"Psst!!! Don't go out at this time, your life could be in danger!!!"," Arrghh what's going on am I going crazy?" Guess what? You’re not insane. That voice could be trying to save your life!!!

INTUITION, THE OTHER YOU...

“The truth about life and lie about life is not measured by others but by your intuition, which never lies” Santosh Kalwar.

Ever heard people say that your intuition is your third eye? Well, this could be an absolute truth. Think of all the negative things that have happened in your life and try to remember what transpired in your mind before then. In most cases we already had it coming. Intuition isn’t a power accorded to ladies only as most of us tend to believe, men have their share too. It’s just louder in ladies and they also tend to listen to it more. And how I know this? Well some time back I went through a heart-breaking experience and guess what? I saw it coming but assumed it’s just another craze from my very imaginative mind. And like you’ve already guessed, it turned into reality several months down the line.

So, is it just a matter of shaping your future with your mind or was it a higher power warning me of what would transpire in my own life? I’ve heard it told before that the mind is a very powerful tool that can either make or break your present and future. Ironically even the Bible in Proverbs 4:23 says “Be careful how you think, your life is shaped by your thoughts”. Albert Einstein said that the only real valuable thing is intuition; one of the richest people on earth Bill Gates said that often we have to rely on intuition, “All great men are gifted with intuition. They know without reasoning or analysis what they need to know “Alexis Carrel, “A woman knows by intuition or instinct what is good for her” Marilyn Monroe.

But what exactly is intuition? Is it real or is it just the other crazy version of us who makes up weird stuff to prove the statistics that every person has a loose nut just floating somewhere in their brain? I mean, sometimes I even make up jokes in my own mind and laugh because they are just so freaking funny; and yes am normally sober and mentally healthy, whatever that means. According to my dictionary, intuition is knowledge or belief obtained neither by reason nor by perception. So it’s information on things you don’t knowingly reason or see; where exactly does it then come from?

After my research on the matter from many varied sources, I’ve come to the conclusion that this can only come from a higher supernatural being. I believe intuition is God’s way of preparing and warning us about things that may happen in the future. Intuition also does provide answers to questions about the present. Have you ever had a gut feeling a loved one could be having a problem, you call and the same is confirmed? I could give numerous examples but it all comes down to the fact that we all have an angel who watches over us and ensures our well-being.

Never ignore that voice in your inner being that tries to give you answers to your questions and problems. Ladies, that voice that tells you he could be cheating on you, that he’s not treating you right and doesn’t deserve you. Most ladies who have been cheated on will tell you they had a hunch it was going on but chose to ignore.  It is simple guys, call it a hunch, gut feeling or intuition, listen to it and you might just be happier, you’ll make better decisions and have a more fruitful and successful life.

Is pork red or white meat?

So, I had this debate some days back on where pork actually lies in terms of red and white meat. Pork is one of the most controversial meats considering most religions are against its consumption for various diverse reasons. Some won’t consume it due to the amount of fat it most often than not contain, and I must agree I lay in the later group for years until my mum introduced it to me some time back. In terms of palatability, pork if well cooked can cause you a serious addiction and I know those of us who can’t have enough of pork chops and bacon will agree with me. Let’s not forget pigs are omnivorous which means they eat basically everything more like scavengers; could this be connected to the awesome taste? Well I’ll leave that to your imagination but if you like pork like me, you might want to ignore that sentence.

Pork is actually in the red meat category. It has less myoglobin (oxygen carrying protein) than beef and other red meats, which is the main cause of the “whitish color” on it that makes most people classify it as a white meat.

Despite all the conflicting information and beliefs about it, pork is actually one of the most nutritious meats out there. First on the list is its high B vitamin content; thiamin, niacin, B6 and B12 which is higher that of most other meats. The B vitamins act as co-enzymes in most metabolic activities hence are very essential in any balance diet.

It also contains Iron, Zinc, Selenium; which is the only anti-oxidant mineral and of course the most obvious, protein. All the nutrients listed are crucial for optimal body functioning hence pork may not be such a bad meat after all. Go for lean pork though to keep the unwanted cholesterol at bay.

One of the lows of pork is the presence of many disease causing parasites in it especially trichinella worms, which can actually be directly related to what pigs eat. This means that pork has to be cooked thoroughly and under high temperatures for it to be safe to eat. The recommended temperature for cooking pork is 145⁰ F for at least 3 minutes for fresh meats and 140⁰ F for pre-cooked meats.

Did you know pigs don’t have sweat glands? This obviously means that most toxins are not well excreted. This has stirred up a lot of controversy on the safety of pork consumption and possible toxicity. As a nutritionist I can without a doubt say that pork is one of the most nutritious meats out there. The safety in terms of toxin levels, cholesterol and parasites are still under research and we hope to hear more on the same in the future from the research institutions.

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Don't like Guyabano alone as a fruit? Try Guyabano-Mango smoothie. Check the recipe below....

 

GUYABANO-MANGO SHAKE RECIPE

I’ve always had this question asked; what’s the difference between a milk shake and a smoothie? Well, the differences are majorly in the ingredients and their consistencies. A milk shake as the name suggests is majorly made with milk, ice cream or yoghurt and is light in consistency as it contains less fruit or vegetables. A smoothie on the other hand has a thicker consistency and the major ingredients are fruits or vegetables, ice cubes and a little milk, yoghurt or ice cubes. Smoothie and milk shakes are very easy to make, can be made with very little time and make very healthy snacks.

Guyabano Shake Ingredients:

 

• 1 ½ cup Guyabano, peeled and seeded
• 1  cup diced  Mango
• 1 cup ultra heated milk
• ½  cup ice cubes
• ¼ cup natural organic honey
• 1 slice sweet melon

Guyabano Shake Procedure:

Clean ripe Guyabano and cut in half, with clean hands pull the fleshy part out and take off the seeds. Place the contents in a clean bowl. Wash and peel ripe mango then dice it. Place all the prepared ingredients apart from the sweet melon in a blender (depending on capacity) and pulse until smooth. Taste so you can add honey if need be. Cut the melon slice into any shape of your choice. Pour the shake into a long glass, garnish with the melon slice and serve. In case you’re allergic to honey, you can replace it with sugar or an artificial sweetener as needed but go easy on the sugar due to its high calorie content.

Nutritional Information:

Guyabano is loaded with Vitamin C, B1, B2 among others, the milk is loaded with calcium which is a protagonist for Vitamin C (they work well together), honey has anti-inflammatory properties, supports Bifido bacteria in the gastro intestinal tract which is important for efficient digestion, contains antioxidants among other benefits and mangoes have vitamin A, C, folate, potassium and copper among others.

This in one snack everyone can take and actually enjoy; even the kids, it’s cheaper and healthier when made from fresh fruits at home and is free from chemicals. The honey is more preferable as a sweetener as it’s a great energy booster. You can pack the shake for yourself as an office snack or for the kids.

NB: In case of any allergies please adjust the ingredients accordingly to best suit your situation, but always research as some ingredients could be antagonistic to each other. Honey can cause botulism hence it shouldn’t be fed to babies/infants.

Enjoy more recipes and good health with StellarAfya.

 

Why you should add Guyabano/Soursop/Matomoko to your shopping cart...

GUYABANO/SOURSOP FRUITS

Scientific name: AnnonaMuricataCommon names: Matomoka (Kikuyu), cherongori (Kalenjin), matotomoko(Meru), guanábana(Spanish), graviola(Portuguese),  Brazilian pawpaw

Guyabano fruit is one of those fruits we tend to ignore at the market because its outer look isn't exactly attractive and its taste isn't on the sweet side either. This fruit tends to have several lookalikes like the horned melon so in case you’re still wondering, it’s a green, pear-shaped fruit covered with soft spines, thin skin and the soft edible whitish pulp that is fleshy and fibrous; the seeds are black and inedible. Guyabano fruit has a sweet-sour flavor/ a little tart that tastes like pineapple and strawberry with a tang of sour citrus taste.

The nutritional and health benefits of this not so known fruit are tremendous.  One of the early scientific researches done in 1976 shows that one chemical is 10,000 times more potent than the chemotherapeutic drug Adriamycin. Extracts from the tree were shown to: Effectively target and kill malignant cells in 12 types of cancer, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancer.

The most important thing to note is that unlike chemotherapy, laboratory tests show that the compound extracted from the Guyabano tree selectively hunts down and kills only cancer cells and doesn't harm the healthy cells. Various parts of the tree–including the bark, leaves, roots, fruit and fruit-seeds–have been used for centuries by medicine men and native Indians in South America to treat heart disease, asthma, liver problems and arthritis.

This fruit is pumped with antioxidants, it has been found to have substances that can inhibit Herpes Simplex Virus, hypotensive activities; it lowers blood pressure as a vasodilator hence if you’re on hypertension drugs or you have hypotension/low blood pressure, you should take it sparingly. It also has anti-depressive properties among many other benefits, some of which are still under research.
The fruit and juice is used against worms and parasites, to cool down fevers, to increase mother's milk after childbirth. It can also be used for diarrhea or inflammation in the bowels as a drying agent.

On the overall nutritional value, Guyabano fruit is high in carbohydrates, particularly fructose. The fruit contains significant amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B1, and vitamin B2 just to name a few.

I've done my research on the availability of this fruit in Kenya and you can find it in most markets; City, Wakulima, Muthurwa just to name a few and also at supermarkets; Uchumi, Tuskys and Nakumatt among others. So the next time you come across Guyabano, don’t hesitate to add it to your shopping cart.