Foods that heal: Bottle Gourd

This vegetable and its juice are extremely beneficial for health. It is low in calorie, high in water content, high in fibre, very low in fat and cholesterol. It has iron and vitamin C.
It is suitable for hypertensive patients because of its high potassium content. Per 100 gram of it contains 85 mg of potassium.

 
 
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Bottle+Gourd-1.jpg
 

Bottle gourd, being alkaline in nature, helps in reducing the acidity of urine and has a cooling effect in summers. Its water content keeps the body hydrated. No doubt its a favourite vegetable in the summer season. Consuming its juice has lots of health benefits. If the liver is inflamed due to any condition, it helps the liver to come back to its normal condition. The juice is very healthy for the heart and high blood pressure, thus a cardio tonic. Nothing like an organic bottle gourd.

How important is chewing food

todays world of multitasking, one eats for the sake of eating but forgets to CHEW. 

todays world of multitasking, one eats for the sake of eating but forgets to CHEW.

 

We all love to take care of our health and want to know all about healthy foods. The idea is to ingest the right food and become more healthy. Sure, why not.
Eating healthy is the correct way to take care of the body. But wait a minute, are you chewing your healthy food? Well, maybe no.
Are you always in a hurry while eating? There is a great possibility that in todays world of multitasking, one eats for the sake of eating but forgets to CHEW.
We watch TV, do computers, have meeting, play board games, chat on phone... all while eating. Yes true, and at the same time forget to chew the food. 

Chewing food correctly is important for the health of the digestive system and thus avoid many health problems. The process of chewing food is called mastication. The process of digesting food starts in the mouth. Our salivary glands release an enzyme called ptyalin by chewing. The sugars ie. the carbohydrates starts splitting here into simple sugars before entering the stomach. So no chewing food means the food directly entering the stomach without starting the digesting process and thus one suffers from gas, bloating or diarrhea. If food is not chewed properly then the large pieces of food have to stay back longer in the stomach hence the growth of bacteria increases creating uneasiness or stomach infections. Also not chewing food lets the big particles enter the stomach and due to this there is less absorption of vitamin and minerals during its passage in the gut. Accumulation of unbroken food in the teeth increases plague formation further promoting cavities. Inadequate chewing can lead to constipation, acid reflux, and heartburn.

Weight gain sometimes due to eating fast without chewing can make a person not realize the amount of calories he/she is eating. So crush and churn the food before gulping it.

Researches suggest to chew the food 20 times to get rid of the above problems, but the fact remains that we chew it just 6 times .

So before you decide how much healthy food to eat, know how to correctly eat and remain healthy by avoiding un-necessary health issues.

FRUITS FOR WEIGHT LOSS AND BEAUTY

Fruits are extremely beneficial for good health. Few body conditions allows one to eat them in less quantity, otherwise fruits never overload the body with extra digestion work, keeping the body less stressed.

Fruits are packed with nutrients, antioxidants, fibre and potassium and all these are very useful to the body compared to many foods overloaded with calories. Fruits are low in calories, help in weight-loss and at the same time filling. But at the same time it wont be correct to live only on fruits and miss out other important foods to give our body the right balance.

Let's discuss few fruits and their benefits.

Banana image

BANANAS

There is a myth pertaining to this fruit that it is fattening. Infact bananas are full of vitamin B6, Potassium and Fibre thus help in reducing the risk of heart disease. If we consume one banana a day, we need not worry about weight gain.

POMEGRANATE

POMEGRANATE

Its red juice is full of polyphenol antioxidant. It reduces the LDL in the blood thus is heart healthy. It removes toxins from the body and improves the blood flow.


PAPAYA

PAPAYA

This is one fruit which is full of health benefits. It has an enzyme called papain which helps in digestion. It has fibre, vitamin C and carotenes.

BLUEBERRIES N STRAWBERRIES

BLUEBERRIES & STRAWBERRIES

High in antioxidant, consuming blueberries keeps the fat cells from accumulating in the body thus aiding weight loss. 

Eating strawberries produces a hormone known as adiponectin and leptin which increase metabolic rate helping in fat burning property. They are also anti inflammatory healing internal injuries.


GRAPEFRUITS

GRAPEFRUITS

This highly fibreous fruit is helpful in fat burning. Consume it during breakfast for full benefits.

KIWI

KIWI

This fruit with sweet and sour flavour is full of vitamin C and antioxidants. The black seeds within are insoluble fibres aiding to no constipation.


APPLE

APPLE

This fruit is low in calorie and high in fibre. It contains vitamin, minerals and iron, also helps in slimming down the body.

PEAR

PEAR

It is one of the most fibre rich food. It lowers cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, is an energy booster, prevents aging, boosts immunity, balances hormones, improves bone health, regulates bowel movement and reduces constipation.


So if you want to look healthier, lose weight, feel fresh then incorporate fruits in our daily diet.

Protein Content of Chicken versus Egg

This has been a common question to body builders and health freaks as to eat what between the two. As both these options are popular for high protein content. Well the fact is that both are health friendly, also they are low in calorie and high in protein contents compared to other common foods eaten on a daily basis. Protein, is known as the building block for the body is used in cells, organs and skin. So for a healthy body the requirement of protein is ample. From 0.8 grams/ per kg body weightto 1.8 gram/ per kg body weight for body builders. For vegetarians the protein rich foods are soya, legumes, milk and milk products, different nuts. For non vegetarians the options other than the above options are all meats and eggs. Let us compare the two most common foods , which is eggs andchicken.

100 grams of egg contains 14 grams of protein, 10 grams of fats, 120 milligrams of sodium, 369 milligrams of cholesterol, where as 100grams of chicken contains 26 grams of protein, 4 grams of fats, 50 milligrams of sodium, 73 milligrams of cholesterol. Doubtless chicken is a healthier option compared to egg, but we cannot ignore the health benefits of an egg which contains vitamin B2, B6, B12, and vitamin D. Egg also contains minerals like zinc, iron and copper which are important for good body functions. 100 grams of chicken contains 153 where as 100grams of eggs contains 155 calories.

Both are almost equally healthy, still the key to good health is eat everything moderately.

Tofu versus Paneer

These two high protein vegetarian foods come with a lot of benefit.
Tofu is prepared from soya beans and paneer is made from curdled milk.
Paneer or cottage cheese is high in calcium. Around 100 grams of paneer contains 203 milligrams of calcium, so eating paneer is helpful in building strong bones and teeth. But paneer is high in calories too. 100 grams of paneer has 260 calories where as 100 grams tofu has only 60 calories. So if one wants to lose weight then tofu wins over paneer. Though paneer is made from milk but still it is low in carbohydrates so it is considered as diabetic friendly.

Tofu is made from soya beans

Tofu is made from soya beans

Paneer is a fresh cottage cheese

Paneer is a fresh cottage cheese

Iron content in tofu is much higher compared to paneer. 100 grams tofu has 5.4 milligrams of iron where as paneer contains 0.2 miligrams making tofu a winner food for anemic patients.

Paneer is a winner over tofu when it comes to protein content. 100grams of paneer has 18 milligrams of protein where as tofu has only 7. So for weight lifters and body builders paneer is recommended. Though for vegetarians both these foods are considered high protein. Not to forget that protein aids in muscle building as well it reduces muscle damage caused by daily wear and tear. 

But if you are looking for weight loss then tofu wins over paneer .100 grams of paneer has 20 grams of fat where as tofu has only 3 grams.

Though both these similar looking foods come with great health benefits, decide which one is preferred for you . If you are looking for body building then paneer is the food and if you are looking for weight loss then tofu is recommended. With paneer moderation is the key to good health but tofu can be eaten bigger servings.

Healthy Winter

As winters approach, the seasonal change brings in breathing difficulty, cold, coughs, sore throat, sinusitis, specially when the body's immunity is not high, all of these keep bothering through out the winter season. Some diet changes really help increasing the immunity. Like  a high intake of vitamin C really helps. So, do not forget to take Amla in this season. A mixture of honey and ginger helps the respiratory disorders to be at bay.

Another problem commonly seen is blocked nose . Take steam regularly, add eucalyptus oil and mint leaves in the water used for steam. Make a habit of gargling regularly with warm salty water to keep the throat clean.

Take warm lemon water once a day as it is high in vitamin C which again increases immunity. Use black pepper in foods and seasonings. Usage of cloves , cumin seeds, kesar/ saffron, cardamom is also beneficial in this season.

Some weight gain is expected in this season. Since our aim is to increase the immunity, it is fine as we want a healthy body which does not fall sick again and again