5 Superfoods that You Are Not Eating

We hear about superfoods often. But, do you know what they are? A superfood is that which has the richest amount of nutrients, the least amount of calories and are packed with vital nutrients that nourish the body in many ways. There are many food choices that provide your body with essential nutrients for overall health, but superfoods offer greater health benefits than others.

Picking the same food choices day after day is not only boring, it may also be depriving you of vital nutrients and disease-fighting antioxidants. For obvious reasons, the list of superfoods comprises fruits and vegetables. Here are the five superfoods that you should consider eating.

Beans

Beans are an excellent source of protein that give you more protein per ounce than most of the green leafy green veggies. The shoots that grow from germinated beans contain essential fatty acids that are important to boost immune system. Low on the glycemic index, beans do not cause dramatic fluctuations in blood sugar but prevent it. Moreover, they are high in fibre, which helps boost digestive health.

Salmon

Salmon fish, referred to as ‘saaman’ in hindi, is one of the best sources of good fat or Omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to help improve brain function, prevent type 2 diabetes, prevent arteries from getting blocked and keeping away eye ailments like age related macular degeneration and dry eyes. Also, it is loaded with vitamins A, B and D as well as calcium, iron, phosphorus and selenium.

Yoghurt

If you come to know the several benefits of eating yoghurt, it will certainly make a place on your dining table. Yogurt, unlike other milk and other dairy products, is easy to digest. It is one best natural probiotics; it has the good bacteria that aids in digestion, iritable bowel syndrom, inflammatory digestive tract disorder and also when you are struggling with tummy ache. Besides, it has calcium to protect your bones and proteins to provide all the energy you need.

Soy

If you don’t eat soy, you should consider including it in your diet. Soybeans are part of the large legume family, which includes beans, dried peas and lentils. Soy is also an excellent source of minerals, including calcium, iron and zinc. Calcium is essential for strong bones, iron for cell repair and zinc for growth and immunity.

Nuts

These days, nuts are being used in salads and recipes besides being used as a snack. They are capable of lowering the levels of bad or LDL cholesterol without affecting good or HDL cholesterol. Moreover, nuts such as almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts are rich in antioxidants, vitamin E and promote heart health. Since they are high in calories, make sure you stick to moderate amounts of no more than one ounce a day.


Incorporate the aforementioned foods to your daily diet; adding even just a few of these superfoods can help you to improve your health and fitness levels significantly.

Cellphone Radiation Is Real:Here Are 5 Ways To Protect Yourself

Whether radiation from cellphones is dangerous or not has been in the news for a really long time. The flummoxing data has now come up with enough evidence substantiating the ill-effects of exposure to radiation from cellphones. It is therefore, all the more salient for you to take preventing measures. Here are the top five ways in which you can save yourselves the impending dangers of cellphone radiation.

It has been found that a lot of people exposed to excessive degrees of cellphone radiation tend to develop fatal diseases like leukemia, thyroid cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and also cancers of several other organs.

Use a Speaker or a Headset

While taking a call, try to not put the phone directly against your ear. Instead, choose a wireless or a wired speaker or headset to take a call. If you choose to go wireless, make sure that you take the instrument out of your ear after the call is disconnected. Put the call on the speaker if you are in a comfortable space.

Hold the Phone Away from your Body

To not find a youngster playing with the phone now-a-days is strange. Keeping the phone very close to the body can make your body susceptible to a lot of damage occurring as a result of exposure to the radiation. Handling the phone at even a small distance from the body dramatically decreases the amount of radiation that is absorbed by the brain and the body.

Do not keep the Phone under the Pillow or Store it in your Pocket

You’d be wrong to assume that your phone is not sending any radiation when it is not in use. It still sends out intermittent signals so as to connect with the cellphone towers nearby, implying that the radiation exposure is happening continually. If you must keep your phone under your pillow at night, make sure that you either switch it off or put it on airplane mode. Putting the cellphone on “airplane mode” cuts off all the wireless transmissions from the device, thus stopping all the radiation. You can also save battery this way.

Text more and Talk less

Phones emit far less radiation compared with voice communications. So, try to text more and talk less.

Make a Call when the Signal is Strong

When you make a call when there are fewer signal bars on the phone’s screen, your phone will have to try harder to broadcast the signal. According to research, radiation exposure increases significantly when the signals of the cellphone are weak.

Whiling away on the phone may be the best way you can pass your time while travelling or when you are drowned in boredom at a restaurant waiting for someone and lack the basic right to luxury. Now that you know the possible effects of cellphone radiation, make sure that you take the right steps to keep yourself safe.

5 Benefits of Eating Ice Cream

There is nothing better than an ice cream, especially on a hot summer day. There is no better dessert to serve after a delicious dinner. Who does not love ice cream? We all do! But did you know that in spite of the several disadvantages that eating ice cream is likely to have, there are certain benefits as well? Listed below are the top 5 advantages of eating ice cream.

1. Source of vitamins

Ice cream is a rich source of vitamins. It contains many vitamins including vitamins A, B-6, B-12, C, D and E. It also contains thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Ice cream also contains vitamin K which prevents blood clotting.

2. Provides energy

Ice cream is an outstanding source of energy. It has a very high nutritional value. It contains carbohydrates, fats and proteins – all of which are essential for energy. Also, it helps to gain weight. If you are looking for energy, you should have ice creams, and with all the goodness of milk, it also provides you with necessary sugars.

3. Source of minerals

Ice cream is a rich source of minerals like calcium and phosphorus. Besides helping in building and maintaining stronger bones and avoiding bone related diseases, researchers have also found that calcium reduces the chances of kidney stones. Calcium also helps in preventing mood swings and premenstrual symptoms – another reason why you should have ice creams!

4. Stimulates the brain

Ice cream stimulates the thrombotonin, which is a hormone of happiness and helps in reducing the levels of stress in the body. Ice cream is made of milk which contains L-triptophane which is a natural tranquilizer and helps in relaxing the nervous system. It also helps prevent symptoms of insomnia.

5. Reduces risk of cancer

The calcium content in ice cream also helps in reducing the chances of colon cancer. Apart from being a catalyst to building stronger bones, this particular benefit of calcium makes ice cream all the more beneficial.

In spite of all the benefits that ice cream has, there is no reason to over indulge in it because it also has a large number of disadvantages which are harmful for your health. So relish on ice creams, but in moderation.

The benefits of natural food

If you’re looking to improve your overall well-being, help is at hand. Our nutritionist Lucy-Ann Prideaux is here to shed some light on what we mean by natural foods, and what foods you should be avoiding in order to stay healthy.

Let’s first understand the concept of “wholefoods” versus “fragmented” or processed foods. Processed foods have been stripped of one or more of their original elements, i.e. they are missing valuable nutrients, fibres or water. Natural foods, or Wholefoods (fresh whole fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, seeds, nuts, beans and legumes) have been provided for us by nature, and by their very nature, are the perfect foods for our bodies to thrive and survive on. We are, after all, part of nature, and as such are designed to thrive on natural foods. Whilst we can certainly exist on processed foods, we cannot (I believe) survive on these foods alone.

Natural food, as nature intended

Man-made/factory-made/synthetic foods or any foods, which have been highly sugared, salted and processed, are devoid of so many of the nutrients and life-giving substances needed for optimal health. Foods as close to their natural state, or as nature intended them to be consumed, are, in contrast, rich in health-giving nutrients that sustain and energise us. Fresh, raw fruits and vegetables are also full the “life-force” of nature, which along with vital vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients lead to a positive, natural state of physical and mental health and vibrancy.

Not so natural foods: what to avoid

These highly processed foods lead to ill-health and disease, and to the accumulation of body fat and weight gain. Under this banner come:

• White flour-based products which have a high glycaemic index and load (High GI or High GL)
• Refined grains, many commercial “boxed” cereals
• Refined sugars and syrups
• Sugary foods and drinks such as biscuits, pastries, cake, canned drinks and many sports drinks and sports products.
• Also problematic are foods that are high in both refined sugar AND commercial fats and trans fats. These include manufactured biscuits, many cereal and breakfast bars, processed protein and energy bars, cakes, pastries, chocolate bars, sweets and candies etc.

Doesn’t it make sense to move toward nature and simply eat natural foods?

Looking for healthy snacks?

If you’re after something healthy, low fat and natural which counts towards your 5 a day, why not try these yummy snacks from our range:

• Get natural with Nakd Protein Crunch bars that are full of honest, healthy ingredients and 100 % natural goodness. The soya crunchy pieces packed with extra protein will keep you going for longer.
• Nakd Caffee Mocha bars are new, delicious coffee flavoured treats made from all natural ingredients with the heavenly rich aroma of a fresh cup of cappuccino with chocolate mocha! Gluten, wheat and dairy free.
• Nakd Infused Raisins count as 1 of 5 a day and are a delicious sweet snack to satisfy those with a sweet tooth. 100% natural goodness and delicious flavour.

The benefits of eating fish

WHY IS EATING FISH HEALTHY?

Fish is a high-protein, low-fat food that provides a range of health benefits. White-fleshed fish, in particular, is lower in fat than any other source of animal protein, and oily fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, or the "good" fats. Since the human body can’t make significant amounts of these essential nutrients, fish are an important part of the diet. Also, fish are low in the "bad" fats commonly found in red meat, called omega-6 fatty acids.

WHY ARE OMEGA-3S GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

A growing body of evidence indicates that omega-3 fatty acids provide a number of health benefits. They:

• help maintain cardiovascular health by playing a role in the regulation of blood clotting and vessel constriction;
• are important for prenatal and postnatal neurological development;
• may reduce tissue inflammation and alleviate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis;
• may play a beneficial role in cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), reducing depression and halting mental decline in older people.

The omega-3s found in fish (EPA and DHA) appear to provide the greatest health benefits. Fish that are high in omega-3s, low in environmental contaminants and eco-friendly include:

• wild salmon from Alaska (fresh, frozen and canned),
• Arctic char,
• Atlantic mackerel,
• sardines,
• sablefish,
• anchovies
• farmed rainbow trout and
• albacore tuna from the U.S. and Canada.

WHAT ABOUT FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTS?

Besides eating fish, another way to consume omega-3 fatty acids is by taking store-bought supplements. Fish oils come from both fish caught as food for humans and from small fish caught for animal feed, such as Peruvian anchovies.

A word of caution: contaminants such as PCBs accumulate in fish oil just as they do in fish, so make sure to buy capsules that are made from purified fish oil 

WHAT ARE OTHER SOURCES OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS?

Alternative sources of omega-3s come from terrestrial sources like flaxseed, walnuts and wheat germ. While still beneficial, these do not appear to provide as a great a health benefit as the omega-3s found in fish, shellfish and marine algae.

DO THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF OMEGA-3S OUTWEIGH THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONTAMINANTS IN SEAFOOD?

Fish is generally a healthy food source and can be safely eaten in most cases. But depending on your age and health circumstances, some people should limit the amounts of fish they eat. Consider the following:

• For young children and women of childbearing age, excessive consumption of mercury-contaminated fish can severely impact a child's development.
• Older women and men may find it an acceptable tradeoff to exceed recommended seafood meal limits to increase their omega-3 intake.
• People at high risk of cardiovascular disease must weigh the cancer risk of eating fish high in PCBs with the benefits of eating fish high in omega-3s, in which case the benefits of omega-3s may outweigh the cancer risk (1 in 100,000 - the level recommended by the EPA). However, these chemicals are known to cause serious health problems besides cancer, so the tradeoffs are not simple.
• The good news is that there are several low-contaminant, high-omega-3 seafood options available (see list above), so there’s no need to risk eating contaminated fish.

The Health Benefits Of Chicken Curry Recipes

Chicken

Chicken is an excellent source of protein and contains less fat than most meats, especially the breast which contains half the fat of a steak. Chicken is a good source of niacin, which possesses cancer fighting properties as well as the trace mineral selenium.

It is also a good source of vitamin B6, which in conjunction with niacin, is good for energy production by helping the body's conversion of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into usable energy, as well as good cardiovascular health.

Onion and garlic

Onion and garlic are frequently used in curry recipes and both have protective effects - onion has been shown to protect against stomach and colon cancers for instance and garlic is well known for its anti-fungal and antibiotic properties. When cooked it is less powerful, but supposedly is good for the cardiovascular system.

Onion has also been used for centuries to treat coughs, colds and asthma as well as angina, bacterial infections, and breathing problems, while The World Health Organization recommends the use of onions for the treatment of poor appetite and to prevent arteriosclerosis.

Spices

While many people associate spices with the strong flavours of Indian food, they forget that like all foodstuffs they can provide important nutritional value.

For example both Ginger and turmeric appear to have an anti-inflammatory effect making them suitable for the treatment of arthritis. Unsurprisingly ginger does contain chemicals similar to those found in conventional anti-inflammatory medications, although it also acts to thin the blood, while turmeric seems to suppress the chemicals responsible for causing inflammation.

Cinnamon has also been identified as being important in the inflammatory response and a small amount taken every day will help lower the risk of factors leading to type 2 diabetes and heart disease by as much as 10 to 30 percent, although the jury is still out on cinnamon's anti-bacterial properties.

As well as its anti-inflammatory properties, one component of ginger, known as gingerol, has been shown to reduce the effects of nausea, vomiting, and motion sickness as well as possessing cancer-fighting attributes.

And cayenne pepper, responsible for much of the heat of a curry, has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties too - it seems to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and may be useful as an analgesic too.

Find out more information on Indian food as well as mouth watering chicken curry recipes.

10 Simple Steps To A Perfect Chicken Biryani

It is traditionally reserved for special occasions such as parties, weddings, holidays such as the Ramadan.

The preparation is quite lengthy but the outcome is simply amazing. 

The secret of making an awesome chicken biryani is all in the spices...

I personally recommend using Basmati rice. It's thin and a fine grain rice which can be used for a variety of purposes.

Use Ghee instead of butter. 

It's a very important ingredient if you want your biryani to have a more authentic taste. 

So please, no substitution here! :-)

Also be sure that you have all the following ingredients in place in order to simplify the cooking process. 

Ingredients:

1-1/2 kg chicken disjointed
1kg soaked basmati rice
2 cinnamon (powder)
6 cloves - whole
1/2 tsp cloves powder
5 cardamoms
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp whole cumin
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
2g oriental saffron 
1 cup yogurt
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
50g crushed onion
500g fried onion
500g fried potatoes (marinated in a pinch of yellow food coloring before frying)
1 cup oil
1/4 cup ghee
1 tbsp salt
50g fresh coriander leaves (finely chopped)
50g fresh mint leaves (finely chopped)
5 green chilies cut lengthwise

Ok, before doing anything else...

Take some flour (around 1/2 kg) and mix it with 1 - 2 cups of water. We are preparing a dough. Once done, keep it aside. We'll be using it later (see step 8).

Now follow the 10 simple steps: 

(1) Marinate chicken in saffron, chili powder, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste and crushed onions.

(2) Add dry spices to yogurt and mix with chicken. Marinate for 1 hour.

(3) Add fried onions, fried potatoes, coriander, mint leaves, green chilies to the marinated chicken. Smear again.

(4) Gradually add oil, ghee and 2 cups of water to the marinated chicken. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

(5) Boil 1500 ml (1.5 L) of water with whole cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, salt and soaked rice. Boil until half done.

(6) Strain and place a layer of rice on chicken. Sprinkle with fried onions, a little ghee and saffron diluted in 1/2 cup of hot water.

(7) Top with remaining rice. Sprinkle again with fried onions, 1 tsp ghee and 1 tsp saffron.

(8) Seal the pot lid with the dough. 

(9) Cook on high heat for 10 minutes, then reduce heat (or reduce heat when sizzling occurs). Simmer for 1 hour. 

(10) Serve with spiced yogurt, thinly slice carrots and cucumber salad.

Yield 8 servings.

Tips: Use a heavy utensil when cooking the biryani. The dough can be replaced with a heavy lid for sealing. For crispy fried onions simply fry them in oil.

Many properties in grapes

GRAPES 

The fruit is a fragrant grape vine. Five species of grapes  -  are three green and two black. 

Consume grapes ,  acid ,  sugar ,  gum ,  Gl Ukoj ,  astringent matter ,  citric ,  Haitrik , Rasemic the original acid ,  sodium and potassium and magnesium chloride is etc. 

It is typical of the grape that patient ,  healing ,  children ,  old ,  young ,  pregnant or lactating mothers , weak or can all wrestler. Grapes are good for diabetes and cancer patients. 

The substance is found in grapes Herostilven antioxidant. Reduces the amount of sugar in the blood of grapes Therefore grapes is useful for diabetics. 

In black grapes, green grapes Orostilven than the content of the food circulation changes. Anemia occurs when the benefit immediately from eating grapes. Grape glucose ,  sugar ,  iron ,  blood loss is far. ½ cup grapefruit juice is continual shortage of drinking blood.

In cold day  , 50  grams Halangur grape eating food gets cold blood pressure is normal. In the first three days of cancer, drink some grape juice used to slowly add water to the Glas. 

Typhoid fever is beneficial to eat raisins. It is clear the stomach and does not collect feces. Feeding grapes prop smallpox patient.

Half of the patients with head pain starts before sunrise. With the sun rises. In this case, half a cup of grape juice drink before sunrise is headache. Pain in the heart of the grape juice ½ cup prop. 

Grapes salt ,  black pepper is beneficial to eat with constipation. Fresh grape leaves in kidney pain about  50 grams of water mixed with a little salt in the grinding feed Drain patient benefit in pain.

58. Water chestnut - healthy food supplement

 
 



              


























Trikona phalam (in Sanskrit)/ calcitrappa/ buffalo nut/ bat nut/ Singhara (सिंघाडा)

  

      It is any of three extant species of the genus Trapa: Trapa natans, T. bicornis and the endangered Trapa rossica.

The species are floating annual aquatic plants, growing in slow-moving water up to 5 meters deep, native to warm temperate parts of Eurasia andAfrica. They bear ornately shaped fruits, each fruit containing a single very large starchy seed. T. natans and T. bicornis have been cultivated in Chinaand India for at least 3,000 years for the edible seeds.

Water chestnut has been an important food for worship as prayer offerings since the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. The Rites of Zhou (2nd century BC) mentioned that a worshipper "should use a bamboo basket containing dried water caltrops, the seeds of Euryale ferox and chestnuts" The Chinese Herbal Medicine Summary (published in 1694, written by Wang Ang) indicates that water caltrop can help fever and drunkenness.

The name "water chestnut" comes from the fact that it resembles a chestnut in shape and coloring. Indigenous to Southeast Asia, it has been cultivated in China since ancient times. Water chestnuts are often used in Chinese cooking.  The knobby vegetable with the papery brown skin is a staple in Chinese cooking. The water chestnut is actually not a nut at all, but an aquatic vegetable that grows in marshes. This is why the ones that you purchase in the store may have a muddy coating.

Singara (pani ka phal) is widely cultivated in fresh water lakes. The fruits are eaten raw or boiled. When the fruit has been dried, it is ground to a flour called singhare ki ata. Singhare ki atta is used in many religious rituals and can be consumed as a phalahar diet on the Hindu fasting days, the Navratasas the fruit is rich in carbohydrates.
The halwa from Singade ki ata is eaten in very moderate quantities for the strengthening of the uterus during pregnancy. The flour is used in making rotis and this cures the excessive discharge in women. The flour is boiled in water and this decoction is taken to reduce symptoms of burning during urination and it also tackles other urinary disorders.

Increadible Health benefits of this fruit:

Besides their crunchy texture and sweet mild flavour, water chestnuts possess remarkable nutritional composition, making them an excellent food source. Their medicinal properties have rendered them usable in Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicines. Their numerous health benefits are as follows:

Water chestnuts belong to the nonstarchy, low-calorie vegetable group that can keep you full longer while supplying your meals with vitamins and minerals. Water chestnuts also contain no cholesterol and are low in sodium and fat. Try adding them to salads, soups, wraps or even pizza toppings and take advantage of the health benefits of water chestnuts:

·       You can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke by maintaining your blood cholesterol level, and adding water chestnuts to your meals can help you do this. Water chestnuts' zero fat content may help you prevent weight gain when adding them to your diet. Water chestnuts have only 60 calories in one-half cup, so you don’t have to worry about eating a little more of this nutritious vegetable.

·    Just one-half cup water chestnuts provides 10 percent of the daily value of vitamins B6, B7. Vitamin B6 supports healthy brain and immune system function, while thiamin and riboflavin help your body convert food into energy.

·        Water chestnuts contain 10 percent of the DV of potassium, copper, manganese and iodine in a half-cup serving. Each of these minerals plays a role in your overall health. Your heartbeat maintains a steady rhythm with the help of potassium, while copper aids in red blood cell production. Manganese helps build bones and also aids in metabolizing carbohydrates and cholesterol.

·       Water chestnut acts as an excellent coolant for the body. It promotes salivation and quenches thirst, being cool and light sweet.

·     Due to their detoxifying properties, water chestnuts are beneficial for people suffering from jaundice. Jaundice patients can eat it in raw form or in juice form. It acts as an excellent tonic for removing toxins from the body.

·        Since water chestnut contains useful minerals like iodine and manganese, it helps in maintaining proper functioning of the thyroid gland.

·       Being rich in polyphenolic and flavonoid antioxidants, water chestnuts possess anti-bacterial, antiviral, anticancer and antioxidant properties. They help in strengthening the stomach and the spleen and remove symptoms of weak spleen such as bad taste, insomnia, feeling sick, fatigue and cancer.

·        Water chestnut is effective in treating different urine infections.

·       The usage of water chestnut either in raw form or in juice form helps to alleviate the problem of bad appetite in children as well as in adults.

·       The juice of water chestnut is used to control diarrhea and dysentery and the fruits are used in treating sore throat, anemia, fractures, bronchitis and in leprosy.

·        Water chestnuts are effective in treating conditions like measles.Water chestnuts boiled in water makes an excellent solution for measles patients. Having this drink on a regular basis for at least 6-9 days of the cycle provides great results.

For womens Health & Beauty:

Usual consumption of water chestnuts helps in treating hypertension during pregnancy and improves fetal growth. Porridge made from the flour of water chestnut is given to a pregnant woman after delivery to check hemorrhage. The dried seeds stop bleeding and treat miscarriage issues in women. It also promotes mammary gland secretion of milk. The juice extracted from water chestnuts eliminates the humor of bile and phlegm and cures plethora. It also increases virility.

As stated earlier, water chestnuts purify the blood by removing toxins from the body. This results in the appearance of glowing and youthful skin.

Water chestnuts are beneficial for the hair in general as they contain certain essential nutrients such as potassium, zinc, B vitamins and vitamin E. Moreover, they remove toxins from the body that can damage your hair as well. Thus, their nutritional value has a lot to contribute to healthy hair.

The flour of the Indian water chestnut (singara) is beneficial even for men's health.

5 gm of the flour is mixed with a glass of lukewarm milk. The milk can be sweetened. Drinking this mixture is improves men's health.

Which one to choose:

When choosing fresh water chestnuts, look for firm ones with an unwrinkled skin and no soft spots - otherwise when you peel the water chestnut you may find it has softened and turned mushy brown. Generally, it's best to buy a few more chestnuts than needed, just in case a few have spoiled.  Also avoid any chestnuts that look moldy as this taste will permeate the chestnut flesh.

Unpeeled, fresh water chestnuts will keep for up to two weeks in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. It is possible to buy them and cook in boiling water right away.

Prior to cooking, you'll need to cut off the top and peel the skin. If you want to peel them ahead of time, that's fine, but be sure to store them in cold water in the refrigerator, with the water changed daily. I much prefer to use only fresh water chestnuts.

Caution: People suffering from constipation should avoid Singada. It is advisable to avoid drinking water for at least half an hour after eating singada.