DRAGON FRUIT

Dragon fruit is rich in phytoalbumins which are highly valued for their antioxidant properties. Dragon fruit is also rich in fibers, vitamin C, and minerals. The dragon fruit helps the digestive process which can help to prevent colon cancer, and diabetes. When consumed regularly natural medicine practitioners believe the dragon fruit can help against asthma, and cough. Eating dragon fruits helps strengthen your immune system, and promotes faster healing of bruises, and wounds. It's also rich with potassium, protein, fiber, sodium and calcium. If you are looking for fruits that are filling, and delicious but will help keep your weight in check, dragon fruits are a perfect choice. A 100g serving of dragon fruit has only 60 calories. Dragon fruits do not have complex carbohydrates, so they can be easily broken down by the body. Dragon fruits are also packed with minerals such as calcium for stronger bones, and teeth, phosphorus for tissue formation and iron for healthy blood. Lycopene is also present in dragon fruits, and this is the pigment responsible for their red color, like tomatoes. Lycopene guards against prostate cancer among other things.

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Iron Deficiency Anemia

Anemia occurs when you have a level of red blood cells (RBCs) in your blood that is lower than normal. Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia, and it occurs when your body doesn’t have enough of the mineral iron. Your body needs iron to make a protein called hemoglobin. This protein is responsible for carrying oxygen to your body’s tissues, which is essential for your tissues and muscles to function effectively. When there isn’t enough iron in your blood stream, the rest of your body can’t get the amount of oxygen it needs. In women of childbearing age, the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia is a loss of iron in the blood due to heavy menstruation or pregnancy. A poor diet or certain intestinal diseases that affect how the body absorbs iron can also cause iron deficiency anemia. Doctors normally treat the condition with iron supplements or changes to diet.

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Vitamin C

Vitamin C is probably best known as an antioxidant. Antioxidants are forms of molecules that help keep chemical reactions in our body in check. Damage to the lens of the eye, damage to molecules circulating around in our bloodstream, and damage to genetic material (DNA) in our cells are all examples of damage that have been shown to be prevented under certain circumstances by vitamin C. One interesting application of vitamin C as an antioxidant is its ability to transform iron into a state that is better absorbed in the intestine.

Vitamin C is required to produce collagen, a protein that plays a critical role in the structure of our bodies. Collagen is the framework for our skin and our bones, and without it, we would quite literally fall apart. People who have this condition lose teeth, bleed easily, and lose the strength of their bones. Luckily, it doesn't take much vitamin C to prevent this problem. A single lime per day would usually be enough.

Vitamin C is necessary to make certain neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters are the signals that carry thoughts, feelings, and commands around our brains and throughout our nervous system.

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Calcium & Bones

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, one that plays many vital roles. Our body uses it to build healthy bones and teeth. Keep them strong as we age, help our blood clot, our muscles contract, and regulate the heart’s rhythm. If we are not getting enough calcium in our diet, our body will take calcium from our bones, which can lead to weakened bones. Calcium deficiency can also lead to mood problems such as irritability, anxiety, depression, and difficulty in sleeping.

Approximately one in two women and about one in four men over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis (weakened bones). But osteoporosis is not an inevitable part of getting older.
Your body gets the calcium it needs in one of two ways. The first and best way is through the foods you eat or the supplements you take. However, if you’re not consuming enough calcium, your body will get it by pulling it from your bones where it’s stored. That’s why proper diet is very important.

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Healthy Food Definations

• Any food believed to be ‘good for you’, especially if high in fiber, natural vitamins, fructose, etc. Healthy foods may reduce cholesterol, reduce atherosclerosis and risk of stroke, help control glucose, halt progression of osteoporosis, and reduce the risk of infections, cancer. Examples Apples, beans, carrots, cranberry juice, fish, garlic, ginger, nuts, oats, olive oil, soy foods, tea, yogurt.

• Any natural food popularly believed to promote or sustain good health, as by containing vital nutrients, being grown without the use of pesticides, or having a low sodium or fat content.

• A food that is low in fat and saturated fat and that contains limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium. If it is a single-item food, it must also provide at least 10 percent of one or more of vitamins A or C, iron, calcium, protein, or fiber.

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Diet for Healthy Eyes

Believe it or not protecting your eyes starts with the food you eat. Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E might help ward off age-related vision problems such as macular degeneration and cataracts. Regularly eating following foods can help lead to good eye health:

• Green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and collards.
• Salmon, tuna, and other oily fish
• Eggs, nuts, beans, and other non-meat protein sources
• Oranges and other citrus fruits or juices

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Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. 1 gram of carbohydrate provides 4kcals of energy.  A healthy balanced diet should include 50% to 60% of the calories consumed coming from carbohydrates. The minimum amount of carbohydrate required to prevent the starvation activation systems of fasting is 100 to 150 grams per day. Glucose is the primary fuel for the nervous system, the blood cells and the renal medulla. Requirements for each individual depend on age, sex, size, and activity level.
During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, the fuel for our bodies. Glucose is burned in all body cells and is the primary source of energy for us to function.  If your body does not have any use for the glucose, it is converted into glycogen and stored it in the liver and muscles as an energy reserve. If people consume more carbohydrates than they need at the time, the body stores some of these carbohydrates within cells as glycogen and converts the rest to fat.
Carbohydrates are classified into two types simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are digested by the body very quickly. Simple carbohydrates include Glucose, sucrose, fructose and lactose these provide the quickest energy supply to the body. Simple carbohydrates are found naturally in fruits milk and other dairy products. They are also often found in refined, processed foods. Foods that contain simple carbohydrates are sugar, corn syrup, white rice, white pasta, candy, cookies, cakes, soft drinks etc.
Complex carbohydrates are high fiber foods. Our body takes longer time to digest them, resulting in gradual steady stream of energy trough out the day. These are usually high in fiber and nutrient rich and provide many health benefits. Good sources of complex carbohydrates include, Starch - bread, cereal, potatoes, pasta, rice, dried peas and beans, Fiber - bran, whole-grain foods, raw vegetables, fruit,  nuts, seeds and popcorn.

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Home Remedies on Acidity

• If you are suffering from acidity, try to suck on a piece of clove. It will bring immediate relief.
• For people who are prone to acidity, intake of milk or other dairy products will prove to be helpful.
• Regular consumption of fresh mint juice can also help you get rid of acidity.
• Add two teaspoons apple cider vinegar and two teaspoons honey to a glass of water. Drink this concoction after meals, as it reduces the chances of acidity.
• Boil cumin seeds in a glass of water. Let it cool down and supplement your meals with it.
• Banana, cucumber and watermelon have been found to be helpful in treating acidity naturally.
• If you are have acidity problem, avoid taking tea, coffee and other aerated drinks. Instead, go for herbal tea, containing spearmint (pudina) and liquorice (mulethi).
• The simplest of all remedies is to have a glass of warm water every day, early in the morning. Water is believed to neutralize acidity.
• Drink coconut water 3 to 4 times in a day. It will help bring relief from acidity.
• If you are looking for an immediate relief, have a bowl of yoghurt. It is one of the most effective home remedies for acidity.
• If you constantly suffer from acidity, suck on 10 grams jaggery everyday, after meals. It will help you avoid acid formation.
• Have a glass of cabbage juice every day, in order to avoid acid formation and the resultant acidity.
• If you want instant relief from acidity, take a glass of water with a teaspoon of soda in it. 
• Have your last meal at least two to three hours before you hit the sack. 
• Keeping long intervals between meals is another cause for acidity. Have small but regular meals. 
•  Try to avoid pickles, spicy chutneys, vinegar, etc. 
•  Boil some mint leaves in water and have a glass of this after meals. 
•  Excessive smoking and drinking will increase acidity, so cut down. 
•  Try chewing gum. The saliva generated helps move food through the esophagus, easing symptoms of heartburn. 
•  Ginger aids in digestion. Either buy powdered ginger in capsule forms or add the herb to your recipes. 
•  A simple preparation of lemon water with sugar can be sipped on an hour before lunch to reduce uneasiness. 
•  Have vegetables like drumsticks, beans, pumpkin, cabbage, carrot and spring onions.

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Symptons of Acidity

·         Burning sensation or pain in the stomach, 1-4 hours after a meal

·         Chest pain

·         Prolonged heartburn

·         Inflammation in chest

·         Feeling hungry frequently

·         Constant pain in the upper abdomen

·         Belching

·         Nausea

·         Bitter taste in mouth

·         Loss of appetite

·         Respiratory problems

·         Vomiting

·         Coughing

·         Gastro-esophageal reflux

·         Voice change and formation of ulcer in esophagus (tube connecting mouth and stomach)

·         Pain during muscular contractions

·         Pain in ears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Causes of Acidity

* Excessive smoking

* Drinking too much alcohol

* Gastro duodenal ulcer

* Hyper secretion of hydrochloric acid

* Reflux of gastric acid

* Not having meals on time

* Eating fried and spicy food on a regular basis

* Problems in the functioning of digestive system

* Being on an empty stomach for a long time or skipping breakfast

* Eating foods rich in fats, like chocolates

* Pregnancy

* Aging

* Obesity

* Excessive exposure to sun and heat

* Inappropriate food habits

* Negative emotions

* Weakness of the valves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Acidity

Almost all of us had acidity once in a while. Acidity can be described as a condition wherein there is an excess of acid secretion by the gastric glands of stomach. When the secretion is more than usual, we feel, what is commonly known as heartburn, which is normally triggered off by consumption of spicy foods. Heartburn and gas formation are the major symptoms of acidity. Our body produces acid to digest the food we eat. However, problem strikes, when it produces more acid than what is required. It is, then, that the gastric juices move from the stomach, into the lower esophagus, making it dysfunctional. There are a number of reasons that lead to the formation of acidity.

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Healthy Heart

Diet for Healthy Heart: Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil.
Exercise for Healthy Heart: Half an hour's walk at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime.
Precautions for Healthy Heart: Quit smoking, Control weight, Control blood pressure and sugar, everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.
Some Facts to know: Cholesterol accumulates right from childhood.
How to control cholesterol content without using medicines: Control diet, walk and eat walnut.
Best and Worst food for the heart: Fruits and vegetables are the best and the worst is oil.
First aid steps to be taken on a heart attack: Help the person into a sleeping position , place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.
Things to be taken care of after a heart operation: Diet, exercise, drugs on time , Control cholesterol, BP, weight.

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