Food Diet Remedy

If you are looking for a good snack idea, try pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds can be considered as a whole food since they contain several nutrients. They are a rich source of carbohydrates, amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids. They also contain most of the B vitamins, together with C, D, E, and K and essential minerals such as calcium, potassium, niacin, and phosphorous.

Traditonally, Native American tribes used pumpkin seeds to treat kidney problems and to eliminate parasites from the intestines. In Germany, they are used as a folk medicine for treating tapeworms. Studies in China have shown that pumpkin seeds are beneficial to people with a rare parasitic disease acquired from snails called schistosomiasis. This disease has only been found and known in Africa and Asia.

Today, pumpkin seeds are mainly been used to treat prostate and bladder problems, but they are also known to help with depression and learning disabilities. Their healing abilities are backed by some scientific studies.

Roasted pumpkin seeds add a nutty flavor to soups and salads. Pumpkin seed oil can be used as a salad dressing when combined with honey and olive oil. Although, it is common to eat roasted pumpkin seeds as snacks, the heat used destroys their natural fatty acids. Thus they are best eaten raw. Do remember to refrigerate pumpkin seeds so the oil does not turn rancid.

Many people develop kidney stones. Kidney stones develop when there is so much calcium oxalate or uric acid that it forms crystals. When kidney stones pass through the urinary tract, the bigger ones can cause pain and scarring.

Kidney stones are known to form because of an unhealthy diet that do emphasizes more on red meats rather than vegetables. You should also limit your intake of foods that contain oxalate. These foods include spinach, rhubarb and large quantities of black tea.

It is important that you drink plenty of water to help you flush out the kidney stones and to prevent them from forming.

Prevention of kidney stones is possible with natural food remedies. You will need to eat more vitamin B6, magnesium and fiber rich foods. These foods help your body get rid of oxalate in a harmless manner. They include wholegrain cereals, wheatgerm, nuts and seeds. Some cranberries (not too much) can help prevent calcium stones from forming by lowering calcium levels in urine.