NEW ARTICLES FOR DECEMBER

HEALTH TIDBITS
[Section onHealthy living and healthcare systems]

DECEMBER TIDBIT - Article: ’MAXIMISING BENEFITS OF FRUITS’
[How to get the most benefits out of eating fruits.]

Plants4Health
[Section on Health and Healing Powers of Plants]

Article: ‘DELIGHTFUL LYCHEE’ [Lychee was a royal treat, much sought after by emperors and their concubines in China in olden days. What makes lychee so delightful and what are its medicinal uses?]

ARTICLES
[Section with a jumbled box of topics]

Article: A JOYOUS SEASON- Celebrated by Christians and Pagans'

ReadingBox
[BOOKS & READING SITES section]

'Sacred Texts Archive' [A website for layman and scholars. Discover texts on various religions and belief systems including folk lore and traditions. Books by novelists and scholars.]

JUMBLELIGHT
[Relax, Rejuvenate, Inspire ]

QuoteBox- [Quotes by Asians, about Asians or Asia]

ASIAN PROVERBS

LIGHTBOX- [Verses, short stories, speeches that enlighten or inspire]

'GENEROSITY & TIME' [Thoughts of Thich Nhat Hanh ]

FUNNYBOX- [A light-hearted look at life]

'ASIAN JOKES' [Jokes from different Asian countries]

HEALTH TIDBITS

DECEMBER TIDBIT

MAXIMISING BENEFITS OF FRUITS

An ancient tale from the Middle East told of a serpent that tempted the earliest humans to taste the Fruit of Knowledge. The pair of humans were banished from the Garden of Eden for eating the Fruit. Fast forward to the present; the offspring of this couple have splintered into numerous races and tribes, spread across all the continents of the world. Although we may not have the Fruit of Knowledge now, a myriad fruits of every size and shapes still tempt us with their kaleidoscope of colors, textures, flavors and aromas. Through the enticing packaging of their fruits, plants hope to attract other more mobile living creatures to propagate their seeds far and wide. In return for their services, the creatures [including us] are rewarded with many nutritional benefits that enhances health and help fight diseases.

We get to know many of the beneficial nutrients and compounds packed into fruits that enhances our health in the last article in Jumblebox./ How do we extract the maximum benefits from them?

PAPAYA FRUIT

A study by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia on nutrients of papaya at different stages of ripening showed that the fruit at the height of maturity has the most nutrients. Other studies indicated this is true of other fruits as well. Therefore, eat ripe fruits for maximum benefit.

On the other hand, decay sets in on over-ripe fruits, and the sugars are changed to carbon dioxide, alcohol, acetic acid and other harmful by-products. Once a fruits starts to rot, nutrients diminishes rapidly.

Unripe fruit is not wholesome for us either. When the fruit is not ripe, it produces compounds with unpleasant taste such as bitter, biting or astringent flavors. Some of the compounds may be toxic as well to protect the fruit and deter creatures from eating the fruit before its seeds are fully mature and ready for propagation.

Fruits are cleanser of the body, flushing out toxins and metabolic waste . The recommendation is to eat 2-3 servings of fruit each day.

Eat a colorful variety of fruits of different taste as they contain different nutrients .

Eating a whole guava fruit is more nutritious than drinking its juice, since the fiber and some vitamins and minerals may be processed out of the juice. Moreover, in the process of chewing, your saliva help to digest some of the carbohydrate, lessening the workload for your stomach and pancreas.

It is believed that all fruits, even acidic ones, become alkaline in your intestine provided that no sugar or carbohydrate is taken together with your fruit. When concentrated starches and sugars are included in a meal in which fresh, raw fruits (with the exception of bananas, dates, figs and raisins) are present then the fruits no longer have an alkaline reaction in the body but tend to become acidic.

Wash fruits thoroughly, especially if they are inorganic ones.

Grapes, guava, apples and berries can be eaten with their skin. However, when you eat fruits that have to be peeled such as orange, lychee, banana etc. consume them before they oxidize. Peeled fruits that have turned brown indicates lost of nutrients due to oxidation. To get the best that any fruit has to offer, eat it fresh.

avoid canned and preserved fruits as they contain excessive sugar or salt, additives and preservatives.

Fruits dried naturally or with dehydrators is preferable to those that uses chemical preservatives.

My friend was once given a box of preserved fruits. Rashes broke out after she ate some of them. Her doctor told her she was allergic to sulfur nitrite used to preserve the fruit. To derive the most benefits, eat fresh, ripe organic fruits.

There are groups who think early man live on a diet of raw fruits, nuts and seeds. These raw food diet advocates championed following such a diet. they pointed to the increasing number of people suffering from allergies and other chronic diseases and blamed the modern diet for their ills. A group calling themselves ‘Fruitarians’ said “fruit is the source of health and energy because fruit contains all the vital nutrients the human body requires to maintain it in a healthy and balanced state. it is a LIVE food… wonderful for long term health, weight control, longevity and detoxification.”

In the next article we will look at some 'food combining rules' developed by these groups to get the maximum benefits from raw food.

For older Health Tidbits, click on the link below:

Plants 4Health


DELIGHTFUL LYCHEE

The lychee is an auspicious fruit in Chinese culture. It is one of five fruits used in weddings and signify the union will bear offspring for the couple. Its name has the same pronunciation as words that mean interest in money as also as to have an heir (son). Furthermore, the word ‘LI’ also mean ‘intelligent or sharp’, something any parent would wish in a child. Used during Chinese New Year, it symbolizes ‘Family togetherness’.

Through the ages, this dainty, luscious fruit has inspired artists, poets and scholars. If the lychee can talk, wrapped within its bumpy, rosy skin would be imperial tales of love, war and intrigue.

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Click to choose articles below:

Medicinal plants should be taken with care, just like other medication because they can interact with other medications or any underlying health problems or allergies you may have and cause side effects. Give your healthcare provider a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe healthcare.

ARTICLES


A JOYOUS SEASON

It’s the season for merry-making, goodwill and generosity towards all. For Pagans the season stretches from mid November to Mid January whereas Christian celebration starts on Christmas Eve on 24th December and ends on 6th January- hence the 12 days of Christmas.

The ancient Pagans pondered the wonders of the world around them and the forces of Mother Nature and were awed. They were concerned about getting enough food and keeping themselves warm and clothed. Consequently, they...

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ReadingBox

Introduces Books & Reading Sites

Christmas tree Christmas Tree
The custom of erecting a Christmas tree can be traced to 16th century Northern Germany. It was not until the beginning of the nineteenth century, however, that it spread rapidly and grew into a general German custom. Eventually this custom spread around the world.


OneManga.com- click here

Enjoy free Japanese mangas translated into English online. Male and female manga lovers of all ages. Variety of genres, 12 categories to choose from.


Baen Free Library - click here

Download modern science fiction and fantasy novels for free.


BookCrossing- click here

the biggest library in the world!
Register and release your old hardcopy books for others to read or read theirs .


PODIOBOOKS- click here

Free legal serialized audio books.
Have audio books delivers to your computer on a schedule specified by you. Alternatively, download to MP3 or CD.


Sacred Texts- click here

Site Dedicated To Religious Tolerance

December is upon us! Time to review how many of this year’s resolutions we have achieved and plan for next year’s. If you want a quiet corner in cyberspace to reflect, do some soul-searching and to revive your spiritual side, you can visit Sacred Texts Archive. At its ‘HOME’ page, you are welcomed to explore “the largest freely available archive of online books about religion, mythology, folklore, occult and the esoteric on the Internet.”

Sacred Texts Archive is one of the top 5 most visited general religion sites based on site traffic. Today, site traffic often exceeds a million hits a day.

According to John Bruno Hare, the creator of this site, The Sacred Text Archive is dedicated to religious tolerance and scholarship, and has the largest readership of any similar site on the web.

The oldest text at this site is the over 5,000 year old Veda text that still influences Indian thought, medicine and society. Other than Hinduism and Jainism, you can also find both ancient and relatively more modern texts on Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Taoism, and a host of other religions and ancient belief systems as well as books on philosophy.

This site is not only dedicated to religion; you can also get information on UFO, earth mysteries, sky lore, parapsychology, ghosts and magic.

If you want to peer into the future, you can read up on prophecies by Nostradamus. His two books published in 1555 and 1558 is said to predicted the rise of Napoleon1, Adolf Hitler, world war 1 and 2, his own death and more recently, the destruction of World Trade Center by terrorists on September 11, 2001 [911]!!! You can go to the website to read Nostradamus’ prediction.

This site provides books in English and their original language, if available. For instance, the books on Shiite sect of Islam are bilingual and have translations of rare manuscript. There are also the Koran, Hadith and Sufi books.

Hare was trained in linguistics and anthropology and this site reflected his interest. He wrote:
From the start, we have had a special focus on remedying the under-representation of traditional cultures on the Internet. The site has one of the largest collections of transcriptions of complete books on Native American, Pacific, African, Asian and other traditional people's religion, spiritual practices, mythology and folklore.”

Since Christmas is in December, you can check out the section on Christmas. There are stories, poems, carols, the pagan origins of the holiday, the origins and significance of Christmas Customs and Observances etc.

You can also check out ‘THE LOST BOOKS OF THE BIBLE’. Below is an introduction by Hare:
This is a collection of New Testament Apocrypha, including many works which were admired and read by the early Christians, but which were later excluded from the canonical Bible. It includes accounts of the young Jesus, particularly the Gospel of Mary and the Protevangelion, which provides additional folklore about the birth and youthful adventures of Jesus. Of note are the letters of Paul and Seneca, and the letters of Herod and Pilate, which are most likely a forgery, but add more depth to the question of the historicity of Jesus. There are also a number of non-canonical epistles, such as Laodiceans. Also worth a close read are the three books of the Shepherd of Hermas, which uses apocalyptic and symbolic imagery. This collection is an invaluable selection of portions of the New Testament which illustrates the fluid nature of the early Biblical canon, and provides access to all of the 'spare parts.'

A Joyous Season To All!

JUMBLELIGHT

QuoteBox

SEND IN YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTES
Have you read or heard anyone say something worth quoting? Your friend, leader, boss, favorite author… Send it to us. We may feature the Quotation in ‘QuoteBox’. Provide the name or source as well.


ASIAN PROVERBS

Don’t empty the water jar until rain falls
[Filipino proverbs]


It is easy to bend a young tree,
it is difficult to bend an old tree
[Thai proverb]


To know the road ahead,
Ask those coming back
[Chinese proverb]


A tapioca plant is silent- and it bears fruit
An iron rod is silent- and it just rust away
[Malay proverb]


If you are knowledgeable, know enough for others to respect you,
If you are stupid, be stupid enough for others to pity you
[Cambodian proverb]

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LIGHTBOX

GENEROSITY & TIME

The feeling of generosity and the capacity for being generous are not enough. We also need to express our generosity. We may feel that we don't have the time to make people happy - we say,

"Time is money," but time is more than money. Life is for more than using time to make money. Time is for being alive, for sharing joy and happiness with others.

-by Thich Nhat Hanh [Vietnamese]

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FUNNYBOX


ASIAN JOKES

AAWUT & THE SHARK [Thai]

Aawut was fishing in a boat in the middle of the ocean. As the sun beat down on him at high noon, he decided to take a dip in the sea. He remove his clothes. Just as he was about to plunge, he noticed a shark. He hesitated and asked the shark, “ do you eat humans?”

“ah, not at all,” replied the shark, “ I am most strict vegetarian”

On hearing this, Aawut was relieved and plungd into the water. Then a thought struck him, “ how can sharks speak in human tongue?”

“ah,” said the shark, “I was thinking the same thing. How can a vegetable talk?”

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