Popular Wholegrains Food

Wholegrains food

Grains are the edible seeds of plants and wholegrains are called the healthiest kind of grains. Wholegrains are rich in fibers, vitamins and minerals and are a good source of complex carbohydrates. Consuming wholegrains is the sure-shot way to get the most of the nutrition and fiber out of grain.

Wholegrains kernels consist of

1.     Bran, the fibrous outer layer full of minerals like iron, copper, zinc, magnesium and vitamin B.

2.     Germ, the nutrient-packed core with B vitamins, vitamin E and healthy fats.

3.     Endosperm, the interior layer of starchy carbohydrates with protein and vitamins.

In refined grains, the bran and germ parts are removed, resulting in the removal of the nutrients and fibers. Whole grains are a healthier option because of their fiber and nutrient content compared to fine grains.

Popular Wholegrains

1.     Oats

 Oats are among the healthiest, nutrient-dense grains. containing carbohydrates and protein. They are gluten-free and are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibers. Consuming oats help in lowering blood sugar levels, eases digestion and constipation, promotes weight loss and reduces the risk of heart disease. They contain a soluble fiber called beta-glucan that helps reduce cholesterol levels. 

2.     Corn

 Corn is a good source of potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin A and vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps in protecting your cells from damage. Yellow corn is also a great source of carotenoids which are good for eye health and prevents damage to the eye that leads to cataract. This grain is recommended to be eaten in moderation as overeating can cause digestive problems like bloating, gas and diarrhea. It can also spike your blood sugar and lead to an increase in weight when consumed in excess.

3.     Brown rice

It is the whole grain rice with the inedible outer hull removed. It has the outer bran and germ layer giving it a brown color tan. White rice has no hull, bran and germ layer as a result low in nutrients and high in starch. Brown rice has less carbohydrate content, is low in calories and is rich in nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. It can be a good substitute for white rice and helps in losing weight. It contains more fiber and makes you feel full soon.

4.     Wheat

The bread made from wholegrain wheat is made from the entire wheat kernel. It has many benefits like they are rich in fiber and minerals, and lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Whole wheat grain is a better source of folate, iron and B vitamins. It is good practice to have daily carbs intake rich in fibers.

5.     Finger millet

Finger millet or ragi is a super grain packed with nutrients and low in calories. It is a good source of potassium which is essential for the brain, muscles, kidneys and heart to function properly. Finger millet is recommended for a liver disorders, blood pressure, asthma and heart weakness. It helps in relaxing the body during anxiety, depression and insomnia. 

6.   Barley

Barley is a versatile grain that is rich in nutrients and provides many health benefits ranging from digestion and weight loss to lowering cholesterol levels and a healthy heart. Soaking and sprouting of the barley grain increase the vitamin, mineral, protein and antioxidants levels.

7.     Popcorn

This grain is quite popular among all ages for its crunchy tastes and being a low-calorie and high-fiber convenience diet. It improves digestive health, helps in metabolism and provides energy. It reduces depression and craving for food and controls blood sugar levels.

Wholegrain-made food products are high in fiber that makes you feel full, satisfied and healthy. However, persons who are gluten sensitive shouldn't go for gluten-containing whole grains like wheat, Barley and rye.

Tips for Effective Eye Care

Tips for Eye Care

Your eyes tell a lot about your health. The eyes will sparkle if you are healthy and show dullness if you are not well. Eyes lose sheen too if you are internally suffering from some ailment. 

Eyes will look red, dry, and dull and sometimes have dark circles or puffiness around them due to lack of rest, tiredness, infection or ailment. Like your body, your eye needs rest and care too after a long and tiring day. To take care of your eyes you can follow some steps, following are the tips for effective eye care.

1.   Keep your eyes safe from dryness

Dry air aggravates the dryness of the eyes resulting in loss of moisture and red, scratchy and irritated eyes. It is better to avoid dry wind, smoke, car heaters and hair dryers.

 Keep eye moisturizing drops with you, they will definitely help your eyes. Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated whenever you are in a dry place as fluids are vital for eye health.

2.   Put a green tea bag on your eyelids

Moist green tea bags can be the remedy to treat tired and dry eyes as well as the skin around the eyes. Green tea bags can provide both cold and warm compresses to the eyes. The anti-inflammatory properties of green tea may be useful for moisturizing the eyes. 

It gradually reduces puffiness and dark circles around them. Keep the green tea bags for 15 to 30 minutes and slightly press with your fingertips to provide a light massage to the eyes.

3.    Eat for the nourishment of the eyes

Your eyes need nutrients to get nourished and to keep away from deficiencies. These nutrients should be part of our diet from childhood itself. 

1, Minerals like Zinc (found in meat, poultry, nuts, dried beans, soy food, milk and other dairy products).

2, Nutrients like vitamin A (carrots, green leafy vegetables, eggs, sweet potatoes), vitamin E (whole grains, nuts, wheat germ) and vitamin C(tomatoes, lemons, broccoli, red berries, orange), 

3, Fatty acids like omega 3 fatty acids (walnuts, flax seeds, soybeans and fish like salmon)

4, Antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin (corn, peas, lettuce and broccoli)are absolutely essential.                              

4.   Eye massage

Eye massage is something that is good to promote blood circulation to your eyes. Use only your mid and index finger around your eye in a circle starting from the eyebrows and then inwards along the top of your cheekbones towards the bridge of the nose. It relieves your eyes from tiredness and dryness.

5.    Good quality sleep

At least 6 hours of sleep is needed by your eyes daily to get proper rest. Sleep helps in rejuvenating your eyes, improves eye lubrication and healthier nerve and tissues around your eyes. 

Less amount of sleep will actually lead to blurry vision and eye strain. To get a good night's sleep for the sake of your eyes turn off the blue lights on your laptop, iPad and smartphone screens. Browsing the internet makes your brain harder to get into sleep mode.

6.    Take eye breaks when using smart devices

Protecting your eyes from computers and smartphones has become important as they cause strain in your eyes and worsen your eyesight in the long run. The most common symptoms of eye strain caused by smart devices are headache, blurred vision, dry eyes and neck and shoulder pain. 

It is because we subconsciously stop blinking while we are staring at smart devices. To give your eyes the much-needed eye break follow the 20/20/20 rule. That is, if you are looking at the screen for 20 minutes, then look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. The longer you look away from the screen the better.

7.    Wear protective eyewear

Protective eyewear is necessary to reduce the risk to eyes from light or radiation, wind, heat, sprays and specks of dust. This safety eyewear is generally shatterproof and can be worn over prescription glasses. To go out on a sunny day you can also wear your sunglasses to protect your eyes.

 Eyes are like our lives, they needed to be taken care of. Your care for your eyes will make your life shine and make your eyes beautiful and problem free for years to come

Enhance Bone Health

 

How to Enhance Bone Health

 

Bone health changes from childhood to teenage to adulthood as it depends on your diet, lifestyle and physical activity. To maintain the health and strength of bones a steady stream of nutrients like vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium and calcium are required. It is essential to build strong and healthy bones during childhood and adolescence.

 Our peak bone mass is reached when we reach 30, subsequently, no significant bone mass is created by our body. During the later part of life, both men and women (especially post-menopausal) face the risk of osteoporosis due to a lack of calcium and vitamin D as bones can become fragile and break easily.

While it is tough to get the level of bone mass you had in your youth but you can certainly prevent the thinning of bones by following some healthy habits.

1.    Boost Calcium intake

Calcium help builds strong bones and the daily intake of calcium required in adult male and female is 1000 mg of calcium per day. For men older than 71 and women older than 51, the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) is 1200 mg of calcium a day. If you take more than 500 mg of calcium at one time it will be passed by the body as waste. 

To boost the calcium intake we must try to have calcium from other food sources besides dairy low-fat milk, soy milk, tofu, almonds, cottage cheese, yogurt, calcium-fortified orange juice and green leafy vegetables. Calcium supplements can help you bridge the gap in the daily intake of calcium.

2.    Vitamin D & vitamin k

vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium in the body. Sunlight received from proper exposure to the sun is the main source of vitamin D. But as we grow older our skin is not as receptive to sunlight as in our youth. The use of sunscreen while sitting in the sun also makes us vitamin D deficient.

 Good source of vitamin D in food products like fortified dairy, egg yolk, saltwater fish and vitamin d3 supplements.

Vitamin K helps in bone health by reducing calcium loss and assisting minerals to bind to the bones. The best source is cheese and soy products.

3.    Physical activity

At whatever age we are currently physical activity is a must. Activities like walking, jogging and light aerobics exercise make our bones and muscles work together against gravity and in the process strengthen our bones. Including weight lifting and strength, training help promote bone growth and bone mineral density

4.    Avoid smoking and alcohol use

Smoking and alcoholic drinks put an adverse effect on bones, smoking reduces calcium absorption and heavy alcohol use decreases bone density. Nicotine in cigarettes and alcohol causes a 2% loss in bone mass in a year’s time and increases the risk of osteoporosis.

5.    Moderate caffeine intake

Excess caffeine consumption may lead to a decrease in bone mineral density. It may reduce calcium absorption, and increase urinary excretion of calcium which may induce osteoporosis, especially in elderly people with inadequate calcium intake. Children fond of carbonated soft drinks are also vulnerable to a decrease in calcium absorption as their favorite drink also contains caffeine.

6.    Eat lots of veggies

Vegetables are low in calories and provide minerals and fibers. Green and yellow leafy vegetables like spinach, cabbage and broccoli are good sources of calcium and vitamin C. 

Vegetables are also a good source of vitamin C, which stimulates the production of bone-forming cells and its anti-oxidant property protects bone cells from damage. Okra, beets, raisins, tomatoes and spinach are good sources of magnesium that contribute to higher mineral density and risk of fractures.

7.    Maintain a healthy weight

A healthy weight is important for keeping good bone health. People should stop gaining and losing weight rapidly because as they move from gaining and losing, they can lose their bone density which does not restore when they gain weight. This leads to the weak bone, persons who are underweight are at great risk of losing bone weight.

Persons who are overweight equally need to exercise daily as too much weight put an extra burden if your bones are weak. It will be better to discuss your risk factor with your doctor and go for a bone density test.

8.    Avoid a low-calorie diet

Low-calorie diet leads to health problems like weakness and bone density loss. Instead, we should try to have a balanced diet consisting of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Nutrients such as fats, sugars and proteins play a primary function in bone metabolism and bone health. 

The best strategy is to eat a diet that is low in salt and rich in fresh and minimally processed whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Include calcium and vitamin D from food and supplements and limit caffeine and carbonated drinks. Fasting can also adversely affect bone mass and bone mineral density.

9.    Eat more protein

Protein plays a greater role in muscle development as well as in the increase of bone density. Protein makes up roughly 50% of the volume of bone and one-third of bone mass. Elderly people are supposed to eat more protein, to help wound healing and maintain muscle mass.

 When the body gets adequate amounts of calcium, a high protein diet can actually repair bone loss. Food high in protein includes  dairy foods, meats, poultry, eggs, paneer and fish.

 

 

 

Muscle Degeneration and Recovery

The Muscle Degeneration and Recovery

What is muscle degeneration?

Muscle degeneration or sarcopenia (which means lack of flesh) is the wasting or thinning of the muscle mass. It starts when we are in our 30s, but muscle loss is prominent when we reach our 50s. After middle-age adults lose 3-5% of their muscle strength every year.

 It can be due to the disuse of your muscles or neurogenic conditions (controlled by the nervous system). It can also happen when you are bedridden or unable to move due to a medical condition.

 Even if you are active, you can still lose muscle mass. It is treatable if we switch to regular exercise and proper protein consumption, but it takes longer to regain the lost muscles.

Symptoms of muscle wasting

The main symptoms can be

1.     Decrease in muscle mass, numbness and weakness in limbs.

2.     Having difficulty in balancing and tingling in arms and leg muscles.

3.     Reduced muscle strength and stamina.

4.     Impaired ability to perform physical activities.

5.     Loss of muscle coordination, facial weakness, vision problem and fatigue.

6.     Elderly people with severe conditions find difficulty in speaking and swallowing food.

Muscle loss in elderly

Loss of muscle in the elderly may lead to a decrease in body strength, and mobility and an increased risk of falls and injuries. So, it is critical to preserve and build body muscles, especially in seniors.

Sitting and lying down for long periods of time can cause muscle fibers to break down leading to leg muscles getting weak over a long period of time. An easy way to avoid prolonged sitting hours is to take a walk or climb the stairs.

 A decline in walking ability can be seen with progress in muscle degeneration. But strength training like pumping iron is the secret to muscle growth in the elderly.

Although aging can also bring muscle degeneration or sarcopenia, muscle loss can be reversed or decreased by a healthy diet and reasonable exercise which increases lifespan as well as improve quality of life.

Food for muscle recovery

Generally, high protein, low fat and low carbohydrate meal are recommended for muscle repair and regeneration. Some preferred protein sources are lean meat such as chicken and fish, eggs and vegetable proteins like beans, nuts, cheese, tofu and soy.

If we talk about a drink that helps in building muscles then nonfat milk and soy protein drink are best. A healthy alternative to all these can be consuming protein shakes made from protein powder.

  How to keep your muscles healthy and strong

keep the following tips in mind

1.     Resistance and weight training are the best ways to rebuild muscles. It also helps build bone mass which keeps you mobile.

2.     Eating a high-quality protein diet can slow down the rate of muscle loss. Protein is composed of amino acids; the building blocks the body uses to grow and repair muscle tissues.

3.      Having Omega 3 fatty acid and vitamin D supplements, as it is tough to get these nutrients in daily meals. Mainly found in fatty fish (omega 3 fatty acid) and fish oil (vitamin D) and not possible to eat daily, supplements are the most effective way to prevent and reverse sarcopenia.

4.     Walking does not build big, bulky muscles but higher intensity walking is good for muscles as it reduces age-related muscle loss.

5.     Stop alcohol consumption to preserve your body.