Wondering what all these terms mean to you and your diet? Here are some quick explanations:
Nutrients:
Vitamins and minerals Natural substances contained in a wide variety of foods that have long been recognized as essential to maintaining healthy body systems. Scientists have defined specific daily amounts of vitamins and minerals that are necessary for good health.
Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats Compounds found in foods that the body uses to generate energy or build cells.
Phytochemicals: Natural plant compounds that may provide a variety of health benefits. Many of the bright colors in fruits and vegetables come from phytochemicals.
Antioxidants: Plant substances that protect the body by neutralizing free radicals, or unstable oxygen molecules, which can damage cells and lead to poor health.
(Posted in HEALTH TIPS)
June 23, 2006
Olives
Olives
Small bitter oval fruit, green when unripe and black when ripe, used for food and for oil.
Olive oil
Olive oil is a fruit-juice. Olive oil is cold pressed olive juice and olives are a fruit. That’s why it’s so healthy and is used in the finest cuisines all over the world. Cold pressed means that the olives are picked and squeezed and are not boiled before squeezing.
Sorts
There are three types of olive oil:
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Extra vierge: the purest oil with an excellent taste and a low acidic level;
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Vierge: oil with a very good taste and a higher acidic level;
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Normal olive oil: this consists of a mix of refined olive oil and an oil between extra vierge and vierge olive oil, it has a good to normal taste.
The benefits of olives and olive-oil
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In the mediterranean countries of Europe people eat a lot of olive oil. It is common to eat bread or toast just dipped in olive oil. Because of the daily use of olive oil the people that live in these countries suffer less from heart diseases than people of other countries in Europe.
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The use of olive oil has a positive effect on the cholesterol level in our blood.
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Because olives grow in a warm environment and the fruit has to protect itself from heat and bright sunshine, olives contain a lot of fenol-like substances. These substances could possibly play a role in the prevention and cure of thrombosis and arteriosclerosis.
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It is often said that olive oil causes problems with the stomach or intestines. This is simply not the case. Olive oil is very easy to digest and mild for the intestines!
June 17, 2006
A glass of Milk
IS MILK REALLY GOOD FOR YOU?
Recent remarks by certain animal lovers in the national press branding milk as non-vegetarian has made traditional vegetarians see red. This is because a bulk of Indian vegetarians follow a 'lactovegetarian' diet, that is, they consume milk products of animals while abstaining from their flesh. Indeed, cow's milk has been hallowed ever since baby Krishna risked his mother's ire to steal butter, cream and curd—an image immortalized by the medieval Indian saint-poet Surdas in his 'maiya mori, main nahin makhan khayo' (mother, I did not steal the butter).
The rationale on which the anti-milk propaganda is based ranges from the lack of the milk-digesting enzyme (lactase) in 80 per cent of adult humans to the cruelty inflicted on cows by the dairy industry. Milch cows are constantly kept pregnant and injected twice a day with oxytocin, a hormone that causes uterine contractions akin to labor pains. Most live only a fraction of their normal life span of 20 years and are literally milked to death.
Those who hold up health benefits as the reason to consume milk are in for a shock. Not only is milk responsible for blocking the absorption of iron, only 30 per cent of the calcium it contains is absorbable by the human body. In other words, milk may be chock-full of calcium but as it cannot be easily assimilated, it ends up as kidney stones.
Weight-watchers beware! Milk is the fat-food to shun, for it is meant to increase the calf's body-weight up to four times within a month. Instead, soy milk is an ideal substitute, rich as it is in proteins and vitamins. It has 50 per cent protein by weight compared to cow milk protein, which has only 3 per cent.
June 12, 2006
Lovely Flowers
A team of researchers explored the link between flowers and life satisfaction in a 10-month study of participants’ behavioral and emotional responses to receiving flowers. The results show that flowers are a natural and healthful moderator of moods.
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Flowers have an immediate impact on happiness. All study participants expressed “true” or “excited” smiles upon receiving flowers, demonstrating extraordinary delight and gratitude. This reaction was universal, occurring in all age groups.
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Flowers have a long-term positive effect on moods. Specifically, study participants reported feeling less depressed, anxious and agitated after receiving flowers, and demonstrated a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction.
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Flowers make intimate connections. The presence of flowers led to increased contact with family and friends.
“Common sense tells us that flowers make us happy,” said Dr. Haviland-Jones. “Now, science shows that not only do flowers make us happier than we know, they have strong positive effects on our emotional well being.”
June 12, 2006
All types of juice
Juice Therapy with some common vegetables:
The Juice of Amaranth leaves is effective in resolving cataract.
For Diabetes, a mixture of equal quantities of amla juice and bitter gourd juice taken every morning show a reduction in blood glucose levels.
Beet juice is one of the most valuable juices for the liver and gall bladder.
Brinjal juice is found to be an effective remedy for toothache.
The use of cabbage juice for treatment of stomach ulcers is one of the latest and most vital advances in the field of juice therapy.
A cup of carrot juice taken daily improves the eyesight and prevents cataract. Carrot juice is also excellent for the treatment of infantile diarrhea and acute colitis. It also prevents dehydration. Mixed with a little honey carrot juice is highly effective in all sorts of fevers, general debility, nervous disorders, anemia, lassitude, low vitality, and rundown conditions. Carrot juice applied on the burns helps them heal faster.
1-2 tsp fresh juice of coriander leaves mixed in 1 teacup buttermilk to be taken 2-3 times daily for Dysentery, Hepatitis, Indigestion and Nausea. Juice of fresh coriander leaves can be used as nasal drops for bleeding nose. Coriander juice applied on blackheads and pimples daily work wonders.
Equal quantities to lime juice and the juice of the fresh leaves of the drumstick plant applied on the blackheads and pimples regularly, help in getting rid of them. Drumstick juice mixed with carrot juice help reduce blood pressure.
2 tsp fresh juice of Fenugreek leaves along with 1 tsp honey to be taken daily in case of recurrent headaches and insomnia.
Equal quantities of ginger juice, lemon juice, pudina (mint) juice and honey to be taken frequently for Dyspepsia, nausea, indigestion, jaundice, morning sickness and piles. Juice of ginger should be taken with honey 2-3 times daily for persistent cough.
Lemon juice is an excellent blood purifier. Upon rising in the morning, drink the juice of 1 lemon in a cup of warm water. It helps in reducing obesity. Asthma is relieved by taking a half-spoonful of lemon-juice before each meal and upon retiring. Lemon juice taken 3-4 times daily along with garlic cures cough and cold. Drinking lemon juice daily helps to alleviate rheumatic fever, painful joints, lumbago and sciatica.
Mint leaf juice is good in case of digestive disorders.
Equal quantities of raw onion juice and honey, taken twice a day are effective for stomachache and indigestion.
A cup of raw potato juice taken daily cures acidity.
Juice of fresh ripe pumpkin taken regularly helps to get rid of kidney stones.
Radish juice and its leaves, mixed with a little sugar, should be taken twice daily in the cases of jaundice. Equal quantities of radish juice, cucumber juice and capsicum juice, taken once a week would help in cleansing the digestive and respiratory systems of the body.
Raw spinach juice taken twice a day before meals lowers the blood sugar.Spinach leaf juice, as a gargle, is good for sore throat.
A glass of fresh tomato juice taken daily cleanses the system and prevents hardening of the arteries. Tomato juice keeps the blood stream alkaline and thus maintains high resistance to disease.
Turnip juice mixed with cabbage or carrot juice, taken daily reduces mucous,helps asthma and bronchitis and relieves sore throats.
So juice up your life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 12, 2006
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