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.

www.switch2life.com

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.

www.switch2life.com

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.

www.switch2life.com

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

www.switch2life.com

Matcha Green Tea

Matcha literally means “powdered tea.” When you order traditional green tea, components from the leaves get infused into the hot water, then the leaves are discarded. With matcha, you’re drinking the actual leaves, which have been finely powdered and made into a solution, traditionally by mixing about a teaspoon of matcha powder with a third cup of hot water, which is then whisked with a bamboo brush until it froths.
Matcha preparation involves covering the tea plants with shade cloths before they’re harvested. This triggers the growth of leaves with better flavor and texture, which are hand selected, steamed briefly to stop fermentation, then dried and aged in cold storage, which deepens the flavor. The dried leaves are then stone-ground into a fine powder.

 Matcha is more potent source of nutrients than steeped green tea. In addition to providing small amounts of vitamins and minerals, matcha is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols, which have been tied to protection against heart disease and cancer, as well as better blood sugar regulation, blood pressure reduction, and anti-aging. Another polyphenol in matcha called EGCG has been shown in research to boost metabolism, and slow or halt the growth of cancer cells.

www.switch2life.com

Health Benefits of TULSI

• Tulsi leaves boiled in water act as a preventive against malaria and dengue fever.
• Tulsi is also a good germicidal agent and a disinfectant that protects the human body from all types of viral infections.
• Chewing Tulsi leaves also cures cough and flu.
• It helps to mobilize mucous in bronchitis and asthma attacks.

•  A decoction of leaves, cloves and common salt also relieves influenza.
• Water boiled with basil leaves can be taken as a drink in case of sore throat.
•  In case of renal stones, the consumption of juice of basil leaves mixed with honey helps remove these stones through the urinary tract.
• Tulsi also contains Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants such as Eugenol which protects the heart from harmful effects of free radicals.
• Tulsi can also reduce blood pressure and thus is useful for heart patients.
• If a baby is given tulsi juice regularly before teething, it helps grow teeth easily without any of the usual teething troubles.
• Warm tulsi juice gets rid of the worms in the stomach. for children. 
• Tulsi is an excellent mouth freshener and oral disinfectant and destroys 99% of germs and bacteria found in the mouth.
• Pounded leaves mixed with sandalwood paste can be applied on the forehead for relief from headache.
• Several stomach problems like acidity, constipation and flatulence can also be cured with tulsi leaves
• Tulsi is also used in the treatment of ulcers, cuts and wounds because of its beneficial antiseptic and healing properties.
• The anti-oxidants present in Tulsi help in balancing different processes of the body.
•  It helps in maintaining a healthy skin and shiny hair. Tulsi extracts make the most organic solution for your skin and hair problems.
• Tulsi works very well on eczema, acne and pimples and many cosmetic companies use Tulsi as an ingredient in skin ointments due to its anti-bacterial properties
• Using tulsi paste and lemon helps to cure ring worms.
• Regular massage of tulsi oil in your scalp energizes you and your hair.

www.switch2life.com

Benefits of GREEN TEA

• Green tea increases the metabolism.
• It intensifies levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories.
• Green tea apparently helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar after eating.
• Green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping keep them stay relaxed.
• It may also protect against the formation of clots, which are the primary cause of heart attacks.
• It can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer
• Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood
• Tea catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents which make them effective for treating everything from influenza to cancer.
• Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging.

www.switch2life.com

Health Benefits of HONEY

1. Honey helps soothing coughs and Reducing throat irritation.
2. Honey contains flavonoids, antioxidants which help reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease.
   
3. It helps reducing ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders.
4. Some research suggests that it helps boosting memory.
5. In numerous studies, honey has been found effective in treating wounds as well as burns.
   
6. honey contains “small amounts of a wide array of vitamins and minerals, including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.” Thus, using honey instead of sugar provides you with more nutrients for your calories.
7. Honey is Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, because the bees add an enzyme that makes hydrogen peroxide.
   
8. It can help incising athletic performance.
9. Honey increases the body's ability to metabolize alcohol, thereby limiting intoxication and more rapidly reducing alcohol blood levels.
   
10. As per Ayurveda, It is also supposed to be useful in improving eyesight, weight loss, curing impotence and premature ejaculation, urinary tract disorders, bronchial asthma, diarrhea, and nausea.
11. Its anti-bacterial qualities are particularly useful for the skin, and, when used with the other ingredients, can also be moisturizing and nourishing!

www.switch2life.com

Running & Jogging

Running is one of the best types of exercise and is very good for our health.
It provides a great cardiovascular workout, and it also strengthens your muscles.
It is one of the most natural forms of exercise.
It provides mental health benefits such as helping to manage depression and anxiety.
Running is also a good way to lose weight and generally get fitter.
It helps making the heart stronger and more efficient, thus reducing the risk of heart disease and heart failure.
It helps improving in blood circulation and respiratory health.
Running also speeds up the digestive system and can help to relieve digestive problems.

www.switch2life.com

 

Drink Water

Because,

1. Anyone looking to lose weight could be helped by upping their water intake. If you drink water before a meal, they lose weight faster than those who did not drink water   . Extra H2O helps us eat less by making us feel full, and it may also boost metabolism.
2. Drinking enough water prevents constipation and also reduces the burden on the kidneys and liver by helping to flush waste products.
3. Research has found that the greater the fluid intake, the lower the incidence of bladder cancer. 
4. Staying hydrated may also reduce the risk of colon cancer and breast cancer.
5. Drinking water makes us feel so refreshed that it actually improves our state of mind.
6. Kidneys remove waste from our bodies, help control our blood pressure, and balance fluids, so they’re crucial to keeping our systems running smoothly. Enough water consumption will keep kidneys work smoothly.
7. Water keeps the cartilage around our joints hydrated and supple, ensuring that our joints stay lubricated.
8. Dehydration causes shrinkage of brain tissue. So when we haven’t been drinking enough water, our brains have to work a lot harder to perform at the same level.
9. About 60 percent of the human body is made of water, and keeping our fluids balanced means that all that water is doing its job like transporting nutrients, aiding digestion, regulating temperature, and so on.

www.switch2life.com

Why An Apple a day keeps the doctor away?

1. Apples are filled with soluble fiber which has been shown to reduce intestinal disorders, including diverticulitis, hemorrhoids and possibly some types of cancer.
2. Helps control insulin levels by releasing sugar slowly into the bloodstream.
3. Cleanses and detoxifies, which helps eliminate heavy metals, such as lead and mercury.
4. Apple pectin helps reduce cholesterol levels by lowering insulin secretion.
5. It can lowered the risk for respiratory diseases like asthma.
6. According to Chinese Medicine: Apples strengthen the heart, quench thirst, lubricate the lungs, decrease mucous and increase body fluids.
7. Apple cider vinegar can help prevent the formation of kidney stones.
8. Eating apples daily can reduce skin diseases.
9. Eating an apple before a meal can help women lose 33 percent more weight than those who didn’t.
10. An apple has only 50-80 calories and has no fat or sodium.
11. Apples are packed with vitamins C, A , and flavonoids and with smaller amounts of phosphorus, iron,  and calcium.
12. Apples provide a source of potassium which may improve health of your heart.

Health Tip of the Day

Eliminate "White Foods" from Your Diet. White flour, white sugar and other processed foods are not only devoid of vitamins and minerals, but they’ve also been stripped of their natural fiber. As a result, they rapidly drive up blood sugar levels, which contributes to weight gain, diabetes and a host of other health problems. Avoid breads and baked goods made with white flour, sugar-laden sodas and snack foods. Instead, focus on eating fiber rich fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

www.switch2life.com

Health tip of the Day

Reduce salt consumption by using less salt in cooking and at the table. Reduce your intake of canned and preserved foods, including pickles. Include a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Once you start, it takes only a short while to get used to lower levels of salt.

Without salt food is tasteless, but eating it in excess will make you suffer with lot of ailments. Excessive intake adversely affects the digestive system at first. The digestive juices production is being slowed down by the intake of excessive salt. This leads to the indigestion problem. The excessive amount of the salt in the body increases the blood pressure. Insomnia is another health problem caused by eating salt in excess. The excessive intake of salt can lead to hypertension; this puts a lot of pressure on heart.

www.switch2life.com

Helth Tip of the Day

Research  suggests that, if you hydrate yourself it can be a good treatment for an acute migraine. So next time you have headaches try drinking a full glass of water. As research says dehydration can trigger headaches. Even if you need to take a medication for the pain, try wrapping your head with an Ace bandage so that it covers your eyes, then lie down and breathe deeply. This often helps the pain pass more quickly.

www.switch2life.com