Benefits of Bananas

Healthy Life with Bananas

Health Tips | Benefits of Bananas

• Bananas are a natural antacid, providing relief from acid reflux, heartburn and GERD
• Bananas are high in antioxidants, providing free radicals and protection from chronic disease
• Bananas act as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria in the bowel. They also produce digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients.
• Bananas are the only raw fruit that can be consumed without distress to relieve stomach ulcers by coating the lining of the stomach against corrosive acids
• Bananas help overcome depression due high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin — the happy-mood brain neurotransmitter
• Bananas make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. Eat a banana before an exam to benefit from the high levels of potassium.
• Bananas reduce swelling, protect against type II diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells, all due to high levels of vitamin B-6
• Constipated? High fiber in bananas can help normalize bowel motility.
• Control blood sugar and avoid binging between meals by eating a banana
• Counteract calcium loss during urination and build strong bones by supplementing with a banana
• Eat two bananas before a strenuous workout to pack an energy punch and sustain your blood sugar    
  
  
  
• Eating a banana between meals helps stabilize blood sugar and reduce nausea from morning sickness
• Eating a banana can lower the body temperature and cool you during a fever or on a hot day
• Eating bananas helps prevent kidney cancer, protects the eyes against macular degeneration and builds strong bones by increasing calcium absorption
• Got the runs? Bananas are soothing to the digestive tract and help restore lost electrolytes after diarrhea.
• High in potassium and low in salt, bananas are officially recognized by the FDA as being able to lower blood pressure, and protect against heart attack and stroke
• Improve your mood and reduce PMS symptoms by eating a banana, which regulates blood sugar and produces stress-relieving relaxation
• Protect against muscle cramps during workouts and night time leg cramps by eating a banana
• Quitting smoking? Bananas contain high levels of B-vitamins as well as potassium and magnesium speed recovery from the effects of withdrawal
• Remove a wart by placing the inside of a piece of banana peel against the wart and taping it in place
• Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body
• Rub a bug bite or hives with the inside of the banana peel to relieve itching and irritation
• Rub the inside of a banana peel on your leather shoes or handbag and polish with a dry cloth for a quick shine
• Strengthen your blood and relieve anemia with the added iron from bananas
• The natural mood-enhancer tryptophan, helps to relieve Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
  

Read more ...

Healthy Diet During Ramadan

Health Tips For Ramadan

Intake of a balanced diet is critical to maintain good health, sustain an active lifestyle and attain the full benefits of Ramadan.

Fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan can be good for one's health and personal development. Ramadan fasting is not just about disciplining the body to restrain from eating food and drinking water from predawn until sunset. The eyes, the ears, the tongue, and even the private parts are equally obligated to be restrained if a Muslim wants to gain the total rewards of fasting. Ramadan is also about restraining anger, doing good deeds, exercising personal discipline, and preparing oneself to serve as a good Muslim and a good person during and after Ramadan.

In Ramadan, the health problems can emerge as a result of excess food intake, foods that make the diet unbalanced and insufficient sleep. Ultimately also, such a lifestyle contradicts the essential requirements and spirit of Ramadan.

During Ramadan you need to put extra effort into including foods from all five food groups to ensure variety and a well-balanced diet. These foods include:

Breads, cereals and other grain products

Fruit and vegetables

Milk, cheese and yogurt

Meat, fish and poultry

Fats and sugars (these contain very little nutrients and are high in calories and therefore their intake should be limited).

The most commonly consumed foods by Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) were milk, dates, lamb/mutton and oats. Healthy foods mentioned in the Holy Qur’an are fruit and vegetables, such as olives, onions, cucumber, figs, dates, grapes as well as pulses such as lentils.

Complex carbohydrates are foods that will help release energy slowly during the long hours of fasting and are found in grains and seeds like barley, wheat, oats, millets, semolina, beans, lentils, whole meal flour and basmati rice. Look out for foods labeled Low G.I.

Fibre-rich foods are also digested slowly and include bran, cereals, whole wheat, grains and seeds, potatoes with skin, vegetables such as green beans and almost all fruit, including apricots, prunes and figs.

Foods to avoid are the heavily processed and fast-burning foods that contain refined carbohydrates such as sugar and white flour or fatty food like cakes, biscuits, chocolates and sweets. It may also be worth avoiding the caffeine content in drinks such as tea, coffee and cola (caffeine is a diuretic and stimulates faster water loss through urination).

Read more ...

Health Benefits of Saffron Zafran

Benefits of Zafran & its various Usage 

Reduce Issues of Depression, Premenstrual & Lungs Problems

• Saffron is known to be an effective anti-depressant for curing mild to moderate depression. Ingesting sufficient amounts of saffron tea brings feelings of happiness and joy.
• Saffron is protecting and preventing eye vision is one of the most important advantages. Researchers indicate that saffron is a powerful antioxidant that helps in managing the fatty acid levels in the membranes of the cells, thereby correcting vision in people with retinitis pigments or macular degeneration related to age.
• Saffron is highly effective in inducing menstruation in women, particularly those with irregular periods. Besides reducing bleeding in the uterus, it alleviates the pain caused by menstruation.
• Saffron tea helps in cleansing the body from harmful toxins and substances that can otherwise lead to arthrosclerosis, a condition that hardens the arteries due to the build-up of plaque from fattening foods. When ignored, arthrosclerosis can trigger heart disease, diabetes and blood disorders.
• Stomach aches and similar ailments can be eased with saffron tea through stimulating the stomach muscles. By contracting the muscles, the tea gives cooling, soothing, and relaxing vibes.
• Apart from reducing menstrual period pains, saffron helps with alleviating the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, including emotional stability, sore breasts, depression and fatigue.
• Saffron contains an agent called crocetin which is helpful in lowering blood pressure. When taken in the form of a tea, saffron works best in reversing high blood pressure.
• If your lungs have been inflamed due to a cold or respiratory illness, clear off the phlegm from your lungs by drinking saffron. Furthermore, saffron helps in reducing inflammation and clearing airways, thereby easing the symptoms of asthma.
• Crocin, Safranal, and Picrocrocin present in saffron have anti-cancer activities that combine to prevent and slow down the growth of human cancer cells.
• Saffron is beneficial to the body both internally and externally. Sores, bruises, and bug bites are some problems that can be treated and healed with the application of saffron paste.
• Using saffron in cooking on a regular basis has shown signs of improved memory power, relieved muscle pain and pain from kidney stones, and increased blood circulation.
• Preparing tea from saffron has been helpful in restricting the build-up of cholesterol; thus, bringing relief from abdominal pains and managing health blood pressure.
• With a number of carotenoids present, saffron is believed to inhibit skin tumors and improve arthritis.
• It contains active constituents which help in producing positive effects on people suffering from neurodegenerative disorders. Additionally, massaging your gums with saffron reduces soreness and inflammation of the mouth and tongue.
• Other health benefits that saffron has been credited with include curing insomnia, coughing, heartburn, premature ejaculation, flatulence, indigestion, dry skin and baldness.

Read more ...

Why Breakfast in Morning is Important

Healthy Tips to make your whole day pleasant

Most of the time people have not time for breakfast in the morning. There are many reasons and lame excuses regarding non availability of time for breakfast in morning.

The truth is, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Have you heard the quote ‘Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper’? This quote is a great way to remember what kind of nutrition your body needs at different times of the day. Therefore, why should you eat breakfast like a king? Let’s discuss it here! 

Breakfast means the meal that “breaks the fast” and is the first meal that is taken after waking up from a night’s sleep. It is consumed early morning, before you start off with your daily routine.

Here are more reasons you should eat breakfast daily

Breakfast is vital because after we wake up in the morning our bodies need to be nourished to replenish its energy stores. Without adequate energy, you won’t be able to tackle the day with a fresh and active mind and body. That is exactly why you need to kick-start the day with a well-balanced meal crammed with adequate protein, carbohydrates and fiber.

Sets Metabolism into Motion

A healthy breakfast activates your metabolism (it is the process of burning calories). The consumption of an early morning meal increases the metabolic rate, which means breakfast actually revs up your body for the day ahead. A wholesome breakfast can provides you with essential nutrients needed by your body after the night’s fast. Three to four hours after you eat, your metabolism slows down. If you skip breakfast and eat something during lunch hour, the fact that you have been hungry since last night forces you to eat more to compensate for your hunger pangs, that results your metabolism exhausted from working in overdrive, chances are that you will pack on extra pounds which you don’t want.  A slow metabolism is one of the causes of weight gain.

Boost Up Your Energy Level

Regular breakfast eaters are more energetic throughout the day in comparison to those who skip breakfast. This meal helps you gain the vital nutrients your body needs to generate energy and function optimally.

Breakfast Helps You to Concentrate

Breakfast improves your concentration level and helps you stay focused on your tasks. Research has established that those who skip breakfast have difficulty concentrating and take more time in tasks that involve. All parts of your body, including the brain, are in short supply of essential nutrients when you wake up in the morning. Skipping breakfast forces your brain to work harder than usual which leads to poor concentration, slow understanding and a difficulty in getting things done. When you skip breakfast, your body continues to fast until you eat later in the day.

Uplifts Your Mood

With a well-balanced breakfast you can stay positive and happy throughout the day. Research suggests that breakfast eaters are less irritable as compared to those who skip breakfast. Hunger can cause mood swings and when your body is lacking its needed nutrition it can trigger feelings of frustration.

Helps You Stay in Shape

Experts share that non-breakfast eaters are 4.5 times more likely to suffer from obesity and obesity related medical problems compared to those who eat breakfast daily. A wholesome morning meal can help you lose weight, maintain your current weight, and reduce the desire to snack on fatty, sugary foods.

Suggestible & Healthy Breakfast Options

Remember that all of the benefits that we have discussed so far cannot be obtained by eating just anything you find in the kitchen. It's about eating the right things. Since you now know why breakfast is so important for you, you need to decide how to make it into a nutritious and healthy meal. It is always better to go for natural foods because most on-the-go breakfast meals are processed and contain artificial ingredients. We suggest the following options for you to include in your morning meal:

·         Cereals with high fiber content

·         Cottage cheese with porridge

·         Fresh fruit juices

·         Hardboiled egg(s) and brown bread

·         Low fat yogurt (Dahi) with fresh cut fruits.

·         Plain milk or fruit milkshakes

Read more ...

Improve your Eyesight Naturally

Health Tips

Food that is good & bad for your Eyes

Best food for your eyes

1. Apricots
2. Berries
3. Black Currants
4. Carrot
5. Cold-water Fish
6. Collard Greens
7. Eggs
8. Fish Oils
9. Grapefruits
10. Grapes
11. Lemons
12. Milk
13. Spinach

Harmful for your eyes

Drugs which are harmful to the eyes

Foods and additives containing Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

Looking directly into the sun for some time

Cell phone, games may also be harmful

Read more ...

Tips to Improve Brain Health & Power

Healthy Brain Tips

28 Ways to improve brain power

1.     Exercise: Long-term exercise has been proven to increase brain power and even create new neurons in the brain. Go out and get a natural high off of your own brain chemistry through exercise!

2.     Avoid Junk Food: Junk food has been proven to decrease energy in the body and promotes “brain fog.” Cut some junk food from your diet, and reap the benefits of a more calm, focused brain chemistry.

3.     Deep Breathing: Deep breathing actually increases oxygen levels and blood-flow to the brain. 10-15 minutes of daily deep breathing can make a huge difference in the quality of your life and brain’s functioning potential.

4.     Take Fish Oil: Fish oil supplements are literally like membrane material for the brain. The 2 primary components of EPA and DHA each act to strengthen both the emotional center of the brain and boost focus. There is an increase in overall brain activity after taking fish oil for awhile.

5.     Meditate: Meditation has been known to increase IQ, relieve stress, and promotes higher levels of brain functioning. Meditation also activates the “prefrontal cortex” of the brain, an area responsible for advanced thinking ability and performance.

6.     Laugh It Up: Laughter causes a natural release of the brain’s endorphins — chemicals that drown out pain and increase overall well being. Laughter is a well known, natural stress reducer. Watch a comedy, crack a joke, and increase those endorphin levels!

7.     Take A Multivitamin: Vitamins are great for the brain, and if it does not get enough of a certain vitamin through daily diet, consider a multivitamin. Multivitamins help facilitate the functioning of a healthy body and enriched brain. Start popping a vitamin each morning for awhile and chances are good that you’ll notice a difference!

8.     Eat Healthy: You know what ‘healthy’ is, so why not eat healthy and improve your brain? The brain requires a certain amount of energy to reach it’s maximum level of functioning. Eating chocolate cake and chips instead of fish and legumes, well maybe that’s why you cannot think clearly.

9.     Eat Less: Eating too much food has the effect of decreasing blood-flow to the brain and increasing blood-flow to the digestive system. Therefore, if you are able to cut-back on the total amount of food you consume, you will have enhanced brain functioning. In several lab studies, rats on a calorie-restricted diet had increased blood flow to their brains.

10.                        Change Your Environment: To keep your brain properly stimulated, it is important to keep changing your environment. Drive a new route to work, eat at a new restaurant on Friday night. Changing the environment helps change the brain!

11.                        Set Goals: Setting goals activates areas of the brain associated with positive thinking and action. Setting goals is great for achieving success and prosperity in life and boosting your brain.

12.                        Be Empathetic: Being empathetic and trying to understand the emotions of others is a skill that your brain can learn. Being empathetic is definitely a powerful trait to have and allows your brain to relate to the emotions of others.

13.                        Avoid Stress: A little bit of stress will never hurt anybody. Too much stress actually causes detrimental increases in the hormone “cortisol” which in high levels, kills brain cells and suppresses brain functioning.

14.                        Think Positive: If you are currently very good at thinking positively, chances are good that you already have a more powerful brain than those “Negative Nellies.” Take 10 minutes daily to think more positive and start noticing an improvement in thinking abilities and problem solving skills.

15.                        Brainstorm: A good brainstorming session to think of new, stimulating ideas is a great way to boost your brains ability to think creatively. Brainstorming is actually a different way of thinking that will equip your brain with a quick creative boost.

16.                        Ask Questions: Asking questions is a phenomenal way to keep your brain in shape. Get in the habit of questioning others and their thoughts. Questions can provoke new thoughts and ideas and asking them is a great way to build up brain power!

17.                        Re-Read This List: Want to boost your brain power? Start by re-reading this list and highlighting several methods that you can apply to your life. As a matter of fact, print this list out and staple it up someplace that you will view every day. That way, when walking past the list, you can take a glance and randomly choose an activity to boost your brain power!

18.                        Visualize: Visualization has been associated with focus at a deeper level. Many successful athletes that are able to play “in the zone” actually visualize their game at a deeper level. Visualization has been linked to lowered stress, increased creativity, and peak mind-body performance.

19.                        Get Some Sleep: Be sure to always fulfill your brain’s need for sleep. Sleep clears out mental clutter and unimportant thoughts. Getting a good night’s sleep can also be the difference between a sharp memory and feeling forgetful. Everyone has different sleep requirements, be sure to fulfill yours! If you don’t get enough sleep — you may want to take a nap…

20.                        Do Self-Hypnosis: The power of hypnotic suggestion is definitely real. You can change aspects of your thought process and learn to shift your focus by taking the time to do some self-hypnosis. Hypnosis research shows that by practicing hypnosis, an individual experiences lowered stress, increased pain tolerance, and clear thinking. Try it out for yourself if you haven’t already!

21.                        Eat Nuts: Brazil and South American University students swear by eating nuts before taking exams. They notice that eating them is correlated with an increase in test scores. New studies are beginning to prove nuts effectiveness at increasing brain power. If you do not eat a lot of nuts, try it sometime and reap the brain related benefits!

22.                        Go For A Walk: Exercise definitely benefits the brain, and walking is a great form of exercise that is easy and very effective for boosting brainpower. Walking puts your mind in a relaxed state of clear thought and brain function. Walking gives your brain a chance to wander and free itself from any troubling thoughts.

23.                        Solve Puzzles: Solving puzzles is a great way to stimulate your brains ability to critically think and process information. Puzzles are thought provoking, challenging, and a fun activity. The great thing about puzzles is that they require activity in the left-hemisphere of the brain to work with, and transfer information to, the right hemisphere’s visual center of the brain. Want a more integrated brain? Solve a puzzle!

24.                        Do Neurofeedback: Neurofeedback is a great way to learn to consciously control your brain wave patterns. Neurofeedback builds brain structure and helps promote flexibility within a brain’s neural network. Though neurofeedback is somewhat costly, if you’ve got enough money — it may very well be the best investment you can make for your brain!

25.                        Live A Drug-Free Lifestyle: Everyone knows that drugs are bad for them. Drugs do not foster creativity, they kill creativity and deplete brain cells. Depending on the drug, effects can range from brain bleeding, to cell loss, to impairments in neural growth. Live drug free and keep your brain more powerful!

26.                        Drink Freshly Squeezed Juice: Drinking fresh pressed vegetable juice revitalizes the brain and provides cells with a refreshing jolt of nutrients. Most juices provide your brain with vital nutrients which in turn, provide you with more mental energy and focus.

27.                        Be Self-Aware: When you learn to let go of ego-driven and emotional aspects of life, rational thinking kicks in. Rational thinking will allow you to become self-aware, which in turn allows you to make better future decisions to achieve optimal brain health. Activities like meditation, self-hypnosis, and introspection allow us to increase our self-awareness.

28.                        Stay In School: If you are in school, chances are good that you will boost your brain power more than the average dropout! Keeping up with school work, means giving your brain a good workout in areas of self-discipline, learning, and mental processing. Stay in school, or do something to always be learning something new!

Read more ...

Home remedies to treat Diarrhea

Health Tips 

Tips to recover from Motions

Home remedies to treat Diarrhea

Diarrhea refers to loose stools or an increase in the frequency of passing stools. There is a loss of bodily fluids when diarrhea occurs and this can result in dehydration and imbalance of electrolyte levels.

The most common causes of diarrhea are:

• Medications: The intake of certain medications can result in adverse reactions in the body. Many individuals react in this manner to antibiotics or medications used to treat hypertension.
• Diseases: Conditions that affect the intestine such as celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease usually trigger diarrhea.
• Bacteria: Various types of bacteria may be responsible for causing diarrhea. These bacteria are usually present in contaminated food and water. Some examples of bacteria that cause diarrhea are salmonella, campylobacter and E. coli.
• Viruses: Herpes simplex virus, rotavirus and Norwalk virus are some of the viruses that cause diarrhea.
• Parasites: These can cause infection in the digestive system when they enter the body through food and water.
• Intolerance to Certain Foods: Some individuals cannot digest the components present in certain foods. Lactose allergy is one of the most common food allergies.
• Hormone Disorders: Conditions that arise due to hormonal imbalances such as hyperthyroidism and diabetes can also lead to diarrhea.

Natural ways & tips to recover from Diarrhea:

• Drink more & drink wisely
• To treat dehydration caused by diarrhea, add a little salt to the juice of bitter gourd and drink.
• Don't eat only bland foods
• Get the right nutrients
• Use over-the-counter medications
• Rest. Give your body time to recover.
• Herbs such as chamomile and thyme are known to help in relieving diarrhea. You may use them in the form of tinctures, pills or teas.
• Black tea contains beneficial tannins which help to alleviate inflammation and infection in the intestines. You can add some sugar to the tea since it helps to enhance the absorption of water and sodium.
• Black seed oil is known to help in treating diarrhea. Add one teaspoon of black seed oil to a cup of yogurt and consume twice daily.
• To reduce pain and cramps, soak a small towel in warm water and place it over your abdomen. The heat will help to relieve cramping and muscle spasms.
• Turmeric helps to destroy bacteria and thus helps in treating infection. Add one teaspoon of turmeric to warm water and drink.
• To reduce abdominal cramps arising from diarrhea, add half a teaspoon each of lemon juice and ginger juice to black pepper powder. Consume the mixture thrice daily.
• Indian gooseberry serves as an effective diarrhea treatment. Add a pinch of black salt to half a teaspoon of Indian gooseberry powder and consume after meals.
• Mashed apples are known to be a beneficial food for those with diarrhea.

Read more ...