Benefits of Coconut Water

It's available easily and has amazing health benefits. It is considered as a natural isotonic drink, as it's packed with a host of nutrients.     

Here's a list of reasons, why you should drink coconut water: 

• It is the perfect drink to beat the summer heat, as it cools down the body and helps regulate body temperature. 
• Coconut water contains calcium, magnesium and potassium, improves blood circulation too. All this makes it a healthy electrolyte drink and rehydrates the body. 
• Digestive tract disorders can be treated by drinking coconut water, as it contains anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. 
• Drinking coconut water is said to lower cholesterol levels. People with diabetes can control their blood sugar levels by regularly drinking this liquid. 
• Coconut water is said to raise the metabolism rate in the body, thereby being good people who want to lose weight.
• It contains enzymes such as catalase, RNA-polymerases, and acid phosphatase which are beneficial for digestive processes.
• Due to content of minerals, nutrients, and enzymes coconut water also has antioxidant properties.
• The cytokinins present in coconut water have been shown to be beneficial for the anti-carcinogenic and anti-ageing effects.

Coconut water is healthy and delicious.

Coconut water has many health benefits and one of them is losing weight quickly. Thus 'nut' is packed with anti-aging properties and has the right number of calories to keep you going.

The water inside the green coconuts is ones to be had. One cup of this water has around 46 calories compared to 550 calories that coconut milk has. Coconut water is very hydrating, when saline is not obtainable. The water contains no fat and consists mostly of natural sugars and minerals. Coconut water is very rich in magnesium and potassium, as well as being very high in fibre.

It is so hydrating because of the electrolyte composition, which is very similar to human plasma. Staying hydrated will help you feel full for longer, which in turn will reduce hunger and sugar cravings. This will effectively lead to you eating less, which means your total calorie consumption will go down. Drinking this water will known to flush out toxins which will help you to lose weight faster and also reduce those cravings and hunger pangs.

5 Vegetables for Good Health

While everyone knows that green vegetables are good for the body, most of us tend to still avoid eating them. 

Consuming veggies need not be a chore. With the wide variety available, you can easily find one to suit your tastes. Here we suggest some top green vegetables that can do your health wonders. 

Broccoli 
Broccoli is considered a wonder food for its ability to help prevent cancer. The vegetable is recommended for those suffering from heart disorders and strokes. Being packed with iron its ideal for anaemia patients as well. Boil or steam your broccoli flowers lightly and eat so that they don't lose all the nutrients. 

Cabbage 

Whether consumed raw or cooked in a dish, cabbage has many benefits. It is said to be great for the skin and eyes as its full of vitamin A. The phytonutrients present in this vegetable help the body fight against the free radicals. It also helps with lung, stomach and colon prostate cancer. Those interested in body building may want to eat cabbage as its full 
of iodine that is needed for muscle development. 

Bean sprouts 
Sprinkled on salads or eaten as a between meals snack, sprouts are a great way of getting some nutrients. They are rich in vitamin C and a handful of fresh sprouts can provide you with three-quarters of your daily vitamin C requirement. In addition they also contain vitamins A, B and E as well as calcium, iron, and potassium. 

Spinach

You can be sure if Popeye loved this food, you should be consuming it too. The vegetable contains carotenoid that help prevent cancer. It's also loaded with vitamins like C and A that helps with god eyesight and glowing skin. The high level of potassium makes it very beneficial for high blood pressure patients. Further it strengthens muscles and helps those suffering from anaemia. 

Lettuce 
Depending on the variety, the nutrients in lettuce vary. Romaine lettuce is said to be the most healthy one boasting of vitamins A, B, and C, folic acid, manganese and chromium. It makes for an excellent salad as it is low in calories. Lettuce is also a good source of iron which helps with blood formation. It also has magnesium, vital for the brain and the nerves. 

25 ways to improve your health

Healthy living tips

There are many ways you can improve your health and just a few small changes can give big results. But there always seems to be conflicting advice concerning what is good for us and what are the right ways to improve our health.

Doing a combination of our suggested activities will boost your health and improve your lifestyle and well-being. A list of 25 health-boosting tips are:

1. Reduce your fat intake

The effect of fat on our arteries and general health are pretty well known, so you should try to reduce your fat intake by changing your cooking methods. Try grilling, baking, steaming or poaching, rather than frying.

2. Improve your sleep

If you’re having trouble sleeping, try cutting out alcohol or caffeine and other such stimulants, as this can help you to nod off and get a good night’s sleep. Also, adding a few drops of lavender oil onto your pillow at night has been shown to have relaxing effects.

3. Cut down on your salt intake

To reduce the impact of salt on your blood pressure, cut down on your salt intake. I suggest using herbs and spices such as oregano, nutmeg and paprika to season your food, rather than always adding salt. You may eventually find that you don’t need to add salt at all!

4. Enjoy a glass of wine

Drinking just one or two glasses of wine a day is thought to cut your risk of heart disease by up to a third. Make sure you go for red or rosé variety, as they contain much higher levels of antioxidants than your average glass of white wine.

5. Be good to your bones

A diet high in calcium and vitamin D will lead to strong bones and healthy nerves and muscles. Good sources of calcium and vitamin D include egg yolk, broccoli, oily fish and direct sunlight.

6. Eat a high fibre diet

Fibre aids the digestive system by helping to speed up the passage of waste material through the body — thereby ensuring that cancer-causing substances do not stay long enough in the bowels to have any damaging effect.

7. Have a good laugh

Laughing can to boost the blood flow by more than 20 per cent, and researchers say it may reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Laughing can also help to fight infections, relieve hay fever, ease pain and control diabetes.

8. Fruits for immunity and blood pressure

Fruits such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruit are a great source of vitamin C, which helps to boost the immune system. Also, citrus fruits and bananas are also a good source of potassium, which can help to regulate blood pressure.

9. Eat more garlic

Garlic is a powerful cleanser of the body. Regular consumption of garlic (either in natural form or odourless capsules) promotes a healthy heart and good circulation by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol — and it also helps to fight infection and boost the body’s immunity.

10. Drink more water

The general recommendation is that we should drink around eight glasses of water a day. Taking in this amount of water will greatly enhance your digestion‚ nutrient absorption‚ skin hydration‚ and detoxification — as well as many other aspects of your health.

11. Drink more tea

There is general agreement that tea — both black and green — may contribute positively to your health. Tea contains antioxidants that can inhibit the growth of cancer cells, support dental health, increase bone density and strengthen cardiovascular health.

12. Keep your brain active

Doing a mentally challenging activity — such as reading a book or completing a crossword or Sudoku puzzle — will help to keep your brain functioning at a high level. People who do less mentally challenging activities generally show more brain degeneration earlier on in life — so get testing your brainpower!

13. Eat more wholegrain foods

Eating wholegrain foods such as bread, cereals and rice can reduce your cholesterol levels and greatly reduce your risk of getting heart disease. Make sure you take a look at the packaging on foods that are labelled as ‘wholegrain’ — especially cereals — to see which of them are actually the best sources of wholegrain.

14. Increase sexual activity

Sex may be the only real physical activity that many people get, and is a great CV workout! Having sex three to four times a week is thought to reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke by half! Sex can reduce stress and leads to greater contentment and better sleep.

15. Introduce olive oil to your diet

Olive oil is a monosaturated form of fat and helps to reduce levels of harmful cholesterol in the blood. You can use it as an alternative for frying foods, or use it in its uncooked form as a dressing on salads.

16. Improve your posture

Good posture is thought to help the flow of energy in the body — and so standing tall or sitting up straight is thought to help improve your energy levels. Slouching is a definite no-no!

17. Eat chillis

Chilli peppers contain capsaicin, which helps to stimulate blood circulation and therefore reduces the risk of clots. Spicy peppers also contain antioxidants, which can help to prevent cell damage.

18. Exercise in water

Exercising in water is a great way of getting a good workout without stressing the body too much. The water offers resistance, and so can help you to build your muscles and stamina — plus being in the water will prevent some of the impact on the joints that other land-based exercises would bring.

19. Eat oily fish

Eating more so-called ‘oily’ fish — such as herring, kippers, mackerel, salmon, sardines and tuna — will provide you with large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. These types of fatty acids can reduce the levels of cholesterol in the blood — thereby reducing the risk of stroke.

20. Build stronger bones

Weight-bearing activities such as running or dancing are great for increasing your bone health. You could also introduce some bone-building herbs like parsley into your diet in order to gain maximum benefits.

21. Eat carrots to help your vision

Eating carrots will help to improve your eyesight. The beta-carotene in carrots converts to vitamin A in the body, which helps to improve vision. The vitamin A forms a purple pigment called rhodopsin — which the eyes need in order to see in dim light.

22. Always eat breakfast

Your body needs good quality fuel to wake up your metabolism — so always eat a good breakfast! If you eat a hearty breakfast you will subsequently burn more calories throughout the day. Eating a good amount at breakfast will also prevent you from getting that lull in the morning when your body is running on empty.

23. Dance your way to fitness

If you’re put off by obvious forms of exercise such as sports, then get your exercise on the dancefloor instead. Dancing will tone and strengthens your whole body, and can increase your flexibility and improve your coordination and rhythm. And most importantly, it’s more fun than going to the gym!

24. Avoid yo-yo dieting

The majority of crash dieters regain the weight they have shed and then maintain a continuous cycle of weight loss and gain. The answer is to avoid crash diets and develop sustainable diet habits — while avoiding high-fat products.

25. Think positively

Having an optimistic outlook on life can actually help you to live longer. Researchers have found that optimistic people decreased their risk of early death by 50 per cent compared to those who were pessimistic. Thinking positively lessens your chances of worrying, and therefore reduces stress — thereby lessening your chances of getting physical and mental illness.

Health benefits of fasting

The wonders which fasting can amount to pushing your body to an extreme, it does bring some health benefits along with it. During the course of human history people have practiced fasting both for its health benefits as well as for spiritual and religious reasons.

While religious events (like Navratri, Shivaratri, Bheemana Amavasye, Ramzan etc.) give us ample opportunities to observe fasts, one can also do that for health reasons and offsetting the over-eating we often indulge in. It is not recommended to push beyond the limits while fasting. 

Similarly, discipline also needs to be maintained while fasting. Many people transform their fast to a feast during Navratris and end up overeating. So the key lies in observing a disciplined and realistic fast:

Here are health benefits of fasting:

Fasting counters allergic reactions, including asthma and hay fever.

Fasting promotes detoxification. As the body breaks down its fat reserves, it mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins.

Fasting initiates rapid weight loss with little or no hunger. Most people are surprised at how little desire for food they have while fasting.

Fasting restores taste appreciation for wholesome natural foods. People say that their taste buds come alive after fasting and that food never tasted so good.

Fasting makes it easy to overcome bad habits and addictions. Many people have overcome tobacco and alcohol addictions by fasting, and even drug addictions.

Fasting corrects high blood pressure without drugs. Fasting will normalize blood pressure in the vast majority of cases, the blood pressure will remain low after the fast, if the person follows a health-supporting diet and lifestyle.

Fasting gives the digestive system a much-needed rest. After fasting, both digestion and elimination are invigorated.

While these health benefits can be considered, you must also keep in mind that fasting may also lead to muscle loss and lowering down of blood sugar levels. Fasting may work against weight loss in a way.

Fasting can cause the metabolic rate of the body to slow down and since weight loss is usually better achieved with a fast metabolism, it (fasting) may hamper the entire process.