In the New Year, all of us make various resolutions such as more exercise, healthier eating, losing weight, quitting bad habits, etc. Making these resolutions is very easy but fulfilling them is very difficult. If eating healthy is one of your New Year’s resolutions rather than to diet, then you must eat the foods that are full of nutrients. To figure out healthy foods is also a challenge as there are varieties of foods available. Here is provided a list of incredibly healthy foods that you must include in your diet in 2012 to improve your overall health.

Must-Have Foods to Include in Your Diet in 2012

1. Black Garlic

Black garlic is used as an ingredient in Asian cooking. It is made by fermenting whole bulbs of garlic at high temperature for around 1 month. Compared to regular garlic, black garlic is sweeter and less pungent. As black garlic goes through fermentation process it has two times more antioxidant properties. It also has a natural compound, S-Allcysteine that helps to prevent cancer. Black garlic has papery skin and almost jelly-like texture. Garlic (white or black) is one of the best foods that you must add in your diet this year and get great benefits of it. It is available online or at selected retail stores in U.S., Australia, UK and Japan. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever experienced abdominal discomfort, bloating, uncomfortable fullness, heartburn, and/or nausea anytime? All these are symptoms of the upset stomach that characterizes indigestion. Generally, it takes place as the result of eating too much, eating high-fat foods, eating too fast, eating during stressful situations or eating foods that don’t agree with your stomach. Most of people feel this vague feeling of discomfort in the abdomen or upper belly during or right after consumption of foods. Indigestion, also called dyspepsia, can be bothersome and embarrassing. It can be occurred to people of all ages. If you are experiencing indigestion frequently, observe what you have consumed. Many foods are responsible for this condition and some foods even make it worse, so beware of such foods is the only solution to eliminate the symptoms of indigestion.

Indigestion, gastric problems and bloating go hand in hand. Sometimes, it may take place due to the excessive production of acid in the stomach, which leak in the esophagus. So, the problem of indigestion is also referred as acid reflux or heartburn. Sipping of excessive air while eating also raises the symptoms of bloating and belching which are frequently related to indigestion. Unhealthy food and improper diet can lead to indigestion very easily. An individual’s risk is raised with too much alcohol consumption, using drugs that have irritating effect on the abdomen, emotional problems such as depression or anxiety, and other functional disorders such as Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Want to know – which foods and food combinations can lead to indigestion? Read on……. Read the rest of this entry »

All the seasons bring a new and generous crop of food. Dates fruit or simply dates are one of the winter special foods which are very popular all through the world because of its high nutritional value. In spite of their small size, they are considered as power pack of nutrients. Dates are one of the most ancient and sweetest fruits. This sweet and nutritious fruit contains 60% to 70% natural sugar which is absorbed and digested without any trouble. Dates are fruit of date palm trees and come in many varieties such as Amir Hajj, Medjool, Khadrawy, Saidy, etc. Dates are tasty, healthy and full of nutrition.

Dates are wrinkled dark reddish brown oval fruit which is coated with a sticky and waxy layer. Generally they are consumed (fresh or dried) as a snack or included in puddings, meals, yogurt, cakes and milk. They are rich in natural fibers & iron as well as low in calories, fat & sodium. They do not contain cholesterol. 1 date is equal to a balanced and healthy diet. As a part of well-balanced and healthy diet, you should take minimum one date. As per researchers, dates help to cure some abdominal ailments including abdominal cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

Winter……means falling of the temperature + shortening of the days. These are the indications of seasonal changes and our skin as well our psyche may both revolt against these changes. These seasonal changes are normal, and even with these changes, you can maintain your skin glowing and in healthful state by nurturing and pampering it. There are lots of products available in the market, which are intended to nourish the skin from the outside, and also there are several homemade remedies which can be used for this purpose. However, besides this outside skincare regimen, nourishing our skin from inside is evenly important. I think you might heard the old adages ‘Beauty is on the inside‘and ‘You are what you eat‘. These both adages are absolutely true when it comes to our skin care regimen. Healthy diet not only helps to maintain skin in enviable complexion & superior form, but also there are many foods which can truly battle specific skin problems. Conventional beauty products includes some of the ingredients that have skin repairing and anti-aging properties like vitamin A, C & E, essential fatty acids or collagen. All these micro-nutrients can be absorbed from our diet very easily and sometimes cheaply. If you want to get all the skin benefits which can be provided by a diversified diet, then check out some healthy foods provided below & ensure to include some of them in your diet regimen.

Read the rest of this entry »

What is the key step for controlling and prevention of Diabetes? Can anyone guess? Of course, it’s right eating. The influence of diabetes is different on different people, depending on their extent of diabetic obstacles. However, the types of foodstuff to consume and to avoid are identical for all. Luckily, you can manage pre-existing diabetic complications and you can also try to reduce the risk of diabetes, just by healthy & appropriate eating. But don’t worry; the nutritional needs for diabetic patients are not much complicated. There are many foodstuffs which can be beneficial for the patients, if they involve them in their daily life. Take a look on some beneficial foods given below and try to include them in your routine life.

Healthy Food for Diabetic patients

Bitter gourds

Bitter gourds are considered as the best for the diabetic patients from ancient times. Consumption of bitter gourds can decrease the sugar level of blood. Patient will get surprising benefits, if he/she will take the juice of bitter gourds at every morning.

Lemon

Patients of diabetes feel thirst more frequently. If they drink the lemon water every time when they get thirsted, then they can calm the thirst. Read the rest of this entry »

A Holiday party means a great time to enjoy variety of foods!!! Whether it’s party or special occasion, or a weekend of celebrating the holidays, many people feel – Ugh! I ate too much. Now what I do? There are so many choices available at party, which may end up in overeating. For the most of health and diet-conscious people, even a little bit more or a small bite of food can add up quickly. Loading extra calories forces our body into overdrive because it endeavors to undo the damage done by the free radicals. These free radicals are generated more due to the metabolism of foods, especially fatty and carbohydrate-rich foods. Free radicals can promote the development of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. If you overindulge foods such as a big helping of cheesecake or a couple of additional scoops of ice cream, don’t punish yourself. After overeating, just eat these foods as they help you rebound from the damage of a rich serving of food.

5 Foods to Eat After Overeating

1, Orange juice

Fresh oranges are the great source of flavonoids. Orange juice also contains flavonoids in good amount. Flavonoids are the antioxidant-like compounds which may counterbalance the heart-damaging effects of a fat-laden and caloric meal. In a study, it was found that people who sipped orange juice with a high-fat or high-calorie breakfast had reduced levels of harmful free radicals and other inflammatory indicators related with heart disease after the meal. However, people who drank sugar water or plain water and ate the same breakfast had superior levels of harmful free radicals. Read the rest of this entry »

Holidays are right around the corner and that means, PARTY TIME!! Holiday parties include four F’s: Fun, Family, Friends, and F F F F………Food. During holidays, most of the people overeat, which can pose a great risk to health. At holiday time, Americans gain about a pound averagely, which may not sound a lot but generally people don’t lose this pound. After long term, they put on lots of pound. As well during family holidays, healthy eating can get lost as well as it is hard to keep away from overeating while hosting get-togethers, attending parties, or having a festive dinner. Eating healthy at parties and making good food choices is more about skill-power rather than about willpower! While you go to parties, there are always food choices to be done. Just prepare yourself with the right tips previous to you go to a holiday party, which will help you to stay healthy as well as to enjoy the food festivities.

Image Source: realmomslovetoeat.com

1, Party At Home Before You Go Out

Never go to any kind of party with an empty stomach! So many food and drink options are available at the holiday buffet hence you will end up consuming far more than you actually require. Before going to party, enjoy mouthful of nuts, plain yogurt with fruit, a few whole grain crackers or string cheese as they will help you to satisfy. That means, when you arrive at party you are not starving. This type of snack will increase your metabolism and give you feeling full longer. Read the rest of this entry »

Include some foods in diet and stay slim!! Nowadays, majority of the people would like to remain slim for a variety of reasons. Some people want to be slim for looking young while some prefer slim figure to decrease the risk of diseases that arise due to overweight; for example high blood pressure and heart disease. Consuming big portion of healthier food rather than small amount of poor quality food is the key to keep control on weight. If you are looking for foods that will help you to control weight, then you will certainly need to do some research. Very few varieties of foods are available which can help you to keep control on weight.

To lose weight, you should choose thermogenic foods as they require more calories to digest. By this way, your body will not have more layers of deposited fat and you will remain healthy and fit.

Some foods satisfy our hunger even in small quantity as well as they stimulate the thermogenesis, a process in which most of the calories are burned during the digestion process. So, more layers of fat are not deposited on the bones and body remains clean limbed. In other words, such kind of foods help to stay fit naturally. Know which foods are helpful to control weight, and make healthier choices each day. Read the rest of this entry »

Brain is an important part of human body, which contains lots of chemicals and all of these should be balanced as they have a great deal to do with energy levels, mood and cravings. However, sometimes it can be very difficult for human to maintain this balance. Brain chemicals, also called neurotransmitters, allow the cells of body to be in touch with each other and facilitate emotions, sensory stimulation, body regulation and other cognitive functioning. Dopamine is one of these neurotransmitters, which plays a major role in mental health and medical conditions though it is produced by only 0.3% of the brain’s neurons. Certain foods like bananas, apples and high-protein foods such as meat and cottage cheese can naturally promote the levels of dopamine.

Low dopamine levels can lead to depression, loss of satisfaction, food cravings, as well as poor attention and focus. In the brain, dopamine is produced from the essential amino acid, phenylalanine and nonessential amino acid, tyrosine. Though our bodies can create it ordinarily, sometimes the deficiency in the production of them can take place. So, it becomes necessary to increase the dietary supplement of tyrosine and phenylalanine. Many foods contain tyrosine and phenylalanine in good amount. Such foods help to increase the dopamine level naturally in the brain. Read the rest of this entry »

Garcinia Indica is the scientific name of Kokum which is an ornate fruit of India. Kokum fruit trees are native to the India’s Western Ghats region and they are widely used as spice in culinary and as medicine in pharmaceuticals. The dried rind of Kokum fruit is used as a medicinal and culinary agent. The different parts of the kokum tree such as the bark, rind, pulp, juice, root and seeds have numerous health benefits and are utilized in many Ayurvedic preparations. Kokum is a purple berry which has been long used in Ayurveda to prevent infection, treat sores, cure ear infections, heal stomach ulcers, improve digestion, lessen arthritis pain and alleviate diarrhea & constipation.

Kokum is a rich source of powerful anti-oxidant vitamin C in the form of citric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, ascorbic acid, hydro citric acid and hydroxycitric acid. Garcinol is the major active ingredient of Kokum and it has antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. It does not contain cholesterol or saturated fats. It is low in calories and rich in dietary fibres. Fresh Kokum fruit highly contains B-complex vitamins such as niacin, folates and thiamin which are co-factors of many biochemical reactions. It is a very rich source of minerals like potassium, magnesium and manganese. Potassium helps to control blood pressure & heart rate and thus, it gives protection against coronary heart diseases and stroke. It also contains carbohydrates in sufficient amounts. The seed of kokum contains 23-30% oil and it is used in preparation of medicines, cosmetics and confectionery. Read the rest of this entry »