Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category

Almonds are known for their rich taste and the special factor that they add to the dish makes them a favorite in every kitchen. Almonds hail from the family of dry fruits and you will often find gift packets packed with almonds, cashews and raisins not only because they taste awesome but also because they have many nutritional health benefits.

Here are some of the nutritional benefits of almonds:

• Almonds are high source of energy. A handful of almonds when eaten will release an energy rocket in your body and keep your tiredness away.
• Almonds are great for those suffering from weakness and under-nutrition as they pack in high levels of calories that most young people require to keep them going throughout the day.
• Almonds are also great source of vitamin E and it is because of this reason that almond oil is so popular in the market.

Cauliflower, a blooming vegetable when eaten commingled with carrots and broccoli sort of vegetables provides phyto chemicals that are paramount for the body to retain the healthy status.Cauliflower belongs to the white’ family of fruits and vegetables falling in the same category as with bananas mushrooms etc natural foods.

Cauliflower has allicin which boosts the health of heart and cuts down the risk of strokes. It also carries selenium which works in coordination with Vitamin C to fortify the immune system. Cauliflower assists in maintaining a safe cholesterol level in the body.

Cell growth and replication finds a boost from Folate, a Vitamin B variant found in cauliflower. Pregnant mothers should consume significant quantity of cauliflower to promote healthy development of the fetus.

Cauliflower provides fiber which improves colon health and may avert cancer. Like various cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower also has indole-3-carbinol, a chemical that significantly affects estrogen metabolism and stops breast and other cancers from occurring in females.

Cauliflower is a nutritious and versatile vegetable that can be used raw or cooked, alone or with other vegetables. It is an annual plant which is cultivated from seeds and matures to be eaten only once in a year. Though, this vegetable is overlooked at times yet it contains nutrients like indole-3-carbinol, or 13C, and the photonutrient sulforaphane which lowered the chances of breast tumors in lab animals by 40% in a research done at John Hopkins University in Baltimore.
It is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, folate, phosphorus, protein, magnesium and other essential vitamins which strengthens our immunity system. High fiber content makes this cruciferous vegetable a great choice for digestive system support and also for anti cancer ailments.

Forseeing the benefits of cauliflower, this should be included in at least 2-3 meals in a week since it is available throughout the year and can be cooked in number of ways.

Pears are the member of Rose family and are closely related to apples & quines. Though, they are available in the market from August to October yet wide variety is available throughout the year with skin color varying from yellow, green, brown, red or may be blend of two or more of these colors.Our food ranking system also terms pears as an adequate source of antioxidant nutrients like Vitamin C and copper which helps to protect cells in our body.

They are also rich source of dietary fiber and are recommended by doctors as a safe fruit for infants. Even the prospective study on 51,823 postmenopausal women for an average of 8.3 years showed 34% decrease in breast cancer risk for those who consume fruit with fiber.Not only this, they have higher amount of pectin than in apples and thus also help in lowering cholesterol levels and in toning of the intestines.So many benefits in one delicious package with less than 100 calories per piece. Anyway you can slice it, a pear can be a great addition to your diet that can help you to look and feel your best.

Papaya is a wonderful gift from the Mother Nature. It is a food item that is enriched with a variety of nutritious products. This nutritious vegetable and fruit is very beneficial for the all around development of the body and its repairs.

This nutritious food item has both medicinal as well as nutritional value. The sap of Papaya is a very good medicine for any stomach disorder. Many herbal medicines are made with the sap of this fruit. This medicine is used as a natural remedy for many other health disorders.

Papaya has been a rich source of many nutritional products. It contains Vitamins A, C, E and K. Out of all these, the use of Vitamin C is known to everybody. Vitamin E also has a great importance as a great medicine for many other diseases related with skin disorders. As a matter of fact, Papaya is probably the only fruit and vegetable that works in many ways to provide treatment against many diseases.

Lycopene is usually found in tomatoes in high amounts and is a strong antioxidant which proves to be effective and beneficial in treating coronary heart disease and cancerous conditions. Lycopene is compound which is responsible for giving red color to fruits and vegetables. Lycopene is very useful in treating the prostate cancer in male. Studies have shown that men who consume abundant amount of tomatoes or tomato products are at a lower risk of developing prostate cancer than others.

Intake of lycopene rich diet rich will help to reduce the chances of developing prostate cancer in men. Lycopene taken along with cheese on pizza will help the body to absorb more amount of lycopene by intestine. Lycopene is naturally produced from fruits and vegetables and hence it does not have any side effects and it is absolutely safe for consuming by human beings. Prolonged consumption of lycopene in tomatoes and processed tomato products gives orange color to the skin.

Soy is a very rich source of protein. It has multiple benefits which span various aspects of general health as well as illnesses and chronic diseases. Soy beans, soy milk and other soy products are known to be very beneficial.

It lowers triglyceride levels and at the same time it does not interfere with the high density cholesterol levels in the blood. This is why it is very helpful in heart diseases and greatly reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke and other such cardiac problems. Not only this, soy gives you healthy and strong bones which are quite an asset for a healthy body.

It is also known to helpful in menopause as it decreases the symptoms and their intensity. Soy has also shown to be of great significance in cancer, especially prostate cancer. Soy is available in the form of Miso, Soy nuts, Tofu, calcium fortified soy milk, Tempeh and Edamame.

If you are undergoing any kind of physical training, the first thing you must consider is your diet plan. Food can have a greater impact on your training program than you can think. Food is fuel for the body and it needs even more attention when the body is made to undergo rigorous physical activity.

Strength training requires you to fuel up in a very specific way so that your body can perform at its optimum level. The strength training diet 101 is a special diet designed exclusively for people undergoing strength training. It requires you to include milk, yogurt, fruits, fruit juices, low fat cheese and crackers in your everyday diet. Also, you are required to have carbohydrate based granola bars and energy bars.
You are also advised to have half a bagel or bread of whole grain with nut butter. Consume a lot of fluids, and drink water 10 to 20 minutes prior to every work out.

The bodies of athletes differ to a great extent from normal people and so do their nutritional needs. As we have all heard, proteins are the building blocks of the body, this statement applies more so to athletes. They need greater amounts of dietary protein, as much as 1.2 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. The right value from this range depends on the type of athlete. For instance, strength training athletes require more protein than endurance athletes.

This can be explained by the fact that proteins are essential nutrients which are responsible for repair and rebuilding of muscles which have to suffer great strain during physically demanding activities. It is important for athletes to keep a check on their daily nutritional requirements and the corresponding intake. Besides naturally protein rich foods like milk and milk products, pulses and soy, protein supplements are also available.