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Sunday 16 November 2014

FOOD for HEALTHY SKIN

Chocolate 
Who thought that chocolate could be considered part of a nutritious diet? Well, you are in luck, because dark chocolatecontains lots of flavanoids. These are a super active type of antioxidant, which means that they help prevent free radical damage from the environment and pollutants.

Not only will flavanoids help you slow down 
skin ageing, they may also be effective at counteracting some of the negative oxidative effects of the sun's UV rays. (Don't get too excited though; you still have to wear your sunscreen, no matter how much chocolate you eat!)

However, remember that chocolate should be pure for the best results, so dark chocolate is the best kind to eat. One square is more than enough to get some antioxidant action without packing on the pounds!

Walnuts 
This super food has vital omega-3 fatty acids, which are extremely important lipids that are necessary to maintain the skin barrier, hydrate it and make it more supple and pliant. And, as an added plus, omega-3 fatty acids are fantastic for your cardiovascular health and have recently been shown to reduce your risk of cancer! Have about 8-10 walnuts a day to get the benefits, without having to worry about the extra calories.

Kiwi 
The unsung heroes of vitamins, kiwis pack a powerful punch of Vitamin C that is more than any other fruit! Vitamin C is a vital active that is important in two functions. Firstly, Vitamin C is needed for the production of collagen, which is a protein that keeps the skin tight and firm. Second, it is a potent antioxidant, helping to counteract all the damage your skin suffers from exposure to pollution, the sun and the environment.

Sweet Potatoes
This miracle vegetable not only tastes good, it is also a good source of Vitamin A! Vitamin A helps resurface your skinby making old skin cells self-exfoliate. It also enhances the skin's color and appearance, giving you a healthy glow.

Sunflower Seeds
These little guys look innocuous, but they are super strong providers of Vitamin E! Vitamin E is a fat soluble active that your body cannot produce on its own. It is essential to eat, and has the added benefit of being a powerful antioxidant! Vitamin E can help prevent premature ageing and reduce DNA damage. In the long term, it can reduce your risk of sunburns.

Oats
This surprising food works in two ways. First of all, it is low-glycemic, meaning that it does not spike your blood sugar very high. High glycemic foods can worsen your risk of wrinkling and of getting acne! Second, it has a natural plant chemical that prevents damage to your skin while also soothing irritations. So, don't forget your oatmeal for calm skin!

Avocados
A favorite in Mexico, avocados are full of healthy fats known as monounsaturated fats. These lipids help keep your skinhydrated so that you maintain your healthy glow! Avocados can also help you absorb needed vitamins and nutrients. Add them into your salads or sandwiches to enjoy this skin-healthy treat!

PALATE CLEANSER IDEAS

Foods that Cleanse Your Palate 

Milk

If you have eaten something spicy, avoid drinking water as this will only aggravate the burning sensation. Drink some milk instead, since studies have shown that the fatty acids in milk neutralise spiciness. Milk also cleanses the palate after you have eaten foods that have a high fat content. 


Crackers
Foods that Cleanse Your Palate 

Crackers

Crackers, or plain wafers made of water and flour, are very effective at cleansing your palate. They can be used to get rid of all the tastes in your mouth, including spicy, cooling, fatty, bitter, astringent or sweet. 


Bread and water
Foods that Cleanse Your Palate 

Bread and water

The combination of bread and water is a handy palate cleanser, since you are more likely to have them at home than crackers. The bread absorbs the flavours from your mouth while the water rinses them away. 


Celery
Foods that Cleanse Your Palate 

Celery

You can even munch on a piece of celery to cleanse your palate, since the rough texture of this vegetable scrapes away the flavours lingering on your tongue. In fact, celery is even recommended as a means to prevent halitosis, since it scrubs off the bacteria that linger on your teeth and tongue.


Apples
Foods that Cleanse Your Palate 

Apples

Apples have similar palate cleansing properties to celery. Interestingly, both these foods even freshen your breath and are recommended as a substitute in case you are stuck without a toothbrush, since they cleanse not only your palate but your gums and teeth as well.


Lemon water
Foods that Cleanse Your Palate 

Lemon water

Fine dining restaurants usually serve lemon sorbet in between courses to cleanse the palate, but it is not practical to keep it around the house every day, unless you’re having a dinner party and want to impress your guests. Instead, you can take a shortcut and use water with a dash of lime or fresh orange juice to cleanse your palate. 


Green tea
Foods that Cleanse Your Palate 

Green tea

Green tea is another palate cleanser, which you can drink in between or after your meal. Don’t brew it too strong, instead keep it light and add a little bit of sweetener if necessary.


Pickled ginger
Foods that Cleanse Your Palate 

Pickled ginger

Pickled ginger is typically served in Japanese restaurants in order to cleanse the palate in between courses of sushi, but it happens to be a staple found in many Indian households as well. You can make your own by marinating slices of ginger in vinegar and consuming it in between courses. 

MUSTARD SEEDS HEALTH BENEFITS

Known as rai or sarson in Hindi, mustard is an ingredient that is commonly used in Asian, French, Greek, Roman, American and African cuisines. Available in white, black and brown varieties, these seeds are very versatile and are used in different forms by different cultures. While some people use them whole, others use them in powdered form. The oil extracted from the seeds is also used for cooking and mustard paste or sauce is popularly used as a condiment. Here are some of the amazing health benefits of mustard seeds.


Mustard
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Enable weight loss

Mustard seeds are packed with several B Vitamins that help speed up your metabolism and therefore enable weight loss.


Mustard
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Slow down ageing

Mustard seeds contain flavonoid and caretonoid antioxidants in addition to significant amounts of Vitamins A, C and K. These slow down the ageing process, keeping your skin and tissues younger for longer.


Mustard
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Prevent cancer

The phytonutrients in mustard seeds prevent bladder, colon and cervical cancer. They restrict the growth of any existing cancer cells and prevent the formation of new ones.


Mustard
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Lower cholesterol levels

Eating mustard seeds helps lower your cholesterol levels and clears the plaque build-up in your arteries. It also regulates your blood circulation and lowers your blood pressure.


Oil
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Improve heart health

Patients recovering from serious heart conditions like acute myocardial infarctions or heart attacks have shown significant improvement if they have eaten food cooked in mustard oil. This is because mustard contains omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients essential to heart health. 


Mustard
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Reduce symptoms of asthma

Mustard seeds are rich in selenium and magnesium, which have anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce the symptoms of asthma. For relief during an asthmatic attack, mix a little mustard oil and camphor and massage them on your chest and upper back to help decongest your system. 


Sinus
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Cure respiratory conditions

In addition to asthma, mustard seeds also help prevent and cure several other respiratory conditions like colds, coughs, sinus and bronchitis. If you have sinus, soak your feet in a mixture of water and mustard powder, and for a cough, try gargling with tea made of mustard seeds. Be careful, as it could burn your throat in areas where there isn’t mucus to coat it. 


Mustard
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Relieve constipation

Mustard seeds contain plenty of fibre and a thick and slimy substance known as mucilage, both of which improve your digestion and help relieve constipation.  Mustard seeds are also effective in treating other gastrointestinal conditions like piles and fissures. 


Pain
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Relieve aches and pains

In addition to their anti-inflammatory properties, mustard seeds also have the ability to produce a lot of heat. In order to relieve muscle and joint pain, a paste can be made of mustard seeds and water and applied to the body. It can burn your skin if applied directly, so use a thin sheet as a barrier in between. 


Mustard
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Stimulate hair growth

Mustard oil is packed with iron, fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, several vitamins and a hefty amount of beta carotene. Massaging this oil into your scalp nourishes it and stimulates hair growth.


Mustard
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Strengthen and condition hair

The nutrients in mustard oil also strengthen your hair and reduce hair fall. They also condition your hair from within and give it a healthy shine. 


Mustard
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Cure acne

Mustard seeds can be used to cure acne and obtain a clear, glowing complexion. Just heat some mustard seeds in sesame or coconut oil, strain the oil and apply it to your face. 


Oil
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Hydrate skin

A combination of mustard seeds and aloe vera gel can be applied on your skin to hydrate and nourish it, while simultaneously removing all the impurities from within.  


Mustard
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Detoxify your body

Mustard seeds have poison repelling properties, so they help detoxify your system of the harmful toxins from cigarettes and alcohol. 


Mustard
Amazing Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds

Heal nerves

The heat in mustard seeds helps heal nerves, thereby benefitting individuals suffering from nerve damage. 


Mustard


Treat diabetes

Eating mustard helps reduce the oxidative stress that diabetics face because mustard has anti-oxidative properties. 


Mustard

Reduce the risk of menopause-related osteoporosis

Mustard contains plenty of magnesium and calcium, which is beneficial for menopausal women as it prevents bone loss and osteoporosis

ATKINS DIET INDIA

What is the Atkins diet? Officially called the Atkins Nutritional approach, it is a low carbohydrate diet created by Robert Atkins. The Atkins diet involves restricting carbs to aid the body's metabolism from burning glucose as fuel to burning stored body fat. This process, called ketosis, begins when insulin levels are low; in normal humans, insulin is lowest when blood glucose levels are low (mostly before eating). 




stew
There are 4 phases in the Atkins diet. Phase 1 Induction phase – Here carbs are cut back to 20 gms a day. This phase has the most rapid weight loss and allows foods that are quite filling, while restricting many others.
What do you eat? Your carbs come only from vegetables in this phase.  Your menu will look like this: 2 eggs in the morning, a bowl of vegetables and  grilled chicken for lunch, snack - cheese or nuts, and dinner  will comprise of just the meat cooked in your favourite style and a bowl of yogurt. Oil and fats are encouraged in this diet. 
toast
Phase 2 Ongoing weight Loss – Here Carbs are slowly and carefully added to the diet.
What do you eat? One rule of thumb - First add the veggies and then whole grains later to increase carbs. Sample menu: 2 eggs for breakfast with either orange juice, or a fruit. A huge bowl of vegetables for lunch with one chapatti and a bowl of dahi. For snacks again nuts and cheese. Dinner is a small bowl of salad with fish or chicken curry, or grilled meat. This phase continues until you are 5 to 10 pounds (3 to 5 kgs) from your desired weight loss goal.


grains
Phase 3 Pre Maintenance - As dieters near their goals, weight loss slows down, with more carbs added to the diet. Individuals figure out how much carbohydrate each can safely eat without gaining weight.
What do you eat? The goal here is to figure out what is that state of equilibrium that you can maintain without gaining any weight. Sample menu – breakfast – oats with milk or 2 eggs with a slice of bread, and fruits. Lunch – 2 chapatis, a bowl of vegetables and some chicken. Snacks – an occasional treat of dosa or 2 idlis, or a bowl of moong everyday. Dinner – rice or one roti with salad/ veggies/ meat.
rice
Phase 4  Maintenance - Atkins Maintenance brings together all that is learned in the first three phases to the diet regarding the individual body's response to carbs. Armed with that knowledge, weight loss can be maintained permanently, according to Atkins.
What do you eat? This is a continuation of the end of Pre-Maintenance, where the carbohydrate level "balance" is found - as you can now eat many carbs without gaining weight. Sample menu - Similar to the one in phase 3, but if you think that you are able to maintain your weight by eating rice everyday, you may. If after 2-3 months you feel a slight weight increase you can cut back on the carbs.
atkin
The Atkins diet is great for someone who is keen on losing weight quickly, because after the initial 1 or 2 months the long term plan of weight maintenance is quite achievable. But, as with the Mediterranean diet, and the South Beach diet, the Atkins diet also has a lot to do with perseverence and portion control. We say, try it only if you understand that you must eat well-balanced meals, and exercise as well.