Maya Angelou became, for so many, a symbol of resilience — the capacity to persist in the face of hardship and adversity — and beyond that a symbol of boundless creativity.😎
If you don’t know her, check her biography. You will be amazed how strong this woman was.
Resilience, Creativity and Generosity are her 3 lessons to cope when adversity shows up.
One Love ❤️
PS: Picture is Sunset in French Mens Cove in Jamaica
Mango trees are one of the most cultivated fruits in the tropics. Beyond the sweet, luscious taste of mangoes, they also contain an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that assure your optimum health.
Here are a few benefits:
Nutrition of one cup of mango with Daily Value:
Mangoes also provide calcium; iron; and powerful antioxidants such as zeaxanthin, quercetin, astragalin and beta-carotene.
How to use Mangoes?
Mangoes keep relatively well. Unripe fruit can be left to ripen at room temperature; a fruit that is still green will ripen in a week, or faster if it is placed in a paper bag. Mangoes taste best when eaten at peak ripeness. Ripe mangoes can be kept in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks. Mangoes can be frozen, cooked in syrup or puréed; sugar and lime or lemon juice may be added if desired.
Cautions when using mangoes:
Since mangoes are of the same family of pistachios or cashews, if you have an allergy to pistachios or cashews, then you should probably avoid mangoes.
If you have a latex allergy, a reaction is possible with mangos, particularly green mangos. This reaction develops because of anacardic acid
Mangos are ripened by some dealers using calcium carbide, which can cause serious health problems (one more reason to buy organic). If you do have inorganic mangoes, wash them properly before consuming or soak overnight in water.
Mango peel and sap contain urushiol, the chemical in poison ivy and poison sumac which can cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals.
Disclaimer:
This blog, its content and any linked material are presented for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or prescribing. Nothing contained in or accessible from this blog should be considered to be medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or prescribing, or a promise of benefits, claim of cure, legal warranty, or guarantee of results to be achieved. Never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog or in any linked material.
Since diagnosed with Endometriosis ( a condition resulting from the appearance of endometrial tissue outside the uterus and causing pelvic pain, especially associated with menstruation), I am doing some research to calm the pain and try to remove the lesions without getting a surgery and I found that eating foods which are good for resolving blood stasis will help me. It includes kelp, vinegar, lemons, limes, onions, Irish moss and bladder wrack (the last two are seaweeds). Being in Jamaica, Irish moss is quite inexpensive and easy to find, so I decided to include it in my diet. Irish Moss has many benefits also.
A little history:
The Irish Moss is a seaweed that was original found near Ireland hence the name. The Irish consumed Irish moss during the famine of the 19th century in Ireland.
Irish moss or Chondrus crispus is a type of red algae harvested from the Atlantic coastline of North America, Great Britain, Iceland, and, as the name suggests, Ireland. The seaweed also grows on rocks in Jamaica. Irish migrants to Jamaica brought the tradition of the Irish Moss to Jamaica.
<==Red Algae
My cooked Irish moss ==>
Irish moss is usually harvested in the summer and then dried for
herbal.
The principal constituent is a mucilaginous body, made of the polysaccharide carrageenan, which constitutes 55% of its weight. The organism also consists of nearly 10% protein and about 15% mineral matter, and is rich in iodine and sulfur. When softened in water it has a sea-like odor and because of the abundant cell wall polysaccharides it will form a jelly when boiled, containing from 20 to 100 times its weight of water.
Irish moss is so rich in a certain polysaccharide called carrageenan, it is widely used as a thickening agent, stabilizer and lubricant in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
Gelatin is a very common binder in a variety of foods, however, it isn’t vegetarian/vegan friendly as it comes from the collagen within animal bones and skin. As a substitute, Irish moss is used as a vegan gelatin agent.
Instead of the animal based gelatin, the carrageenan extract from the seaweed is used in vegetarian packaged and frozen foods, milk, ice cream, and yogurt.
It’s not only used for food, it is a common ingredient in organic/vegan/cruelty-free makeup, toothpastes, lotion, and shampoos.
How do I prepare the Irish Moss that can be added to my meals?
Popularized in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries, the Irish moss drink is a beverage made from boiling the alga for an hour while adding flavorings, sweetened condensed milk, rum and spices. It is believed to be an aphrodisiac.
I don’t prepare it as a beverage but I keep it full in the fridge once it is done:
I use at least 1 spoon for each meal. It can be blended in a smoothie, or in a soup, or I even put it in my food. I find that it has no taste.
Its Benefits
Irish Moss is being used to thicken smoothies and milks, and even in custardy desserts; but it has also multiple health benefits:
DISCLAIMER:
I am not a physician or qualified medical professional. The information in this article, including my comments below, are for reference only and are not meant to take the place of medical advice you receive from your doctor. This content does not provide dosage information, format recommendations, toxicity levels, or possible interactions with prescription drugs. Accordingly, this information should be used only under the direct supervision of a qualified health practitioner such as a naturopathic physician.
I knew Aloe Vera when I was in Europe only in cream bottles or in juices but I never really bought or own a plant. On the cover picture you can see our plant in Jamaica that we use for the last 5 years. Each time we move we take our Aloe Vera plant and find the right place!
We usually use the Aloe Vera leaves after we come back from the beach and put it on our skin to avoid sunburn. The next day the skin is back to our normal color as if we didn’t get any reaction from the sun. Also I use it as a facial mask sometimes. I like to do my concoctions 🙂
The plant by itself can grow up to two feet with prickly and bitter leaves which act as a defense to keep animals and insects away. Inside the plant, you find this gooey translucent gel which contains 96% of water, protein with 18 amino acids, Vitamin A,B, B12, C and E. It contains proteolytic enzymes which repairs dead skin cell and has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
Aloe Vera is used to help people with dry skin, minor cuts, severe burns and to treat wounds. Healing properties can help acne prone skin, remove tan and also reduce stretch marks.
You can use it directly on your skin and you’ll get a feeling of having a smoother skin and a coolness on your skin. Or you can also mix it with other ingredients and get an exfoliating gel, or a gel to treat your skin and provide nutrients. You can do so many homemade recipes using aloe vera! It has an anti-aging quality because of the vitamin E, C and betacarotene. You can use it on all skin types.
It is also used in hair products to rejuvenate the hair and give more elasticity while preventing breakage. It helps also with dry and itchy scalp because of its anti viral and anti inflammatory properties.
The FDA in 1959 approved the use of Aloe Vera ointment for healing burn.
As a beautician and not a doctor I can’t really talk about the health improvement you’ll get with the Aloe Vera but it has been proven to help digestion, stomach troubles but also is used in some weight loss programs.
If you take care of your body from the inside, you will be healthy but also you’ll be glowing from the outside.
Little history: The Ancient Egyptians named Aloe Vera Plant the “plant of immortality”. The Egyptian queens associated its use with their physical beauty.
Kathy
Le plus populaire est Lavandula augustifolia, j’avais l’habitude d’avoir beaucoup de plantes quand j’étais en France et j’en prend encore dans le jardin de mes parents, je fais sècher la fleur, la met dans une petite pochette puis dans ma garde-robe pour avoir une belle odeur. La lavande n’est pas seulement une plante avec un parfum frais et floral mais présente de nombreux avantages pour la santé et les soins de la peau.
Petite histoire:
Aujourd’hui, la lavande a tant de vertus et c’est la raison pour laquelle nous l’utilisons dans nos soins de la peau. Elle est utilisée à la fois de manière cosmétique et thérapeutique. C’est un puissant antioxydant, a des propriétés bactéricides, antidépresseur, et a des effets calmants
Je ne suis que dans l’industrie de la beauté et non pas un médecin, donc je vous recommande de regarder tous les avantages pour la santé sur Internet, mais il a été démontré que l’huile essentielle de lavande est un antioxydant naturel qui empêcher et aide à certaines maladies comme Alzheimer and aussi les personnes souffrant d’un état de stress post-traumatique (ESPT), d’anxiété, de dépression et améliore le sommeil.
La lavande est très bénéfique pour la peau et est l’une des huiles rares que nous pouvons utiliser directement sur la peau.
La lavande stimule la croissance cellulaire et régénère la peau. Imaginez nos crèmes et sérums à base de cellules souches ou Estriol avec de la lavande. L’ajout de l’huile essentiel de lavande va aider également à réduire les taches de vieillesse et à inverser le processus anti-âge.
Nous l’utilisons également avec notre produit d’acné pour aider à la guérison grâce à ses propriétés anti-bactériennes, anti-oxydantes et anti-microbiennes.
Kathy
People are leaning more and more towards natural hair and skin products, for this reason I will be discussing about the Jamaican Black Castor Oil today. I expect to have it in my shop very soon.
I want to be honest with you, I didn’t know about Black Castor Oil until I came to live in Jamaica 5 years ago. All I knew was the Yellowish Castor Oil and the only time I used it was to help me getting into labour for my 4th child 🙂 – Disclaimer, I am not a doctor and I read about it so I tried because I was going to be induced the next day… anyway that was 14 years ago 🙂
Castor oil is a natural plant oil obtained from the seed of the castor plant. Cold pressed castor oil is the oil in its best form as it is not altered by heat or other substances. The nuts are pressed until you obtain this yellow oils substance. This is the purest form of the oil that has been filtered. This is what gives the oil the yellow tint when it goes through the cold press process.
Black castor oil gets its black color from the ash after the castor bean has been roasted. The ash is then added into the oil that has been pressed out which causes it to have the darker black tint as well as a smoked roasted scent.
Castor oil is known to help the skin, the hair and the immune system. It contains Vitamin E and Omega 6–fatty acids.
Castor oil is well known to increase hair growth. You can use it for your hair, eyebrows and eyelashes.
One recommendation on black texture hair that I got from a hairdresser is that castor oil could break the hair if you leave it in too long. It is better to use it on the scalp instead of the hair lengths.
Castor oil also helps as an acne treatment. It cleanses and tightens the pores resulting in soft and smooth skin. It reduces redness and swelling of acne blemishes along with scarring and pain.
Castor Oil also has some anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties which can help athlete foot, eczema and warts.
Castor oil has also many health benefits that I am not in the liberty to say as I am not a doctor but you can easily find it on the internet. One of the major reasons castor oil has strong immune-enhancing effects is because it supports the body’s lymphatic system. The lymphatic system also impacts the circulatory and digestive systems, which is why castor oil has benefits for helping you detox, supporting heart health and healing digestive issues.
The castor plant, whose botanical name is Ricinus communis, is native to the Ethiopian region of east Africa. It now grows in tropical and warm temperate regions throughout the world.
To maintain natural hair growth and the strength of their hair, the Egyptians were pioneers in using castor oil. Egyptian doctors used it also to protect the eyes from irritation.
Kathy
