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6 Vegan and Vegetarian Ideas for Your Next Summer Barbecue

Summer is in full swing, and that means it's time to fire up the grill and indulge in the deliciousness of a barbecue. If you're a vegan or vegetarian, you don't have to miss out on the flavors and fun. In fact, plant-based options can be the star of the show! Whether you're hosting a barbecue or attending one as a guest, here are six fantastic vegan and vegetarian ideas to elevate your summer grilling game. 1. Grilled Veggie Skewers: Skewers are a classic barbecue favorite, and they're incredibly versatile for plant-based options. Load up skewers with a colorful medley of veggies like bell peppers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms. Brush them with a marinade of your choice, grill to perfection, and enjoy the charred and smoky goodness. 2. Plant-based Burgers: The rise of plant-based burgers has revolutionized the vegetarian and vegan barbecue scene. Choose from a wide variety of pre-made veggie burgers or unleash your culinary creativity and make

KIDNEY STONE

A kidney stone is solid piece of material formed in the kidney from substances in the urine. It may be small or large. Sometimes, they pass out of the body freely while sometimes it will not go away. Kidney stones may get struck in the urinary tract or block the flow of urine. It usually causes great pain. How do kidney stones form? Kidney stones are formed when normal balance of water, salts, minerals and other substances formed in the urine such as calcium, oxalate and sometimes uric acid crystallize,change and join together to form a kidney stone. How this balance changes determines the type of kidney stone that will be formed. Causes of kidney stone   The most common cause of kidney stone is not drinking enough water. When enough water is not drunk, the salts, minerals and other substances in the urine stick together and form a stone.      Kidney stones run in some families and often occur in family members over the generations.      Some of the medical condi

KEY VALUABLE PROPERTIES OF HONEY

Honey is a sweet, sticky yellowish-brown fluid made by bees and other insects from nectar collected from flowers. The composition of honey consists of varying proportion of fructose, glucose, water, oil, and special enzymes produced by bees. Honey serves as popular food as well as a medicine.    Three key valuable properties of honey   Honey is hygroscopic    Honey is antibacterial     Honey is a source of antibiotics Honey is hygroscopic : Honey has a hygroscopic nature. This means that when exposed to air, it naturally absorbs moisture from the air. It is useful as it could help prevent scarring in treating open wounds by keeping the skin moist, encourage the growth of new tissues and allow easy removal of any dressing by preventing dressing from becoming stuck to the skin. Honey’s hygroscopic properties also make it an ideal ingredient in a lot of cosmetics. It helps to keep the skin hydrated and fresh and prevents the drying of the skin. When honey is used in th

HONEY, THE TASTIEST ANTIBIOTICS.

Honey is an antibiotic which is used to prevent infection on wounds and also to hasten healing. It is used as laxative, as natural cure for diarrhea and upset stomach, for coughs and sore throats. How does honey work as an antibiotic? When honey is applied on wounds, it releases hydrogen peroxide slowly. Hydrogen peroxide is an antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiseptic compound produced from an enzyme, which disinfects wound, kills germs and heals the broken skin.  Most strains of harmful bacteria cannot survive in the presence of oxygen or hydrogen peroxide. It should be noted that honey doesn’t need to be refrigerated as bacteria don’t survive well in it that is, it doesn’t spoil. Honey’s viscosity provides a protective barrier and forms a moist environment for the wound. It creates a healing layer between wound and dressing with no sticking or tissue damage, reducing the chance of scarring as the skin c e lls grow without forming any sca r . Honey supplies nutrients nece

PLANT SECONDARY METABOLITES

Plant secondary metabolites are those compounds which are not directly involved in the growth and development of plants. Some of these metabolites help to prevent some plants from being consumed. Some may be poisonous to human but may have other importance. These metabolites can be in the leaves, stem and root of a plant, and prevent the growth of some organisms that infect the plant. They are divided into three based on their biosynthesis. They include;   1) Flavonoids   2) Terpenes 3) Alkaloids   Flavonoids                                                                                                                                 Flavonoids are phenolic water soluble compounds with variable colors. They can be crimson, purple or yellow and remain present in vacuoles and chloroplasts. The basic skeleton of flavonoids consists of two aromatic rings A and B, joined by a 3 carbon residue. They are commonly found in higher plants. Examples of flavonoid include Antho

HEALTH BENEFITS OF SOUR SOP

  Sour sop is known by different names in different countries. The Spanish call it guanabana, The Brazilian Portuguese call it graviola while the European Portuguese call it anona. In Malayalam, it is called mullaatha literally meaning thorny custard apple. Sour sop is a prickly green fruit about 20 -30 cm. long which can have a mass of up to 7.0 kg, making it probably the second biggest anona after the jungle sop.Being  abundant in vitamins and minerals, soursop offers several health benefits. It is often recommended by the practitioners of herbal medicine to cure various ailments ranging from stomach ailments to intestinal worms. The flesh of the fruit consists of an edible, white pulp, some fiber and a core of indigestible black seeds. The specie is the only member of its family suitable for processing and preservation.   The flesh of the sour sop is high in carbohydrate, particularly fructose which is easily assimilated, proteins, fats, vitamin B, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and mineral

HEALTH BENEFITS OF ONION(Allium cepa)

Onion is a round vegetable with many layers inside each other and a brown, red or white skin. Onions have a strong smell and flavor. Since the history of man, onion has been cultivated and valued. White onions have been proven by medical research to be the most effective and useful. Onion contains a high level of water, protein, fat carbohydrate, calcium, vitamins and iron. It is a remedy for rheumatism, high blood pressure, cough, catarrh, sore throat, leprosy, piles and blood impurities. The onion has effective germicidal properties. Whenever possible, a medium sized onion a day is the therapeutic minimum recommended dose which must be eaten raw in cases of high blood pressure, arthritis, kidney stones, rheumatism and obesity. The maximum of this therapy which should be taken depends on as much as your stomach can tolerate. It has also been proven that the juice of raw onion is a sure antibiotic which fights different bacteria that usually cause skin infections. Such

THE HEALTH PROMOTING PROPERTIES OF GREEN TEA

Green tea which is more than just green liquid is the healthiest beverage on planet earth. It contains antioxidants and nutrients which have powerful effects on the body. It provides the most antioxidant polyphenols, notably catechin called epigallocatechin 3-gallate(EPCG) which is believed to be responsible for most of the health benefits linked to green tea. Green tea is taken with soft water because hard water inactivates polyphenols, and the water temperature should be 70°C to 80°C. It is advisable not to consume dairy products before drinking green tea because milk deactivates polyphenols. Green tea is made by briefly steaming the just harvested green leaves, rendering them soft and pliable and preventing them from fermenting or changing color. After steaming, the leaves are rolled and spread out and dried with hot air until they are crisp. The resulting greenish yellow tea has a green slightly astringent flavor close to the taste of the fresh leaves.  The addition of sug