Archives for June 2015

June 30, 2015 By Mitali Ambekar 3 Comments

Cashew Nuts & it’s benefits

Cashew nuts are favourites of all. It’s a nut that is easily available and used for all occasions. It can be carried in your pocket and popped into the mouth as and when you feel hungry as the fat content in it keeps you full for a longer time and refrain you from snacking on unhealthy refined foods.

A fruit that is native to Brazil was brought to India by Portugal explorers and today it’s widely grown in the coastal areas.

Despite it being a healthy food, people are often scared of consuming cashew nuts because it is considered to be high on fats and hence not to be eaten often. Especially those suffering from any kind of heart ailment keep cashews away.

I would say these are all myths and would like to clarify that Cashews are safe to consume from a health perspective. It consists of healthy mono unsaturated fatty acid, Oleic acid which helps to lower bad cholesterol LDL and increase the good cholesterol HDL.

Cashew nuts also consists of some of the B complex Vitamins like Pyridoxine, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin& Niacin. All these play a major role in the metabolism of Carbohydrates, Proteins & Fats. Alongside it has individual health benefits such as Pyridoxine helps to protect the heart by inhibiting cholesterol deposit.

Niacin helps against Dermatitis- a skin infection, Pantothenic acid helps relieve your stress and gives you good skin & hair. Riboflavin prevents acne and gives you healthy eyes.

Cashew nuts have benefits in abundance so why would you want to keep it aside? It is high on calories but, as one should work on the quantity and timing and you will gain a healthy heart, good skin, healthy eyes and anti-stress properties.

Cashews are best to be had as a snack. Roast them and have about a fistful in between the meals, pre or post workout, during or after a trek or game.

June 29, 2015 By Neha Morche Leave a Comment

Fatty fruit Avocado is an all-star Nutrient

A tree native to Mexico, Avocado is one fruit that is nutrient packed as well as has healthy fats thus making it a unique fruit.

Initially, one does get averse to this fruit due to its hard texture but, it is known for its high nutrient value. It has a hard black green outer skin and is extremely creamy inside. Avacados have become an incredibly popular food among health conscious people. And, this does not come as a surprise to me as it does have lots of health properties.

Infact, today, this fruit is easily available in supermarkets. One has a choice to choose either the ripe fruit that is ready to be eaten or buy raw then ripe them and refrigerate it for a week. One should take care it should not be cut because, once cut it gets exposed to air and turns brown and with that the fruit’s nutrient properties get oxidised. Avacados can be consumed daily but, in moderation.

Let’s take a peek into the benefits of Avocado:

Avocados are rich in phytochemicals, hence helps in increasing immunity.
It has 4gms of protein higher than any other fruit.
It has monounsaturated fats (oleic acid) which helps in lowering bad cholesterol.
The sugar content (fructose) is also less compared to other fruits.
Avocados are an excellent source of vitamin K, Vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and vitamin E, and viatamin A.
It contains copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. Potassium is an important mineral that most people do get enough of. Avacados are very high in potassium which supports healthy blood pressure levels.
A medium avocado contains 11 grams of fiber, which is close to half of the daily recommended fibre intake. Fiber can have various important benefits for weight loss and metabolic health.
It slows down the digestion hence controls the blood sugar level.

As they say all good things come with some bad points. Avacados also has its disadvantages. These are

One can develop an allergy with this fruit.
It has saturated fats along with monounsaturated fats which can lead to weight gain.

Avocado can be eaten as it is or in the form of milkshakes, salad, soups and sandwiches. Avocado oil is available in the market and can be used for cooking.

Given all the positive health benefits that Avacado has, it is an excellent reason to always include this healthy fat source when you eat fruits. Without it, a lot of the beneficial plant nutrients will go waste. So do include it to make your diet healthy.

June 26, 2015 By SNEHA CHIKHALE 2 Comments

8 Yoga poses to do before going to bed

Have you had a hectic day at work? Or is it too much of travel? Or tension in studies? When in such situations we generally end up sleeping less. It takes a long time and then we start counting the sheep (childhood memories!) to fall asleep.

Now, forget counting the Sheep or numbers. Ease your way into dreamland with these 8 yoga asanas. These yoga poses will relax your body and mind, both!

1) Supported child pose:

Holding supported child’s pose with your head rested on some pillows will help your brain and body to rest after long day. One can repeat it as many times as he wish. It is a good option for resting and relaxing.

2) Supported downward facing dog:

It is a great yoga pose for people who are glued to their desk for all day. This position stretches out your back part of the body, particularly the hamstring group (muscles at the back of your thighs)

3) Triangle pose:

This posture creates smooth blood flow and space in the spine. This standing pose releases the hamstring and allows extension in the spine. Using a wall will help you to hold this position with better timings.

4) Wide legged forward fold:

This pose is absolutely useful to calm the body and nervous system after a tiring day at work. This pose will also help open and stretch the back of the body.

5) Low lunge:

This pose stretches out the hip flexor group, which tend to get tight due to long periods of sitting.

6) Supine bound angel pose:

This pose helps open the upper back, chest and shoulders though a mid backbend. Lying on the pillow will help with increasing the openness.

7) Legs up the wall:

This position tones and settles the nervous system while reducing the gravitational pressure on the heart and the legs. Hip: Use pillow under the lumbar curve to release the lower back.

8) Savasana:

To wrap up your yoga practice, finish your sequence with traditional savasana. It is a simple pose that brings total relaxation. This should be performed at the end of the yoga session, to relax your muscles.

June 25, 2015 By Balwant Singh 3 Comments

How to take care of Spine Health

How many of you constantly complaint of a bad back. Back problems; no more have an age bar. You could be 25 years old or 65 years old and both can suffer spine problems due to various reasons.

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Spine is one of the most important parts of our body. It’s S –shaped and like a spring. Spine is made up of 33 vertebrae and its role is to protect the spinal cord. Spinal cord is an extension of the brain which conveys messages from the brain to different parts of the body through Motor nervous and messages from different parts of the body to brain through sensory nervous.

Spine supports the body and keeps the body erect. Intervertebral disc are located in between each vertebrae and these provide cushion and act as shock absorbers.

Spinal cord can also be divided in to 5 parts.

Cervical spine (C7) Top 7 vertebrae in the neck and much movement is seen in between C4 –C7
Thoracic Spine (T12):The 12 vertebrae next to thoracic spine
Lumbar Spine (L5) : The 5 vertebrae located at the lower back and they are broader in shape and bear much of the body weight.
Sacral Spine : The 5 fused bones next to Lumbar spine ( they are immovable)
Coccyx : The four fused bones also called tail bone ( they are also immovable)

Proper nutrition and Proper intake of calcium, Phosphorus, vitamin D (Exposure of your body to sunlight, body can manufacture required amount of vitamin D) plays an important role for the good health of spine.

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Apart from that correct posture which strengthens the muscles supporting the spine and also strengthen the core muscles such as :

(i) Outer core muscles like rectus abdominis, external obliques, gluteus muscle and Hamstring (These muscles support the spine)

(ii) Inner core muscles such as transverse abdominis, multifidus and internal obliques are the deepest muscle and they stabilize the spine

(iii) Upper back muscles like Trapezius, Rhomboids are also equally important.

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Precautions one should take for a strong Spine:

Stay Active and include strength training to your routine with care (include pulling exercises like pull-ups, rowing, shrugs to strengthen your upper back muscles.
Include balancing exercises like plank, side plank, standing mountain pose on single leg (these exercises will strengthen the inner core muscles). All balancing exercises will strengthen inner core muscles
Hydrate well. If you drink less water chances are that the inter vertebrae disc starts to shrink and there is a chance of bulging or rupturing of the disc.
Keep your spine erect (head, neck and spine in a straight line)
Focus on flexibility (Some time if your hamstring or Gluteus is inflexible then you will start feeling pain in your lower back.
Always bend your knees while lifting heavy objects from the floor.
Do not stand for long time in one posture or sit at one place.
The height the chair should not be too high. Your knees should make 90 degree angle while sitting on a chair and keep your spine erect.
Last but not least, manage your stress.