Tag: water

Keep lovin’ COCONUT !

I, myself really love Coconut. The white fruit, rich in fiber and so many nutrients is just perfect for any dish or eaten raw or the coconut water which is deliciously awesome. The round coconut with so many hairs on its hard shell has many health benefits and also its subsidiaries, produced from coconut, constitute the wonder food too. This tropical food is very popular all over the world and its worth doesn’t end with just refreshing coconut water. When added in anything, it increases the taste of almost any dish and can be a main ingredient in many. There are many things that can be made from this mere coconut; ranging from coconut chutney to coconut ladoos, all being superawesome and super tasty.

Coconut is a fruit belonging to Cocos nucifera palm. It has greenish colour outer part, which turns brown when matured. The freshly harvested coconut contains sweet water which is extremely beneficial for health and is very tasty and refreshing. Especially, in tropical areas, coconuts are way of life people and coconut oil is staple in their kitchen from cooking to skin and haircare. Now, coconut and its derived ingredients; be it coconut oil, coconut water, coconut milk or coconut flour are being used increasingly in kitchens, restaurants and processed foods. Though it is rich in calories and laden with saturated fats, it has innumerable health benefits. It has an impressive list of health benefits, you may be surprised to know;

Rich in fiber: Coconut has very high fiber content and has a whopping 61% fiber. The fiber is very useful for body and can relieve the body from many problems of digestion or constipation. It even assists in relieving stress on the pancreas and enzyme systems and it slows down the release of glucose and transports it to the cell. Rich fiber can give obviously rich benefits!

Weight loss: Coconut oil and coconut water are really effective in losing weight. It contains medium chain fatty acids that helps in losing off those extra kilos and are also easy to digest. It helps in healthy functioning of thyroid and endocrine glands and also increases the metabolic rate. As you may have seen, tropical region inhabitants are never obese and have normal weights.

Skincare and Haircare: Coconut oil, coconut water or raw coconut are excellent for maintaining good skin health and hair. This is because it contains high fiber and antioxidants and coconut oil is very effective for massaging and moisturizer. It is useful for preventing wrinkles, anti-ageing and prevents many skin ailments. Also, massaging it in hair is very effective for reducing dandruff and keeps your hair lice free. So, in a nutshell, it is just perfect for skin and hair.

Effective for heart health: Coconut is beneficial for heart as it contains 50% lauric acid, which contributes in effectively preventing and treating many heart problems like high blod pressure, high cholesterol levels and also the saturated fats found in cococnut oil is not harmful as the fats in vegetable oils. So, coconut increases the good cholesterol and helps in improvement of cardiovascular risk.

Now, let’s have a look at the coconut derived, so-famous, beneficial products:

Coconut Oil: it contains a mixture of saturated fatty acids, which do not affect cholesterol levels in negative way. It’s the reason coconut oil has made a comeback in cooking and baking and is so popular. Its amazing effects on hair and skin are well known. Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from kernel of matured coconuts and put to variety of uses. Use it in your daily and see the superawesome benefits.

Coconut Milk: It is made from brew of coconut meat and water but it isn’t low calorie product of coconut as coconut water. Rich and thick liquid, more like cream has 445 calories per cup. This is the reason ‘lite’ coconut milk is out in groceries stores as an substitute and is used in cooking and just turns the taste of the dish to tickle your buds.

Coconut water: It has got a lot of buzz because of its refreshing properties and taste with lovely benefits. It is a great hydrating agent after a workout and is even regarded as ‘natural’ sports drink and is very low in calories to the extent that 8 ounces of coconut water contains just 45 calories. Moreover, it can be used in smoothies and delivers a great taste on its own or when added to anything.

Coconut Flour and shredded coconut: coconut flour, being gluten free is really healthy and rich in fiber. It is used in baked goods and adds flavor to them and has great health benefits to diabetic patients. Also, shredded coconut or coconut flakes are popularly used in baking and on sweets to decorate them and add taste to the dishes. The dried shredded coconut is great on almost anything.

If you are also coconut crazy like me, you may have got surprised with all these health benefits of this super white, pure coconut. Due to its versatility, it can go with anything to everything. In addition, coconut is gluten free, non-toxic, no trans fat and is also antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal an hypoallergenic and improves the immune system and supports body function. Having so many pros of coconut, you may want to eat it everyday or atleast include any of its ingredients in you daily diet. I know fresh nariyal paani is so irresisitible and is very seasonal in northern regions. So, Go ahead, keep munching on coconut and its derived products. Afterall, it is superwesome, attractive, irresistible, pure white fruit.

Happy Eating. Happy Life.

July 20, 2014
Water: The Most Essential Requirement for the Human Body

It has been proved that the human body is 60 % made up of water. Water is the most essential requirement for any individual. Different people have different opinions on how much water you should drink each day. Generally it is recommended that you should drink about 2 liters of water per day. There is an 8×8 rule which says that a normal human being should drink 8 ounce of water, eight times a day which adds up to form about half a gallon water. Although this rule is arbitrary and there is no scientific explanation behind it, it is very much useful. The human body requires this much of water daily as it constantly loses water in the form of sweat and urine. But some people have the opinion that in order to avoid the dehydration, you should drink water throughout the day even if you are not thirsty. There are certain internal and external factors which play a vital role in an individual’s need for water. The important point is that without water the survival of the human beings is not possible. You cannot survive long if we do not drink water daily in the adequate amount. For most of the body organs to work properly and the various metabolism functions in the body, water is extremely essential.

If the human body is not provide with adequate amount of water, the energy level of the body comes downs and so as a result the functioning of the brain is affected. There are unexpected mood swings and headaches. Even the mild dehydration of the human body gives rise to the several problems. People start to lose weight and the brain consequently experiences its negative impact. If you are among such people who perform vigorous exercises then you must stay hydrated all the time as the less water content in your body will affect your physical performance and will eventually decrease your endurance.

Many people believe that drinking lots of water help them in losing weight because the water reduces the appetite and it increases the metabolism activities in the human body. This is actually true. When you drink water the metabolism of the body increases by about 25 % which is a very significant figure. Now again if you drink the prescribed amount of water daily, the energy expenditure of the body which is measured in the term of calories increases by about 96 calories per day. The key point here is that you should drink water prior to your meals as it will help in reducing the amount of the calories that you will consume during your meals. In this way you can keep a check on the amount of calories you consume and lose weight as per your requirement.

Now there are many health benefits of drinking water and it also helps you in avoiding many life taking diseases. According to the studies conducted in the various parts of the world, if you consume water in the prescribed amount daily, then you can avoid constipation, formation of stones in your kidneys, skin hydration, formation and spread of acne and most importantly you can also protect yourself from and bladder cancer. If you are among such people who do not drink water in desired quantity then, you must start doing it as it is extremely beneficial for your health.

Now it is also not necessary that you should drink the plain water to complete the daily dose of your water requirement. You can also drink tea, coffee and eat water rich foods to compensate for the water required by the human body. There are many vegetables and fruits which are very much rich in water content. Meat, eggs and fish are some of the examples of such foods. All these food items also contribute in maintaining the fluid balance in your body. But you must protect yourself from sweating a lot.

Maintaining the water balance in the body is one such aspect where you must pay special attention. We feel thirsty when the water balance in your body goes below the accepted level. If you feel thirsty, then you must immediately find a water source and drink it in appropriate amount. You should never ignore such feelings as it is highly essential for your survival. In a normal human being the thirst instinct is so strong and reliable that it is sufficient to pay attention towards the water requirement of the body. The water need of the body varies from individual to individual. For some people 2 liters is more than enough while for some people they feel like drinking water on very small intervals. In certain case such as ladies who get involved in breastfeeding their child should drink a lot of water. Similarly if you had vomiting or if you are suffering from diarrhea, then you must increase the amount of water that you drink daily.

July 1, 2014
Beat The Booze : Curing Hangover At Home

Partying hard is something that comes naturally to youngsters these days. It is the new trend that is gaining momentum all over the world. But it comes with its own bag of after-effects. And the worst of them all is a hangover and due to this, after an awesome evening of indulgence, it is hard to keep that awesome feeling going in the morning.

Hangover is the experience of various physiological and psychological effects following consumption of alcoholic beverages, and is characterized by severe discomfort, that may last more than 24 hours. It is caused due to accumulation of alcohol inside the body and occurs when intoxicating effect of alcohol begins to wear off the next morning. The symptoms include headache, drowsiness, fatigue, nausea, stomach problems, sweating , dry mouth etc.

When you wake up the next morning after partying, your main aim is to cure the piercing headache and the lingering hangover. Normally, you just pop in a powerful painkiller or some other medicine to curb the headache, without knowing the side effects. And the condition becomes worse, when you are a regular party- goer because you can’t just pop in those tablets day after day. This is where natural remedies have a role to play.

There are some easy food items in your kitchen which help to cure that hangover without any worries about side-effects. They even detoxify your body by removing toxins from your liver, and thus reduce the effect of those hard drinks. So using these simple home remedies for curing the hangover is very beneficial for you as they don’t harm your body.

Water :

Drinking water is one of the best cures for a hangover,as it rehydrates the body which is dehydrated by the alcohol. Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day to treat that hangover.

Tea:

Being mostly water, tea is a great agent for rehydration. Green tea is a great source for detoxification of body as it is packed with anti-oxidants. Also, ginger tea can be used to cure a hangover because ginger has long been used to treat nausea and stomach sickness, which are one of the symptoms of a hangover. By combining 10-12 freshly cut ginger root pieces with 4 cups of water, this ale can be quite effective for curing a hangover.

Apart from this, milk thistle tea can also be taken as it cleanses the liver of the harmful toxins in alcohol. To make milk thistle tea, add a tablespoon of milk thistle seeds to a cup of hot water and have it.

Coconut water :

coconut water contains potassium which will help you feel better in no time if you are suffering from a hangover. It also hydrates your body much more effectively than simple water.

Juice:

Tomato juice is a great cure for hangover as long as it is not Bloody Mary induced, as it acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and replenishes the lost nutrients in the body. Orange juice is also a great way to cure a hangover as it raises your blood sugar levels and helps to lose some of the symptoms. But, you should skip acidic juices (like orange juice) if your stomach is upset and have apple juice instead.

Honey and lemons:

Have a classic hot drink of honey and lemon mixed with water, as it replenishes fluids and sugar lost to hangover. Lemon replenishes the vitamins you need and honey has fructose which competes with alcohol metabolism, which in turn helps to expel alcohol from the body. For curing a hangover, boil 1 cup water and mix honey and lemon juice and have it several times a day.

Bananas:

When you are drunk, lots of potassium is lost from the body and eating a banana will surely give you a giddy-up and go, as it is loaded with potassium.

Potatoes with milk :

Eating potatoes is another way of replenishing the body’s potassium levels, and if taken along with milk, there is a great boost to your calcium levels as well. Thus, this is a perfect combo to reduce the hangover.

Apart from this, you should have foods which are light and easy to digest, like rice, soup or toast. Eating something solid will help to cure the headache and stomach problems. If you have a very bad headache, you can also compress your forehead with an ice pack, or just rinse a washcloth under cold water and put it on your forehead for some time, to get significant relief.

So if you take these natural things to treat your hangover, then it will be easier for your body to endure those cocktails and hard drinks. Keeping all things apart, most of all, you should follow the mantra of “prevention is better than cure” in your life. Excessive drinking may be curable at first, but it can cause long term effects if consumed like an everyday affair. So controlled drinking is advisable for all-the-time-hangover-stricken people in the first place, blended with these simple and fruitful home remedies, which nullify the extremely harmful effects of alcohol on your body by its cleansing and detoxification.

June 5, 2014