Tag Archive | "Health"

Top 10 Sources of Protein

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An average human being’s body needs about 50 to 60 grams of proteins to function in a proper manner. People who have high levels of physical activity, bodybuilders, people in physically demanding jobs and sports like weight lifting require additional protein intake. Although most of us get adequate amounts of protein in our everyday diet, the RDA (reference daily intake) recommends, 44 grams for an average woman and for an average male the intake should be 56 grams.

A single hamburger has approximately 23 grams of protein but along with a lot of fat. The trick is to consume food in such a manner so that you get protein sans the fat. There are a number of high–protein and low–fat foods.

 

1. Whey

This is an important component in the milk of the cow which is taken out in the same way as cheese is taken out from milk. It can also be known as the byproduct of the production of cheese. Whey has two types of protein components, the first is protein itself and the other is peptide, that is, protein segment. It is natural and best quality protein and contains all kinds of essential and non-essential amino acids. Each scoop of whey contains about 20 to 25 grams of protein. The best protein supplement is whey.

 

2. Fish

Fish is not only an excellent source of protein but also a rich source of fatty acid which is not easily obtained from many food products. Yellow fin tuna is the richest source of protein providing 30 grams of protein per 100 grams serving. 100 grams serving of Salmon and Halibut provides 27 grams of protein and the same amount of Snapper and Tilapia provides 26 grams of protein. Also a can of tuna, canned in spring water or brine provides 40 grams of protein. Mackerel provides about 23 grams of protein per 100 grams serving and also tastes much better then tuna.

 

3. Eggs

Eggs are a complete source of protein. 12 grams of protein is gained if you start your day with a 2 egg omelet. A whole egg contains about 6–7 grams of protein. A large egg is not only a great source of protein but also contains essential amino acids that are required in a healthy diet. Fortified eggs are a recent development in the areas of functional foods. Flaxseeds, which are a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids, are added to the diet of the hens and they produce eggs that contain 6 times the omega 3 fatty acids as compared to the normal eggs. Fortified eggs can also be a rich source of vitamin E. Chicken eggs are a weak source of protein providing only 13.6 grams per 100 grams serving.

 

4. Nuts, Lentils and Beans

This is the best source of vegetarian protein. Soybeans are extremely rich sources of protein containing 28 grams of protein per cup. Tofu or bean curd is a food made by coagulating soy milk and pressing the curd into blocks. Tofu is rich in protein, providing about 15.78 grams of protein per 100 grams serving. Among the nuts, peanuts are the richest source of protein containing 23.7 grams protein per 100 grams serving. A bean carries more protein when it is mature, larger in size and quite old. Soybeans that are mature and have been roasted have maximum protein providing 39.6 grams per 100 grams serving. Beans and legumes are inexpensive forms of protein.

 

5. Dairy Products

This is a rich source of obtaining protein for vegetarians. A liter of milk contains 30 grams of protein. Half a cup of cottage cheese contains 14 grams of protein. Parmesan cheese which is low on sodium provides maximum protein among all cheeses, that is, 41.6 grams of protein per 100 grams. Regular parmesan provides 35.8 grams per 100 grams of protein. 100 grams serving of Swiss cheese, Mozzarella and Romano cheese provide protein between 28–30 grams. The softer spreadable cheese provides least protein, that is, in a 100 grams serving it provides only 16 grams of protein

 



 

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Top 10 Healthy Snacks

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A snack is a small portion of food, as contrasted with a regular meal. Traditionally snacks were prepared from ingredients commonly available in the home, often leftovers, sandwiches made from cold cuts, nuts, fruit etc. Beverages are not considered real snacks, especially coffee. The only instance in which a beverage constitutes a snack is if it possesses a substantive food item and then blended to create a juice or a shakes e.g., strawberries, bananas, kiwis. With the spread of convenience stores, packaged snack foods are now a significant business. Snack foods are typically designed to be portable, quick and satisfying. Processed snack foods are designed to be less perishable, more durable, and more appealing than prepared foods. They often contain substantial amounts of sweeteners, preservatives, and appealing ingredients such as chocolate, peanuts, and specially-designed flavours such as flavoured potato chips. Now, all the snacks we eat are not healthy. Definitely the ones we prepare in our home are healthy but not the packed ones. Here is a list of top ten healthy Snacks for you.

 

1. Almonds and Apricots:

Almonds are high in protein and fibre, as well as being low-GI is a good source of magnesium, and rich in vitamin E. Dried apricots, on the other hand, are rich in carotenes, which may lower the risk of cancers of the throat and lungs and provide you with potassium, iron, calcium, silicon, phosphorus, and vitamin C. Interestingly, dried apricots have a far greater nutritional value than fresh ones because the nutrient content is so concentrated. Gram for gram, dried apricots have twelve times the iron, seven times the fibre and five times the vitamin A of fresh ones. The best way to eat this snack is to impale the almonds in the apricots.

 

2. Yogurt and Honey:

Yogurt is low in fat, high in calcium and good for your gut. A recent study also found that people who got their calcium from yogurt rather than other dairy sources lost more weight around the tummy area. Honey has been shown to increase the blood’s level of protective antioxidants, and may also be a useful diet addition for people with high cholesterol.

 

3. Apples and Pears:

Apples are high in pectin, a soluble fibre; contain quercetin — an antioxidant that can reduce damage caused by cholesterol. They have a high water content, which will help to keep your thirst satiated. Apples are also a good source of vitamin C. Pears are high in potassium and are also a good source of fibre and vitamin C.

 

4. Dark Chocolate:

Dark chocolates containing at least 70 per cent cocoa solids are a good source of antioxidants, particularly flavonoids, which are the type that are found in green tea and red wine. And while chocolate is high in fat, it consists of saturated fats including stearic and palmitic acid, a monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive oil. A number of studies have found that chocolate’s main fat, stearic acid, has a neutral effect on cholesterol. Dark chocolate has also been shown to reduce high blood pressure, and has twice the magnesium of and more iron than milk chocolate.

 

5. Peanut butter on Crisp breads:

This is the perfect combination of protein, fat, carbohydrate, and lots of fibre. While peanut butter is high in fat, it is mostly the unsaturated fats which are not harmful. Peanuts are a great source of the antioxidant vitamin E. Peanut butter is also rich in protein, so it is a good option especially for vegetarians and a good source of magnesium. Opt to spread the peanut butter on rye crisp breads which are low in salt, high in fibre and have a low GI.

 



 

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Top 10 Fruits For Healthy Aging

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You want to appear forever young and youthful? It is often a misconception that only women have the desire to appear gorgeous and glamorous throughout their life. Men also have similar desires deep in their heart. Though everyone has the desire to appear ever-beautiful, it is not possible to retain the beauty throughout different stages of life. If you want to appear youthful throughout, you need to ensure a good health. For that, you will not only have to practice healthy lifestyle, but also follow a healthy diet chart. Avoid oily and spicy food in your everyday course. Instead, include lots of green vegetables and fruits in your diet. Have fibrous fruits and fruits rich in antioxidants to ensure good health- even when you are old. Every fruit has some benefits. Yet, if you want to grow old in a healthy way, you can check out the list of top ten fruits for healthy aging.

 

1. Apple

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Even if you have not heard this, you should take an apple everyday to provide your body enough fiber. If you eat an apple every day, you will not only be able to avoid constipation related problems, but will be able to lessen the risks of heart attacks.

 

2. Banana

Bananas are available throughout the year and can assure your body a stable supply of required fiber and potassium it needs. This fruit is also rich in carbohydrate and ensures high energy level. If you want to lead an active life, banana is for you.

 

3. Apricot

Orange colored fruit apricot can provide multiple advantages. It is rich in nutrients and will keep you healthy. If you want to ensure high supply of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Iron and Potassium, you should opt for apricot. This is a seasonal fruit in the North American countries and is found mostly between May to the month of August. However, nowadays these are imported from other countries to ensure availability round the year.

 

4. Blueberry

Blueberry is a seasonal fruit available mostly in the summer months of May to autumnal month of October. If you are searching for a fruit low in calorie, blueberries are for you. It will help you lose weight, check the risks of high blood pressure and promote the health for your brain.

 

5. Blackberry

Antioxidants are very important for healthy aging. The small fruit, blackberry, which is rich in antioxidants, can fulfill your need. This fruit also contains high amount of Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin C as well as Vitamin E. These small berries can lessen the risks of some fatal health issues like heart diseases and cancer.

 



 

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Top 10 Ways To Bid Farewell To Insomnia

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Sleepless nights, anxiety, stress and eating disorders are some of the most common problems related to the lives of the professionals. Though these health issues may apparently appear different, they are actually very much related to each other. If a person does not follow a proper diet chart and does not sleep well at night, he will start experiencing several other health issues. An incomplete sleep will make you stressed out, which will gradually lead to problems like anxiety. Therefore, if you want to lead a healthy and happy life, it is important for you to sleep well. Insomnia, the most common sleeping disorders, can take a toll on the health of people. It gives several sleepless nights. Initially you may not experience much problem. However, with time, this sleeping disorder will not only affect your immune system, it may also affect your ability to think and work. Therefore, to lead a healthy life, you should try to find out about the ways to avoid insomnia. You can see a doctor and get the necessary treatment for insomnia done. However, if you want to cure insomnia naturally, you can check out the top ten ways to bid farewell to insomnia.

 

1. Proper Diet

Improper diet chart is considered to be one of the major causes of sleep disturbances. It is always best to avoid junk foods and heavy dinner at night. To avoid insomnia, you should have a heavy breakfast followed by a medium lunch and a light dinner. Try to complete your dinner early as heavy stomach may disturb your sleep.

 

2. Avoid Caffeine

When you are getting sleepless nights, you should avoid taking drinks containing caffeine. A cup of coffee or tea may be useful in the morning, as it gives a refreshing feeling and helps you stay wide awake. However, if you take these drinks in the late evenings or night, it will delay your sleep, which may ultimately lead to insomnia.

 

3. Drink Hot Milk

Instead of caffeine drinks, you can opt for a glass of hot milk before going to bed. Milk is a sleep inducer and drinking milk at bedtime will make you feel sleepy. Therefore, you will not have to stay awake for the entire night.

 

4. Exercise

Exercise can help in multiple ways. It can keep your body strong and healthy. Proper exercise can help you fight stress that you have to handle in your daily professional life. A regular exercise routine will make your body demand some rest and you will fall asleep early.

 

5. Meditation

Stress and anxiety often disturbs the sleep of a person. Therefore, to refresh your mind, you can practice meditation. Meditating for a short session will help your mind relax and you will stop worrying about work related issues. It will refresh your mind and you will have a peaceful sleep.

 



 

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Top 10 Vegetables

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Some people have an aversion to green vegetables because they were forced to eat soggy greens when they were children. This is unfortunate, but as adults you can cook your own to perfection and enjoy the flavor. It seems that they are an acquired taste. However, green vegetables in particular are very good for our health as they contain the vitamins and minerals our bodies need. The superveg are broccoli and other members of the Brassica family.

 

1. Broccoli

Broccoli has been called the “liver of vegetables” because it is rich in iron and contains minerals which have antioxidant properties which help regulate blood pressure and help to lower cholesterol levels.

 

2. Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts are also well up in the rankings of health giving foods and although you may not like them boiled, there are many interesting recipes for them including Polonaise which goes some way to disguising their strong flavour.

 

3. Carrots

These really are good for the eyes, and your mother wasn’t far wrong when she told you they would help you see in the dark. These days you can drink carrot juice which comes from black carrots or red ones as well as the usual orange variety. Carrots are great in stews with other root vegetables and can also be grated into salads. If you want a healthy snack, eat a raw carrot.

 

4. Turnips

Turnips are not just good in stews and winter casseroles. They can be eaten in salads with grated carrot and fresh dates. If you have a burning sensation in the soles of your feet in winter, then you should boil turnips and soak your feet in the water. If this doesn’t relieve the sensation then you can make a paste with them and apply this to your feet as a salve.

 

5. Swede

Swede are underrated, but go well with turnips and carrots in a winter vegetable stew and as they can be stored, they are useful to keep in the kitchen in case you get snowed in. They can be boiled and then mashed with potatoes and served with a tasty brown gravy or a warming side dish. The Scots call these neeps and serve them on Burn’s Night along with haggis and whisky.

 



 

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Top 10 Leading Causes Of Death

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At the world’s current population over 57 million people die every year. The causes are varied, but there are ten diseases and accidents which are the major reasons behind these deaths.

The Top Ten causes of death are listed below:

 

1. Ischaemic Heart Disease – 12.6%

Commonly classified as heart attacks, this disease is characterized as reduced blood supply to the heart muscles. There are many causes behind the occurrence of this problem and they range from age factors, dietary habits, diabetes, smoking, hypertension and sedentary lifestyles among other aspects. It is the most common cause of death in Western countries and the reason behind most hospital admissions.

 

2. Cerebrovascular Disease- 9.7%

These are generally known as strokes and are related to diseases related to the vessels supplying blood to the brain. Hypertension is the most important cause behind this. It damages the blood vessel lining, causing neurological damage and complications which often lead to death. Swift medical response can often prevent fatalities.

 

3. Lower Respiratory Infections- 6.8%

Pneumonia, lung abscess, acute bronchitis are all symptoms of lower respiratory infections. Among infectious diseases they are the leading cause of death. Symptoms could include fatigue. weakness, shortness of breath and high fever. Antibiotics have become an effective form of treatment, but among the lower economic strata these are difficult to get or cost too much.

 

4. HIV/AIDS- 4.9%”:

AIDS is a disease of the human immune system and is now believed to have spread in pandemic proportions through the world. According to a UNAIDS 2009 report 60 million people have been infected, with over 25 million deaths, and 76% of them have occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is believed to have originated in central Africa in the early twentieth century.

 

5. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – 4.8%:

In England it is believed one out of every 59 people will be diagnosed with having COPD. It is most commonly caused by tobacco smoking and also by coming in contact with noxious gases. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are a part of this group of diseases. In 1990 it was the sixth most prevalent cause of death, but due to a progressive increase in the number of smokers it is going higher as a cause of death as the years go by.

 



 

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Top 10 Juices To Help Lose Weight

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An effective method of losing weight is to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks, energy drinks and sports drinks. You can substitute all such drinks with fruit juice. Not only would the consumption of such juices help you infighting diseases but would also aid in the weight loss procedure. There is always a reason why experts recommend you to drink juices for maintaining a healthy diet. Fruit juice is healthy if consumed in moderation. Here is a list of the top 10 fruit juices which help loose weight.

 

1. Carrot Juice

Carrot Juice is highly beneficial for the human body. This particular juice contains high level of calcium, potassium and magnesium. Carotenes contained in this juice helps you remain healthy. It is converted into vitamin A by the human body and utilized accordingly. Carrot Juice also contains high level of antioxidant which is used to protect the body and helps in fighting diseases such as cancer etc.

 

2. Beetroot Juice

Beetroot Juice helps in the development and creation of red blood cells. This particular juice is rich in potassium, iron, Vitamin C and magnesium. This particular juice also helps those patients having memory losses or face problem concentrating. Beetroot Juice is particularly helpful in decreasing the damage done due to menstrual and menopausal problems.

 

3. Cranberry Juice

Cranberry Juice contains high volume of Vitamin C. This particular juice is known to be helpful in avoiding the various urinary tract infections which many women face all over the world. Cranberries can easily mix with bananas and form a natural, healthy drink full of vitamins and proteins which are necessary for your body. This particular juice is also known to prevent many other diseases such as E.coli which infects the bladder.

 

4. Pear Juice

Pear Juice is a must have in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This particular drink works miracles on its own but can be mixed with other fruit juices as well to form an even more powerful drink. Pear Juice is not only rich in calcium and Vitamin C but also contains high level of potassium, magnesium and phosphorus which is essential for the body to have.

 

5. Grape Juice

The purple colored grape juice is particularly useful for protecting brain cells. By consuming grape juice you are able to improve your memory. This particular drink is also rich in antioxidant which enables the body to effectively fight against any and all sorts of diseases.

 



 

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Top 10 Health Benefits of Yoga

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Some people refer to it as a celerity fashion, others as a religious avenue, while to some as a life changing path. Yoga is known by all of the above mentioned names. There are renowned celebrities such as Madonna and Sting who can bear true testimony on the life transformational benefits of yoga. Millions of people around the world are already tapping into these benefits. However, to the pessimist, they still need convincing on the benefits of yoga. Some of the questions most often asked by many people is how yoga affects the mind? How it enhances positive development of the body?

There is no one pose that defines yoga but a combination of poses that are executed in sequences. In addition, there are different forms of yoga. Traditionally, religious leaders were the ones responsible for creating the different kinds of yoga. Nonetheless, some of the most practiced yoga in the world today are Hatha, Kundalini as well as Bikram yoga.

Whereas, some people tend to associate yoga with celebrity lifestyle, unknown to them is that yoga plays a big role in ensuring that your body is well safeguarded against the numerous lifestyle diseases that plague the present generations, for example, high blood pressure or hypertension, heart ailments, diabetes as well as anxiety. Discussed herein are top ten health benefits of yoga.

 

1. Helps in reducing High Blood Pressure

Commonly referred to as hypertension, high blood pressure is a disease that affects millions of people around the world today. Nonetheless, research carried out recently by Prevention Research Center shows that yoga significantly reduces the occurrences of this ailment by a big margin.

 

2. Helps in reducing and managing blood sugar level

Due to the bustles and hustles of the present society, not many people have the time to cook and eat right. As such there has been an upsurge in diabetes cases even in children. However, to help reduce and manage sugar levels in your body, you can engage in regular yoga exercise. This has been proven by a research study that was carried out the school of nursing in the United States. 23 of those who participated in the research showed that by applying Vinyasa yoga on a regular basis, the sugar level in your blood can reduce significantly.

 

3. Helps in managing osteoporosis

By applying a series of yoga poses, you can in a way help manage osteoporosis. This has been proven in subjects suffering from the ailment who participated in the study.

 

4. Helps in managing stress level

It is estimated that stress is the number one cause of illnesses such as depression. It is hard to avoid stress given the fast paced society that we are living in today. However, you can help manage stress levels by practicing yoga for a limited amount of time each day. Research carried out by the Ohio State University in 2010 shows that Hatha Yoga is a good exercise in reducing stress levels in the body.

 

5. Helps in lowering heart rate

Heart diseases too are common amongst so many people worldwide given the lifestyle. Nevertheless, you can minimize your heart rate by practicing a series of yoga movements for a couple of minutes each day. Unknown to a majority of people is that when the heart rate lowers, less amount of pressure is applied to the heart.

 



 

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Top 10 Fridge Food Budget Basics

What do you think a ‘healthy snack’ would be? If you are a college student, you often have to eat cheap food in order not to run out of cash in the middle of the month. The problem is that almost everything cheap isn’t really healthy. However, there is still some hope. Learn the top 10 foods which are cheap, easy to prepare but still cheap.


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Top 10 Cheap Health Foods

Today’s common question is ‘How can I eat well on a shoestring budget?’ It’s possible. Just look through these Top Ten Budget Healthy Foods, and you’ll no longer face the dilemma what to eat if you happen to run out of cash.


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