Every individual must take care of his health. To attain good health it is essential to follow the rules of good nutrition, regular exercise and regulation in sexual activity. In Ayurveda, it is believed that all living beings are a composite of the five basic elements i.e. Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Sky. In order to keep life going, it is important to replenish these elements through natural foods which are the sources of these elements. To achieve this we must have foods which are naturally available just as nuts, fruits, vegetables, cereals etc.
Dry fruit contain substantial quantities of essential nutrients in a rational proportion. They are excellent source of minerals, vitamins and enzymes. They are easy to digest and clean the blood and the digestive area. Persons who have this natural diet will always enjoy good health. Also the illness caused by the intake of unnatural foods can be successfully treated by fruits. Though nuts and raisins are small in size, amount of power they provide us when consumed make them very big. Fresh and dry fruits are very essential since besides being food for us they also have strong medicinal properties.
Following are some of the main dry fruits:
Raisins
When grapes are dried properly they turn into raisins. They have high nourishing qualities. Raisins have enough sugar content and hence increased food value. Raisins are an excellent food in all cases of debility and wasting diseases. They are also valuable during period of recovery.
Raisins prove very helpful during the treatment of constipation. When soaked in a glassful of drinking water for 24 to 48 hours should be eaten early in the morning, after discarding the stones. This water in which raisins were soaked can also be drunk. If it is followed every morning then it does help to great extent in case of chronic constipation.
Raisins can be regularly given even to babies as an extract in water to help regular bowel action. Six to ten raisins, depending on the child's age, can be soaked in boiling water and kept aside for a while. When cool, the raisins should be powdered to get their juice into the water. Care should be taken to see that the skin of the raisins does not upset the stomach. Raisins enrich blood as it is a rich source of easily iron. They prove helpful in anemia. Raisins also help to gain weight. According to Ayurveda, black raisins are used for re-establishment of sexual vigor.
Cashew Nuts
Cashew nuts have the kidney-shaped seeds that grow at the bottom of the cashew apple, the fruit of the cashew tree, which is native to the coastal areas of northeastern Brazil. Cashew nuts provide protein and fiber to body. They are rich in mono-unsaturated fat that prove helpful to prevent the heart problems. They are also a good source of potassium, B vitamins and folate. Also they possess useful amounts of magnesium, phosphorous, selenium and copper.
Date
The date is a nutritious food. It has natural sugar in the form of glucose and fructose. Grind dates in the same water in which they have been soaked overnight after removing the seeds and have it at least twice a week. This will build up the heart. Dates also help in removing hangover. In such cases, drinking water in which fresh dates have been flooded brings quick relief. The nicotine content in dates is helpful for intestinal disturbances and is a good laxative.
Almond
The almond is also very nutritious food. Almond milk is the most useful preparation of almonds. It is rich in vitamins. It is more advantages as compared to ordinary milk. It is easy to digest than the cow's milk and is helpful for the babies with whom the cow's milk does not agree.
Unsaturated fats found in almonds have good medicinal values. The medicinal qualities of almonds occur from dynamic action of iron, copper, phosphorus and vitamin B1. These provide increased energy due to chemical interaction and help in the creation of new blood cells, hemoglobin and help in proper functioning of brain, heart, nerves, bones and liver. They help in strengthening the muscles and in long life.
Almonds paste with milk cream and fresh paste of rose bud applied regularly over the face increases face beauty. It makes the skin soft and bleaches the skin. If applied from young age it helps avoiding early wrinkles, black heads, dry skin, pimples and enhances freshness on face.
Small amount of almond oil applied over scalp helps to cure the problem of falling hair, thinness of hair, dandruff and early graying of hair. Almonds should be chewed properly and they should be taken after some time interval from meals. They have high calorific value. They help to prevent anemia.
They are also recommended in case of chronic constipation problems. It is also useful in case of loss of sexual energy that happens due to nervous breakdown and brain weakness. Wild almonds also help to cure skin diseases, especially eczema. To achieve this, a few leaves of the wild almond are powdered with water and the cream. It is then applied to the affected parts.
The blend of almonds is helpful in bronchial diseases, hoarseness and cough. Regular intake of the dry fruits results in both mental and physical development of human body.
Fig
Figs are one of the highest plant sources of calcium and fiber.
dried figs are richest in fiber, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and vitamin K, relative to human needs. They have smaller amounts of many other nutrients. Figs have a laxative effect and contain many antioxidants. They are good source of flavonoids and polyphenols In one study, a 40-gram portion of dried figs (two medium size figs) produced a significant increase in plasma antioxidant capacity
Walnut
Walnuts are also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, and have been shown as helpful in lowering cholesterol.
The walnuts’ nutritional value is comparable to that one of cheeses for the high presence of proteins (14-24%) and fats (52-70%). Walnuts are a high source of essential unsaturated fatty acids such as the alfa-linoleic acid. Their content in proteins and vitamins is good, especially in vitamins of the B group and E, and in minerals, K and Mg are worth mentioning. Very important compounds are amino acids (glutamic acid, arginine and leucine) but particularly a sulfured one: taurine (2-aminoethylsulfon ic acid, presents in variable quantities between 0,2 and 0,6 mg%.), important compound because it is involved in many functions: homeostatic regulation, thermoregulation, nervous conduction, protection against oxidative stress, etc.
Regular consumption of walnuts helps in lowering cholesterol levels, controlling high blood sugars, and improving cardiovascular functions. It is good for various hearth problems. The reason for these benefits of walnuts is that they contain unsaturated fats and little cholesterol, significant amount of omega-3 and antioxidant properties. Walnuts can help prevent gallstones.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
OVERWEIGHT (OBESE)? PRACTICAL GUIDE TO CHANGE
More likely than not, you have already tried other ways of helping yourself. Well, this little guide over here is not like any other. This is not a diet plan, you will not find numbers/ratios/portions in here.
What we want to tell you is very different and it will help you.
STOP TRYING TO LOOSE WEIGHT.
Yeah, you read it right. If you're overweight and want to do something about it, the first thing to do is to stop trying to loose weight - get it out of your head. Do not make it your goal. Trying-to-loose-weight is the beginning of a never-ending and a vicious circle that you're most likely already familiar with. The minute you decide to start loosing weight, your body gets an automatic memo to raise the defenses, start storing fat, because shortage of food is imminent.
CHANGE YOUR CONCERNS.
So if you're not focusing on loosing weight, what should you focus on? Anything else. Got a stamp collection? Make sure you discuss it with your friends. Go to a museum to walk around and look at art. What you're looking for here is a distraction from food and change in established patterns, as well as dissipation of accumulation of feelings of anxiety around the subject of your weight.
STOP WORRYING/WONDERING IF YOU WILL LOOSE WEIGHT.
Stress and anxiety are two of the main causes of overeating. The actual loss of weight is a byproduct. So you would do yourself a big favor if you simply accept the fact that it will happen... as a result of other things you do.
DO.
Yup, simply do. Stop talking about it, stop planning, stop preparing and act on your desire to make a change. Action is the key word. When you eat - that's action too, and a very important one at that. Eating more than you need is an action that creates your problem. Some people choose to run (action) others choose to eat (action) in order to dissipate the energy that builds up during the day that needs to be released. If you can't run, you should find another action to do so you don't end up eating when you're not hungry.
DO:
Get out of your house.
Do it more often, do it regularly. It will help you keep your mind off eating and will give you other options of things to do. Plus there is no comfy sofa around with a TV in front of it.
Walk barefoot.
It will help you in more ways than you can imagine right now, so just do it.
Find what holds your interest.
Have you ever heard someone say before: "Oh, I was so into it, I forgot to eat, time just flew by!" When we are mentally involved, for example when we really get into a project at work that is very interesting to us - that's what becomes the primary focus.
Start exercising.
Very lightly, as much as you can, but do it. Flexibility exercises are among the best exercises to start with and you can do it at home on the floor. No need to prepare, no need for sports attire.
Have a cup of hot/warm green or mint tea before eating.
This simple action will help you to determine how hungry you are and if you're hungry at all.
Take your time eating.
Get everything out of food, not just the energy. Eating right doesn't equal suffering and awful taste of food. Take your time, enjoy the flavor, enjoy the experience. You will notice that enjoying the process without rushing makes you eat less.
DON'T:
Set a goal to loose so many pounds by such and such date
are you playing a game or are you looking to make a real and lasting change?
Set a goal to loose weight in general
that's a dead end. Haven't you done that already? Did it work? If yes, how long did it last?
Abruptly change your diet
that could be considered physical, psychological and emotional torture with disastrous results.
Abruptly start intense physical training
that would be physical and emotional torture with disastrous results.
Count calories or proteins or anything like that
unless you're looking to entertain yourself, don't waste your time.
Create a plan and try to stick to it
small changes done every day and implemented without force will take you further. When you create the goal - in your mind there is an anti-goal created immediately: yin and yang, dark and light, positive and negative. This polarity is part of everything we know. So instead of making plans of grand proportions and then suffering disappointment of equal size, or attempting herculean feats, take small steps, but do it consistently and allow room for error.
Loosing weight is a very simple formula in physiological terms - less food, more movement. Gaining weight is also a simple formula - more food, less movement. To find what you're looking for, you have to restore balance. But first you have to create the dis-balance between consumption and spending to start movement towards balance. Very simple law. But we're not all physiology, we are very complicated and we like to complicate things.
Life is movement, movement is life - so don't stop moving. Sedentary lifestyle is a silent killer, abundance of food is surprisingly demoralizing. But... You can do anything you put your mind to. Nobody is born overweight, we choose to let it happen. Whatever your genetic predisposition is, at the end of the day you are the master of your domain.
Your body is your temple, be a good keeper. You will loose weight as a side effect of improving your skill of keeping your temple.
What we want to tell you is very different and it will help you.
STOP TRYING TO LOOSE WEIGHT.
Yeah, you read it right. If you're overweight and want to do something about it, the first thing to do is to stop trying to loose weight - get it out of your head. Do not make it your goal. Trying-to-loose-weight is the beginning of a never-ending and a vicious circle that you're most likely already familiar with. The minute you decide to start loosing weight, your body gets an automatic memo to raise the defenses, start storing fat, because shortage of food is imminent.
CHANGE YOUR CONCERNS.
So if you're not focusing on loosing weight, what should you focus on? Anything else. Got a stamp collection? Make sure you discuss it with your friends. Go to a museum to walk around and look at art. What you're looking for here is a distraction from food and change in established patterns, as well as dissipation of accumulation of feelings of anxiety around the subject of your weight.
STOP WORRYING/WONDERING IF YOU WILL LOOSE WEIGHT.
Stress and anxiety are two of the main causes of overeating. The actual loss of weight is a byproduct. So you would do yourself a big favor if you simply accept the fact that it will happen... as a result of other things you do.
DO.
Yup, simply do. Stop talking about it, stop planning, stop preparing and act on your desire to make a change. Action is the key word. When you eat - that's action too, and a very important one at that. Eating more than you need is an action that creates your problem. Some people choose to run (action) others choose to eat (action) in order to dissipate the energy that builds up during the day that needs to be released. If you can't run, you should find another action to do so you don't end up eating when you're not hungry.
DO:
Get out of your house.
Do it more often, do it regularly. It will help you keep your mind off eating and will give you other options of things to do. Plus there is no comfy sofa around with a TV in front of it.
Walk barefoot.
It will help you in more ways than you can imagine right now, so just do it.
Find what holds your interest.
Have you ever heard someone say before: "Oh, I was so into it, I forgot to eat, time just flew by!" When we are mentally involved, for example when we really get into a project at work that is very interesting to us - that's what becomes the primary focus.
Start exercising.
Very lightly, as much as you can, but do it. Flexibility exercises are among the best exercises to start with and you can do it at home on the floor. No need to prepare, no need for sports attire.
Have a cup of hot/warm green or mint tea before eating.
This simple action will help you to determine how hungry you are and if you're hungry at all.
Take your time eating.
Get everything out of food, not just the energy. Eating right doesn't equal suffering and awful taste of food. Take your time, enjoy the flavor, enjoy the experience. You will notice that enjoying the process without rushing makes you eat less.
DON'T:
Set a goal to loose so many pounds by such and such date
are you playing a game or are you looking to make a real and lasting change?
Set a goal to loose weight in general
that's a dead end. Haven't you done that already? Did it work? If yes, how long did it last?
Abruptly change your diet
that could be considered physical, psychological and emotional torture with disastrous results.
Abruptly start intense physical training
that would be physical and emotional torture with disastrous results.
Count calories or proteins or anything like that
unless you're looking to entertain yourself, don't waste your time.
Create a plan and try to stick to it
small changes done every day and implemented without force will take you further. When you create the goal - in your mind there is an anti-goal created immediately: yin and yang, dark and light, positive and negative. This polarity is part of everything we know. So instead of making plans of grand proportions and then suffering disappointment of equal size, or attempting herculean feats, take small steps, but do it consistently and allow room for error.
Loosing weight is a very simple formula in physiological terms - less food, more movement. Gaining weight is also a simple formula - more food, less movement. To find what you're looking for, you have to restore balance. But first you have to create the dis-balance between consumption and spending to start movement towards balance. Very simple law. But we're not all physiology, we are very complicated and we like to complicate things.
Life is movement, movement is life - so don't stop moving. Sedentary lifestyle is a silent killer, abundance of food is surprisingly demoralizing. But... You can do anything you put your mind to. Nobody is born overweight, we choose to let it happen. Whatever your genetic predisposition is, at the end of the day you are the master of your domain.
Your body is your temple, be a good keeper. You will loose weight as a side effect of improving your skill of keeping your temple.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Garlic and Corn Natural Weight-Loss Food !
Through the centuries, garlic has been both reviled and revered for its qualities. Today, the gossip about garlic and its apparent disease-preventing potential has reached a fevered pitch. For garlic lovers, that's good news; adding garlic to dishes can punch up the flavor.
When it comes to weight loss, garlic appears to be a miracle food. It contains the compound allicin which has anti-bacterial effects and helps reduce unhealthy fats and cholesterol.
Once you learn to appreciate its pungency, most anything tastes better with garlic. And once you learn its possible health benefits, you may learn to love it.
Health Benefits
The list of health benefits just seems to grow and grow. From preventing heart disease and cancer to fighting off infections, researchers are finding encouraging results with garlic. Behind all the grandiose claims are the compounds that give garlic its biting flavor. The chief health-promoting "ingredients" are allicin and diallyl sulfide, sulfur-containing compounds. Although allicin is destroyed in cooking, other helpful compounds are formed by heat or aren't destroyed by it. This lets cooked garlic give you a health boost. Garlic also contains the powerful antioxidants C and E, and the mineral selenium.
Garlic has been found to lower levels of LDL cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol, and raise HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol in the short term. Its effects last about three months when taken daily. It may also help to dissolve clots that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Even when cooked, garlic helps keep cholesterol in your bloodstream from oxidizing and damaging the lining of your blood vessels, which helps prevent the formation of plaque.
Garlic has also been found to inhibit the growth of, or even kill, several kinds of bacteria, including Staphylococcus and Salmonella, as well as many fungi and yeast. Animal studies have found that garlic helps prevent colon, lung, and esophageal cancers. How much is enough? Researchers suggest you can enjoy the benefits of garlic every day by eating a typical clove weighing 3 grams.
Nutritional Values
Garlic Serving Size: 3 cloves
Calories: 13
Fat: <1 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 3 g
Protein: <1 g
Dietary Fiber: <1 g
Sodium: 2 mg
Selection and Storage
Most varieties of garlic have the same characteristic pungent odor and bite. Pink-skinned garlic tastes a little sweeter and keeps longer than white garlic. Elephant garlic, a large-clove variety, is milder in flavor than regular garlic and should be used like a leek. But most varieties can be used interchangeably in recipes.
Choose loose garlic if you can find it. It's easier to check the quality of what you're getting than with those hiding behind cellophane. Its appearance can clue you in to its freshness; paper-white skins are your best bet. Then pick up the garlic; choose a head that is firm to the touch with no visible damp or brown spots.
Don't expect the flavor of garlic powder to mimic fresh garlic. Much of the flavor is processed out. Garlic powder, however, may retain some active components. Garlic salt, of course, contains large amounts of sodium -- as much as 900 milligrams per teaspoon, so avoid using it.
Store garlic in a cool, dark, dry spot. If you don't use it regularly, check it occasionally to be sure it's usable. Garlic may last only a few weeks or a few months. If one or two cloves have gone bad, remove them, but don't nick remaining cloves; any skin punctures will hasten the demise of what's left. If garlic begins to sprout, it's still okay to use, but it may have a milder flavor, just remove the tough, green sprout.
Natural Weight-Loss Food: Corn
Corn is a low-fat complex carbohydrate that deserves a regular place on any healthy table. Unfortunately, as with many other naturally low-fat foods, the American tendency is to smother corn-on-the-cob with butter.
But these high-fiber, fat-fighting kernels of goodness are better served with seasoning. Because corn is hearty and satisfying, it can curb your appetite.
Health Benefits
This popular food is high in fiber. In fact, it's notoriously hard to digest. But its insoluble fiber is tops at tackling common digestive ailments (like constipation and hemorrhoids) by absorbing water, which swells the stool and speeds its movement.
Nutritional Values
Corn, Yellow or White
Serving Size: 1 medium (7") ear
Calories: 77
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: <1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 19 g
Protein: 3 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 13 mg
Vitamin C: 5 mg
Folic Acid: 41 mcg
Niacin: 2 mg
Potassium: 243 mg
Corn is a surprising source of several vitamins, including folic acid, niacin, and vitamin C. The folic acid in corn is now known to be an important factor in preventing neural-tube birth defects. It's just as important in preventing heart disease, according to studies that show folic acid can prevent a buildup of homocysteine, an amino acid, in the body. Long-term elevation of homocysteine has been linked to higher rates of heart disease; folic acid helps break it down.
Selection and Storage
End-of-summer corn is by far the best ear in town. Although you can find good-tasting corn year-round, many out-of-season ears aren't worth eating. When buying fresh corn, be sure it was delivered in cold storage -- as temperatures rise, the natural sugar in corn turns to starch, and the corn loses some sweetness.
Corn is best eaten within a day or two of picking. Corn husks should be green and have visible kernels that are plump and tightly packed on the cob. To test freshness, pop a kernel with your fingernail. The liquid that spurts out should be milky colored. If not, the corn is either immature or overripe. Once home, refrigerate corn immediately.
When it comes to weight loss, garlic appears to be a miracle food. It contains the compound allicin which has anti-bacterial effects and helps reduce unhealthy fats and cholesterol.
Once you learn to appreciate its pungency, most anything tastes better with garlic. And once you learn its possible health benefits, you may learn to love it.
Health Benefits
The list of health benefits just seems to grow and grow. From preventing heart disease and cancer to fighting off infections, researchers are finding encouraging results with garlic. Behind all the grandiose claims are the compounds that give garlic its biting flavor. The chief health-promoting "ingredients" are allicin and diallyl sulfide, sulfur-containing compounds. Although allicin is destroyed in cooking, other helpful compounds are formed by heat or aren't destroyed by it. This lets cooked garlic give you a health boost. Garlic also contains the powerful antioxidants C and E, and the mineral selenium.
Garlic has been found to lower levels of LDL cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol, and raise HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol in the short term. Its effects last about three months when taken daily. It may also help to dissolve clots that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Even when cooked, garlic helps keep cholesterol in your bloodstream from oxidizing and damaging the lining of your blood vessels, which helps prevent the formation of plaque.
Garlic has also been found to inhibit the growth of, or even kill, several kinds of bacteria, including Staphylococcus and Salmonella, as well as many fungi and yeast. Animal studies have found that garlic helps prevent colon, lung, and esophageal cancers. How much is enough? Researchers suggest you can enjoy the benefits of garlic every day by eating a typical clove weighing 3 grams.
Nutritional Values
Garlic Serving Size: 3 cloves
Calories: 13
Fat: <1 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 3 g
Protein: <1 g
Dietary Fiber: <1 g
Sodium: 2 mg
Selection and Storage
Most varieties of garlic have the same characteristic pungent odor and bite. Pink-skinned garlic tastes a little sweeter and keeps longer than white garlic. Elephant garlic, a large-clove variety, is milder in flavor than regular garlic and should be used like a leek. But most varieties can be used interchangeably in recipes.
Choose loose garlic if you can find it. It's easier to check the quality of what you're getting than with those hiding behind cellophane. Its appearance can clue you in to its freshness; paper-white skins are your best bet. Then pick up the garlic; choose a head that is firm to the touch with no visible damp or brown spots.
Don't expect the flavor of garlic powder to mimic fresh garlic. Much of the flavor is processed out. Garlic powder, however, may retain some active components. Garlic salt, of course, contains large amounts of sodium -- as much as 900 milligrams per teaspoon, so avoid using it.
Store garlic in a cool, dark, dry spot. If you don't use it regularly, check it occasionally to be sure it's usable. Garlic may last only a few weeks or a few months. If one or two cloves have gone bad, remove them, but don't nick remaining cloves; any skin punctures will hasten the demise of what's left. If garlic begins to sprout, it's still okay to use, but it may have a milder flavor, just remove the tough, green sprout.
Natural Weight-Loss Food: Corn
Corn is a low-fat complex carbohydrate that deserves a regular place on any healthy table. Unfortunately, as with many other naturally low-fat foods, the American tendency is to smother corn-on-the-cob with butter.
But these high-fiber, fat-fighting kernels of goodness are better served with seasoning. Because corn is hearty and satisfying, it can curb your appetite.
Health Benefits
This popular food is high in fiber. In fact, it's notoriously hard to digest. But its insoluble fiber is tops at tackling common digestive ailments (like constipation and hemorrhoids) by absorbing water, which swells the stool and speeds its movement.
Nutritional Values
Corn, Yellow or White
Serving Size: 1 medium (7") ear
Calories: 77
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: <1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 19 g
Protein: 3 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 13 mg
Vitamin C: 5 mg
Folic Acid: 41 mcg
Niacin: 2 mg
Potassium: 243 mg
Corn is a surprising source of several vitamins, including folic acid, niacin, and vitamin C. The folic acid in corn is now known to be an important factor in preventing neural-tube birth defects. It's just as important in preventing heart disease, according to studies that show folic acid can prevent a buildup of homocysteine, an amino acid, in the body. Long-term elevation of homocysteine has been linked to higher rates of heart disease; folic acid helps break it down.
Selection and Storage
End-of-summer corn is by far the best ear in town. Although you can find good-tasting corn year-round, many out-of-season ears aren't worth eating. When buying fresh corn, be sure it was delivered in cold storage -- as temperatures rise, the natural sugar in corn turns to starch, and the corn loses some sweetness.
Corn is best eaten within a day or two of picking. Corn husks should be green and have visible kernels that are plump and tightly packed on the cob. To test freshness, pop a kernel with your fingernail. The liquid that spurts out should be milky colored. If not, the corn is either immature or overripe. Once home, refrigerate corn immediately.
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