POMEGRANATES & IT'S BENEFITS...

With each passing day pomegranates have very become popular among the health concious crowd coz of its many long term benefits which are getting disclosed slowly.

Pomegranates grow wild from Iran to northern India, but they are cultivated throughout India, the Middle East, southern Europe and California. Scientists in Israel have been conducting research on the health benefits of pomegranates and pomegranate juice for years, and now others have joined in.

Pomegranate juice, be it fresh or extracted, contains vitamin C, folic acid, and numerous polyphenols (antioxidants). These antioxidants are one of the biggest reasons pomegranates are hyped as super healthy fruits.These antitoxidants are effective on various diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, heart problems, aging, arthritis and it also helps in protecting unborn babies from brain injuries.

-Fights Breast Cancer

Studies in Israel show that pomegranate juice destroys breast cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. It may also prevent breast cancer cells from forming.

-Lung Cancer Prevention

Studies in mice show that pomegranate juice may inhibit the development of lung cancer.

-Slows Prostate Cancer

It slowed the growth of prostate cancer in mice.

-Keeps PSA Levels Stable

In a study of 50 men who had undergone treatment for prostate cancer, 8 ounces of pomegranate juice per day kept PSA levels stable, reducing the need for further treatment such as chemotherapy or hormone therapy.

-Protects the Neonatal Brain

Studies show that maternal consumption of pomegranate juice may protect the neonatal brain from damage after injury.

-Prevention of Osteoarthritis

Several studies indicate that pomegranate juice may prevent cartilage deterioration.

-Protects the Arteries

It prevents plaque from building up in the arteries and may reverse previous plaque buildup.

-Lowers Cholesterol

It lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and raises HDL (good cholesterol).

-Lowers Blood Pressure

One study showed that drinking 1.7 ounces of pomegranate juice per day lowered systolic blood pressure by as much as 5 percent.

-Dental Protection

Research suggests that drinking pomegranate juice may be a natural way to prevent dental plaque

CUTE LITTLE EGGS

This cute little white (sometimes brown) friends of ours are a power house of nutrients.

Health benefits of Eggs :-
The health benefits of eggs are numerous but I have tried to compile as many as possible here.So here we go.....

1. Eggs are great for the eyes. According to one study, an egg a day may prevent macular degeneraton due to the carotenoid content, specifically lutein and zeaxanthin. Both nutrients are more readily available to our bodies from eggs than from other sources.
2. In another study, researchers found that people who eat eggs every day lower their risk of developing cataracts, also because of the lutein and zeaxanthin in eggs.
3. One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids.
4. According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, there is no significant link between egg consumption and heart disease. In fact, according to one study, regular consumption of eggs may help prevent blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks.
5. They are a good source of choline. One egg yolk has about 300 micrograms of choline. Choline is an important nutrient that helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system.
6. They contain the right kind of fat. One egg contains just 5 grams of fat and only 1.5 grams of that is saturated fat.
7. New research shows that, contrary to previous belief, moderate consumption of eggs does not have a negative impact on cholesterol. In fact, recent studies have shown that regular consumption of two eggs per day does not affect a person's lipid profile and may, in fact, improve it. Research suggests that it is saturated fat that raises cholesterol rather than dietary cholesterol.
8. Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D.
9. Eggs may prevent breast cancer. In one study, women who consumed at least 6 eggs per week lowered their risk of breast cancer by 44%.
   10. Eggs promote healthy hair and nails because of their high sulphur content and wide array of vitamins and minerals. Many people find their hair growing faster after adding eggs to their diet, especially if they were previously deficient in foods containing sulphur or B12.

Chocolate: luscious, lumpy. load of love......

CHOCOLATES

A chocolate has been one of the most popular treats in the world for centuries. It's really difficult to find a person who is not fond of eating chocolates. Everybody is crazy about chocolates due to its mouth-watering taste and fascinating appearance. Kids cannot control their temptation about chocolates and many parents experience that kids can be stopped from crying with a gift of chocolate. As chocolate is available in different attractive colors, shapes and sizes, it has gained extreme popularity all over the world and it has become integral part of any kind of celebration.

It’s great news for chocolate-lovers that eating chocolates can be advantageous for health. Now you need not prevent yourself from eating chocolates, as there are numerous health benefits of chocolates.

• It consists of vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E as well as iron, calcium and potassium.


• Phosphorus is important for teeth and bone formation in children. . In combination with calcium, it helps to keep the bone healthy and strong


• Magnesium can maintain normal functioning of muscles and nerves. It is beneficial for strong bones and healthy immune system.


• Flavonoids in chocolate possess antioxidant properties, which offers wonderful health benefits such as reduced cancer risk


• Serotonin present in chocolate acts as anti-depressant. It can increase happiness and alertness and many experience pain reducing benefit


• Caffeine, theobromine, phenylamine and tyramine found in chocolate can decrease fatigue and offer extra boost


• Good news for health conscious people is that some fats in chocolate don’t impact cholesterol. Three types of fats are found in chocolate such as oleic acid, which is healthy monosaturated fat, stearic acid and palmitic acid. Out of them, only palmitic acid can be bad for your health.

Chocolate causes certain endocrine glands to secrete hormones that affect your feelings and behavior by making you happy. Therefore, it counteracts depression, in turn reducing the stress of depression. Your stress-free life helps you maintain a youthful disposition, both physically and mentally. So, eat lots of chocolate!

RICY RICE

RICE.....

Rice is the most affordable food available to everyone right from the rich to the poor.Rice in itself is a complete food, which goes well with other foods very easily to end up adding nutrients,bulk and flavor to our meal.
Rice doesn't require expensive, complicated cookware and much time spent on preparation, and cooking.
-Rice has been found to be very easy to digest.
-It is low in fat, low in cholesterol, high in starch, and has a high nutritional content.
-Rice is also an excellent source of energy. It is comprised of 77.5% carbohydrate.
-Rice also contains a range of important nutrients, including B and E vitamins, protein and minerals, especially potassium which helps the body reduce toxins.

Nutritional values of rice :-
Per 200g cooked brown rice

• Calories - 282 mg
• Fibre - 1.6 mg
• Iron - 1 mg
• Magnesium -220 mg
• Niacin - 2.6 mg
• Potassium - 198 mg
• Vitamin B1 - 0.3mg
• Vitamin B2 - 0.04mg
• Zinc - 1.4 mg

OATS THE GATES TO HEALTH

OATS

The origin of Oats goes back to the fifth century B.C, Hypocraites the father of healing arts has written about Oats and its benefits.
Oats are now-a-days becoming popular among health concious people. . In the form of oatmeal they are rich not only in carbohydrates, 67 percent, but also in protein, 16 percent; fat, 7 percent; minerals, 2 percent, and the rest moisture or water. All told, a pound of oatmeal contains 1,850 calories. It follows that a judicious use of oatmeal can cut down on the use of more costly foods.


Benefits of Oats :-

• Eating oat regularly will lower your blood cholesterol level
• A very good anti-depressant. It will make you calm and releive you from depression.
• Oats also prevent bowel cancer because of its high fibre content.
• Having oats can cure constipation.
• Oats also help in lowering chances of heart-disease
• A godown of vitamin B1
• On a per gram basis, oats contain a higher concentration of protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, thiamin, folacin and Vitamin E than any other unfortified whole grain, such as wheat, barley, corn or rice.
• Oats contain one of the best amino acid profiles of all grains. Amino acids are essential proteins that help facilitate optimum functioning of the body.
• Oats are naturally low in fat. Researchers agree that nearly everyone – men and women of all ages and races – benefits from eating a low-fat diet.

The best way to include Oats in your day-to-day diet is to have it at breakfast...

HEALTHY GINGER

GINGER

Ginger the root has its root in the history for more than 25oo years. Researchers state that this herb was first found in South-east Asia.

Ginger has long been known as a very healthy food. It has anti-cancer properties and is recognised as healthy by both modern and ancient systems of medicine.

Now let us see what the root has in it that it has become so very popular in medical books.

The health benefits of ginger come from chemicals called volatile oils, specifically gingerols and shogaols, that also give ginger its spicy, pungent taste. Those oils stimulate your body to produce more digestive juices and help neutralize the stomach acids that cause cramping, nausea and diarrhea. Ginger is also a natural decongestant and antihistamine, which makes it a natural treatment for head colds.

Some other health benefits of Ginger are stated below :-

· Ginger Root tea / capsule is beneficial in suppressing nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.
· Ginger is better in preventing postoperative nausea than the often used injections of the tranquilizer metoclopramide.
· Helps lower cholesterol
· Helps in anti motion sickness
· Helps in rheumatism - is can also be use to cover the affected area with crushed and heated gingerroot. The natural warming agent of ginger root can bring an immediate relief on rheumatic attack.
· Helps prevent morning sickness nausea and vomiting during an early stage of pregnancy.
· Ginger is effective against hyperemesis gravidarum ( a severe type of nausea and vomiting related pregnancy). In the study there is no harm on fetus found in the use of ginger. But it is still recommended to consult your herbal doctor.

The great thing about ginger that allows it to be so potent is that it is the one natural ingredient that does not cause any known side effects. This is because it does not have the tendency to interact negatively with other drugs present in the body. In a sense, this makes ginger pretty safe to use for natural medicinal purposes.

So now I guess that after reading this article you have ample of reasons to start eating more Ginger.

But a few cautions are in order. Since ginger helps thin the blood, don’t take it prior to surgery. Ginger may interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and dietary iron, and may actually cause an upset stomach if too much is taken. Those taking blood thinners, barbiturates, beta-blockers, insulin or diabetes medications should consult their doctor about ginger since it could conflict with these medicines. Ginger may stimulate uterine contractions so pregnant women should be careful how much ginger they ingest.

EXPLORING HEALTH BENEFITS OF GINGER

GINGER - THE MEDICINAL ROOT

Ginger has long been renowned for its use in cooking and for its aromatic smell, but did you know that there are also many health benefits of ginger root such as curing nausea and helping with digestion.

The health benefits of ginger come from chemicals called volatile oils, specifically gingerols and shogaols, that also give ginger its spicy, pungent taste. Those oils stimulate your body to produce more digestive juices and help neutralize the stomach acids that cause cramping, nausea and diarrhea. Ginger is also a natural decongestant and antihistamine, which makes it a natural treatment for head colds

Other Benefits of ginger are :-

# Danish researchers found that ginger can block the effects of prostaglandin - a substance that cause inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain and can lead to migraines.

# Ginger was found to be effective for relieving the severity of nausea even in cases of pregnancy.

# Respiratory infections - it is well known for its warming action on the upper respiratory tract, so it has been used to treat colds and flu.

# It has been found to be effective in cramps caused by stomach gas. Ginger also stimulates digestion.

# It has a wholesome effect on the circulatory system as it makes the platelets less sticky and is of great benefit in case of circulatory disorders.

# As a mood enhancer, ginger's cineole content may help contribute to stress relief.

# It is a great mouth freshener and ginger tea has vastly refreshing properties.

# Ginger may ward off the temporary unpleasant effects of alcohol i.e., healthy hangover relief!

# Ginger dates back to the Middle Ages, when women presented the treat as a favor to knights going into battle. The gingerbread was elaborately and ornately decorated, sometimes even with gold leaf!

THE GOODNESS OF BEETROOT

BEETROOT

Beet root is gone out of fashion vegetable for those in the antiseptic west. It's a messy vegetable to be dealt with,it's juices can stain your clothes,it needs alot of cleaning coz of it's soil dressing and above all people don't know how long it is to be cooked... Well,well but it's health benefits are legion.

Beetroot's pigments come from a set of compounds known as betalains which are thought to have powerful and diverse antioxidant effects including preventing the oxidisation of LDL cholesterol.Beetroot's main benefits are that it contains no fat, very few calories and is a great source of fibre.Great news isn't it :)

It is one of the richest sources of folic acid, which helps to protect unborn babies from spina bifida, and is also thought to help lower homocysteine levels in the blood.Beetroot contains copious amounts of vitamin C, folic acid and potassium, and silica which makes it a useful antidote to eating too much salt and a contributor to lowering blood pressure. Silica aids the uptake of calcium.

Moreover it is also helpful in curing Anaemia,Digestive disorders,Constipation & piles,kidney & gall bladder disorders and above all the most common problem of Dandruff,isn't it amazing....

So the next time you see beetroot don't forget to include it in your salad plate.

SPINACH A POWERHOUSE OF NUTRIENTS

HEALTH BENEFITS OF SPINACH

"Spinach" as we hear this name and the great Popeye pops up in our mind.
He ate spinach and see where he reached....Do you remember when you were kid ur mom used to tell you to eat Spinach coz it is gud for you. And how can mothers be wrong??
Spinach a green leafy vegetable loaded with ample amount of calcium,folic acid,Vitamin K and iron. In itself Spinach is a powerhouse rich with vitamin C,fiber,carotenoids,lutein and bioflavanoids.
It's a Superstar in nutrition.
It is a power disease-fighting anti-toxidant which helps to reduce the risk of developing Cataract.
Spinach fights against Cancer and heart-disease as well.
And for the weight concious people Spinach is the best food to have as it has 0% fat content. What else would you ask for??????

Fresh or frozen,add these greens to your food menu as often as you can and enjoy !!!

AWESOME ALMONDS !!!

Almond A Healthy Nut

You must have heard the famous saying-“Don’t go nuts over nuts”. But the time has come when this saying needs to be redefined as looking at the health benefits of certain nuts, one can easily get the license of going nuts over them. One such healthy nut is that of almond which not only tastes good, but has also got numerous nutritional and health benefits. According to new health researches, adding almonds to your diet can prove to be an effective prescription for leading a healthy and a happy life.

Almonds have uncountable health benefits. From mind to body to skin, it is beneficial for all. Almonds have a very high amount of protein so they are the best product for nourishment of hair and skin. Regular consumption of almonds has shown to reduce the cholesterol level of a person by 14%. Almonds have all unsaturated fats that lower the blood cholesterol. Munching of almonds before meal helps people avoid over eating. Almonds are full of proteins, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and other antioxidants and phytochemicals. Almonds have been shown to promote good health, especially when they are part of a healthful diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, and low fat whole grain products. They contain the right kind of fats-monounsaturated and some polyunsaturated, so they help lower the bad cholesterol, while not touching the high-density, or good cholesterol levels. The folic acid in almonds is believed to help lower levels of homocystein, the amino acid that is thought to contribute to the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries

Also, studies have shown links between nut (especially almond) consumption and lower risk of cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and other chronic illnesses

Looking at the health benefits of almonds, one can easily call them a wonder food.

Thus, the next time you feel like having a munchy snack, go for the healthy and hearty almonds which can help in the overall well-being of a person.