All posts by HealthyLife

HealthyLife is a part of www.WeRIndia.com, an all India – centric website (https://healthylife.werindia.com) and is solely owned and operated by WeRIndia.com. It is a Indian nutritional portal providing educational articles.This nutritional port was launched on February 5th, 2015.
GREEN SOUP

GREEN SOUP

Health Benefits: Green leaves are rich in iron and fiber contents. Including green leaves in diet helps to improve digestive system health and keeps body fit. They supply almost no calories and hence are good choice for reducing weight.

Green leaves have long been used as a milk-boosting food. This light, flavorful soup made with fresh fenugreek or other edible leaves and dal water (supernatant of boiled pulses) not only improves breast milk but aids digestion and provides appropriate nutrition as well.

Ingredients

  1. Fenugreek/ spinach or any other green leaves – 1 cup
  2. Onion finely chopped – 1/2 cup
  3. Ripe tomato (finely chopped) – 1
  4. Garlic cloves (minced) – 3-4
  5. Dal water (supernatant of boiled pulses) – 2 cups
  6. Salt and pepper powder – to taste
  7. Oil – 1 teaspoon

Total quantity: 2 cups (1 serving)

preparation:

Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onion, garlic and sauté until onions turn translucent, add the tomatoes, and cook for a few more minutes. Now add cleaned and chopped green leaves and sauté until they soften, then add 2 cups of diluted dal water, salt, and simmer for 15 minutes. Blend half of the quantity and then add this to the rest of the soup and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add pepper powder to taste.

Image credit: Image by Robert Forster from Pixabay (CC by 0)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: June 17, 2021
« »
« »

Recommended for you

RASALA -Medicated Curd

RASALA -Medicated Curd

Health benefits: This recipe is rejuvenating, appetizing, carminative a probiotic & strength promoting and useful in inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and colitis. It is recommended to take in summer and autumn. It is good for general debility and emaciation.

Curd, when churned with sugar and spices such as pepper is known as Rasala.

Ingredients

  1. Fresh curd – 1 cup (150 ml)
  2. Pepper powder – 1/2 teaspoon (3 gm)
  3. Jaggery /sugar – 10 gm (2 teaspoons)
  4. Salt – 1/2 teaspoon (2 gm)
  5. Butter/ghee – 1 teaspoon
  6. Mustard – 1 teaspoon
  7. Fenugreek – 1/2 teaspoon (3 gm)
  8. Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon (3 gm)
  9. Crushed red chilli – 1 or 2, as per taste
  10. Curry leaves – 5 to 6

Total quantity: 1 glass (200-250 ml)

Preparation:

Pepper powder, jaggery and salt are added to fresh curd and blended well using a blender or traditional churning. Heat butter or ghee in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, red chilies and curry leaves and use it for seasoning. Salt can be used in place of jaggery /sugar as per the taste and requirement. Ressala is ready to serve with roti, rice etc. or as a health drink by adding more water and lemon juice.

Contradiction: During respiratory illness.

Image credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/340373684345488978/

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on:
« »
« »

Recommended for you

Diet & home exercises for diabetes

Home based exercises and Diet for Diabetic People During Pandemic

Regular physical activity and nutritious food intake is important to all to keep fit and healthy. This applies to people who have chronic conditions like diabetes. Daily exercise and balanced diet keeps body fit, fine and immune system active. While many countries are opening up gyms, sports centers and parks for walks, countries like India which is still under lockdown making it hard for people to step out and do regular activities. A series of daily exercises are recommended for Diabetic people from ANIAD, the Italian National association of Athletes with Diabetes. These activities will help to burn good amount of calories to stay fit.

Recommended exercises:

Treadmill: One hour brisk waling which can be split into three 20 minutes sessions. Based on age, energy level and preferences, individual can adapt to uphill walk, increase speed etc.

Stationary bicycle:  15-minutes, two sessions at variable intensity, if the equipment has recliner option, then session can be increased a bit as the backrest gives support during exercise.

Bodyweight exercises: Push-ups, squats, lunges, crunches, sit-ups, forward bends, weight lifts will help tone the muscle and increases energy level.

Stretching and increasing flexibility: Yoga, Pilates, will help to increase flexibility, and keeps mind calm.

Walking inside home: If you have staircase walk up and down for 8 sets of stairs for 6 floors. Or simply do brisk walk inside home covering entire house for half an hour to one hour.

Jumping jacks and total body exercise: Use small weights, ankle weights or wrist weights to perform total body exercises. This can be done at home easily.

  • Two series of 20 Jumping Jacks (on-site jumps with synchronized leg and arm spreading and closing)
  • Two series of 15 crunches (abdomen strengthening)
  • Two series of 15 forward flexes (lower back muscle strengthening)
  • Two series of 10 rowing exercises using dumbbells and slight forward flexion (back muscle strengthening)
  • Two series of 8 push-ups (pectoral muscle strengthening – knees to floor for beginners)
  • Two series of 8 sitting/standing hand-weight lifts (shoulder muscle strengthening)
  • Five minutes of treadmill training or stationary/reclined bicycle
  • Three series x 15 squats (lower limb strengthening)
  • 20 minutes treadmill training
  • Final stretching and relaxation.

Plan your meals and record what you eat :

While at home, take time to plan on your meals for the entire week including the important meal of the day – Breakfast. Include fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Eat balanced, fresh, and unprocessed food 

  1. Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains. Include milk and yogurt.
  2. For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit. Cut down on sugar, fat and salt.
  3. To reduce loss of important vitamins and nutrients do not  overcook vegetables and fruit.
  4. Avoid canned food as much as possible. If you must then while using canned or dried vegetables and fruit, choose varieties without added salt or sugar.

Eat moderate amount of fat and sugar:

  1. Consume unsaturated fats over saturated fats.
  2. Use low-fat or reduced-fat versions of milk and dairy products.
  3. Avoid industrially produced trans fats. Avoid processed fast food, snack food, fried food, frozen pizza, pies, cookies, margarines and spreads.
  4. Limit the amount of salt and high sodium condiments (soy and fish sauce, hard cheese).
  5. Limit your daily salt intake to less than 5 g (approximately 1 teaspoon), use iodized salt
  6. Limit or say no to your intake of soft drinks or sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar.
  7. Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.

Portion control: Focus on portion control. Listen to your brian what it says – need more food or your stomach is full?

Prepare home cooked meals: Rather than eating outside and premade food, cook simple meals at home. If you prefer delivery of home cooked meals, order it from sources that follow hygiene rules.

Drink plenty of fluids: Water is the best drink. Drink enough water to keep yourself hydrated. Drink fresh smoothie, fruit juice that are suitable for your condition.

Practice mindful eating: Avoid any distraction (like watching phone, TV etc) during your meals.

In summary:

  • Adopt to proper exercising habits by knowing your ability. Monitor your health before, during and after exercise.
  • Focus on nutrient, calorie intake. Select healthy foods that are rich in nutrients and control on sugar, salt and fat.
  • Take good rest, get good sleep.

For further information on how to take care of Diabetes in this pandemic please visit:

https://www.idf.org/

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: June 4, 2021
« »
« »

Recommended for you

The Good and Bad Anger

The Good and Bad Anger

Most of the time anger does not give us good reputation. Anger mostly associated with lack of respect, bad choice of words and negative energy. We never know how our reactions could be for some circumstances especially when it come to anger. Without recognizing our emotions we can get angry in a good or bad way. Do you know sometimes the feeling of anger is also good for you providing you should be able to recognize that the anger that you have at that moment is good or bad.

Feeling of anger can be good and bad. Bad anger can destroy a life. With bad anger, a person will enjoy seeing others getting hurt or in trouble.

With good anger (an emotion), it is different – you know you did the right thing, you want to stand up for yourself and you might feel helpless. In these situations, you will end up getting angry with yourself. Good anger is the one that you should feel right about, before expressing yourself.

How to recognize these two feelings? Feeling of good, healthy anger vs. bad, unhealthy anger?

Anger is a secondary feeling that arises due to frustration, anxiety, fear and hurt. To distinguish between the two types of anger : Healthy anger that propels you to act to protect and promotes your growth and the bad anger that is destructive and destroys the growth.

A proverb says “If you are angry over something that someone did to you today… that’s on them. If you are still angry over the same thing a year later… that’s on you.”

Anger is a feeling and it is not an action. In other words, what you do with these feelings does matter.

Recognizing Healthy Anger – With good anger you can justify yourself with proper reasons. You will be able to control this type of anger because of your positive nature towards the person and situation.

  • When someone whom you love demands something from you, you will find yourself in a situation that you will swallow your feelings for the sake of loved ones. You get annoyed but you will not show your feelings outside.
  • When you feel that your loved one is saying something and you disagree with it and will hold back your words or you will talk to the person only inside your head and cannot say those words (to avoid fights).
  • The anger that comes from expectation – you are fed up of doing something for someone all the time and you get sick and tired of doing stuff.
  • Anger that comes out when you keep doing something to family and friends and in turn they don’t reciprocate or never attempts to understand your feelings and your wants.
  • Good anger comes and goes fast – no one will get hurt.

Recognizing Unhealthy Anger: With bad anger you cannot reason yourself.

  • You will feel strong and aggressive to shut someone down
  • You will enjoy the feeling of victory over someone who try to appease you
  • When someone does not give attention, you will feel enraged right away
  • You don’t allow to let it go from your mind for a longtime and don’t feel like forgiving. This is the type of anger that spoils relationship and is toxic.
  • The anger that often exhibits in a sudden fit of rage that stems from our selfish motivations and is generally characterized by a lack of self-control is bad.
  • Some people are quick tempered for small, no reasons and this temper is bad.
  • Often the bad anger leads to fights, spoils the relationship and destroys one’s life.

It is important to make a distinction between two types of anger feelings and chose what is good for our growth. That anger that is not motivated by selfishness and is characterized by self-control is good one and is the right one. It is also important to adopt proper strategies to control the anger to lead a balanced and peaceful life.

.

Reference: Healthylife.werindia.com

Image credit: Image by Anastasia Gepp from Pixabay  (Free for commercial use)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: May 9, 2021
« »
« »

Recommended for you

Post Covid Nutrition

WHO: Nutrition and Food Recommendation for Adults Post Covid-19 Recovery

Post Covid-19 patients who return home must consider taking nutrient rich food. At hospital care takers will give nutrient and calorie rich food that helps to bring energy back. After returning home what should be the diet and what can be eaten and what cannot be? To answer the question World Health Organization has given instructions which helps people to recover and gain strength as well as immunity back – Healthy Life

Proper nutrition and hydration are vital. People who eat a well-balanced diet tend to be healthier with stronger immune systems and lower risk of chronic illnesses and infectious diseases. So you should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods every day to get the vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, protein and antioxidants your body needs. Drink enough water. Avoid sugar, fat, and salt to significantly lower your risk of overweight, obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Eat fresh and unprocessed foods every day

  • Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice or starchy tubers or roots such as potato, yam, taro or cassava), and foods from animal sources (if you are non-vegetarian).
  • Daily, eat: 2 cups of fruit (4 servings), 2.5 cups of vegetables (5 servings), 180 g of grains, and 160 g of beans.
  • For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit rather than foods that are high in sugar, fat or salt.
  • Do not overcook vegetables and fruit as this can lead to the loss of important vitamins.
  • When using canned or dried vegetables and fruit, choose varieties without added salt or sugar.

Drink enough water every day

  • Water is essential for life. It transports nutrients and compounds in blood, regulates your body temperature, gets rid of waste, and lubricates and cushions joints.
  • Drink 8–10 cups of water every day.
  • Water is the best choice, but you can also consume other drinks, fruits and vegetables that contain water, for example lemon juice (diluted in water and unsweetened), tea and coffee. But be careful not to consume too much caffeine, and avoid sweetened fruit juices, syrups, fruit juice concentrates, fizzy and still drinks as they all contain sugar.

Eat moderate amounts of fat and oil

  • Consume unsaturated fats (e.g. found in fish, avocado, nuts, olive oil, soy, canola, sunflower and corn oils) rather than saturated fats.
  • Where possible, opt for low-fat or reduced-fat versions of milk and dairy products.
  • Avoid industrially produced trans fats. These are often found in processed food, fast food, snack food, fried food, frozen pizza, pies, cookies, margarines, and spreads.

Eat less salt and sugar

  • When cooking and preparing food, limit the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce and fish sauce).
  • Limit your daily salt intake to less than 5 g (approximately 1 teaspoon), and use iodized salt.
  • Avoid foods (e.g. snacks) that are high in salt and sugar.
  • Limit your intake of soft drinks or sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar (e.g. fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates and syrups, flavored milks and yogurt drinks).
  • Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.

Avoid eating out

  • Eat at home to reduce your rate of contact with other people and lower your chance of being exposed to COVID-19. We recommend maintaining a distance of at least 1 meter between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. That is not always possible in crowded social settings like restaurants and cafes. Droplets from infected people may land on surfaces and people’s hands (e.g. customers and staff), and with lots of people coming and going, you cannot tell if hands are being washed regularly enough, and surfaces are being cleaned and disinfected fast enough.

Information reference: http://www.emro.who.int/nutritionhttp://www.emro.who.int/nutrition

Image credit: Moong daal khichadi Flavors of Mumbai

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: May 4, 2021
« »
« »

Recommended for you

Vegetarian recipe

Beet root & Radish – Two Recipes

Are you an athlete and are you looking for something that is nutritious, keeps blood pressure under control, and helps in blood flow? Here is an answer: Try Beet juice. The beet or beetroot is added to the list of new super food because of its multiple health benefits. – Dementia, body inflammation, digestion (constipation), wounds, skin problems and several other conditions can be regulated by consuming this simple juice.

If you have sore throat, constipation problem and want to keep your body hydrated there is another super food namely Radish!. There are different reasons to “eat your radish”!  It can be added to salad as a main ingredient that helps in relieving constipation.  It contains good amount of vitamin c and folates, vitamin B-6, riboflavin, thiamin and minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper and calcium. They are source of phytochemicals like indoles which are detoxifying agents (Healthylife.werindia.com)

Try these simple two recipes with Beet and radish.

Beetroot juice:

Ingredients:

  • Beetroot medium size 3-4
  • Coconut milk 1/2 cup
  • Jaggery powder 2-3 tsp

Method:

  1. Soak the Beetroot in salt water for 30 mins(2 times).
  2. Wash and grate the Beetroot.(No need to peel the skin).
  3. Squeeze the grated beetroot into a bowl. Add coconut milk and jaggery powder. Mix well.
  4. Super healthy Beet root juice is ready to serve.

Radish  salad

Ingredients:

  • Grated Radish 1 cup
  • Grated coconut 2 tsp
  • Green chillies 4
  • Curry leaf 1 strand
  • Lemon juice 2 tsp
  • Chopped Coriander leaves ¼ cup
  • Urad dal 2 tsp
  • Mustard
  • Oil 1 tsp
  • Salt

Method:

  1. Combine grated radish, green chillies, grated coconut, lemon juice and Salt in a bowl. Keep aside.
  2. For seasoning, heat oil add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dal and curry leaves. Switch off the stove and mix it with step 1. Finally add coriander leaves and serve.

Recipe and image by: Mamatha Anil  (Bhakshyabhojana.blogspot.com)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: April 5, 2021
« »
« »

Recommended for you

Use olive oil for various purposes

Apart from cooking and for salad dressing, olive oil can be used in different ways too.

See yourself:

1) Chopped lips: Place a small amount of oil on your fingertips and rub across your lips. This helps in curing chopped lips.

2) Polishing furniture: Combine two parts olive oil with one part lemon juice or white vinegar. Add the ingredients to a clean spray bottle, and shake up. Spritz on the contents and wipe off with a clean paper towel. Wipe off using clean paper towel.

3) Paint remover for hair: Some paint that sticks to your hair after painting your home or finishing art work can be removed using olive oil. To remove paint from your locks, moisten a cotton ball with olive oil and gently rub into the hair.

4) Take Off mascara: Dip a cotton ball in a bit of olive oil and wipe across the eyelashes to remove mascara. Follow up by wiping your eyes with a tissue.

5) Fingernail treatment: Soak your nails in olive oil for a couple of minutes each week. This helps in keeping moisturizer in your finger tip and helps in avoiding chopping off the finger nails.

6) Moisturize the skin: Microwave a few tablespoons of the oil until it is lukewarm to the touch. Rub it on dry parts of your body to soften the skin.

7) Acne eraser: Mix four tablespoons of salt and three tablespoons of olive oil to create a paste that treats acne-ridden skin. Pour a small amount into your hands and work into the skin using your fingers. Leave on the remedy for a couple of minutes, and then rinse off with warm, soapy water. This mixture exfoliates and moisturizes your skin.

8) Replacement for shaving cream: Olive oil allows the blade to glide over the face or legs for a safe shave, while moisturizing the skin at the same time.

9) Degrease your hands: To remove grease and other stickiness from your hands use olive oil. Rub olive oil vigorously using your palm for few minutes and wash off with soap and water.

10) For constipation: Take one teaspoon of olive oil mixed with lemon juice on an empty stomach – in the morning. Some people have also made olive oil enemas using five ounces of the oil mixed with 20 ounces of boiling water that has been cooled to a lukewarm temperature.

11) Homemade bath scrub: Enjoy a relaxing shower or bath with a homemade bath scrub made from three parts olive oil and two parts sea salt.

Reference: Healthylife.werindia.com

Image credit: Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay  (Free for commercial use)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: March 5, 2021
« »
« »

Recommended for you

Covid-19 virus variants

Covid-19 Virus Variants What We know and Don’t Know So Far

As the Covid-19 pandemic is continuing, globally new variants of the viruses are appearing. Scientists are working to understand why and how these variants are appearing and spreading everywhere. In addition, they are also looking at whether the new vaccines will protect people against these variants too.

How the variants occur in viruses? Mutation is a process that changes the genetic code of living beings. A change in genetic code of virus naturally occurs overtime when a living being is infected. In SARS-CoV-2 virus too these variations are happening due to such mutations causing differentiation from its wild-type virus.

Multiple variants of Covid-19 viruses are reported globally and new restrictions, lockdowns are imposed in many countries to stop the spread of variants. Scientists are working to understand the genetic differences between these virus variants and how closely are related.  In United kingdom B.1.1.7, Japan & Brazil P.1 and South Africa B.1.351 – three variants are reported in last month and now their presence also detected globally. To prevent spreading of these variants we all have to continue doing our part by following the proper hygiene technique and taking safety precautions – Healthy Life.

CDC -Center for Disease Control has following information regarding these variants.

Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants emerge and persist. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is a type of coronavirus, a large family of viruses. Coronaviruses are named for the crown-like spikes on their surfaces. Scientists monitor changes in the virus, including changes to the spikes on the surface of the virus. These studies, including genetic analyses of the virus, are helping scientists understand how changes to the virus might affect how it spreads and what happens to people who are infected with it.

Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are circulating globally:

The United Kingdom (UK) identified a variant called B.1.1.7 with a large number of mutations in the fall of 2020. This variant spreads more easily and quickly than other variants. In January 2021, experts in the UK reported that this variant may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variant viruses, but more studies are needed to confirm this finding. It has since been detected in many countries around the world. This variant was first detected in the US at the end of December 2020.

In South Africa, another variant called B.1.351 emerged independently of B.1.1.7. Originally detected in early October 2020, B.1.351 shares some mutations with B.1.1.7. Cases caused by this variant have been reported in the US at the end of January 2021.

In Brazil, a variant called P.1 emerged that was first identified in travelers from Brazil, who were tested during routine screening at an airport in Japan, in early January. This variant contains a set of additional mutations that may affect its ability to be recognized by antibodies. This variant was first detected in the US at the end of January 2021.

These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on health care resources, lead to more hospitalizations, and potentially more deaths.

So far, studies suggest that antibodies generated through vaccination with currently authorized vaccines recognize these variants. This is being closely investigated and more studies are underway.

Rigorous and increased compliance with public health mitigation strategies, such as vaccination, physical distancing, use of masks, hand hygiene, and isolation and quarantine, is essential to limit the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 and protect public health.

What we do not know

Scientists are working to learn more about these variants, and more studies are needed to understand:

  • How widely these new variants have spread
  • How the disease caused by these new variants differs from the disease caused by other variants that are currently circulating
  • How these variants may affect existing therapies, vaccines, and tests

What it means

Public health officials are studying these variants quickly to learn more to control their spread. They want to understand whether the variants:

  • Spread more easily from person-to-person
  • Cause milder or more severe disease in people
  • Are detected by currently available viral tests
  • Respond to medicines currently being used to treat people for COVID-19
  • Change the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines

How to stop the spread and what precautions one must take to prevent the variants spread? Follow same hygiene practice and safety instructions like wearing facial mask, face shield, using hand sanitizer, washing hands, not touching face, nose, or eyes. Click here for more hygiene tips.

For more Covid-19 variants information please visit:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov

Image credit: Image by Alexandra_Koch from Pixabay  (Free for commercial use)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: March 2, 2021
« »
« »

Recommended for you