HEALTH BENEFITS OF MANGO.

Good morning dear friends!!

Mango is one of the most commonly available fruits which contains plenty of nutrients in the form of many minerals and vitamins. Also termed as "Vitamins powerhouse" The golden coloured fruit contains mostly all the Vitamins, like Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folate, A, C, E. With all these vitamins, mangoes play a fantastic role in helping your body to do dishoo dishoom with all the diseases from head to toe.

Let me explain.. Vitamin A as we all know, helps in reducing the chance of eye disorders, moisturise the hair and skin thus maintaining the integrity of skin and also helps in the rejuvenation of skin thus prevents in ageing of the skin. The Vitamin A and betacarotene in mangoes helps in reducing the dark blemishes, and acne. But patients taking warfarin therapy should be cautious as the Vitamin A interfere with warfarin therapy.

Vitamin C as usual helps in maintaining the  immunity. Vitamin E is great for maintaining the fertility and virility in men. Mangoes also acts as a detanning agent thus helps in increasing or I would say maintaining your original complexion:-)

The folate and Iron in mangoes makes them perfect for pregnant women as well as patients suffering from anaemia. Never knew this!!

The other B-complex vitamins helps in the mechanism of many enzymatic and metabolic reactions and also helps in strengthening your nervous system, especially the vitamin B6 do wonders to your nervous system. 

And here comes the super antioxidants which are gaining too much hype nowadays and all the foods containing these antioxidants are termed as superfoods, and Our National fruit mango is no back and infact it is heading the race I can say with plenty of antioxidants like Quercetin, Isoquercetin, Astragalin, Fisetin, Gallic acid, Methyl gala, Zeaxanthin etc.. All these antioxidants help in preventing the silent killer 'Cancer' and offers protection against certain cancers of Colon, Breast, Leukemia, Prostate etc. 

How could I ever miss mentioning about the fiber in mangoes which is another main reason for making mangoes in the top list of one of the healthiest foods. The good amount of fiber helps in reducing the amount of cholesterol and and also keeps a check on your sugar levels and even cleanses your digestive system. The bioactive ingredients like esters, terpenes, and aldehydes helps in increasing your appetite and at the same time improves the function of your digestive system, by helping in the breakdown of protein diet whatever you take, whether it be meat or any pulses, in case if you guys find any difficulty in digestion of heavy diets.

Kids are as usually fond of mangoes and it is even good for them as mangoes has a good amount of a fabulous protein called Glutamic acid which helps in improving your kids memory and concentration ability.

Chinese since ancient times have been using mangoes as herbal medicine in treating bleeding of gums, cough, constipation, nausea, anaemia, Fever, motion sickness, and even digestive problems.

Mangoes do contain many minerals like Iron, Potassium, Selenium, Calcium, Phosphorus etc.


Mango peel is rich in phytonutrients but few persons may be allergic to the peel, and also to the raw, unripe mangoes which causes burning sensation of tongue, mouth as such..

Mangoes are even low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium. Though the glycemic index of mangoes is in the medium range and is considered safe for diabetics to eat a medium sized mango, better keep a check at the same time not to get carried and cheated by the sweet taste and low glycemic index as the mangoes have fructose and may be the reason for increased weight in case you eat more than 1 at a time. Kids and non-obese, non-diabetics however can enjoy as mangoes provide good amount of energy.

Worried with the commercial aspects of the fast ripening of all fruits, as the manufacturers are using certain chemicals like calcium carbide for artificial ripening and this calcium carbide may cause serious health problems in case if you guys feel lazy to wash the fruits properly and thoroughly.. Better soak the mangoes overnight in water.. My maid does the same thing, she actually soaks the mangoes in water whole day, and I was wondering why she does so.. sometimes the lessons that are learnt throughout the life works best than the lessons taught in your class rooms..What say guys:-) So do respect any ideas that comes from your elders, they advice you with all their experiences they have faced..

 After knowing so many healthy benefits of mangoes I feel all that glitters with a gold colour are truly precious ;-) :-)

GOOD DAY.

AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS A DOCTOR AWAY :-)

Apple also termed as "Miracle food" "Nutritional powerhouses" are one of the common fruits available worldwide since ancient times, we can say they are the first identified fruit by mankind..I'm not perfect in History, and that was just a guess!!

Being a crunchy, crispy, juicy fruit with a modest amount of sweetness and slight sour taste is slightly being overlooked suddenly nowadays after all the hype of the super foods like berries..

But before start searching and buying those high priced superfoods, let me tell you guys that Apple too has all the required qualities such as good amounts of antioxidants and fiber, Vitamins, Minerals.

Lets check out what actually made the Royal Apple to become a competition to the Royal profession ;-)

Apple skin as well as flesh inside is highly rich in antioxidants which protects all the cells of our body  from oxidative cell damage and thus prevents early ageing, cancer, inflammatory conditions etc..

The different kinds of antioxidants in Apples are Quercetin, Kaempferol, Myricetin, Chlorogenic acid, Anthocyanins, Epicatechin etc.. are few of the antioxidants in Apples and at the same time the genuine reason and motivation for all of us to include Apples in our diet atleast thrice a week.

Apples are highly rich in soluble fiber(pectin) which is another reason behind the greatness and nutritive effects of Apples. As we all know fiber is highly helpful in lowering the cholesterol levels, by binding with the excess fat and preventing them to absorb into our body. As the cholesterol levels are kept in check the chances of your arteries to get blocked with plaque is reduced. In this way you are in safer zone when it comes to heart diseases caused by blockage of arteries with all the unnecessary cholesterol that clogs your arteries.

Another fantastic property of Fiber rich foods is the perfect protection they give to your digestive system. Apple being rich in Fiber helps in preventing colorectal cancer, provides benefits by softening the stool thus helps incase you are suffering from haemorrhoids, fissure etc.. Another double edged sword property of this Apple is that it helps during both constipation and Diarrhoea..Wonderful property..Isn't it!!

The good amount of fiber in Apple has also has another advantage that it adds fullness to your tummy and thus helps in preventing you to binge unhealthy stuff.  Aiming at a flat tummy and perfect waist line..Have an Apple a day before your meal ;-)

For those who are confused whether to eat the Apple with the peel or without the peel - The Apple peel has lots of antioxidants in it so preferably have the Apple with the peel, if you want to grab the whole nutrition, as you buy an Apple for quite a good amount of bucks. But wash thoroughly before you bite into the juicy fruit and a make that crunchy sounds around :-)

Much more benefits of eating an Apple are coming into limelight with all the research going around, such as eating Apples lowers the incidence of Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease, arrests growth of tumor cells, reduces the incidence of type 2 DM, breast cancer, incidence of developing stroke especially in Women, protects your eye lens in long run and prevents cataract formation by atleast 10-20%, sharpens your memory so that you can collect all your money in case if you have lend it to many people ;-)

With all the heroic description of the Apple, can anyone guess that Apple seeds are poisonous and contain a chemical that release Cyanide in very minute amounts in our body if eaten.  OMG!! Never knew this.. Right!! Me too.. NEVER CHEW OR EAT APPLE SEEDS. EATING ABOUT MORE THAN 100GMS OF APPLE SEEDS CAN BE FATAL.

So instead of feeding these seeds to your tummy feed them to the motherland(i.e, EARTH) so that the seeds will slowly grow into trees, bearing healthy nutritious fruits.

HAPPY WEEKEND..

GO GREEN..GREEN TEA :-)

Good evening Friends, how many of you are joining me for a cup of green tea ??

Hmm.. The best and a healthy companion during your break from work, or your perfect partner during your relaxation time with a bundle of health benefits :-)

Doesn't the colour of green tea, resemble something else??;-)  Just kidding friends..It is pure green tea, with a squeeze of lemon juice and along with few drops of honey:-)

Being originated from China, and now being used extensively world wide and also has gained the superfood crown, Green tea is produced for Camellia Sinesis.

Lets start our discussion with the common buzz created around Green tea..WEIGHT LOSS!! Now let me tell you friends that there is no short cut for anything but, the caffeine content in green tea helps in mobilising the fat and utilize it as energy..which helps in losing weight upto a certain extent..

Green tea is known to have a thermogenic effect which helps in oxidation of fats. But if you guys have a cup of green tea along with a big, fat size burger loaded with lots of creamy cheese, mayonnaise, butter and sauces there is no point in expecting to lose fat, and when you don't find any results, you start blaming the poor green tea that all the hype is nonsense..What say friends!!

Another common reason most of the nutritionists prefer green tea is because of its role in relieving STRESS!! The L-Theanine in Green tea helps you to happily relax, and keep you away from anxiety attacks. L-Theanine helps in increasing the alpha waves in brain which usually occur during the relaxation phase.. Green tea do not have any sedative functions but when you are relaxed you tend to go to sleep easily without any hustling and bustling in your brain:-)

The Theanine in Green tea helps in secreting Serotonin and Dopamine which again are responsible for keeping you in a state of relaxation and calming down the Adrenaline rush;-)

So, had a stressful day?? Have a cup of green tea.. Now what if I love black tea? Do I get all the benefits as with Green tea?? 

Black tea is  a processed version of Green tea, and during the processing many antioxidants and other nutrients are washed away, so if you want to enjoy and also acquire all the health benefits of green tea, have only green tea without milk and by adding a squeeze of lemon juice will enhance the absorption of the antioxidants present in Green tea..Hmm..However lemon tea tastes better than plain green tea..Isn't it!! 

Many more health benefits and recommended amount  of Green tea in a day, shall be discussed in my next post..

Till then, Take care Friends :-)

Roasted unsalted peanuts..

Roasted unsalted peanuts!! One of the healthiest as well as tasty snack. Being rich in calories a handful of them will do and now don't start arguing whether a kids' handful or elder's handful because your own handful is sufficient for your built :-)

A complete nutritious snack, you can say, as these tiny NUTS are rich in Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats. 

Fat!! Oh my God!!  Before you guys start worrying of how much fat your body is going to accumulate after eating this nutty snack, let me tell you that the Peanuts have Monounsaturated fats which are really good for your body and in fact help in burning your cholesterol. So never feel guilty when you binge on a handful of peanuts once or twice a week instead feel proud that you are actually eating something to keep your body fit by crushing the bad cholesterol.

Carb!! Another point of concern.. But I guess you all are aware that carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for our bodies. Thinking so, again if you guys start to keep a big bowl of peanuts beside you, and start munching, then you may land in trouble.  About 100 gms may give you nearly 250 calories. But anything given by Nature, if used in moderation, will never harm you.

These nuts are also rich in dietary fibre, Manganese, Copper, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, Potassium and Selenium. 

Suffering from Vitamin deficiencies!! Have a handful of peanuts once or twice a week or even can make it an option of using peanut butter on your bread once a week, or as we south Indians are used to the tasty peanut chutneys in our breakfast for Dosa and Idli also is perfect blend of nutrients.

Research studies have shown that these nuts are rich in antioxidants ( resveratrol) which are also available in red or black grapes, and due to this wonderful antioxidant this economical nut has gained more interest nowadays as it can help in fighting against Alzheimers diseases, certain Cancers, Viral infections, Degenerative diseases and Stroke. " OLD IS GOLD" - Phrase implies here I guess ;-)

A HOT AND TANGY FRUIT SNACK

Guava: A common fruit in the tropical areas, and is considered as a SUPER FRUIT. And another super title is awarded to this fresh looking fruit and the curtains raised.. Yes, it is named as "QUEEN OF FRUITS" Great!! And not just the title of the fruit, but it actually fulfils the title and provides plenty of vitamins and minerals and nutrients to your body.

Guava is low in calories and is a perfect fruit if your dieting. It has a good amount of dietary fibre in it and therefore acts as a natural Laxative. As we all know Vitamin C is plentiful in Guava and you got to believe that it is capable of providing more than 3 times of the required daily intake of Vitamin C. Benefits of Vitamin C you all are well aware I guess... Few of them are, it helps in wound healing, has  anti-inflammatory functions and also is responsible for the extra glow of your skin and vanishes those wrinkles which might be a concern of your beauty.

Vitamin A, Flavonoids like Beta-carotene, Lycopene, Lutein and Crypto-xanthine are also present in good amounts in Guava. All these antioxidants have a superb role in preventing your body from free radical attacks and thus keep your body at a distance from cancers which are nowadays becoming quite common.

Is any of your kids or even any of you are fascinated about the pink guava and love to eat those pink fruits.. Go ahead.. They actually have more amount of Lycopene an antioxidant and compete with the cherry red tomatoes too and have twice the amount of Lycopene when compared to tomatoes. Due to this Lycopene, Guava has a role in protecting the skin from the damage caused by the Ultraviolet rays and also offers protection against prostrate cancer. Now start buying or suggesting Guavas to your grandfather :-) Who knows you will be indirectly protecting him from the prostrate cancer.

Who told only Bananas are famous for their high potassium content, in-fact Guavas are known to have more amount of Potassium and what does Potassium actually do is, it helps in maintaining the electrolyte balance and not only that it is perfect for your muscles too. Athletes and fitness workout freaks .. Have a guava and be more fit :-)

This tropical fruit has very less fat in it and also has a low glycemic index, by this Guava can be helpful in diabetic patients too.But don't over eat the fruit as it is high in Fructose. I'm sure we are not going to over eat any fruit as we overeat the junk foods ;-)
Research studies have shown that leaves of guava can be used in tea as well.. Interesting!!