Sunday, 1 October 2017

Foods Richer in Protein Than an Egg


It is a well-known fact that eggs are a perfect protein delivery food. They contain minerals, healthy fats and vitamins that are crucial for your body's overall immune system. It's a super food, especially for those who work hard to make a fit and bikini-ready body for the upcoming summer. Proteins in eggs make you feel full for a longer period of time and maintain muscle mass.

However, eggs aren't the only food that can blast fat and boost muscle mass. There are other super-rich-in -amino acids foods that contain even more protein than an egg.

Edamame Beans

These are an exceptional food since they are one of the rare plant-based sources of complete amino acids. They are also a very good source of magnesium, which is great for boosting your metabolism, production of energy and muscle development.

Chickpeas

Protein, per ½ cup (cooked): 7.3 grams

These are a great food for those who want to lose some weight. They contain fiber, which is crucial for the health of your intestines. Chick peas release cholecystokinin, a hormone that suppresses appetite. This makes them an excellent food for those who want a flat belly.

Learn What Happens If You Eat Chickpeas Regularly.

Hemp

Hemp is lower in calories and higher in amino acids than chia seeds. It is also worth mentioning that hemp hearts contain linoleic acid, an omega-3 acid that is good for your heart. Therefore, those who have heart disease or struggle with obesity or metabolic syndrome, are recommended to include this super-food in their every day diet plan.

Kidney Beans

In spite of the fact that beans are an excellent source of fiber, they also provide essential amino acids that are crucial for forming a complete amino acids. Kidney beans are also an excellent food for blood-sugar control, containing low glycemic carbohydrate that helps prevent blood sugar spikes.

Black Beans

Black beans are great for a proper brain function, being full of anthocyanins, a antioxidant that fight cell-damaging free radicals. They also contain soluble and insoluble fiber.

Quinoa

Quinoa, together with amaranth, edamame beans and chia seeds, is one of the rare plant-based foods that contain all the essential amino-acids to form a full protein.

Benefits of coconut oil

Coconut oil is most popular for its hydrating properties. It is suitable for all skin types and good for dry skin, dry patches and wounds, say experts.
Swati Kapoor, Co-Founder, SoulTree, Ragini Mehra, Founder, Beauty Source, and Aakriti Kochar, Beauty and Make-up Expert, Oriflame India, tell different ways to use coconut oil for beauty regime.
Coconut oil can be used as make-up remover as it is mild and gently removes all kind of make-up including waterproof make-up as well.
It can be used on body as well for massage and relaxation. As massage oil, its most important property is hydration and glow.
Most of the moisturisers available in the market are water or petroleum based, coconut oil, on the other hand, is completely natural and a much better moisturiser for the skin. Coconut oil fights redness and irritation so it reduces acne while leaving your skin conditioned from within.
Using coconut oil regularly underneath and around your eye area can prevent wrinkles and reduce puffiness and under-eye circles.
Mix honey and coconut oil in equal parts and apply it as a face mask. The mask will help to clear acne and keep skin soft and glowing.
You can mix coarse sugar with coconut oil and use it to exfoliate skin, the grainy sugar will slough off dead skin and the oil will leave the skin moisturised.
Instead of bubble baths and bath salts, try using coconut oil. The hot water melts the oil, and you can literally soak into its moisturising benefits.
Rub coconut oil on minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises. The oil calms the area and creates a barrier against dirt and bacteria.

Fat to fit: 5 effective ways to lose that belly fat

Losing belly fat is really a big task. Unfortunately, numerous studies have proven that it’s almost impossible to target fat loss from a specific place.
In a study conducted in 2007 it was found that subtle spot reduction in arms might be possible in men, for most of us, losing belly fat comes down to lowering our overall body fat percentage.
Everyone shifts weight differently due to genetics and bodily composition. However, if you do manage to lose fat in a healthy and sustainable way, your tubby tum will eventually start to reduce in size, regardless of your genes.
Aside from the archetypal ‘move more, eat less’ mantra, here are some of the less obvious ways you can shift the pounds from the belly and beyond:
1. Mindful mealtimes
Eating without the distractions of phone screens and computers could help people lose weight, a Portuguese study found.
There have also been endless studies which prove that eating in front of a TV can actually make you gain weight due to people snacking out of boredom and forgetting what they’ve already eaten.
Be aware of what you are eating and how you are eating it - ideally at a dining room table with your iPhone stashed far away - and you’re more likely to eat slower and feel full sooner.
2. Eat soluble fibre
Avocados, brussel sprouts, blackberries and flaxseeds are all excellent sources of soluble fibre, which absorbs water in the body, forming a gel that helps ease digestion.
Recent research has shown that regularly eating this kind of fibre helps with weight loss because people fill generally fuller and therefore will be less inclined to reach for sugary treats during the 4pm slump.
One five-year-long study of 1,000 adults found that for each 10 gram increase of soluble fibre they consumed, their belly fat decreased by 3.7 per cent.
3. Reduce stress levels
Stress causes the adrenal glands to produce cortisol in the body.
Often referred to as the “stress hormone,” having high levels of cortisol is known to increase belly fat due to causing a surge in appetite that causes fat storage to build in the abdominals.
It’s particularly prevalent for women, studies show, who naturally produce more cortisol than men due to their larger waistlines.
4. Resistance training
Long gone are the days of slogging away for hours on the stair master, research proves that resistance training i.e. weight training is the key to gaining muscle mass and subsequently shifting fat in the stomach.
It’s been proven to be particularly beneficial for those suffering from diabetes and one study showed how a combination of aerobic and strength training led to a significant reduction in visceral fat in a group of overweight teenagers.
5. Avoid sugary drinks
Everyone knows that Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite et all are bad for your teeth, but did you also know that they could be giving you love handles too?
Artificially-sweetened drinks (and yes, this includes alcohol) loaded with fructose cause the body to store fat in the liver and have been proven to cause substantial abdominal fat gain in a number of studies.
Because sugary foods are processed differently from sugary drinks, the liquid calories are less likely to fill you up and research shows that by drinking them you are more likely to experience an increase in appetite and store those additional calories as fat.

Drink This Juice Daily To See Transformation In Your Body

Very few people know that pineapple is the second most favorite tropical fruit in the world. Fresh pineapple juice has adequate quantity of vitamins, enzymes and minerals which are good for overall development of health. It has many health benefits and can fight against stomach infections,constipation, indigestion, arthritis and sinusitis. As far as its benefits are concerned, the fully ripened fruit is the most beneficial one.
# Improves Digestion
The enzyme bromelain present in Pineapple is useful in digestion and ensure neutralization of acids.

Bromelain breaks down protein into simpler form and promotes digestion. It regulates pancreas secretion to aid in digestion process. Besides natural digestion aids, bromelain encourages healing of wounds, reduce pain in arthritis.
# Strengthens Bones
Pineapple is good in maintaining strong and healthy bones due to presence of manganese. A cup of pineapple juice contains about 73 percent of manganese for daily requirement of the body. Pineapple helps to grow bones at the younger stage while strengthening at the older stage. The juice contains vitamin C and solves the problems related with gums.



# Good for Eyesight
Pineapple contains beta-carotene and vitamin A that good for eyesight. Drinking of pineapple juice prevents macular degeneration and reduces the risk of vision loss at the old age, as suggested by many studies. The presence of anti-oxidants helps to solve the eye related problems and maintains good eye health.
# Combats Arthritis and Joint Pain
Drinking a glass of pineapple juice can greatly help to alleviate the signs and symptoms of arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory in nature. Pineapple juice reduces pain to old age people who are initially suffering from arthritis. Juice of pineapple also gives relief from muscle pain. Eating of this fruit strengthens bones. The presence of bromelain enzyme is considered to reduce inflammation and swelling.
# Keeps Teeth and Gum Healthy
Pineapple juice contains high amount of vitamin C which are beneficial for strong teeth. Eating pineapple strengthens gums thus keep our teeth healthy and strong. It prevents plaque formation by restricting the activities of bacteria, reduces the risk of periodontal diseases and gingivitis.

How is chocolate good for you?


Have you been avoiding chocolate? May be, you can let go your craving for chocolate which you had been controlling for some time. But grab the dark crunchy ones. Not the milky ones. Crunchy dark chocolate can be good for your health!
Dark chocolate that has at least 70 per cent cocoa has enough flavonoids. But limit yourself to about an ounce a day or in two days. An addition of almonds to dark chocolate is considered even healthier as almonds provide healthy fats.
Studies have found incredible health benefits that have been credited to dark chocolate that isn’t processed.
1. Dark chocolate treats inflammation.
2. It may reduce the risk of cancer and dementia.
3. It may provide a mood and energy boost and help prevent depression.
4. Few studies indicate that dark chocolate can help prevent cardiovascular disease.
5. Dark chocolate has been shown to help prevent stroke.
6. It is a potent blood sugar aid. It may decrease sugar level and can be an armour against diabetes.
7. Dark chocolate is good for overall cholesterol profile.
8. Loaded with antioxidants, it can combat free radical before they cause any harm to you.
9. One of the chemicals in dark chocolate help to treat cough.
10. It aids better cognitive function.
11. Dark chocolate is good to lower blood pressure.

Mysterious viral infections soar

The soaring infections are not the only cause of worry for the medical fraternity. They are now perplexed by another problem: The virus causing the infections are all behaving the same way, and they are unable to pinpoint the cause even after tests.
The soaring infections are not the only cause of worry for the medical fraternity. They are now perplexed by another problem: The virus causing the infections are all behaving the same way, and they are unable to pinpoint the cause even after tests.
A disease is confirmed only after a few days. But by this time, it would have spread to other parts of the patient's body. “There are chunks of viral illness that have similar features. Even if it is Dengue, the laboratory test may indicate negative,” says Dr Shilpa Singi, consultant internal medicine, Narayana multi speciality hospital, Whitefield. The test should be done only after five days of the onset of fever, she adds.
This is echoed by other doctors who draw attention to several cases of viral fever which had Dengue-like symptoms but turn out to be negative for Dengue after tests. According to doctors, it is difficult to treat the large inflow of patients during monsoon season.
Besides, many tests cannot be conducted due to lack of laboratories. The tests need specialised equipment available only in cities such as Delhi and Pune.
Preferring anonymity, another doctor from Kirloskar Layout has this to say: “This year, a few cases of viral fever came to my clinic that were mysterious. The patients showed symptoms of both Dengue and Malaria.”
So, how do doctors approach such cases? “Whenever these kind of symptoms are present in the patient, we conduct tests for Dengue, Malaria and Typhoid. The tests would be negative, yet the platelet and WBC counts would drop suddenly. Then it becomes life-threatening,” the doctor says.
This implies the doctors cannot rectify the disease in the initial stage. Precaution is then the byword. “So it's good that patients come to doctors early as soon the symptoms of the viral infection show up. During rainy season, people should take care of their health by having hot and healthy food and also boil water before drinking,” the doctor advises.

The anatomy of a push-up

The push-up is one of those basic exercises, casually thrown at military cadets as a punishment during their training days, in batches of 100s. In fact, says Dr Raju Easwaran, a sports surgeon, the single-arm push-up (with one arm behind the back) is an important yardstick for most commando training around the world. If you’re not going commando, here’s a guide to doing one and getting yourself toned: “It works almost every muscle in the chest, upper back and arms, but it also helps build the core muscles,” says Dr Easwaran, who is a senior consultant with Max Hospitals in Delhi.
“This do-anywhere body-weight exercise has multiple variants, so it’s versatile enough for you to start with the simple wall push-up, used as a rehabilitation tool by physiotherapists for people recovering from a shoulder injury or surgery,” he says.
You could then progress to placing your arms at a higher level (like a step), or performing it with the knees folded, quads on the ground. When starting off, you may use a push-up handle for stability. Avoid it if you have a rotator cuff problem (the muscles around the shoulder). For the rest of us, “Ants can lift many times their weight; surely we should be able to lift at least our own,” says Dr Easwaran. Give yourself 45 days to do a regular push-up.
3 STEPS TO

DOING IT RIGHT

Praveen Nair, Mumbai-based personal trainer to Bollywood stars like Shraddha Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapoor and Sushant Singh Rajput in the past, gives us the perfect push-up position.
Get your start straight: Lie down on the ground. Keep feet hip-width apart and get yourself up on the strength of your arms and chest. Stay on your toes and position hands slightly wider than the shoulders, forming a 90-degree angle to the ground. This is the high plank position. Place your hands flat, spreading the fingers out and grounding them. Align your neck and spine in a way that they form a straight line.
Get your muscles and joints ready: Imagine squeezing something under your arm. Your shoulders should be drawn back rather than towards the ears. Be conscious of engaging your core: clenching the glutes and tightening the abs. Your weight will hinge on the three joints: shoulder, elbow and wrist, so keep your hands steady.
Breathe steadily: Inhale as you go down, keeping the elbows close to the body, and not fanning out. This is called an eccentric muscle contraction, when muscles are lengthening and you are building strength. Exhale on the way up. This is called a concentric muscle movement, when muscles are shortened, with some weight on them. Studies have shown that eccentric movements are more important than concentric to build muscles mass. Simply put, this means that it is in the downward movement of a push-up, towards gravity that you’re actually building your body.
3 MISTAKES

NEWBIES MAKE

Nisha Varma, an American College of Sports Medicine exercise physiologist and a Reebok Master Trainer based out of Pune, points to common errors people make.
The progression is too quick: Perhaps because of the proliferation of online videos that glamourise the advanced forms, people end up doing a single-hand push-up teetering to one side. Focus on posture, progression and your own fitness level so you don’t injure yourself.
The lower back falls in: When you dip, the hip, stomach, and knees touch the floor or are lowered before the chest comes down. This shows lack of core control.
The push-up is not completed fully: When a person does not come back to the high plank position, and comes up just about 80%, the serratus anterior, muscles deep within the chest, are not activated. Again, if you don’t go down completely, you’re not experiencing the full range of motion.

Sunrise view