About Vaishali Nair

Vaishali Nair holds a degree in Food Science and Nutrition. A strong combination of food science combined with holistic healing practices arms her with the necessary knowledge to help her players live a healthy life physically, emotionally and spiritually. A deep seeker of spirituality, she also practises reiki, crystal healing, bach flower and numerology.

January 19, 2019 By Vaishali Nair 4 Comments

Nature’s gift – Raw Honey & its benefits

Honey is one of nature’s purest foods and is much more than just a natural sweetener. It’s a “functional food,” which means it’s a natural food with health benefits. Raw honey nutrition is impressive. Raw honey contains 22 amino acids, 27 minerals and 5,000 enzymes.

This opaque liquid is not only rich in antioxidants but a plethora of vitamins such as B6, thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and niacin and minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and selenium.

Health benefits are not just restricted to weight loss but it can help in prevention and cure of many symptomatic diseases.

Immunity Booster: – Raw honey contains bee pollen, which is known to ward off infections, provide natural allergy relief and boost overall immunity.
“One study fed 25 subjects about four tablespoons of honey per day for 29 days in addition to their regular diets. When blood samples were taken at the start and end of the study, researchers found a clear, direct link between honey consumption and an increased level of disease-fighting polyphenols in the blood”

Pre and post workout – Raw honey contains natural sugars (80 percent), water (18 percent), and minerals, vitamins, pollen and protein (2 percent). It provides an easily absorbed supply of energy in the form of liverglycogen making it ideal for energetic morning starts and as a pre and post exercise energy source.

Promotes sleep: – Raw honey promotes restorative sleep in two ways. By consuming honey before bedtime, it restocks the liver’s glycogen supply and prevents the brain from triggering a crisis search for fuel, which can wake you up. Secondly, eating raw honey fosters the release of melatonin in the brain by creating a small spike in insulin levels, which stimulates the release oftryptophan in the brain. Tryptophan converts to serotonin which is then converted to melatonin.

Heal Ulcer: – honey reacts with the body’s fluids to make hydrogen peroxide, creating an inhospitable environment for bacteria. Honey may reduce the size, pain and odour of problematic skin ulcers.

Diabetes Management: – The combination of raw honey and cinnamon can be especially beneficial to healthy diabetes management

Increases Haemoglobin: – One of the most natural ways to increase haemoglobin is by consuming raw honey. The mineral richness of this opaque cells help increase the iron content of the blood thereby treating anaemia

Raw honey is a crude form of honey immediately taken out of the cells of the honeycombs within a bee hive. This form of honey is far from pure. It commonly contains bee pollen and propolis which are both two very positive health additions.

Four ways to spot artificial honey

The Thumb Test — Put a drop of the honey on your thumb. If it spreads around right away or spills, it’s not pure. If it stays intact, it’s pure.
The Water Test — Fill a glass of water and add one tablespoon of “honey” into the water. Pure honey will lump and settle at the bottom of the glass. Adulterated and artificial honey will start dissolving in water.
The Shelf Life Test — Pure honey will crystallise over time. Imitation honey will remain looking like syrup, no matter how long it is stored.
Light a Fire — Dip the tip of a matchstick in “honey”, and then strike it to light. Natural honey will light the match easily and the flame will burn off the honey. Fake honey will not light because of the moisture it contains.

Honey available off the shelf is the pasteurised form which may not be entirely pure. Artificial honey is a food with many shortcomings, representing a solution of inverted sugar syrup, which comes from refined sugar, which often has other ingredients added. Such a synthetic preparation can be achieved in domestic conditions, but you need to know it is not healthy. Artificial honey contains a physical mixture of glucose and fructose focused elements that have separated from the previous combination of sugar.

Hence best bet is to procure the honey directly from the beekeepers.

May 24, 2017 By Vaishali Nair 21 Comments

Ageing is not skin deep! Rejuvenate the Natural way!

Age is just not a number! Aging affects the way we look and the way we feel. It affects our bodies in more than many ways as what we anticipate. The good news is that the aging process can be delayed by incorporating the right ingredients in your daily diet. The key is to focus on improving your cellular health and hormonal levels.

Aging does not stop at the surface level. It profoundly depletes the deeper layers, leading to unmistakable signs that no makeup can disguise and only anti-aging supplements, foods and products that work at both the cellular and hormonal levels can repair. Not even cosmetic surgery can correct some of these consequences.

To achieve true anti-aging effects, you must activate cellular mechanisms, plus biochemical and hormonal anti-aging pathways, and restore them to youthful functioning. So it’s important to understand how the combination of certain anti-aging supplements, foods and herbs can promote deep and long-lasting effects.

Green tea: – Green tea consists of leaves that haven’t been fermented and so contain the highest level of antioxidants. These teas contain polyphenols called catechins. Green tea catechins reduces the level of damaging free radicals. When applied to the skin, tea repairs scar tissue and prevents wrinkles, blemishes and other impurities. When used as a sunblock, tea can actually reduce or completely erase sun damage. It also helps with warts, psoriasis, acne, and rosacea. Tea sachets are beneficial when cold, too, helping to reduce puffiness by virtue of combining a cool compress with tannins. Tannins are a type of astringent that help to constrict blood vessels and reduce swelling. The caffeine in tea also tightens facial skin for a leaner look.

Turmeric:-Turmeric contains high amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants are essential for protecting the integrity of the skin by preventing free radicals from destroying its texture and elasticity. Research shows that turmeric inhibits a key enzyme (elastase) that reduces the ability of elastin from forming. Elastin, along with collagen, is a protein needed for making the skin smooth and pliable, and also helps it to retain its original position when pinched. In fact, turmeric, in vitro, may inhibit elastase by up to 65%.

Red Grape Juice:- Grapes and grape juice contain alpha hydroxy acids that help to make skin wrinkle free and smooth. Alpha hydroxyl acids in grapes are useful in removing surface scars as well.

Gingko Biloba:-Ginkgo’s antioxidant properties neutralize the free radicals that can damage proteins within the cell, enzymes, or the fragile lipid membranes that surround and protect the cell. The leaves of the ginkgo tree contain flavonoids and turpenoids – types of antioxidants which make it one of the best natural anti-aging supplements.

Hop plant: – Hops are also great if you have mature skin as it helps to balance moisture levels in the skin. Hops inhibit the elastase enzyme that is responsible for causing cross-linking in collagen. When our collagen is cross-linked, it breaks down, and the signs of aging gradually emerge.

Fennel: – It has powerful antiaging properties that will protect both skin and hair from premature aging. Fennel contains super-antioxidants like superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase, all of which are known to have properties effective at protecting the skin from environmental stressors.

Fenugreek:-The seeds are a rich source of vitamin B3 and niacin that helps in recovering the damaged skin cells and promotes the regeneration of new cells and tissues that help in lightening age spots, hyper pigmentation wrinkles, fine lines and crow’s feet that form on the forehead, at corner of eyes and lips.

Aloe Vera: – It functions as an effective natural remedy for pimples and acne and reducing excessive oiliness of skin. Malic acid present in aloe vera gel improves skin elasticity and reduces wrinkles and fine lines- the most evident signs of skin aging. Zinc present in the gel increases the youthfulness of skin by shrinking the pores whereas mucopolysaccharides – long chain sugar molecules present in the gel helps in retaining moisture and improves formation of collagen – the protein that forms the basis of cell structure and maintains skin elasticity.

Banana: – This fruit is loaded with skin benefitting nutrients such as potassium, vitamin B, vitamin C and vitamin E that makes it a complete remedy for all skin problems. It helps in hydrating and moisturizing dry skin, improving collagen production, skin elasticity and suppleness and fighting the damage causing free radicals and oxidative stress to provide a flawless and younger looking skin and adds a healthy glow to it.

Almonds:- Almonds are loaded with nutrients such as vitamin E, iron, zinc, folic acid and oleic acid that function as powerful antioxidants which prevent the degeneration of collagen fibers of skin and delay the aging process by treating wrinkles and fine lines.

Avocados:-It acts as a nourishing moisturizer for excessive dry skin that also helps in repairing damaged cells and promotes the regeneration of new cells. The antioxidants and amino acids present in this exotic fruit flushes out toxins from skin and prevents premature skin aging.

Pineapple Juice: – Pineapple juice is also effective for preventing premature aging. Being loaded with antioxidants such as potassium and vitamin C, pineapple juice helps in neutralizing the harmful effects of free radicals and oxidative stress of cells thus preventing premature aging of skin. It also helps in improving skin tone and correcting uneven skin tone, dark patches, age spots and hyper pigmentation.