Top 10 myths about food and Truth behind them!

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We always hear different people expressing different views about the food and the way we manage our hygiene but nobody really knows whether there is any truth to them! Some Common Myths that we hear:

Myth #1: Drinking water in between your meals will mess up your digestion

This one has been passed down from generations. While drinking water will fill you up, it certainly will not damage your digestive process. It might even do your system a world of good. 

Myth #2: Having fruits immediately after a meal is not good for you 

Surprise surprise! There is actually some truth to it. Experts say having fruits immediately after a meal may cause digestive problems like gas and acidity. Fruits also hamper with the digestion of certain nutrients which is why it’s advisable to wait an hour before reaching for that fruit bowl after a heavy meal.

Myth #3: Papaya should be avoided during pregnancies

This one is extremely common in India. While raw papaya or even a semi ripe one has been known to trigger uterine contractions, a completely ripe papaya is rich in vitamins and minerals which are actually beneficial for pregnant women. However, if you are pregnant, check with your doctor before including papaya in your diet.

Myth #4: The skin of an apple contains no nutrients 

This, by far has to be the most ludicrous one! The apple peel in fact, is known to have a higher concentration of antioxidants than the flesh! Unfortunately, nowadays the apples available in the market are polished with wax to make them look shiny and glossy. So rinse your apple properly before biting into that crunchy and fresh apple. 

Myth #5: Eating after 7 pm will make you fat

Experts say that its not when you eat that can make you fat. What you eat and the amount of calories you consume makes you fat. The only thing late night eating does is promote unhealthy snacking and hamper with your sleeping pattern. Click here to read more about healthy midnight snacks.

Myth #6: Avoid having milk immediately after eating fish 

Some believe that the combination makes you sick while some believe it makes spots appear on your skin. Rest assured, there is no scientific reason why you cannot have milk and fish together. In fact, there are many wonderful and healthy recipes around which combine the goodness of fish and milk.

Myth #7: You should not swim/shower immediately after a meal

The myth says that blood flows to your stomach during digestion, reducing blood flow to other muscles which may lead to cramps and drowning. Experts maintain that it’s not just swimming which makes you feel uncomfortable, any intense work out immediately after eating may induce vomiting and cramps. So if you’re out for a leisurely dip after a meChocolate causes acne?Chocolate causes acne?al, go right ahead!

Myth #8: Having chocolate causes acne

Again, a myth which is so common that most teenagers and their parents believe it! There has been no conclusive scientific to prove this claim. Experts maintain that different foods may cause your skin to breakout into pimples and for some people that food just may be chocolate.

Myth #9: Having kesar (saffron) during pregnancy makes your baby fair

Even though milk and saffron is good for you, it’s not going to help your baby become fairer. The skin colour of the baby depends solely on the parents genes.

Myth #10: If you swallow a chewing gum, it stays in your stomach for seven years before it gets digested 

While it is true that your body cannot digest a chewing gum, it certainly does not take seven years to pass through your body! It goes through your system, intact and is excreted quite normally. A word of caution though, if you’re going to swallow large amounts of chewing gum, it may result in intestinal blockage.

Source: 1 . Photo Credits: ThinkStock. 

#2

14 Simple Ways to Super-Charge your BRAIN

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Here are some things you can begin doing as soon as today to begin the great brain tune up.

1) Eat Almonds
Almond is believed to improve memory. If a combination of almond oil and milk is taken together before going to bed or after getting up at morning, it strengthens our memory power. Almond milk is prepared by crushing the almonds without the outer cover and adding water and sugar to it.

2) Drink Apple Juice
Research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) indicates that apple juice increases the production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, resulting in an increased memory power.

3) Sleep well
Research indicates that the long-term memory is consolidated during sleep by replaying the images of the experiences of the day. These repeated playbacks program the subconscious mind to store these images and other related information.

4) Enjoy simple Pleasures
Stress drains our brainpower. A stress-ridden mind consumes much of our memory resources to leave us with a feeble mind. Make a habit to engage yourself in few simple pleasures everyday to dissolve stress from your mind.
Some of these simple pleasures are good for your mind, body and soul:

• Enjoy music you love
• Play with your children
• Hug a stranger
• Appreciate others
• Run few miles a day, bike or swim
• Start a blog
• Take a yoga class or Total wellness routine

5) Fast for a day
Fasting cleans and detoxifies our body. It is known fact that heavy food not only causes stress on our digestive system but also drains our brainpower. Fasting relieves toxic emotions such as anger, grief, worry, and fears - before they accumulate and cause disease. By cleansing toxic emotions, fasting strengthens metal clarity with increases memory, concentration, creativity and insight.

6) Exercise your mind
Just as physical exercise is essential for a strong body, mental exercise is equally essential for a sharp and agile mind. Have you noticed that children have far superior brainpower than an adult does? Children have playful minds. A playful mind exhibits superior memory power. Engage in some of the activities that require your mind to remain active and playful:

• Play scrabble or crossword puzzle
• Volunteer
• Interact with others
• Start a new hobby such as reading, painting, bird watching
• Learn new skill or a language

7) Practice Yoga or Meditation
Yoga or Meditation relives stress. Stress is a known memory buster. With less stress, lower blood pressure, slower respiration, slower metabolism, and released muscle tension follows. All of these factors contribute significantly towards increases in our brainpower.

8) Reduce Sugar intake
Sugar is a non-food. It's a form of carbohydrate that offers illusionary energy, only to cause a downhill slump once the initial burst has been worn off. Excess intake of sugar results in neurotic symptoms. Excess sugar is known to cause claustrophobia, memory loss and other neurotic disorders. Eat food without adding sugar. Stay away from sweet drinks or excess consumption of caffeine with sugar.

9) Eat whole wheat
The whole wheat germs contain lecithin. Lecithin helps ease the problem of the hardening of the arteries, which often impairs brain functioning.

10) Eat a light meal in the night
A heavy meal at night causes tossing and turning and a prolonged emotional stress while at sleep. It's wise to eat heavy meal during the day when our body is in motion to consume the heavy in-take. Eating a light meal with some fruits allows us to sleep well. A good night sleep strengthens our brainpower.

11) Develop imagination
Greeks mastered the principle of imagination and association to memorize everything. This technique requires one to develop a vivid and colorful imagination that can be linked to a known object. If you involve all your senses - touching, feeling, smelling, hearing and seeing in the imagination process, you can remember greater details of the event.

12) Sex
Our sexual imagination often empowers our ability to daydream, which strengthens our brainpower with greater imagination, visualization and association.

13) Control your temper
Bleached food, excess of starch or excess of white bread can lead to nerve grating effect. This results in a violent and some time depressive behavior. Eat fresh vegetables. Drink lots of water and meditate or practice yoga to relieve these toxic emotions of temper and violent mood swings.

14) Take Vitamin B-complex
Vitamin B-complex strengthens memory power. Eat food and vegetables high in Vitamin B-complex. Stay away from the starch food or white bread, which depletes the Vitamin B-complex necessary for a healthy mind.

I don't believe these are that tough. If you find yourself increasingly stumped, give couple of these, a try.

#2

Goodness of Honey and Cinnamon and its Natural Cures & Remedies

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It has been found that a mix of honey and Cinnamon cures a lot of diseases. Honey in itself is a very effective medicine for all kinds of diseases without any side effects. Read our previous post, for more about Honey,
[Amazing health benefits of honey]
Here are some natural benefits against common ailments when honey and cinnamon team up:

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, put it on toast instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol and could potentially save one from heart attack. Also, even if you have already had an attack, studies show you could be kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of cinnamon and honey strengthens the heart beat. It has been found that as one ages the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients can benefit by taking one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. When taken daily even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week (out of the 200 people so treated) practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain -- and within a month, most all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis now started walking.
BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder and cleanses....who knew?

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given to a cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, when taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol-could be cured. According to an information, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and, clear the sinuses, and it's delicious too!

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also is said to clear stomach ulcers. It is also found that when Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles (where DNA is contained) to fight bacterial and viral diseases.
INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food is eaten relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Use four teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of boiling water to make a tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans increase. Honey, particularly darker honey, such as buckwheat honey, is a rich source of phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids, that exert significant antioxidant activity.

RASPY OR SORE THROAT: When throat has a tickle or is raspy, take one tablespoon of honey and cinnamon and sip until gone. Repeat every three hours until throat is without symptoms.

PIMPLES: Make a paste of three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off the next morning with warm water. When done daily for a few weeks, it removes all pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS: Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin Infections.

WEIGHT LOSS: Drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water, one hour before the breakfast and at night before sleeping. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.


FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts are more alert and flexible. Research says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, even when the vitality of the body starts to decrease,when taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M., the vitality of the body increases within a week. 

Honey is an excellent source of readily available carbohydrate, a chief source of quick energy.

BAD BREATH: Gargling one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water in the morning keeps the breath fresh for most of the day.

#2

Top 10 Biggest Brain DAMAGING HABITS

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According to a report from WHO, here are a few habits that damage your brain and impacts it negatively:

1. Not having Breakfast – People who do not take breakfast generally have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Over-eating – It causes hardening of the brain arteries. It gradually leads to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking – As we know, smoking is never useful to the body. It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.
4. High Sugar Consumption – Too much sugar intake will disrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients in our body, causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development too.
Sugar can suppress the immune system, upset the body's mineral balance.
Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
Source: 1, 2

5. Air Pollution – This has been the greatest cause of worry for people living in cities. The brain is the largest consumer of oxygen in our body. When we inhale polluted air, it decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, and brings a decrease in efficiency of the brain.

6. Sleep Deprivation – We have prices to pay for our modernization. The present generation suffers from the curse of insomnia. We are addicted to the online world. Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accentuate the death of brain cells.

7. Sleeping with Head covered – Its been found that sleeping with the head partially or fully covered by bedding would result in a 92.8% chance of suffering from either an early stage, middle stage, or late stage of dementia, by the age of 70.

The study considered that sleeping in a restricted air space would result in a depletion of oxygen over time accompanied by an increase in carbon dioxide through rebreathing, the repeated inhalation of exhaled air. This can result in occurance of hypoxia. Hypoxia has been considered responsible for an increase of A-beta proteins, the accumulation of which is considered as the significant marker of Alzheimer’s disease.

Source 

8. Working your brain during illness – Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts – Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage. Play brain stimulating games, solve puzzles.

10. Talking Rarely – Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain. Share your thoughts, listen to people. Share a few laughs.

#2

10 Amazing Health Benefits of Honey

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Discover the enormous benefits of honey; its countless floral tastes and host of health benefits.

Honey has been used by mankind since the past 2,500 years, all over the world. Its the oldest sweetener on earth. Bees swallow, digest and regurgitate nectar to make honey; this nectar contains almost 600 compounds. While the numerous health benefits of honey have made it an important aspect of traditional medicines such as Ayurveda, scientists are also researching the benefits of honey in modern medicine, especially in healing wounds.

What makes honey so popular? It is the ease with which it can be consumed. One can eat honey directly, put it on bread like a jam, mix it with juice or any drink instead of sugar, or mix it with warm water, lime juice, cinnamon and other herbs to make a medicine. It is savored by all due to its taste as well as health benefits.

1. Sweetener: Sugar can be substituted with honey in many food and drinks. Honey contains about 69% glucose and fructose enabling it to be used as a sweetener.

2. Energy Source: According to USDA, honey contains about 64 calories per tablespoon. Hence honey is also used by many as a source of energy. On the other hand, one tablespoon of sugar will give you about 15 calories. Further the carbohydrates in the honey can be easily converted into glucose by even the most sensitive stomachs. Hence it is very easy to digest honey.

3. Weight Loss: Though honey has more calories than sugar, honey when consumed with warm water helps in digesting the fat stored in your body. Similarly honey and lemon juice and honey and cinnamon help in reducing weight. Read more about benefits of honey in weight loss.
4. Improving Athletic Performance: Recent research has shown that honey is an excellent ergogenic aid and helps in boosting the performance of athletes. Honey facilitates in maintaining blood sugar levels, muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout.

5. Source of Vitamins and Minerals: Honey contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. The type of vitamins and minerals and their quantity depends on the type of flowers used for apiculture. Commonly, honey contains Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron. Check for the vitamin and mineral content in sugar from any source, you will find it to be either nil or miniscule.

6. Antibacterial and Anti-fungal Properties: Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and hence it can be used as a natural antiseptic.

7. Antioxidants: Honey contains nutraceuticals, which are effective in removing free radicals from our body. As a result, our body immunity is improved.

8. Skin Care with Milk and Honey: Milk and honey are often served together as both these ingredients help in getting a smooth soothing skin. Hence consuming milk and honey daily in the morning is a common practice in many countries.

9. Honey in Wound Management

Honey is a traditional topical treatment for infected wounds. Honey is produced from many different floral sources and its antibacterial activity varies with origin and processing. It can be effective on antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. The antibacterial properties of honey include the release of low levels of hydrogen peroxide. Some honeys have an additional phytochemical antibacterial component. Many authors support the use of honey in infected wounds and some suggest its prophylactic use on the wounds of patients susceptible to MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Source 

10. Honey possesses antimicrobial properties.
-It helps in promoting autolytic debridement (body's own process of getting rid of dead tissue and keeping healthy tissue)
-It deodorizes malodorous wounds.
-It speeds up the healing process by stimulating wound tissues.
-It helps in initiating the healing process in dormant wounds.
-Honey also helps in promoting moist wound healing.

11. Honey May Help Heal Cuts and Burns:
Researchers who analyzed existing studies on whether honey can help heal wounds are cautiously optimistic that this ancient treatment may help in some cases. They conclude that honey may improve healing times in mild to moderate superficial and partial thickness burns compared with some conventional dressings. Honey appears to draw fluid from the underlying circulation, providing both a moist environment and topical nutrition that enhances tissue growth. 

 Its versatility and the goodness in your everyday life is a must.!

#2

In a Bad Mood? Try These 7 Foods

#1

There are some days that we feel angry, anxious, or just plain unhappy. Try one of these seven foods to lift your spirits:

1. Whole Grains. If you’re feeling hungry and angry, these dense carbs will help increase serotonin, a mood enhancer. Try brown rice or beans.

2. Leafy Greens. For those down in the dumps days, the B vitamin folate can help break down homocysteine, which may be linked to depression. Other great sources of folate are beans, citrus fruits and fortified grain products.
3. Turkey. To help calm your anxiety, try some try ptophan, which can help the brain produce feel-good chemicals. You can also try chicken, eggs, cheese, nuts and seeds.

4. Greek Yogurt. Being irritable is no fun for you or anyone around you. Healthy snack foods every 3 or 4 hours will help prevent a drop in your blood sugar. Try some yogurt with berries or almonds and fruit.

5. Black Tea. Stress less by sipping some hot or cold black tea—it may decrease cortisol, a stress hormone. It may also improve your memory and could help get rid of headaches.

6. Dark Chocolate. For women experiencing PMS symptoms, the flavonoids in dark chocolate may help get rid of crankiness. Just one more reason to treat yourself.

7. Fish. To improve your brain health and help you think more clearly, the omega 3s in fish can improve the communication between your brain cells. Try salmon, trout, sardines, herring or anchovies.

#2

14 Foods that Fight Inflammation and Pain

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Some of the best healing remedies to overcome inflammation also taste fabulous (I can’t say that about any prescription medications). Plus, foods won’t cause the nasty side effects common to most pain medications.

1. Blueberries: Blueberries are also excellent anti-inflammatory foods. They increase the amounts of compounds called heat-shock proteins that decrease as people age.  When heat-shock proteins are in short supply inflammation, pain and tissue damage is the result.

2. Cayenne Pepper: Ironically, cayenne pepper turns DOWN the heat on inflammation due to its powerful anti-inflammatory compound capsaicin.

3. Celery and 4. Celery Seeds: James Duke, Ph.D., author of The Green Pharmacy, found more than 20 anti-inflammatory compounds in celery and celery seeds in his research, including a substance called apigenin, which is powerful in its anti-inflammatory action.  Add celery seeds to soups, stews or as a salt substitute in many recipes.

5. Cherries: While many people opt for aspirin as their first course of action when they feel pain, Muraleedharan Nair, PhD, professor of natural products and chemistry at Michigan State University, found that tart cherry extract is ten times more effective than aspirin at relieving inflammation.

6. Dark Green Veggies: Veggies like kale and spinach contain high amounts of alkaline minerals like calcium and magnesium.  Both minerals help balance body chemistry to alleviate inflammation.

7. Fish: According to Dr. Alfred D. Steinberg, an arthritis expert at the National Institute of Health, fish oil acts directly on the immune system by suppressing 40 to 55 percent of the release of cytokines – compounds known to destroy joints and cause inflammation.

8. Flax seeds and Flax Oil: Flax seeds are high in natural oils that convert into hormone-like substances in the body to reduce inflammatory substances. Add ground flax seeds to smoothies, atop pancakes or French toast, and many other foods.  Do not heat.

9. Ginger: Dr. Krishna C. Srivastava at Odense University in Denmark found that ginger was superior to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Tylenol or Advil at alleviating inflammation.

10. Raspberries, 11. Blackberries, and 12. Strawberries: In Dr. Muraleedharan Nair’s later research she discovered that these berries have similar anti-inflammatory effects as cherries.

13. Turmeric: Research shows that the Indian spice frequently used in curries suppresses pain and inflammation through a similar mechanism as drugs like COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors (without the harmful side effects).

14. Walnuts: Like flax seeds, raw, unsalted walnuts contain plentiful amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids that decrease pain and inflammation.

#2

TAKE CARE OF YOUR EYES WHILE USING PC

#1

Eyes are one of the most precious, imperative and useful organ for all of us. The feeling of seeing the world and our loved ones with our own eyes is incomparable. We cannot even imagine our lives without eyes, infact even if we try to imagine it for few seconds we will become very scared. Hence, the important organ should not be taken for granted ever.

 
There is a simple method, called 20-20-20. It is apt for all of us, who spend long hours at our desks, looking at the computer screen.


20-20-20

Step I :-

After every 20 minutes of looking into the computer screen, turn your head and try to look at any object placed at least 20 feet away. This changes the focal length of your eyes, a must-do for the tired eyes.

Step II :-

Try and blink your eyes for 20 times in succession, to moisten them.

Step III :-

Time permitting of course, one should walk 20 paces after every 20 minutes of sitting in one particular posture. Helps blood circulation for the entire body.

Share this small information with all.

#2