Cola Millenii Uses.

Cola millenii is a deciduous shrub or tree that is native to West Africa. It is called monkey kola but is known locally as obi edun in Yoruba and achi okokoro in Igbo. The pods are bright red in colour and have seeds which are covered by a pulp which has a sweet taste and is mucilaginous. The pulp is the part that is commonly licked.

The fruits and leaves of monkey cola have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The plant contains phytochemicals such as saponins, alkaloids and peptides.

Some Cola millenii uses.

• Young leaves are eaten as vegetables.
• The bark and leaves are used to treat skin diseases like ringworm, scabies, etc.
• The leaves are used to treat gonorrhea and dysentery.

Cola millenii fruits are not so popularly eaten anymore in urban centers. They are found in rural markets and areas when in season. 

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Hungry Rice: A Wonderful Addition To A Healthy Diet.

Hungry rice refers to domesticated Digitaria species which grow in West African savanna areas. Hungry rice is known locally as acha, fonio, iburu, fundi, findi, etc. There are two types found in Nigeria. Digitaria exilis is called acha or white fonio while Digitaria iburua is called iburu or black fonio.

Hungry rice has the smallest seeds of all species of millet. They are harvested just 3 to 4 months after sowing and is the world’s fastest growing cereal. Fonio is popularly eaten in North Nigeria.

Fonio is highly nutritious in the following ways;

• It has about 7% crude protein and is rich essential amino acids such as methionine and cysteine, which are lacking on other more popular cereals like wheat, maize, rice, millet, rye and barley.
• It also contains other amino acids such as isoleucine, valine, threonine, arginine, histidine, lysine, phenylalanine and tryptophan.
• It has high fiber content.
• It has a low glycemic index.
• It contains minerals such as magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, phosphorus and sodium.
• It has a good content of Vitamin B especially folate.

Some reasons why hungry rice is a healthy addition to your diet.

• The fiber content makes it good for lowering blood sugar levels and boosting cardiovascular health.
• It is good for maintaining a healthy weight.
• It is good for managing blood sugar levels because of the fiber and low glycemic index.
• It is good for maintaining healthy digestion.
• It is easy to digest so it makes a good meal for most people..
• It is excellent for preventing constipation.
• It is good for pregnant women because of the high iron and folate content.
• It is good for women generally and those dealing with anemia because of the iron content.
• It is gluten-free, unlike wheat and some other cereals.
• It is eaten whole with the bran and germ which contain fiber and lots of beneficial nutrients which are not lost during processing.
• It is a good source of carbohydrates which provide energy.
• Fonio makes a great morning cereal. It is cooked into a porridge called gwote with sorrel leaves and garden egg. It is also made into tuwo acha, kunu acha and beer.

Fonio is a bit sandy and this is a disadvantage which may put a lot of consumers off. With improvement in the processing, handling and storage methods, this can be taken care of.

Our traditional foods are mostly consumed whole and so are far healthier than most processed foods that are more popular.

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20+ Health benefits Of Peppermint Leaf.

Peppermint, called Mentha piperita, is an aromatic herb that is used in so many ways for medicinal and culinary purposes because of the phytonutrients that the leaves contain.

Peppermint is widely used as tea, in drinks, sweets, candies, gums, toothpaste, mouthwash, ice creams, desserts, cocktails and foods because of its refreshing flavour, menthol odour, pleasant aroma, calming effect and cooling sensation. It can be used internally or on the skin.

Peppermint leaves contain vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, copper, manganese and fiber. They are low in calories and contain active components like menthol, menthone, menthyl esters, monoterpenes and rosmarinic acid. They are caffeine-free.

Health properties of peppermint leaves.

• Antioxidant.
• Anti-inflammatory.
• Hepatoprotective or support liver function.
• Aid digestion.
• Anti-bacteria.
• Anti-fungal.
• Astrigent.
• Anti-spasmodic.

Peppermint is used to;

1. Decongest the chest.
2. Relieve the symptoms of asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory issues.
3. Get rid of bad breathe and halitosis.
4. Treat tooth infections and dental caries.
5. Suppress appetite.
6. Soothe the stomach.
7. Treat irritable bowel syndrome.
8. Soothe and calm nerves.
9. Reduce mental stress.     
10. Reduce flatulence, cramping and bloating.
11. Reduce nausea and motion sickness.
12. Promote healthy bowel movement.
13. Treat acne, pimples and rashes.
14. Boost hair growth.
15. Reduce fevers.
16. Treat dysmenorrhea.
17. Improve blood circulation.
18. Reduce muscle spasms.
19. To enhance memory and alertness.
20. Treat pains and aches.
21. Give a feeling of warmth.
22. Treat nipple cracks and pain during breastfeeding.

Peppermint is used as oil that is rubbed on the skin, dried or fresh. Peppermint tea improves digestion. Peppermint is used in so many ways for so many minor issues and ailments. 

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We Cannot Survive Without Plants.

There is one fact that we fail to realize: we cannot survive without plants. We cut down trees without

thinking of their importance to our existence.

We fail to realize that plants provide us with most of our food, the oxygen that we breathe the phytonutrients for health, medicine and healing, cosmetic items, shelter, musical instruments and furniture materials. They also provide food for the animals that we eat, provide some of our clothing materials, remove the carbon dioxide that we exhale and provide us with so much more.

What are we without plants? How long do we imagine that we can survive without plants? Do we realize that we need plants more than they need us? Plants will flourish and thrive without our intervention or input. We can’t survive without plants.

We are a threat to plants even though they provide most of our needs. We cut them down needlessly. We cut down forests everyday to build homes for ourselves or just to sell the trees. When we see land, we do not consider the thousands of living things on it. All we see and think of is the real estate value. We hardly leave any space for plants and even those hardy ones are classified as pests or weeds because we think we don’t need them.

When we build in Nigeria, we don’t leave any space for plants to grow because we are more

concerned about aesthetic appeal or want more from rent so we build on almost all the land with no space for parking our cars.

Leave some space for plants. We need them. Grow some vegetables on a little patch of land. Have a garden or a lawn. Grow them in pots, bowls or even in cups. Put some green around you. Plants deserve some space where you build, so leave some room for them.

Imagine a world without plants! What a hopeless one that would be. No fruits, vegetables, herbs, leaves, natural oils, seeds, nuts, flowers, barks, tubers, roots, stems, stalks and all those other plant parts that we are taking for granted. What a disaster this would be! The presence of plants give us peace, calmness, serenity, clean air and fresher breeze.

Plants give us so much while we are giving virtually nothing positive but destruction back. We need to care for plants and appreciate their value. We need plants and need plants.

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Moinmoin Leaf Plant Has Other Important Uses.

The leaves that we use in Nigeria, Ghana and some other parts of West Africa to wrap or package or process foods like moinmoin, eko, ofuloju and other foods belong to the plant known botanically as Thaumatococcus daniellii. The plant is widely cultivated in West Africa for its leaves.

In Nigeria, it is popularly called ewe (leaves), ewe moinmoin in Yoruba. Even though nobody pays much attention to this plant, it has high medicinal and nutritional values.

This plant is known outside the area that it is native to as a natural source of thaumatin, an intensely

sweet protein that is about 3000 times sweeter than sucrose. Due to this fact, it is generating interest as a natural sweetener. The plant is also called serendipity berry or sweet prayer plant in English.

Thaumatin is non-toxic, has no calories and is found in the flesh or aril of the fruit. It is traditionally used to sweeten fermented foods and palm-wine in parts of West Africa. The fruit is also used as a laxative. The fruit is also rich in calcium and magnesium.

The leaves are used to wrap or package food and to roof sheds and huts. The leaf stalk or petiole is used in craft to weave mats and to tie items together. The leaves are rich sources protein, fat, phosphorus. They contain terpenoids, tannins, flavonoids and alkanoids.

The sap from the leaf is used as a sedative and as an antidote to venoms, stings and bites.

The seeds have mucilaginous properties.

The fruits are hard to find because the plant does not produce fruits for about four to five years. Once the leaves are harvested, the plants stop to produce fruits. If your desire is to grow the plant for the fruits, then you should not harvest the leaves until the plant produces fruits.

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African Black Plum Has Many Important Uses.

African black plum, called Vitex doniana, is a tree that grows in Africa whose parts are useful for many purposes. Black plum is difficult to find in urban areas like Lagos now unlike in the seventies and I wonder why. I have not come across any for a while.

Black plum fruits are called oori nla in Yoruba, dinya in Hausa, galbihi in Fulani, ucha coro and efor in some parts of Ghana. They are black when fully ripe with a sweet, fleshy pulp surrounding a seed.The fruits are very rich in vitamins, minerals, sugars, fiber and proteins. They are rich in flavonoids and polyphenols which have antioxidant properties. They are highly nutritious and can help in maintaining good health.

Other parts of this plant like the stem, bark, leaves and roots are used for many purposes especially in

traditional medicine. Below are some of the uses of parts of black plum in traditional medicine.

The fruits are;

• ·         Consumed raw.
• ·         Used to make drinks and juices.
• ·         Used to treat constipation.
• ·         Used as energy drinks.

Tender leaves are;

• ·         Cooked as vegetables.
• ·         Mashed up to treat wounds and bruises.

Mature leaves and barks are used to treat;

• ·         Malaria
• ·         Diarrhea and dysentery.
• ·         Hemorrhoids.
• ·         Stomach ache.
• ·         Burns and some other skin issues.
• ·         Ulcers.
• ·         Dysmenorrhea.
• ·         Female fertility issues.
• ·         Cough.
• ·         Urinary tract infections.
• ·         Anaemia.
• ·         Eye issues.
• ·         Liver disease.
• ·         High blood pressure.
• ·         Jaundice.

Roots are used as medicine to treat;

• ·         Male impotence.
• ·         Gonorrhea.
• ·         Poisoning.

The ink that is obtained from squeezing mature leaves is used for arts. Other parts of this tree are

used for building, construction and as firewood. The importance of the African black plum tree has been overlooked like that of many of our fruits and plants. This is due to the fact that we lack knowledge about their importance in health promotion and healing. I know that lots of young people have neither heard of nor seen this fruit before. It is time to start to appreciate what we have.

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A Diet Is Not Balanced Without Fiber.

A balanced diet is defined as one that contains the right amounts of all the food groups. The six major

components or food groups of a balanced diet are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. All are recommended for regular consumption for good health.

Fiber is an important component of a healthy diet whose importance is not mentioned or emphasized. This is because they are classified as carbohydrates and not as nutrients on their own.

Dietary fiber is the indigestible portion of food derived from plants. Fiber is classified as soluble or

insoluble and both are present in food in different proportions.

Fiber is used in good weight maintenance because diets that are high in fiber have a tendency to be low in calories. Read more about fiber-rich diets and their health benefits here.

Some diets encourage people to follow low-carbohydrate diet plans. This means that individuals on these diet plans may not be getting enough fiber unless they take fiber supplements or eat lots of vegetables.

When you are planning a meal, it is important to include foods that have fiber in them. A lot of plant-based foods have fiber in their whole form. Whole cereal grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, root tubers and mucilaginous food sources contain fiber.

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