We have for ages seen our parents and our grandparents reach out for a piece of jaggery at the end of every meal. Jaggery is healthier compared to refined sugar because of its deposition of phytochemicals and other important minerals. While many people do not choose jaggery because of its no-so-good-appearance, it is perhaps more sensible to consume it considering the host of health benefits it offers.

Here is a list of benefits that can be extracted from the consumption of jaggery.

Skin benefits: Jaggery nourishes the skin in the true sense of the word. Owing to the numerous amount of mineral and vitamin, it can eliminate common skin problems such as pimples and acne. It can negate dark spots, wrinkles delay the common signs of aging.
Digestive benefits: Jaggery plays a huge role in ensuring smooth digestion. It stimulates secretion of digestive enzyme. It, therefore, makes it easy for the body to quicken the process of digestion. It can also help to stabilize the bowl movement by keeping common digestion related disorders such as constipation, intestinal worms, indigestion at bay.
Blood: Jaggery does a great job in purifying the blood. It acts as a cleansing agent by filtering the blood from the toxic agents. It also keeps the hemoglobin count normal and help the body refrain from blood-related disorders such as anemia. Since the quantity of iron content in jaggery is plentiful, it successfully helps the body to stay healthy and negate deadly diseases. Furthermore, jaggery can help women to stay away from complicated menstrual related disorders, beat weakness and fatigue.
Weight loss: Jaggery s rich potassium content helps the body balance the electrolyte, build muscles and improve the metabolism of the body. Potassium also helps in managing water retention in the body. Both the factors coupled together helps in weight loss and beat fatigue, obese etc.
Blood pressure: The sodium and potassium content of jaggery helps the body maintain an effective adequate acidic level. This ensures that the blood pressure remains in the balance and the body refrains from undue blood pressure related disorders.
Antioxidants: Jaggery contains selenium, the latter is a rich source of antioxidants which can help the body to fight the free radicals and keep it at bay. The antioxidants also help the body to stay away from other ailments.
Respiratory health: Jaggery is a great source of food that can effectively fight various respiratory problems of the body. It can fight diseases such as bronchitis and asthma.
Body temperature: Jaggery helps to keep a normal body temperature. This is extremely beneficial for patients suffering from asthma since maintaining a steady body temperature is sacrosanct for patients suffering from this disease.

Jaggery (Gur) - 8 Amazing Reasons Why You Must Eat It!

Caffeine is said to be good for the body if it is consumed in limited quantity. It is also to be kept in mind that the form in which it is consumed is also important, and green tea is said to be very good. But what about having green tea very soon after a meal is finished?

There are a lot of health benefits of green tea and as a drink, it has a reputation for being a wonder drink, and quite rightly so, it is to be kept in mind that having the right time to drink green tea is a must. You must avoid consuming just after the meal as there are chemicals, which exist in green tea which are known as phenols. What happens with these phenols if the green tea is taken not long after a meal, is that they can interfere with the absorption of the iron present in the food.

In addition to not drinking green tea at mealtime, or post mealtime, it is perhaps also a good idea to stay away from drinking it when milk and items which are made from milk such as cheese are being consumed. There is a reason why this is the case is that the proteins which exist in milk do not let green tea have its normal effect on the metabolism of the person i.e. raising the metabolism and making the challenge of losing weight a bit easier.

If it is still the case that drinking green tea with or after a meal is a habit, which has no chance at all of being shaken off, then what can be done is that the meals should be changed to an extent to contain a greater amount of iron-rich food. This will go some way in counteracting the effect the phenols have. Apart from just iron-rich food, food that is rich in vitamin C is also to be consumed.

However, that being said, people who are anyway deficient in iron are better off steering clear of green tea consumed after a meal. Instead, what they can do if have it between meals and also at the start of a day. What this will accomplish is that all the benefits of the green tea can be imbibed by the body and none of the nutrition value of the food is lost either. Furthermore, green tea drunk between meals can also reduce the appetite and help weight loss. What could be better? If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a doctor.

Related Content: Auric mind rejuvenation drink, the magical beverage that calm and energises the mind.

There are a lot of health benefits of green tea and as a drink, it has a reputation for being a wonder drink, and quite rightly so, it is to be kept in mind that having the right time to take green tea is a must. You must avoid consuming just after the meal as there are chemicals, which exist in green tea which are known as phenols. What happens with these phenols if the green tea is taken not long after a meal, is that they can interfere with the absorption of the iron present in the food.

Green Tea - How Having it Right after Your Meal Affects You?

Mistakes that sabotage a good diet

Eating healthy, eating clean can sometimes be very confusing. With more and more new information coming up every day, one cannot comprehend what is healthy and what not. However, if you understand a few mistakes that can literally sabotage your good diet, you can surely be assured of eating healthy and clean.

1. You can be wrong with juices

Everyone thinks a glass of orange juice or any other fruit juice can do wonders for your health. But the truth is that you will be better off eating the whole fruit rather than the juice.

Why? for the simple reason, that juices lack the fiber content found in fruits. The fibers slow down the digestion of sugar in the fruit whereas their absence in the juice causes the blood sugar to spike and results in insulin resistance.

Besides, packaged juices contain hardly any real fruit, all flavoring and concentrate apart from added sugar, a big wrong in eating clean.

2. Drinking your protein? na! that can be wrong too!

People like bodybuilders, gym goers drink a lot of protein shakes to get their proteins supplemented. However, protein shakes are ok for those who are on the go or for replacing meals sometimes but they cannot be altogether substituted for protein intake.

Your protein must come from your food. Meat, fish, pulses, eggs and dairy cannot be replaced by shakes since you will definitely miss out the nutritional value that whole foods provide.

Besides, protein shakes may have a lot of artificial constituents and refined sugar that can be really bad for you.

3. Can't understand food labels properly? a great mistake!

With more and more people working, many on the move, packaged food cannot be altogether avoided. However, one must make sure to read and understand the food labels.

The food labels reveal what is inside the package. Anything that has the label - organic, raw or gluten-free is not surely healthy. One must know about ingredients especially things like msg, aspartame (artificial sweeteners) etc. That can be really unhealthy.

4. Sugar may be hidden somewhere

Calorie-conscious? avoiding sweets?

Well, even though you are very careful about selecting what you eat and avoid anything that tastes sweet, some sugar may still be hiding in your food increasing your calorie intake, without you knowing about it. Foods like tomato ketchup, pasta sauce, low-fat biscuits/crackers or low-fat dairy products, sandwich bread may all be hiding sugar almost equivalent to that present in a piece of cake. You must learn about hidden sugars and its alternatives to truly understand what you are eating.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.


85% Indians are Making These DIET Mistakes

High blood sugar occurs when the insulin in the body fails to metabolize the sugar from the food, which raises the amount of glucose in your blood. It is a metabolic disorder which can be managed effectively with the help of lifestyle modifications such as exercise and food. This article is going to focus on the foods that you can eat to lower your blood sugar levels.

Here are 9 foods that you can use to reduce blood sugar levels:

Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a herb which is very effective in getting your blood sugar down to manageable levels. You can simply sprinkle cinnamon on your food before eating it.

Fenugreek (methi): Fenugreek is a common spice which is used in almost all Indian cuisines. It has a number of health benefits, one of which is reducing blood sugar levels. Soaking fenugreek in water and then drinking it the next day is a very effective remedy in combating sugar problems.

Garlic: Not just for sending away the vampires!, it is also very effective in blood sugar control. Extracts of garlic have been shown to increase insulin in the body which is required to metabolize the sugar in the body.

Heart Healthy Fats: Heart healthy fat based foods such as nuts and seeds are good for increasing the good cholesterol levels (HDL) in the body. Avocadoes contain nutrients which lower the risks of various diseases such as diabetes. In a nutshell, these fats make the cells of the body less resistant to insulin.

Blueberries: Blueberries contain anthocyanin (water soluble pigments) which is very good for your health. They also contain fiber in large amounts which make you feel fuller faster. This fruit has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity in the body.

Vinegar: Vinegar is an age old remedy to control blood sugar levels; it contains acetic acid which causes a reduction in certain harmful enzymes in the stomach. Vinegar is also known to prevent blood sugar spikes when consumed with food.

Complex Carbohydrates: Complex carbohydrates raise your blood sugar but not like its cousin, simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates cause an immediate spike in your blood sugar levels where as complex carbs provide a steady stream of energy. So drop that packet of refined flour and get that whole wheat variant.

Cherries: Cherries, especially tart cherries and dark sweet cherries, are full of anthrocyanins. Insulin resistance prevents insulin from working properly to control blood sugar in normal ranges. Eating a diet high in anthrocyanins can mean improved use of insulin and lower blood sugars.

Nuts: People who eat nuts regularly have lower rates of heart disease than people who don't eat them. Even among the healthiest eaters, the ones who also eat nuts boast the best health record.

9 Foods That Can Reduce Your Blood Sugar Level

Chicken VS Egg- Which has more protein?

Protein comes in ample amount from foods such as meat, eggs, legumes, dairy products, soy, and fish. It serves as the building blocks for the body's cells, muscles, skin, tissue, and organs.
Although, both chicken and egg are infused with high amounts of protein, they do vary on the grounds of the actual protein content per serving.  So which is a better source of protein?

Nutritional facts of 100g chicken 

Protein:  27g
Fats: 4g
Calories: 153
Sodium:  51mg
Cholesterol: 75mg

Nutritional facts of 100g eggs

Protein: 13g
Fats: 11g
Calories: 155
Sodium: 124mg
Cholesterol: 373mg

Both chicken and eggs are a low calorie and high protein option.  However, chicken contains double the amount of protein than eggs per serving, emerging as a clear winner. Not only that, chicken also contains less cholesterol in comparison to eggs, making it a much healthier food choice.

Nevertheless, eggs possess a number of other health benefits, and should not be ruled out of your daily diet. 

1. Eggs contain riboflavin or Vitamin B2 in abundance, which helps in improving your metabolism
2.  Egg whites are a rich source of  Vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron, and copper, all of which are essential for the proper functioning of your body
Even though both chicken and eggs are almost equally healthy, the key to proper health is to eat all you want but in a moderate manner.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

Chicken VS Egg- Which has more protein?

Do you know not all foods can be consumed on an empty stomach? So, it is imperative that you should be aware of such foods and restructure your breakfast menu accordingly. Here is a list of foods to avoid on an empty stomach. 

Stay away from the following foods when you eat after a considerable gap

Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits contain fruit acids. When these acids enter an empty stomach, they can lead to heartburn. Hence, if eaten after a prolonged period post meal, a person is at risk of gastritis and stomach ulcers.
Soda: Consuming cold soda drinks on an empty stomach may cause damage to the mucosal membrane while reducing blood flow to the stomach. This may lead to a slow digestive process and difficulty in the abdomen.
Spicy foods: Spicy foods are known to cause irritation and damage to the digestive tract, and are especially not recommended for people who suffer from acid reflux issues since very spicy food leads to consequences such as acid reflux in the food pipe.
Cucumber and other green vegetables: Green vegetables and cucumber are rich in amino acids. If consumed on an empty stomach it may very well lead to pain and bitterness in the upper abdomen.
Tomato: Tomato is a fruit containing high levels of tannin. Tannin causes acidity in an empty stomach and leads to consequences and appearance of gastritis if frequently consumed in such a manner.
Fermented milk products: Fermented milk products such as yogurt typically come with loads of health benefits being full of probiotics. But if consumed on an empty stomach it can interfere with the balance of healthy bacteria as the hydrochloric acid produced tends to be destructive.
Sweets: Items such as candy or sweetmeats contain high levels of sugar and cause a sudden and sharp surge of insulin levels in the blood. Over a long period, this has a bad effect on the pancreas.
Products containing yeast: Edible items such as biscuits, puff pastry, vinegar and beverages such as beer and wine contain yeast which can significantly irritate the stomach and cause bloating.
So, be a little conscious and avoid consuming these items on an empty stomach since a little effort goes a long way. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Empty Stomach - 8 Food Types That You Must Avoid!

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