Food Tips

Why brown rice is healthier than white

Brown rice doesn't taste as good but is nutritionally superior to white rice

There has been constant debate over white rice versus brown rice for decades. Although white rice seems to be a favourable choice for the majority of people for its appetising taste and appearance, brown rice wins hands-down when it comes to health benefits.

Says holistic health guru , "Brown rice is healthier since the refining process only removes the hull of the rice kernel, leaving its nutrition intact. On the other hand, the milling and polishing used to make rice white, strips off its essential nutrients and vitamins."

Technically speaking...
A cup of brown unpolished rice contains 88 per cent of manganese, 27.3 per cent of selenium, 20.9 per cent of magnesium, 18.7 per cent of tryptophan and only 12 per cent calories. The conversion of rice from brown to white destroys about 60 per cent of iron, 80 per cent of vitamin B1, 67 per cent of vitamin B3, 90 per cent of vitamin B6, 60 per cent of iron and almost half the phosphorous, manganese and dietary fibre naturally present in the rice.

Nutritious and wholesome
Packed with natural oils, brown rice is extremely heart-friendly. Due to its fibrous concentration, brown rice facilitates healthy bowel movement and promotes weight-loss.

A cup of brown rice fulfils about 80 per cent of the daily requirement of manganese in the body. Manganese helps in the formation of healthy cholesterol. Brown rice improves metabolism and keeps you feeling fuller for a long time.

Replacing white rice with brown rice in your diet can help reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. "Like wheat, brown rice is also a type of whole-grain. Organically grown wild brown rice is the best as it is packed with all the essential nutrients and vitamins."

Health Tip

Top 8 home remedies to reduce belly fat

Belly fat is a return gift that our haphazard lifestyle and wrong eating habits give us. Belly fat has always been a major concern area.

It not only destroys your image but also increases your risk to many health ailments. Try these Ayurveda tips to lose the fat deposits around your belly.

Start your day with lemon juice This is one of the best therapies to eliminate belly fat. Pinch some yellow juice into a glass of warm water and add some salt to it. Continue drinking this every morning to boost your metabolism and to get rid of that paunch.

Stay off from white rice Replace white rice with various wheat products. Include brown rice, brown bread, wholegrains, oats and quinoa in your diet.

Avoid sugary substances Stay away from sweets, sweetened drinks and foods rich in oil. Consuming these foods can increase body fat around various areas of your body like abdomen and thighs.

Drink plenty of water If you want to get rid of your belly, then drink sufficient amount of water every day. Drinking water, after regular intervals will help to boost your metabolism and remove toxins from your body.

Eat raw garlic Chew two to three cloves of garlic every morning, and drink a glass of lemon water after that. This treatment will double up your weight loss process and make your blood circulation smooth in your body.

Avoid non-veg food To eliminate belly fat, it is recommended that one should avoid non-vegetarian food as far as possible.

Load up on fruits and vegetables Eat a bowl of fruits daily in the morning and evening. This will fill you up with many antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.

Spice up your cooking Use spices like cinnamon, ginger and black pepper in your cooking. These spices are loaded with health benefits. They help to improve your insulin resistance and reduce levels of sugar in your blood.

Food Tips

8 superfoods that cut belly fat

Battling stubborn belly fat? Try the following superfoods to Cut belly fat and inflammation.

Green tea: This mild beverage is great for helping shrink your waistline as well as for decreasing inflammation. The flavonoids in this tea have natural anti-inflammatory properties. And the compound EGCG in green tea has been shown to help reduce body fat.

Foods rich in Omega-3: Research has shown that a diet with a high percentage of omega-3 fatty acids and a low percentage of omega-6 fatty acids has been linked with decreased inflammation. Food sources of omega3s include walnuts, flaxseed, and fish, such as wild Alaskan salmon.

Garlic: Consume garlic as a natural antibiotic and blood sugar regulator. By controlling blood sugar and insulin level, your body can maximize fat burning for energy, resulting in reduced belly fat. Garlic is also a thermogenic that boosts metabolism.

Mint: Add one tablespoon honey, a pinch of pepper, and some crushed mint leaves to a cup of hot water. Let it to steep for five minutes. Strain and drink the liquid to get a flat tummy. Mint soothes the abdomen while honey and pepper dissolve the fat and boost metabolism.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon works as a great fat burner. Take ½ tablespoon of cinnamon powder and steep it in water for five minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of honey after straining the cinnamon water. Drink this before breakfast and before going to bed.

Watermelon: Watermelon contains 82 per cent water, which helps your stomach not to crave for food. Watermelon is rich in vitamin C, which is beneficial for health. It is one of the healthiest foods to have if you are planning to go on a healthy diet. It is also a good mid-day snack.

Apple: Eating apple regularly can help in fighting many diseases and it can also help in reducing the fat from your belly. Apple helps your stomach to feel full because it contains potassium and many vitamins. So, eat an apple in breakfast to get the desired tummy size.

Bananas: Like apples, bananas are also rich in potassium and contain multivitamins. They are filling and help you to resist the cravings for fast food. Moreover, banana boosts the metabolic rate, thereby melting the belly fat.

Food Tips

CLEAN YOUR KIDNEYS

Years pass by and our kidneys are filtering the blood by removing salt, poison and any unwanted entering our body. With time, the salt accumulates and this needs to undergo cleaning treatments and how are we going to overcome this?

It is very easy, first take a bunch of parsley or Cilantro ( Coriander Leaves ) and wash it clean
Then cut it in small pieces and put it in a pot and pour clean water and boil it for ten minutes and let it cool down and then filter it and pour in a clean bottle and keep it inside refrigerator to cool.

Drink one glass daily and you will notice all salt and other accumulated poison coming out of your kidney by urination also you will be able to notice the difference which you never felt before.

Parsley (Cilantro) is known as best cleaning treatment for kidneys and it is natural!

Food Tips

Make blueberries a part of your daily diet

Health benefits of the fruit
Firm, little blueberries are packed with anti-oxidants, which strengthen the immune system. They are also low in fat and provide almost 25% of the daily requirement of vitamin C. They also have folate and niacin. A study suggests blueberries reduces the risk of heart disease and can ward off urinary tract infections. They also slow down the loss of vision. Research confirms that blueberries not just slow the ageing process but can also reverse it. For a refreshing face glow, try a strawberry-blueberry mask, made by blending the two fruits. Leave it on for 20 minutes and wash off with warm water.

5 delicious ways to add them to your dessert
- Use them in a sauce over your ice cream or pie.
- Stew them with sugar and top them with cream and shortcake.
- Add them to fruit compote with cream and chopped nuts.
- Warm blueberry muffins or cupcakes can also make for be an ideal tea-time treat.
- Make blueberry ice pops with honey for a natural fruit fix. And, if you're serving guests a cheese platter, serve the French brie cheese with blueberries and strawberries.

Food Tips

6 breakfast cereals healthier than others

Did you know that even a bowlful of 'healthy' breakfast cereals could add to your calorie count?

Doctors, for sometime now, have debated on the permissible level of sugar in breakfast cereals, especially of the coloured and sugar-frosted varieties. While it is advisable to check the nutrition value of the breakfast cereal before buying it, one should also consciously make healthier lifestyle choices by having all cereals with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, and avoiding to add extra sugar among others, but if you still like a bit of sweetness in your breakfast substitute white sugar with fruits (even dry fruits) like banana, dates, raisins, or any citrus fruit. A wholesome breakfast it would make for, while staving off your urge for midday snacking. Even those maintaining a workout routine can derive maximum benefit from this habit, as it also helps them get past their weight loss plateau.

Wellness expert helps us list breakfast cereals that are healthier than the rest. 

Porridge

Porridge is the most healthy breakfast idea. It is rich in minerals and has high fibre content that keeps blood sugar under control. Use a little jaggery if you wish to sweeten it, otherwise you can top it with fresh fruits or sprinkle some raisins and almonds.

Cornflakes

Abundant in carbohydrates, iron and Vitamin B complex, cornflakes work very well for school kids and elders too. It is a particularly good breakfast in the rainy months because the body starts holding water owing to high moisture in the air.

Wheat flakes

It is a modification of wheat porridge and is a nice change from run-of-the-mill breakfast cereals. But unless fortified with extra calcium, it is not much use having just wheat flakes for breakfast.

Oatmeal

A bowl of oats in the morning is great for those suffering high cholesterol and diabetes, provided you don't add extra sugar to it. The high fibre content in oats balances the blood sugar, and relieves people prone to depression.

Muesli

Muesli is a great breakfast choice as it has raisins, almonds and four different grains. The comparatively high sugar content in muesli keeps growing children and those into sports, energetic. It can be served with both milk and yoghurt. You can creatively garnish the muesli and serve it up as a quick evening snack to kids.

Poha/rice crispies

The poha version of rice crispies is popular in Indian households, and makes for a light and healthy breakfast. But make sure your poha is only lightly sauteed.

Aside from the usual cornflakes and oats, there is a whole assortment of chocolate, honey and fruit-flavoured breakfast cereals that find takers among young kids. Just how good or bad an idea is it?

Although it is best to go for natural cereals, it is alright to break free from the mundane breakfast chart once in a while. The purpose is to serve up a good mix that is both appealing to the taste buds and has nutritional value.

Next time you are at the departmental store picking breakfast cereals, don't get carried away by the glossy packaging.

Food Tips

Should you have 6 meals or 3 meals a day?

Healthy eating and healthy living revolves around having sufficient food.

But how many meals should you have per day? Healthy eating is a key component of weight loss and muscle building for those who want to maintain a healthy weight. Our strength and conditioning expert, lays out the benefits of three meals versus six meals. He also tells you when you should have three meals and six meals for optimal health benefits.

As per popular belief "going more than three hours without eating anything would lead to a drop in energy levels, loss of lean muscle tissue, increased fat storing, etc,". Hence it was always important to eat every three hours. So, three good meals in a day is a good option since fasting experts reveal that six meals is responsible for body fat and poor hormones.

"One of the major claims for three meals a day being better for fat loss is that it helps to keep insulin and blood sugar levels low and thus bodyfat is lower. In my personal opinion, however, this is where most people make a major mistake. They do not take the total caloric intake into calculation," .

The benefits of eating 3 meals a day:

• Easy to follow in the long term - All offices, schools and colleges give people time to have breakfast, lunch and dinner — meals that you can eat at home. There are also those who do not feel like eating first thing in the morning, and generally do not feel like eating till lunch. If this is the case, then do keep in mind that breakfast does not have be eaten immediately upon waking up. You can eat your breakfast even a couple of hours after waking up. So no need to miss breakfast altogether.
• Allows you to eat bigger meals - This is where six meals a day becomes a problem for those who love to eat big and are trying to lose weight. Six small meals never make one mentally feel like they have eaten a meal, they always feel that they are snacking, and thus mentally are always craving for a meal.
• Teaches you to control hunger better - In most cases, eating six times a day tends to make one eat more, since they tend to mentally crave food every 2-3 hours whether they are actually hungry or not. So when they decide to eat only three times a day, they slowly start to control their hunger better as they now go longer without food and develop better mental control.

The benefits of eating 6 meals a day:

• Ideal for eating a lot of calories - If you need to eat a lot of calories to gain weight or because you are an athlete who burns a lot of calories, then frequent meals is ideal for you.
• Great to follow when trying to consume high amounts of protein - Our bodies were not designed to be able to digest 70-80 gms or more of protein in one meal easily. It's always best for most people to keep protein to about 15-40 gms at each serving, and maybe a bit more for really big guys who exercise a lot. Great to follow when trying to consume large amounts of carbs.
• Helps avoid drops in energy/sugar levels - Some people truly cannot go on for more than 3-4 hours without eating anything and still be able to perform well. For these people, smaller frequent servings work well and help to keep their energy/sugar levels stable.

It has been chalked out and elaborated the importance of three meals and six meals; it is up to you to decide what are your needs and which meal will supplement it.