If you have been sticking to low-fat or fat-free milk in order to maintain a healthy diet, it may be time to revisit your beliefs. New research shows that milk fats can help prevent obesity and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

 Prevention of obesity
A study published by a Swedish team of researchers shows that middle aged men who consumed high-fat milk and other fatty milk products like butter and cream, were less likely to become obese than men who rarely or never ate high-fat dairy. The study was conducted over a period of twelve years, and adjusted for factors like consumption of fruit and vegetables, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, age, education, and profession.

Lower risk of cardiovascular disease
The European Journal of Nutrition compiled 16 studies that were related to milk fatsand their effect on health. It was initially believed that consuming milk fatsincreased the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The team that reviewed these studies concluded that milk fats did not increase the risk of heart disease in any way. In fact, since they lowered the risk of obesity, they indirectly lowered the risk of heart disease as well.

Nutritional content in milk
Studies have shown that it does not matter which type of milk you drink (skim milk, 2 percent or whole fat milk) as long as you drink two glasses of it every day, since it reduces the chances of you having a heart attack or stroke, according to a British study. While milk does contain plenty of unsaturated fats, regardless of which type of milk you drink, each glass still contains more than a third of your daily requirement of calcium, eight grams of protein and plenty of other nutrients like potassium, phosphorous and Vitamins D and B.

Article Courtesy: Healthmeup

Think salads are healthy—but boring? Well, think again. These 20 healthy salad recipes are so tasty, they’ll have you coming back for more.

Cucumber, Radish and Melon Salad
A wonderful combination of fruit, vegetables and crunchy almonds mixed with a honey and walnut oil dressing, this salad recipe makes an ideal accompaniment to cold or smoked meats and poultry.

Bulgur Wheat and Shrimp Salad
A coarsely ground wheat grain, bulgur has already been parboiled, so it’s quick to prepare and makes an ideal pantry standby to use in salads, as well as in hot dishes. This nutty-textured, colorful salad is full of goodness, and is very attractive to the eye.

Fruity Pasta Salad
Pineapple and pear give this healthy salad recipe a sweet accent, while balsamic vinegar adds a delightful piquancy. With lean ham, cheese, fruit and vegetables all adding their own nutrients to balance the pasta, the result is a marvellous dish.

Rustic Broiled Vegetable and Rigatoni Salad
Broiled vegetables are delicious with chunky pasta in a tangy dressing. Serve this healthy salad as a light lunch or as an accompaniment to broiled poultry or meat, when it will serve 6 or 8 people.

New Potato Salad
A potato salad with a creamy dressing is always a winner, and the version here, with cucumber, green onions and fresh herbs, is sure to become a firm favourite. Potatoes are full of goodness, particularly if the skins are left on.

Garlicky Tomato Salad (pictured)
When tomatoes are at their peak of sweetness, this healthy recipe is particularly delicious. It’s eye-catching, too, if you make the salad with a mixture of different-coloured tomatoes—new varieties are coming on the market all the time.

Apple and Sprout Salad
The dressing for this vibrant salad, with tons of ginger, complements the flavours of the sprouts, apple and vegetables.

Crunchy Nut Coleslaw
This fresh-tasting coleslaw is made with white cabbage, carrot and radishes, flecked with green onions, sultanas and peanuts.

Tarragon Chicken with Baby Spinach
Tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds, is a favourite ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking. Available at most large grocery stores, it adds a nutty taste and thick creaminess to the dressing for this healthy chicken salad.

Creamy Turkey Salad with Grapes and Pecans
With its wonderfully contrasting tastes and textures, this salad makes a satisfying main course that is luxurious without containing a lot of saturated fat. It is the perfect recipe for roast turkey leftovers.

Warm Sesame Chicken Salad
Strips of chicken in a crisp coating of sesame seeds, breadcrumbs and cornflakes are served on a crunchy vegetable salad dressed with a fresh herb vinaigrette. A little chili powder in the coating gives the recipe a bit of a kick.

Mango Chicken Salad
This healthy salad recipe combines new potatoes, tender broiled chicken and asparagus, tossed in a fresh orange dressing and then gently mixed with juicy mango slices and baby salad greens. It makes a delicious and well-balanced meal all on its own.

Asian Chicken Salad
This chicken salad has an Asian twist. Fried chicken is tossed with oranges, green onions, snow peas and lychees and is then crowned with a drizzle of creamy peanut dressing. What a treat for your heart and your taste buds!

Filet Mignon Salad
How can steak be part of a healthy diet? Very easily! Broil or barbecue the finest and one of the leanest of steaks, filet mignon, and arrange it on top of fresh salad greens and plenty of vegetables to make a “composed” salad.

Shrimp, Melon and Mango Salad
This salad recipe combines shrimp with colourful, juicy fruit tossed in a light dressing flavoured with fresh mint and honey.

Lobster Salad
A lobster makes a luxurious salad for two people. The lobster meat is here served on a bed of peppery salad greens, shredded snow peas, grapes and new potatoes cooked in their skins, all tossed in a lime-spiked dressing.

Smoked Trout and Pasta Salad
Tempt your family with this delicious heart-healthy pasta salad recipe. It makes an ideal midweek meal served with crusty whole-wheat bread. If you wait until the last minute to add the arugula, it won’t spoil if anyone’s late home.

French Tuna and Bell Pepper Salad
This colourful healthy salad is full of varied flavours and textures. Chunks of tuna, wedges of potato, crisp beans and tangy tomatoes make for a quick and easy summery meal. Serve with crusty whole-wheat baguettes.

Tropical Salmon Salad
Conjure up the colours and flavours of a tropical island with this unusual warm salad. The rich flavour of salmon is perfectly balanced by the gentle acidity of orange and the sweetness of mango and papaya.

Asian-Style Chicken and Pasta Salad
Pasta bows taste deliciously different when combined with an exotic dressing of fish sauce, fresh red chili and rice vinegar in a moist chicken salad. Fresh crunchy vegetables complete this well-balanced main-course dish.

Article Credits: http://www.besthealthmag.ca/

Carrots may be the food best known for helping your eyes. But other foods and their nutrients may be more important for keeping your eyesight keen as you age.

Vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids all play a role in eye health. They can help prevent cataracts, clouding of your eye lens. They may also fight the most-likely cause of vision loss when you’re older. Antioxidants protect against eye damage from things like sunlight, cigarette smoke, and air pollution. These leafy greens are loaded with two of the best for eyes, lutein and zeaxanthin.

Some people shouldn’t take high doses of antioxidants… Click to know why?

Content courtesy: www.webmd.com

Image Courtesy: www.ibmilw.com

If you speak to anyone trying to lose weight or looking to bulk up on essential vitamins and minerals, they’ll tell you that flaxseeds are the ultimate powerhouse of nutrition. They’re tiny nutty-flavoured seeds that not only taste good but have innumerable health benefits. 

They’re extremely versatile and can be sneaked into almost everything you eat. Linseeds or flaxseeds usually come in two different colours, brown and yellow, but the nutritional profile of both is absolutely identical. 



Nutrient Chart           

Flaxseeds are a source of three key nutrients:

1. Omega 3 Fatty Acids  – Omega-3 are polyunsaturated fatty acids, considered as essential nutrients that our body can’t produce but needs to maintain good brain health and cognitive function. (More: Omega 3 fatty acids are the key to super health)

2. Rich in Lignans – Lignans are naturally occurring forms of the female hormone estrogen and are found in certain foods. 

3. Good source of Mucilage – Mucilage helps assures a healthy intestine and proper absorption of nutrients.

Benefits of Eating Flaxseeds:

1. Flaxseeds are good for the heart – Flaxseeds are rich in alpha linolenic acid which prevents inflammation and protects blood vessels from damage. Researchers showed that regular intake of these seeds lowers LDL (low density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol) and increase levels of HDL (high density lipoprotein or good cholesterol).

2. Flaxseeds are rich in antioxidants – Flaxseeds are significantly higher in antioxidants compared to fruits or vegetables. Adding flaxseeds to your diet boosts your overall and also helps in delaying ageing.

3. Flaxseeds prevent cancer – Studies show that eating flaxseeds reduces the risk of breast cancer, prostate and colon cancer.

4. Help with digestion and weight loss – Flaxseeds are high on fiber which is why they help in relieving constipation.  They also leave you feeling full which stops you from overeating.

5. Flaxseeds are extremely good for glowing skin and healthy hair because of the high amount of omega 3 fatty acid present in them.

Flaxseeds and Women’s Health

Listen up ladies! Flaxseeds with their wonder properties are a brilliant solution for all kinds of hormonal problems. Due to their high content of lignans, flaxseeds help reduce high levels of estrogen and also boost low estrogen levels. They can help reduce menopausal symptoms, such as flushing and night sweats. Flaxseeds can also help women with irregular periods and those with extreme symptoms of PMS – for example, headache, anxiety, mood swings etc. They also help in controlling heavy bleeding during menstruation, reduce the risk of breast cancer and improve uterine function.

How to Use Flaxseeds

Grind the flaxseeds, store them in air tight container and use them in any of the following ways:
a.    Add grounded flaxseeds (1tsp) while kneading dough for chapattis, bread or biscuits.
b.    Add half a teaspoon of flaxseeds in porridge, oats or muesli.
c.    Sprinkle flaxseeds on salads, cooked vegetables or cooked dals.
d.    Mix flaxseed in smoothies or curd.

Top Recipes:

Flaxseed Smoothie
Ingredients
2 Tbsp flaxseeds
1 cup  flavored soya milk
1 cup chilled and roughly chopped strawberries
1/2 cup chilled and roughly chopped bananas
2 tsp honey
Garnish: 2 strawberries and 2 bananas slices

Method
1. Add strawberries, bananas, flax seeds and honey in soya milk, blend in a juicer till the mixture is smooth and frothy.
2. Pour equal quantities of the smoothie into 2 individual glasses.
3. Serve and garnished with a strawberry and banana slice.

Flaxseed Raita 
Ingredients
1 cup bottle gourd, thickly grated
1 cup low-fat curd, fresh beaten 
1/2 cup mint leaves, finely chopped (pudina)
1/4 tsp roasted cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp black salt 
1 1/2 tbsp roasted and coarsely ground flax seeds
Salt to taste

Source NDTV

Overdid the food during the festivities? Cleanse your system with our simple guide
EAT GREEN The first step to a good cleanse is to incorporate detoxifying foods into your diet. Think green veggies, fruits and whole ingredients.Detox superfoods include spinach, red and green peppers, artichokes, celery, tomatoes, and fruits like grapes, oranges, melons, apples and bananas. Sprinkle cinnamon, ginger and grated garlic in your dishes. This would reduce the inflammatory chemicals your body has been producing because of too many mithais. 

REPAIR YOUR INTESTINES All that time spent around the buffet table and dessert station probably has your digestion mixed up. Flush out the festive toxins by incorporating fermented foods. Another good way to restore your intestines to health is by sweating out. Cold winter mornings and early evenings are workout destroyers so bring home a fitness DVD or join a yoga class.Yoga will help you prevent injuries too, since it strengthens the muscles and makes you more flexible. 

BANISH CALORIE BOMBS Control your diet for a good detox. Banish fattening, processed and unhealthy foods from the fridge and kitchen cabinet. Stock your home and office shelves with delicious and healthy foods, such as digestive biscuits, almonds and walnuts, ready-to-eat veggie snacks and roasted chivda. 

Click here to read more

Article Courtesy: Times Of India

While we’d never advocate that you cut these trusty, tried and true nutrition superstars, it might be time to introduce a new crop of superfoods into your diet. Just because you may never have heard of some of these doesn’t mean they aren’t chock-full of antioxidants and nutrients.

Click here to read about the 9 super foods.

Article Courtesy: mindbodygreen.com

Blender…a phenomenal machine, the greatest culinary gift bestowed on us since fire and spoons! Blending makes life easier, levels the playing field in the kitchen and allows anyone to whip up nutrient-dense, tasty foods with limited skills and time.

Tastes-Like-Ice-Cream Kale

Serves 2

• 1/2 cup (120ml) water
• 1/2 teaspoon probiotic powder (optional)
• 1/2 cup (70g) raw unsalted cashews, soaked (see note)
• 1 cup (25g) torn-up curly green kale leaves (1 or 2 large leaves with stalk removed, ripped into small pieces), plus more to taste
• 2 ripe bananas, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup (43g) chopped pitted dates, soaked (see note), or 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract
• 2 cups (250g) ice cubes (a little less if using frozen bananas)
• 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger, plus more to taste (optional)

Learn more about this recipe 

Article Courtesy: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/