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WATER THERAPY

Water, though has no taste, no colour, no odour, cannot be defined, art relished while ever mysterious. Not necessary to life, but rather life itself. Though fillest us with a gratification that exceeds the delight of the senses - Antoine De Saint-Exupery The therapeutic use of water has been recorded in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations. This practice has  been cited in the ancient medicinal Ayurveda practice of India. There are records in England that societies have been formed in the 18th century to promote the dietic and medicinal use of water. In the modern world it is widely practised in Japan, India and China. The use of water to cure diseases is generally called as water therapy or hydrotherapy . It is an undeniable fact that water is essential for life and it helps to remove toxins from our body and by consuming ordinary drinking water by the right method or as a therapy purifies the human body. In our body mucousal folds are present
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THE MAGNIFICIENT OLIVES

Olives, one of the oldest foods known, are thought to have originated in Crete between 5000 and 7000 years ago. Their use quickly spread throughout Egypt, Greece, Palestine and Asia Minor. Olives have been a dietary staple since ancient times, bearing mention in the Bible, and included in art and history from the Greek and Egyptian cultures and played an important role in Greek mythology. Since ancient times, the olive tree has provided food, fuel, timber and medicine for many civilizations. It has also been regarded as a symbol of peace and wisdom. Olive oil has been consumed since 3000 BC. Olives were brought to America by the Spanish and Portuguese explorers during the 15th and 16th century. Franciscan missionaries introduced olives into California in the late 18th century. Today, much of the commercial cultivation of olives occurs in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey.

Olives are fruits of the tree known as Olea europaea. Olea is the Latin word for oil, reflecting the olives very high fat content, of which 75% is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels. Europaea reminds us that olives are native to the Mediterranean region of Europe. Olives cannot be eaten straight from the tree; they require special processing to reduce their intrinsic bitterness. These processing methods vary with the olive variety, region where they are cultivated and the desired taste, texture and colour. Some olives are picked green and unripe, while others are allowed to fully ripen on the tree to a black colour. Yet, not all of the black olives available begin with a black colour. Some processing methods expose unripe greens olives to the air, and the subsequent oxidation turns them a dark colour. In addition to the original colour of the olive, the colour is affected by fermentation and/or curing in oil, water, brine or salt.

Some of the many available delicious varieties of olives include Moroccan oil-cured, Kalamata, Nicoise, Picholine and Manzanilla. In addition to varying in size and appearance, the flavour of olives spans the range from sour to smoky, from bitter to acidic. In addition to whole olives, you can often find them pitted.

Olives contain high amounts of monounsaturated fat and sodium, and moderately high amounts vitamin E, iron, copper and dietary fiber. One cup of olives - a little more than 130 g - contains 155 calories, about 130 of which come from fat. The serving contains about 10 g of monounsaturated fat, about 22% of the recommended daily allowance. A one-cup serving contains 4.44 mg of iron, about a quarter of the recommended daily intake, and about 17% of the daily recommended copper intake, 0.34 mg. The serving provides 4.3 g of dietary fiber, about 17% of what's recommended in a day, and 4.03 mg of vitamin E, about 20% of what's needed daily. Olives also contain small amounts of other nutrients, including protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine and methionine.

Health Benefits


The nutrients in olives provide a number of health benefits. The high levels of monounsaturated fat, which is sturdier than polyunsaturated fats, helps boost the strength of the body's cell outer membranes. The protection, along with the vitamin E and other antioxidants in olives, lowers the risk of cell damage and inflation. Stable cells can help prevent against a number of conditions, including cancer, heart attacks, strokes and gastrointestinal disorders. It also can help control conditions like asthma, arthritis and hot flashes brought on by menopause. Iron and copper, meanwhile, are necessary for the health of the blood and liver. Dietary fiber helps promote digestive health as well as lower cholesterol.

Varieties


Here are some of the more popular olive varieties:

• manzanilla:  Spanish green olive, available unpitted and/or stuffed, lightly lye-cured then packed in salt and lactic acid brine

• picholine:  French green olive, salt-brine cured, with subtle, lightly salty flavour, sometimes packed with citric acid as a preservative in the U.S.

• kalamata:  Greek black olive, harvested fully ripe, deep purple, almond-shaped, brine-cured, rich and fruity flavour

• niçoise:  French black olive, harvested fully ripe, small in size, rich, nutty, mellow flavour, high pit-to-meat ratio, often packed with herbs and stems intact

• liguria:  Italian black olive, salt-brine cured, with a vibrant flavour, sometimes packed with stems

• ponentine:  Italian black olive, salt-brine cured then packed in vinegar, mild in flavour

• gaeta:  Italian black olive, dry-salt cured, then rubbed with oil, wrinkled in appearance, mild flavour, often packed with rosemary and other herbs

• lugano:  Italian black olive, usually very salty, sometimes packed with olive leaves, popular at tastings

• sevillano:  Californian, salt-brine cured and preserved with lactic acid, very crisp

Although all the various colours of olives are basically the same vegetable in different stages of ripeness, not all olives are created equal when it comes to nutritional value. Ripe, black olives are the healthiest, particularly those cured in water or with sea salt. Green, unripe olives do not have the same level of mineral content and also might be treated with lye. Canned black olives, beside the high sodium content, also lack the same nutritional punch as the jarred variety. Canned olives, in many cases, were not ripened naturally and instead got their dark colour from additives used during the canning process.

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