The humble, easily available banana is not as humble when it comes to its contribution to your health. And once you learn how much good it can do to your body, you will be compelled to add it to your daily diet. This god of a fruit protects you from innumerable diseases, keeps your hair, heart and head well as well as fights chronic diseases - and the list has just begun. 

Here are just 15 reasons for you to have a banana every day-

1) This fruit is high in potassium and low in salt, it is your protective shield against blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

2) Iron rich banana is extremely good for anemic people.

3) The calcium-rich bananas are excellent for your bones and help in increasing bone density.

4) For people who exercise, bananas are an energy booster and sustain your blood sugar as well as protect against muscle cramps post workouts or leg cramps.

5) Bananas help beat depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin: the feel-good brain neurotransmitter.

6) It also enhances your moods and relieves PMS symptoms as well as stress levels in body and mind.

7) Due to high levels of vitamin B-6, bananas produce white blood cells and help in building immunity as well as strengthen nervous systems.

8) Weightloss - If you swap your junk foods with bananas, you might be inching towards losing weight. As an added bonus your energy will be become more steady and consistent.

9) Improve your mood and reduce PMS symptoms by eating a banana, which regulates blood sugar and produces stress-relieving relaxation.

10) Bananas reduce swelling, protect against type II diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells, all due to high levels of vitamin B-6.

11) Extremely caring about your stomach, Banana not only soothes your digestive tract to restore lost electrolytes after diarrhoea, it also helps in relieving constipation due to ts high fibre content.

12) Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body.

13) Fever too? A banana can bring down your body temperature to cool your temperature off.

14) Bananas make you smarter! It makes you very alert. The high levels of potassium help your memory as well. Think about it before an exam.

15) Smoke? High levels of B-vitamins as well as potassium and magnesium in the fruit, help in speedy recovery from the effects of withdrawal.



15 Reasons Why Banana is Healthier Than Apple

There s a lot that nutritionists around the world don t agree on, but most of them advise you to have more vegetables than fruits and more water- based vegetables like bottle gourd in summers.

Let s take a look at why this is so.

Bottle gourd keeps you hydrated and cool in summers: Bottle guard has always been regarded as one of the healthiest vegetables, and for a reason. This versatile vegetable is full of about 92 % water and minerals and is the best that nature can offer to keep your body hydrated and cool. It s a good idea to have bottle gourd or  lauki  as a juice because cooking deactivates the minerals and vitamins found in it. The juice keeps your stomach cool and reduces body heat or  pitta . You can also eat boiled lauki with curd to get its cooling benefits. This vegetable helps replenish the water lost due to sweating during summers and is also a great remedy for any kind of heat-related ailment like nose bleeding, pimples or ulcers according to Ayurveda.
Helps control weight: It helps control weight as Bottle gourd is excellent for you if you are trying to lose weight. The vegetable is packed with fibre which helps in keeping you full for longer, thus reducing food cravings that make you pile on the kilos. It is also a low-calorie vegetable with no fat and thus helps you lose weight too. Bottle gourd is prescribed by Ayurvedic medicine to reduce flab as fibre is the key to weight -loss.
 Storehouse of essential vitamins and minerals: Bottle gourd contains essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C, B, K, A, E, Iron, Folate, Potassium and Manganese. These play a critical role in metabolism and body functions.
Treats urinary tract infections: Freshly made bottle guard juice mixed with lime juice is one of the best natural remedies for treating pesky UTIs.
Cure for stomach problems: Bottle gourd helps in curing constipation and also treats diarrhea. This is due to the fact that the vegetable contains a lot of water and fibre which helps in cleaning your digestive track and allows easy bowel movement. One of the best home remedies for treating diarrhea is to drink bottle gourd juice with a pinch of salt. This helps in maintaining the electrolyte balance of your body, as well.
Bottle gourd helps in controlling diabetes: Bottle gourd juice is also beneficial for diabetic patients as it stabilizes blood sugar levels and maintains optimum blood pressure. The best time to have it is in morning before breakfast to reap this benefit. Also, take care to consume the juice immediately as it oxidizes quite fast.

Bottle Gourd (Lauki) - 6 Amazing Health Benefits You Never Thought Of!

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!

How Acupuncture can help beat Indigestion?

Indigestion or dyspepsia may not be a disease in itself, but it may be symptomatic of digestive tract diseases such as peptic ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), etc. If you are among the individuals who suffer from acute bouts of belching, nausea, heartburns and discomfort after eating, take action before it becomes a nuisance to the quality of your life.

Mostly related to unhealthy dietary habits, clinical statistics show indigestion, especially functional dyspepsia, can be potentially cured by ancient Chinese acupuncture techniques. In the rare cases of research that has happened in this field, acupuncture showed greater effectiveness compared to the use of conventional medicinal drugs such as mosapride.

Causes of Indigestion

Indigestion may result from various factors that cause an imbalance in our body. Acupuncture relies on the ability of the acupuncturist to detect the cause of indigestion and treat it likewise. The major causes of indigestion include -

  An unhealthy diet including excess alcohol, excess caffeine, fatty foods etc.
  Chronic physiological conditions such as GERD.
  Stress eating

How acupuncture cures indigestion

  Acupuncture is an 8000-year-old technique that uses needles inserted at specific points in the body, depending on the ailment, to ensure a balanced flow of energy or qi. When this flow of energy is disrupted, we suffer from physiological disorders.
  In acupuncture, it is believed that indigestion results from increased energy flow to the liver that impairs the functioning of the spleen. Specific puncture points on the abdominal region help to redistribute this energy imbalance.
  Besides curing indigestion, acupuncture improves your overall digestive health by stimulating blood flow to the various organs related to digestion.
  The efficiency of acupuncture in curing indigestion has been verified by research to have substantial and long-lasting effects in combatting indigestion.
  Although acupuncture sessions can cause mild soreness and fatigue, it is often a better alternative to using medications regularly.
  The role of the acupuncturist is crucial in the treatment of indigestion as the efficiency of a session depends on the correct identification of the underlying cause.

If you are suffering from chronic indigestion that leaves you uncomfortable and irritated for large parts of the day, consulting an acupuncturist can relieve you from having to resort to medicines regularly. Acupuncture cures indigestion by focusing on your specific needs and improving the overall efficacy of the concerned organs and consequently our general wellness.


How Acupuncture Can Help Beat Indigestion?

Most indian dishes use onions as an ingredient in preparations. It is also used in salads. Learn about the following health benefits that eating onions gets.

1. Rich source of vitamin A - onions are rich in vitamin a which aids good vision, helps boost immune system and cell growth.
2. Relieves pain and inflammation - rubbing onion juice on the area if bitten by a honeybee is known to provide immediate relief from the burning sensation and the pain.
3. Increases good cholesterol - raw onions are known to boost the production of hdl (good cholesterol) in the body.
4. Cures infection - it is used as an age old cure for infections and inflammations.
5. Is mineral & vitamin rich - onions contain natural sugar, minerals like sodium, potassium, iron and dietary fibers, vitamins a, b6, c &amp; e, and are also a rich source of folic acid.
6. Provides fiber - per 100 grams of serving contains only 44 calories along with a good 1.4 grams of fiber.
7. Prevents hair loss - onion mixed with salt and pepper is rubbed on the scalp to stop hair loss, in the arab countries. Onion juice is used to make hair mask which aides thickening and growth of hair.
8. Works on fever - a small piece of onion, if kept on the forehead, works against fever.
9. Controls sugar levels - onions are known to help control sugar levels in the blood by increasing the insulin level.
10. Purifies skin - applying onion and turmeric juice is said to remove dark patches and pigmentation problems in the skin. It also aids in treatment of acne, anti-aging, getting rid of dark spots and pigmentations, and many more.
11. Clears eyesight - onion juice is used to cure eye problems. The juice is used as drops for infants, so that they have clear eyesight.


Why It Is Good To Have Onion Everyday?

4 ways to gain weight

A very low body mass index can be due to many causes including genetic, developmental and hormonal disorders and other issues with absorbing nutrients in the body. A low body mass index may also be owing to a high metabolism rate. Here are a few healthy ways to gain weight according to different requirements:

Know your calorie needs

- Calculate your resting metabolic rate with the formula - RMR = 10* weight (kg) + 6.25* height (cm) - 5* age (yr) + x [For men; x=5, for women; x = -161] Your BMR tells you how much minimum calories you will burn if you rested an entire day.

- Account for your activity by using your RMR as BMR (Base metabolic rate) and calculate your daily calorie needs by the following formulae:

-BMR * 1.2 - If you are sedentary
-BMR * 1.375 - For light exercise
-BMR * 1.55 - Moderate activity
-BMR * 1.725 - High activity
-BMR * 1.9 - Intense activity

Diet to follow

- Gradually increase your calorie intake

- Eat healthy and timely

- Have a balanced diet with heavy foods like - starchy vegetables, dense fruits, added oils and creamy soups

- Have foods rich in protein, avoid watery fruits and veggies

- Avoid trans-fats

- Do not binge, pace yourself through your diet regime

- Have dietary supplements and protein shakes

Build muscle to increase body weight

- Include weight training in your daily regime

- Compensate for extra calorie lost in training

- Do not over do it, rest is equally important in building muscle

Things to remember

- Stop eating junk food, eat healthily

- Hydrate yourself well

- Rapid weight gain may cause stretch marks

- Be careful when choosing fatty foods as overindulging in them can lead to heart diseases and type 2 diabetes

- Overeating may cause bloating, stomach aches and cramps

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

4 ways to gain weight

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