Honey: An Elixir

The concept of honey is no less than an alchemical process coming from the far off lands of fantasy, bees extracting nectar from flowers to produce the ultra sweet elixir-honey. But no less magical are the benefits this elixir has. I have come across people who don’t really think honey any good than being a more natural sweetener but this simple ingredient does wonders.

Honey has many benefits and a lot of them are pretty known to most of us. They include its effectiveness to cure wounds, its superiority to sugar, and its antibacterial and antiseptic qualities. So I decided to dedicate this blog to relatively unknown benefits of the elixir. 

Here’s a list:

Prevents cancer

Yes, that’s true! Honey contains carcinogen preventing properties. It has anti-tumor effects and these are being studied with more precision now.

Cures insomnia

Honey improves the quality of sleep, particularly among children. Just like sugar, honey releases serotonin and increases the level of insulin. This serotonin gets converted into melatonin and perks up the quality and length of sleep. The famous milk and honey combination induces a much better sleep by relaxing the mind and the soul.

Resolves scalp problems

Honey has proven to help get rid of dandruff and hair fall. Honey mixed with warm water when applied to hair can substantially reduce itching and if it is applied regularly for at least six months, the problems do not relapse.

Helps with hangovers

This one is for the liquor swillers. Honey comprises of natural sugars like fructose which helps in metabolizing alcohol. Honey is gentle on your stomach and helps one get sober faster.

Helpful for yoga practitioners

Honey helps your body become more vibrant and opens up your body system. It helps with doing yoga as it boosts your body balance.

5 Kitchen-Must-Haves for a Budgeted Health

I have often come across people who are perpetually perturbed about eating the right diet. An overwhelming range of cheap, junk food has been arrayed in the grocery stores these days. But in the recent times, I observed that people have started to believe nutritious dieting to be a luxury pursuit. An organic kitchen might break the bank for many families who live on the budget. But that’s like a myth lurking on today’s necessity for a healthier eating. So I have centered this post primarily to break that myth as there are a range of super-healthy foods which will never frown on your pockets. Here’s a list of the top 5:

Cabbage: Cabbage has it all! It is a nutritional power pack with vitamins K and C, iron, calcium and potassium. It can be had roasted or baked, as salads, with dips, sandwich toppings or added to soups, stews and casseroles.

Eggs: Eggs are an incredible source of vitamin B and anti-oxidants. Easy to have during breakfast meals as omelet or casseroles. It can also be had as a breakfast sandwich or frittata. These can also be had hard cooked in salads and as snacks.

Yogurt: Yogurt is plentifully rich with protein and calcium. As a breakfast with some flavored granolas or an evening snack, the simple product can be had as a dip for veggies and fruits. It can be blended as a base for smoothies or parfaits with cereal and fruit.

Brown Rice: The most widely eaten staple across the globe, rice is a storehouse of energy. Brown rice is further rich in zinc and magnesium, making it an even better option. It can be had as a side dish with vegetables and gravies, with soup or casseroles and can be had stir-fried.

Popcorn: Popcorn kernels are a good source of fiber. Low on calories, the snack is one of the cheapest and widely available. Spices and herbs can be sprinkled on it to blaze up its simple taste appeal. How about a layer of Italian seasoning sprinkled over our pop kernels? Worth trying, not so?

With these 5 musts flaunting on the kitchen shelves, you never have to worry about what healthy to have in your meals within minutes!

Live more of life with Moringa Leaves

We live in a century where we need more in less and lesser time, like general knowledge shots and vocabulary shots. Though one might laugh at the irony inherent in these ideas and how these concepts satirize our very crisis, it is actually possible to achieve these when it comes to diet. This post is dedicated to Moringa leaves and how they can help you achieve all the nutrition that you need while also saving your time and efforts which go into devising dietary planning (seriously, no puns intended).

Moringa oleifera leaves are believed to be one of the most nutritious plants that have ever been discovered by humans so far. Usually consumed in a powered form, it remains fresh after it’s packed even for as long as months (good for the procrastinators that we are). The powder is in fact more nutritious than the leaves, sometimes even providing ten times the nutrition than leaves. Moringa powder is one of the richest sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, chlorophyll and complete amino acids.

Moringa powder’s carbohydrate to fiber ratio is 2 to 1. Harvard Health has called a carb ratio of 10-1 healthy and that of 6-1 as recommended. A 2 to 1 ratio is way superior as it shows that Moringa powder has all the fiber it needs to digest the rich carbohydrate level it has. It also contains 18 amino acids, 47 antioxidants and 36 anti-inflammatories. Moringa is a whole-food complex that contains 7 times the Vitamin C in oranges, 4 times the Vitamin A in carrots, 3 times the potassium in bananas and 4 times the calcium in milk. It, truly, is the most nutritious plant yet discovered.

Moringa leaves contain flavonoids like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and catechin polyphenols, which are extremely powerful antioxidants. Its level of Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity is 157,600 mole TE/100g as against 1,240 in green tea.

Moringa powder is known to have innumerable benefits. Some of the significant ones have been listed below:

• ·         Boosts energy level and stamina
• ·         Increases focus and concentration levels
• ·         Helps in controlling diabetes
• ·         Lowers LDL cholesterol levels
• ·         Inhibits abnormal formation of blood clots
• ·         Lowers blood pressure and heals insomnia
• ·         Helps in detoxification
• ·         Helps in reducing weight
• ·         Combats depression and anxiety
• ·         Cures minor infections and improves immunity
• ·         Delays skin ageing and smoothens it
• ·         Boosts hair growth
• ·         Nourishes hair follicles
• ·         Boosts keratin formation
• ·         Helps heal wounds faster
• ·         Heals joint pains
• ·         Enhances mobility and flexibility

Moringa powder is easy to consume. It can be had blended with shakes or smoothies or you can sprinkle it over salads, popcorn, pizzas, soups, vegetables, or fruit juices. It can be mixed with garlic or peanut better, mayonnaise or dips, pizza or spaghetti sauce and even in soup creams. You can experiment with your Moringa powder power shots while never having to let your taste buds sacrifice!

Wheatgrass: The Holy Grail of Foods

“Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you can heal the patient with food”, said the Father of Western Medicine, Hippocrates, the great physician of Classical Greece. I want to share with you the innumerable benefits of a thing as simple as Wheatgrass. Called as the ‘green blood’ by dieticians and the Holy Grail of foods, wheatgrass has a never ending list of benefits. In this blog, I have tried to provide a glimpse of this unending list.

Chlorophyll has been called “concentrated sunpower” owing to it being the very first product of natural light. Wheatgrass is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll. Wheatgrass’ molecular structure of Chlorophyll closely resembles to a substance called Hemin found in blood. Presence of chlorophyll makes wheatgrass high in oxygen and anti-bacterial. It washes away drug deposits from the body, neutralizes toxins, purifies liver and reduces blood sugar problems. Chlorophyll also has anti-septic benefits which help neutralize infections, heal wounds faster and reduce breath and sweat odor.

Wheatgrass also helps in rebuilding bloodstream, restoring fertility (owing to its high magnesium content) and removes scars and heals acne. It can also prevent tooth decay and if held in mouth for five minutes, it can substantially reduce tooth aches. Wheatgrass also helps with skin problems like eczema and psoriasis and is an excellent skin cleanser. It also helps in delaying grey hair growth.

If wheatgrass is grown in organic soil, it is known to absorb 92 of the 102 known minerals from the soil. It increases the life of herbivorous animals as it has what is called the ‘grass-juice factor’. 30 ml wheatgrass juice is equivalent to the nutritional value which one gets from vitamins, minerals and amino acids in one kilo of fresh green vegetables. It also has various enzymes and is a complete protein (20%).

Some other benefits of wheatgrass are as listed:

• ·         Helps reduce gastrointestinal problems like constipation, diarrhea and ulcers
• ·         Protects liver and blood and strengthens cells
• ·         Fights tumors and helps in combating Cancer
• ·         Boosts natural immune system
• ·         Restores alkalinity to the blood and purifies it
• ·         Combats Blood Pressure problems, Menstrual Problems, Insomnia, Asthma, Paralysis, Arthritis and Leukemia       
• ·         Combats Thalassemia and Anemia
• ·         Energizes and rejuvenates the body
• ·         Overcomes nutrition deficiencies
• ·         Helps in weight loss/gain along with dietary controls
• ·         Slows down aging process

A glass of wheatgrass juice has 5 times the iron in spinach, 7 times Vitamin C than in an orange, 30 times Vitamin A than in fresh milk, 11 times Calcium than in fresh milk and is equivalent to 1 kg of fresh organic vegetables.

Wheatgrass has innumerable benefits and can be easily incorporated in your diet. 1 tsp of wheatgrass powder can be mixed in a glass of warm water and had on an empty stomach. A simple and inexpensive addition to your diet can lead to benefits which will significantly improve the quality of your life.