Six Highly Nutritious Vegetables by Lindsey Lang

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Six Highly Nutritious Vegetables by Lindsey Lang

By incorporating more fresh vegetables into your diet you will be improving your overall health. Vegetables contain a number of vitamins and minerals that your body needs in order to function correctly. This article lists six highly nutritious vegetables, and it explains what each of their benefits are.

Broccoli

Broccoli is considered to be one of the most potent cancers fighters thanks to its high levels of sulfur compounds. Sulfur compounds work by telling your genes to increase the production of enzymes, and it is these enzymes that help to detoxify potential cancer compounds. Broccoli also contains a decent level of calcium, potassium and vitamin C. You can incorporate more broccoli into your diet by lightly steaming it and using it as a side dish. There is also a type of broccoli called tenderstem broccoli which is delicious when eaten raw in salads.

Spinach

Spinach was often referred to in the famous cartoon Popeye, in which Popeye consumed it in order to gain superhuman strength. Spinach is indeed a highly nutritious vegetable. Spinach contains high levels of vitamin K which help to prevent bone fractures, and it also contains magnesium and potassium. Spinach can be enjoyed in a salad, or it can be gently steamed and enjoyed as a side dish.

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Garlic

Did you know that garlic is actually classed as a vegetable - although it is rarely eaten on its own. Garlic contains potent disease fighting compounds as well as antioxidants and vitamin C. It can help to reduce inflammation, and it has antiviral and antibacterial properties. Garlic will also thin the blood which can help to reduce the formation of blood clots. Garlic can be added to many dishes to enhance the flavour. Garlic capsules are also available to purchase for people who do not like the taste of raw or cooked garlic.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes have high vitamin A content. Vitamin A is an important vitamin which helps to maintain healthy eyes, skin and intestinal systems. They also have high levels of beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes can be oven cooked to create delicious and nutritious sweet potato fries.

Onions

Onions have a number of health benefits, including that fact that they can help people who are suffering from osteoporosis. This is partly because onions have a high peptide content when helps to reduce your body's calcium loss levels. They are also high in vitamin C and folate. Onions can be thinly sliced and enjoyed raw in salads, alternatively they will add flavor and depth to pastas, soups and casseroles.

Red Peppers

Red peppers contain the highest amount of vitamin C out of any vegetable. By increasing your vitamin C intake you will lower your susceptibility to colds and flu viruses. Vitamin C is also important for the regeneration of the skin, and a recent study showed that women with higher vitamin C intakes had less wrinkling and dryness of the skin. Peppers can be enjoyed raw in salads, or they can be added to stir frys.

Eating vegetables is the best way to lose weight because they contain ample amount of fiber and water and are low in calories.

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Unable to lose weight due to night shift (Fitness query of the day) by Urmi Kothari

I am 25 years old and my height is 5 ft and weight is around 62 kg. I have a night shift – my shift timing is 5.30 pm to 4.30 am. I get up by 3 pm to get ready for office. I have my lunch by 3.30 pm. By 5 pm, I reach office and have a glass of juice. By 9.30 pm, I have my dinner. I leave from office by 4.30 am and reach home by 5.30 am and sleep. Please suggest the right diet for me and how can I reduce my weight. Since my schedule is so tight, I can hardly exercise.

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Answered by our expert Urmi Kothari.

From your schedule, I can see that you are sleeping for approximately 9 to 9.5 hours. In my opinion, you can very well fit exercise in your schedule by waking up only an hour early, say about 1.30 pm which still leaves you time for a good 7.5 hours of sleep. It’s not recommended that you exercise in an exhausted and fatigued state. No matter what job you are in, you have to make it a point to exercise in some form if you want to be fit and healthy. It’s true you can lose weight by eating right and having a good food plan but you will not get stronger or fitter without exercise. And you will definitely be more equipped to handle your job and its rigours if you are fitter, no matter what your weight is.
So first of all, join a class or hire a trainer or enroll in a gym or yoga class or just go for walks. Start off with:
1. Warm up and stretches
2. Core exercises
3. Lower body strengthening
Do these three times a week. After a week, do two rounds of each.
Although I am not a dietician, what I can see from the information you have given me is that you are eating only 2 meals a day. Since you have not mentioned what you eat, I cannot comment on it. A glass of juice, fresh or canned is probably doing more harm than good due to excess sugar and hardly any fibre.

General tips that I recommend are:
Eat every 2 to 3 hours. It will help increase your metabolism, but what you eat also matters a lot.

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Try to eat protein, carbs and good fats in your main meal and eat protein or good fat rich snacks.
Some good sources of protein in vegetarian food are:
Sprouts, soya chunks, daal or pulses – they have carbs as well. Paneer, tofu, cheese has good fats (but are high in calories), curd or milk, eggs.
Some healthy snacks (these may not necessarily be low-calorie but are very healthy and can prevent junk food cravings):
Nuts like almonds, pistachios and walnuts, roasted chana, sprout bhel, coconut water, toast with peanut butter, fruits, oatmeal for breakfast.

For a definite diet, see a dietician. But at the end of the day, you have to understand how your body responds to different foods and follow what’s best for you. What I suggest is don’t look at losing weight as a ‘project’. Instead aim to eat healthy and get fitter. This will take longer because it involves a lifestyle / habit change. But once it happens, the benefits will be worth the effort.

http://health.india.com/fitness/unable-to-lose-weight-due-to-night-shift-fitness-query-of-the-day/
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Spices Help Improve Weight and Overall Health - Article by Suzanna Zick

Many of us have made the resolution to eat healthier this year, adding more fruits and vegetables, and less salt and fat, to our diet. But if you really want to spice up health try adding a dash of basil and oregano, or a few cloves of garlic to your diet too.

“Adding herbs and spices can help you maintain a healthy weight. Plus, they can help prevent certain cancers and even lower blood pressure, control blood sugar and improve cardiovascular health,” according to Suzanna Zick, N.D., M.P.H., a naturopathic physician and research investigator at the University of Michigan Health System, Department of Family Medicine.

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Zick offers the following tips for picking the best spices for your overall health.

• Fight aging: Eat rosemary. Rosemary is one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants, says Zick. It’s also thought to help with memory, and research is currently underway to determine rosemary’s potential cancer-prevention properties.
• Basil, oregano and rosemary can help fight colds. Since these three herbs contain strong essential oils, Zick says they potentially can fight against colds and flu. “All three are powerful antioxidants as well,” she notes.
• Treat chronic coughs with thyme. “The health benefits of thyme are unique. It has been traditionally used to treat coughs, even whooping cough,” according to Zick.
• Got back pain? Eat curry. The principle curcuminoid of the Indian curry spice turmeric is curcumin. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, research on curcumin has shown it to shrink pre-cancerous lesions known as colon polyps.
• Lower your blood pressure with “warming spices.” These include ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, pepper, cayenne pepper and others. These can make a person feel warm because they bring blood from the center of the body to the skin. This disperses blood throughout the body more evenly, which may decrease blood pressure, according to Zick.
• Soothe your aching tummy with ginger. Ginger contains gingerols, which decrease oxidative products in the digestive tract that cause nausea.
• Use garlic for cardiovascular support. Garlic appears to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

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Sufficient sleep is essential to fuel weight loss efforts by John Phillip

(NaturalNews) We all understand the importance of sleeping seven to nine hours each night to allow for adequate cellular housekeeping, as the body metabolizes and synthesizes enzymes and proteins that are critical to our survival. In the past, a sound sleep has been shown to lower incidence of heart disease, diabetes and dementia in direct relationship to the number of hours slept each evening.

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Canadian researchers publishing the Canadian Medical Association Journal have released the result of a study showing that adequate sleep is an important part of a weight loss plan and should be added to the recommended mix of diet and exercise. In addition to lowering caloric intake and increasing physical activity, the research team led by Dr. Jean-Phillippe Chaput of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute in Ottawa has provided sufficient evidence to show that inadequate sleep is an independent risk factor for overweight and obesity.

Scientists determined that lack of sleep increases the stimulus to consume more food and increases appetite-regulating hormones. Dr. Chaput explained "The solution to weight loss is not as simple as eat less, move more, sleep more... however, an accumulating body of evidence suggests that sleeping habits should not be overlooked when prescribing a weight-reduction program to a patient with obesity."

Seven to nine hours of sleep are needed daily to aid weight loss efforts

Many different factors affect body weight including predisposition to handling stress, depression and genetic individuality. Adequate and sound sleep can improve or eliminate each of these risk factors, and can also regulate the hormones leptin and ghrelin to lower food cravings and naturally promote a normal weight range. Naturally, reducing or eliminating insulin-producing processed carbohydrate foods and cutting sugar from the diet are necessary to stimulate weight loss in many people.

The authors of this study did not provide an exact mechanism to explain how adequate sleep assists weight loss, but they did explain that a lack of sleep affects the parts of the brain that control pleasure eating. Further, the scientists indicate that levels of the hormones leptin, ghrelin, cortisol and orexin, all of which are involved in appetite or eating, are affected by lack of sleep.

Dr. Chaput concluded "An accumulating body of evidence suggests that sleeping habits should not be overlooked when prescribing a weight-reduction program to a patient with obesity." Continuing research studies validate the critical importance of a sound night's sleep of between seven and nine hours each night to protect against chronic disease and to aid weight management efforts.

http://www.naturalnews.com/037258_sleep_weight_loss_hormones.html
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How do I lose weight and reduce fat around my tummy? (Fitness query of the day)

I am 42 years old and my height is 5 ft 5.5 in but my weight is 78 kg. I mostly have fat around my tummy. I take two or three chapatis with subzi in the morning along with a cup of tea or parantha once or twice in the week . I eat three chapatis with dal and vegetable or rice at times during lunch. I skip lunch twice or thrice in a week. In the evening, I have one cup of tea with some bakery product or a piece of sweet. Dinner is almost same as lunch. I walk (some distance jogging nearly one km) around 5 km four times in week. I also takef Ayur slim produced by Himalaya ayurveda, Banglore. But I am not seeing any results. My weight is increasing day by day. Please suggest the right way to exercise and diet.

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Answered by our expert Naini Setalvad, a well-known nutritionist. 

To have a completely healthy lifestyle, you should begin with cutting out on all unhealthy foods. These include: fried food, chocolates, alcohol, aerated drinks, processed foods, packaged foods (like potato chips, etc.), sherbets, jams, pickles, butter, cheese, sugar, jaggery, ghee, smoking, ice cream, cakes, biscuits – with or without cream, packaged fruit juice.

Switch to whole grains such as jowar, nachani or bajra from wheat rotis. Eat brown rice instead of white rice. Increase your fruit and vegetable intake. Aim for 5-8 servings in a day. Eat a big, raw salad per meal; it will give a lot more satisfaction for a lot less calories. However, ensure that it is oil and mayonnaise-free. Add small amounts of nuts, seeds and dry fruits to your evening, or mid-meal snack, especially California pistachios, Kashmiri walnuts, Iranian almonds, dates, raisins and California prunes. Ensure that you eat according to the season, and eat slowly, till you feel full. Avoid overeating, and you could use these to replace your unhealthy sweet and/or bakery product in the evenings.

Avoid skipping meals, as that causes you to overeat during the next meal.

Involve yourself in some exercise. Do yoga, swimming, or even go for regular walks. Do some form of cardiovascular exercise five days a week, for at least 30 minutes. Cook with minimal oil, no more than 3 tsp per person per day.

http://health.india.com/fitness/how-do-i-lose-weight-and-reduce-fat-around-my-tummy-fitness-query-of-the-day/

Herbs for weight loss by Anusuya Suresh

We are a nation of paradoxes. While more than half of the nation’s children are malnourished, there’s an increase in the number of people – young and old alike – who are now overweight or obese. According to data from the Obesity Foundation India, more than 3 percent of Indians are clinically obese and a whopping 25 percent are overweight. While healthy eating and regular exercise are the most important steps to lose weight, you can also harness the power of certain natural remedies that have shown beneficial effects in helping with weight loss.

Flaxseed

Also known as Linseed or Alsi in Hindi, flaxseed comes with a mucilage coat surrounding the seed; when it contacts water, it swells, adding to the bulk in your stomach. Therefore, it can make you feel full with lesser volumes of food and this helps with weight loss. Flaxseed is also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids that are good for your heart. Pregnant women should avoid the use of flaxseed because it has estrogen-like properties and can cause undesirable hormonal fluctuations.

Health.india.com tip: Powder flaxseeds and add a little of the powder into soups, oats, breakfast cereal, juice, chapatti dough, dosa batter, chutneys, curds or butter milk. Since flaxseeds are naturally bland, they will not contribute any flavour to the dish.

Green Tea

Green tea contains several valuable components of which, the catechins are the most valuable because of their antioxidant activity. Research has shown evidence of the metabolism-boosting and fat-burning properties of green tea, making it a wonderful weight loss aid.

Health.india.com tip: Take the green tea leaves in a tea strainer and place it over a cup. Heat water until bubbles just start to form at the bottom of the vessel (around 80 °C) and pout it so as to cover the leaves, and allow them to steep for two minutes; then remove the strainer, and drink the green tea after it has cooled down a little.

 Cinnamon

Cinnamon has been found to activate insulin receptors as well as stimulate important enzyme systems involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Therefore, it can regulate the levels of blood sugar and increase metabolism and this, combined with its ‘bad cholesterol’-reducing action makes it a wonderful weight loss aid.

Health.india.com tip: Include about one teaspoon of cinnamon in your daily diet by sprinkling cinnamon powder on food you eat – breakfast cereal, tea and coffee, fruits such as apples and pears or curds.

Some people also combine cinnamon with honey in the form of a tea by mixing one tablespoon of each in half a cup of hot water. This tea should be drunk about 30 minutes before breakfast every day to see a noticeable weight loss.

Black Pepper

The piperine in black pepper has been known for years as a digestive; recent research shows that it also helps burn fat and through action at genetic level, may help prevent the formation of fat.

Health.india.com tip: Freshly ground black pepper can be added to several regular dishes right from salads to meats. Make sure you add it at towards the end of your cooking because exposure to too much of heat can cause a loss of its flavour and reduce its effectiveness.

Turmeric

Indians have always used turmeric in cooking, religious rituals and as a beauty aid. Researchers all over the world are now finding that it can also help to metabolize fat and reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

Health.india.com tip Besides the traditional way of adding turmeric to vegetable, rice, curry and dals, make a tea of turmeric. Add a teaspoon of turmeric and a pinch of ginger powder into around 4 cups of boiling water; allow to simmer for 10 minutes; strain and drink when cool.

Ginger

Well-known for its digestive properties, ginger also has thermogenic properties – it raises the body temperature by burning fat and this makes it useful for those seeking to lose weight. Research has shown it also has a satiating property which means you tend to eat less, and this contributes to the weight loss. Ginger has blood-thinning properties and it is wise to consult your doctor if you are on blood thinners such as aspirin before consuming it.

Health.india.com tip: Powder ginger and add about half a teaspoon to a cup of hot water, cool and drink. You can also mix a tablespoon each of cinnamon and ginger with water, boil for a minute or two and drink when cool. Adding peeled and grated or chopped fresh ginger into vegetable or rice dishes is yet another way of including it in your diet.

In recent years, being overweight or obese has come to be recognized as a risk factor for several lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes and as people grow more aware of this fact, weight loss is becoming priority number 1 on their ‘to-do’ list. Regular exercise – at least 30 minutes a day for five days in a week – is the best way to prevent weight gain. For effective weight loss, it is vital you combine exercise with the right diet. When you make these herbs a part of your diet, not only do they help with weight loss, they also help you keep lifestyle diseases at bay.

http://health.india.com/fitness/herbs-for-weight-loss/

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The Health Benefits of Raw Fruits and Vegetables By Becki Andrus

Most people need to eat more fruits and vegetables. We have all heard that numerous times from TV, the internet, newspapers, magazines, friends, family, and even our doctors. But did you know that there is another important step to this? We need to eat more raw produce. Many of the antioxidants, fiber, and other health benefits in these foods can be lost from cooking. Using more cooked produce in your diet is better than nothing, but do not forget to eat some of it fresh!

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The National Cancer Institute recommends at least 5 servings of vegetables and 3 servings of fruit per day and most Americans get less than one-half of that. These raw fruits and vegetables have disease fighting compounds known as phytochemicals which are thought to prevent cell damage. That means you can look and feel less old as you age and help to prevent cancer and other diseases at the same time.

One of the easiest ways to increase the number of raw vegetables and fruits that you are eating is to not eat them at all. You can drink fresh produce by juicing it. Juicing these foods is an easy way to drink plenty of them to take in enough of these disease fighting enzymes. You can also add these fruits and smoothies into smoothies. Whether you are making green or dairy based smoothies, you can easily consume your minimum daily recommendation of fruits and vegetables while still getting the fiber from vegetables that can be lost from juicing. Drinking these ingredients in smoothies or juices can also be easy ways to detoxify your body and even an easy way to reduce your calorie intake. When having these drinks in place of meals, you can easily reduce the number of calories you eat every day.

Actually eating fruits and vegetables is easy as well. One of the most of obvious ways to eat fresh produce is in salads. Use dark leafy greens, tomatoes, a variety of vegetables that are in season and tasty as the basis for any salad. If you crave something sweet in your salad, try adding a serving of fruit. Apples, pears, oranges, grapes, and cherries can all bring interesting flavors to any salad. Avoid unhealthy, store bought dressing if possible. Especially since it is so easy to buy a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and vinegar and make your own. One great way to limit carbohydrates and fat is to eat salads as dinners rather than just as a side dish or lunch. Add in beans, low fat and natural cheeses, or a little lean meat and you suddenly have a meal that is well-balanced and is full of phytochemicals.

Raw fruits and vegetables make a satisfying and easy to transport snack. Instead of that sugar-rich candy bar, try an apple. There are carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli crowns, slices of cucumber and many other snack possibilities from raw fruits and vegetables.

Eating raw produce has many health benefits like preventing cancer. But it can also promote eating healthier in general. Learning to eat more fresh vegetables and fruit can be an easy way to reduce calories while taking in plenty of phytochemicals to prevent diseases or fiber to help promote healthy digestion.

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