Nutrition
Ofam (ripe plantain loaf)
Ofam
Ingredients
-1kilogramme of over-riped plantains
-3 fresh chillies to taste
-1 onion, finely grated
-3 tablespoonfuls freshly-grated ginger
-250millimetres good-quality palm oil
-80grammesof plain flour (either ground maize, rice flour or wheat flour)
-2 tablespoonfulsof salt to taste
Method
-Peel the plantains and mash until smooth.
-Place the mashed plantains in a large mixing bowl and add the grated onions.
-Remove seedsfrom the chillies, chop and pound to a paste andaddto the plantain and onion mix.
-Season to taste with salt and mix the ingredients together.
-Now add 50grammes of the flour and stir to make it thicker
-Stir in 200millimetres of the palm oil.
-Stir the batter well to mix the ingredients, and then set aside for 25 minutes.
-Use the remaining red palm oil to grease a cake tin.
-Pour the plantain dough into the cake tin and transfer to an oven pre- heated to 170° Degrees Celsius.
-Bake for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and cooked through.
-Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes.
-Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Ofam can be served warm or cold and should be accompanied by roasted peanuts.
Serve as a dessert or as a snack.
Source: celnet
Nutrition
Khebab
Khebab, popularly known as kyinkyinga in Ghana, is a very popular street food.
With meat variations ranging from beef, gizzards, chicken, guinea fowls, sausages and others, this spicy meat threaded on skewers and grilled over a gentle heat is usually served with sliced onions and spicy pepper powder.
It is very popular among the Hausa people in northern Ghana. The people that sell them are referred to as Abochi.
Ingredients
Kyinkyinga powder
●1 cup of ground peanuts (You can also use peanut butter powder )
●1 tablespoonful of onion powder
Salt to taste
●1 tablespoonful of paprika
●1 tablespoonful of ginger powder
●1 tablespoonful of cayenne
pepper
●1 tablespoonful of black pepper
Beef / meat on skewers
●5 Pounds diced beef /meat/ gizzard
●1/2 bulb of onion
Oil
Preparation
-Mix all the spices in a bowl together to get the kyinkyinga powder.
-Dip a cooking brush in oil and quote your beef on skewers with oil
– Generously rub your kyinkyinga powder mix on the meat and place them on a baking dish
-Place the baking dish of kebabs in a 350 degree Fahrenheit pre-heated conventional oven.
-Bake it for about 20 minutes and your beef / meat kebabs will be ready.
Nutrition
Overcoming urinary tract infections with our diet
Infections of the urinary tract (UTIs) are the second most common type of infection in the body. You may have a UTI if you notice pain or burning sensation when you urinate, an urge to use the bathroom much more often than usual, pain at the lower back, urine that smells bad, looks cloudy or reddish, and symptoms of fever, tiredness, or shakiness.
Bacteria are the villains behind UTIs. In fact, harmful bacteria from our stool sometimes manage to sneak into the urethra, the opening where urine exits the body. From there, they may spread to the bladder. Urinating helps wash/ flush these bacteria out of the urinary tract.
UTIs are more common in females than males, and particularly common in diabetics, people undergoing chemotherapy, people on steroids, people living with HIV/AIDS, among others. Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment, however the following tips will go a long way toward helping you avoid UTIs:
Food to include
• Proanthocyanidins rich foods such as Cranberries, blueberries, and grapes.
• Probiotic bacteria rich foods such as fermented milk or yoghurt.
• Vitamin C rich foods such as oranges, tangerines, pineapples, and bell peppers.
• Drinking about 8 glasses of water a day to increase urination and hence flush out bacteria.
Lifestyle modification
• Avoid unnecessary usage of steroids.
• Adherence to medication if you are diabetic or a person living with HIV/ AIDS.
• Observe very good personal hygiene.
• Drink alcohol in moderation.
• Avoid sedentary lifestyle and incorporate exercise in your daily lives.
In conclusion, to avoid the uncomfortable and painful situation of living with a UTI, there are many ways and means that are well within our reach. Our diet and lifestyle play a major role which should not be underestimated, and with careful adherence to these tips, we will avoid UTIs completely.
The writer Dr. Bernice Korkor Asare is the CEO of Holistic Health Consult
“Your diet your health, your health your wealth”
E-mail: holistichealthconsultgh@ gmail.com
