Don't worry about the people in your past; There's a reason they didn't make it to your future.
Sunflower Oil
Which type: Unsaturated oil
Extracted from sunflower seeds, sunflower oil has taken place of sesame, groundnut and coconut oil. One of the primary reasons for the growing popularity of sunflower oil is its impressive fatty acid content, which includes palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid. The combination of fatty acids in the body are extremely important to maintain various elements of human health, and sunflower oil can help maintain that balance.
Health benefits:
• Good for cardiovascular conditions
• Fights free radicals and hence good for cancer patients
• Good option of arthritis and osteoporosis patients
• Good antioxidants – prevents colon cancer
• Boosts immune system & promotes functioning of nervous system
• It is rich in Vitamin E and good for skin conditions
A concern about sunflower oil is that it contains more Omega-6 contents than any other vegetable oils. If sunflower oil is eaten in excess, without intentionally boosting omega-3 intake, then it can result in an imbalance of fatty acids in the body, which is dangerous.
Image credit: pexels.com/sunflower
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: September 23, 2016
Another most admired oil for cooking and snack preparation is sesame oil. It is extracted from sesame seeds. It is composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids like linoliec acid and monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid. It also contains some amount of saturated fats.
Mustard oil has about 60% monounsaturated fatty acids (42% erucic acid and 12% oleic acid); it has about 21% polyunsaturated fats. Mustard oil has had contradictory reputations in different parts of the world over the years. It is a very popular oil on the Indian Subcontinent, specifically in the Eastern parts of India and in Bangladesh. In other part of the world it is often considered toxic, irritable and not suitable for edible purposes. In few countries, it is sold as a massage oil reserved for external application only.
Peanut or groundnut oil, as the name implies, is a type of vegetable oil commonly used in cooking that is derived from peanuts, which are legumes. Groundnut oil contains both mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats. It is pleasant and sweet to taste. This oil is low in saturated fats, free from cholesterol, contains essential fatty acid ( linoleic acid (omega-6)) making it as one of the healthiest cooking oils. Peanut oil is high in unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated fat, like olive oil.
A good makeup remover, moisturizer, aftershave, allergy control agent, good as toothpaste- this is today’s popularity of coconut oil! Coconut oil was much popular before 1970’s. A propaganda campaign against coconut oil by corn and soybean oil industries put coconut oil in back bench.
Recent days people started to ask questions about these claims. In fact, in traditional south Indian cooking coconut oil is more in use than any other oils. Kerala, Karnataka, Goa people use coconut oil for their cooking. They are lean, healthy and generally have beautiful hair!
Chikungunya outbreak has caused a lot of panic among people. Chikungunya is a virus transmitted condition for humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Recently Delhi is gripped by Chikungunya. Many major cities in India are recorded with highest numbers of chikungunya cases. This disease is spreading throughout the world! There is no cure, vaccination, or treatment of the disease. Instead, treatment focuses on relieving symptoms.
What exactly is chikungunya?
It is a viral disease spread by mosquitoes that bite during daylight hours
Currently, there is no specific treatment
No direct person-to-person transmission
Name derives from a word meaning “to become contorted“ from the African Kimakonde language
Symptoms include the sudden onset of fever and joint pain, particularly affecting the hands, wrists, ankles and feet. Most patients recover after a few days but in some cases the joint pain may persist for weeks, months or even longer
Major symptoms:
1) Fever:High fever usually 102 to 105 °F and typically lasts from three days up to one week.The fever can be biphasic (where it disappears for a few days followed by a few days of a low grade fever (101–102 °F). During this time, the virus accumulates in your bloodstream, spreading to different parts of the body.
2) Arthritis: Patients will usually notice arthritis pain in the small joints of hand, wrist, ankles, and larger joints, like knees and shoulders, but not the hips. Up to 70% of people have pain that spreads from one joint to the next after the previous joint starts feeling better. The pain is usually worse in the morning, but improves with mild exercise. Your joints may also look swollen or feel tender to the touch and you may have inflammation of tendons. Joint pain usually resolves within one to three weeks, with severe pain improving after the first week. However, in some cases joint pain can continue for up to a year.
3) Rash: Approximately 40% to 50% of patients experience a rash. These are red rashes with small bumps overlying them that appear three to five days after start of fever and subside within three to four days. Look in the mirror with your shirt off and note any red bumpy areas over a wide area and whether they itch. Make sure to turn around to look at your backside, back of neck, and raise your arms to examine your underarms.
The other symptoms some patients experience are:
Myalgia (muscle/back pain)
Headache
Sore throat discomfort
Abdominal pain
Constipation
Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
Subacute phase:This happens after 1 -3 months after the above symptom subsides. During subacute phase again there will be arthritis pain and low blood circulation for tip of hands/fingers and foot/toes. One can notice cold in the tips and it may even turn bit darker.
Chronic phase:This is after 3 months of acute phase. The joint pain will be upto 4 months to 20 months and in some cases prolongs to five years.
If you have chikungunya, prevent mosquito bites for the first week of your illness.
During the first week of infection, chikungunya virus can be found in the blood and passed from an infected person to a mosquito through mosquito bites.
Coconut water helps in preventing severe dehydration.
A decoction or herbal tea prepared with neem powder + ginger – once or twice a day.
Herbal tea prepared with neem powder + Ashwagandha powder + ginger
Tulsi herbal tea
There are several Ayurvedic medicines that are available to treat individual symptoms of Chikungunya. Consult your doctor before trying any home remedies or medicines.
Pregnant women are always bombarded with suggestions from everyone. This may confuse the mother-to-be. Eat this, don’t eat this to how to walk and sit.., all suggestions will pour on a pregnant woman. Yes, it is tough to keep it all straight. Health of mother influences the unborn child. Mother’s actions and choices have direct impact on baby’s health before and after delivery. Before your little bundle of joy arrives, take care of your health and your precious pregnancy.
Pregnancy Don’ts
Don’t smoke tobacco. Quitting is hard, but you can do it! Ask your doctor for help. Smoking during pregnancy passes nicotine and cancer-causing drugs to your baby. Smoking also keeps your baby from getting needed nourishment and raises the risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, and infant death.
Avoid exposure to toxic substances and chemicals, such as cleaning solvents, lead and mercury, some insecticides, and paint. Pregnant women should avoid exposure to paint fumes.
Protect yourself and your baby from food borne illness, which can cause serious health problems and even death. Handle, clean, cook, eat, and store food properly.
Don’t drink alcohol. There is no known safe amount of alcohol for a woman can drink during pregnancy. Both drinking every day and drinking a lot of alcohol occasionally during pregnancy can harm the baby.
Don’t use illegal drugs. Tell your doctor if you are using drugs. Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, speed (amphetamines), barbiturates, and LSD are very dangerous for you and your baby.
Don’t clean or change a cat’s litter box. This could put you at risk for toxoplasmosis, an infection that can be very harmful to the fetus.
Don’t eat swordfish, king mackerel, shark, and tilefish, which are high in mercury.
Avoid contact with rodents and with their urine, droppings, or nesting material. This includes household pests and pet rodents, such as guinea pigs and hamsters. Rodents can carry a virus that can be harmful or even deadly to your unborn baby.
Don’t take very hot baths or use hot tubs or saunas. High temperatures can be harmful to the fetus, or cause you to faint.
Don’t use scented feminine hygiene products. Pregnant women should avoid scented sprays, sanitary napkins, and bubble bath. These products might irritate your vaginal area, and increase your risk of a urinary tract infection or yeast infection.
Don’t douche. Douching can irritate the vagina, force air into the birth canal and increase the risk of infection.
Avoid x-rays. If you must have dental work or diagnostic tests, tell your dentist or physician that you are pregnant so that extra care can be taken.
Better not to go for aromatherapy treatments as many essential oils including fennel, basil, thyme, and myrrh — should not be used during pregnancy because of suspected physiological effects on the baby.
Pregnancy Do’s
See your doctor regularly. Prenatal care can help keep you and your baby healthy and spot problems if they occur.
Continue taking folic acid throughout your pregnancy. All women capable of pregnancy should get 400 to 800 micrograms (400 to 800 mcg or 0.4 to 0.8 mg) of folic acid every day. Getting enough folic acid lowers the risk of some birth defects. Taking a vitamin with folic acid will help you to be sure you are getting enough.
Eat a variety of healthy foods. Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, calcium rich foods, lean meats, and a variety of cooked seafood.
Get all essential nutrients, including iron, every day. Getting enough iron prevents anemia, which is linked to preterm birth and low-birth weight babies. Ask your doctor about taking a daily prenatal vitamin or iron supplement.
Drink extra fluids, especially water.
Get moving! Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, physical activity is good for you and your baby.
Gain a healthy amount of weight. Gaining more than the recommended amount during pregnancy increases a woman’s risk for pregnancy complications. It also makes it harder to lose the extra pounds after childbirth. Check with your doctor to find out how much weight you should gain during pregnancy.
Wash hands, especially after handling raw meat or using the bathroom.
Get enough sleep. Aim for 7 to 9 hours every night. Resting on your left side helps blood flow to you and your baby and prevents swelling. Using pillows between your legs and under your belly will help you get comfortable.
Set limits. If you can, control the stress in your life and set limits. Don’t be afraid to say “no” to requests for your time and energy. Ask for help from others.
Make sure health problems are treated and kept under control. If you have diabetes, control your blood sugar levels. If you have high blood pressure, monitor it closely.
Ask your doctor before stopping any medicines you take or taking any new medicines. Prescription, over-the counter, and herbal medicine all can harm your baby.
Get a flu shot. Pregnant women can get very sick from the flu and may need hospital care. Ask your doctor about the flu vaccine.
Always wear a seatbelt. The lap strap should go under your belly, across your hips. The shoulder strap should go between your breasts and to the side of your belly. Make sure it fits snuggly.
Most of us are used to high amount of sodium in our food. Too much Sodium chloride intake increases risk for health problems like high blood pressure, edema and heart conditions. Too much sodium results in overweight! Even though we think we are under control the truth is our sodium intake is still remains high. Reason for this is, more than 75 percent of the sodium we eat comes from restaurant and packaged foods. If we prepare food at home, we know how much salt we have added to our own food. However, when we eat packed and restaurant food it makes it hard to control how much we eat, because it is already added to our food before we buy it.
Some of the recommended tips for controlling sodium intake are below:
Know your sodium limit !
The general guidance for sodium intake are:
Healthy adults and teens age 14 and older need to limit their sodium intake to no more than 2,300 mg a day (about 1 teaspoon of salt).
Some adults, including people with high blood pressure, need to limit their sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day.
Children need no more than 1,500 to 2,200 mg a day of sodium, depending on how old they are.
To eat less sodium, you don’t have to make lots of changes at once. If you cut back on sodium little by little, your taste for salt will change with time.
Check the label.
Use the Nutrition Facts label to check the amount of sodium in foods. Try to choose products with 5% Daily Value (DV) or less. A sodium content of 20% DV or more is high.
Look for foods labeled “low sodium,” “reduced sodium,” or “no salt added.”
Shop for low sodium foods.
Load up on vegetables, fruits, beans, and peas, which are naturally low in sodium. Fresh, frozen, and dried options are all good choices.
When you buy canned foods (like vegetables, beans, or fish), choose ones with labels that say “low sodium,” “reduced sodium,” or “no salt added.”
Compare the sodium in prepared foods like bread, soup, and frozen meals. Choose the ones with less sodium.
Limit processed meats – especially ones that are salted, smoked, or cured, like hot dogs, bacon, and deli meats.
Prepare your meals with less sodium.
If you use canned foods that are not low in sodium, rinse them before eating or cooking with them. This will wash away some of the salt.
Use unsalted margarine or spreads with no Transfats.
Do not add salt to the water when you cook pasta or rice.
Try different herbs and spices to flavor your food, like ginger or garlic.
Take the saltshaker off your table.
Use onions, garlic, herbs, spices, citrus juices and vinegars in place of some or all of the salt to add flavor to foods. Our recipes and tips can help!
Drain and rinse canned beans and vegetables – this can cut the sodium by up to 40 percent.
Combine lower-sodium versions of food with regular versions. If you do not like the taste of lower-sodium foods right now, try combining them in equal parts with a regular version of the same food. You will get less salt and probably will not notice much difference in taste.
Cook pasta, rice, and hot cereal without salt. Add some flavors to your food.
Cook by grilling, braising, roasting, searing, and sautéing to bring out the natural flavors in foods – that will reduce the need to add salt.
Order less salt food at restaurants.
When you order at a restaurant, ask that salt not be added to your food.
Choose low-sodium options when you can – like dishes that are steamed, broiled, or grilled.
Add more potassium to your diet.
Eating foods with potassium can help lower your blood pressure. Good sources of potassium include potatoes, cantaloupe, bananas, beans, milk, and yogurt. Incorporate foods with potassium, like sweet potatoes, potatoes, greens, tomatoes and lower-sodium tomato sauce, white beans, kidney beans, nonfat yogurt, oranges, bananas and cantaloupe. Potassium helps counter the effects of sodium and may help lower your blood pressure.
Choose canned vegetables labeled “no salt added” and frozen vegetables without salty sauces.
When you add these to a casserole, soup, or other mixed dish, there will be so many other ingredients involved that you will not miss the salt.
Control portion sizes.
When you cut calories, you usually cut the sodium too.
Similar to cultivating other good hobbies, make it a habit to eat less salt. It may taste bland initially, but you will get used to it. Once you start reducing sodium you will notice the change in your body for better.
