Life Rules

Health Benefits of Apricot

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:29:00 +0000

The apricot is one of the most important health fruits. It belongs to the sub-acid class. Apricot is very nutritious and tonic food and enjoys world wide popularity.

The apricot is believed to have originated in China, where it has been cultivated for over 4,000 years. It was regarded as a food medicine by Greek physicians and while the Romans dedicated it to Venus- the goddess of love.

Health Benefits of Apricot:

Constipation: Apricot is highly valued as a gentle laxative and is beneficial in the treatment of constipation. This is due to its cellulose and protein contents. The cellulose - which is not digested, act as a roughage- that indigestible part of the food which helps the bowel movement and the pectin which absorbs and retains water, thereby stimulating smooth bowel movement.

Anaemia: The apricot is an excellent food remedy for anaemia on account of its high content of iron. The small but essential amount of copper in the fruit makes iron available to the body.

Fevers: Fresh juice of apricots, mixed with glucose and honey, is a very cooling drink during fevers. It quenches the thirst and eliminates the waste products from the body.

Skin Diseases: Fresh juice of apricot leaves is useful in skin diseases. It can be applied with beneficial results in scabies, eczema, sun-burn and itching of the skin due to cold exposure.

Indigestion: Apricots have an alkaline reaction in the system. They aid the digestion, if consumed before a meal. Marmalade, made from originally grown fruit, is also valuable in the treatment of nervous indigestion.

Apricots are rich in natural sugars, vitamins A and C, riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3). The nut of the apricot is rich in protein and fat and is considered as valuable as any other nut.

You might be interested in: Health Benefits of Avocado

An Overview: Tips for Healthy Skin

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:08:00 +0000

These days’ people are becoming more and more health conscious as well conscious about their outer look. Skin care is part of healthy lifestyle. Ever wondered why skin care is so important. Skin covers outer body, hence making it most vulnerable to dust, pollution, seasonal changes, etc. Mental stress, physical stress all directly affects the skin, and the results are visible.

Taking care of skin can be done in two ways. The first way of taking care is by external methods. The second way is by consuming right type of food. Healthy skin needs healthy diet. There are foods some foods which are great for the skin. But skin care by external methods depends on the skin type. There are three basic skin types oily, dry and combination.

There are four most common skin types- oily skin, dry skin, combination skin and sensitive skin.

Oily Skin: Your genes and hormones play the key role in whether or not you have oily skin. Diet probably has little, if anything, to do with whether or not you have oily skin. Oily skin is usually shiny in appearance due to oil present in skin layer. Therefore it attracts more dust, which tends to stick to the skin. The most important thing you can do for oily skin is to keep your skin clean using warm water and soap, or a soap-less cleanser. Clean your face with astringent pads if frequent face washing causes irritation. Use only water-based or oil-free cosmetics if you have oily skin.

Dry Skin: Dry skin is most common in your lower legs, arms, flanks (sides of the abdomen), and thighs. It happens more often in the winter when cold air outside and heated air inside cause low humidity. Forced-air furnaces make skin even drier. Dust does not tend to settle on dry skin as it is not oily. So people with dry skin are not prone to problems like clogging of pores and acne. As the oil contain in the skin layer is less, moisturizing is required.

Combination Skin: Combination skin is a term used to describe facial skin that shows symptoms of both dry skin and oily skin. It is the most common skin type. If there is an oily area around the forehead, nose, and chin, it is often referred to as the T-zone. The best way to treat combination skin is to predominant skin type first. If the majority of the area is oily then treat that first of all or if the majority of the area is dry then you should treat that first. Combination skin is therefore treated differently than dry or oily skin would be alone. Since combination skin has qualities from both dry and oily skin each area of the face should also be cared for differently. As experts say if your combination skin is predominantly dry than treat your skin as a dry skin. In case it’s predominantly oily then you should treat it like a oily skin.

Sensitive Skin: Many people are affected by the redness, dry skin, acne, sunburn, hives and other bumps and blemishes caused by sensitive skin. The cause of sensitive skin may vary from one to another. Since sensitive skin is usually very fragile and delicate, it requires special treatment. Nevertheless, with the right skin care regimen and the products you use, many sensitive skin problems can be managed. You have a sensitive skin then try to determine if any product or food cause irritation to your skin. Stay away from those irritants. Avoid using toners as they contain alcohol which can dry and irritate your skin. Also, dryness can increase your skin’s sensitivity, so it is a good idea to choose water-based and unscented moisturizer. Moisturizing your skin will provide a barrier against irritants that can heighten skin sensitivity. Sensitive skin is prone to sunburn. So apply sunscreen every time you leave the house.

Read More on Skincare: Skincare Tips: Go Natural

10 Foods Highest In Vitamin E

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Sat, 22 May 2010 10:30:00 +0000

Vitamin E is a group of 8 fat-soluble vitamins, that are active throughout the body. Antioxidants properties in Vitamin E are great for keeping skin healthy and for helping prevent cancer. Although humans must breathe oxygen to stay alive, oxygen is a risky substance inside the body because it can make molecules overly reactive. When oxygen-containing molecules become too reactive, they can start damaging the cell structures around them. In chemistry, this imbalanced situation involving oxygen is called oxidative stress. Vitamin E helps prevent oxidative stress by working together with a group of nutrients that prevent oxygen molecules from becoming too reactive.

Here are the list of 10 foods that are high in Vitamin E:

Raw Sunflower Seeds: Sunflower seeds provide 36.6mg of vitamin E in a 100g serving.Dry Roasted

Almonds: Almonds provide 26.2mg of vitamin E in a 100g serving.

Boiled Swiss Chard: This is an excellent source of vitamin E, the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant.

Boiled Spinach: Another excellent source of Vitamin E. It will provide 3.54mg of vitamin E in a 100g serving.

Olives: Olives will provide 3.81mg of vitamin E in a 100g.

Cooked Turnip Greens: Cooked Turnip Greens provide 2.8 mg of vitamin E in a 100g serving.

Pine Nuts: They provide 9.3mg of vitamin E in a 100g.

Peanuts: A 100g serving will provide 6.93mg of vitamin E.

Dried Apricots: A good source of fiber and many other vitamins, apricots also provide 4.33mg of vitamin E in a 100g serving.

Boiled Collard Greens: A 100g serving will provide 3 mg of vitamin E.

Besides these Good sources of vitamin E include parsley, kale, papaya, bell pepper, brussels sprouts, kiwifruit, tomato, blueberries, and broccoli.

You Might Be Interested In: Food And Nutrition: Whole Foods & Processed Foods

Four Silent Symptoms of Stress

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:16:00 +0000

Your body sends clues that you need more time for calm. The occasional manic Monday is a fact of modern life, but if you are under chronic stress – suffering daily assault of stress hormones from a demanding job or a personal life in turmoil- symptoms may be subtler. If you experience any of the signs given below, take some time out every day.

Surprising stress symptoms:

Weekend Headaches: A sudden drop in stress can prompt migraines, says Todd Schwedt, MD, director of the Washington University Headache Center. Stick closely to your weekday sleeping and eating schedule to minimise the triggers.

Awful Period Cramps In Women: The most stressed women are more than twice as likely to get painful cramps as those who are less tense. Researchers blame a stress-induced imbalance of hormones. Exercise can soothe cramps and stress by decreasing sympathetic nervous system activity.

An Achy Mouth: A sore jaw may be a sign of teeth grinding, which can be worsened by stress. Ask your dentist about a night time mouth guard.

Odd Dreams: When stressed, your sleep is disturbed. So you tend to wake up more often, allowing unpleasant imagery all night. Under stress, people find it difficult to go into the deeper stages of sleep. So they are likely to get up frequently, sometimes for a short while and sometimes for longer. Good sleep habits can help prevent this; aim for 7 to 8 hours a night and avoid caffeine and alcohol close to bed time.

Read more about stress- What is stress and How to overcome stress?

Stop Bad Breath

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Sun, 02 May 2010 07:04:00 +0000

Drink plenty of water to keep halitosis at bay.

Worry about bad breath? Here’s how to deal with it!

How to find out if you really have it: We aren’t quite able to smell our own breath. Floss between your teeth and smell the floss after 45 seconds or scrape the back of your tongue with a clean cloth and smell it after 45 seconds and you will get to know if you have halitosis.

Have you experienced any of the following?

Your bad breath is interfering with your social or professional success.

You frequently have a bad taste in your mouth.

People step back from you when you are talking to them, or they avoid direct contact with you.

Somebody has commented on your bad breath, or offered you mints or chewing gum.

You experience a white or yellow film on your tongue.

If you answered yes to any of the above you likely have a chronic bad breath problem.

What causes bad breath: In 80-90% of cases, halitosis is caused by tartar deposits on teeth, the other reasons being dental cavities and gum diseases. Unclean dentures, some medicines and strong smelling garlic, onion, alcohol and even smoking can be responsible for an unpleasant mouth and odour. Left uncured, this may cause you embarrassment and dip your confidence levels in long run.

How to stop it now: Brush teeth for 2 minutes twice a day, especially after dinner. Avoid snacking after brushing. Rinse between meals and use lukewarm salt water as a mouthwash. Drink plenty of water and eat a well-balanced diet consisting of vegetables and salads. You can also chew cardamom seeds as an instant mouth freshener. Last, but not the least, get dental scaling and cleaning done every year.

Have a Happy Smile!

Take a look at - 11 Tips To Make Your Diet Super-Nutritious

Five Ways to Spot a Healthy Food

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:57:00 +0000

Food labels don’t lie. But if you’re among the people who rely on them to make healthy choices and you don’t know what to look for – they can deceive.

Here are the 5 points to spot a health food:

Check the servings: If one package doesn’t equal one serving, multiply the nutritional information by how many you are going to eat; especially calories- packaged meals should contain no more than 400 and snack shouldn’t exceed 150.

Limit bad fats: Pick products with zero trans-fat and low saturated fat. Women on a 1,600 calorie diet need no more than 13 gm daily.

Pick low sodium: Most people get far too much sodium and up to 75% of it comes from processed foods. Full meals shouldn’t exceed 500 mg; cap your daily intake at 2,000 mg.

Fill up on fiber: Foods that contain 3 gm or more can help reduce appetite and cholesterol.

Go beyond sugar grams: Some healthy foods are high in natural sugar. If the number of grams seems high, sure the ingredient list doesn’t contain added sweeteners.

Additional tips for better health:

People who consume more than 74 gm of added fructose a day (two or three sweetened soft drinks) are 87% more likely to have severely elevated blood pressure than who get less. Researchers believe excess fructose may reduce the production of nitric oxide, a gas that helps blood vessels relax and dilate.

Read: 10 Tips To Control High Blood Pressure

Top Natural Cures

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:37:00 +0000

The World Health Organization estimates that between 65 to 80 percent of the world's population which is over 3 billion people use traditional medicine, also known as alternative or holistic medicine, as their primary form of health care.

Natural treatments or medicines made at home from natural ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, and herbs are catching a lot of attention due to its very nature of cure: simple, no side effects, no chemicals, inexpensive, plus the delight of being able to cure yourself!

Here are natural cure tips for four very common problems:

Sinus Problems: For chronic sinusitis, nasal irrigation with salt water is advisable, but only after learning the technique. Also, pouring 2 drops of herbal medicated oil in nostrils, followed by steam inhalation is a good natural therapy.

Heartburn: Eat non-spicy food at regular intervals. Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. Have gourd vegetables and fruits and try cold hip baths and abdomen compresses. Sip ice-cold water to relieve acute symptoms. Have 25 ml beetroot juice with 1 tsp honey early morning. Include 1-2 glasses of pomegranate juice in diet.

Insomnia: Drink a glass of warm water with 2tsp of honey mixed at bedtimes. Practice Yoga Nidra. A glass of warm milk also helps. Read more about cure of insomnia here.

Headaches: Get regular head massages with Brahmi (Pennywort or thick-leaved pennywort) oil before bedtime and consume herb like Ashwagandha (Indian ginseng). Yoga Nidra is effective in relieving cerebral tension.

Bad Breath: Parsley is a biennial herb grown in many parts of the world. Eat fresh parsley after a meal, or any time your breath needs freshening. Another effectual remedy for bad breath is avocado, which is far better to any mouth lotion or remedies for this state. It efficiently removes intestinal putrefaction or decay which is one of the most important causes of bad breath.

For herbal home remedies or natural home remedies, the kitchen is a great place to start. It has almost all the medicines you would probable need at least, to deal with common ailments.

Read detailed information about Natural Methods To Cure Headaches.

What Are Antioxidants?

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:33:00 +0000

You know that antioxidants are good for health. You have heard this term many times. You also know tea and green vegetables are good for our health. Because, as we know these foods contain antioxidants. But what are antioxidants? How antioxidants make us healthy? Let’s see.

What are Antioxidants?

In simple words, antioxidants are a group of compounds which fight free radicals. But let’s try to know about it more.

Antioxidants are a group of compounds that are produced by the body and that occur naturally in many foods. Antioxidants work together in the body to maintain our health and vigour well into the late decades of life. They do this by protecting us from damage caused by free radicals, which can injure healthy cells and tissues. The body produces free radicals in the normal course of energy production, but there are also substances in our surrounding environment—certain chemicals, smoke, pollutants, solar radiation—that trigger the production of free radicals. Don’t underestimate the threat free radicals pose to our health and well-being. Scientists now believe that free radicals are causal factors in nearly every known disease, from heart disease to arthritis to cancer to cataracts. In fact, free radicals are a major culprit in the aging process itself.

What are Free Radicals?

Free radicals are formed as part of our natural metabolism but also by environmental factors, including smoking, pesticides, pollution and radiation. Free radicals are unstable molecules which react easily with essential molecules of our body, including DNA, fat and proteins. All organic and inorganic materials consist of atoms, which can be bound together to form molecules. Each atom has a specific number of protons (positively charged) and electrons (negatively charged). Most single atoms are not stable because they have to few or to may electrons. Atoms try to reach a state of maximum stability by giving away or receiving electrons from other atoms, thereby forming molecules. Free radicals are molecules which have one electron too much or too less in order to be stable. Free radicals try to steal or give electrons to other molecules, thereby changing their chemical structure.

However, when the antioxidant neutralizes a free radical it becomes inactive. Therefore we need to continuously supply our body with antioxidants. The action of free radicals could increase the risk of diseases such as cancer and heart problems and could accelerate ageing. Antioxidants have the property to neutralize the free radicals and prevent damage. Well known examples of antioxidants are the vitamin C, E and beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein.

For getting enough antioxidants you need to know about the foods which contain high amount of antioxidants. Click on the following link to know - Foods High In Antioxidants

Nutrient Dense Foods

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:25:00 +0000

Be healthy and beautiful by adding nutrition dense foods to your diet.

Food is fuel. You need to eat the right food to fuel and energize your body throughout the day and through your workouts. Think of your body like a high performance race car. Always use the highest octane fuel in order to get the best results.

These days many people try to avoid those low-nutrition or empty-calorie food products when attempting to lose weight. However, dieters could do with searching out foods that are nutrient-dense. Generally these are the natural produce packed with vital nutrients yet they hold less energy content.

Nutrient dense foods

Nutrient-dense foods are low in calories but contain high levels of “micronutrients” – vitamins, minerals, trace elements, antioxidants, phytochemicals, enzymes. Nutrient dense foods give you the most nutrients for the fewest amount of calories. In other words, nutrient dense foods give you the "biggest bang for the buck." You get lots of nutrients, and it doesn't cost you much in terms of calories. No foods are more nutrient dense than whole, organically-grown foods. The reason is simple: nothing is contained in a fresh, whole organic food that doesn't need to be there.

List of Some Nutrient Dense Foods:

Dark leafy greens
Animal products such as eggs, offal (like chicken livers), meats and fish (preferably free range, wild and organic)
Edible wild weeds and herbs
Sprouts and shoots, from nuts, seeds, beans and grains
Raw, soaked nuts and seeds
Fermented foods — such as sauerkraut and yoghurt
Fresh vegetable juices — especially with greens
Super-foods — nutrient-packed, convenient whole foods, such as spirulina, bee pollen, barley grass
Sea vegetables

Why nutrient-rich foods?

The Nutrient Rich Foods approach provides a positive way to help people evaluate food and beverage choices for better nutrition and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Besides this with overweight and obesity rates continuing to rise most people need to monitor and reduce their caloric intake. Choosing nutrient-rich foods first is a way for people to make better choices within their daily eating plan.

Here is an article about nutrition and weight loss- Nutrient Dense Foods For Weight Loss

Men Fitness: How to Lose Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:53:00 +0000

Get back in shape.

Lift heavy when most people start a fat-loss regimen, they lift light weights for high reps, and it seems to make good sense – you’ll sweat and burn calories. But, you’ll make better gains (or “losses,” in this case) by training with heavy weights and lower reps to put on muscle mass. Your muscle is metabolism. The more lean muscle you have, the faster your metabolic rate. Keep your eyes between five and eight per set, using challenging weight.

Increase healthy fat intake; don’t be fat-phobic. Of course you should avoid saturated fats and trans fats, including anything with hydrogenated oils such as margarine, shortening or fried foods. But healthy fats are necessary for health weight reduction. Keep your calorie intake under control – you need to burn more than you’re taking in but make sure mono unsaturated fats (in groundnut oils, flaxseed oil etc.) and seeds remain part of your nutritional mix.

Fats keep blood sugar level stable. This will make you feel fuller longer. And that means you’ll get full from eating less food, and you’ll avoid food cravings and over-eating. In addition, fats supply the raw materials necessary to form fat-burning and muscle-building hormones like testosterone. Approximately 20% of your daily caloric intake should come from healthy fats.

Running on treadmill at 50%-60% of your maximum heart rate for long periods makes your body more energy efficient. But guess what? That’s the last thing you want. This means you’ll take less fuel – body fat- to perform the same amount of work as you improve. That means your only recourse is to work out longer and longer, unless you change the type of cardio you do. Putting in another way, you want your body to be a fat-burning Hummer rather than an energy saving Toyota Prius.

Take a high intensity interval training instead. Try running, cycling, or rowing for 30 seconds at about 90% of the hardest pace you can handle, followed by 90 seconds at an easy pace. That’s one interval. Complete five to ten intervals in your workout, adding intervals, increasing the time of the hard pace, or decreasing the time of the easy pace a little bit each session. Do intervals two to four times per week on non-consecutive days.

For more general information about weight loss you must read-

Foods To Avoid For Weight Loss

How To Get Rid of Fat Beer Belly

And also check out the other articles on this site under Weight Loss Articles category.

CrossFit: The Fast, Furious Workout Craze

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 09:08:00 +0000

Many fitness freaks are opting for Cross Fit. A workout that combines variety of exercises in one season. But they found the enthusiasm is flagging halfway through. If you are one of them… you are not alone.

Keeping oneself motivated throughout an exercise regimen can be very tough. So there are lots of drop outs. To combat this, fitness experts insist that having a varied and diverse workout programme can be beneficial.

Fitting the bill is the Cross fit workout. A strength and endurance conditioning regime, which was introduced by former gymnast, Greg Glassman in the 1980s, quickly caught the attention of several fitness buffs across the globe. The Cross Fit exercise is a workout regimen that combines cardio, stamina, flexibility, power – all put together in a 30 minutes vigorous workout.

Though the workout was actually designed for the athletes, it is now popular with a wide-cross section of fitness seekers. Initially, this exercise involved natural movements like standing, throwing, lifting, pulling, climbing, running and punching. These can be termed as functional training. But the new version looks at the ten fitness areas. This including, respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, co-ordination and accuracy. Of course these exercises should be monitored by qualified professionals. The advantage of this new version is that people don’t get bored easily. Because there is a vast variety of exercises. The variations in one’s workout are helpful in keeping the person motivated.

But there are some suggestions that you need to follow for better result.

A good warm up session for about ten minutes, where one can stretch all the core muscles of the body.
Interval training on a treadmill - one minute of slow walk and one minute of running.
A set of circuit training, where each circuit exercises all parts of the body, like chest, biceps, triceps, shoulder.
A run on a treadmill for five minutes and lunges with dumbbells while step walking for about twenty steps. Then hit the treadmill again, repeat this for three sets.

This helps burn fats very efficiently. Though it should not be tried by a beginner as they may go wrong and also every exercise must be supervised by qualified experts.

So it’s good have a varied workout to keep you going. But note that, do it properly and with the help of the professionals. Never overdo it.

And if you are looking for some motivation for workout, read this-
Exercise Tips: Motivation To Exercise

Migraine Headache: Causes, Symptoms and Prevention

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:25:00 +0000

Migraine is a neurological syndrome characterized by altered bodily perceptions, severe headaches, and nausea. Physiologically, the migraine headache is a neurological condition more common to women than to men. The word migraine was borrowed from Old French migraigne (originally as "megrim", but respelled in 1777 on a contemporary French model). The French term derived from a vulgar pronunciation of the Late Latin word hemicrania, itself based on Greek hemikrania, from Greek roots for "half" and "skull".

What Makes a Headache a Migraine?

Almost everyone gets headaches. A migraine is different. Doctors define it as a recurrent headache that has additional symptoms. The pain is often throbbing and on one or both sides of the head. People with migraines often feel dizzy or sick to their stomachs. They may be sensitive to light, noise, or smells. Migraines can be disabling, and teens with migraines often need to skip school, sports, work, or other activities until they feel better.

What Causes a Migraine?

The main cause of migraine headache is the enlargement of temporal artery found just under the skin of the temples. It causes nerves to stretch around the temporal artery that in turn triggers the release of chemicals causing inflammation, pain and even more dilation of the artery. Although, not all scientists agree about what causes migraines.

Some common migraine triggers are:

Stress

Menstruation

Skipping meals

Too much caffeine

Certain foods (alcohol, cheese, pizza, chocolate, ice cream, fatty or fried food, lunch meats, hot dogs, yogurt, aspartame, or anything with MSG, a seasoning often used in Asian foods)

Sudden changes in sleep patterns

Changes in hormone levels

Smoking

Weather changes

Travel

Heredity

Birth Control Pills

Imbalance in blood pressure

Symptoms of Migraine Headache

With the common migraine, headache begins without warning. Symptoms, if any, may vary from person to person and may range in severity.

Moderate to severe, throbbing headache- right side or left side of the head.

Head pain that gets severe with increased physical activity.

Sensitivity to light and/or sound.

Nausea or vomiting.

Red eyes with burning sensation in eyes

Loss of appetite

Migraine sufferer wants to stay all alone and finds comfort in silent and dark room

Depression and irritability

Numbness or weakness in an arm or leg

Preventing a Migraine

The best way to prevent migraines is to learn what triggers your migraines and then try to avoid these triggers. Take a break from activities that provoke a migraine, such as using the computer for a long time. If you know that certain foods trigger your migraines, try to avoid them. Some people find that cutting back on caffeine intake or drinking a lot of water can help prevent migraines.
Read Natural Methods To Cure Headache

Benefits of Almond Nuts

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:50:00 +0000

The almond that we think of as a nut is technically the seed of the fruit of the almond tree, a medium-size tree that bears fragrant pink and white flowers. Like the peach, cherry and apricot trees, the almond tree bears fruits with stone-like seeds (or pits) within. The seed of the almond fruit is what we refer to as the almond nut.

Almonds have a vast number of health benefits and these beneficial properties are used via various forms like almond oil, almond paste or whole almonds.

Almond Health Benefits:

· Cancer Prevention: Almonds are low in saturated fat and contain many other protective nutrients - calcium and magnesium - for strong bones, vitamin E and compounds called phytochemicals, which may help protect against cardiovascular disease and even cancer.

· Good For Heart: Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats as are found in olive oil, which have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease.

Lower Cholesterol: A study shows, a diet containing almonds and other nuts, plant sterols (also found in nuts), soy protein, and soluble fiber (in high amounts in beans, oats, pears) reduced blood levels of all LDL fractions including small dense LDL (the type that most increases risk for cardiovascular disease) with near maximal reductions seen after only 2 weeks.

Protection against Diabetes: Lessening after-meal surges in blood sugar helps protect against diabetes and cardiovascular disease, most likely by lessening the increase in cholesterol-damaging free radicals that accompanies large elevations in blood sugar. This is one reason why low- glycemic index diets result in lower risk of diabetes and heart disease. Almonds appear to not only decrease after-meal rises in blood sugar, but also provide antioxidants to mop up the smaller amounts of free radicals that still result.

Lowers Risk of Weight Gain: Even if most of us know that almonds should be avoided whenever one takes up a weight loss program, as these particular aliments are overloaded with calories and fats, a recent study showed the opposite thing: that almonds must not be overlooked in a diet as they are very beneficial and help people shed weight. The research was conducted by a team of experts at the Purdue University and funded by the Almond Board of California.

Prevent Gallstones: Gall stones are defined as the stones which are formed in the Gall bladder. You can find two types of stones in your gallbladder. Soak 8 to 10 almonds in water. Crush it to a fine paste and eat it in the morning on an empty stomach. The gall stones are resolved in a fortnight.

Remedy for Anemia: Almonds have an extremely high nutritive value since they contain copper, iron and vitamins and are hence used as a remedy for anemia.

Healthy Hair And Skin: Almonds contain Alpha-tocopherol, which is a major source of Vitamin E and is hence really great for healthy hair and skin.

Help With Energy Production: Almonds are a very good source of manganese and a good source of copper, two trace minerals that are essential cofactors of a key oxidative enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase disarms free radicals produced within the mitochondria (the energy production factories within our cells), thus keeping our energy flowing.
Improves Digestive System: Almond oil also possesses laxative properties and helps to produce soft stools and avoid any other problems of the digestive system.

Also, Aromatherapy makes use of sweet almond oil, which is one of the essential oils in aromatherapy and is frequently used as carrier oil.

Tips For Great Hair

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:22:00 +0000

If you want good hair, you must remember and take note that no matter what you do for your hair to look good- but the main point is nutrition. Good nutrition, adequate rest, and good personal grooming habits are extremely important for great here.

Sometimes, our efforts are not good enough to do any good to our hair. Rather this kind of indisciplined and incorrect effort does more harm than any good. Today, we bleach, dye, sunburn, overwash, undercondition, expose to the elements, fry, stretch, and break our hair. But good thing is we still can do a lot to prevent hair damage protect our hair.

Here are few tips to get great hair:

Stay Dandruff-Free: Not washing hair properly, frequent use of hair sprays and gels, excessive use of hot curling irons, poor hair-friendly diet or even stress can cause dandruff. So stay clean and nourished and steer clear off dandruff.

Be Careful With Hair Serums: Do not overuse shine products to control frizzes -- they often contain silicone that can coat your hair after just a few applications and can prove harmful.

Don't Rub The Towel Back And Forth on your Head: Did you know that if you use a towel after your shower to dry your hair you are causing split ends and adding static electricity to your hair. Instead of rubbing the towel back and forth over your hair, scrunch the towel around your hair like you would scrunch crackers in your soup.

Brush Before Shampooing: A few gentle strokes on dry hair will help remove product buildup and scalp flakes, as well as stimulate the scalp and promote blood flow (which delivers nutrients like oxygen) to hair follicles.

Know Your Water: If your hair looks dull or is hard to style, the problem could be your tap water. Water contains natural minerals (called "hard water") that can leave hair lusterless and hard to manage and can impart a brassy, orange hue. Soft water, on the other hand, has fewer damaging minerals.

Get Regular Oil Massage: Oil massage (remember olive oil) soothes your hair and scalp, while making the skin on your head active. Massages help in relieving all kinds of pressures, and make the body parts function properly again. Coconut milk s another ingredient that can make the hair strong and shiny. Applying coconut milk on hair can make the hair healthy. So, don't forget the benefits of coconut milk for hair.

Choose All Hair Products With Great Care: With the dawn of too much of information available on various websites, the confusion of a general reader has only increased. But with some time and patience, it will always be possible to differentiate a fake product and a product that works.

Do Not Tie Your Hair For Too Long: Leave them freely for as long as possible. However take care that you keep a balance between letting them loose and tying them up.

Trim Your Troubles: As the ends of your hair get older and damaged by rough handling, they become prone to splitting. Get regular trims, at least 1/2 inch every four to eight weeks.

Healthy Diet: Last but not the least, Take a balanced-diet whenever you take food. A Balanced diet is a diet that contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals apart from proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Water is such an important part of our life that we almost ignore it or take it for granted. Hair has and needs certain moisture in the scalp for it to grow healthily. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day. You will not only find healthy hair, you will find improved skin texture too.

For more on hair tips you must read, Top 10 Foods for Hair That Prevent Hair Loss.

Ten Most Dangerous Drugs

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:11:00 +0000

This really is a controversial topic. There is always a controversy which drug is more dangerous; some people say Cannabis is more dangerous than LSD and there are people who strongly disagree with it. Like there is always an argument about Meth and Heroin. Which one is the most dangerous? But all these arguments are pointless as all these drugs cause physical harm and their overall impact on society is really bad. So there's no point arguing and fighting for the worst! Point to be noted, many researches suggest- Tobacco and Alcohol are more dangerous than many illegal and infamous drugs.

Here is a list of world's most dangerous drugs (Of course not in Chronological order):

Heroin: Heroin, or Diamorphine is a derivative of Morphine, an opiate, first used as an alternative to Morphine as it was thought to be less addictive. The name Heroin, is a Trade name for Diamorphine and was used by the Bayer pharmaceutical company in the mid 1800's. It is an extremely powerful painkiller and users experience exhilaration, euphoria and a sense of well being. It can be smoked, sniffed or injected.

Cocaine: Often referred to as snow, flake, coke, and blow. Cocaine is one of the most popular recreational drug.

Ketamine: A powerful hallucinogen, often referred to as Special K. Ketamine is odorless and tasteless, so it can be added to beverages without being detected, and it induces amnesia.

Street Methadone: Methadone works very slowly–it takes hours to get the full effect. Because methadone works so slowly, the effect can last up to 24 hours. There is no "rush" when you take methadone, but its other effects are similar to those of heroin and OxyContin: too much can make you go to sleep and stop breathing.

Alcohol: Well, everyone knows about it!

Barbiturates: Popular slang names include yellow jackets, reds, blues, Amy's, and rainbows. Barbiturates can be injected into the veins or muscles, but they are usually taken in pill form. The street names of commonly abused barbiturates describe the desired effect of the drug or the color and markings on the actual pill.

Benzodiazepines: Benzodiazepines are a large class of commonly prescribed tranquillisers, otherwise referred to as central nervous system (CNS) depressants, anxiolytics and sedative-hypnotics.

Tobacco: Easily available in shops - A massive 114,000 die each year.

Amphetamines: The amphetamines are potent psychomotor stimulants. Their use causes a release of the excitatory neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline (norepinephrine) from storage vesicles in the CNS. Amphetamines may be sniffed, swallowed, snorted or injected. They induce exhilarating feelings of power, strength, energy, self-assertion, focus and enhanced motivation. The need to sleep or eat is diminished. The release of dopamine typically induces a sense of aroused euphoria which may last several hours: unlike cocaine, amphetamine is not readily broken down by the body. Feelings are intensified.

Buprenorphine: Also called bupe or subbies. Buprenorphine is a derivative of thebaine (paramorphine), anextract of opium. The drug is an opioid (syntheticopiate) partial agonist and thus can produce theeuphoria, analgesia, and sedation associated with opiates.

In the end: We must remember, alcohol and tobacco are two of the most dangerous substances that you can expose yourself to on a regular basis. In terms of causing harm to health and society, these two belong to the same category as any other recreational drugs.
Why Do We Smoke?

Skincare 101: What You Should Do For Healthy Skin

noreply@blogger.com (Sourav RC) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 04:08:00 +0000

Often we our skin and spend a little time caring for it. Most of us don't even think to take care of the skin. Pampering our skin is something that we need to do on a regular basis because with the age it starts to thin and becomes more wrinkled.

If you are one of those who don't think about pampering skin then read this article. It's never too late and not so hard to maintain a good skin. Follow the points below for better skin care habits:

1. Refresh Your Skin: Those who say that they don't need to do anything for the skin because their skin is so good that it doesn't require any extra treatment- Well, they are wrong. It is shame that people do not understand the importance of skin care. Remember your skin is your biggest asset and it is important to invest some time and money in taking care of it. Refresh your skin time to time. Go for facials, spa treatment – anything that refreshes your skin.

2. Daily Skin Care Routine: You need to have a perfect routine for your skin care. Cleansing, moisturizing, and toning are essential for having a good skin. It is very important what you use for skin. If you have any doubt consult your dermatologist about the products to use.

3. Sun Protection: Direct exposure to the sun can severely damage your skin. UV rays of the sun cause sunburn, premature ageing and even skin cancer. Sun protection is a must for all skin types in all climates. Use a dual protection sunscreen at least 20 minutes before venturing out.

4. Exercise: Exercise improves blood circulation and that helps for healthy 'n' glowing skin. So exercise regularly, it is important for good skin.

5. Eat Colorful Fruits And Vegetables: Colourful vegetables and fruits have phytonutrients that give you an excellent mix of antioxidants that are vital for your skin. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins A C and E which helps in healing wounds, since they help from connective tissues such fruits include, apricot, carrots, kales, collards, mango, spinach and sweet potato. They contain vitamin A vitamin C is contained in; chili peppers, grape fruit, pineapple, cabbage plums and orange, you are required to take the above fruits in a right quantity as follows; take at least one serving of vitamin A – rich fruit or vegetables a day, one serving of vitamin C – rich fruit or vegetables a day.

6. Eat More Fibre: Fibre combats inflammation and counters ageing. Switch to high-fibre foods such as whole grain breads, buns, muffins, broccoli, spinach etc. Some of the high fibre fruits are – apple, figs, blackberries, pear and banana.

7. Do Not Use Old Products: Be very careful about the skin care products. Do not use old products no matter how expensive they are; it is very harmful to use cosmetics products beyond expiry date.

8. Go Slow On The Booze: If you have to indulge in alcohol, then do so in moderation. Excessive drinking not only dulls the skin, but also ages it faster.

9. Add Supplements To Your Diet: Omega-3 fatty acids are good for the skin. Add flaxseeds and walnuts to your diet to get them naturally.

10. Learn To Deal With Stress: Stress accelerates ageing of our skin by inducing wrinkles to appear faster. Adopt relaxing techniques like meditation and yoga to heal your skin from within.

Your skin is very important part of your look. Spend a little time nourish it and look beautiful day after day.

Read more: Night Time Skin Care: Look Younger In The Morning