Foods that keep skin healthier

A nutritious balanced diet is a key to good health. A healthy diet could treat weight loss or weight gain issues and restore one to be healthy.Health and Nutrition gives you detail information about Health tips, Fitness Tips, Exercise Tips, Weight loss Tips, Drinking Tips and also provides latest information about health and fitness!!

Glowing, soft, supple, radiant, fresh, clear, smooth, like a baby's bottom! Isn't that just the kind of skin you would want, for ever and ever? Although the skincare market is brimming with products that promise you glowing, blemish-free skin, nothing makes you as beautiful inside out as a healthy, skin-friendly diet can.

Irrespective of skin type, to be at its best, your skin needs adequate supplies of B vitamins and anti-oxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, zinc and selenium. Anti-oxidants enhance the immune system's ability to fight it out better and cope with allergen-ts-essential for sensitive skin types. Not to forget the importance of drinking plenty of water and consuming essential fats to moisturize skin from within. Therefore, the main foods to focus on are wholegrain, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Increase consumption of essential fats such as Omega-3s, in the form of oily fish and flaxseed. These foods calm inflammation and moisturize skin from within-crucial for dry skin. Sugary, refined foods are best avoided as they are empty calories. Caffeine and alcohol are dehydrating, therefore not conducive for healthy, glowing skin either. Not to mention smoking, which ruins your skin! Here are some tips for specific skin types.

Sensitive Skin

Look at food intolerance's/allergies to ramp up your immunity as they play a huge role in skin flare-ups.

Eat this way:

• Keep a food diary and eliminate foods that cause skin reactions.
• Avoid processed, sugary and refined foods. Additives such as food dyes and preservatives stimulate inflammatory pathways.
• Sensitive skin is prone to redness and irritability.Deficiency of B vitamins can cause dry, flaky and sensitive skin. Therefore, eat more wholegrain, legumes and pulses-they are rich in B vitamins.

Oily Skin

Harmon es have been linked to this skin type as they act on the sebaceous glands and stimulate them to produce excess serum. If you have oily skin you should aim to balance your harmones.

Eat this way:

• Eat a varied diet rich in wholegrain, fruits and vegetables for adequate fibre intake.
• Focus on phytoestrogenes from soya, chickpeas and lentils.
• There is also a possible link between a deficiency in Vitamin B2/B5 and oily skin. Wholegrains, beans and nuts are good sources of these vitamins.
• Feast on cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower as they are high indole that help eliminate excess oestrogen and hence balance harm ones.
• Get more zinc from your diet to fight blemishes. Mushrooms and pumpkin seeds are good sources.
• Avoid xenoestrogens (chemicals that interfere with harmones) that are formed by heating food in plastic containers in the microwave.
• Avoid saturated fats from diary and red meats as they interfere with the metabolism of essential fatty acids.

Dry Skin

Most of us complain of dryness in the winter months. However, it gets to be a problem when you have chronic rough patches, redness and irritation.

Eat this way:

• Vitamin E helps maintain skin elasticity and keeps it moisturised. Almonds, eggs, leafy greens, nuts wheatgerm are rich sources.
• Ensure that your diet is rich in zinc as it helps skin to heal.
• Choose foods with high sulphur content as it promotes skin rejuvenation. Eggs, garlic, and onions are good sources of sulphur.

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Six Numbers Can Save Your Life

Want to maintain a healthy heart? Keep track of these six health measurements that can warn you of trouble ahead. Six measurements can tell where you stand in your battle against the heart's attackers. Three you can check yourself-all you need is a pencil, tape measure and a watch with a second hand. The others you can get from your doctor. Write these numbers down and keep track of them over time, and they will speak volumes about the health of your heart.

1. Daily Calorie Needs

How much food do you actually eat? In a perfect world, you'd eat just enough to provide fuel for your body. In reality, many of us eat between 100 and 1000 calories more than we need every day. An extra slice of cheese here, an extra helping of meat there, a bag of chips-"just this once"-all add up to weight gain, and becoming overweight is among the worse things you can do for your heart.

Few people know exactly how many calories they need each day, but you can work that out by multiplying the number of kilograms you weigh by about 28 to 33, depending on how active you are. Most women need 2000 calories a day for good health, men generally about 1550. The roughly equates to 300 to 400 calories for breakfast, 500 to 600 for lunch, 600 to 700 for dinners, and two or three snacks of roughly 100 to 200 calories each.

But picky calorie counting is not the best way to match your food consumption to your body's energy needs. It is far better to change the type of food you eat. It's almost impossible to consume too many calories if you focus on eating lots of fruits and vegetables. And having a diet rich in produce means you get plenty of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients essential for heart health.

2. Waist Size

Of all the ways to measure whether your is affecting the health of your heart, waist size is one of the best. An even more accurate measure is your waist-to-hip ratio (calculated by dividing your waist circumference at its narrowest point by your hip circumference at its widest point): A ratio of more than 0.90 in men or 0.85 in women shows central obesity and may indicate metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that can accompany heart disease.

Fat cells are not just storage vessels for extra calories your body can't burn off. When body fat is packed into your abdomen-in and around your internal organs-the fat cells release inflammatory chemicals and off killer levels of appetite-controlling proteins. The result is that your risk of heart attacks increases as inflammation speeds up atherosclerosis.

In addition, your risk of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome rises as inflammatory substances interfere with the way muscle and liver cells function. Meanwhile, your natural appetite-suppressing system is disrupted, leading to more overeating and more abdominal fat.

T o check your waistline wrap a tape measure around your abdomen, at or near your belly button. Keep it snug but not tight-and don't pull your stomach in. For women, health risk begins to rise with a waist of more than 88 centimeters 935 inches). For men, risk increases with a measurement of over 102 centimeters (40 inches). Check every two weeks.

3. Cholesterol Counts

It is important to know not just your total cholesterol reading but also your levels of bad LDL cholesterol and good HDL cholesterol. When you see your doctor for blood-test results, the lab report may have itemized these two types and perhaps also given a ratio of your total cholesterol to HDL (TC:HDL), if so, ask for the readings for both forms of cholesterol and the ratio figure and jot them in your diary.

Aim for total cholesterol below 5.2 millimoles per litre (mmo1/L), or below 5 mmo1/L if you have heart disease or diabetes, and LDL-cholesterol levels below 3.5 mmo1/L, or below 2 mmo1/L if you have a history of heart disease. A healthy HDL level is 1.3 mmo1/L or above.

You have to fast for eight to 12 hours before most blood tests. If your total cholesterol is consistently higher than 6 to 6.5 mmo1/L, your doctor will suggest life-style measures and may offer you treatment and recommend regular check ups.

4. Blood Pressure

Blood pressure (BP)-the force of blood against the walls of your arteries-rises and falls naturally during the day. When it remains elevated, you have hypertension (high BP), and this carries a higher risk of atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke.

A reading of 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or more is considered high. If it's between 120/80 and 139/89 mm Hg, you may still be at risk and should take steps to prevent hypertension. Eating high-in-potassium fruits and vegetables can help. Regular BP checks will help spot a potential problem early.

5. Triglycerides

Triglycerides are made from the fats and carbohydrates you eat, which are converted into a form that can be stored in fat cells. Triglycerides are also released from fat tissue when the body needs extra energy between meals. It's normal to have some triglycerides in your bloodstream, but high levels are linked to coronary artery disease-especially in women.

When you have high triglycerides paired with low HDLs, your risk of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome may be increased. A normal triglyceride reading is less than 1.7 mmo1/I.

A triglyceride check is usually done from the same blood sample you give for fasting cholesterol teast. Your doctor will advise how often you should  have your triglycerides checked. Regular checks are an important early warning system for your heart.

6. Morning Pulse Rate.

Your pulse rate is the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Regular monitoring of your resting pulse, first t hing in the morning, will help you see if your exercise regimen is strengthening your heart. For example, a normal resting-pulse rate is 60 to 90 beats per minute. People who are fit tend to have lower resting-pulse rates because their heart muscles are in good shape. But if you don't exercise regularly and your heart rate is lower than the normal range, tell your doctor-it could be a sign of heart disease.

Once a month, take your pulse in the morning before you get out of bed. To check if your exercise program is working, assess your maximum pulse just after exercise and note how long it takes to return to its normal resting rate-the time interval should reduce as you get fitter. You will know your exercise program is strengthening your heart if your pulse rate gradually falls within the healthy range.

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Foods That Fight Fat

The idea that some foods can magically melt kilos away has been around for a long time. Of course, while exercise and a variety of wholesome foods are the secret to long term weight control, there are foods that help us burn calories and quash hunger. Here are ten to help you stop overeating-and stay healthy.

1. SPINACH

The rumour. Dark leafy greens like spinach and lettuce make you feel stuffed for almost no calories.

The reality. Foods such as raw spinach contain bulk. So the space they fill in your stomach-partly because of their high water content-leaves less room for pastries and ice cream. They are also jammed with iron, folate, calcium and vitamins A, B, C and E.

The bonus. Women eating plenty of folate-rich foods significantly reduce the risk of giving birth to a child with a cleft lip or palate.

2. GRAPEFRUIT

The rumour. Grapefruits melt away the kilos.

The reality. They're not magic, but they are powerful fat fighters due to their fibre content.

The bonus. Phytochemicals and soluble fibre in citrus fruits lower cholesterol.

3. APPLE         

The rumour. Apples keep the doctor-and fat-away. In one American study exercise and three apples daily helped 346 people lose more than 2700 kilos in 12 weeks.

The reality. Eating several apples a day a great idea. Hard fruit like apples take time to chew and fill you up. (one small glass of juice, however, contains the calories of about two apples.)

The bonus. In a Finnish study, those who ate foods high in flavonoids

found in fruit, vegetables and especially apples and oranges were 20 percent less likely to suffer a stroke.

4. CELERY 

The rumour. Celery is packed with wat er and has "negative calories."

The reality. Start chomping: You burn more calories chewing and digesting celery that it actually contains. Celery has vitamins E and C. It's a diet food, it should be on every one's plate.

5. BLACK BEANS

The rumour. Beans keep you feeling full longer than other foods.

The reality. Proteins-packed legumes such as black beans, chickpeas and lentils aren't just low in fat and rich in soluble fibre, they digest slowly and keep blood-sugar levels steady.

The bonus. Regularly eating black or navy beans may lower your risk of colon cancer.

6. CHILLIES

The rumour. Chillies don't just add kick to your salad, they can also pep up your body's ability to burn calories for hours.

The reality. Capsaicin, the compound found in chillies, does boost your metabolism slightly, increasing the energy your body burns during digestion. But don't make your food so hot that you'll want to wash it down with a bucketful of bread.

The bonus. Eating capsaicin may curb your appetite for three hours.

7. LOW-FAT MILK

The rumour. When humans ingest enough calcium, the body breaks down fat more efficiently.

The reality. Calcium-rich foods do seem to boost metabolism. Women and girls who consume dairy products regularly have lower weight and less body fat those who don't.

The bonus. Women consuming plenty of calcium-rich dairy foods slashed their ovaries-cancer risk by 54 percent.

8. MACKERPEL

The rumour. Omega-3 fatty acids curb hunger.

The reality. It is not the omega-3 in fatty fish like mackerel, hilsa and sardines that tells your brain.

The bonus. In Australia, overweight and hypertensive study subjects who ate fish daily saw their blood fats drop and "good" cholesterol rise.

9. COTTAGE CHEESE

The romour. Cottage cheese (paneer)  has much less fat than chedder cheese.

The realty. It's true, 'And cottage cheese is a very good source of protein. The yummy white curds are also stuffed with calcium, vitamin B-12 and some zinc and folate.

The bonus. Riboflavin found in paneer guards against anaemia and cancer.

10. STRAWBERRIES

The rumour. You can eat all the fruit you want and never gain a kilo.

 

The reality. While all fruits contain vitamins, some are bigger nutritional winners than others. Strawberries, peaches, plums and grapes come with cancer-fighting carotenoids and appetite-suppressing fibre. But water melon, pineapple, musk-melon and papayas fly through your system and cause your blood sugar to spike. Aim for five to ten serving of fruit and vegetables a day, choosing more of the winners.


The bonus. After following 9600 adults over 19 years, US researchers found that eating at least three servings of fruit and veggies a day shrank the odds of dying from heart disease by 24 percent.

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Shrink your belly with food

What to add and subtract from your diet to look and feel slimmer in less than a week. If belly bulge is sapping your body confidence, don't despair. The reason for your puffy midsection may well be bloat, not fat. That's because one of the worst culprits for this problem-a slow digestive system-is common among women over age 40. However, exciting research now suggests you can get your digestion moving and beat bloat with a few easy menu and lifestyle tweaks. Put all of these ideas into effect right now, and you should be flatter, sexier, and fitting comfortably into your clothes in less than a week.

Add 2 Kinds of Fiber

Start the day with a better breakfast

Why it beats bloat: Constipation distends your belly, and one easy way to get rid of it is by starting your day with a breakfast cereal that guarantees your body a daily dose of fibre.Breakfast as the name suggests, is breaking the night-long fast. A fibre-rich, healthy breakfast helps kick start the basal metabolic rate of the body (the rate at which heat is produced by an individual in the resting state.Fibre gets the digestive system moving within a day or so and keeps it that way. Based on a recent study of breakfast cereals, University of Toronto researchers say that consuming two kinds of fibre at once is most effective. The two types work together to pull water into your colon and speed up elimination. Fibre, unfortunately, is often missing from most Indian diets. Ideally, we should consume 30-35 g daily, including soluble and insoluble fibre. However,most of us probably end up eating only 15-20 g in a day. Bridging the gap and eating more fibre will make you look and feel lighter.

Good food fix: Eat 1 bowl (150-200ml) of milk and cereal, made of oats and wheat (mixed in equal proportion); or you can opt for one slice of wholewheat bread with a bowl of salad with 50 g of boiled beans, cucumber, carrot, tomatoes tossed with 1tap ground flax-seeds.

Subtract Sodium

Put down the shaker

Why it beats bloat: Sodium makes you certain water, puffing up your belly. Most Indians consume 8 g of salt on an average, according to a National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau survey;as opposed to WHO recommendation of 5 g salt or 2 g sodium a day.

Good strategies: Stop salting your food at the table, use herbs like mint and basil for seasoning instead. Check sodium content on the labels of packaged foods like pickles, ready-to-eat food and sauce.

Add: Potassium-Rich Food

Banish bloat with bananas

Why it beats bloat: Foods rich in potassium, such as bananas and potatoes, help your body get rid of excess water weight, minimizing your middle. Water retention is common when sodium and potassium (minerals  that control the amount of water in your body) levels get disturbed. When your sodium levels too high, your tissues hold on to fluid. You can restore your sodium-potassium equilibrium by increasing your potassium intake to an optimum 4,700 mg per day. To do this you need to eat about 4 1/2 cups of produce daily, including the especially rich sources that are mentioned here. As you re-balance your system, you'll flash out the extra sodium along with the water, presto: Less puffiness.

Food is a safe source of potassium, but supplements are not. They can cause potassium to build in your body and potentially lead to abnormal heart rhythms and even heart attack, especially in people with kidney or heart problems.

Good food fixes: 1 medium baked potato with skin, 1 medium banana,  1 medium papaya, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 cup cooked spinach, 1 medium orange.

Subtract: Sugar Alcohols

Watch out for these diet food belly buster

Why it beats bloat: We don't completely digest these low-cal sweeteners (found in flavored waters and low-carb, diabetic and sugar-free foods). Bacteria in the large intestine ferment them, causing gas and even diarrhoea.

Good Strategy: Check food labels to help avoid them; common ones are sarbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and lacital.

Add: More Fluids

Guzzle more liquids through-out the day

Why it beats bloat: Drinking enough liquid supports the other ways you're trying to flatten your tummy. When there's enough fluid present in your system, the dual-fibre cereal you have eaten is better able to pull liquid into your lower intestine and ease constipation. Women who don't drink sufficient fluids can get t

hat blown-up belly feeling, despite all their other efforts to get rid of it.

How much fluid do you need? Getting rid of bloat means being well-hydrated, so aim for at least 8 glasses of fluids each day, plus plenty of fluid-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables. You can meet your quota with any liquid, including water, milk and fresh fruit/vegetable juice-though not alcohol, which has a dehydrating effect on your system.

Good fluid fix: Water is an excellent option because it has no calories, salt, sugar, or additives.

Subtract: Candy, Soda, Gum

Avoid these bubble-inducing belly bloaters

Why it beats bloat: Once air from any source reaches your digestive system, you experience it as gas and a distended belly. Eating or drinking quickly, sipping through a straw, sucking hard candy, and chewing gum can make you swallow air.

Good strategies: When eating, chew slowly with your mouth closed. Trade carbonated drinks for flat ones, such as fresh juice or water, and lose the gum  and candies.

Add: Yogurt with Probiotics

Enjoy this cool, creamy treat for better digestion

Why it beats bloat: Imbalance of bacteria in your gut can cause your digestive system to slow down and your belly to puff up. However, yogurts that contain live bacteria, otherwise known as probiotics, can help. Bacteria seem to tame tummy bloat by causing an improvement in intestinal mobility, thereby relieving constipation.

Subtract: Raw Produce

Cook these foods to shrink your stomach

Why it beats bloat: Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy, but they're also high-volume foods that take up room in your stomach, distending it.

Good strategies: Spread fresh produce consumption over the day, so at any sitting you're not eating more than one-third of the recommended daily total of 4 1/2 cups. You can also shrink produce by cooking it, creating a more compact serving.

Sources of Soluble & Insoluble Fibre

Soluble Fiber                          Insoluble Fiber
Oatmeal                                   Wholewheat
Oat bran                                   Bread 
Nuts and seeds                         Barley
Legumes                                   Couscous
Beans                                       Brown rice
Dried peas                                Bulgar
Lentils                                      Wheat bran
Apples                                     Carrots
Pears                                       Cucumbers
Strawberries                             Zucchini
Blueberries                               Tomatoes

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