Day: June 24, 2014

Kentucky Fried Chicken: finger lickin’ good

Kentucky Fried Chicken which is most commonly known as KFC is an international fast food restaurant which currently has presence in about 118 countries. This fast food chain is specialized in preparing and serving delicious fried chickens to their customers. Currently there are approximately 19,000 outlets of KFC in different parts of the world and this shows the enormous name and success this fast food chain has achieved since it opened its first outlet in the year 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah. After United States, KFC opened its first international food store in United Kingdom and then in various parts of the world. Today it is the second largest food chain in the whole world and is only behind the McDonalds.

The main product of this food chain is fried chickens which are prepared using 11 secret herbs and spices. The recipe is a secret which has not been disclosed till date. Today they also offer chicken burgers, French fries, salads, desserts, wraps and soft drinks. People are just crazy about their trade mark bucket fired chicken which is simply luscious in taste. If you have not visited KFC yet then this is one such place where you should surely visit and for sure you will feel like eating fried chicken sold here again and again. “finger lickin’ good” is the official slogan of KFC which can be seen with its logo. Yum Brands now owns this brand and has a clear cut motive to expand this internationally acclaimed food chain to each and every corner of the world. The total revenue of KFC is 23 billion US dollars for the year 2013.

One of the reasons why KFC fried chickens are so popular among the masses is that they are served fresh to the customers. If the prepared chicken is not sold within 90 minutes then according to the company’s policy, it is simply discarded. People love to eat here as the chickens sold here are exquisite and appetizing. You will simply love the crispy chicken legs, chicken nuggets, hot wings, zinger burgers and other dishes here as they taste succulent and luscious. KFC has simply redefined the way the chicken is prepared and eaten in different parts of the world.

Harland Sanders is the person who started this business. He is commonly called as Colonel Sanders by his lovers. Initially he used to sell fried chickens in his restaurants at Corbin, Kentucky. His restaurant was named as Sanders Court & Café. Harland Sanders used to cook the fired chickens with the help of his secret recipes which his mother taught him and people used to love his cooked chickens. His success story is simply amazing and we should learn from his life and struggles. Harland Sanders had a dream to expand his empire and sell his delicious chickens in different parts of the country. The struggle that he went through and still where this food chain stands today is unbelievable. It shows that if you are determined to work hard and chase our dream then nothing can stop you from attaining success. He was determined to use the franchising concept in his fried chicken business.

Before opening his first commercial outlet he had to travel to almost all the parts of the United States where he tried to convince the restaurant and business owners to use his recipe and start selling fried chickens. In return he asked for a small amount of share from the profits made. The restaurants and the business owners thought the Harland Sanders idea’s to be a flop one and he was rejected by almost everyone. It is said that he faced over 1000 rejections. Just imagine his will to taste success. His strong will power made him a known figure in the whole world. By the year 1963, Harland Sanders managed to open a whopping 600 franchise of KFC in the United States alone but his growing age forced him to stop indulging into business any further and so he sold the KFC Empire to the group of business enthusiastic people in the year 1964. The reigns of the empire has been many shifted a times since then but the picture of Colonel Sanders still lies in its logo. He is synonym to the brand KFC.

KFC entered into the Indian environment by opening its first outlet in Bangalore in the year 1995. The company had doubt that about its success in India as people living here as so much indulged into the religious work and so the success of the brand was under severe spotlight here. Today there are about 370 KFC outlets in India. In India where we eat so much of spices in our food, KFC chickens are wonderful options for those who want to try something different and a food with fewer spices and more nutrients. For the Indian public, KFC has also started the vegetarian products in their menu such as the vegetarian burger, paneer burger, paneer wraps and so on with a motive to pull the vegetarian crowds to its restaurant.

June 24, 2014
Health Benefits of Eating Eggs

Eggs are excellent source of vitamins which helps the body in functioning appropriately and so doctors often recommend people to start eating egg regularly. Not only vitamins, eggs are also rich in essential nutrients which are very much required for the proper growth and development of the human body. You should daily eat eggs to stay healthy. Some people just eliminate the yellow yolk which is present inside the egg and eat only the outer whitish portion. This is not a good as the yolk is the only one which provides the essential fats, vitamins and nutrients to the human body. But that does not mean that the whitish portion of the egg is not important. They provide the proteins to the body.

A normal large egg contains the following: Selenium (22 % of the RDA), Vitamin A (6 % of the RDA), Vitamin B5 (7 % of the RDA), Vitamin 2 (15 % of the RDA), Vitamin B12 (9 % of the RDA), Vitamin E, iron, Folate, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and many others essential nutrients. Just imagine a single eggs is how much beneficial. If you eat eggs regularly then you are surely not going to get deficiency of any of the above mentioned vitamins and minerals. Further a single large egg also has 77 calories, carbohydrates and 5 grams each of fats and proteins.

Much people are not aware of the Choline, which is a very important nutrient considering the fact that it is responsible for the growth of the brain. It is often named with the B-complex vitamins. Egg is a tremendous source of Choline. This nutrient is required for various metabolism processes that go inside a human body. The synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is only possible if the body has adequate amount of Choline in it. If your body is deficit of Choline, then you are prone to cardiovascular and liver diseases. Also there are chances that you may suffer from neurological disorders. All these can be avoided if you eat egg as one egg contains about 113 mg of Choline. So go for it and stay away from these life threatening diseases.

One egg has about 212 mg of cholesterol in it, so often people have this doubt in their mind that it will affect their body in negative way. In a human body it is the responsibility of the liver to maintain the amount of cholesterol. If you consume less cholesterol food then liver compensates for it and if you are eating foods such as eggs which are rich in cholesterol, then liver produces less cholesterol. One of the biggest advantages of eating egg is that it raises the level of the HDL cholesterol which is very much required by the body and reduces the LDL cholesterol which is responsible for the various diseases that occurs in the body. This will in turn helps in keeping the cardiovascular disease away from you.

We have not mentioned about the antioxidants which are present in the egg so far. So let me tell you egg is a wonderful food item which has two most essential antioxidants required by the human body and they are Zeaxanthin and Lutein. Both of them are present in the yolk of the egg and are excellent for the proper functioning of the eyes. In the recent times cataracts is one such disease because of which many people have lost their eyesight. These antioxidants which we have mentioned here reduce the risk of cataract by providing power and stamina to the eyes.

You must have read it in your books that proteins are must for the human body as they are considered as to be the building blocks and performs several work in the human body which is very essential for its proper growth. There are 21 amino acids which the human body requires and out of these 21, there are quite a few which the body cannot produce on its own and so the protein rich foods are eaten to compensate for them. Egg provides all those amino acids which the body requires. In short if you want to stay healthy, then continue eating eggs regularly.

If you daily eat eggs in your breakfast then it can help you in losing your body fat and you can easily become fit and slim. When measured on the Satiety scale, an egg gets a reading of 19 which is quite high. This proves that eggs helps in shedding weight and improving the body mass index by a whopping 61 percent. If you have obesity problem and you do not eat eggs then this is one such food item which you should start eating. With so many health benefits that it provides and considering the fact that it is easily available and pocket friendly food item, one should include eggs in their diet chart. Moreover there are so many egg recipes available, so just try them and stay protected.

June 24, 2014
DETOX YOURSELF

The connection between the body and mind is really strong, the way your body feels plays a great part in the functioning of your brain whether or not you experience a state of well being. Keeping your body free of toxins and other harmful nasty things will help you maintain a healthy living.

Thinking of doing a detox and wondering how to start? Detoxing the body is effective for starting a new diet plan. Detoxing with various foods that is the best way to help give your body the nutrients required also helps your digestive system to take a break from having to break down and digest food.

Are detox programs really good for your health?

Along with recommendations for detoxing comes warning, which makes the would-be-detox dieter totally confused.

1. Detoxing helps you boost energy

By cutting out the sugar, fats, Trans fat, saturated fat, caffeine and replacing them by fruits and veggies gets you a natural energy boost.

2. Help you get rid of excess waste

One of the greatest benefits of detoxing is that it helps you get rid of excess waste that your body had stored earlier.

3. Better immunity

While you are on a detox program, it frees up the organs to function the way they should. Through this it gives your body a boost and absorbs nutrients better.

4. Help to lose weight

A detox program would help you reduce weight in a short term and get rid f unhealthy eating habits.

5. Better breath

One of the contributors to bad breath is backed up colon. When you cleanse it and get your digestive system function properly, you will find your breath improves.

6. Glowing skin

You can expect a glowing smoother radiant skin at the end of your detox program, you can add sauna to your detox plan to help the body sweat out additional toxins.

7. Healthy living

A detox program is like a bridge between your old habits and new ones towards a healthy living. Once if you quit eating your weakness foods and replace those with healthier choices, you will be moving towards a healthy life.

8. Anti-aging benefit

By reducing the toxins you will see long term benefits in an increased longevity.

10 foods that will detox your body

1. Beet

It is mentioned as one of the super food. You should make an effort to include in your regular meals and definitely have it if you are planning a detox diet. It helps in making sure that the toxins you are getting out of your body are actually getting out.

2. Broccoli

Even though you are sick of seeing broccolis when health food is mentioned but actually it is a nutritional punch in a mini tree shaped veggie. It works with the enzymes in your liver to turn toxins into something your body can eliminate easily.

3. Cabbage

Cabbage helps your liver with the byproduct being lower cholesterol and also helping you expel the toxins getting them out of your system so you can start fresh.

4. Garlic

Garlic is of those crucial pieces in the puzzle of your detox plan. it helps you in boosting your immune system.

5. Ginger

Ginger has also been given the status of a virtual medicine chest, it has digestion friendly properties. It is considered as a staple in any health diet. It is one of the best detoxifying herbs as it stimulates digestion.

6. Green tea

It is great for cleansing the body from toxins and impurities. It purifies the whole to create a healthy circulation system and complexion as well. Adding a cup of green tea with each meal for daily detoxification will show improvements in health and physical appearance as well.

7. Lemon

It is very common to hear to begin your day with warm water because it improves digestion. They help to detox your body.

8. Olive oil

It is used for cleansing the colon. It has a lot of health properties and makes a good choice than most other options.

9. Turmeric

It is called the “detox diva”. Turmeric helps as liver cleanser and can rejuvenate the liver cells and recharge their capacity to break down the toxins. You can detox using a turmeric tea and substitute it for any other beverage to make the most of its health benefits.

10. Water

On a daily basis drinking water all by itself is one of the best ways to flush out the toxins. You can use any of the other detox foods along with water and get even more benefit from it.

Make sure to avoid alcohol as it has a very toxic effect on the liver and will fail your detox program. Also avoid caffeinated beverages as it can have a dehydrating effect on the body. Cut out on sweets, chocolates and sweets as excess of sugar will cause excess stress on the liver and your cleansing efforts will be a waste. Also avoid overeating as it leads to accumulation of toxins.

June 24, 2014
Food Items Best for Children

For parents, it is very comfortable to purchase and prepare nutritious food for your kids but the difficult part is to make them eat it. It is a very difficult job for the parents to provide their kids with the necessary nutrients. This job becomes so frustrating because the parents can’t compel their kids to eat those nutritious foods. These days’ kids are much happy with the food stuff like pizzas, burgers and many more but these items does not provide the essential nutrients to the body. Parents must ensure that their kids get the supply of all the required vitamins and minerals from their meals as it is very vital in the growth of the child. So below there are some super nourishing food items that are best for the children.

Milk:

it is most essential drink for the kids. It is well liked by the kids but as they gradually grows up they tends to like it less. The reason behind it is that they start drinking so many other drinks which are obtainable in the homes. But milk is fundamental source of protein, calcium and so many vitamins. So make sure that milk is included in the diet of your child. You can add so many flavors to the milk in order to make it more likable by your kid. If the child is taking in foods that are rich in calcium then milk is the best source to compensate for that.

Apples:

Similar to many other fruits, apples are greatly enjoyed by the children. Apart from being sugary and juicy it is an immense source of nutrients that are very essential for the healthy wellbeing. The amount calorie in it in low and it is rich in Vitamin C. It is very important to know that the apple loses its fiber after peeling it off. So it is much better to provide your children with unpeeled apples rather than peeled apples in order to deliver them with the essential and needed fibers. Children tend to enjoy eating apples so it is necessary to include it in your kid’s diet.

Yoghurt:

It is another food that is very rich in calcium and hence it is quite beneficial for that child who doesn’t like drinking too much milk. So you should make sure that your child’s intake includes a good amount of yoghurt. The children usually enjoy eating it and hence it becomes so easy for the parents to make their kids eat it. But it is necessary that one should select the appropriate yoghurt for their kids with low fat and which does not include huge amount of added sugar in it.

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Vegetables:

As everyone knows that vegetable plays a very significant role in supplying nutrition to the body, but parents usually end up forcing or tricking their kids to eat them. Generally kids don’t enjoy eating spinach, sprouts etc. which are very nutritious and beneficial for the body. But apart from these vegetables, there are so many other that the children tend to relish. The vegetables that are usually friendly to children are pea, potatoes and carrots. Apart from this, it is very vital that the parents familiarize their kids with a lot of vegetables starting from the initial stage as gradually they will start eating them.

Oatmeal:

A nutritious breakfast is very important for the kids so they can perform very well at their schools. It has been found out that the breakfast helps in improving the memory of the children. Oatmeal can be treated as a very healthy breakfast your kid as it is very rich in fiber. In addition to that the cognitive functioning and implementation is also increased. It is not compulsory to serve oatmeal only during the breakfast. We can prepare it as more edible and appetizing by accompanying it with honey, berries and walnuts.

Eggs:

They are a perfect blend of taste and nutrition. Eggs are greatly enjoyed by the children and in addition to that they are very rich in vitamins as well as minerals. Moreover they provide proteins to the body. They include vitamin D and iron. They also contain choline. Eggs play a very crucial role and help to build and repair the muscles. They support the body in absorbing the calcium. A little amount of cholesterol is present in the eggs but they don’t include a great amount saturated fat. And hence eating an egg normally is acceptable. So serving the kids with scrambled eggs in the breakfast is a great source of nutrition.

Cheese:

Calcium is very essential for the body and hence parents must include calcium rich foods in their kid’s regime. Low fat cheese provides a great amount of calcium to the body. One can come out with various methods to include it in your kid’s diet. You can serve the kids with the vegetables topped with melted cheese. It is quite evident cheese sandwiches are very famous among the kids, so it can act as a delightful lunch.

June 24, 2014
Good Morning, Breakfast!

Did you have your Breakfast today? If yes, then good going! But if not, C’mmon! You can’t skip it. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. You should prioritize it, even when you’re late or even when you’re not willing to have it. Yes, your mom is right. Breakfast is something which gives life to your day. It is actually important and is the first and foremost meal of the day. To have a fresh start in your lovely mornings, breakfast is must for everyone. Not only it gives us energy to start a day, it is also linked with many health benefits, which we can avail. Eating breakfast is important to everyone, especially to children and adolescents as they are in their growing stage. According to American dietetic association,”Children who eat breakfast perform better in the classroom and on the playground, with better concentration, problem solving skills and eye-hand coordination.” Even there’s one theory that suggests that eating a healthy breakfast can reduce hunger throughout the day and also help you to make better food choices on other meals and also control cravings and thus in turn makes your weight less instead of those who are breakfast skippers. Obviously, your breakfast must be rich in protein or whole grain and vitamins and nutrients and not the ones loaded with fats and calories.
With all this, unavoidable stuff morning, I am enlisting some of the key benefits of Breakfast. If you are trying to maintain a healthy diet, consider the following reasons to have your fancy breakfast each and every morning.
Weight control: Many studies have shown that people who eat breakfast tend to weigh less than the ones who skip their breakfast. It’s worth noting that the studies linking breakfast to weight control loss looked at a healthy breakfast routine containing protein and whole grains; not meals loaded with fats and calories. So, breakfast eaters are leaner and this pretty good reason to always have a healthy happy breakfast.
It keeps you in a good mood: First and foremost, since your body won’t think that it’s starving after a nutritious meal in the morning, it’s easier to get in a good mood and stay that way. This also provides you with needed energy to help you get throughout the day, which can keep your mood bright and optimistic. Feeding yourself in the morning will keep your spirits up and can also help to regulate your blood sugar levels through lunch time, which plays a vital role in your mood upliftment. Overall, eating something for breakfast is always better than eating nothing at all.
It keeps you from Binging: Obviously, if you eat up good in the morning, you won’t feel the urge to famish on something or binge eating can be avoided. As, not eating breakfast can save you from some calories for the time being, but it prepares for the day failure as you won’t feel energetic. This is because not feeding your body for several hours overnight, a lack of food in the morning will leave you hungry very early in the day and then when lunch time rolls down, you’re more likely to choose a food high in fat and calories to satisfy your food cravings. If you hold off till dinner, you will most probably feel an overwhelming urge to snack all night along, which is just a bag of calories.
It increases your Metabolism and makes you feel more energized: When your body receives food in the morning, it tells your brain that you’re going to need to start working to digest it which warms up the metabolism so it’s ready to work throughout the day. But when you don’t eat breakfast in the morning, slows down your metabolism, which results in a decrease in the amount of calories you burn all day long. Eating breakfast is a great way to get your metabolism working well for the day.

Here are some creative, simple-to-make, healthy ideas for maximizing the most important and the first meal of the day.
Breakfast Sandwich: You can make it by topping English whole wheat bread or Indian chapatti with 1 ounce ham and a flavored mustard. Pair it with fresh fruit and low fat cheese.
Berries and muffins: Split open a small bran muffin (you can get it easily from supermarket) and place on a plate. Top it with a fresh berries an some nuts and a dollop of fresh yoghurt.
Bagel and chutney: its very tasteful for anyone and especially for one who loves mangoes. Spread mango chutney on a small bagel, and pair it with a cottage cheese sprinkled with cinnamon.
Breakfast Shake: Blend 1 cup fat free milk or plain yoghurt with ½ cup fruit, 1 teaspoon wheat germ and add 1 teaspoon nuts or nut butter and whirl and your shake is ready.
Big Breakfast is way healthier than big dinner. You must have heard that saying, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” This simple quote is a great way to remember that how to eat throughout the day and balance your diet. Not only it gives a nice and peaceful start to the day, but it is also good for brain and bodily health. So, never forget or skip your super-awesome breakfast.

Happy and Healthy Breakfast. Happy Life.

June 24, 2014
The cultural capital of India – Kolkata

Kolakta which is the capital of West Bengal and it is the former capital of British India during the year 1772 to 1911.It is one of the ancient and largest cities in India and also one of the major ports in India.IT is located on the eastern bank of hugli river.A city of commerce, transport, and manufacture, Kolkata is the dominant urban centre of eastern India.

Kolkata-city

Origin of name Kolkata:

The ancient name of Kolkata is Calcutta, it is a older version of Bengali name Kalikata. According to few people the name Kalikantha is derived from the word Kalikshetra which means ground of goddess Kali.According to few people the name came as the city is located on the bank of the canal Khal.The other opinions are as it is famous for the manufacturing of shell lime, the Bengali words for lime are Kali and the burnt shell in Bengali is kata, thus the name originated according to few people.As it is famous for manufacture of shell lime the government of West Bengal has changed its name to Kolkata.

Landscape:

The city has a maximum elevation of about 9 meters above sea level.The city handles a large portion of India’s foreign trade in both agricultural and manufactured products.The main thoroughfare in Kolkata is Jawaharlal Nehru Road.Along this road we can find many shopping malls, city’s shops, restaurants, and hotels. On our way we an find Indian Museum which has a vast collection of ancient Indian artifacts and on this road we can find Birla Planetarium which is one of the largest planetariums in Asia.Maidan park covering over 985 acres and the main attractions of the park are Fort William and the Victoria Memorial Hall which is massive monument in the museum which is made up of marble.

Indian-Museum-Kolkata

The city is having many old churches, temples, mosques.The largest mosque in the city was Nakhoda Mosque which was built around 1926 to 42.The Kali temple is an impressive Hindu temple which is famous all over the country.Coming to churches St. Paul’s which is an Anglican cathedral is built around 1839 to 47.Durga puja which is famous Hindu festival celebrated very grandly throughout the city during the months of September and October.

Kolakta kali temple

University of Calcutta which is being the oldest and is found during the year 1857 and this is one of the leading Institution in the city of Kolkata for the higher education.In this city of Kolkata there is National library with a collection of about 20,00,000 volumes.This library is situated at Belverdere Estate which is located near Alipore Zoo.

Calcutta_university_1857

The city of Kolkata is having an International Airport which is being served by several railways and highways, including the Grand Trunk Road which links Kolkata with Delhi and upper part of India.In India first Subway is opened in Kolkata during the year 1984.

Kolkata_international_airport

Climatic conditions:

The city is quite hot with moderate temperatures during December to January and is having high temperatures during April and May.The average annual rainfall in Kolkata is about 64 inches.Winter falls from the end of November and continues till February.it is pleasant and the fogs and mists reduce the visibility in the early hours.

People:

We can find many religions in Kolkata but the major are Hindus, Christians, Muslims.Because of this multi linguistic in nature we can find many languages are being spoken by the people but most dominant language is Bengali.Many people from various parts of the world visit this city for various purposes being a cosmopolitan city.The population in Kolkata is extremely high and overcrowding can be find in almost every place we visit in the city.This overcrowding is found from many decades this is mainly due to the migrants of the people from the neighbouring states like Bihar, Orissa, Uttar pradesh, Jharkhand are coming to Kolkata in search of employment.

Over crowding in Kolkata

Economy:

Kolkata Is one of the India’s prominent economic centres because of its manufacturing industries, finance, trade, exports, imports and is having major activities like printing, publishing, and newspaper circulation, as well as for recreation and entertainment.In addition to all these there are many resources available in Kolkalta like coal, iron, manganese, mica, petroleum, tea, and jute.

Kolkata Cuisine:

Kolkata is having unique food habits and many of them eat meat and fish regularly.People of Bengal mostly prefer to eat fish, goat, mutton and chicken and the only exception is beef and few Muslim communities even eat it also.As Kolakta is having countless rivers, ponds and lakes many varieties of fish are available here and we can also find prawns, shrimp and crabs also in abundant.Most of the people eat fish as a dish in any of their day meal.They use different types of spices both for fish and vegetables.

Kolkata cuisine

Fish:

Fish is the dominant kind of protein in their cuisine because of the numerous number of ponds, lakes, rivers.Almost every part of the fish are eaten and few spare bits of the fish are usually used to flavor curries and dals.The salt water fish Ilish is very popular among the Bengali’s and is also known as the icon of Bengali’s cuisine.There are many ways for the cooking of these fishes depending on the texture, size, fat content and the bones.They can be fried, roasted, a simple spicy tomato based gravy.Some are cooked with curd or yogurt with sour sauce, with sweet sauce or even the fish made to taste sweet on one side and savoury on the other.There is a saying that the Ilish fish can be cooked in 108 different ways.

Varieties of fishes in Kolkata fish market

June 24, 2014