great way of boosting your immune system. When it comes to fungal infections, it has been discovered that hot peppers will fight against 16 fungal strains by attacking fungal pathogens that can cause an assortment of problems.  May Reduce Cancer RiskBelieve it or not, recent studies have shown that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of hot peppers can shrink cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone.It is showing promise in prostate, breast, pancreatic, and bladder cancers. Now the kicker in this approach though is you must consume eight large habaneros per week to get any results. Hot Peppers Benefit The Digestive TractThis may sound a bit odd especially if you have an ulcer. Many individuals for years have been told to avoid spicy foods if they have digestive tract problems. Studies have shown that avoiding spicy foods is not something you want to do if you have digestive tract issues.  It has been found that antioxidants and other substances found in hot peppers help heal an upset stomach, reduce gas, aid in reducing cramping and diarrhea. Hot peppers also reduce the amount of acid in the stomach, which can lead to ulcers. Due to their hot nature, these peppers also increase salvia production along with other gastric juices, which aid in the digestive process.However, everyone is different. Eating chili can cause intestinal distress in some people. This is more common in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Chili can temporarily worsen symptoms in those who are not used to eating it regularly. So if you are not used to it, try incorporating it slowly into your diet.Mitigates MigrainesWhen it comes to migraines and hot peppers, the route to relief is based on a phenomenon that is a bit unique. It seems that if you have pain in one area and you do something that causes discomfort in another area then you forget about the first pain. As far as it goes with hot peppers, consuming these beauties seems to take your mind off your head hurting due to their hotness, which can cause some discomfort.Promotes Weight LossYou may be surprised to know that eating spicy peppers can help you lose some weight. The first way this is accomplished is through a process called thermogenic.This process is where the body produces heat, which burns calories. Eating hot peppers can also alter proteins in the body and reduce fat accumulation.  Capsaicin is known to selectively destroy nerve fibers in the stomach whose job is to carry signals from the stomach to the brain. If the brain is not getting a hungry signal from the stomach then you feel satisfied, which means no overeating.If hot peppers are eaten with breakfast then this full-filling will carry throughout the day. This suppressed appetite could equate to weight loss. Who would not want to eat some hot chili peppers with breakfast but to get those culinary juices flowing, give this recipe a try this weekend.Mango Chili SmoothieIngredients: • 2 ½ cups of frozen mango chunks • 3 Tablespoons hemp seeds • 2 Tablespoons dried goji berries • 1 teaspoon chili powder • 1 ½ cups apple juice • 1 cup of water • 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice • Sweetener of your choice (optional)  Steps1. Put all the ingredients into a blender. 2. Blend until smooth. 3. Pour into a glass and enjoy. You can also make Hot Pepper Jam or Chili Oil and incorporate them in your breakfast recipes. Spicy peppers rev up the metabolic rate by generating the thermogenic processes in our body that generates heat. That process utilizes energy, and thereby, burns additional calories. In addition, if hot peppers are consumed at breakfast, the appetite is suppressed for the rest of the day which ultimately helps in weight loss. It may even alter proteins in your body to combat fat accumulation. The ‘Superweed’ That Saved Large Communities During The Great Depression  You can follow us. |
Monthly Archives: July 2022
DIY Painkilling Extract From A Pineapple
The bromelain in pineapple is an enzyme that has many medicinal benefits. Pineapples have been used in traditional medicine in Central and South America for centuries and possibly even longer. It is used to reduce inflammation, dress wounds, and aid digestion. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that bromelain itself was isolated. Today, bromelain is used in a wide variety of treatments to help reduce pain and treat certain ailments. While bromelain is found in the fleshy fruit and juice of pineapples, it’s more highly concentrated in the stem. Bromelain can be taken and used in a number of ways. It can be used topically in the form of a cream to heal wounds and burns or taken orally to reduce pain and treat and/or prevent certain medical conditions. When taken orally, it’s often taken in the form of tablets, powder, or capsules. Today, I’ll show you how to make a DIY painkilling extract from pineapple to benefit from the bromelain. First, let’s look at how it can reduce pain and what other medical conditions it can help with.The Painkilling Effect Of Bromelain Bromelain has analgesic properties, making it a great natural painkiller. It also has excellent anti-inflammatory properties that reduce swelling and hence reduce pain and symptoms of many conditions. For this reason, it’s sometimes used to relieve sporting-related injuries. It’s also been used as a post-surgery pain remedy although studies have been mixed on this. Some surgeries where it did provide relief include foot, nasal, and dental surgery.Here are some of the most common medical conditions where it’s used to help treat pain. • Arthritis & Osteoarthritis – it can help people living with arthritis or osteoarthritis by reducing swelling and joint pain. While studies have shown various results, many indicate that the benefits increase after steady treatment for weeks.• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – it can also help relieve pain in the fingers of people living with carpal tunnel syndrome as well as tingling, numbing, and other symptoms experienced.The Medicinal Benefits Of Bromelain Bromelain can also be used to treat or prevent a number of medical conditions. Cancer – it can help protect against or fight some forms of cancer such as breast cancer by slowing the growth of cancer cells. It may also help people with leukemia, sarcoma, and lung cancer.Sinusitis – it can reduce the nasal inflammation patients experience and make breathing easier. It may also reduce the time that people experience acute symptoms related to sinusitis.Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) – it can suppress inflammation caused by IBD.  Asthma – it can help treat asthma by reducing inflammation of the airway. Bromelain also reduces the mucus that collects in the respiratory systems of people with asthma.Strokes – it has anti-clotting properties which can help prevent strokes. Bromelain supports the health of cardiac tissue and prevents inflammation caused by plaque build-up in blood vessels.Digestion – it aids in digestion by breaking down proteins like collagen into amino acids. It also speeds up slow digestion so can help reduce cramping and other side effects.Cardiovascular Disease – it reduces systolic blood pressure which can help fight cardiovascular disease. Colitis – it can help reduce inflammation and treat mucosal ulcers.Bromelain is considered safe for most people to take and is classified as a dietary supplement by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, there are some drugs it may interfere with such as blood-thinning medication.It also enhances the effect of some types of drugs such as antibiotics, anti-seizure medications, and sedatives. If you take any medication, check with your doctor before taking bromelain to make sure that it’s safe for you. It’s also not recommended for pregnant women.How To Extract Bromelain From A Pineapple Making this extract is very simple but will require six weeks from the time you mix the ingredients to the time your extract is ready. There will be approximately 4 calories per 1 ml of extract. Ingredients• 1 x Pineapple • Vodka (minimum 40% alcohol) Utensils• Sharp knife • Chopping board • Glass jar • Fine strainer • Cheesecloth • Container / bowl • Dropper bottles 1. Cut off the pineapple skin* and then cut around the stem of the pineapple. You might like to cut the fruit up at this stage and place it in a container so it’s ready to eat later as a snack or for breakfast etc. *If you’re interested, you can make tepache using the pineapple skin. It’s a fermented Mexican drink that’s a probiotic and helps promote friendly gut bacteria. It’s quick to prepare and then just requires around three days for the fermentation process to take place. 2.Take your stem and cut it into small rings.  3. Place the pineapple stem chunks into your glass jar. Take your vodka and pour it over, making sure that you cover all of the pineapple pieces completely. 4. Close the lid tight and place your jar in a cupboard so that it’s away from heat and light and you’re going to keep it there for around six weeks.5. Once six weeks is up, remove your jar from the cupboard and take a container or bowl to catch the liquid you’re about to strain. Place a fine strainer over the container. Wrap a few layers of cheesecloth over itself and place this over your strainer.  6. Remove the lid from your jar and pour all of the contents over the cheesecloth. You can discard your used pineapple stem pieces. 7. Pour your bromelain extract into a dropper bottle or bottles, depending on how much liquid you have and how big your dropper bottles are. Your extract is now ready. You can take 1ml up to three times a day (spread them out so you take one in the morning, afternoon, and evening).Some studies have suggested that bromelain is most effective when taken on an empty stomach to fight inflammation, so you could try taking a dose before or in between breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you want to take it to aid digestion, it’s recommended to take it with meals. Store your bromelain extract in a cool dark cupboard and it will keep for up to six months. The Best Natural Painkiller That Grows in Your Own Backyard .  |