Health for life

The carambola is appropriately nick named star fruit for its five golden wings that reveal a star-shaped pattern when cut crosswise. The juicy transparent flesh has a citrus quality with a floral accent and is delicious eaten fresh, made into juice or into a delicious chutney. The tree makes an ideal specimen plant due to its attractive foliage and has the added bonus of producing large quantities of fruit. Carambolas are best grown in frost free subtropical climate. They can withstand light frost when established. They generally have two crops a year, one in summer and the second crop in winter. With pruning at different times of the year they can be induced to crop from summer to winter. A very attractive fruiting tree, well worth having in the backyard.

Cut into cross sections the fruits make attractive garnishes for sweet and savory dishes particularly seafood dishes.  A relish can be made from unripe fruits by combining horseradish, celery, vinegar, seasonings and spices. 

A study recently published in Social Indicators Research (Blanchflower, Oswald and Stewart-Brown 2012) investigated the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and mental health. The study drew upon three robust, representative, cross-sectional studies of random samples of adults in three UK countries; England, Scotland, and Wales. Each of these surveys gathered self-reported intake data, measured in portions of fruit and vegetables of up to eight or more a day. Most surveys stop at the recommended five or more. The study also gathered data on seven different measures of mental health, from mental wellbeing (WEMWBS) through mental illness (GHQ-12), life satisfaction, happiness, nervousness and downheartedness.

Together these surveys captured information from more than 80,000 people, taking account of a wide range of other potential explanatory factors such as age, sex, ethnic group, socioeconomic and educational circumstances; and other lifestyle factors, such as smoking. They show a remarkably monotonic dose-response relationship between mental health and the number of portions of fruit and vegetables consumed. That is, the more fruit and vegetables consumed, the greater the mental wellbeing. In models based on indicators of positive mental health (WEMWBS, Life Satisfaction and Happiness) the corresponding coefficients continued to increase by up to seven or more portions of fruit and vegetables. In models based on mental health problems (GHQ-12, nervousness, feeling downhearted) they increased by up to five or more.


A strong and consistent dose-response relationship, as shown in these studies, acts as evidence that fruit and vegetable consumption is influencing mental health. Yet, the possibility remains that we could just be documenting a simple correlation; people with better mental health tend to look after themselves – by eating more fruit and vegetables – than those with worse mental health.

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Movement self-vitamin can be started by the community by planting fruit trees or vegetables in yard. If every household has a fruit tree, it will not be visible fruit stalls filled with a variety of imported fruit. Star fruit is known to the public, a reshing fruit flavor and elegant forms of plants flowered at the same time can be an ornamental plant. These plants are not familiar fruiting season, although the prolonged rainy season in Central Kalimantan in 2010, starfruit remain diligent to fruition.

Starfruit plant is quite easy, capital of manure only two zak cement, Urea, SP-36 and KCl each 1 kg given once every 2 months gradually during the half year. Easy enough doses of fertilizers mixed with mineral glass or simply by 2-3 hand and repeated again after the visible response of the indicated plants. The greater the dose of plant fertilizer increased. The schedule is flexible enough to cultivate, if seen the performance of plants began yellowing leaves and shoots growing point began to seem less fresh it has come time to fertilize again. If low doses the effect remanuring brief and more frequent

In order to establish a healthy star fruit is a simple tips for the wrapping of star fruit can be harvested with good quality and free of caterpillars. The photos here are cheap tips to form a healthy and quality star fruit.

Prepare packing materials are easily available starfruit, ie newsprint, dried banana leaves, cellophane tape, the former beverage bottles, rope, and scissors. Place the dried banana leaves on newsprint. The function of dried banana leaves as a template so that when rolled up in newspaper, then rolls it to form a tube, but if no banana leaves then roll of newsprint will be dented. Bottle serves as forming a tubular wrapper. Generally starfruit goddess has a diameter of more than 6 cm, so if you use a medium-size bottle then push the wrap will rip the fruit when the fruit aged 2 - 2.5 months after wrapped. It is actually quite bermanfat, because we can see that the fruit has begun to mature, and replaced again with a pack of large-sized bottles. After 2 weeks on the wrapper of the fruit ready for harvest. If the plant quite a lot and do not want to be bothered, it can be used directly wrapping large bottle sizes, but be caul of fruit that will be covered should be large enough or at least has a length of 8-10 cm, because if too small yet powerful fruit stalks bear the burden of packing size large relatively large. And to determine whether the fruit is ripe, should be felt by pressing pebungkus, if the fruit was large enough and dense it is necessary to be seen again whether the color also has reddish yellow.

After the sheet of newsprint and dried leaves neatly arranged, then put the bottle beside the paper rolled up newspaper and runs out, the paper taped to form a coil. Then the tip of newspaper tied with raffia. Paper which wrapped the bottle slowly withdrawn, then it is ready to wrap the star fruit.

Pick young star fruit with a size of about 8 cm long, straight shape not bent, perfect appearance and leaving just one fruit in a single clump of young fruit. Enter the wrappers and tie the ends tightly wrapping rather ketangkai fruit with raffia rope. The fruit has been safe in the wrapper until cooked.

Star fruit appearance after the age of 2.5 months showed good quality wrapped. Weight of fruit per item between 3 - 3.5 ounces, the length between 15-20 cm, diameter about 10 cm. Goddess starfruit plants grown on sandy soil in Palangkaraya Uruk to the age of 1.5 years after planting crops capable of up to 3 times per year, with a total of about 20 fruit once harvested.

Star fruit has been diligent fruitful though still-altitude 2 m, with stem diameter 6 cm. Appearances goddess starfruit tree in the yard, a double function as a source of vitamins and a beautiful ornamental plant. (Dr. A).

Fruit salad always seems like a good idea for picnics and barbecues. It’s beautiful; it’s summery; and unless it’s overrun with marshmallows and bananas (barf), it’s yummy. However, one thing you can count on when you take fruit salad to a party: you’ll be taking it right back home.

You can be assured there will be no leftover cheese, no leftover guacamole. Crudités has slightly better odds if it is accompanied by a good dip, but fruit salad…unless there is just no other food, you’ll be eating it for breakfast the next few days.

Unless you make this fruit salad: based on Giada de Laurentiis’ Watermelon and Cantaloupe Salad with Mint Vinaigrette. It is seriously the best fruit salad ever. And there is nary a marshmallow (or banana) in sight.

I’ve made this salad several times, with various fruit combinations, and it never fails to please. Last summer, I made it for my birthday beach party, and two summers ago for a bridal shower fiesta. My mother even borrowed the recipe and wowed her Bible study group.

But never has it received the laud it got at the BBQ baby shower on Saturday. (No babies were BBQ’d, only meat and veggie burgs.) This gorgeous bowl of fruit went as quickly as the cheese platter and almost as fast as the guacamole. People were begging (okay, two people asked nicely) for the leftovers, of which there were few.

Luckily, it’s so, so easy, and cheap if the fruit you choose is in season. I strayed from the recommended melons, because A) I couldn’t find a watermelon that looked good and 2) I dislike cantaloupe almost as much as bananas. You can make this with any fruit you like.

Berries are fabulously in season up NYC way. For fun and color contrast, I threw in a mango and a peach. (For the crowd, I also doubled the recipe you see below; it’s easy to scale.)

Now, Giada’s giant smile calls for 1/4 cup of simple syrup for 4 cups of fruit. Hold up, pretty lady. That’s too much sugar, and, if you ask me, why most people avoid fruit salad. I cut the amount of syrup in half, even though I upped the amount of fruit by about a cup.

Otherwise, I kept the proportions the same. I also subbed almond extract for amaretto, since I didn’t have the liqueur on hand. There is probably some reason I should not have made the substitution in equal amounts, but it worked.

It’s a truly sublime concoction. Be prepared to give out the recipe and if you want some for yourself at home, make extra. That way you can still have fruit salad for breakfast.

Sublime Fruit Salad with Mint
Adapted from Watermelon and Cantaloupe Salad with Mint Vinaigrette by Giada de Laurentiis.
Yields approx 10 1/2-cup servings


1 pt strawberries, sliced
1 pt blueberries
1 mango, peeled and cubed
1 peach, peeled and cubed
1/8 cup simple syrup (see instructions)
1/4 cup lime juice (about 3 limes)
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/8 tsp almond extract

1) Make simple syrup and chill while prepping fruit.

2) Simple syrup = 1 part sugar to 1 part water. Bring water to a boil, stir in sugar until dissolved completely. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3) Wash, peel, and chop fruit as desired.

4) In a blender, combine simple syrup, lime juice, chopped mint, and almond extract.

5) Toss syrup over fruit.

6) Chill (overnight is good) and serve. Practice saying, “thank you.” You’ll be getting lots of compliments.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
56.6 calories, .1g fat, $.60

Calculations
1 pt strawberries: 98 calories, 0g fat, $1.99
1 pt blueberries: 168 calories, 0g fat, $2.50
1 mango: 87 calories, 0g fat, $.75
1 peach: 68 calories, 0g fat, $.19
1/8 cup simple syrup: 104.6 calories, 0g fat, $.07
1/4 cup lime juice: 28.5 calories, .1g fat, $.30
1/2 cup fresh mint: 40 calories, 1g fat, $.50
1/8 tsp almond extract: negligible calories and fat, $.04
Totals: 594 calories, 1.1g fat, $6.34
Per Serving (Totals/10): 59.4 calories, .11g fat, $.63