WHICH COOKING OIL IS THE BEST

Each brand in the market claims that, their own product is the best. In the market there are various cooking oils available. Which one is the best? Before we conclude, which one is the best oil, let’s look at the essential fats. We classified fats as good fats and bad fats based on their ability to raise or lower cholesterol levels.

Good Fats: Good fats area again two types. Monounsaturated Fats and the second one is   Polyunsaturated Fats.
Monounsaturated Fats: Lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase the HDL (good) cholesterol
Polyunsaturated Fats: Also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Omega3 fatty acids belong to this group.

SURPRISING FACTS OF EATING NUTS DAILY

Nuts are of course a fatty food and many might worry that they will put on weight by eating more nuts. After all, 30 grams (or one ounce) of most nuts contain about 800 kilojoules (200 kilocalories). Happily though, on present evidence, nuts do not seem to cause weight gain. For example in the Nurses' Study the frequent nut consumers were actually a little thinner on average than those who almost never consumed nuts, and daily supplements of almonds or peanuts for six months resulted in little or no increase in body weight. Nuts appear to satisfy hunger sufficiently well to appropriately reduce the consumption of other food.

NUTRIENT CONTENT TABLE - GRAINS

    The improtance of grains and sprouts and nutrients has been posted in my earlier posts. Grains has all  Essential Nutrients like Carbohydrates, Protiens, Energy, Calcium, Iron, Minerals.  We just need to know, which grain has which nutrient and of what quantity. Whole grains are loaded with vitamins and minerals, especially in the bran and germ, but these components are often removed when some grain products are processed, such as when wheat is processed into the white flour and brown rice is processed as white rice.

MENSTRUAL PAIN AVOID PAIN KILLERS

To feel free from menstrual pain, stop taking pain killers, it may damage your kidney or even prevent you from conceiving.

While contraceptive pills have been largely banned because of the risks involved, a senior gynaecologist in the city has now spoken out against indiscriminate use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs to combat pain during menstrual cycles.

"People pop over-the-counter pills because of severe and long-lasting pain during menstruation without realizing its implications. Instead of being diagnosed with the real problem, which may be endometriosis, they end up with kidney failure because of the pills," Dr Kamini Rao, medical director of Bangalore Assisted Contraception Centre, told reporters.

HEALTHY LUNCH BOX - BBC UPDATES

Make your own lunch

If lunch is dictated by what's available - whether a sandwich bar, petrol station, corner shop or fast-food outlet - then choosing to make your own meal provides a nutritious and healthy alternative, and saves money.

Lunchboxes don't need to contain just a soggy sandwich and a packet of crisps. Ensuring the meal contains fruit and/or vegetables, a good helping of starchy carbohydrates and some dairy products will result in a nutritionally balanced lunch. 

SIMPLE TIPS TO CONTROL YOUR BELLY FAT

Want to get rid of your belly fat? Well, then all you need to do is follow the simple tips given in a new book, The Flat Belly Diet.

The book is written by Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass, the editors of health magazine Prevention, reports CBS News.

Here are some tips that can help you get rid of belly fat:

HEART PATIENTS - FAR FROM PAIN KILLERS

A new study has warned that even short-term use of some painkillers like ibuprofen could be dangerous for people who've had a heart attack.

Researchers analysed the duration of prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) treatment and cardiovascular risk in a nationwide Danish cohort of patients with prior heart attack.

They found the use of NSAIDs was associated with a 45 per cent increased risk of death or recurrent heart attack within as little as one week of treatment, and a 55 per cent increased risk if treatment extended to three months.

FOODS TO AVOID - TO PREVENT MIGRAINE

There are many possible triggers of migraine headaches, including foods, stress, sensory stimulation (such as bright lights, strong smells, loud noises or changes in weather), hormones and more.


Skipping meals, taking certain medicines or being very tired can also bring on a migraine.

SOUTH KOREAN STUDY ON AUTISM

While previous studies have suggested autism affects about 1 in every 110 children in the United States, a new study estimates the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in South Korea to be about 1 in 38 children. This finding suggests autism has been underdiagnosed and underreported, and may lead to an increase in the number of autism cases diagnosed.

ANXIETY WEAKENS YOUR BONES

Anxiety can weaken bones (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

Beware- anxiety now comes with a new risk: it weakens your bones!


Researchers from Deakin in Australia and Norwegian universities analysed data of over 8,000 men and women from central Norway and found a link between depressive symptoms and reduction in bone mineral density.


Participants underwent forearm bone mineral density scans, reports the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Deakin researcher Lana Williams said, "It was found that depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms in men were associated with lower bone mineral density."

"There are several known risk factors for low bone mineral density, such as advance age, gender (women are at greater risk than men), familial predisposition, low levels of sex hormones, inadequate calcium intake and vitamin D deficiency," Williams said.

"It is possible that poor mental health could be another one of these risk factors."

Recently, the possible association between psychiatric illness - particularly depression - and osteoporosis has been the subject of a growing body of research.

WHEN WE GET OLDER WHY OUR BRAIN LOSE MEMORY POWER GRADUALLY

A new study from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has shed light on why our brains produce fewer and fewer neurons with age, a phenomenon thought to underlie age-related cognitive decline. 

The study suggested that this drop in production is due to the shrinking cache of adult stem cells in our brains.

The new neurons are critical for some facets of memory—for instance, when similar events need to be memorized as separate episodes—and for the response to anti-depressant therapies and repair after brain injury.


"That the production of new neurons declines with age has been well established, but why this happens has been a matter of debate," said Associate Professor Grigori Enikolopov, who led the CSHL team.

Between one month and two years of age—a mouse's normal life span—the scientists observed a 100-fold decrease in the number of brain stem cells.

The rate of this decrease slowed with age, but the output per cell—measured as the number of progeny each cell gives rise to—increased, which Enikolopov said might be a strategy to cope with the loss of stem cells.

Enikolopov's group found that the adult stem cells in the brain remain quiescent for a prolonged time until they are activated. They then undergo a series of rapid divisions that give rise to progeny that differentiate into neurons.

After that, the stem cells abandon their "stemness" by differentiating into astrocytes, a type of non-neural "helper" cells.

"This implies that each adult brain stem cell is used only once and hence is disposable, as opposed to stem cells in the blood or gut that self-renew many times during the lifespan," said Enikolopov.

The study was published in the May 6 issue of Cell Stem Cell . 

GREEN TEA IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE

In my earlier post, GREEN TEA BENEFITS have already been posted. In recent times, TIMES OF INDIA has published an article on green tea, as explained below.  Hope you all enjoy the benefits of green tea by taking every day.

Previous studies have shown that people who consume the highest levels of green tea tend to have lower risks of several chronic degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

LATEST HEALTH UPDATE FROM US STUDY ON OBESITY

Obese Teens Lack Vitamin D

Researchers screened 68 obese adolescents and found low vitamin D levels in all of the girls (72 percent were deemed deficient and 28 percent insufficient) and in 91 percent of the boys (69 percent deficient and 22 percent insufficient).

After treatment, 43 of the youths had their vitamin D levels measured again and, although levels generally increased, normal levels were achieved in just 28 percent of the participants. In the others, repeated bouts of vitamin D treatment did not bring the teens' vitamin D levels to normal, which the researchers described as "concerning."

HEALTH UPDATES - BBC

Accordign to research, middle aged people who are over weight but not obese are having 71% chances to develop dementia, than those with a normal weight.

For more info:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13213755

Waist fat increases heart risk:

If people have more unwanted fat around the waist, they are more likely to get heart attacks, and increased rate of sudden deaths, according to a study at the Mayo Clinic Inthe US.

For more info:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13222192

Drinking alcohol above and over recommended limits, people will be at high rish of their health whether it is high blood pressure, or breast cancer or even domestic abuse.

For more info:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13259814

Thyroid drug boosts risk of fractures in the elderly:

For more info:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13221928

HEALTH UPDATES - TIMES OF INDIA

Home Remedies for Digestive Problems:

The more common digestive problems are Heart Burn and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Imagine, after having your most favourite food which caused your stomach upset and bloating, will you be able to concentrate on your work or daily routine?   We can avoid this situation by simple dietary and exercise.  The remedies are simple. But if we don’t follow, only god can understand our constant worried situation of bloated stomach.

Heartburn is felt right from the chest to the throat area.  If heart burn is common problem for you, avoid spicy, citrusy and vinegary foods.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a disorder in which one might suffer from extreme abdominal pain and cramps. In severe case one may also suffer from constipation and diarrhoea.

For more info:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Home-remedies-for-digestive-problems/articleshow/8158656.cms

Misuse of pain killers causes liver damage!!

Many people not aware of the pain killer’s ingredients. But still people use it very often to get rid off the pain. The unknown fact is acetaminophen in the pain killers, could cause acute liver damage in case of over dosage.

According to the Jennifer King, lead author of the paper and project leader for medication safety research in Feinberg's Health Literacy and Learning Program “Individuals don’t understand that may be taking the drug simultaneously in multiple medication and people think that if we can buy a medicine without prescription, there is no harm. They don’t realize exceeding the dose could cause liver damage.

For more info:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Misuse-of-pain-killers-causes-liver-damage/articleshow/8152774.cms

Be aware of Periodontitis – Teeth and Gum Infection

Periodontitis is a disorder, the bones that support teeth gets infected. Teeth and gums are badly affected due to this disorder. If left untreated, it can give rise to bad breath, gradually eroding jaw bones and ultimately tooth loss.

This can be prevented by brushing teeth twice a day. Include bitter fruits and citrus in your diet. Eat unripe guavas or its leaves. Avoid starchy food, tinned food, junk food, coffee, tea and alcohol.

For more info:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Dont-ignore-bleeding-teeth/articleshow/7798458.cms

STEPS TO PREVENT HAIR FALL

Regular use of mild shampoo keeps the dirt and grime off . Clean scalp is the first step towards healthy, unbreakable hair.

Ten to twelve glasses of water keeps the internal system flushes and eliminates toxins. Great for your entire system and hair.

Protein intake is necessary through consumption of leafy green vegetables, fruits and dairy products.

Brahmi oil is great for a lustrous hair.

Condition your hair twice in a week. Never apply conditioner to the hair roots which aggravates hair fall.

Vitamins, iron, protein and other nutrients must be present in your food. Spinach keeps you and your hair hearty and healthy.

Increase the intake of zinc. This prevents hair loss and premature greying. Food items like wholegrain flour contain zinc.

Surprisingly, copper, stops hair fall. Contained in the blood serum, it prevents hair fall. Peanuts, cashew nuts, beans, whole milk and seeds contain copper. Have them to check hair loss.

DIET PLAN TO REDUCE/PREVENT HEART BLOCKS AND CHOLESTEROL

Continuation of  how to prevent heart blocks
1.    In the morning, as soon as you get up, drink 1-2 litres of water with empty stomach. Drinking water cleanses the blood vessels and also maintains the blood to be very thin. It’s easy to pump blood, if the thickness of blood is low. For more info on water therapy

GREEN TEA SECRETS

Green tea has been enjoyed by people in China and Japan for thousands of years. Over the time it has become widely known in the West.

NATURE'S REMEDIES WITH OLIVE OIL

Although the olive tree originated in Asia, it has been cultivated for over 3000 years in Mediterranean countries, where much of the olive crop is used to make olive oil. In this process, olives are pitted and ground to a thick pulp. The pulp is then pressed to remove the juices, which are placed in a centrifuge to separate the water from the oil. Nutritionally, olive oil contains 120 calories and 14 grams of fat per tablespoon;

NATURE'S REMEDIES WITH HONEY

The name of this familiar and time-tested household remedy comes from ancient Hebrew means “enchant”. Long used as a culinary sweetener, honey is valued for its many healing properties as well. Treatment with honey is referred to as apitherapy and includes replenishing energy,