Barley Water

Barley is a good source of carbohydrate (69.4%), protein (11.5%), fiber (3.9%), thiamine, niacin, iron, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine; a fair source of riboflavin and a poor source of calcium. It is also very rich in starch. The greatest use of barley is for the preparation of malt, which converts starch into sugar, and is used in brewing (for making beer) and in the preparation of malt extract for incorporation in infant and invalid foods. Barley is an excellent food for anemic and nervous disorders because of its richness in iron and phosphoric acid. For diuretic effects, milk diluted with barley water is a common remedy. Barley is an excellent body builder, valuable in cases of underweight, stomach ulcers, diarrhea, and good for teeth, nails, hair as well as for sores in the mouth. It is also useful in fevers because of its soothing properties and is a recognized drink for the sick. Barley water with lemon juice and honey is a refreshing summer drink and a diuretic.

Pearl barley is a milled product from which the germ and most of the bran have been removed. It is consumed as an invalid food low in B vitamins and is mostly used for preparation of soups and infant feeding.

A dash of lime

Lime has several health benefits. Here’s how a dash of lime can help you in your daily health.

• Digestion: Lime has an irresistible scent which waters the mouth and thus aids primary digestion (the digestive saliva floods your mouth even before you taste it). Then the acids in it do the rest.
  

• Constipation: Primarily, the ample of acids present in lime helps clear the excretory system by washing and cleaning off the tracks, just like some acids are used to clean floor and toilets! Then the roughage in it is also helpful in easing constipation. But it is mainly due to high acids. An overdose of lime juice with salt also acts as an excellent purgative without any side effects, thereby giving relief in constipation.
  

• Peptic Ulcer: In addition to vitamin C, lime contains special compounds called Flavonoids (Limonoids such as Limonin Glucoside) which have anti oxidant, anti carcinogenic, anti biotic and detoxifying properties which help healing of peptic and oral ulcers.
  

• Respiratory disorders: The oil, containing Flavonoids and certain oils, extracted from lime is extensively used in anti congestive medicines such as balms, vaporizers, inhalers, etc due to presence of Kaempferol.
  

Want your hair to look at its best?

If you want your hair to look its best, you got to feed your body the vitamins and minerals that your hair needs to be strong and healthy. What the nutrients do is, literally, strike the roots. A luxuriant mop of hair can grow only if the roots are properly nourished.

For our hair to really be our crowning glory, we need to pamper it, care for it, and feed it properly. Here’s how…..

• Proteins help in strengthening our hair. Protein rich diet in your meals can help you make your hair stronger and prevent frequent breaking.

• Vitamin C ensures the health of capillaries supplying blood to hair follicles.

• Vitamin E promotes hair growth and maintains overall healthy hair and mineral zinc helps to reduce or even prevent hair loss.

• Among the vitamins, the group of vitamin B-complex does wonders in giving the hair gloss, color and thickness, all of which are so essential to the appearance of our hair.

Fortifying the surface

Scientifically speaking, ageing could be explained as a decline in an individual’s ability to respond and defend itself against the various internal and external factors that cause ageing like stress, environmental damage or internal disorders. We are all aware that with age our body’s defense mechanisms slow down. So we easily fall prey to various infections. This is where our body immunity comes into play.

The body’s first line of defense is the skin. Anything that enters the body has to pass through your skin. So by improving the skin’s immunity, the body is better protected against diseases, while also reducing the visible signs of ageing. Though we have not been able to reverse this natural clock of ageing, it now seems possible with the newer advances in biotechnology. Young skin readily regenerates collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans.

In ageing skin, the quantity of active fibroblasts is greatly reduced which means that synthesis of collagen and elastin decreases. By utilizing the benefits of this newer technology, we can stimulate cells to increase the rate of skin cell regeneration and restores skin’s ability to regenerate fast.

Eating Disorders – signs and symptoms

Eating Disorders are about attempting to control your life and emotions through food/lack of food. It is important to remember that most Eating Disorders, though their signs and symptoms may be different, share a great number of common causes and emotional aspects.

Warning Signs of Eating Disorders

Eating disorder is a medical problem and should be treated immediately. It is normal that some people especially teenagers tend to go for dieting. Do not misjudge this as an eating disorder. There are prominent symptoms to identify eating disorders.

The symptoms of anorexia include:

* Body weight loss of 15% below the normal weight.

* Constant dieting irrespective of being thin.

* Feeling fat even after gaining the required size.

* Fear of weight gain.

* Loosing menstrual periods.

* Eating in isolation.

* Compulsive exercising.

* Insomnia, brittle hair or nails.

* Mental depression and social withdrawal.

The warning signs of bulimia include:

* Constant eating and purging.

* Frequent use of the toilets after meals.

* Swollen cheeks or glands, reddened finger due to induced vomiting.

* Over conscious on body weight

* Mental depression.

* Irregular menstrual periods

* Dental problems, such as tooth decay.

When You Suspect an Eating Disorder

A person suffering from eating disorders should be subjected to medical examination as soon as possible. They may show resistance and violence when confronted for the first time. They cannot accept the logic behind treatment for a disease they don’t feel to have, according to them they are only dieting to reduce weight. A calm and affectionate approach is required to convince them. If the person resists further, contact a pediatrician or psychologist for other solutions.

Treating Eating Disorders

Treating eating disorder involves medical supervision, nutritional counseling and therapy. This helps the person to regain normal eating habits. Severely starved people may have to be hospitalized. The treatment makes the person aware of healthy food and exercises that can help to maintain his body scientifically.

Preventing Eating Disorders

The approach to food and nutrition is an important factor in the development of healthy eating habits. Always give importance to health, rather than controlling weight.

Parents are responsible for feeding children to make them reach a state of fatness. After that they will either become anxious or the child becomes self conscious and turns to unhealthily eating habits leading to eating disorders.

Stay healthy with fast food

The habit of depending on fast food is rapidly increasing. People are finding it difficult to avoid fast foods due to lack of time or the variety and taste offered. But the damage it is doing to your arteries and kidneys are terrible. People are forced to fast foods when they are away from home or lack of time. Choosing the right fat is necessary when eating at fast food. There should be a way to go around this to keep the safety of your health and life.

You can have a better nutritious diet from fast food if you can follow some simple rules.

• Avoiding non vegetarian fast food dishes can be a better solution.

• It is irresistible to have cheese with pizza or burger but you can choose less fatty cheese or single cheese burger rather than double cheese burger with more calories.

• Chicken or fish products are better to health than beef or pork.

• Satisfy yourself with plain salads instead of fries or onion rings for your side dishes.

• Avoid deserts altogether or keep a strict limit if tempted.

• Completely replace carbonated drinks such as cola with low fat milk, iced tea, or fruit juice. Actually some pure water is the best choice.

• Replacing coffee with green tea will be better.

• Blot all fried dishes on paper towels.

• Prefer fresh fruits over packages fruit juices as they contain lots of preservatives. Use fresh-frozen fruit without added sugar if fresh fruit is not available.

• Choose baked and grilled sandwiches instead of fried ones.

• Ordering foods early helps you to avoid choosing less nutritious and higher calorie fast foods.

• Eat food in a relaxed manner enjoying every bite. This digests food rapidly and gives more satisfaction.

• Buffets promote overeating, so avoid it otherwise you will be tempted.

• Fast food restaurants now offer a wider range of healthy choices and most will provide nutritional information, so choose you menu wisely. If nutrition information is available pay attention to the sodium, fat, saturated fat, and calorie content in food items.

Fatty acids are essential for the building of cell membranes and functioning of brain, eyes and lungs. Fats from raw foods like nuts, seeds avocados and olives are ideal for your health. Avoid using processed oil and always use pure oil for cooking. Partially hydrogenated oils and deep fried fast foods are harmful. Avoid using animal fat. Always try to include Omega 3 fats in your diet.

You can take care of unnecessary fat not only at the time of eating but also when cooking. Reducing the quantity of oil when you cook is the best method to keep fat away. Cooking sprays instead of oil will reduce fat to a large extent. Using broth instead of oil for cooking also reduces fat. Try to boil, broil or bake foods rather than frying. Removal of skin from meat eliminates fat. Marinades like red wine vinegar, soy sauce, crushed garlic, lime and ginger can be used to tenderize lean meat as it contains less fat.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics means ‘pro-life’. The digestive tract is home to over 400 species of microorganisms. Some are ‘good bugs’ and some are ‘bad bugs’ or unhealthy bacteria. Probiotics are the ‘good bugs’. Two of the most common strains are lactobacilli and bifid bacteria. It is believed that if a positive balance of good bacteria is maintained, the bad bacteria are less able to cause disease and irritation.

Here are some health benefits to taking probiotics:

• Inhibit growth of ‘bad bugs’, or bacteria that cause disease.

• Synthesize vitamins, primarily B vitamins.

• Increase availability of nutrients.

• Decrease lactose intolerance.

• Decrease symptoms of GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease)

• Decrease prevalence of allergies.

• Boosts the immune response. Foods which are probiotic include some varieties of soft cheeses, curds, yoghurt and pickles.

The art of sleeping

Sleeping disorders are very harmful and affects the mental, physical and emotional stability of the human body. Sleep is most essential for the body because it is the only time when all part of the body gets complete rest and relaxation. Any disorder in sleep affects all the part of the body making a person completely unsettled and drained. Almost all people might have faced difficulties in sleeping at some stages of their life. Sleeping problem requires medical attention and is curable.

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

Sleeping disorders can affect your health badly even if you are eating and exercising properly. Lack of sleep will let you physically and mentally deprived of rest. Your organs no longer can work in a coordinated manner. This in turn affects your concentration and alertness. Sleeping disorders can also increase risk for diabetes, cause obesity and affect the functioning of immune system. There are many methods you can follow to get a good night sleep:

* Avoid caffeine contained foods and drinks before sleeping.

* Have a time schedule for sleeping and wakening.

* Do not strain physically before going to sleep.

* Wear loose and comfortable night wears for sleeping.

* A nominal temperature in the room is good for a nice sleep.

* Avoid watching television, and listening to stimulating music before going to bed.

* Practice meditation or relaxation techniques.

If you are experiencing sleeping disorders even after trying, do not hesitate to seek the advice of an experienced doctor.

Know more obesity - No more obesity

What is obesity?

Obesity can be defined differently depending on one’s perception about it. Obesity to me is when the shape of the body looks like the letter ‘O’. It is a critical condition due to excess amount of body fat. Now how do you measure the excess level of fats in your body? Body mass Index is the criteria to check if you are obese. The normal amount of body fat (expressed as percentage of body fat) is between 25-30% in women and 18-23% in men. Women with over 30% body fat and men with over 25% body fat are considered obese. More important is the increasing numbers in child obesity. Our eating habits as adults are, in part, determined by how we're fed as babies.

What causes obesity?

There are many causes to obesity but some of the common ones are overeating, physical inactivity, diet high in saturated fats and sugars, hereditary, side-effects of medication, anxiety, and menopause for women. This means that people tend to be obese when their calorie intake is much higher than what they burn with physical exercise in their daily life.

Why is obesity so over-hyped?

Overweight and Excess fats has led to adverse metabolic effects on blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin resistance. They invite risk for major chronic ailments such as heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, hyper-tension, emotional imbalance and even cancer. In the United States, roughly 300,000 deaths per year are directly related to obesity.

Why obese women are more than obese men?

The simple reason for more women being obese as compared to men is their metabolism rate. Women have more fats and less muscle than men. Other tissues including fats burn lesser calories than muscles. Thus, women have a slower metabolism than men which results in putting on more weight than men and it becomes tougher for weight loss. Also with age, our metabolism slows down due to muscle loss. That is the reason you find older people gaining weight unless they reduce their daily calorie intake.

Make exercise an extra activity

Weight loss seems a simple bargain - eat less, exercise more and weight will go away. Some feel diets are difficult while others exercise. But why is exercise the difficult part of the bargain?

Diet is so much easier than exercise to lose weight?

Often due to a sedentary lifestyle, people gain weight due to excess calories from eating or lower calorie expenditure. When it comes to losing weight most choose dieting as it appears easy and there's always the prospect of reward after a bout of dieting. With exercise it requires a lot more effort, very boring, and there's always no time or space to do it. Also one cannot do without food; but on the other hand one can do without exercise, it's not critical to daily life.

How important is exercise for weight loss?

The more we think of exercise as an exclusive weight loss activity the less is the chance of making it a way of living. This is the first mind shift one must make. Exercising activity has three major benefits - health, fitness and weight maintenance. Dieting and exercise both help you lose weight - but dieters also lose the value of building healthy muscle. Healthy muscle improves functional fitness and metabolism - the latter helps in burning fat mass. At another level good aerobic workouts improve health in terms of lowering risk factors such as high cholesterol, diabetes, etc. So, being physically active has a three-tier improvement in your way of life - health, functional fitness and maintenance of weight. Losing weight without appropriate exercise is inadvisable.

How do I make exercise a way of living?

To make anything a way of living requires two conditions - first it should be easy to do at home and secondly it should fit into our daily routine, just like brushing teeth twice a day. It is not essential to join a gym or go out to get an aerobic workout. There are a number of exercises you can do in the privacy of your home, at your convenience, to your music and perhaps with the whole family. Think of exercise as a fun activity with the family or kids who bring a whole lot of meaning and wonderment to life.

Chomping on cherries: A real mind-bender

When your mind is in need of honing, give your brain a bowl of cherries. This yummy fruit is chock-full of anthocyanins, potent compounds that may guard against brain-cell death, so you’ll stay sharp.

Neuron Armor

Cherry phenolics, particularly anthocyanins, appear to protect brain cells from neurodamaging oxidative stress – the kind seen in Alzheimer’s disease. Sour cherries may be particularly protective; it’s thought that they may have higher anthocyanins amounts than the sweet kind. But concentrations vary widely among different varieties.

All in your head

No matter what your age, you can do plenty to keep your mind at peak performance. Start with these tips:

• Give your synapses a good workout. Start with puzzles and games.

• Test your brainpower: Any quiz that tests your skills at lateral thinking, association, wordplay, and logic skills will help.

• Feed your mind. Check out the must-have brain foods – from fish to nuts.

• Assess your risk. This can give you some insight into your risk of Alzheimer’s.

Brisk walking for fitness: Know How?

Walking is one of the simplest and yet so effective exercise to tone your body, lose some calories and control weight. It is a great way to accustom your body to exercise. Brisk walking is the most popular aerobic exercise among women and is appropriate for women of all ages. Of course men can always accompany their ladies while brisk-walk. What makes brisk-walk different from normal walk is the speed.

Many people don’t realize what difference a regular walking pattern can bring to their life. Cardio-vascular diseases are the number one threat to the people worldwide. It has been proved that 30 minutes of regular brisk walking can lower the risks of having cardio-vascular diseases. Brisk walking burns almost as many calories as running or jogging for the same length. It is very beneficial for fat-loss around your waist and hips. Your thigh muscles and calf muscles become so flexible and the joints at knees, ankles become free.

Whenever you plan to start walking, start with a slower pace and small distance. Gradually, increase the pace as well as the distance and you will feel the difference. Also, observe the time you take to finish one mile so that you can analyze your speed and work on it. Walking in morning is said to have a bigger impact because it keeps you active and fresh throughout the day. The climate in the morning is much more soothing and you feel closer to nature. Start walking and lift your spirits!

Food for thought for hot summers

When hot summers are nearing, make some simple changes in your meals to escape from the effects of heat exposure. Water loss from the body is the major concern during summers and the best way to hydrate your body is by increasing the intake of liquids. But there are few other techniques too to keep your body cool and light.

It is better to avoid heavy food, especially those that are oily. During summers, it is difficult to digest such food. Restricting yourself to vegetarian diet can be of great help. Avoid non-vegetarian food for few months.

Always be cautious of the water you drink. You never know when you may suffer of some water-borne disease.

Cooking food at proper temperature is vital. Also, separate raw food and cooked food. Keeping them together can cross-contaminate food. Incase of doubt about the freshness of food, just throw it out!

Have loads of fresh and green vegetables. Salads with your choice of dressings can be good fillers and easy to digest. Cucumbers and tomatoes can be as cool as ice for your body.

Fruits are the best energy agents that keep you active ever. Fruits like watermelons, grapes, sweet melons and mangoes keep your body cool and regulate the heat. Instead of consuming packaged fruit juices and punch, make your own ice-crushed cocktails and drinks with different combinations.

The cholesterol myth - It’s all in your mind!

People all over the world are afraid of the word cholesterol thinking it is responsible for all cardiac problems. It is a truth that cardiac problems are a major reason for death all over the world. There are several myths associated with heart and cholesterol.

Myth 1: All cholesterol in my body is bad!

Cholesterols are of two types HDL, the good cholesterol and LDL, the bad cholesterol. Cholesterol is produced by liver in our body. Cholesterol is required in our body for the production of bile salts, hormones and vitamin D. When the LDL cholesterol level in our body increases it has the tendency to stick on the artery walls. This may obstruct the flow of blood leading to heart attack.

Excess of HDL production does not harm the body. The unutilized HDL in the body is transferred to liver and removed from the body through excretion. HDL also has the capability of removing some LDL deposits in the arteries. So an increase in the level of HDL in the blood can reduce the chance of heart problems.

LDL level in the blood can be reduced by monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats found in nuts and fishes. Soluble fiber found in fruits, oats, barley and legumes also have the ability to decrease LDL level. Since LDL cholesterol level can be fatal you should frequently check it. And if it cannot be controlled naturally you should immediately consult a doctor for advice. Because, increase in cholesterol level depends on many factors like family background, age, gender, eating habits, exercise, body weight, size and diabetes conditions.

Myth 2: Seafood is high in cholesterol, so stop eating seafood!

Most of the people consider that seafood may increase the cholesterol level in your body. Actually seafood like fish is a source of good cholesterol (HDL), and is capable of reducing the risk of heart problems. Saturated fats and trans-fatty acids are responsible for increasing cholesterol levels. These substances are found in prepackaged foods or snacks, deep fried foods and foods prepared from partially hydrogenated oil.

Myth 3: Avoid potatoes as they are fattening!

Potatoes are wrongly though of as being fattening. Actually, besides being high in fibre, potatoes are rich in many vitamins, minerals and complex carbohydrates. They should be baked or boiled to make a nutritious and filling meal. It is only when they are fried however (as in the case of French fries) that the calorie content goes up substantially upto as much as three times.

Did you know?

• You can trim the fat from stir-frying--by frying in juice rather than oil? Some tasty options are apple, pineapple or orange juice, and pear or apricot nectar. Since the juice evaporates as the foods are cooking, you need to keep adding more. But the fat content of juice is negligible, and you're saving 13.5 grams of fat for every tablespoon of oil you forgo.
• First digestion takes place in mouth. Exact biting and chewing and mixing consuming food with saliva in further consequence allows more précised and faster digestion by digestive juices, thanks this food "entering" stomach faster "leaves" it.
• Green tea purifies blood, strengthens teeth, and possesses bactericidal properties, acts against calculi in liver, kidneys and bladder, decreases blood pressure, decreases bad cholesterol level.
• Watermelons are 97% water, lettuce 97%, tomatoes 95%, and carrots 90%, and bread 30%.
• Intervertebral discs consist largely of water (at birth, discs are about eighty percent water, although this usually declines with age). Therefore, keeping the body well hydrated by drinking water regularly is important to nourish the spinal discs and help keep them healthy.
• The more fat in your body the less percentage of water it contains. Woman's body consists of about 60% and man's one of about 65% of water because naturally woman's body contains more fat.
• Before you snuggle into bed at night, apply some lip cream. The rich creamy texture is sure to get your lips all soft and supple by next morning.

 

Strong bones and sound body structures

Much as the strength of a building depends on a sound structure, our bodies too need a strong frame in order to be healthy. After all our body consists of 206 bones making it a sound system! Hence, it is so necessary that we take care of our bone health by eating right, if we are to remain youthful and active throughout our life. Elderly people need to be very cautious as they are highly prone to fractures as bones get brittle with age. Women need to take care of sufficient amount of calcium being available in the body to avoid osteoporosis.

• Proteins are needed for maintaining bone strength and for repairing damaged tissues. However, compared to young children, protein needs fall as we get older because it becomes hard to digest the proteins.
• A calcium-rich diet is the most important part of any regimen for the care of bones. Calcium is also essential for the teeth, and helps to keep them intact so that we can not only eat well, but also give those winning smiles that proclaim our youthfulness.
• Helping the body to absorb the calcium is vitamin D, which also assists in maintaining adequate levels of this mineral in the blood. So we need plenty of vitamin D too.
• Also, helping the absorption of calcium is vitamin C, which, additionally, strengthens both bones and muscle. Because of its immunity-boosting properties, vitamin C helps in the healing of broken bones too.

Sparkling eyes and Bright vision

Bright sparkling eyes with a clear vision say so much for our youthful looks, besides being a big asset in leading an active life. Vision health benefits from good nutrition combined with regular exercise regime and in particular with eye exercises.

• Topping the list of necessary nutrients is vitamin A. A sure way of getting an adequate supply of this vitamin is by consuming enough fruits and vegetables containing beta-carotene, which gets converted into retinal, a form of vitamin A. A combination of retinal and a protein called opsin produces rhodopsin, a major pigment in the retina of the eye that contributes to good vision.

• To help vitamin A in its functions and also to keep the eye muscles working at their best, you need a good amount of proteins.

• Though vision is created when light enters your eyes, this same light produces some chemicals that could damage the eye. What protects our eyes from such damages is vitamin C.

• B-complex vitamins keep the skin around the eyes smooth and supple, so that there are no give-away signs of ageing, like crows feet.

• Vitamin E helps form new blood vessels and cuts down the risk of suffering from eye disorders.

• Among the minerals, iron plays an important role in the circulation of blood into the eye tissues. Zinc protects they eyes from infections.

• Selenium, an antioxidant, prevents the eye tissues from getting damaged.

That’s surely a lot of nutrients that our eyes need! Of course you don’t have to worry about where you will get all these nutrients if you just follow a balanced diet providing all the rich nutrients in correct proportions.

Feel-good fruit - KIWI

The small, fuzzy kiwifruit may pack a big punch when it comes to heart health. Eating kiwifruit everyday may help lower triglyceride levels. Reducing triglyceride levels and other blood fats helps to guard against the build-up of dangerous arterial plaques. The vitamin C, vitamin E, and polyphenol content of kiwifruit are the reason for its heart benefits.

A diet high in fruits and vegetables provides you with an array of anti-oxidants that can help your body combat cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and needless ageing. A new study reveals that kiwifruit – a small green fruit encased in a brown fuzzy skin – may help protect your blood vessels by lowering triglyceride levels and reducing platelet clumping. Platelets are blood components that assist with blood clotting. However, platelets those are too sticky aid in the formation of dangerous arterial plaques, which promotes cardiovascular disease.

Engaging in 30 minutes of physical activity every day, reducing stress, and limiting your intake of saturate and trans fats are other great ways to balance your blood fats and help maintain your arterial health.