"Post Party Syndrome"

blueshoeart.com

It happens to the best of us. So there you are coasting through the party season feeling pretty darn good about things. Birtday party here, Christmas party there. Housewarming get together this week, rooftop barbeque next week. Until it happens. When your “switch”, as I like to call it, malfunctions. Plainly put, the “switch” is what usually works to keep you rocking but not swaying, singing but not slurring, and nibbling but not stuffing yourself silly.


And sometimes, the “switch” just fails to operate properly. You know this has happened when you wake up in the morning feeling like you have a dozen oompa loopmas drilling jackhammers into your brain. This is usually accompanied by a dull, but real sense of nausea, the inability to focus the eyes, and poor hand eye coordination. The icing on the cake is that your digestive system seems to have turned violently against you and all is not well with your tummy.

Here’s how to save the day….or at least what’s left of it, and feel like a human being again.

Drink up: it’s a simple, but golden rule which NEVER fails me boys and girls. Begin the morning with a liter of water. And just keep it going. Try and see if you can get at least 6 bottles of water into your system. The science is simple; all that peeing which is bound to ensue the guzzling, brings out all those extra toxins in the system and help to cleanse the digestive tract.

Vitamin C: here’s a trick which a friend taught me. When you wake up with an extra heavy head, usually caused by one glass of vodka too many, drink a glass of orange juice. Am not sure how or why, but the vitamin c in the stuff, just helps clear that fuzzy brain feeling right up!

Sleep: you need to rest your body after a crazy few nights of partying. The more quality sleep you get, the easier it is to recover. So even if you wake up early, have a bottle of water, and go get another house to snooze time (assuming it’s a Saturday/Sunday, if not, then good luck at the office!)

Carb fest: you need to absorb the excess in your body, and the best way to do that is you have a slice of toast or maybe a portion of rice/roti with your meal. Guaranteed to make you feel a little bit more like yourself and less like someone who has been hit by a truck.

So this season be sure to party hard, but party smart!

"Go for the Green!"

You know how your mom always told you to eat your vegetables? Yet again, it turns out that she was bang, smack right on target about what was good for you. Not only in your childhood, but throughout your life, it’s a smart idea to keep vegetables a part of your daily diet.

And just like all other things, not all vegetables are created equal. Indeed, some of these guys are the equivalent of an S-class Mercedes when compared to other Santros around. This brings us to the best, most high-grade green guy you can put on your plate this winter season: the broccoli.

Looking like its cousin the cauliflower, except with beautiful dark green florets, the broccoli is packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, calcium, and fiber. In short, it’s designed to protect the body fight all kinds of disease (including cancer) and also helps to promote strong bones and teeth. Having a high concentration of vitamin C means this green friend of ours also helps the body to absorb iron, prevents the development of cataracts, and also eases the effects of the common winter cold (no more sniffly, sneezy Monday mornings yay!). Being a rich source of fiber, broccoli is also great for digestion, helping to lower levels of cholesterol, and makes a delicious addition to your salad bowl too! 

You can pick from simple methods of preparation to enjoy this green gift from Mother Nature:  steam it, sauté it, stir-fry it, bake it, or just toss it in a salad and enjoy! Bonus tip: broccoli tastes fantastic when seasoned with just a little garlic, salt, and olive oil so try it with any cooking method.

Happy eating :)

"Diet Defence!"

healthfoods.com

Tea, garlic, broccoli….sound like I’m making a grocery list? Well, it’s more like a medicine list. You’d be surprised to find how much help we can get protecting ourselves from those horrible infections which always seem to be “going around” from our very own kitchens! Mother nature, in all her wisdom, has created and given us the ability to build our immunity and strengthen our bodies defenses against disease just by eating right. Here are some easy ways to stay happy and healthy all year long.


Almonds – Can you believe this? A yummy snack which is also good for you?? Its true, almonds contain natural ingredients which make this food a great stress buster J Plus with the Vitamin E it contains, it effectively works to help your body combat disease. Need I say more? Just carry a small container with you to work everyday and you have the perfect mind-afternoon snack which also (amazingly) helps you deal with your cranky boss!

Watermelon – besides the fact that it tastes absolutely fabulous (who can resist a slice of cold, juicy watermelon on a hot summer day?),this fruit is also wonderfully hydrating and also works to improve the effectiveness of the digestive system. In fact, being a natural laxative it’s one of the healthiest ways to deal with constipation. On a more pleasant note, it also contains powerful antioxidants which help to strengthen immunity and fight infections.

Oranges - there is a god girls and boys. Because the orange is yet another example of something that not going tastes fantastic, making your tummy smile, but is also super-good for you! Packed with high amounts of vitamin C, your friendly juicy orange is the perfect natural remedy to protect you against colds and flues (of course that doesn’t mean you need to stop your multi-vits coz you need full power strength to fight the flues out there these days!)

Button Mushrooms – filled with B vitamins and antioxidants, these little guys can play a vital role is strengthening your immune system – keeping you flu-free all season while people around you seem to be dropping like flies!

Cabbage – easy to find, especially now in the cold season, cabbage is loaded with disease-fighting agents. Toss it in with a fresh salad, steam it, make it a soup, or serve it as a sabzi, you wont regret getting enough of its green goodness.

"The Power of Fruit"

pollsb.com

Fruit for All Reasons

Red, yellow, green, orange, pink, and even purple. Filled with the goodness of natural nutrients, they come in a rainbow of colors, shapes and sizes. Slice them, dice them, cube them, or even juice them, you can always be sure you are getting all the good stuff you need when you include them in your daily diet. Fruit. This stuff is everywhere. From the phalwalla down the street to the aisles in that fancy new supermarket. From the good old apple, to the exotic kiwi, you can pretty much find anything you are in the mood for. These are also the perfect mid-morning snack, filled with the sweetness of fructose, and miles better than scarfing down those chocolate chip cookies. Instead of waiting for the smell of the office evening pakoras, grab a bowl of grapes. Feeling like something with a salty kick? Chopped guava sprinkled with a little salt and red chilly powder has got to be tried! And guess what? Those digestive problems, that constant acne, the falling hair, those brittle nails and even that extra weight? All gone. IF you take the time and load up on your portions of fresh fruit on a regular basis (and yes, that means upto 3 helpings a day). The best part of this oh-so-important addition to your menus? They taste grrreeat :) Here some reasons to bite into something juicy today…


Apples – great source of fiber, lowers cholesterol, helps with weight loss, and detoxifies the body.

Bananas - potassium rich and very good for the digestion, perfect energy food for pre-workout!

Grapes – besides tasting delicious these little guys are good for fighting fatigue, replenish iron into the body, and have high anti-bacterial properties which fight infection!

Papaya – said to be the best remedy for any kind of abdominal disorders, prevents heart disease, and also effective in lowering cholesterol levels in the body.

Oranges – loaded with vitamins, and especially vitamin C, this juicy fruit helps boost immunity levels, prevents cells from damage through antioxidants, and protects bones and teeth.

"The A to Z of Good Eating"

aroundtheworldproducts.com

Antioxidants – disease fighting substances found in green tea, fruits, even tomatoes!


Bananas – one of the most nutritious meals on-the-go you can so make sure you pack it into your daily schedule!

Calcium – Get your daily dose from milk, paneer, even as cheese spread slathered on your breakfast toast.

Diet food – proceed with caution. Not everything that’s labeled “diet” is good for you, so do your research and stick with the tried and tested fruits and veggies to lose those pounds.

Eggs – High on protein and great for your keeping your brain and muscle power strong and healthy.

Fruit – Grapes, apples, cherries, and oranges: take your pick and have one helping of this source of juicy goodness to keep infections at bay!

Greens – fill up your plate with the colors: make it a salad with pine nuts, or a simple steamed sabzi – what mother nature has given us is the good stuff girls and boys.

Honey – spread it on toast or put it in your tea, this natural sugar tastes good and works wonders on your body too.

Iron - find it in fish, spinach, and other leafy veggies – tres important for your folic acid needs and keeps you anemia-free!

Jam – We all have our moments of weakness…why not eat a little jam when you get a sugar craving? Go for the marmalade (with citrus peels) or even a mixed fruit flavor.

Kiwi – antioxidants, vitamins, you name it, this pretty fruit has it!

Lemon – loaded with vitamin C this is the best way to get your immune systems on high power, while giving your food that extra zing!

Melon - cooling, delicious in winter or summer, and fantastic for your digestion.

Nuts – almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and macadamia: they are all packed with energy, power, strength, stamina so grab a handful the next time you get your 4pm munchies!

Omega 3 acids – fish, shellfish, or even supplements - Essential for a healthy heart.

Pomegranate – want rosy cheeks and extra healthy blood? This jeweled fruit has your answer!

Quaker oats – your best answer to your daily fiber needs.

Rice – probably the best form of carbohydrates you can find: energy, strength, and wholesome nutrition (make it brown rice if you’re looking to avoid the starch!)

Spinach – Popeye lived on the stuff, big muscles, super strength, need I say more?

Tea -said to have healing, cancer-fighting, super powered medicinal properties, I say go for the green kind 

Unprocessed – anything which hasn’t been “genetically enhanced” or “artificially colored/sweetened” is generally your best bet people – go natural!

Vitamins – Got your daily multivitamin covered? A, B12,B, D, C, E, K – Look them up, and make sure you are getting what you need.

Water – stick to the 8-glass a day rule and your skin will stay clear, your tummy will stay “clean” and your body will thank you.

Xtra - TLC: tender loving care for your body and its needs. Always remember, you have only one body, treat it with respect and it will stay strong for you for life.

Yoghurt – filled with the “good bacteria” that helps us fight virals, bugs, and other nasties which tend to float around every change of season.

Zucchini - the perfect diet food – filled with water, vitamin C, and antioxidants, it fills you up and helps you lose!

"Lime Zinger"

photographyblogger.net

It makes you smack your lips with its zing. Its got that burst of something something which adds just what you cant put your finger on to your chat, your mixed vegetable sabzi, those chicken kebabs, and even plain water! Calorie-free, inexpensive, easily available and filled with goodness, it’s the perfect condiment. Introducing the one and only Lime.


Here are some of the fantastic benefits from that little green guy!

Skin Saver: loaded with vitamin C, lime acts as a natural anti-aging remedy for your skin, preventing wrinkles and other signs of aging. Drinking a glass of lemon water daily also serves to refresh and rejuvenate dull and tired skin!

Tummy Trimmer: acting as a safe aid for those who are looking for weight loss, lime (again mixed with lukewarm water and honey) also works to improve the digestive process, helping to shed those extra pounds. For the best results, drink a glass first thing every morning.


Flu Fighter: Have a throat ache? Just dilute one half-lime juice with half a glass of water and gargle. The natural antiseptic power of the lemon can help to fight and improve throat infections. Drinking lime water also helps to reduce a fever, flu or cold by increasing the amount of perspiration in the body, thus ridding it of the toxins of infection.

Stomach Soother: Due to the strength of its curative powers, lime also helps to relieve many digestive ailments including constipation, heartburn, indigestion, and bloating. So go ahead and add a little to all your meals!

"Learn your ABC's"

healthorg.com

Ok so we all know that deep friend pakoras, double-cheese burgers with fries on the side, and double friend eggs are not necessarily the way to eat yourself to good health.


Instead, the emphasis of almost every sane diet (yes, I am NOT a believer in crazy “5 walnuts for lunch” and “Cabbage soup for a week” diets working in the long run!) is on fresh foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, as well as proteins and carbohydrates. So we know where to get all our amazing, wonderful, super healthy vitamins from but we still don’t really know why we need them! Here’s the short version of a loooooong list of the greatest reasons to keep going back for more of these goodies in your daily diets!



Vitamin A – helps in the healthy formation of bones, skin and teeth.

Vitamin B2 - Promotes growth and helps in reproduction. Helps to get healthy hair,skin, nails, and works to burn carbohydrates, fat and protein

Vitamin B3 - very effective in lowering LDL or “bad cholesterol” and raising HDL also called “good cholesterol”, it also promotes a healthy digestive system, increases blood circulation, reduces high blood pressure, also is a possible cancer inhibitor

Vitamin B5 - Helps in normal growth and development.

Vitamin B6 - Works to metabolize protein and helps the functioning of the nervous system.

Vitamin B12 - Essential for blood formation and a healthy nervous system.

Vitamin C – Is a powerful antioxidant which may protect against certain types of cancers, cataracts and heart disease. Also fights infection and helps the body heal faster. Vitamin B1 – Helps in digestion of carbohydrates, key for the normal functioning of nerve tissue, muscles and heart.
Vitamin D – helps in the absorption and use of calcium, builds bone mass and prevents boss loss, strengthens the nervous system, protects against muscle weakness.

Vitamin E – promotes healthy skin, helps to keep a good circulatory function, is a strong anti-oxidant, and strengthens the immune system.

Vitamin K – helps in the clotting of blood and prevents excessive bleeding. Also helps in the absorption of calcium in the body.

"Vital Vitamins: Know Your Foods"

myhealthaid.files.wordpress.com

No matter what background, ethnicity, religion, caste or creed, as kids we all grew up hearing the same phrases “finish up all your vegetables!” “Why? Because its good for you, that’s why!” and “I want to see that plate empty!” Back then all we knew was that ice-cream, cookies, and chocolate cake were always welcome and vegetables, fruit, and milk products ummmmm, not so much!


But today, in the midst of the vegan diet craze, liquid detox, and superfood mania, we are all in need of some simple explanation as to where exactly we can find these nutrients.

Vitamins are called “essential compounds” and cannot be made by our own bodies, so must come from diet. They can be either fat-soluble (vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K) or water-soluble (vitamin B and vitamin C). Ideally, you should be getting enough vitamins from eating a balanced diet, which should include at least 5 portions of fruits and veggies a day, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, fish and poultry. By steaming, pressure cooking, or microwaving your food you are also preserving more vitamins than if you were to boil it.

So here is an easy way to help you keep that plate loaded with all the right stuff!

Vitamin A – Find it in yellow orange fruits and vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, papaya, mango, sweet potato, cantaloupe and spinach.

Vitamin B1 – Find it in sunflower seeds, whole grains, seafood, beans,
Vitamin B2 - Find it in yoghurt, milk, leafy vegetables, fruits, almonds, chicken
Vitamin B3 - Find it in peanut butter, chicken breast, beans
Vitamin B5 - Find it in egg, fish, grains, meat, peas, peanuts
Vitamin B6 - Find it in bananas, baked potatoes, chicken, oats, chick peas, peanuts
Vitamin B12 - Find it in dairy products, eggs, fish

Vitamin C – Find it in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, sweet limes, guava, gooseberry, strawberries, melons, broccoli, red capsicum and green capsicum

Vitamin D – Find it in fatty fish, egg yolk, fortified milk, and exposure to direct sunlight (five to ten minutes, 3-4 times a week)

Vitamin E –Find it in vegetable oils, broccoli, peanuts, whole grains, sunflower seeds, mayonnaise, sweet potato

Vitamin K – Find it in dark green leafy vegetables, potato, beetroot, fruits, dairy products, eggs, seeds, meats

"Fact vs Fiction: The Truth about Colds!"

ayushveda.com

You know how the minute your mom starts to tell you her opinion on practically anything, it’s like magically we all hit the mute button in our heads and suddenly are able to totally block out anything that’s coming out of her mouth?? When all you see are her lips moving but really can’t hear a thing? Except maybe something that sounds a lot like blahblahblahblahblah…?? Well, let me tell you, sometimes our mothers are actually way smarter than we give them credit for! And here’s one subject on which they ALWAYS had something to say: your COLD!


Mamma always said….

“Feed the cold, starve the fever”

Verdict: Fiction. Although this phrase may sound so familiar to many of us having grown up hearing it from parents, teachers, and even doctors, research shows that there is actually no real evidence to indicate this to be true. Today’s doctors advice? Just listen to your body. If you are hungry, eat something simple and light (fruit, toast, soup preferably home cooked!)

“Wash your hands with soap!”

Verdict: Fact. This is probably the smartest piece of advice your mother ever gave you. Rinsing your hands before and after you eat your meals, as well as after coming in contact with any unhygienic surfaces will be sure to kill those nasty viruses before they get the chance to attack your immune system (or before you spread them to other people). Colds particularly, are commonly caught by touching something or someone who has the virus and then touching ones own mouth or nose. The best way to prevent the sniffles? Washing your hands thoroughly (and regularly) with a good soap (Dettol Liquid Hand soap is great!) or even using a hand sanitizer if you don’t have access to a clean bathroom and soap.

“Chicken soup for the snifflingsneezy soul”

 Verdict: Fact. Sounds crazy? But guess what, some limited studies show that having a bowl of chicken soup when you are down with a cold, may actually help you to recover sooner. Not to mention the fact that consuming a nice, warm liquid will also help to decongest the chest and sinus. Time to stock up on Knorr’s Chicken soup for the next rainy day cold!

“Take lots of Vitamin C”

Verdict: Maybe so, maybe not. Some research suggests that taking vitamin c can help prevent colds as well as speed up the process of recovery from them, while others actually suggest that too much of the stuff can be a bad thing. Again, here most docs will advise you to take that extra “sunshine vitamin” only if it helps you.

“Drink lots of liquids”

Verdict: Fact. Mom was definitely right about this one guys! And the good news is, besides alcohol, it doesn’t matter what you drink, as long as you are regularly rehydrating your body with fluids (think green tea, fruit juice, water, nimbu paani, coconut water, even coffee!)