Carrots are a wonderful source of goodness as they contain so many nutrients. They pack the most carotene out of all vegetables and fruit, and the body converts this into vitamin A. Carrots are also very versatile and can be eaten as is or added to a great pot of stew or curry. The vegetable is also a good source of vitamins C and B, and calcium pectate, a fibre containing cholesterol-lowering properties. Carrots are low in sodium, cholesterol free, fat free, saturated fat free and a good source of fibre.

Why we need eat beta carotene

When the beta carotene found in carrots is converted into vitamin A, this benefits the skin, bones, vision, teeth, mucous membranes and reproductive system. Beta carotene is also an antioxidant which is very important in helping the body fight against cancer and heart disease and may lower your risk of developing prostate cancer by 45 per cent. Beta carotene also boosts the immune system so that your body is able to fight infection.

Carrot recipe to aid diarrhoea

Carrots can help with minor ailments such as diarrhoea, constipation, digestive disorders and worms. A great way to cure a bout of diarrhoea is to make some carrot soup. The fluid helps your body refill on sodium, calcium, sulphur, phosphorus, potassium and combats dehydration. To make a simple blend simply take half a kilogram of carrots and cook them in 150 ml of water until soft. After straining the pulp, you can add three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt. Feed a small amount of soup to the sufferer every 30 minutes. After a day, they should feel much better.

A cup of carrots a day can lower your cholesterol by up to 11 per cent. The vegetable has many health benefits and is easy to incorporate into most family meals, so there’s no excuse for not eating plenty of them.

Despite the advice of many nutritionists, you may still be wondering whether or not you need a multivitamin to supplement your diet. Growing concerns about the quality of the food we eat, combined with many people not having the best diet possible, point towards multivit – or even two – a day being a very good investment in your health. While severe vitamin deficiencies are quite rare in the developed world, here are five very good reasons for taking vitamin supplements.

Reason one: our food is low in minerals

The way we farm today is intensive, meaning we try to grow as much as possible, in as little time as possible. Soil is seldom left fallow to recover from the growing season, and this results in low soil quality. The soil in which our fruit and vegetables are grown has been found to be lacking in important minerals our bodies need to function at their prime.

Reason two: processed food

For the sake of convenience, much of the food we eat today is processed, and processing food removes essential vitamins and minerals. White bread, cereals and milk may be fortified (have vitamins added to them) to help with this problem, but nothing can replace the value of the vitamins and minerals provided by foods in their natural state. Eat wholegrain wheat, brown rice, and try rolled oats for breakfast instead of corn flakes. As well as taking a multivit, cook vegetables as little as possible, and to keep them healthy, try steaming rather than boiling or frying.

Reason three: the shipping of food

Photo: DeathByBokeh

Many foods are imported from other countries, and are shipped a long distance to get to us, as well as being stored for a long time. The older food is when we eat it, the poorer its vitamin and mineral content. Fruit and vegetables are likely to be low in vitamin C when they reach shops’ shelves, and much of what we buy is also lacking in the important B-complex.

Reason four: unhealthy diets

Diets consisting of processed foods and take-aways, and erratic eating habits, deprive our bodies of essential nutrients. Eating on the run makes it difficult for our bodies to get all the goodness they need from our food.

Reason five: pollution

Because of pollution in our air, water, and soil, our bodies need more nutrients to stay healthy. We especially need the ‘ACE vitamins’ – vitamins A, C and E – in good quantity to help our bodies to fight free radical damage, which leads to premature ageing and even, in the long run, disease.

If this isn’t reason enough to take a multivit every day, take a look at this study and you may well be convinced.

So if you are following a regular work-out schedule, you must go for a diet plan that not only helps in attaining your weight-loss goals but is also beneficial for your skin and hair.

• You must ensure that your diet includes the necessary ACE vitamins in sufficient quantity. Instead of depending on the tablets and dietry supplements, look for the natural stuff. Carrots, peppers, strawberries, spinach, grapes, oranges and broccoli, among other fruits and veggies are great for fulfilling your vitamin requirements.

• Biotin is another essential nutrient that will make your skin glow while burning more calories. Biotin is present in things like peanut butter, liver and eggs.

• Dairy products, wholegrains, nuts, fish and beans are the best sources of minerals like zinc. So add them to your food, but in a healthy form.

• Instead of skipping your meals, substitute the sinful desserts and fried food stuff with soups, juices, fruit-salad, muesli, mixed-grain bread and vegetable pizzas.

I’m sure these tips will help you in planning a health-oriented diet plan. Whenever you are preparing a diet chart for yourself, take some advice from a professional. Also create your own healthy receipes and make sure that you look slim yet great.Of course, often a diet alone will not be enough for achieving your weight loss goals. In these case you must compliment your diet with a regular exercise regime, such as running daily on a treadmill, like the Nautilus T518 LC treadmill. Following the above nutrition advice, in conjunction with an active fitness schedule, will surely be enough to get you healthy and looking your best.

Specific hair problems can be taken care of with a good diet. It is however important to break the myth that nutrients can help repair chemically damaged or split hair, which is actually not the case. Moreover, in certain cases, such as with dandruff or dry air, professional products like the Neutrogena T/Gel-Anti-Dandruff-Shampoo, are necessary. Nevertheless, you can effectively handle other hair issues with a fair amount of success with a more structured eating habit.

People who have oily hair should avoid foods that usually increase the oil levels like chilli or curry. The depressing point here is that if you are genetically born with oily hairs the options are realistically limited.

Dull hairs are also a cause a serious depression. This usually happens if you frequently expose it to chemically rich substances like bleaching and perming. Lack of protein in your diet is another cause of dry and lifeless hair. You can get rid of the problem by eating foods like lean meat, poultry, fish, nuts seeds or pulses.

Dry hairs; on the other hand, signifies a deficiency in essential fatty acids. Naturally, you should increase the intake of foods that are rich in fatty acids such as nuts, seeds, and oily fish like mackerel. These foods are also rich in proteins which help in reviving the glow back to your hairs.

There is also this peculiar problem faced by people where the hair just stops growing, and is caused by the lack of B Vitamins in your diet. Vitamin B apart from providing the body with a great deal of energy, are crucial for the normal growth of hair. If you have low energy levels hair growth may come to a standstill. It is helpful if you take small meals at frequent intervals. Vitamin H is also a necessary ingredient in accelerating hair growth, and is available in eggs, fish, milk, nuts and pulses.

]]> http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/health-beauty/400/eat-healthy-to-have-healthy-hair.html/feed 0 http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/keeping-healthy/336/boost-your-immunity-to-stay-healthy.html http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/keeping-healthy/336/boost-your-immunity-to-stay-healthy.html#comments Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:30:05 +0000 Kyle http://www.home-living-news.co.uk/?p=336 The hectic work schedules and pressure to meet targets have become an indispensable part of the modern life. It is vital to strengthen our immune system to sustain a sound body and mind in this stressful environment. We can strengthen our immune system by simply improving our food habits and including vitamin C and E in our diet. These vitamins act like antioxidants for our body and protect us from many common diseases.

Your everyday diet must include fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and seeds along with 10-12 glasses of water. Green tea is also very useful in stimulating the production of immune cells. Additionally, herbs like Echinacea and Asian Ginseng are also known for their illness prevention ability. To ensure a proper intake of vitamins, you should drink fresh juice or else go for the tasty fruit smoothies.

It is also important to exercise for atleast 30 to 40 minutes every day to burn extra fats and keep the body active. This is most easily accomplished by using a treadmill, like the BH Cruiser Pro. Of course, you can also go for a morning walk, which de-stresses your body along with revitalising your senses. Aerobics and deep breathing exercises are also useful in strengthening your lungs and burning body toxins.

Also take care to wash your hands before every meal and avoid an excessive intake of junk food. Avoid late nights as your body and mind need sufficient sleep.

Just a little care and improved food habits can protect you from many ailments that may disturb the flow of life. Eat healthy and rest well to stay in pink health throughout your life.

A banana contains serotonin, melatonin and magnesium. Serotonin and melatonin are both two of best sleep inducing elements and are most commonly used by all the pharmaceutical companies. Magnesium is supposed to have a relaxing effect. This therefore helps in relaxing the muscles.

Warm milk contains tryptophane and calcium. Tryptophane is basically an amino acid and has a sedative effect, and calcium in turn helps in its absorption. I believe this gives explains why our moms and grannies used to ask us to have a cup of warm milk before going to bed.

Potatoes have so much starch they are bound to be sleep inducing. Well jokes apart, potatoes have this special ability to fight and get rid of the acids which can interfere with the tryptophane amino acid. How much I wish they had fewer calories too.

Oats are rich in fibre and therefore very filling. They also help in stimulating the production of melatonin which is a sleep inducing hormone.

Chamomile tea is one of the oldest traditional garden herbs which has a sedating effect and also acts as a nerve relaxant. It is a perfect antidote for both a stressed mind and bodies.

Nothing can be compared to a good night’s sleep and no one should be deprived of this if they can help it. Let these natural products do their job and you do yours of telling your body and mind to relax and sleep.

Physically active children need extra energy for their growth. But as we all know they have very small stomachs, therefore they cannot eat enough at one time or at meals to give them the right nutrition that they require. In another 3-4 hours their stomachs get empty due to all work and physical activities and they feel hungry again. As we all know it’s hard to concentrate if you are hungry and this is especially true for children.

Well planned snacks help in getting all the nutrients that are required for the healthy growth and development of the child. What is important is to teach the children to eat and enjoy the healthy snacks. A healthful snack is more than just additional calories. It is nutritious and provides carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, water and dietary fibre. The foods that are particularly low in salt, sugar, and most importantly fats are considered the best.

Always consider a snack as a mini meal which should fit perfectly in with the children’s regular meals. For example, if the child avoids taking fruit during its main meal, then try including it in some form of a snack or try saving a part of the main meal. Maybe save half a sandwich, or a desert for snack time. A microwave, like the rather inexpensive yet efficient Swan SM 2050, is perfect for heating up left over meals. It is very important to build healthful snacking habits, which will provide the right nutrition for growing children.

If there is an option of vegetarian variants in the menu, you should try restricting your choice to that. If not, then choose chicken or fish over beef or pork. Select the option of the less fatty cheese, if it is available when ordering for a pizza or burger. A double cheese burger can be restricted to a single cheese or for that matter you can entirely do without the cheese. If there is an option of salad available, then it is always better to stick to that as your meal. Anyone kind of greasy and fried side dishes, such as fires or onion rings, are always a big no-no.

Try keeping yourself away from the temptation of deserts. Avoid any kind of carbonated drinks. If thirsty you can go for iced tea, low fat milk or fruit juice, and the best option would naturally be a bottle of water. Blended juice shakes are always a healthy alternative, and can even be made at home with the help of a mixer like the Philips HR 2094. These are just some precautions that you can take but the million dollar question still is why must something so unhealthy taste so good?

Food for Eyes

Include green leafy vegetables, milk, egg and fruits like papaya in your daily diet. Carrots are supposed to be a great food for improving eyesight, but some recent research shows that carrots can only protect you from eye infections. So try to focus on some other Vitamin A enriched food and you may also ask your doctor for a Vitamin A dose in the form of a tablet.

Proper Lighting

Never strain your eyes by reading, watching TV or working on computer in a room with poor lighting. Insufficient lighting forces your eyes to adjust in an unfriendly environment. Of course this does not mean that sunglasses like the popular Oakley Hijinx are bad for your eyesight. However, activities such as reading in the dark are, and it is wise to always take care that the room you are in has appropriate light in it.

Try to go for regular eye check-ups to ensure the wellness of eyes as little precautions and care can save our eyes and avoid eyesight deteriorates for a long time. Along with other things, also learn to relax your eyes by placing a warm towel over them or by gently massaging around the eyes.

If you want to lose weight, then the best way to do it, is to eat as much fruit as you can. All fruits are nutritious as they are store houses of vitamins and contain natural sugars that metabolise easily. For all the toxins that are accumulated in your body because of indulging in junk food, endless pills and countless pegs of alcohol, Fruits work as the best detoxifiers. If you want to lose weight by eating fruits, then you should choose the right kind of fruits as some fruits like Mangoes and Bananas are rich in sugars and low in minerals so should be avoided. A great way for people in a hurry to ingest all their fruits is by making shakes. Simply pour all the different fruits into a blender, like the professional Philips HR 2094, and then viola, your healthy vitamin filled shake is ready. Here is a list of five fruits that you must have while on a diet.

Berries- all kinds of berries from strawberries to cranberries are extremely high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are the disease fighting compounds that also help you to oxidize your fat easily.

Water melon- this huge fruit is extremely filling and a great detoxifier. It’s a must have in summers as its exceptionally hydrating.

Apple- apples are low in sugars and rich in potassium and sodium, which are very important minerals and help you stay fit.

Papaya- papaya is again another fruit with less calories and high nutritional quotient. Papaya works excellent for digestion and keeps your stomach fit.

Red Grapes- since these grapes are over ripe they have a high amount of anti oxidants in them that will help you burn more calories.