"In a Nutshell"

 

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There are a few moments of truth in life when you experience a joy which you can really, truly relish. For me, one of these moments was the day when I discovered that nuts --- wait for it --- are actually good for you. Hold the phone, not only are they good, they’re freakin GREAT for you.  

Coming from someone who has had to spend more or less all of her adult life (am talking college years and on!) battling to keep my jeans the same size, this is fantastic news baby. The thing is, I know I have lots of company out there. Almost every adult I meet deals with the same issue: how the heck to figure out whether what you are putting into your mouth is going to save you from god-knows-what-new-disease , or if its going to, simply put, kill you. 

So how wonderful is it that I can share these tasty nuggets of information about our crunchy friends with you? Salted, roasted, toasted, or even eaten raw…just a handful of nuts every day is proven to be able to reduce cholesterol levels from two percent up to a whopping 16 percent! 

Here’s the scoop on the best of the superfood snacks.

Almonds: jam-packed with calcium and antioxidants (as much as found in a cup of green tea!), they also contain high amounts of Vitamin E which help maintain the health of the hair, skin and nails.

  

Pistachios: Filled with lutein and beta carotene, antioxidants which are known to lower cholesterol levels in the body. Some studies even claim that eating up to three servings a day can help reduce the physical and mental effects of stress on blood pressure– hmmm, know anyone who might need some of that?

Walnuts:  its not called brain food for nothing people, these nuts contain the highest concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids, proven to improve the health of the heart and strengthen the body’s immune system.

Hazelnuts:  Another great source of “good fats” these nuts are also a rich source of disease-fighting antioxidant power. Grab a handful everyday and keep all those nasty flues far away!

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and GO NUTS!

"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.

"Learn your ABC's"

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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"

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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