Amazing Benefits of Almonds

Almonds are a class of trees which are inhabitant to South Asia and Middle East. It is famous all over the world and its Indian name is BADAM. The seed of this plant is edible and is also almond which is cultivated all over the world. The fruit of this plant is called drupe, whose shell is hard and a seed inside. The almond is sold in two forms; one is shelled almond which means that its shell is removed, and the other quality is unshelled in which the shells are not removed from it.

 

Almonds are rich in many qualities and for ages it has been into use. In fact, about almond it is said that this fruit is the most primitive cultivated nuts of a tree. United States of America is the main production unit of almond and it has been analyzed that USA is the country where about 80% of the supply production of almond production takes place. And, California almonds are the most popular almonds all across the world as they are known for their superior quality.

Advantages of Almond

· These provide many health benefits and are effective in preventing our body from many ailments. These are also known for sharpening the human mind and memory.

· Reduces the risk of diseases related to heart. It is said that those who consume 5 soaked almonds a day and at 50% lesser risk than others.

· These are very effective in controlling the increased level of cholesterol.

· Lesser risk of getting Osteoporosis, weight gain, low energy level and poor immunity.

· Almonds are the best source of proving nourishment to your mind and it helps in taking your intellectual level to heights.

· Almonds are also very good for hair as they have conditioning and nourishing properties. These help in making your hair strong, healthy and regulating the growth.

· You may not believe this; but almonds can help you loose weight and stay in shape. A study has revealed that those who regularly consume almonds are thinner, and the risk of gaining weight in their bodies is quite low.

Side-effect Of Almond

Almonds are safe in every manner and for everybody. May it be old age people or an infant, almonds are fir for all. Till date there have been no side effects that are noted about this nut and so one can consume it on a regular basis.

Best Sources of Almond

Almonds are available in abundance in every part of the world, both in shelled and unshelled form. These can be eaten after roasting and sprinkling some salt or raw depending upon the taste. Its oil is derived and sold for hair nourishing and skin brightening. Almonds also come with sugar coating for those who cant stand the taste of a raw almond.

Minimum Requirements of Almond

· Almonds are fit for everyone, for adults, for kids, and for infants as well. It contains L carnitine and Riboflavin that can save you from Alzheimers disease.

· It also promotes brain activity.

· It provides energy to the body and is very effective in bringing back the lost stamina in women who have delivered their babies recently.

About Cholesterol diet In Detail

The tasty way to lower your cholesterol is by eliminating bad fats and enjoying the good fats found in delicious foods like nuts, pulses, olives, fruit and vegetables. You may see a reduction in your LDL (bad cholesterol) and an increase in your HDL (good cholesterol).If you or anyone in your family has a history of high cholesterol the Cholesterol lowering diet is perfect for you. Make your diet work for you by embracing the foods you love and removing the foods you don\'t like. Exclude the foods like milk, soya, pork, shellfish, eggs, dairy, and Fish.

Recommended food in cholesterol diet

· Soy: Soy is an important dietary change that helps to cut down the blood cholesterol. Soy is used as a replacement for meat and cheese, soy food reduce cholesterol to a great extent. Saturated fat is bad for heart as saturated fat is converted in to cholesterol in the liver, hence if you eat too much of saturated fat cholesterol levels will get increased especially low- density lipoproteins which is the bad cholesterol.

Saturated fats are found in the animal products like whole milk, butter, meats, beef, lamb and pork and plant sources of saturated fats are coconut oil and vegetable. Soy foods contain isoflavones that helps to reduce LDL cholesterol. What about soy supplements? Isoflavone supplements don’t work alone, to lower the cholesterol, you need the other unique proteins of the soybean including phytates, and isoflavones, all of them act together. According to FDA taking at least 25 grams of soy protein every day helps to lower the high cholesterol.

· Beans: Beans are having high fiber content. Beans are especially high in the cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Eating a bowl of any types of beans in a day, particularly navy, pinto, kidney, chick pea, or butter beans helps to lower cholesterol by as much as 10% in 6 weeks. Soluble fiber that is present in the beans helps to bind cholesterol in the intestinal tract, and in turn prevents its reabsorption in the body. This is the reason why soluble fiber helps to lower the cholesterol level and hence in turn decreases the risk of heart disease. Eat beans five and more times a week. FDA recommends 25-30 g of fiber each da

· Salmon: Omega-3 fatty acids, that is found in salmon and other cold-water fish- helps to lower the LDL levels, and raise HDL level and lower the triglycerides level. Salmon is an excellent source of protein as it is high in omega-3 fatty acids i.e. EPA and DHA that are good for heart while low in saturated fat and cholesterol. American heart association recommends eating at least two servings of fatty fish every 7 days by far the richest sources of fish-oil omega-3s.

· Avocado: Avocado contains a type of fat that actually helps to raise the levels of HDL while it lowers the LDL. Avocado contains more amount of the cholesterol- smashing beta-sitosterol as compared to any other fruit. Beta sitosterol reduces the amount of the cholesterol absorbed from food. The combination of the bita-sitosterol and the monounsaturated fat makes the avocado an excellent cholesterol buster. American heart association recommends that you can get up to 15% of your daily calories from monounsaturated fats , but some heart specialist recommends even greater percentage.

· Garlic: The garlic is the herb used for thousands of years for lowering the cholesterol. Its flavor makes it a good kitchen spice. Inn Egypt people were used to eat the garlic for stamina, garlic lowers the cholesterol and also prevents blood clots, it reduces blood pressure, and protect against infections. It stops the artery- clogging plaque at the earliest stage called nanoplaque. It keeps the cholesterol particles away from the artery walls. To get the maximum benefits eat 2-4 cloves a day.

· Spinach: Spinach contains the lutein, which is a sunshine yellow pigment that is found in green leafy vegetables and egg yolks. Lutein guards us against the age related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness. Only a half cup of lutein rich food daily guards against heart attacks by helping the artery walls to remove the cholesterol. Eat half cup of spinach every day.

· Margarine: Two margarines every day are proven to lower the cholesterol levels. Margarine lowers the cholesterol by blocking the absorption of cholesterol that is contained in the food you eat. Margarine is made by the plant sterols that are proven to lower the LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol by upto 14%. Three servings a day of benecol helps to drop the cholesterol level by an average of 10% and LDL cholesterol by 14%.

· Walnuts, Cashews, and Almonds: A diet containing monounsaturated fats that are found in the nuts are actually twice as good as a low fat diet for heart. Nuts contain the nutrients like vitamin E, copper, magnesium and phytochemicals that are linked with the heart health. Walnuts are rich in omega-3. Eat nuts regularly to avoid heart disease and other illnesses than people who don’t. Monounsaturated fatty acids are also good for the joints. Eat at least 2 tablespoons ful of nuts five times a week.

· Tea: Tea contains a lot of antioxidant compounds. According to research on tea, it helps to keep the blood vessels relaxed and prevent the blood clots. Flavonoids are the antioxidants that are present in tea and it is shown to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol that lead to plaque formation on artery walls. These powerful antioxidants reduce cholesterol level and even lower the blood pressure. Both the green and black teas have the high antioxidants levels. Drink at least one cup of tea every day.

· Chocolate: Dark chocolates compared to milk chocolate, has 3 times more antioxidants. Flavonoids are the antioxidants present in the chocolate that keep the blood platelets from sticking together and it also helps to keep the arteries unclogged. Compared to dark chocolate, white chocolate don’t have any flavonoids. An ounce of the chocolates a day increases good cholesterol and prevents the bad cholesterol from oxidizing.

Food to be avoided in Cholesterol diet

· Avoid foods like butter, lard, bacon drippings, coconut oil and lard that contain saturated fats and oils. Instead of using these saturated fats and oils use margarine or vegetable oils, like canola oil or olive oil.

· Limit the amount of trans fats or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. These oils become solid by going through a process. Trans fat are found in hard margarines, cookies, snacks crackers, chips, and shortenings.

· Limit the content of the meat and non-vegetarian you eat. Limit the amount of the meats such as pastrami, steak, corned beef, ground meat, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and bologna- processed meat. Change skinless chicken, veal, lean beef, fish, and lamb with some meat less dishes like peas, rice or beans.

· Limit the quantity of the egg yolks you eat in a day. You should limit your dietary cholesterol to less than 200 mg a day. One large egg contains about 186 mg of cholesterol which is present in the egg yolk.

· Limit the quantity of milk fat in your diet. And avoid the milk product which contains more than 1% of the milk fat. Instead use the low-fat milk and low fat chesses.

· Limit the amount of the snack crackers, croissants, quick breads, and cakes made with the saturated fats, whole milk, or egg white. Try low- fat baked goods.

· Avoid eating junk foods like fries, tacos, ham burgers, and tacos. Go for broiled sandwiches or skin less chicken, salads with the low fat dressings, and the food they aren’t fried.

Health Benefits of Stevia Plant

Stevia is a plant which is native to S.America. It is most probably the best known source of natural sweeteners. In fact, people in South America have used Stevia as a sweetener for several years. But, the leaves are even used to prepare medicine.
Stevia is useful as a weight loss supplement; for treatment of diabetes, for lowering uric acid levels; high blood pressure and heartburn; for increasing the strength of the muscle contractions that pump blood from the heart and for preventing pregnancy.

Serving Ideas For Stevia

Farm fresh Stevia plant leaves could be used directly in soft drinks as a sweetener. However, most often than not it’s refined Stevioside / dried powder/ Stevia syrup are regularly used in cooking.

Remember to use dried Stevia as a sugar in small quantities, as it is almost thirty times sweeter than cane sugar itself. Roughly, 1 teaspoonful of dried leaves powder is equivalent to 1 cup of sugar; hence, use it in very small quantities adjusting the total amount to achieve your desired levels of sweetness.

Advantages of Stevia

For those of you watching your caloric or carbohydrate intake, Stevia is both calorie-free and carb free. This makes it quite possible for dieters to satisfy their sweet cravings without wrecking their consumption plans.

Lowers Blood Pressure - Stevia has been proved, in many studies, to lower blood pressure. This even makes it an ideal sweetener for patients with high blood pressure.

Lowers Blood Sugar - For patients with high blood sugar levels, Stevia has the benefit of lowering their sugar levels. This makes it possibly acceptable substitute for those with insulin deficiency.

Side-effect Of Stevia

Stevia plant and its processed products are not being consumed in the European countries because of their suspected mutagenic effects. In the U.S, Stevia leaf and its extract is limited to legally use as a dietary supplement only. However, Rebaudioside-A, a processed Stevia glycoside is safely consumed in several countries.
Stevia is used in many advanced countries such as Japan and for ages by the Guarani tribes of South America and found to be quite harmless for human use even during pregnancy.

Stevia and its chemicals, including Rebaudioside A and Stevioside, are generally safe when consumed as a plain sweetener in edible foods. Rebaudioside A has mostly been recognized as safe (GRAS) usage status in USA as a sweetener for all foods.

About Health Benefits of Sutherlandia

It is a native of southern African legume. It is used for many medicinal properties. Sutherlandia frutescens is a shrub and it leaves are aromatic and bitter. It consists of red-orange colored flowers.

How Does Sutherlandia Works ?

A concentration of sutherlandia was taken and applied to a tissue culture and it made the cancer cell present in that culture to die. If we take a look at the antioxidant potential of it then we find that there are some oxygen species such as superoxide radicles and hydrogen peroxide which are derived by phagocyte. This pathogenesis that occurs is responsible for many inflammatory conditions. It is also seen that it elevates the level of glucocorticoid which help in giving relief from stress.

Advantages of Sutherlandia

There are plenty of health benefits of this herb.The leaves of this plant can cure many diseases
· An infusion made with the leaves of it can be used for someone who have fever.
· It is also useful in case of diarrhea and stomach related problems
· Beneficiary in case of hemorrhoids, rheumatism.
· Can cure chicken pox

· It has been used from a long time for treating cancer. Though no modern studies has been done to prove it.

· Flu can also be treated with its help
· It is also effective for many liver related problems
· It is used from a long time in treating stress related maladies. This is linked to the endocrine system.
· Bronchitis and Asthma can also be treated with the help of sutherlandia
· Suthelandia can be useful in viral hepatitis, influenza and rheumatoid arthritis
· Mild Hypertension or moderate hypertension can be cured with the help of suthelandia.
· Can also give immune support
· Some more benefits are that it is used for ME syndrome, Chronic Fatigues Syndrome and Yuppie flu.
· Peptic ulcer can also be relieved by using sutherlandia.
· Some condition during the time of menopause like irritability and hot flashes can be cured by using Sutherlandia.
· There are some evidences which shows that the can be used for aiding immune disorders.
· Some studies on mice shows it have some aqueous extract in its shoot which make it useful for inflammatory, arthritic and pain. The extract shows the properties of anti-inflammayory, hypoglycemic and analgesic.
· It can also be helpful in case of Diabetes mellitus type-2 but it is not yet proven clinically.
· The tablets made up of the leaves are good in controlling oesophageal reflux. This very property is verified many a times.
· It can elevate mood and therefore it decreases irritability and anxiety.
· If we talk about wasting syndrome than in the third patient having this syndrome has shown improved appetite and weight gain. But if people who doesn\'t have any wasting syndrome doesn\'t generally show any weight gain.
· Latest studies shows that it has properties that have made important medicines for curing cancer
· The HIV/AIDS symptoms can also be treated with it.

Side-effect Of Sutherlandia

There are few known side effects of this herb. If the leave powder capsules are used up to 800mg/day for three months by an adult than fine but m ore than that can cause problem. Some other side effects are Dry mouth, mild diuretic effect, sometimes it can cause constipation and sometimes it causes loose stool. If the patient is weak it can cause slight dizziness in them especially if they take it without meal. It should not be taken at the time of pregnancy and breast feeding. It should also be avoided by people who have Lupus.

How to Use Sutherlandia

The children should not use it for more than a week or maximum 10 days. Dosage of 1/2 teaspoon should be giving to children from age 5 to 11 and it should not be giving more than two time in a day. Children of age more than 12 years can take the same dosage as the adults can take and that is one teaspoon to be taken twice in a day.

Foods to Eat for Winter Wellness

Our bodies require different things at different parts of the year. In the summer we need food which can keep our body cooler like cucumber, juices etc. Similarly we need special food in the winter like nuts, warming meals which are heartier and heavier. We are forced to stay indoors in the comfort of our houses with weather restricting us to tread outside. Eating foods which are good for your body in winters helps you avoid common diseases and health conditions which are common in winters.

The following are some of the special winter food for your wellness.

· You can be warmed from inside and outside by eating foods like vegetable soups, hot rolled oats, lentil curries, bean stews and others. Some of the warming spices to be included in the food are pepper, chillies, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, anise and fennel etc.

· Have warm drinks like lemon juice in warm water, to start the day with. One should take the juices in the room temperature instead of icy cold. Plenty of herbal teas and warm nut milk drinks are good during the season.

· Raw food diets are not suitable for the winter. Our bodies crave for more cooked food in winter but some amount of raw food needs to be included which can give us the fresh, live enzymes but we can exclude the salads from our diet.

· Garlic should be added to everything one eats along with leafy green vegetables, fresh food and Vitamin C enriched food (strawberries, citrus and Kiwi fruits, papaya and Brussels sprout) and those rich in zinc (like seeds, nuts etc).

· Good gut health can be obtained through addition of fermented probiotic food.

· The fullness of the body can be achieved through the legumes, root vegetables and beans. The winter veggies like potatoes and sweet potatoes, beetroot, celery, pumpkin, carrots are encouraged. This can add to the warmth of the body thereby balancing it with the chill of the outside environment.

· Soups can spread warmth throughout the body in the winters and some medium-heated peppers can be added to have that extra kick. Too much of hot pepper will give a cooling effect and one must be careful about the amount that is added. Hippocrates soup can be taken twice a day as part of the therapy. One can add roasted pumpkin, coconut milk and spices to this soup.

· The way of cooking the food also helps us in the warmth generation of the body. Grilling, roasting, baking and stewing produces warm effect and the steaming, raw preparations, pickling are far from cooling. The slower and longer methods produce more warmth.

· The winter greens like spinach, kale are full of antioxidant and Vitamins (E, C and A).

· If one is prone to diseases like Sinus in the winter, eating oil-rich and warm and moist food is very beneficial. And also oily fishes, olive oils, the Indian ghee and nut oils also are wonderful for the season.

· One should take locally grown organic food. One must drink hot water and lots of hot tea than cold water during the winter season.

· Ginger increases the circulation and can be blended with chai or simple hot water or tossed into a soup or grated to cooked food. Dried ginger with lentils and black beans can be the most warming combination. The oil of ginger can be used as a powerful antiseptic. It can be used for digestive purposes and also connected with the immunity of health.

· Oats, quinoa and sweet brown rice can add to the warmth of the body. They should be well cooked and easily digestible. Barley, Millet and Wheat have more cooling effect on the body and can create chronic cold condition in the body during the winters.

· The Adzuki beans which are purplish-red in color gives us the feeling of fullness and generates heat in the body. They can be tossed in chilies and made into soups and vegetable burgers.

Health Benefits of Senna

Senna is a herb, whose leaves and fruit are used to make herbal medicines. Senna is an FDA-approved non-prescription herbal laxative. It is used to treat acute constipation and even to clear bowels prior to diagnostic tests like colonoscopy.
Senna fruit is gentler than Senna leaves which led to the concern against long-term use of Senna leaf and not Senna fruits. You should not use Senna if you are suffering from Diarrhoea or pain in stomach as it will aggravate the situation more. Consult a physician prior to using if you are nursing a baby or pregnant. Discontinue its use in case of watery stools or Diarrhoea.

Serving Ideas For Senna

Senna is normally used by those suffering from acute constipation with some serving ideas of Senna. For relief, one should consume about half teaspoon of the liquid or one tablet or capsule of 50 mg or 100 mg. After taking Senna, bowel movement must normally occur within 6-12 hours.

Senna Tea : One of the popular serving ideas of Senna is herbal preparations in the form of tea. Senna tea comes in small teabags and may be found in health food stores, but most people love to use loose leaves of Senna and brew tea themselves. Steep the leaves in a pot full of boiling water for about ten minutes. The leaves can even be dropped in cold water and steeped for about 10-12 hours. Using cold water to steep those leaves would leave less resin in the tea so, chances of abdominal cramping is lowered. 

How Does Senna Works ?

This medicine aids in relieving occasional constipation. It belongs to a group of medicines known as laxatives. It contains sennosides that works by inducing bowel muscles to contract more frequently and with extra force. This enhanced muscle action moves the bowel contents to rectum to be evacuated and relieve constipation completely.
Do not take this herb for more than 7 days at a stretch. You must take plenty of fluids while taking Senna. Consult your physician if you don’t experience bowel movement or your symptoms don’t improve after 3 days, or they worsen during usage of this herb.

Advantages of Senna

Senna is used with various health concerns so you can use and get following benefits and advantages of Senna.

While a number of researches have established health benefits of the Senna consumed in capsule or powder form, few researches have stressed at the high potential of drinking Senna tea. Health benefits of Senna are on the higher side than side-effects.

The available studies include a brief study published in the journal Investigative Radiology in the year 2005. For the research, volunteers took either Erythromycin (an antibiotic effective for treating some bacterial infections) or Senna tea. While both these treatments resulted in increasing the movement of stools through bowels, Senna tea seems to be more effective than Erythromycin.

Side-effect Of Senna

Senna is mostly safe for adults as well as children over the age of two when used in short-term. Senna is an FDA approved non-prescription herbal preparation. Senna can sometimes cause some minor side effects which include cramps, stomach discomfort, and acute diarrhea.
During pregnancy and Lactation: Senna is mostly safe during pregnancy as well as breast-feeding a baby when used in short-term. Side effects of Senna aggravates when consumed long-term or in even in high doses.

15 Ways of Boosting Liver Function

Liver performs five hundred functions in our body, thus making it one of the most overburdened systems. Our lifestyle is full of air pollution, stress and food additives. This leads to burdening the liver function. However, this makes the liver sluggish, contributing to many health conditions, including: allergies, arthritis, asthma, bad breath, cravings for sweets, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, environmental illness/multiple chemical sensitivities.

There are 15 such ways for boosting the liver and they are as follows:

· The diet should be rich with fruits and vegetables and also fiber-rich foods. The liver needs vitamins and minerals to function well.
· The elimination of processed foods and artificial food additives and colors and preservatives from the diet should be done. The liver needs to filter these items.
· One must eat plenty of carrots and beets, which acts as cleansing agents for the liver. Green vegetables also help in cleaning the liver, with the help of chlorophyll it contains.
· Two tablespoons of flaxseeds are advisable. Flaxseeds can also be sprinkled on cereal, toast salads or blended into smoothies. The hormone receptor sites are bound by the flaxseeds which prevent excess hormones like including synthetic xenoestrogens from plastics and other chemicals, in floating in the blood stream. Liver is responsible in filtering such excess hormones. The liver functions better with flaxseeds.

· There are plenty of herbs which allow better liver functioning. These are milk thistle, dandelion root, globe artichoke, turmeric, balmony, slippery elm, greater celandine, barberry, black root, blue flag, boldo, vervain, and wahoo and fringetree bark. Turmeric and milk thistle also helps in liver function. One should consult the qualified doctors before the usage of such herbs, if one is pregnant or suffering from serious health problems or taking some alternate medication.
· One should avoid refined sugar and artificial sweetener.
· Cholesterol reduction and metabolism of fats is aided by Lecithin. This contains a substance called Lecithin helps the liver metabolize fats and reduce cholesterol. It contains a substance called phosphatidylcholine and essential fatty acids that keeps the liver cells healthy and prevent deposition of fat in the liver. The blood vessels are allowed to relax to allow better blood flow by Lecithin. Organic soyfoods like tofu, and miso, soy milk as well as organic eggs also contains Lecithin. Alternatively, one can take 4000 mg of lecithin in capsule form daily.
· The detoxification of the liver is done properly by various nutrients. One should take a diet full of multivitamins and mineral supplements. A single nutrient deficiency can be harmful for the liver.
· 1000 to 2000 mg of Vitamin C should be additionally taken.
· A diet rich with lots garlic, onions and broccoli should be taken being enriched with sulfur. Sulfur is required to increase enzyme activity boosting liver cleansing. The phase 2 of liver detoxification cannot keep pace with level 1, which means that many toxins can become more dangerous in your body. This is possible without adequate levels of sulfur.
· One should eat small meals, avoiding larger meals with easily digestible food.
· The bitter greens help in cleaning the liver. Steamed vegetables, raw salad greens, raw fruits, and bitter greens are advisable.
· One should avoid heavy fatty foods which makes the liver function improperly. Margarine, shortening or commercial oils or any foods made with them needs to be avoided.
· The liver should be given adequate time during the night to perform its many functions, unrestricted by such body processes like digestion. For this one should not take meals before three hours of bedtime.
· Whole, raw, unsalted nuts and seeds for their essential fatty acids as well as their usable proteins need to be consumed.

Few Things That Help in Keeping the Liver Healthy:

Lemons:

Lemons are good source of vitamin C that helps in building the immune system, and it helps in digestion and detoxifying.
Walnuts:
Walnut is a natural defender which naturally defends our bodies from diseases. Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids which help in supporting our liver through its cleaning process.
Turmeric:
Turmeric is a natural liver detoxifier. It helps in the metabolism process, and also helps in production of bile.
Garlic:
Garlic has high amount of Allicin that has good effect on the digestive, circulatory, and immunological system of our body. It helps in detoxifying the liver and in flushing out the toxins.
Beetroot:
Beets contain plant-falvonoids, and are high in carbohydrates, protein, powerful antioxidants and soluble fiber that helps in maintaining the liver health.
Grapefruit:

Grapefruit has antioxidant properties, and it is rich in vitamin C. It helps the liver in flushing out toxins and carcinogens.
Leafy Greens:
Leafy greens are powers houses of nutrition. Leafy greens like spinach and lettuce neutralize the metals, chemicals and pesticides that our foods contain. They act as a protector of the liver.
Green Tea:
Green tea protects the liver from the damaging effect of the toxins. It helps in promoting digestion, and it is high in plant antioxidants known as catechins that is known to improve the functions of our liver.
Avocados:
Avocados improve the liver health and it helps the liver in the absorption of the nutrients from our food. It produces an antioxidant named glutathione that helps the liver to filter the harmful nutrients.