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Friday, May 27, 2016

Amazing Health Benefits Of Avocado

Avocado is also known as the alligator pear which is due to its unique shape and the leather like appearance of its skin. It is derived from the Aztec word “Ahuacatl”. The fruit grows on the Persea Americana which is a tall and evergreen tree that can grow up to 65 feet in height as well. The fruit often weighs from eight ounces to three pounds which depends upon its variety. This fruit is known to have several benefits for the human health as are discussed below.

Benefits As A Fruit
It is proposed that avocado be added to any salad not only to add on its unique taste but for the wide range of benefits that it offers.

It is known to help in the absorption of two kinds of carotenoid antioxidants called beta carotene and lycopene. These antioxidants are absorbed well when one adds on fresh avocado or avocado oil to a salad.
If one cup of fresh avocado weighing about 15 grams is added to a salad containing spinach, carrots and lettuce, the absorption of the carotenoids from such a salad is increased by 200 to 400 percent
As such antioxidants are fat soluble, the oil of avocado that is added to the salad acts as the medium which aids in the absorption of these antioxidants.
If avocado oil or the fresh fruit slices are added to salsa, here too the carotenoid absorption rate is increased. There are great recipes to try out in order to gain the health benefits of avocado added to such simple recipes.
One needs to know how to peel the fruit right in order to enjoy its benefits optimally. Research has shown that the carotenoids are located in the dark green portion of the fruit that is just beneath the skin. Thus, this portion should not be peeled more than necessary when peeling an avocado. It is best to use the “nick and peel” method using the hands in order to get the fruit right. The first step has to be towards cutting the avocado lengthwise so that the two halves remain connected in the middle by the seed. Once the seed is separated, one should strip off the outer skin of the fruit just like one does for a banana. That leaves one to consume most of the dark green outer flesh which is rich in carotenoid antioxidants.

A Source Of Healthy Fat
The avocado fruit contains a list of carotenoids which include beta carotene, lutein and alpha carotene but as a vegetable it is often considered as bad for weight watchers who consider it too high in fat and oil content. However the fat that is contained in the fruit is unusual and there are many health benefits associated with it.

There are phytosterols which account for a major portion of the fats in the avocado fruit. This fat is known to contain campesterol, stigmasterol which are key supporters of the inflammatory system. These compounds help to keep our inflammatory system healthy.
These anti inflammatory benefits of avocado fats are beneficial for those who suffer from arthritis. The polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols or PFAs which are found in avocado are not usually found in land based plants but only in ocean based pants for which this fruit is considered as unique and highly valued.
Oleic acid that is found in high amount in avocado and as a fatty acid by nature offers similar benefits like olive oil. It helps the digestive tract to transport the fat soluble minerals like the carotenoids as well as helps to lower the risk of contracting heart diseases.
For Healthy, Heart, Brain And Eyes
The fruit is known to be rich in omega-3 fatty acids and that is a secret towards achieving a healthy heart, sharp eyesight as well as a sharp brain. It is considered as one of the top brain healthy foods for those who wish to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The other benefits that one can derive from the fruit are rich content of vitamin E to neutralize free radicals and the buildup of protein to reverse the memory loss process. The folate content being high in the fruit, it can help to prevent the tangled nerve fibers from forming which is again associated with Alzheimer.

Wondering whether you should add avocado to your salad? You might wonder why you did not add this wonder fruit to your diet earlier on. Indeed, the benefits of avocado are now being discovered and people are rushing to avail of its numerous health benefits in search for a healthy and long life. For more queries regarding this fruit and its extract oil and its uses, one can refer any one of the following links.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

The Celebrity Diet Trend That Actually Has Some Science Behind it

In today's pop culture vernacular, it's an insult to be called basic - the opposite of cool and trendsetting. But in the nutrition world, being basic, as in alkaline, is aspirational, with popular books, websites and celebrities all endorsing a pH approach to eating. There is some serious science to back this trend, so it is worth paying attention to, but (surprise, surprise) there is a lot of confusing misinformation and hyperbole out there, too. The concept of the alkaline diet centers on the well-established fact that different foods affect our body's pH balance differently. As a rule, fruits and vegetables promote alkalinity, whereas meats, dairy and grains have an acidic effect. It's not the acid content of the food itself that matters here; it is the way the food impacts our pH once it is metabolized. For example, even though oranges and tomatoes are acidic foods, they have an alkaline impact on our bodies.Let's get one thing straight right away, though: The pH of our blood never varies much.

Our kidneys and lungs work hard to keep that tightly regulated at about 7.4, because even a small variation in blood pH is life-threatening. So ignore statements such as the one I found on an influential TV doctor's website, proclaiming that the "typical American diet is full of foods like meat and dairy products that tend to increase the acidity of your blood." (Sigh.)Although the acid-base balance of our blood is constant, the pH inside our cells has a somewhat broader range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. Our cells function best when they are on the alkaline side, and the way you eat impacts that balance. In a 2012 review published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health, researchers noted that alkaline diets lead to higher levels of magnesium in cells - a mineral that is required for many enzyme systems, as well as for activating vitamin D, for example. The study also points to documented benefits of an alkaline diet, including preservation of muscle mass with aging.The pH of our urine varies widely, as our urinary tract is on the front line of keeping our bodies in acid-base balance. Animal protein, grains, soda, beer and sodium all produce high acid loads for our kidneys to process. That acid can be neutralized by the potassium and minerals from fruits and vegetables, but if we don't get enough of those alkaline foods, our urine can wind up chronically acidic, which can contribute to kidney stones and necessitate that our bones' stores of neutralizing minerals be continually tapped, ultimately depleting and weakening them.But the acid-base equation is only part of the bone-health story, and research has been mixed as to how an alkaline diet affects our bones. Besides plenty of acid-balancing potassium and minerals needed to spare their stores, healthy bones also depend on adequate protein. Strict alkaline diets may limit protein-rich foods because of their acid effect, which is a negative for bone health. Focusing on boosting your produce consumption while getting enough protein appears to be the better path to take.Although there is some solid science indicating that pH matters, many of the benefits touted by alkaline diet proponents, such as healthier bones, reduced risk of chronic disease and weight loss, can be directly traced to the well-known dietary advice to consume more colorful produce and vegetable protein and fewer fatty meats, sweets, refined carbs and sugary drinks. The alkaline diet may sound cutting-edge and innovative, but the most sensible versions boil down to the same advice found in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.If considering the pH impact of your food helps you focus on improving your eating habits, then go for it. But remember to keep it in perspective. Many of these plans categorize foods as good (alkaline) or bad (acidic) without taking into account overall nutritional balance. And there is always a risk in taking just a single factor into account when making food decisions. Going by acid-alkaline value alone (you can find a list on acidalkalinediet.com), you'd deem white bread better for you than shrimp, for example, and mushrooms on par with sugar. Clearly, the pH of a food does not tell the whole story.© 2016, The Washington post

Friday, May 20, 2016

Drink to Your Health, Milk Alternatives Are Here to Stay

Summer is known to make me sluggish. My mood and my stomach seem to have a slower pace. I try to eat healthy. Seasonal, check. Hydration more than just water, check. Fresh and cooling foods, check. Yet, I don’t feel like a warrior. Then, someone brought it up. ‘How do you start your day?’-‘With a tall glass of cold coffee’- ‘Try almond milk.’

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve made the switch and I’ve become quite a fan of the sweet and nutty flavour. I also feel lighter and my gut is happier. But I’m not ready to give up on dairy still. How do you know which milk is right for you?

“Ideally, infants should be fed their mother’s milk for the first three years. After the age of three, they stop producing an enzyme called lactase which is required to digest milk. Their bodies lose the ability to break down the milk proteins (casein) which inhibits the absorption of calcium from milk,” says Meenu Nageshwaran, Vegan Chef and Healer.

It makes sense, then, to believe that animal milk is not giving you the right nutrition you need because about 82% of milk protein is casein. In their 2013 study published in the journal JAMA Paediatrics, Pediatrician Dr. David Ludwig and Harvard nutritionist Dr. Walter Willett urge us to regard milk as a dietary choice and not a nutritional requirement. In countries where people consume no dairy products, osteoporosis rates don’t appear to be higher, possibly because people are getting their dose of calcium from other sources, they claim.

"70% of the Indians are actually allergic to milk and they may not even know it. You could have skin breakouts, acne or any mild symptoms that often go unnoticed. Broccoli has more calcium than milk. Soya has more protein than milk. So, you don't really have to depend on milk for these nutrients," says Sakshi Hari Khanna, Founder of All Nut in New Delhi that offers milk alternatives.

This has become a matter of debate and the jury is still out. According to Dr. Rupali Datta, Chief Nutritionist, SmartCooky, “Milk provides complete nutrition. It is one of the best sources of calcium and good quality proteins. In fact, dairy is an important food group in a balanced diet. I have come across many patients who find milk hard to digest or feel bloated after drinking it; in such cases I suggest you have it with cereal, in the form of a porridge or yoghurt. Having it lightly brewed with Tulsi leaves also makes it easier to digest."

A lot depends on the quality of milk you buy but there are fears surrounding the extreme commercialization in modern dairy. “In an attempt to increase productivity from the cow, the dairy industry puts immense stress on them by impregnating them again and again; this leads to the release of the stress hormone “cortisol” which is then consumed by humans. They are further treated with antibiotics that are also then consumed by humans through their milk. All of these hormones and antibiotics create an acidic pH in the human body and also wreak havoc with the endocrine system and hormonal balances within the body, leading to a number of chronic health problems and allergies,” says Devika Modi who’s been off dairy for eight years now and runs Shuddha Foods in New Delhi known for its vegan beverages.

To make matters worse, studies have found that pasteurization renders much of the calcium contained in raw milk insoluble. I don’t really feel guilty about breaking up with milk and this is not the first time. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with a Vitamin D deficiency and I took to drinking soy milk. I have to confess I couldn’t tolerate the taste. During this time, I learned that most of the soy crop might actually be genetically modified – a fact that made me spit out my Soy Latte in alarm. Better to skip than sip unless your carton of milk speaks otherwise.

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Amazing Health Benefits Of Avocado

The Celebrity Diet Trend That Actually Has Some Science Behind it

Drink to Your Health, Milk Alternatives Are Here to Stay

Your Love for Potatoes or French Fries Can't Hurt You, Right?