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June 11, 2015 By Neha Morche Leave a Comment

QUINOA SUPERGRAIN of 21st CENTURY

Quinoa is a grain like any other grains or cereals that we consume on a daily basis and is definitely a better option to include and to avoid monotony in our daily routine. It is obtained from plant which tastes like spinach. Although it is mostly eaten in Northern America, it is now getting worldwide recognition. Quinoa is a whole grain which has striking health benefits.

Quinoa is a very good source of manganese, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, dietary fibre, folate , and zinc, protein, antioxidants than any other grain including Vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, potassium, and riboflavin, vitamin E and MUFA(mono unsaturated fatty acids)..Quinoa is a perfect food to include on a gluten-free diet, since it lacks gluten.

It is available in red, light yellow and black colour in market. It is a very interesting grain as it expands than its original size on cooking, here we will have an idea of cooking:

Uses:

Always rinse Quinoa till soapy texture gets washed away (as it has saponin ; a toxic chemical substance) also it has bitter taste after repetitive wash. If the soapy texture does not go then rubbing it may help. Mixture of Quinoa and water should be 1:2 ratio, boil it, approximately it takes 15 minutes to cook. Once it gets cooked the germ gets detached and it looks translucent. If roasted on low heat before cooking it gives it a nuttier flavor. It can be refrigerated for 3 to 6 months.

It can be used as sprouts, in soups, porridge for breakfast; cooked Quinoa can be used in sandwiches and tossed over pasta. Quinoa can be mixed with brown rice and vegetables…and also you can make yummy Quinoa pudding. It can be popped like popcorn which children enjoy.

Pros :

It has good amount proteins for wear and tear of the tissues.
Good for hypertension (low in cholesterol and sodium ), breathing problems and migraine pain as it relaxes blood vessels.
It has abundance of fibre which improves digestion, hinders excess secretion of bile.
It is good sources of calcium for bones.
It is gluten free, which is good cereal option for people having gluten allergy.
Manganese and copper acts as an antioxidant which prevents from free radicals produced in the body.
It reduces triglycerides compared to gluten free breads and pastas.

We have seen the benefits of Quinoa but, let me tell you it does have oxalates which should be avoided in oxalate restricted diets (kidney stones).

So let’s try and inculcate some new stuff in your diet to become more healthy.

May 19, 2015 By Hardika Vira Leave a Comment

Did you know about Syndrome X?

Syndrome X is also known as metabolic syndrome, cardio metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance syndrome, Reaven’s syndrome (named after Gerald Reaven an American endocrinologist and professor at Stanford University who has worked upon insulin resistance and diabetes), and CHAOS (in Australia). It’s one of the leading lifestyle related disorders.

As is defined by Wikipedia-Syndrome X is a disorder of energy utilization and storage, diagnosed by a co-occurrence of three out of five of the following medical conditions: abdominal (central) obesity, elevated blood pressure (Hypertension), elevated fasting plasma glucose (Diabetes/ insulin resistance), high serum triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia), and low high-density cholesterol (HDL) levels.

In today’s times you will seldom find people with one single issue. You more often meet people with multiple issues for e.g.: You will see a person who is diabetic also has hypertension, and has a big belly at the same time. So, would you categorize this person as a diabetic or hypertensive or obese? Well, None of these! It is Metabolic Syndrome

How do you categorize a person suffering from metabolic syndrome?

He should have any of these 3 categories positive. As per American Heart Association(2004)

Elevated waist circumference:
- Men — greater than 40 inches (102 cm)
- Women — greater than 35 inches (88 cm)
Elevated triglycerides: Equal to or greater than 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L)
Reduced HDL (“good”) cholesterol:
- Men — Less than 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/L)
- Women — Less than 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/L)
Elevated blood pressure: Equal to or greater than 130/85 mm Hg or use of medication for hypertension

Elevated fasting glucose: Equal to or greater than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) or use of medication for hyperglycemia

Let us concentrate on the prevention part rather than treatment as we already know prevention is better than cure. The prevention for Metabolic Syndrome is same as its treatment.

Exercise daily for 30-60 minutes. Exercising increases the insulin sensitivity, helps reduce waist circumference, manages blood pressure and also improve HDL cholesterol. Exercise daily / Being active whole day is the requirement
Lose weight if overweight. Nearing your IBW (Ideal Body Weight) helps to reduce the pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries to supply blood to all parts of the body. It also helps in better glucose uptake. Reducing even 10% of your body weight helps you control diabetes, blood pressure and weight
Eat healthy and keep a check on the portions – Include a good amount of fruits and veggies in your daily diet. They are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Fiber helps in maintaining blood sugar levels, choose whole grains and their products over the refined ones, choose low fat dairy products and lean proteins over red meat as red meat is high in fats and sodium. Go easy on saturated fats and trans fats like butter, ghee, margarine, vanaspati ghee, bakery products. Restrict cholesterol consumption to less than 300 mg/ day. Generally non-veg foods contain cholesterol. Veg sources do not contain cholesterol. Make it a point to check the nutritional label of the packaged foodstuff that you pick for cholesterol and Sodium content.
Quit smoking and alcohol- Getting rid of your habits reduces the risk factor to a large extent by preventing damage to your organs. Alcohol raises triglyceride levels, helps increases belly fat and smoking induces chain reaction which destroys other organs too.
Reduce stress levels- Stress hormone cortisol is known to increase blood sugar levels and create a negative impact on your body as well. Practicing deep breathing exercises and getting involved into your hobbies / recreational activities help curb the stress levels

Practicing these would not only help you lower the risk factors but also help lower your medication.

May 5, 2015 By Jyoti Sawant 22 Comments

Amazing Health Benefits and Uses of Jamun Fruit

Jamun or Black plum is an important summer fruit, associated with many health and medicinal benefits. The black plum is known to relieve stomach pain, carminative, anti-scorbutic and diuretic. Black Plum vinegar is good to reduce enlargement of spleen, diarrhoea, and those have urine retention problems. Jamum’s ployphenolic compounds are effective against cancer, heart diseases, diabetes, asthma and arthritis.

Black Plum fruit and its leaves are good for diabetic patients. The black plum has anti-diabetic features. The fruit helps to convert starch into energy and keep your blood sugar levels in check. In the summer season, the sugar patient should eat Black Plum regularly because of its low glycemic index. It reduces the symptoms of diabetes like frequent urination and thrusting. The extract of bark, seeds, and leaves are too beneficial in the treatment of diabetes.

Black Plum has adequate amount of iron and vitamin C. The presence of iron in the black plum is good to increase the haemoglobin count. The fruit’s iron content acts as blood purifying agent. Since, it is the medium of purifying your blood; therefore, it is good for skin and beauty. Iron content is beneficial in menses where the lady faces blood loss. People suffering from anemia and jaundice should eat Balck Plump because of its high iron content.

Black Plum juice has many health and medicinal benefits. Being a seasonal fruit, one should try to have more and more amount of Black Plum juice during the month of June, July and August. Some of the amazing and surprising health benefits of this juice are given below.

It is used to treat digestive disorders such as diarrhoea
This juice along with curd is good against digestive problems.
Teeth related problems can be solved by applying black Plum juice or by drinking it.
Jamun juice is beneficial in treating of piles.
Drinking of the fresh fruit juice helps in cough and asthma.
Jamun juice enhances your immune system.
It protects you from cold and acts as anti-aging agent.

April 29, 2015 By Satish Kurapaty Leave a Comment

Self Defense Part -2: How to get rid of holds

In my previous blog, I explained how to defend yourself from any external attack you may encounter and which are the most effective parts of the body you can hit to protect yourself.

Today, in this blog I will explain how to get rid if you are caught by someone or if someone holds you.

First and foremost draw attention to your situation by yelling and screaming.

If someone holds you from behind, then just drop all your weight. It will force them to drop you and be that much harder to carry your full weight.

Usually when someone catches you from behind they are going to have at least one of their hands in front of you. With one hand grab their index and the attacker’s middle finger and with your other hand grab the ring. Pull very hard in opposite directions. This is very painful to your attacker and should give you a chance to get away.

If someone holds your wrist and you are not able to escape, first thing you do is to rotate your hand from left to right, by doing this, the opposite person will lose his grip and you can escape.

If someone caught you from behind with both hands locked around your chest, but your hands are in the air, hit on the attacker’s neck with the edge of your elbow.

Press his forearm against your collarbone instead of trying to pull it directly off, which may be difficult if you are fighting with someone who is stronger than you. Put one hand above his elbow and one hand below it so your hands are on both sides of the elbow and one strong movement step and swing your entire body around like the arm is the hinge to your body’s screen door. This will help you get rid of the attacker and his head, ribs, and legs wide open to your counter attack.

If you are caught from behind put your hands on their head and drag your fingernails down until you find their ears. Catch the attacker’s ears and pull it down in a fast motion. If you do it slowly it will give an opportunity to the attacker to understand what is happening. But, if you do it fast enough with enough strength, you should be able to damage their ear.

Incase your hands are locked, jump slightly and do deep squats you will be able to escape or use your back head to hit on his nose.

If the attacker is trying to choke you by wrapping his arms around your neck, bring your foot forward and kick so hardly between the attacker’s ankle and mid-leg.

If you are hit, make sure that you are hitting back enough to defend yourself and to deliver a blow without being overly aggressive.

Try to disarm your attacker so that you have the opportunity to escape.

QUINOA SUPERGRAIN of 21st CENTURY

Did you know about Syndrome X?

Amazing Health Benefits and Uses of Jamun Fruit

Self Defense Part -2: How to get rid of holds

Transforming Health and Life: Dhiren Matani’s Inspirational Journey to Wellness

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Prioritizing Health: Kuntal Goswami’s Post-Pandemic Pursuit of Wellness

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