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Dash Of The World’s Healthiest Herbs And Spices

Herbs and spices are great; not only do they make food a whole lot tastier, they also contribute to making what we eat, healthy. With the added hint of aroma, and a dash of old world charm to your cooking, it’s no wonder that they play a pivotal role in our food intake. Here are a list of spices and their benefits:

Ginger

May help: Settle an upset stomach, fight arthritis pain.

Ginger extracts can soothe an upset stomach, and ease morning sickness. Ginger also helps with inflammation (or) swelling.

Cinnamon

May help: Uplift your mood.

Very famous in Persia, this traditional medicine can help you deal with mood swings and relieve symptoms of depression.

Turmeric

May help: Quell the swell, curbs tumor.

Turmeric, the goldenrod-colored spice, is used in India to help wounds heal. Applied as a paste, it also helps relieve colds and respiratory problems. It can also prevent cancer cell growth especially in colon, prostate and breast cancers.

Parsley

May help: Prevent growth of breast cancer cells.

Scientists from the University of Missouri discovered that this herb can actually curb the growth of breast cancer cells. It has been recommended by experts that adding a couple pinches of minced fresh parsley to your dishes daily can be helpful.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-healthy-herbs-and-spices

http://www.eatingwell.com/article/32764/8-of-the-worlds-healthiest-spices-herbs-you-should-be-eating/

The Healthiest Drinks You Can Order, Apart From Water

If you’re even thinking about choosing a healthy beverage in place of sodas at a restaurant, you’re on the right track!

Water is generally considered the healthiest option, but our list of alternative drinks add some flavor to the health in every sip. Here is a list of 3 alternatives to a healthy glass of water—a couple of other options for when the waiter asks you what to drink!

Pomegranate Juice

You’d be hard-pressed to find a juice healthier than pomegranate juice. It’s been known to help you combat inflammation and a whole range of diseases, even cancer. Just make sure you don’t end up drinking juice with too much sugar in it.

Beet Juice

A slightly less popular option, maybe. But an option that reduces blood pressure, boost blood flow and circulation to the brain (slowing the onset of dementia), keeps your liver healthy, and increases your stamina.

Beetroot Juice

Hot Chocolate

This isn’t the top of the ‘generally healthy’ list, but here’s a secret: this hot, cocoa-based drink can help with the pain of menstrual cramps. How? Because of its high magnesium content.

There you go! The next time the waiter asks you what you want a drink, your healthy options aren’t limited to “One tall glass of water, please!”

References:

https://www.bustle.com/articles/27917-the-10-healthiest-beverages-other-than-water

4 Reasons Why Rowing Is The Best Exercise Ever

We recently wrote about why you should try swimming for a great workout session. This week, we take a look at rowing and how it may just be better.

This exercise has a lot going for it; there are a number of reasons why rowing can displace swimming as the king of whole-body workouts. Here, you’ll find four of the best reasons to get on that rowing machine, or into a canoe at a nearby lake.

Reason 1: It Directly Combats Sedentary Lifestyle Effects

When you’re hunched over a desk all day, running and biking aren’t the best exercise options. They involve a rounded spine, which is the same posture.

Rowing, by making you flex chest muscles and stretch your legs, directly counteracts the effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

Reason 2: It’s A Fast Burner

Rowing is a highly efficient form of exercise; you’ll burn off a large number of calories in a very short period. This makes it very effective for cardio, as your heart rate rises a lot with an increase in speeds.

Reason 3: It Makes You Stronger Where You Are Weak

A number of muscles that are generally weak are targeted by rowing: the hamstrings, shoulders, glutes and your core.

Reason 4: It Improves Athletic Ability

Being a total body workout, rowing can gear you up for athletics and a range of sports. Whether it’s running, football or cycling, you’ll see an enhancement in your athletic performance and cardiovascular health.

Given these reasons, you simply can’t avoid rowing as an exercise. Hit the machine at your gym, or find a rowing community in your area today!

References:

https://www.theactivetimes.com/10-reasons-rowing-just-may-be-best-workout-ever

Bar Soap Vs. Liquid Soap – Which Is The Better Choice?

Some people prefer the one, while others prefer the other—where do you stand?

There’s been a lot of argument on both sides of the fence, so let’s take a look at the facts and put this argument to bed once and for all!

Suitability For Multiple Skin Types

For one, liquid soap is generally milder than its bar counterpart. Its usually milder surfactants do not irritate sensitive skin. There is good news for people with dry skin too—liquid soap does not disrupt protective layers, letting you retain 30% of the moisture.

Bar soaps, for the most part, do the opposite. Except for soaps with glycerin and added moisture content—those keep skin dehydrated even as they remove dirt off its surface.

The clear winner here is liquid soap.

Foamy Matters

When it comes to producing lather—the bubbly white stuff that cleanses dirt off the skin, liquid soap is rather faster.

However, both are equally effective at cleansing, which is the important part.

“How Convenient Is It?”

Given that liquid soap comes in a dispenser with a mess-free nozzle, it scores high on convenience. Bar soaps are often slippery. But you end up wasting more liquid soap.

Safety

Germs can’t make their way into your liquid soap dispenser, but are present in large numbers or every used bar of soap—however ‘clean’ it may look.

There’s a clear winner here, and it’s liquid soap.

The Question Of Price

Both types are quite inexpensive, but liquid soap is generally the costlier of the two.

You’ve got all the information you need to make a good choice now!

References:

http://www.beautifulwithbrains.com/liquid-soap-vs-bar-soap/

4 ways to ensure food safety in Summer

According to WHO estimates, it was found that two million deaths occur globally, every year, due to contamination of food and water. Who would have thought that there are over 200 diseases that are caused by contaminated food or drinking water? The carry bacteria, parasites, viruses and chemical substances that are harmful for human consumption.

Here are four ways to prevent food borne diseases:

Separate raw and cooked foods

Separate raw foods, poultry and seafood from cooked food as they might contain harmful microorganisms. Make sure the food in the containers avoid contact with each other.

Cook your food thoroughly

Cook food properly, especially meat, poultry, eggs and seafood. It is advisable to boil foods like soups and stews to at least 70°C. Make sure that juices are clear and not pink for poultry and seafood.

Keep food at safe temperatures

It is generally not recommended to leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Refrigerate all cooked preferably below 5°C but also remember, it is unhealthy to consume stored food which has been kept in the refrigerator for too long.

Use safe water and raw materials

Use safe and clean water to wash fruits and veggies especially if they are being consumed raw. Be sure to check the expiry date of other ingredients before using them to cook.

https://www.health.gov.il/English/Topics/FoodAndNutrition/food/HANDLINGFOOD/Pages/12steps_keeping_food_safe.aspx

6 Things You Didn’t Know Honey Was Good For

Everybody knows that honey in warm water can help you lose weight and soothe a sore throat, but there’s much more this natural product can do. We’ve picked 6 that we think you might not know!

Use #1: Gives You An Energy Boost

Mix two teaspoons of honey in warm water. Stir and drink up for a blast of energy that’ll take you off your seat and keep you on your toes.

Use #2: Makes Hair Look Great

After a shower, coat the ends of your hair with some honey. Then wash it off—this will get rid of nasty frizz.

Another honey-based hair tip: massage a bit of warm water with honey into your hair, and let it dry off. This will give it a great-looking shine.

Use #3: Exfoliates Skin

Add a bit of honey to ground almonds and some lemon juice: this makes for a refreshing, rejuvenating facial scrub.

Use #4: Acts As An Antiseptic

Honey makes a good antiseptic for minor cuts, scrapes and bruises: its microbial properties can help treat these, as well as burns.

Use #5: Is A Moisturizer

Warm 250 ml of honey in a bowl till it becomes more liquid, and pour it over aromatic herbs like lavender. Close this, and after a week, mix with 250ml of unscented lotion. This gives you a homemade moisturizer!

Use #6: Honey Lip Balm!

If you can find some beeswax, then you can make your own lip balm—by adding some honey and almond oil! Your homemade lip balm will be pretty effective at battling moisture and keep keeping your lips looking glossy and beautiful.

Honey may be a super-healthy supplement, but it’s also more than that. Much more, as these uses prove!

Reference:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-brones/20-unusual-uses-for-honey_b_949475.html

4 Tips to reduce body odour

Have you ever had that moment where you wonder if you smell, well, not so great? Here are 4 tips to become more hygienic and make body odour go away.

1. Keep Yourself Squeaky Clean

Shower at least once a day and you’ll wash away all the sweat and keep your skin bacteria free.

2. Use Antibacterial Bathing Soap

You need to shower at least twice a day, preferably with antibacterial bathing soap to reduce the bacteria count, in turn reducing the odour.

3.Cut Out or Cut Down “Offensive” Foods or Drinks

What you eat could also have an impact on your body odour.

There are foods that make you sweat, such as hot peppers or other spicy foods. Drinks containing caffeine or alcohol may also cause you to sweat a lot.

4. Apply Deodorants or Antiperspirants

Once you are clean and dry, use an effective deodorant or antiperspirant on your body, especially your underarms. Apply the deodorant twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.

Now that you are aware of how to get rid of body odour, try these remedies and let us know how they worked for you!

http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/effective-home-remedies-for-reducing-body-odour/#gref

https://www.wikihow.com/Eliminate-Body-Odor

5 Reasons Why You Should Take Up Swimming Right Away

Swimming is one of the best workouts that prove great to exercise your whole body. Not only does it get your blood flowing and adrenaline pumping, but also helps build muscle due to the natural resistance of water. If you aren’t convinced yet, check out these 5 great benefits of doing a couple of laps at the pool every day.

Benefit 1: It Builds More Than Muscle Strength

In addition to toning your muscles, swimming also builds cardiovascular strength. Even prolonging your life—swimming can cut down the risk of fatal episodes by about 50%!

Benefit 2: It Helps With Asthma

If you suffer from wheezing, you’ll be familiar with this dilemma: only exercise can help you with shortness of breath, but the very same shortness of breath makes exercise difficult.

Swimming, in addition to helping you lose weight, also gives you control over breathing—both great for an asthma sufferer.

Benefit 3: It Burns Calories Effectively

Swimming is considered a low-impact exercise.

While other low impact exercises burn calories too, none of them can do it on the same scale that swimming does. Swimming burns 30 to 50% more calories than other low-impact exercises like yoga and running.

Benefit #4: It’s Safe Even If You’re Pregnant

In all three trimesters, swimming is considered a safe form of exercise, even advisable. Women who swam in early and mid pregnancy stages were found to be less prone to premature deliveries and congenital defects.

Benefit #5: Work Your Entire Body

There’s no single way to swim: you can choose from freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly, sidestroke and backstroke styles. Each works a different muscle group!

With these great benefits, it’s practically impossible to argue against taking up swimming right away!

References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-swimming#benefits

Foods That Help Prevent Acid Reflux (Acidity)

Acidity can be a painful experience. This burning sensation that simply doesn’t go away after a heavy meal can be fixed, though.

And here’s the easy way of getting through painful acid reflux: eating certain foods.

Ginger

Universally popular as one of the most popular fixes for this problem, ginger can actually treat a number of gastrointestinal disorders. Use it in moderation.

Salad

A great alternative to your usual lunch, which protects you from painful reflux. Just make sure you avoid onions, and don’t add more than a teaspoon of fatty dressing.

Watermelons

With an heavily alkaline pH of 8.8, watermelons are a great way of fighting acidity, which is caused by too much acid in your stomach.

Chicken

Yes, meat can help too! Chicken can be pressure cooked, grilled, sautéed, or baked. Never fried, though—that defeats the purpose.

With these readily available foods at your disposal, you can do away with heartburn easily!

References:

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20440834,00.html#chicken-and-turkey-0

Why Does Every 5th College Student Suffer From Anxiety Or Depression?

It’s a worrying trend: more and more people are suffering from anxiety, depression or some other form of mental illness. Research indicates that 1 in 5 students suffer from depression, which means we can’t afford to ignore this any longer.

Why do people get depressed? And, more importantly, why do students?

Social Interactions Have Suffered

Most college-age people have ready access to social media, and arguably spend more time than they should online. This hinders their real-life social interactive abilities, as more and more people prefer communicating through a social media post to actual conversation.

Mobile phone addiction is becoming a prevalent issue, and the virtual world competes for your attention with the real world. Often, the consequences are all too real—addiction to phones has been proven dangerous. It can cause stress, interrupt normal sleep patterns, and cause anxiety and even depression.

Cyberbullying Is On The Rise

Once a laughable matter that you could choose to ignore, cyberbullying is a major threat to people’s wellbeing, especially college-goers. Whether someone gets affected in high school or in college, it can affect their mental well being when they are in college.

Separation Anxiety, Career Worries

When college students have to deal with separation anxiety on top of the problems we discussed already, it can get too much. Add career expectations and peer pressure, and it’s easy to see why anxiety and depression affect 20% or more students.

The Remedy

Thankfully, the same technology that can cause anxiety and depression can bring a virtual mental health expert right to your iPad or smartphone screen.

If someone is going through depression or anxiety in college, this is often due to an unexpressed problem. Getting them to talk things out is usually the key.

References:

https://theconversation.com/1-in-5-college-students-have-anxiety-or-depression-heres-why-90440

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