These big, savory meatballs satisfy big hungers. Certain dishes are considered working-man’s lunches in the Middle East. They’re foods you find in small shuk restaurants or roadside eateries. Eggy shakshoukah (recipe here), mulukhiyah soup (recipe here), the classic lentil/rice combination, majadra. The favored meat in the Middle East is lamb and it’s most often prepared […]
“If God allows, we will hold our baby in our arms”. 21-year-old Derya Sert (right) and her doctor Omer Ozkan pose for a photograph before her medical operation Derya Sert is the 21 year old who had the world’s first successful womb transplant at a Turkish hospital. On August 9th, 2011, doctors at Akdeniz University […]
The recent protests held across the Middle East demanding better and greener transport got me thinking about how we encourage the oldest form of transport- walking After the heat of the day fades, the streets of Middle East which are normally brimming with road-raged taxi drivers give way to the gentle patter of newly-wed couples […]
Pot can prevent PTSD, finds a new study from the University of Haifa. Another socially redeeming value in that evil old weed? Post-trauma stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in people exposed to life-threatening events or atrocities, like the arrest and torture of female activist and journalist Faranak Farid in Iran. The list of consequences after trauma […]
The Middle-Eastern pantry staple can be made at home easily. Pomegranates come into season now, just as summer fades and before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Fresh pomegranate seeds are one of the traditional Rosh HaShanah simanim (symbolic foods) on the holiday table. Downtown juice stands everywhere in the Middle East offer glasses of […]
In a bold move to stop food wastage, the Marmar Restaurant in Dammam, Saudi Arabia will charge you fines if you don’t finish your food. Super-sizing it is still really an American patent, even though large portions of food are still the norm in the Middle East. Now to curb food wastage even further, there […]
This mountain gazelle can be seriously injured or killed if it tries to reached fenced in vineyards in Israel’s Judean Hills. Wineries like Barkan are “open” to solutions, but not at their expense. Israeli wildlife are already threatened by illegal hunting and development projects that result in a lack of available land for animals to roam […]
Look for the exotic jujube fruit in Middle Eastern markets this month. Jujubes (photo above, Latin Ziziphus jujuba), called dumim in Hebrew and sadriah in Arabic, are in season right now. But their season is short. Eat them out of hand, papery peel and all, or cook up a compote flavored with a little orange-flower […]
Don’t freeze them! Use fresh herbs parsley and coriander packed into a Middle East omelet. In my native Canada, green herbs like parsley and dill are an afterthought; a sprig garnishes a dish, some chopped herbs are sprinkled on a soup. But here in the Middle East herbs take center stage. Parsley and coriander (or […]
How can you tell if a food is probiotic and good for your guts? Ruth gives a general guide. You may know all about the ecosystem of a pond or a woodland, but have you stopped to think about the ecosystem of your own gut? Sandor Katz did and wrote a whole book on fermented […]
Ashley Fruno of ‘People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) speaks to Green Prophet about the difficulties of promoting animal rights in the Middle East When Ashley Fruno was seven she found a vein in her chicken nugget whilst eating at McDonald’s. Up until that point, she had no idea that the food on […]
Breast feeding moms have lower blood pressure and behave more aggressively compared to women who are bottle-feeding their children, suggesting that breast-feeding dampens the body’s typical stress response to fear, new research suggests. Women who breast-feed are far more likely to demonstrate a “mama bear” effect — aggressively protecting their infants and themselves — than […]
Zam Zam holy water in Mecca is contaminated with arsenic, but researchers in the US have discovered a ridiculously simple technology that can render contaminated water safe to drink. Millions of people in the developing world are frequently hapless victims of arsenic poisoning. This is not because they have angry spouses, but because arsenic is […]
Everyone hates needles, but don’t be a chicken if you want to vaccinate them against the new avian flu If you’ve been reading the news you’ll know that there is a deadly outbreak of the avian flu virus circling the globe again. This one appears to be deadlier than every, UN health authorities are reporting. […]
Preserve plenty peppers to produce a plethora of piquant pickles. The late-summer peppers are excellent right now, firm-fleshed and plump, with smooth skins and that robust flavor that marries so well with vinegar. Why not pickle some of them? Lemon season is just starting too, so try our recipe for preserved lemons while you’re in […]
Modern agriculture started in the Middle East. Can people here switch to the Paleo Lifestyle and eat like Cave Men? What should humans eat for optimal health? The key word here is optimal. Our bodies are remarkable machines, and we can manage, more or less, on a wide variety of foods. But what foods work […]
Expressions of affection, even from mother to child, are often the way herpes is spread from person to person. From private organizations to the World Health Organization (WHO), the experts agree: regardless of region, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a pressing reality that stress individuals, families and communities, and call upon public health officials to […]
Certain foods common in Middle East diets are better at minimizing the symptoms of herpes, a sexually transmitted viral infection that causes painful lesions on the mouth and genitals. Good news for ecosexuals looking for more natural ways to promote intimate wellbeing: promising research suggests that an herb indigenous to mainland Europe and Asia, known […]
Although Ramadan is now officially over, Bahrain’s Information Affairs Agency (IAA) raised $4 million for famine-struck Somalis in keeping with their “religious, moral, and patriotic duty.” The Horn of Africa famine has already claimed 29,000 children under the age of five and shows no signs of abating. The images of emaciated babies with bones piercing […]
Pomegranates are enjoying a resurgence in popularity around the globe, in part because they are nutritious as well as deserving of their reputation as a food to put you in the mood. This time of year, Mediterranean landscapes display the ripening fruits of the fall harvest season. Few are as impressive as the grand dame […]
Pack your kid’s lunchbox with wholesome foods to help her gain health, not weight. Across the Western world, parents and schools have woken up to the crucial link between the foods a child eats during school hours and his/her health. To control obesity, children are being encouraged to acquire a taste for real foods and […]
Jordan is championing water-efficiency and chemical-free farming at the stunning Mujib nature reserve Following Qatar’s plans to build 1,400 organic farms, comes the announcement that a Jordanian nature reserve will be growing organic crops and medicinal herbs. The farm at the Mujib Biosphere Reserve is spread over 10 dunums and is designed to demonstrate the […]
Does circumcision offer health benefits? A medical historian I spoke with says yes, it does. She’s now working in Africa with Zulus. It was a tradition long ago practiced. Now Zulu tribes in Africa are returning to the Jewish custom of male circumcision to reduce the spread of AIDS. In California where calls to ban […]
Like cockroaches, bed bugs have been around since prehistoric times. Good night, sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite. If they do, grab a shoe and beat them till they’re black and blue! When my sibs and I were kids, we’d repeat that little ditty to each other before climbing into bed at night. […]
Miriam pointed out the perils of eating in front of the computer. Now, discover the cues that keep you munching when you’ve really had enough. Last week I lunched with a friend at an inexpensive Indian restaurant. We ordered the platter for two. Attractively arranged on a round platter were spiced rice, spoonfuls of chutneys, […]
