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.

The best sources of vitamin A are

  • milk and dark green/orange fruits and vegetables.
  • whole grains.
  • dried beans, peas, and lentils.
  • bananas, onions, and garlic.

The answer is: milk and dark green/orange fruits and vegetables.


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: March 17, 2017
« »
« »

Recommended for you

Bhastrika Pranayam

Bhastrika Pranayama (Bellow breath)

Pranayama is practice of breathing in yoga or it is yogic breathing. The word Bhastrika Pranayama comes from the Sanskrit word Bhastrika, which basically means breathing like a bellows. It is also known as breath of fire.

Prana refers to vital energy needed for us to live, which differentiates living from dead. Our breathing is linked to our emotions and for every emotion that we feel we have a particular type of breathing. Practice various types of breathing in yoga helps us to overcome hurdles in life.

Bhastrika pranayama is a type of paranayama which should be practiced when the energy level is low and to improve the brain fog. In this type both inhalation and exhalation both are forced. The movement of belly along with every breath is an optional variation. So Bhastrika Pranayama is all about inhaling and exhaling completely so that our body gets sufficient amount of oxygen.

The benefits of doing Bhastrika pranayama or bellow breathing is:

  • Quickly calms the mind, reducing worries and anxieties
  • Improves focus and attention, removing brain fog
  • Increases energy, bringing enthusiasm and positivity
  • Strengthens lungs
  • Balancing of tridosha dhatus
  • It also helps in increasing blood flow

Follow these steps to do bhastrika pranayama ;

  1. Sit up tall in easy – Padmasana pose and relax your shoulders.
  2. Take a few deep, breaths in and out from your nose. With each inhale, expand your belly fully as you breathe.
  3. Begin bellows breathing by exhaling forcefully through your nose. Follow by inhaling forcefully at the rate of one second per cycle.
  4. Make sure the breath is coming from your diaphragm; keep your head, neck, shoulders, and chest still while your belly moves in and out.

What your mind and body should do simultaneously while practicing Bhastrika pranayama?

  • In this, inhaling and exhaling should take the same length of time-2.5 seconds to breathe in and 2.5 seconds to breathe out.
  • While you breathe in (inhale) assume that you are taking in positive energy and vibrations, and that you are being energized by them.
  • During breathe out (exhale), imagine that you are taking out all the toxins from our body and find. (feel that during breathe out all the toxins comes out through your breathe)

One can practice three cycles each time:

  • First cycle: Move through a round of 10 Bhastrika breaths, then take a break and breathe naturally, observing the sensations in your mind and body.
  • 2nd cycle: After a 15- to 30-second break, begin the next round with 20 breaths.
  • At the end: after pausing for another 30 seconds, complete a third round of 30 bellows breaths.

Caution:

  • Bellows breathing is a safe practice, but if you feel light-headed in any way, pause for a few minutes while breathing naturally. When the discomfort passes, try another round of bellows breathing, slower and with less intensity.
  • If you are suffering from high blood pressure and acute heart problem then, don’t perform Bhastrika breathing.
  • Do not practice Bhastrika pranayam if you are pregnant.

References:

  • http://www.yogaindailylife.org


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: March 16, 2017
« »
« »

Recommended for you

Iron is an important nutrient because

  • iron is needed to prevent night blindness
  • all children are iron deficient
  • iron carries oxygen to various parts of the body
  • iron status determines bone density

The answer is: iron carries oxygen to various parts of the body.


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: March 15, 2017
« »
« »

Recommended for you

Pineapple Rasam Recipe

Pineapple Rasam!

There are many ways to consume pineapple fruit. We all know pineapple juice, smoothie, fruit salad, pineapple yogurt etc. Here is a traditional Indian vegetarian soup called “pineapple rasam” that helps in easy digestion after a very heavy meal.

 Do you know pineapple has many health benefits?

It is good for arthritis patients, contains vitamin C and hence a immune booster, helps in tissue and cell growth, easy digestion because of fiber content and helps in weight loss, remedy for cough and cold, reduces inflammation, good for oral, eye and bone health. It improves blood circulation and reduces blood pressure !

Why wait? Try pineapple rasam today !

 Ingredients:

  1.  Pineapple pieces – 1/2 cup
  2. Tomato -2
  3. Green chilli – 2
  4. Ginger – 1/2 inch
  5. Sambar or rasam powder – 1 tsp
  6. Asafetida (hing) – little (usually a pinch)
  7. Curry leaves – 10
  8. Split lentil (toor daal) – 2 Tbs
  9. Salt – as needed
  10. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  11. Mustard – 1/2 tsp
  12. Oil or ghee – 2 tsp

Preparation:

1. Get ready with pineapple chunks and cut tomatoes into small pieces.

2. Add one cup water into a cooking vessel and allow it to boil. Now add cut tomatoes, pineapple chunks, chopped ginger, rasam or sambar powder followed by salt.

3. Let it cook for till the pineapple becomes soft and tomato pulp separates from the skin.

4. Meanwhile pressure cook the toor daal.

5. Now, take 3-4 pieces of cooked pineapple and grind with ginger and green chilli to a paste.

6. To the vessel add grinded paste, 2 cups of water and the cooked toor daal. Add little more salt.

7. Let the contents boil on medium heat.

8. In a pan heat oil and add cumin and mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and asafetida and prepare seasoning.

9. Add this seasoning on top of the pineapple rasam and turn off the heat source.

10. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve pineapple rasam with rice.

*If you feel pineapple is sweet, then add few drops of lemon juice before serving the rasam.

*One can also drink this rasam after meal. This increases metabolism and helps in easy digestion.

.

Recipe: www.werindia.com


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: March 14, 2017
« »
« »

Recommended for you

Which of the following nutrients is not a nutrient of concern for vegetarian diets?

  • Fiber
  • Vitamin B-12
  • Iron
  • Calcium

The answer is: Fiber- As it is available in abundant from vegetables and fruits


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: March 11, 2017
« »
« »

Recommended for you

The vegetarian diet most likely to meet nutrition needs is

  • Vegan vegetarian
  • Lacto vegetarian
  • Lacto-ovo vegetarian
  • No vegetarian diet can meet nutrition needs

The answer is: Lacto-ovo vegetarian


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: March 9, 2017
« »
« »

Recommended for you

Bitter gourd has sweet characters!

Bitter gourd has sweet characters!

Bitter gourd is a fruit/vegetable belongs to cucumber family. It is considered as one of the leading diabetic medicinal herb as it has tremendous properties that is helpful in controlling diabetes. Use of bitter gourd (karela -hindi name) is in folklore medicine from many centuries.

We can prepare curry, dry chips, chutni powder etc using bitter gourd as main ingredient. Bitter gourd might have bitterness as taste but the same taste makes it preferred medicinal herb for various condition.

See what sweet characters bitter gourd has.

1. Good for skin diseases, controls skin infection: The regular consumption of bitter gourd helps in keeping your skin glowing and free from blemishes.

2. Helps in rejuvenating pancreas

3. Increases digestion and controls acidity

4. Helps in respiratory disorders: It helps in controlling cough, phlegm and cleans lungs

5. Dry grind bitter gourd with little jaggery, tamarind, cumin, pepper and give to new moms to bring back their energy and immune system.

6. Did you know? Bitter gourd juice (2 Tbs) helps in weight loss.

7. Immune system booster: Boil bitter melon leaves or fruits in water and consume it every day to fight against infections. This also helps to build your immunity.

8. Diabetes: Well known fact is that bitter gourd helps in Type 2 diabetes condition. Bitter melon juice benefits include helping to overcome type 2 diabetes. It contains certain chemicals that are like insulin which help to reduce the blood sugar levels.

Did you know? Bitter gourd contains an insulin-like compound called Polypeptide-p or p-insulin which has been shown to control diabetes naturally.

9. Reduce constipation: Bitter melon helps in easy digestion as it contains fiber properties. Prepare curry using bitter gourd – mix with rice and consume for easy digestion. It also helps in increasing metabolism.

10. Kidney stones: It is also useful in curing kidney stones.

11. Blood purification: The antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of bitter gourd juice helps to treat skin problems, blood disorders, and clear toxins from the blood and purifies it, and further improves blood circulation throughout the body.

12. Hair health: Mix a cup of fresh bitter gourd juice with curd and apply on your hair. Wash off after half an hour. This will make hair shiny and beautiful.

13. Bitter gourd juice is anti-inflammatory and also helps in lowering the bad cholesterol levels in the body. Thereby, it significantly reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.”

14. Solution for hangover too! – You can get rid of it quite swiftly by sipping some bitter gourd juice which wipes out alcoholic intoxication settled in your liver.

15. Bitter gourd also helps in curing wounds fast.

.

Precaution: Bitter gourd juice should be consumed only in small quantity as this drink may cause nausea and abdominal pains if consumed in high amounts.

.


Author: HealthyLife | Posted on:
« »
« »

Recommended for you