A slightly sweet, floral salad that goes surprisingly well with tomatoes and onions. Does this seem more like dessert than a side dish? Yet this ultra-easy salad of orange slices works well next to the main dish as well as after the meal. Children love it, and it’s a good way to get some vitamin […]
Should Plan B emergency contraception be kept behind locked cabinets or made available on the shelves as recommended by health professionals? Contraception for those under age 18 is a controversial topic that challenges the conservative morays in the Middle East and, apparently the United States government. In the case of a new ruling by the […]
Like Tom’s Shoes, Conscious Contraception says it will give birth control to the poor with every purchase. Our eco-sex expert doesn’t like certain aspects of the idea at all. The idea is commendable – get contraception into the hands of those who want to prevent unwanted pregnancy but cannot afford or don’t have access to […]
This hearty freekah-based salad combines earthy, pungent, and sweet tastes. Perfect for winter eating. Freekah is one of Green Prophet’s favorite superfoods. It’s so nutritious, it shouldn’t even taste good – which it does. And it’s versatile. You can substitute it for rice in many recipes, such as our Lebanese Lentil Soup. Always searching for […]
An Arab scientist has developed an artificial testis to give infertile man a chance to sire their own children. In the western world couples who have trouble conceiving go to sperm banks when the male produces no viable sperm. And while these options are available in the Middle East, the more traditional male types here […]
There are many different kinds of pollution and many ways in which they are hijacking our children’s future. Children exposed to pollution are more likely to develop autism, attention deficit disorder, and dyslexia, according to Haaretz. These findings were unveiled by both scientists at a recent conference in Israel, and those are only the dangers […]
Protecting food security in Abu Dhabi. A press release from the United Arab Emirate’s Ministry of Environment and Water states that in the past year, 8000,000 fruit and vegetables were tested for safe levels of pesticide residues. It seems that the scandal in Egypt over illicit pesticides resonates all over the Middle East.
Yearning for a sufganyah, but horrified at all that oil? Try this tasty alternative. While the menorah sheds its festive light, the family gathers at the table, noshing on traditional foods like sufganyot. You know sufganyot. Those brown disks of tender dough with hearts of jam and coats of powdered sugar that lingers on the […]
Eco-lovers beware: Artificial light at night may be associated with an increased risk for breast and prostate cancers. Next time your partner suggests you keep the lights on in your bedroom, tell him his prostate and your breasts are better off under the illumination of the moon, and your want to make sure your personal […]
Organic feed gives a surprising taste to geese. Kosher-keepers can thank the organic market for a new taste sensation: flesh that tastes exactly like pork, only kosher. Pork-flavored goose, from Spain, that is. The phenomenon is attributed to a particular organic feed that the geese eat. It would be interesting to know if Halal authorities […]
Alcoholism creates addiction and affects health. But for Muslims, not drinking is a command from God.
The birth control pill is one of the most popular forms of birth control in the world, but a new study finds that it can greatly diminish the sexual experience. Pregnancy prevention, reproductive rights and health go hand in hand, with activists touting the importance of the birth control pill to advancing women’s sovereignty over […]
Lifestyle diseases associated with excess are undermining maternal and fetal health in Abu Dhabi. According to 2010 statistics by the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD), 20 percent of Emirati women and 18 percent of expatriate women in the emirate have diabetes. In addition, 38 percent of Emirati women and 32% of expatriate women are obese. […]
Human hair in bread, arsenic-laced holy water, and chemically-treated veggie burgers are among the top 6 freaky foods to stay away from. Step on in to learn more. Over the years we have covered a host of freaky food and water-related stories that have the power to turn even the most adventurous eater into an […]
Can something as healthy as this be so delicious? The rainy, Middle-Eastern winters bring out the best cabbage-family vegetables. I love to visit the open-air market between showers, choosing snowy cauliflower and dark-green broccoli for a quick vegetarian main dish. Cooked to tender-crispness by the recipe below, these superfoods retain their snap and lively flavor. […]
Water shortages don’t bode well for agriculture in the Middle East, but a new rice variety developed in India could change all that! Lack of water is a serious problem in the Middle East. It is felt in Egypt, where even the fertile valley of old can no longer feed a growing nation, in Gulf […]
Aquaculture, especially in ponds, may help preserve ocean fish species Catching wild fish in the sea is now threatening to deplete many fish species from the world’s seas and oceans, including illegal tuna fishing in the Mediterranean Sea. With world population figures now topping 7 billion, an increasing demand is being made for fresh fish […]
If your tap gushes water laced with fluoride, you’re taking a powerful drug with every sip. Imagine a stranger pressing you to drink a clear liquid with no special odor, color, or taste. “Just drink, it’s good for you,” he insists. What would you do? Refuse it, probably. And if the stranger were to become […]
Is the eco-friendly food movement getting even more complicated, or are ecotarians simplifying matters? The green movement is riddled with a lot of food ideologies. When it comes to food, there are a lot of environmental issues to consider: locavores protest the pollution stemming from the transport of food from far away, vegetarians (and vegawarians) […]
If the meat's zabiha - slaughtered according to Islamic law - is it always halal? Yes, there is a difference. Zaufishan explains how the ethics in Muslims' meat-eating religion, embraces animal welfare, organic living and vegetarianism.
You may be eating a dead person’s hair in your commercially-baked bread. Watch out for L-cysteine if you’re queasy. It’s name is inconspicuous enough, not something that would make the average consumer squirm as they read the ingredients label on a loaf of bread. The problem isn’t what L-cysteine does – it’s a non-essential amino […]
A specialty of the Middle East, stuffed zukes are favorites with young and old. In a Tel Aviv supermarket, I watched a mother soothing her tired, hungry little boy. “Just another few minutes, and then we’ll go to Grandmother’s house for lunch!” The little boy sniffled, looked up, and asked, “Are there going to be […]
The City of the Dead in Cairo isn’t known for its fertile soil, but Liveinslums is working to change that with an awesome mini urban farming initiative. Although everybody seems to understand that population growth is exploding, and that space – particularly in cities – comes at a premium, the extent of our vulnerability to […]
Eating only whites or buying Eggbeaters? Read more on the nutrients and benefits of whole eggs. (Above is Green Prophet’s editor Karin Kloosterman a few years back in her family’s chicken coop.) Eggs have been slandered, persecuted, and vilified for the last 50 years. However, in spite of their bad rap, eggs are a highly […]
Polio, a crippling virus which lingers in polluted water sources is not a dead virus, says an Israeli researcher. It is in Israel, Gaza and Egypt. But some current vaccines may be deadly. I know women in Israel who were unsure about vaccinating their kids against polio. The nurse practitioners there said that polio is […]
