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Copyright 2005 Jane OelkeWe know we need to eat a minimum of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables everyday. Actually now, to prevent cancer, 8 to 13 servings per day are recommended. A serving is one cup of raw fruits or vegetables, or ½ cup cooked. At a recent lecture I asked a lunch audience to raise their hand if they had at least one fruit or vegetable already that day. No one in that group raised their hand. This is not uncommon. Our processed and convenience foods contain very few fruits and vegetables. To prevent chronic diseases, fruits and especially vegetables are very important. Vegetables especially have the antioxidants, minerals, and phytochemicals in the correct combination that help keep the blood sugar in balance, create better energy in the body, and along with fruits build up the immune system. Each color found in fruits and vegetables focus on building the immune system in its own way. It is important to get a variety of colors, so that you will get a full range of phytochemicals (beneficial plant chemicals) in your daily diet. Research is finding that eating whole fruits and vegetables gives you many more nutrients than you could possible add to a vitamin and mineral supplement. There are over 12,000 phytochemicals, and I have yet to see a supplement, unless it has whole fruits and vegetables in it, have all of the 180 different vitamins or minerals that are required by our body to function daily. The different colors in fruits and vegetables help our immune system react to different stresses in our daily life. So look at the different colors in your diet. See if they include each of the colors listed below. This is one way to know that you are getting the full benefit of nutrients possible in your diet.Green Foods – broccoli, kale, leaf and romaine lettuce, spinach, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Green foods are especially good for the circulatory system. They contain many minerals and B-complex vitamins. Some phytochemicals found in green foods are sulforaphane and indoles that are very powerful anti-cancer compounds. Researchers have tried to use these as isolated phytochemicals but find that they only work while in the whole food form. Red Foods – tomatoes, watermelon, red cabbage. Red foods contain many phytochemicals that reduce free radical damage. The phytochemical called lycopene is especially helpful to prevent prostate problems, and reduce the effects of sun damage on the skin. Lycopene is the phytochemical that make the red foods get their red color. Orange Foods – carrots, pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, apricots, cantaloupe. The orange foods have the carotenoids the help prevent cancer by repairing the DNA. As our mothers told us, carrots, and other orange foods, are especially good for our eyes, and help with night vision. The deep orange foods help our bodies get the vitamin A we need, without getting excess that can lead to osteoporosis. Green/Yellow Foods – yellow corn, green peas, collard greens, avocado and honeydew melon. This combination of green and yellow foods contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin that help reduce the risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. These foods are also helpful in reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Orange /Yellow Foods – oranges, pineapple, tangerines, peaches, papaya, nectarines These foods that are orange and yellow in color are high in antioxidants, especially Vitamin C, and help to improve the health of the mucus membranes and connective tissue. They help prevent heart disease by improving circulation and preventing inflammation. White/Green Foods – onions, garlic, celery, pears, chives White and green combination foods contain a variety of phytochemicals. Garlic and onions contain allicin, the anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal phytochemical, and they can act as a poor man’s antibiotic. Add garlic and onions in your meals to reduce the effects of potential toxicity of high fat meats. Celery has many minerals, especially organic sodium, that keeps the fluid in the joints healthy. Red/Blue/Purple Foods – red apples, beets, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, prunes, concord grapes, blackberries. These dark colored red/blue/purple foods are very rich in powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins that protect again heart disease by improving circulation and preventing blood clots. They have many anti-aging phytochemicals that keep the blood circulating reducing the effects of the Standard American Diet rich in trans fats and processed foods.When you make a salad make sure you have a variety of different colors. Strive to get at least 5 colors on your plate. Use fruits to balance the rest of the colors needed. This way you will get closer to the 8 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables required, and you will get the variety of nutrients you need daily.
About the Author
Jane Oelke, N.D., Ph.D. is a Traditional Naturopath and Doctor of Homeopathy in southwest Michigan. She is the author of “Natural Choices for Fibromyalgia” and “Natural Choices for Attention Deficit Disorder.” She is a professional speaker on natural health topics. She can be contacted at DoctorOelke@aol.com or through her website at http://www.NaturalChoicesForYou.com
Foods you should be eating to help relieve hemorrhoids
A high fiber diet obtained from raw fruits and vegetables is what you need to eat for eliminating and for preventing constipation. When you don't have constipation, you won't have hemorrhoids.
The amount of fiber you should be eating is 25 35 grams per day. Most people only eat about 8-12 grams per day.
If you have not been eating a lot of fiber, you need to add fiber slowly to your diet, especially if you add it by using bran. Increase your use of bran or other bran cereals over a couple of weeks.
If you add fiber to your diet with fruits and vegetables, you can add them freely without much problem. However, since your stomach will not be use to it, you may experience more gas for a week or two. You can compensate for this by taking digestive enzymes to help you digest the extra produce.
The following list of juices and fruits are good for helping cure or relieve Hemorrhoids.
Juices
Juices are good for hemorrhoids but especially dark berry juices mixed with equal parts of apple juice. The dark berry juices to use are,
Cherries, blackberries, blueberries
These berries contain "anthocyanins" and "proanthocyanidins" which reduce hemorrhoidal pain and Swelling by toning and strengthening the hemorrhoid veins. Drink at least one glass of this juice mixture each day.
Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes are one of the best foods you can eat. It has a good source of vitamins and minerals. It has a high beta-carotene level and has anti-clogging properties.
Red and Black Currant Berries
Currants are high in Vitamin C, rutin, and minerals. This makes their juice valuable in clearing hemorrhoids. The also have a small amount of the fatty acid GLA, which produce prostaglandin that control body pain.
This juice is also good for cleansing the liver and blood. Good liver function is necessary for maintaining a healthy colon, rectum and anus.
Drink 1-2 glasses a day of red or black currant berries.
Pomegranate Juice
Although pomegranate juice may be hard to find, it is quite useful in reducing hemorrhoids, because of its strong astringency. Saturate a cotton ball with pomegranate juice and push it slightly into your rectum.
If you have pinworms, the tannins in pomegranate juice will help you get rid of them. You can also drink the juice. During the summer I have on occasion found pomegranate juice at a farmers market. It is slightly tart but it is easy to drink. However, it's hard to drink more than a glass full without getting a stomach upset.
Oranges and bananas
Eat 2-3 oranges and 2 bananas a day. Oranges provide vitamin C, bioflavonoids, and fiber. Bananas provide minerals that help to strengthen tissue and have plenty of fiber. Bananas can also be steamed to give more relief and even eliminate hemorrhoids. Steam two not quite ripe bananas with their peel until they are soft. Eat two in the morning and two in the evening.
Papaya
Papaya is an excellent fruit to eat. It has good mineral content, fiber, and has enzymes to digest protein.
These are the fruits and juices to use to for relieving hemorrhoids. Adding more vegetables to your eating habits is also important to get more fiber. These fruits, juices, and vegetables will help you keep regular and provide pain and inflammation relief for your hemorrhoid symptoms.
Copyright © 2005 Rudy Silva
About Rudy: Rudy Silva has a Physics degree from the University of San Jose California and is a Natural Nutritionist. He writes a newsletter called "Natural-Remedies-ThatWork.com" and he has written an ebook called "How to Relieve Your Constipation with 77 Natural Remedies." You can get more information on this ebook and more hemorrhoid remedies at http://www.hemorrhoid-remedies.for--you.info
The Fruits Of Summer News Canada
Peaches, plums and nectarines are a rite of summer - and a must for healthy summer skin
NC-Its a sure sign of summer: mounds of sweet, juicy peaches; plump, flavorful plums; and aromatic nectarines that seem to arrive with the warm days of late spring and leave with the first cool autumn breezes.
Perhaps its just a coincidence that these same peaches, plums and nectarines - long considered a delicious source of nutrition like most fruits and vegetables - are also important sources of antioxidants, essential for maintaining healthy skin. When the sun begins to shine, these fruits begin to work their magic.
A recent study conducted by the University of California - Davis found that these three summer stone fruits are rich in phenolic compounds which act as antioxidants, and include ascorbic acid Vitamin C, carotenoids orange or red colored substances found in many fruits and provitamin A/beta-carotene.
Heres how antioxidants work to protect the skin. Photoaging - skin cha
Best Recipes: Hot Buttered Rum Fruit Donna Monday
Enjoying a mug of hot buttered rum is one of those long-standing holiday traditions. It recalls scenes of sitting by a fireplace watching the fire crackle red and blue as the snowflakes gently fall outside.
Maybe this is why hot buttered rum recipes are so popular around holiday time. It’s a nice drink to have with friends and family.
While serving traditional hot buttered rum is always a welcome idea, you might consider doing something a bit different this year. How about making your guests a nice little side dish of Hot Buttered Rum Fruit
Fruit goes well with any meal and the rum and apple cider give it a spicy twist. I think you’ll be pleased with the reactions you’ll get when they taste this delicious holiday fruit dish.
Hot Buttered Rum Fruit 1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained 1 15-1/4 oz can peach halves, drained and halved 1 15 oz can pear halves, drained and halved ¼ cup sweetened dried cranberries 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ cup apple cider or juice 2 tablespoons margarine or butter ¼ cup rum
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Arrange fruit in an ungreased 12x8-inch baking dish.
In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg and apple cider; mix well. Cook over medium heat until bubbly and thickened, stirring frequently.
Stir in margarine; cook until melted. Remove from heat; stir in rum. Pour over fruit.
Bake for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Makes 10 half-cup servings.
About The Author
Copyright 2004 Donna Monday Got a brownie craving Satisfy it here http://www.best-brownie-recipes.com
"Fruit Baskets" the most Unique Incredible Edible Gift Of All ! Anna Teoli
Fruity Fresh Fruit Baskets Or Fruit gift baskets is the oldest traditional gift which still today is considered unique and one of the most overwhelming edible gifts of all .
Fruit baskets usually contain organic seasonal fruit combinations and are very often mixed with flowers , wines, gourmet foods ,NUTS and chocolates .
In Ancient times fruit gift baskets were given to kings on special events to show appreciation ,worthiness,and generosity .
The kings would then gather up with they siblings accompanied by wine and enjoy natures ultimate gift and celebrate.
Fruit baskets usually contain the freshest form of fruit , fruits must be carefully chosen in its peak of ripeness ,fruit baskets are usually accompanied by gourmet cheeses , wines ,flowers,and are neatly placed in wicker baskets and decorated accordingly .
There are 1000s of luscious fruit baskets online to choose from ,they are increasingly gaining popularity because they suit any occasion, romance ,business ,holidays,young ,old,weddings..its a safe bet
That is why today the fruit basket still remains the king of all gifts.
About The Author
Anna Teoli
Feel free to use this article on your website, but please give us credit by placing the following link on your page: http://www.buy-giftbaskets-online.com/fruit%20baskets.htm
Email : Buygift@buy-giftbaskets-online.com
Big Daddys Fruit Freezer News Canada
NC—Real men eat this yogurt! Its a truly fabulous frozen dessert or snack. So fast and easy that even your favourite I-hate-to-cook guy will like to make it, and so good that hell want to make it every day. Makes one delicious man-size portion.
Ingredients and Preparation
3/4 cup 175 mL or 175 g container vanilla yogurt
1 cup 250 mL raspberries, blueberries or strawberries, frozen
1/2 very ripe banana, peeled and frozen
Cut banana and large strawberries if used into small pieces. Mix fruit with yogurt. Using a food processor or powerful hand blender, quick puree starting with a rapid on/off technique. Dont puree it too long and dig in before it melts!
Heres what you get from a serving one recipe of our Big Daddys Fruit Freezer based on Health Canadas Recommended Daily Intake RDIs for nutrients.
Nutrient % RDI Nutrient % RDI
Vitamin C 188 % Vitamin B6 27 %
Vitamin B12 49 % Magnesium 25 %
Riboflavin 40 % Zinc 20 %
Calcium 32 %/353 mg Folacin 19 %
Phosphorus 27 % Pantothenic Acid 17 %
Per Serving
Energy 373 kcal, Carbohydrate 82 g, Protein 11 g, Fat 3 g
- News Canada
About The Author
News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.
News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.
Fun & Fruity Recipes Deborah Shelton
Sometimes the easiest way to get children to eat healthy is to let them have a hand in making their own snacks…and add whipped cream on top. Here are two fruity recipes that are fun and easy to make, and even more fun to eat.
Miniature Fruit Pizzas 1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough 8 ounces softened cream cheese 1 cup confectioners sugar Assorted fresh fruit, cut into bite size pieces, such as bananas, kiwis, oranges, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, pineapple, etc.
Directions: Cut sugar cookie dough into 1-inch slices and place on ungreased cookie sheet or pizza pan. Bake as directed, or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool.
Combine cream cheese and confectioners sugar; mix well. Spread over cooled cookies. Decorate with assorted fruit. Yummy!
Strawberry Angels 1 angel food cake 6 large strawberries 1 carton whipped topping
Directions: First, cut the cake into serving-size pieces. Slice the strawberries and layer on top of the cake. Then spoon whipped topping on top of the strawberries. Serve and enjoy!
About The Author
Deborah Shelton edits The Five Minute Parent email newsletter. For your free subscription, send a blank email to mailto:Five_Minute_Parent-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://www.fiveminuteparent.com deborah@fiveminuteparent.com
How to Effectively Juice a Fruit Paul Hood
Choosing the right tool for your juicing needs is crucial to maximizing the healthy benefits of your fruits. Like any other task, making a juice requires the use of appropriate device and techniques. It is without a doubt that juices enhance the body’s overall performance and it is very essential for us to have an adequate supply of it.
There are different types of juicers that have different levels of performance and choosing which one is the best is very important. Of course you’d want a juicer that delivers all the natural juice goodness and flavor you demand. More so, it also would be wise to have a juicer that that can handle any fruit, vegetable, leafy green, herb, or grass that you could ever want to juice. Versatility is a very vital issue that has to be considered in choosing the right equipment.
Bestjuicer.com lists the three types of juicers as follows:
The Masticating machine operates at a slower speed. It chews the fibers and breaks up the cells of vegetables and fruits. This gives you more fiber, enzymes, vitamins and trace minerals. It also is more versatile because in addition to extracting juices, the unit homogenizes making baby foods, sauces, nut butters, banana ice creams and fruit sorbets. An optional grain mill attachment is available for grinding grains into flour.
The Centrifugal machine first grinds the fruit and vegetables then pushes them through the strainer by spinning at a very high rpm similar to your washing machine on the spin cycle. This method usually yields a little more volume of juice
The Triturating twin gear machine, which turns at a slower rpm, has a two step process. The first step crushes the fruits and vegetables, while the second step wrings or presses the juice. This process gives you more fiber, enzymes, vitamins and trace minerals. These juicers also have magnetic and bio-ceramic technology that slows down the oxidation process, which is good if you want to make and store your juice.
It should be taken into consideration though when choosing your juicer the oxidation levels being churned out by each machine. A good choice would be the one the produce the smallest amount of oxidation and those that make the highest nutrient juice.
About The Author
Ariel Velasco goes by the author alias of Paul Hood. This author is into books and writing. Reading is an essential part of his life and this has lent a considerable influence in his writing. Well traveled and would always want to travel more. He loves learning more about people and their ways. Took up a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology to further this fascination and had a fulfilling educational experience having been exposed to a wide spectrum of people. Always ready for new opportunities to learn and have a great deal of interest in different fields of expertise.
For comments and question about the article you may contact the Author through The Online Home Medical Webmaster at 888 311 0666 or visit http://www.onlinehomemedicalsupply.com
joel@onlinehomemedicalsupply.com
Are Fruits Making You FAT Dr Jeff Banas
I want to make this perfectly clear, fruits are health and they are good for you. They are loaded with vitamins, fiber, and minerals. Fruits have also been shown to fight against cancer. However, when we are talking about weight loss we need to take a closer look at fruits.
It is pretty obvious to everyone that when you want to lose weight you watch your sugar intact, right Well, there is a reason why fruits are called, “nature’s candy”. In fact, you need realize that a glass of orange juice is just about the same as a glass of soda.
Fruits are loaded with sugar, fructose to be exact. This why athletes use them during endurance for energy, and why people suffering from hypoglycemia, low blood sugar, use them to raise there blood sugar when needed.
That is where one of the problems is. Fruits are carbohydrates. Never eat a carbohydrate by itself. This is basically all sugar. When you eat a carbohydrate by itself there is a sudden increase in sugar in the body. This causes the body to release insulin. However, the body releases too much insulin because it thinks more sugar is coming. The insulin basically grabs the sugar/carbohydrate and stores it to fat for use at some other time. Since your body released too much insulin there is not enough sugar to support the brain function. That is why you feel tired or sluggish. So you’re fatter and dumber. So, if you are going to eat a carbohydrate, eat some protein with it, it will slow the release of the sugar.
That glass of orange juice in the morning, the banana and apple for snakes, and the fruit salad for lunch, might actually be what is stopping you from losing the weight.
About The Author
Dr. Jeffrey Banas is a Chiropractic Sports Physician practicing in Mesa, AZ. If you would like to contact Dr. Banas, he can be reached at his office at 480-633-6837, or by visiting his web site at www.personal-weight-loss-help.com drjeffbanas@yahoo.com
Citric Fruits - A Healthy Food Dr. John Roberts
New studies suggested once again that citric fruits including oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits help fight cancer, high cholesterol, and obesity.
Studies both at Texas A&M University and Kanazawa Medical University in Japan showed that compounds in citric fruits can help reduce the risk of colon cancer. Researchers at Texas A&M University found that freeze-dried grapefruit, similar to the whole grapefruit, can reduce the incidence of early colon cancer lesions in animals. The Japanese researchers found anti-colon cancer properties in nobiletin - a compound found in tangerines.
Grapefruit can also reduce the risk of cancer caused by smoking. A study on the cancer prevention was done by the researchers at the University of Hawaii. The researchers found that drinking 6 ounces of grapefruit juice a day reduces the activity of a liver enzyme that is thought to activate toxic chemicals in the smoke.
On another front, scientists from the USDA and a Canadian company isolated a compound - polymethoxylated flavones PMFs - from orange and tangerine peels that can actually lower cholesterol in animals. They found that use of food containing 1% PMFs can lower cholesterol by 32 to 40%.
Grapefruits also promote weight loss. Researchers at Scripps Clinic in San Diego found that grapefruit may trigger weight loss by lowering insulin levels, an excess of which is linked to weight gain. Effect of grapefruits on weight loss was confirmed in humans. An early study by the same researchers confirmed that eating grapefruit or drinking juice with meal can help the obese lose weight.
Even the interaction of grapefruit juice with drugs, a bad trait for grapefruit, has been explored. Researchers at Texas A&M Citrus Center studied the interaction between grapefruit compounds and drugs in hopes that this interaction can be taken advantage of to increase bioavailability of drugs in humans.
These studies were presented in the American Chemical Society Annual Meeting being held in Pennsylvania during Aug. 22 through 26.
About The Author
John Roberts is a freelance writer for http://www.foodconsumer.com. This article was originally published at http://foodconsumer.com/forum/viewtopic.phpp=1241 kontact@foodconsumer.com
Cherries - The Supercharged Fruit Tony Anderson
The little red fruit that has been enjoyed by countless millions offers more than great taste.
Are cherries truly fruit for a healthy you Recent studies have revealed that cherries offer an assortment of health benefits including the ability to offer natural relief from joint pain caused from gout, arthritis and joint inflammation.
So what makes the tasty red fruit so beneficial The wonder of the cherry is the anthocyanins. According to research from Michigan State University tart cherries contain anthocyanins and bioflavonoids, which inhibit the enzymes Cyclooxygenase-1 and -2, and prevent inflammation in the body. These compounds have similar activity as aspirin, naproxen and ibuprofen. Further investigations revealed that daily consumption of tart cherries has the potential to reduce the pain associated with joint inflammation. Many consumers are choosing to drink cherry juice, eat cherries or consume tart cherry pills to starve off the pain of gout, arthritis and joint inflammation.
Linda L. Patterson is a living testimony of the soothing affects of cherries on her joint pain. “I enjoy crocheting and lately my hands have been so painful, I couldn’t crochet for more than about 30 minutes.”, says Patterson. In an attempt to find relief from her pain, she located Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry capsules, a supplement made from red tart cherries. “Within the first week of taking the tart cherry capsules my hands felt so much better.”, says Ms. Patterson. “I am now able to crochet without the pain in my hands.”
In addition to the health benefits offered by cherries, many people are just eating the fruit for the taste. John Simms, a life-long resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, eats cherries for the convenience and taste. “As a short-haul truck driver, my diet isn’t the best, I would eat fast food every day. A year ago, my wife bought some dried cherries and I began eating them to keep my weight down. Now I eat a handful of cherries instead of eating fast food.”
Not only are cherries a great way to maintain a healthy body they are a natural product. According to Andrew LaPointe, Director of Marketing for Traverse Bay Farms, www.traversebayfarms.com “many of our customers are looking to eat healthier and fruit products fit this trend. It’s certainly better than fast food.” Traverse Bay Farms sells Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry capsules and cherry juice concentrate.
About The Author
Tony Anderson is a freelance writer. admin@youronlinebusiness.com
Captain Bligh’s Bloody Breadfruit – Discover Jamaica’s Blue MountainsRead Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.comTo read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link:http://jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/globe02/Carib02/Jamaica/Bligh/Bloody.htmlMy American Airline flight landed on Port Royal pirate wreckage at the Kingston International Airport, Jamaica. Port Royal was once the richest and wickedest sin ports in the Americas, home for notorious Captain Morgan's "Jolly Roger" and his nefarious 17th Century entrepreneurial fleet, flying the flag for fortune and infamy, sold to the highest bidder.Kingston, the Caribbean's largest city, is now over a million plus, but back then it offered Black Beard, Morgan. and other souless seafarers the perfect port, protected by a spit of land, with Port Royal at the tip — where the airport now sits. Like Gomorrah, Port Royal was destroyed, but not by fire, but swamped by an underwater earthquake, triggering landslides into the sea, creating one of the world's most lucrative marine parks. Continually, Spanish doubloons, gold, and bullion are salvaged from the site — even today.DISCOVER THE BLUESRising from Kingston foothills the uneven Blue Mountains pierce low misty clouds in the distance. The 'Blue' range runs virtually the entire 145-mile length of Jamaica at varying altitudes, but at 7,200 feet, they are at their most majestic just out of Kingston, and the Caribbean's second highest mountains, after the Dominican Republic..After an impromptu airport shower provided by the tropical humidity, I learned my bags didn't arrive with the flight, so I put myself up at the Indies Hotel, a quaint East Indian inn in the heart of the Kingston financial district. At night, the area is the home of roving reggae rave parties, and the beat of the island resonates through the hotel garden walls. The next morning my bags are waiting for me in the hotel lobby.EXPLORING JAMAICAThe decrepit train station in Kingston doesn't move any bananas or sugarcane along it's rusted skeleton anymore, but it is the only spot in the city large enough to accommodate the dragon-breathing, polluting buses that patches Jamaica's faltering transportation infrastructure together. Screaming above the hubbub, I locate a bus heading in my general direction. I cram in, bags tossed on top, and from a rag tag kid, I buy a plastic bag of "sky-juice," reminiscent of Gator Aid/Kool-aid. I sit back, sucking the warm slush through a straw. The driver grinds a couple of teeth off the gears, the bus lurches forward, setting out in the general direction of Captain Bligh's Bloody Breadfruit.The road into the Blues is serpentine, craggy along the coast, rising significantly out of Kingston, dropping back on the other side for a coast into Morant Bay, famous for a slave revolt so long ago. Near Morant Bay I am ejected out of the sweaty ganga bus at a triangular cross roads. I await anything that moves in the direction further into the Blues. After an hour's wait in the sun at the shabby, barricaded gas station serving as a bus depot, I decide to take anything, anywhere. Eventually a ride shows up—an ad hoc Jamaican cab driver, who asks in proverbially Jamaican patois, "Hey mon. I de taxi mon; ned a liff, mon? Where to mon? Pay in dollars mon? J's no gud, mon. J's shit, mon."We agree on a U.S. dollar amount, equivalent to, I don't know how many J's, or Jamaican dollars.The crumpled car rattles over ancient roads and over 18th Century British Army Corps of Engineer built bridges, through the humid banana belt leading into the mountains.In the 1600s the British occupied most of Jamaica, carving banana and sugar plantations out of the rich Blue Mountain foothills. The agrarian tradition continues today, with the eastern end of Jamaica producing some of the island's most lucrative cash crops, including Captain Bligh's Bloody Breadfruit, and the world's most expensive and smoothest coffee—Blue Mountain, at about US$25 a pound. Recently the Japanese bought up most of the future coffee crop, paying a premium price. Suddenly, all the area farmers are in the coffee plantation business, planting crops on marginal, easily eroded soil.After crossing a jungle river, a body-double of a "Bridge Over The River Kwai," I arrive in the small community of Bath. Bath was a favorite community of the British colonialists over two centuries ago. It is still the gateway to the cool Blue Mountains, and still the sleepy home for a few hundred Jamaicans; granddads lazily bicycle in loopy circles in the middle of the street in the middle of any given day. The only open thriving business in town is a juice joint on the corner of the only paved street, and it was serving a brisk trade in sky-juice. spiked rum, and today's gossip. After bailing out of the cab, sweat pouring off my forehead, I stumble into the juice joint, tanking up on sky-juice, water coconuts, and a shot of rum. In the open-air bar I ask a friendly face pedaling slowly by, imploring the direction of the Bath Fountain Hotel, the only real accommodations in the area. At the time, I didn't know how close I was to Captain Bligh's Bloody Breadfruit.The Jamaican bicyclist stopped, pointed up a graveled road spiraling north of the juice joint. Nothing less that a four-wheel boulevard. "About a mile, mon," grins the gap-toothed kid. Soon all the kids in the neighborhood seemed to be peering through the juice joint door. "My brother Joe has a motorcycle, mon." Joe is volunteered into the pickup and delivery business. He shows up just in time on a sputtering 100 cc Honda, hair threaded with dreadlocks, smiling, a spliff permanently stuck between bad teeth. I jump on the back of the Honda, luggage tearing my arms out of their sockets.THE MAROONSBath Fountain Hotel rises majestically, with the Blue Mountains serving as an encompassing backdrop sentinel. Built as a hospital by the British in 1749, the stone hotel is now owned by the people of Jamaica. Revitalized after Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, the hotel perches above the Bath River, more like a stream, like a moldy relic from a bygone era.In 1609 the Maroons, slaves of Ethiopian extraction, and other British slaves in the banana trade, escaped their tyrannical masters, marauded, hiding out in the rugged Cockscomb area of the Blues, an area that today is largely unexplored, and just getting mapped, and where the Maroons still do not welcome whites into certain regions. The Spanish word for runaways is Cimaroons, and in the Carib shortened to Maroons. For over a hundred years the Maroons and the British waged battles back and forth in the Blue Mountains, but eventually the Maroons drove the British out of the mountains and into the foothills.The British built the Bath Fountain Hotel as a hospital, not because of the battles, but because of the mineralized hot water that poured from the mountains. Clinically speaking, the hotel waters are claimed to be the most radioactive and healthful in the world, second only to Lourdes, France. The Maroons first discovered the healing waters, but the British developed the hospital with twenty clean, but spartan hospital rooms, and the 16 beautifully restored tiled baths in the basement.After checking into the hotel, paying with a wad of colorful J's, I relaxed on the restaurant terrace with a real jungle punch drink. I ask about the mineral baths. It takes about two hours to slowly fill the three-foot, by six-foot, by three-foot deep baths. The 105-degree water flows out of the mountains in the original British plumbing system that is slated for upgrading. The bath waters are tempered with cooler stream or spring water. I reserve a bath for the next morning. Why I need a reservation for the baths is incomprehensible, I am the only person in the entire US$15 a night hotel.Soothing BathsTo read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link:http://jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/globe02/Carib02/Jamaica/Bligh/Bloody.htmlKriss Hammond, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com
About the Author
Kriss Hammond, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com Leave your email next to the logo for FREE e travel newsletter.
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