Why Bother With Breakfast?

They say ignorance is bliss but there are times when ignorance of people makes me sad. One such instance is when people do not think breakfast is important and chose not to include it in their routine. It is said that one should eat like a king for breakfast, queen for lunch and popper for dinner.

Unfortunately for many people, for reasons of their own, dinner happens to be the biggest meal and breakfast is the first one to be skipped. I have always believed that to a large degree, you are what you eat so I think food plays an important part in one's life, especially the quality of life. That is one of the reasons why I take time and effort to not just prepare good food but also to write a lot about it so I spread some awareness in whatever little way I can. Reason I say it makes me sad is because the effects of skipping breakfast may not be seen immediately. But over time one will have to face the consequences. When some of my friends say they do not have breakfast I feel bad because they are not doing any good for their body. In this article I hope to summarise what I have read and understood about the importance of breakfast and also some simple yet quick breakfast ideas to make it easier for you.
Let us look at the impact of having or not having breakfast to better understand why bother with breakfast
1. Weight management - many believe that skipping breakfast so they reduce calories would help them lose weight. It cannot be farther from the truth. When we sleep during the night, our body slows down, so metabolism slows down. When we have something to eat in the morning, we are effectively giving the signal to the body that the day has begun and metabolism should increase. However, people who skip breakfast deny their body of this signal so they feel sluggish as they continue until lunch with slow metabolism. When one feels sluggish and tired, one tends to work less, physically and in turn burns fewer calories. Also, when the body is deprived of food for a long while, cravings begin, especially sugar cravings. This is when we feel like snacking on a chocolate bar or a big fat muffin or cakes etc. This effectively increases the calorie consumption. In summary, a slow metabolism, tired body burning lesser calories and high calorie/fat snacks effectively contribute to weight gain and not weight loss. We all keep hearing about the numerous health problems that can come with being overweight, especially risk of heart diseases and skipping breakfast can potentially lead to being overweight.
2. Lowered cognition - studies have said to have shown that children who have breakfast fare better in problem solving than children who skip breakfast.

Remember that it is not just the rest of the body that gets energy from digested food but also the brain. When the brain is low on energy, one cannot expect it to function effectively. Some studies also show that children who skip breakfast are more likely to have problems concentrating and also have problems with memory when compared with children who have breakfast.
3. Type 2 diabetes - skipping breakfast is said to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If one is already diabetic, it is all the more important to keep sugar fluctuations low which means the body has to be fed at regular intervals. Diabetes is a state of the body that is not particularly easy to manage as the complications of diabetes can be very serious from losing eye sight, heart attacks, having to be amputated. If one is already overweight, the complications get even worse. The effect of diabetes may not be known immediately but the body will be deteriorating gradually. Keeping the blood sugar under control is absolutely important while living with diabetes and skipping meals, that too breakfast will be highly counter-productive for diabetes management.
4. Menstrual irregularities - some studies are said to have shown that girls/women who skip breakfast are likely to have irregular periods.
5. Poor mood - low glucose is said to be responsible for irritability fatigue and tiredness. Some studies show that people who skip breakfast snap at others more easily.
To me the risk of weight gain (and all associated health risks due to being overweight) and risk of diabetes alone are enough to make me run for my breakfast. When it comes to children, it is very important to set up healthy eating habit at an early stage and for that, having breakfast is important. With children getting less and less playtime and exercise these days it is all the more important for them to eat healthy. There is no point in sending them to school to learn stuff if they cannot concentrate and as parents, we need to give them adequate support to enable them to learn. Hopefully, by now you are at least thinking about having breakfast.
I come from a tamil Brahmin family and Brahmin meal plan is quite well known because most of them have a big mid morning meal, later in the afternoon a tiffin or lighter meal is consumed while dinner sometimes is liquid intake or fruits or some cereals, if not curd rice. Reason I mention that is that although some people criticise them for having a heavy meal that early, what modern day dieticians are advising is pretty much similar - have a big breakfast. The meal would normally consist of rice (carbohydrates), dal (protein), vegetables (vitamins and minerals) and ghee (fat) and unless I got it all wrong, this is what constitutes a balanced meal. At this day and age, we barely have the time to make all these before we walk out of the doors to work and neither would our working hours allow such a schedule. So, what are some quick breakfast solutions you could try.
1. Oats porridge - boil a couple of tablespoon of oats in water until it is done (regular oats is better than quick cooking and honestly does not take much time to cook anyway). If you like it sweet, add some milk, sugar or honey or any other sensible sweetener of choice. If you like savory, then add some buttermilk and little salt and consume. Either way, have a banana or any other fruit of choice.
2. Breakfast shake - milk shake or smoothies make great breakfast. Blend a banana sweetened with date syrup or any other natural sweetener (avoid synthetic sweetners or refined sugar) along with some milk. Top with crushed nuts and drink. Adding oat milk instead of cow's milk can help reduce calories and fat and also lend to fibre intake. You could try the same with apple too. You could also use a spoon of wheat germ as topping.
3. Muffin - having a low sugar, bran loaded muffin is a great way to fill you up for the morning. Top a healthy muffin with berries and eat along with a glass of juice. Plenty of healthy muffin recipes are available, try making enough over the weekend itself. I would say it probably takes about 10 minutes to make the muffin batter and about 20 minutes baking time and that would be your breakfast sorted for a week!
4. Breakfast sandwich - you could make these with leftovers too. You could use chapattis or pita breads or wholemeal breads and stuff them with left over sabjis or any vegetable of choice. Over the weekends I tend to quickly sauté grated courgette, spice it with cumin, chilly and coriander powder and make a grilled wholemeal sandwich. This helps me get one of my five a day vegetables as well. You can try the same with paneer or grated cauliflower, cabbage etc. Peanut butter sandwich is a good option as well.
5. Toast and beans - beans also contribute to one of five a day. This option is okay if you have the time to sit down and have your breakfast.
6. Low fat flapjacks - I make my own flapjack which is a bit more chewy than regular ones. I use very little brown sugar but add dry fruits and dates syrup to sweeten instead. Believe it or not small portions of these oats rich almost no added fat flapjacks are a great start to the day.
7. Multi grain porridge - back home it is common practice for moms to make a multi grain powder. It usually consists or wheat, barley, finger millet, sago, almonds and cardamom for flavouring. One can add couple of heaped spoons of this to water, bring to boil while stirring, add jaggery or sugar and milk.

8. Healthy pancakes - make your own pancake mix by adding either the above mentioned porridge powder or wholewheat powder along with some millet powder. Add mashed banana or pureed apple or blueberries, if you want it sweeter, add syrup like dates syrup to make a batter. I tend to skip the baking powder or soda bicarb as it inhibits nutrition absorption. You could add little all purpose flour to ease flipping the pancake. Pour the batter on hot tava and drizzle oil/butter/ghee. Cook both sides, eat.
9. Bread omelet - beat an egg and add salt and required vegetables like tomato, onion, mushroom etc. and make an omelet. Grab couple of toasts and a glass of juice. Having protein earlier in the day is said to be better than later.

10. Museli - combine wheat flakes, oat flakes, rye flakes, barley flakes with some dry fruits like raisins, currants, seeds like pumpkin seed. Serve with seasonal fruits and milk.
11. Quick French toast - cut couple of bread slices into four triangles each. Dip them in beaten egg (season it as needed) and cook on hot tava. Drizzle some oil or butter while cooking. Cook both sides and that's a good breakfast on the go.
12. Millet gruel - Millet is usually considered poor man's food but truth is many people who work hard physically have ragi gruel often for breakfast. It keeps them full for long although they are involved in intense work. One way of preparing is similar to multi grain porridge mentioned previously. Another method is to mix it with some buttermilk and let it sit overnight. Next morning add little water if needed and cook while stirring, until it is shiny. Season with salt and drink. Millets are low fat protein sources.
I hope at least one or two of the above options suit your taste and timing. On weekends one can indulge a bit more by making cooked breakfast and a number of such recipes are available on my blog as well.
Make healthy choices for your life, remember, prevention is better than cure. One can skip any meal, but not breakfast regardless of whether one is hungry or not. For the other meals you can go as per your body, eat when hungry but breakfast is an exception. Do not wait for the 'right' day to start having breakfast, there is no bad time to do the right thing. Live long, live happy, live healthy!

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5 Diet Tips to Lose Belly Fat 87% Faster!

Vegetable Juice for Health & Vitality!

As more and more people begin to drink fresh home-made juice for health reasons, it is vegetable juice that is being recognized as the perfect way of revitalizing the body and protecting it against disease.
Regularly juicing vegetables can have an enormous impact on your health, and of the many benefits of drinking vegetable juices my top three are:

• Improved Immunity Against Disease
• More Energy
• Better Digestion

1. Improved Immunity
The number one benefit of drinking vegetable juice for me has got to be the improved immunity against infections and disease. The immune boosting effect has meant that vegetable juices have become part of most nutritional therapies in the battle against many serious illnesses. The anti-oxidants in vegetable juice help to cleanse the blood which is good news for the heart, liver, and kidneys, and the chlorophyll in leafy greens helps to build red blood cells. As well as the vitamins and minerals the phyto (plant) chemicals in vegetables are also powerful anti-oxidants which help to detoxify and prevent disease.
2. More Energy
Drinking vegetable juice is a great way of increasing energy levels as many of the nutrients are converted by the body into energy. The cleansing and detoxifying effect transforms the whole body from being tired and sluggish, to more like an energy efficient well oiled machine. The energy saved in drinking vegetable juice instead of having to digest the whole food can be used by the body in other ways, such as in healing.

3. Better Digestion
Raw food contains digestive enzymes which ease the burden on the digestive system, these enzymes are only present in raw food as they are destroyed during cooking. Digesting food uses a tremendous amount of energy which can be apparent when you feel very sleepy after a heavy meal. The cleansing effect juicing has on the digestive system means less toxic undigested food remaining in the intestines and an easier absorption of nutrients.
More About Juicing!
Fruit Juice?
So, why vegetable juice and not fruit juice? The problem with juicing fruit can be the high sugar content which isn't suitable for anyone who is over weight, has diabetes, or high blood pressure. Although, you need to be aware that some root vegetables such as beets and carrots are also high in sugar. Juicy fruit is high in liquid content, so if you enjoy fruit and there's no health problem, why not just eat it whole?
Most people would agree that the big advantage fruit juice has over vegetable juice is the taste, (because of the high sugar content in fruit).
A Matter of Taste
For many people the biggest drawback in drinking vegetable juice is the taste, which is usually because they have an unhealthy acidic diet, and vegetables are alkaline in nature. This means the taste of many of the stronger vegetable juices can take some getting used to, so it's best to juice the milder tasting ones to start with. However, if someone is going to be drinking vegetable juice for health reasons, it's reasonable to assume that they will also be improving their diet, which will go some way in helping to solve this problem. Most folks sweeten up vegetable juice by including an apple or two in the mix, apple is generally accepted as being suitable to juice with vegetables.
Raw Vegetable Goodness
Raw vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and phyto (plant) chemicals, and drinking the juice from vegetables means that the nutrients can be consumed in tremendous amounts as you aren't having to digest the fibre of the whole food. The high amount of nutrients in vegetable juice are consumed in their natural state making them easily assimilated into the body. Vegetable juices are a great way of getting your five a day (and more) and can help to make sure picky eaters (usually children) get theirs.
When to Juice?
The best time to have vegetable juice is in the morning before you eat anything, this means that the digestive tract is clear of undigested food. Other times of the day are just before meals, certainly not just after, it's best to wait three or four hours after a meal before drinking juice.

Preparation: No need to be over elaborate here, just wash and cut into suitable pieces to be able to fit into the juicer.
Which Juicer?
Choosing a juicer usually comes down to two things, your state of health and your state of wealth. There are many types of juicers around, it depends on the quality of juice required and how much you're willing to pay. Centrifugal juicers shred the vegetables and separate the juice and fibre, and masticating juicers extract the juice by a chewing action, the latter is preferred as the way in which the juice is extracted destroys far less of the nutrients. A good juicing machine will last longer, be more reliable, likely be easier to clean, and importantly will yield a good quality juice.

Energy for Life!
Whether it is for general well-being or to help in the recovery from illness, there isn't a better way of cleansing and nourishing the body. For better immunity against disease, good digestion, and more energy for life, begin drinking vegetable juice for health and vitality!

Pete is passionate about self help, and believes that regularly drinking healthy juices is the best way to maintain or recover good health.

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Good Health and Longer Life Span

Cultivating healthy eating habits strengthens your body's resolve against diseases. Fruits and vegetables are the ultimate sources of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals which our body needs to function properly. These antioxidant-rich foods help fight the damaging effects of free radicals. By eating less fat and sugary foods, you are essentially reducing the risks of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other chronic disorders.

Glowing Appearance
This is another tried and tested advantage brought about by healthy eating. People who eat more fruits and vegetables on a daily basis almost always exude that vibrant, youthful look. The secret is simply eating high antioxidant fruits and vegetables, along with foods rich in vitamins and minerals, and lots of water. Proper nutrition and hydration are the keys to healthy, younger-looking skin.
Positive Outlook in Life
Depression can be attributed to poor diet. Eating foods rich in B vitamins helps counter the blues. A happy disposition is the culmination of a healthy diet and a regular exercise program. The more you engage yourself in living a healthy lifestyle, the better it is for your emotional well-being. Nothing beats a well-nourished and active body, alongside good sleep and youthful appearance, to make you feel good about yourself. At the end of the day, happy people are healthy people.

Kate Trillin is a freelance writer who specialises in proper nutrition, healthy eating, and healthy living. She has been an avid health enthusiast for the past 5 years, and has recently ventured into the world of online publishing in an effort to reach a wider audience. Her writing focuses on providing useful tips and information on the benefits of healthy eating and healthy lifestyle. 



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How Much Fruit is Too Much Fruit?

Who Should Eat the Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

Did you know that inflammation has been identified as the basis for most chronic disease - diseases like arthritis, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and even cancer? That's right. Most chronic diseases are a result of a lifestyle of affluence that affords us the luxury of being able to eat the wrong foods in the wrong amounts at the wrong times. These food choices set in play a host of processes in your body that produce inflammation from a multitude of sources. In addition, many of us are genetically programmed to produce excessive inflammation when exposed to common irritant sources such as smoke, chemicals and poor dietary choices. Some of us produce so much inflammation that we have autoimmune disorders such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and colitis.

How exactly do poor food choices produce inflammation? Packaged and highly processed foods as well as fast foods are some of the worst culprits. They are also some of the food choices most widely available. Designed for convenience, these foods are loaded with trans-fat to extend their shelf life as well as change their taste and texture. A trans-fat is created from a natural, saturated fat - another less than healthy fat. That saturated fat is "transformed" into a trans-fat via a process called trans-hydrogenation. This transformed fat is chemically different enough from a natural fat that, when incorporated into your body tissues, it creates a cascade of chemicals called cytokines. Cytokines are molecules responsible for producing inflammation throughout your body.

Foods that are loaded with refined sugars are also inflammatory. Cakes, cookies and doughnuts are examples of foods that are rapidly digested by your body, releasing large amounts of glucose. This glucose is rapidly absorbed by your body, causing a high blood glucose level. Your body in turn releases a surge of insulin to help normalize your blood glucose levels. This surge of insulin combined with high blood glucose levels causes your body to release cytokines, inflammatory molecules, as well. Each surge of glucose actually signals your body to store fat. Guess what? Fat tissue becomes physiologically active and begins to release these same inflammatory molecules, cytokines, as well.

Refined grains - grains stripped of fiber and vital nutrients- also create inflammation. A whole grain is a molecule composed of large amounts of glucose linked together and encapsulated with a fiber coating. This fiber coating makes the digestion and release of glucose a slow and steady process. When the outer fiber coating is stripped away to create a smooth and creamy texture, glucose molecules are readily available for rapid digestion and absorption into your body. This rapid surge of glucose into your system again is the trigger for the inflammatory cascade.

Certain grains have the ability to produce inflammation in certain individuals. Wheat, oats, barley and rye are all grains that contain significant amounts of a protein substance called gluten. Gluten makes foods, like bread, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Yet this same gluten is very inflammatory in individuals genetically challenged in digesting gluten. Symptoms can be as severe as pain, bloating, diarrhea and malnutrition or as mild as nausea or lack of energy. Eliminating these specific grains from your diet is often the key to controlling this type of inflammation.

What exactly is an anti-inflammatory diet? In general, an anti-inflammatory diet consists of fresh, whole foods which do not contain triggers for inflammation and are loaded with molecules that actually neutralize inflammation in your body.

Phytonutrients are found in most fruits and vegetables, responsible for their colorful appearance. These huge molecules have antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory properties. This means they neutralize the oxidative stress that your body generates daily, leading to inflammation. Healthy fats found in cold- water, fatty fish, flax seed and nuts can also diminish the amount of inflammation produced by your body as well. Cooking oils such as olive oil and canola oil also help your body fight and neutralize inflammation. Certain vitamins and minerals - vitamin A,D, E and C as well as zinc, selenium and copper - are found in abundance in fresh, whole foods. These antioxidants also neutralize oxidative stress and dampen the formation of inflammation.

Eliminating fast foods as well as packaged foods is the first step of the anti-inflammatory diet. Eliminating foods with refined sugars and processed grains is the second step. Eating generous amounts daily of fresh fruit and vegetables and moderate amounts of whole grains and lean protein as well as healthy fats found in fish, seeds and nuts is the foundation of the anti-inflammatory diet. Then for select individuals, reducing or eliminating grains, especially gluten-containing grains, is the final step.

So just who should eat an anti-inflammatory diet? Obviously, anyone who suffers from an inflammatory condition such as autoimmune disorders (lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, colitis.) or allergic disorders (asthma, eczema) will benefit from the anti-inflammatory diet. Most people with chronic pain (head aches, back pain, neck pain, knee pain, joint pains, nerve pains, muscle pains) have elements of inflammation involved in their pain and will benefit too. Irritable bowel syndrome and common digestive disorders such as acid reflux improve with the anti-inflammatory diet. Yet surprisingly, anyone suffering with chronic degenerative disorders (arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and even cancer) will benefit as well from this diet. Finally, anyone interested in preventing these degenerative diseases and achieving optimal health will benefit. In fact, the science confirms that eating to prevent inflammation not only prevents disease and maintains health but also keeps us looking and feeling younger.

So eat healthy and don't let inflammation get a grip on you. From children to the elderly, everyone can benefit from this powerful approach to eating.

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Why is a Healthy Breakfast the Most Important Meal of the Day?

How to Lose Visceral Fat Fast

Visceral fat is the fat that develops deep inside your body and surrounds your internal organs. It is centered in your abdominal area and is harder to lose than the regular fat which lies just beneath your skin. You need to lose visceral fat because it is closely linked to several horrific diseases such as: diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, high cholesterol and so on.

The main risk of visceral fat stems from a process in which the liver metabolizes this fat and turns it into bad cholesterol. This bad cholesterol is then released into the blood stream and slowly clogs your arteries from within. This is a process which can lead to potentially fatal conditions like a heart attack.

Because visceral fat lies deep inside of you, it is unnoticeable. But, if you have excess belly fat, you also have visceral fat and you need to do what it takes to get rid of it before it does you serious damage.

To lose visceral fat you need to take 2 steps:

1. Avoiding trans-far rich foods. Trans-fats are the hard fats which you can find in butter and lard. Read product lables carefully to avoid this kind of fat.

2. Do physical exercise on a regular basis. You don't have to become a gym slave to lose some visceral fat. A 30 minute walk each evening will do you wonders. Also, try to slowly increase muscle tissue with strength exercises to help you boost your metabolism and increase your calorie burn rate.

Other cardio workouts like running, rowing, sports, dancing, jumping rope, and so on will also help you to lose belly fat and visceral fat. This is the time to take action as your excess fat will not go away on its own and you may suffer from the health ramifications sooner than you expect.

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A Spotlight on Your Kidneys

How often do you think about your kidneys? Did you know that kidney disease is the 9th leading cause of death in the United States, more than breast cancer or prostate cancer? Over 26 million Americans currently have kidney disease but many more may not yet be diagnosed or even aware of problems as there are frequently no symptoms until the disease has progressed. One in three people are at risk for kidney disease due to diabetes, high blood pressure or family history. March is National Kidney Month and the National Kidney Foundation is urging everyone to give your kidneys a second thought.

Your kidneys are two fist sized organs located in your lower back. Although we are generally born with two kidneys, you only need one functioning kidney to live a normal, healthy life.

Kidneys work hard to keep your body healthy and their remarkable functions include:

• Filtering waste out of 200 liters of blood daily

• Regulating the body's salt, potassium and acid content

• Removing drugs from the body

• Balancing the body's fluids

• Releasing hormones that regulate blood pressure

• Producing an active form of vitamin D

• Controlling production of red blood cells.

Kidney disease means that the kidneys are damaged and can't filter blood they way they should. Main causes of kidney disease include: high blood pressure, diabetes, recurrent kidney infections that may have caused scarring, inherited diseases, overuse of over-the-counter pain medications, illegal drug use and traumatic injury. Symptoms of kidney disease may not be detectable until the disease has progressed. Symptoms may include: swelling of the face or ankles, changes in urine frequency or color, foamy urine, nausea, vomiting, changes in taste, numbness of fingers or toes, and fatigue or exhaustion. Caught early, treatment of kidney disease is very effective. But kidney disease is a progressive disease, meaning the damage can't be undone.

If you have kidney disease, diet changes will play a big role in maintaining your health. You may need to watch your protein intake, as too much protein can cause waste to buildup in your blood, making it harder for the kidneys to remove. Watching your sodium intake is important to help control your blood pressure and limit fluid buildup. Too little or too much potassium can be dangerous; the amount you need depends on how well your kidneys are functioning and what medications you are on. As kidney function decreases, you may need to watch your phosphorus and calcium intake. Extra phosphorus can build up and result in weak bones. You may also need to restrict your fluids. All of these specific nutrition needs can be calculated for you by a Registered Dietitian. In addition to diet changes, you will be treated with medications.

Should your kidney function continue to decline, you may need dialysis. Hemodialysis uses a machine to help filter and cleanse your blood. If you a candidate, you might be eligible for a kidney transplant, either from a living donor or from a recently deceased donor. The current waiting list for kidney transplants is about 3.5 years.

Prevention is the best cure for kidney disease, so follow these tips for healthy kidneys:

• Stay hydrated. Kidneys need hydration to work properly as they filter out waste through your urine.

• Eat a healthy balanced diet. Eat foods high in antioxidants to promote kidney health. Antioxidants are abundant in fruits and vegetables, including red bell peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, and berries.

• Lower your sodium intake. Too much sodium can increase high blood pressure, which can damage the kidneys.

• Control your blood glucose. Diabetes is a major contributor to kidney disease because it damages blood vessels in the body that prevent the kidneys from working properly.

• Live a healthy life. Don't smoke, get plenty of exercise, maintain a healthy weight, use alcohol in moderation, and avoid illegal drugs.

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How to Lower Your Triglycerides

A part of being healthy is taking an all round approach to your lifestyle change. If you lead a healthy life style in general you are not going to have to worry about this, your body naturally sorts itself out. However, high triglycerides are a problem that many people suffer from, and it is important that you understand they why and how. The main form of fat in foods is called triglycerides. Our blood contains certain levels of triglycerides. However, if you consume more bad calories than we need, our body will transform the excess calories into triglycerides and be stored as body fat. It is more common to see high triglycerides in overweight people. High triglycerides are associated with increased risk of heart disease.

Your body has endless storage space for this fat. Some of these triglycerides are not stored as fat, but remain in your blood stream. Excess levels of triglycerides thicken your blood, which increases the possibility of clotting and blockage which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. This is why it is doubly important to know how to lower your triglycerides.

High triglycerides are usually caused by other conditions, like:

Obesity

Poorly controlled diabetes

An underactive thyroid.

Kidney disease.

Regularly eating more calories than you burn.

Drinking a lot of alcohol.

Healthy lifestyle choices are the key to naturally lowering triglycerides

Exercise regularly: aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity at least five or more times a week

Choose healthier fats: avoid trans fats, limit saturated fat found in meats for healthier monounsaturated fat found in plants, such as olive, peanut and canola oils. Substitute fish high in omega-3 fatty acids - such as sardines and salmon - for red meat. Food labels should tell you what kind of fat you are eating. Choose nonfat or low-fat dairy products.

Include high fibre foods such as wholegrains, oats, fruits and vegetables.

Limit sugar intake such as soda, cordial and other sweetened beverages

Limit alcohol: Alcohol is high in calories and sugar. If you choose to drink, try mixing it with low calorie beverages such as tonic water, or diet soda. Alcohol consumption can raise triglyceride blood levels by causing the liver to produce more fatty acids.

Cut back on calories. Remember that extra calories are converted to triglycerides and stored as fat. Watch your portion sizes.

Keep a healthy weight. Often losing as little as a 5-10 pounds can help lower your triglyceride level

Quit smoking

A healthy lifestyle takes an all round approach. If you lead a healthy lifestyle in general, eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, exercise regularly, and make the right choices, then it is likely that you won't have to worry about excess triglycerides. Stay healthy and make changes for life, and you will see the benefits.

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Top Things About Magnesium Goodness for the Body

We all know that vitamins and minerals are essential for our body to stay healthy. Besides calcium, zinc, and potassium, magnesium is extremely critical in nutrition and is essential for over 300 biochemical reactions in the human body. In this post, we will talk about the significance of magnesium, along with the natural sources and other things that matter.

The significance of Magnesium:

Magnesium is vital for transmission of different nerve impulses and helps in regulating the temperature of the body. It also helps in maintaining the natural energy in the body and is vital for bones and teeth. Health experts have time and again emphasized on the significance of having magnesium, zinc, potassium and calcium in the diet. Besides being vital for the different functions of the body, magnesium also helps in absorption of calcium too. Women should focus on the intake of this mineral, as it helps in keeping osteoporosis away and can offer relief with menopause symptoms. It is known to aid with common premenstrual symptoms. Magnesium also helps in protein synthesis in the body and can help in absorption of other minerals. It works wonders on the muscles and can also reduce the impact of common health issues such as hypertension, sleep disorders and headaches related to migraines. People do not ensure enough intake of magnesium has a greater risk of type-2 diabetes.

The Best Sources of Magnesium:

You don't need to rely on supplements, as long as you have enough of magnesium-rich foods each day. The mineral is found abundantly in some of the typical leafy greens, including kale and Swiss chard. It is also found in most of the nuts and seeds, including sesame seeds, pine nuts, cashews, and almonds. If you love to fish, you can increase your intake of mackerel, which is rich in the mineral, besides other options include tuna. Vegetarians can go for soybeans, white beans, and French beans, along with foods like avocados. Some people also claim that switching to vitamin enhanced water can also offer excellent benefits. Alkaline water or natural spring water has added minerals including magnesium and calcium, which provides a natural energy boost to the body and may help in improving the bodily functions.

What Else to Know?

First things first, don't run behind supplements right away, unless suggested by your doctor. Magnesium supplements may be advised in some cases, but only after your physician has run a few tests and checked other aspects. Healthy adults can get their share of the mineral from natural foods easily. Just make sure that you eat foods, mainly fishes, veggies and fruits that are high in mineral content. It is also important to be informed. Don't follow fad diets and focus on eating healthy and fresh foods. Natural foods have the right balance of all the necessary minerals, and your body will get its share of magnesium. It is also wise to replace your packaged snacks with healthier options like nuts and seeds.

If you have any concerns, talk to your doctor.

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This is What the Shape of Your Butt Has to Say About Your Health

Horseradish Sauce Health Benefits

The health benefits of horseradish sauce are numerous, sinus and cold cure to name a few. Horseradish sauce is made by shredding and pounding the fresh root to which is added lemon juice. In this form the horseradish juice can be stored in a cold place for at least a week.

Horseradish plant, like garlic, is a plant that you cannot successfully put through a juicer. The reason is that the essential oils are extremely strong, so strong that the toughest physique will find them hard to tolerate.

The horseradish herb is very beneficial for dissolving mucus in the nose and also helpful in sinus. Take a half teaspoonful of the sauce without dilution both morning and afternoon. Do not drink anything or eat for at least ten minutes after the dose. There will be a powerful feeling in the head, sometimes with sweating and usually accompanied by many tears (not of pain).

Sinus troubles cause much pain and misery. The horseradish attacks the very cause of the condition and brings relief. Sometimes it is necessary to continue the treatment for several months, but you will know when the horseradish has done its work because the violent sensations resulting from the use of the sauce will gently reduce and finally almost disappear along with the mucus.

It is a good idea to combine this treatment with the juices of radish, including both leaves and root and carrot. These two will help to rebuild the tissues ravaged by the sinus infection. You will understand that it is also vital to make sure that your eating pattern becomes well-balanced with the avoidance of refined carbohydrates and the adoption of a basically natural diet.

Horseradish is also specific for relieving water retention, or dropsy, as it used to be called. This is tied in with a stimulating effect on the blood capillaries caused by the action of the main therapeutic principle in the plant, a glycoside called sinigrin. Horseradish has exceptionally high vitamin C content, with 114mg per 100g (4oz) - this is one of the highest vegetable concentrations. It has as well some of the highest amounts of potassium and sulfur, and a good quantity of calcium.

Other uses that have been identified are for diabetics, where Professor Kuhn found an improvement in the blood picture, for coughs and catarrh and in the treatment of circulatory problems of a mild nature.

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Benefits of Walking 10,000 Steps Daily

Walking 10000 steps daily is recommended by health experts all over the world for complete body well being.

It is no magical number that has been found out by some scientific research. In fact it an approximate number of steps a person should walk every day.

Depending upon a person's health condition, this number can also be altered.

For example, for a person who is overweight, he/ she need to walk for more than 10000 steps for his / her well being. Similarly, for a person who is overweight and has low stamina, it may be too much in the beginning.

The benefits of walking start at 5000 steps. A person who walks more than 5000 steps daily, such a person is highly unlikely to develop metabolic syndrome.

You don't have to do step counting manually. Approximately 10000 steps mean that the person has walked for 5 miles, which is a good distance if the person travels every day.

In addition to the well being, following are the benefits of walking daily:

1. It reduces the risk of diabetes.

Walking such a distance daily helps to control the weight of an individual and in turn, this decreases the chances of diabetes. Research has proved that people, who walk this much every day, have a comparatively lower BMI.

2. It protects the brain from dementia.

Research has shown that walking regularly prevents the brain from shrinkage, this in turn prevents dementia. It has been observed that the brain size shrinks in the late adulthood. This shrinking leads to problems like the memory problem. It has been proved that people in the later adulthood that walk this much daily have an increased amount of grey matter in their brain. Thus with the physical fitness, there is also an assured mental fitness.

3. It reduces risk of heart diseases.

Lately it has been observed that heart diseases are just not prevalent among the older people but a lot of heart disease have been reported among the youngsters also. Walking helps in maintaining the fat level of the body, and thus the heart is protected from any diseases.

4. It relieves stress

Stress and anxiety have been commonly observed because of the changed lifestyles and increased work pressure. Physical exercise, in the form of walking 10000 small steps daily, lower this down. The result in the form of this benefit has been more significantly observed for the women.

The mental well being is thus assured. The healthy body now also has a relaxed mind.

5. It helps to lose weight

Increased weight problem in the form of obesity has become a very common phenomenon. Eating junk and processed food has become a part of every one's life. Increased weight leads to a lot of problems and disease. While the body remains inactive, diseases find their way easy to enter.

The solution for this is brisk walking. Walking 10000 steps daily will produce remarkable results because of the calories burned.

There 5 major benefits must have motivated you to take out time everyday for walking. Make it a compulsory part of your routine.

1, 2, 3, 4..... Here you go till 10000.

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10 Amazing Moringa Health Benefits + Iced Moringa Tea Recipe

Top 5 Benefits of Chewing Gum

History tells us that chewing gum has been a favorite pastime of people for thousands of years. In fact, the Greeks used to chew masticha, their version of the gum, made out of the resin from the mastic tree. The Mayans also made use of the sap of the sapodilla tree and made their own gum. But it was only in 1871 that a man named Thomas Adams patented a machine that produces the chewing gum we know today.
So why exactly do we chew gum, apart from the fact that it gives us something to do when we are bored? What benefits do we derive from chewing on gum? Here are 5 ways chewing gum can help you:
1. Chewing gum helps you manage your weight
A standard gum contains about 5 to 10 calories per serving. This is really low compared to other popular snack choices. Popping a piece of gum keeps you occupied and will thus stop you from eating food with higher calorie content. It suppresses your appetite, so that by the time you finish chewing, you will not be as hungry as you were before you opened a pack of gum.

2. It is a great stress reliever
Have you ever been stuck in heavy traffic? Have you ever experienced being in a ridiculously long line in a grocery store? Sometimes, in these situations, people get stressed simply because they are not doing anything except to wait for their turn. They begin to worry about the time they are wasting; they become very edgy and unable to keep still.
When you find yourself in a similar situation, chew a piece of gum and you will realize that you are chewing your worries away. This is because chewing is a physical activity where you are able to channel your frustrations.
3. It encourages you to focus
Often, athletes and soldiers are given gum to help improve their concentration and stay in the game. Also, various studies point out that gum improves memory. Those who continuously chewed gum throughout a battery of memory tests scored better than the non-gum eaters. This is why students are encouraged to chew gum whenever they are studying or taking their exams.
4. It is a great travel aid
Those who are not habitual plane travelers can find relief from ear irritation in the form of chewing gum. This is because the effects of changing air pressure are dampened by chewing gum. Also, a number of people say that chewing game reduces episodes of motion sickness.

5. It can be customized to suit various needs
Because chewing gum is a versatile product, it can made in such a way that it caters to the different needs of consumers. For instance, there are chewing gums with caffeine, so as to prevent drowsiness and give a jolt of energy to those who need it. There are also chewing gum substitutes for smoking, flavored with nicotine to help wean smokers from their nasty and self-destructive habit. Sugarless gum is also widely available, helping those with diabetes get their daily sweet fix without the guilt.

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Health Benefits of Cinnamon

Nutritional Salad - The Healthiest Way to Lose Weight

However much you may be keen to lose weight, it's often hard to replace meals with salads. They are, after all, so boring and tasteless! But did you know that you can add endless varieties of fruits, meats and vegetables to perk up an otherwise drab and dull salad, without of course adding calories? Moreover, the goodness of nutrition-filled salad can hasten your weight loss goals like no other food.
You could be thinking of losing weight for a variety of reasons, other than simply to have a slim waistline. Being overweight can invite a host of health problems including hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and various types of sleep disorders like sleep apnea. Being overweight can also have damaging effects on your mental health.

Of all the innumerable options you have to lose weight, perhaps going on a healthy and balanced diet, coupled with some amount of physical exercises is the best. Did you know that having a bowl of nutrition salad can offer the same 'balance' that you were looking for in a meal? There are several approaches you can take to turn your salad into a healthy, no-fat, no-sweet diet option. For example, when you add chicken or egg whites to your salad, you are actually making your nutrition salad even healthier.

From where does the nutritional salad get its nutrition? Take the instance when you add lettuce and leafy green vegetable like broccoli to your salad. These two things are rich in fibers and carbohydrates which are extremely low on calories but give you a full feeling. By omitting starch-filled carbohydrates like potatoes, rice or bread, you are making sure that your salad is filled with nutrition but without the calories.
How can you add more value to your nutrition salad? Depending on the kind of weight loss you have in mind, you could add chicken, nuts, cheese and eggs as the protein content. The best part about salads is that the nutritional value does not diminish even if you make it tasty and scrumptious. For instance adding rice vinegar to your nutrition salad bowl does not add any calorie but enhances the taste. This addition also enhances the original taste of the vegetables without masking their flavor.
Depending on the amount of calorie-intake plan you have for the day, you can add or deduct any amount of protein you desire from the list of ingredients given below along with their calorific value:

1 medium head of lettuce: 55 calories - 5 grams of protein;
1 medium bag of lettuce: 45 calories - 3 grams of protein;
1 boneless chicken breast: 80 calories - 16 grams of protein;
1 hard boiled egg: 80 calories - 6 grams of protein;
1 ounce of cheddar cheese: 115 calories - 7 grams of protein;
1 dozen almonds: 90 calories - 5 grams of protein;
1 medium carrot: 25 calories - 1 gram of protein and
1 Tbsp olive oil: 40 calories - 0 grams of protein.
Boneless chicken breasts are the best ingredient for making you salad nutritious without increasing the calories. With practice you can make your own repertoire of nutrition salad, which you would find hard to keep away from other weight watchers.

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Flat Tummy With Garlic Water ( LOSE BELLY FAT IN A WEEK )

Fitness Health Tip

Everybody dreams of being healthy, beautiful and fit. The first fitness health tip is to believe that we are what we eat. Eat healthy and one will be healthy and beautiful. Healthy eating means eating three regular balanced meals-breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and making sure that each meal is a combination of carbohydrate and protein foods. Meals should include cereals, pulses, milk or curd, eggs, chicken, fish, fruits and vegetables.
There is a fitness health tip which may come as a pleasant surprise and that is- Adding sugar is not a crime. Three to four teaspoon of sugar a day is permitted if one is not diabetic.Finally, the whole secret of fitness and weight control rests on how much oil is consumed daily and how much fatty foods are eaten in a day. The normal requirement is 2-3 or 3-4 teaspoons oil per person per day. One may indulge in richer food twice in a week.

Another fitness health tip is that the major reason for an overweight and unhealthy body is a change in lifestyle. Today we don't walk anywhere, and hop into and out of cars. We also spend a lot of time sitting in front of television and computer. This is one reason why people in their 20's and 30's suffer from hypertension, heart diseases and diabetes.
Everybody from six years and above must ensure that a regular exercise session is fixed in the daily routine. A 20-30 minutes walk must be taught and practiced as regularly as brushing the teeth and bathing.It is also important to avoid too many soft drinks and packed juices which most of us prefer and stock in our refrigerator. It not only increases our body weight but also harms our teeth and skin. Rather we should resolve to drink plenty of water.

To conclude, there is no magic wand to achieve healthy, beautiful and fit body. It is imperative to keep a watch on what we eat. Keep the diet well balanced, regular and complete with salad and fruits. Make sure that one is active throughout the day and follow a regular fitness program that is in sync with the age, body and health.

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