Nutrition
Health benefits of ripe plantain
•Ripe plantain
Plantains belong to the same family as bananas but they have to be cooked to be eaten. Plantains are delicious and can be found in many places in the world. Plantains are starchy and rather bland, with a low sugar content.
Here are a few health benefits of plantain:
-Help regulate the digestive system
Fibre has a profound effect on the digestive system and plays a significant role in keeping it regular.
One cup of plantain provides almost a fifth of the fibre recommended daily, which is roughly 25–30 grammes.
As a high-fibre food, plantains add bulk to food intake, which aids digestion. Fibre make you feel full, which can help with weight control.
-Boost the immune system
Plantains contain 36 per cent of your daily recommended amount of vitamin A. As another powerful antioxidant, vitamin A provides a number of benefits to the body.
Along with vitamin C, it helps control your immune response, which keeps illness at bay, and a number of important immune system responses rely on vitamin A to perform correctly.
-Promote healthy brain function
Vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine, generates several important neurotransmitters that carry information from one cell to another.
A serving of plantains can provide up to 24 per cent of your daily amount needed of vitamin B6.
This vitamin in plantains is one of the eight B vitamins that aid in processing food into energy and metabolising fats.
-Great source of magnesium
From helping to regulate blood pressure to preventing osteoporosis, there are many ways magnesium keeps the body healthy.
Magnesium directly affects calcium absorption, which can avert or reverse osteoporosis.
It also lowers the risk of getting type 2 diabetes by controlling blood glucose levels through carbohydrate metabolism and insulin regulation.
Credit: Draxe.com
Ingredients
-Oil
-1 large onion
-2 cups of rice
-Salt
-2 cups of wheat
Preparation
-In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-low heat
-Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and turns golden brown
-Wash rice and wheat and put into pan. Sauté for two to three minutes, until toasty and fragrant
-Add water and salt and allow to boil.
– Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until rice is tender and the water is absorbed.
-Taste the rice/wheat; if it is still a bit firm, add a few more tablespoons of water and cook a few more minutes.
-When the rice/wheat is ready, take it off the fire and serve hot
Benefits of wheat
–Improves digestion: High levels of insoluble fibre- wheat promotes regular bowel movements, prevent constipation, and support a healthy gut microbiome.
-Supports heart health: Whole-grain wheat helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, and decreases the risk of stroke and heart disease.
-Aids weight management: Complex carbohydrates and dense fibre slow digestion, increase feelings of fullness, and help prevent sharp blood sugar spikes.
-Lowers type 2 diabetes risk: Steady glucose release and minerals like magnesium improve insulin sensitivity.
– Provides essential vitamins and minerals: Wheat supplies B vitamins, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium, which help build bones and boost immune function.
–Delivers Antioxidants: Compounds like phenolic acids, ferulic acid, and lutein protect cells from oxidative stress and support eye health.
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Ingredients
-4 cups of crushed corn
-1 cup of sugar
Method:
-Soak crushed corn for two or more days to ferment
-Boil the fermented corn for about 20-30 minutes until foamy substance is dried up
-Pour sugar in a saucepan and heat until almost burnt
-Strain water from the boiled corn and pour in the saucepan containing sugar
-Use a strainer to strain the chaff
-Allow to cool and store in refrigerator
– Serve with milk
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
