An article that tells about the benefits of okra for colon health and other things.
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The colon is a highly important organ in the body, as it plays a major role in the successful functioning of the gastrointestinal system. When the colon is damaged or does not function properly, the body is susceptible to many different health risks. Damage to the mucous membranes of the colon and the rest of the digestive tract can cause the entire gastrointestinal system to slow down and function at a reduced level of efficiency. To naturally heal the colon and the mucous membranes of the digestive system, many people turn to Lady Finger -- more commonly known as okra or Chinese okra and also called gumbo, bhindi, bindi, or bamia. Not only is nutrient-rich okra a delicious vegetable that can be prepared in many ways, but it also provides a multitude of benefits for your body and, in particular, your colon.
Lady Finger is a wonderful source of important vitamins such as vitamins C, A, E, K, and B complex, as well as iron, calcium, potassium, sodium, copper, magnesium, selenium, manganese, zinc, and phyto-nutrients. A fat-free food that is also low in calories and high in dietary fiber, okra is a vegetable that originally hails from Africa and is now grown all over the world. Harvested from a flowering plant, Lady Finger earned its curious name because the edible part of the plant is long and tapered, much like the fingers of an elegant lady.
Okra provides numerous health benefits, including the reduced risk of obesity, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, and even colon cancer, thanks to its high amounts of dietary fiber. Additionally, Lady Finger provides chlorophyll, which is an antioxidant and can protect against cancer. The vitamin A in the vegetable provides healthy, clear, glowing skin, and the flavonoids protect against lung cancer and cavities in the teeth. Additionally, the vitamin C that Lady Finger carries can decrease the amount of free radicals in the body, thus reducing the amount of time that the body takes to heal from several different diseases. Last but not least, the vitamin K in okra helps blood clot and strengthens the bones throughout the body.
Though this list of health benefits provided by Lady Finger is quite long, what does it do for the colon specifically? Well, the dietary fiber okra releases into the body is able to effectively clean out the gastrointestinal system, which can easily become clogged with fats, carbohydrates, cholesterol, toxins, bacteria, and other harmful substances. By cleaning out the intestinal tract, Lady Finger is able to improve colon health by allowing the organ to work at a higher rate of efficiency. Should the colon be damaged: this also allows it to heal without the added danger of excess toxins, fats, and other potentially harmful substances infecting or further damaging the organ.
Okra is a disgusting vegetable. I can only tolerated battered and deep fried or in a gumbo. However it has more variety of minerals than any other vegetable.
Here is a simple recipe, similar to what my Grandmother use to make to get us kids to even try okra. She had no problem just roasting it. Roasting helps to cut the slimey stuff down.
I purchased several pounds of it this summer at the farmer's market, grown organically by a local farmer's market person...
It all tucked away in my freezer and I don't know what to do with it. Fried okra is out of the question... how much gumbo can one possibly eat?
Any recipie ideas?
I can eat a good gumbo over rice for a couple of days, and it can be frozen for a handy future meal. Sometimes around the holidays, my husband makes a mean gumbo that everyone loves. Here's a rough recipe for it.
(Use large thick bottomed pot, preferable stainless steel.)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. butter
2 med. or 1 lg. onion
1/2 - 3/4 tablespoon crushed garlic
1/4 cup flour (sifted)
1 lg. can whole tomatoes (blended)
4 - 5 bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tabespoon thyme
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
12 ounces okra (maximum)
1 can crab meat
1 - 1 1/2 lb. shrimp (peeled and cleaned)
1 lb. scallops (large sea)
3 - 4 sausages (browned and sliced 1 in. thick)
- Saute butter, onions, garlic on medium heat until soft
- Slowly add sifted flour, while stirring
- Saute, stirring almost constantly until dark golden brown, do not let it burn at all. The darker the roux, the more flavorful the gumbo.
- Add blended tomatoes, spices, bay leaves, then simmer and stir until tomatoes are completely blended with the roux.
Colon Health with Okra (Lady Finger)
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