Friday, May 14, 2010

Gourmet gourd Healthy summer drink



The calabash or bottle gourd (not to be confused with the calabaza) is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe. For this reason, one of the calabash subspecies is known
as the bottle gourd. The fresh fruit has a light green smooth skin and a white flesh. However the rounder varieties are called Calabash gourds whereas the longer and slimmer kinds are usually well known as bottle gourds.

Biiter gourd, this fruit has a distinct warty looking exterior and an oblong shape. It is hollow in cross-section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled with large flat seeds and pith. Bitter melon contains a lectin that has insulin-like activity.


The insulin-like bioactivity of this lectin is due to its linking together 2 insulin receptors. This lectin lowers blood glucose concentrations by acting on peripheral tissues and, similar to insulin's effects in the brain, suppressing appetite. This lectin is likely a major contributor to the hypoglycemic effect that develops after eating bitter melon and why it may be a way of managing adult-onset diabetes.


1 pound bottle gourd(washed and cut)
3 small bitter gourd(washed and deseeded)
1/2 inch ginger root

Preparation: In a juice extractor, one by one add piece of bottle gourd
and then add bitter gourd deseeded and thereafter add ginger root. This a very healthyand refreshing summer drink. It satisfies your thirst and gives you a energy boost.Bottle gourd are known to control blood pressure while bitter gourd helps to control diabetes. Make 1big glasss of juice.

Servings:2 people
preparation time:15 mins


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