Heart Healthy Food

Hi Friends! Heart diseases are the no.1 killer across the world. The foods which help us keep our heart in good should be in our diet & today my topic will be the same. The risk of heart attacks & strokes (cardiovascular diseases) can be reduced by healthy eating & healthy living. Find the below list to make a difference in your diet.

Nuts: They are a source of plant Omega-3 fatty acids, mono & poly unsaturated fatty acids favorable for the heart, magnesium, Vitamin E, phytosterols, which prove an excellent combination for the heart, especially walnuts & almonds.

Salmon or Other Fatty Fish: The most important source of Omega-3 fatty acids. They also have good amount of folate & Niacin & have shown excellent food to keep your heart healthy.

Black or Kidney Beans:  They are a source of healthy protein without unhealthy fats. They are also rich in Vitamin B complex, niacin, calcium & soluble fiber. They help fight diabetes as well which has shown a big role in connection to cardiovascular diseases.

Tofu: Soy products like Tofu & soy milk are excellent source of protein & have no unhealthy fats. They are rich sources of polyunsaturated fats, potassium, niacin, folate, & magnesium. It also reduces blood pressure & LDL levels.

Broccoli & Spinach: They are high in dietary fibers which help cleanse your system. Other nutrients like Vitamin A, B complex, Vitamin C magnesium, potassium & calcium make it a power packed food for salads & veggies.

Red Bell Peppers: They are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin B complex, betacarotene & lutein along with folate, potassium & fiber, also tasty to add in your veggies & salads.

Oranges & other citrus fruits: These fruits are rich source of Vitamin C which is a super antioxidant in fighting free radicals in the body responsible for damage. Also they have Beta-cryptoxanthins, beta & alpha carotenes & lutein and folate, potassium & fiber.

Tomatoes: Mentioned in my previous posts as well, they are rich in potassium healthy for blood pressure levels. Vitamin C, Alpha & Beta Carotene lycopene, lutein, folate & fiber are the other nutrients present in tomatoes like citrus fruits. Due to their low calories & sugar level they are a very good source of dietary nutrients.

Papaya: They are rich in a variety of Vitamins & minerals. They contain Vitamin C & E, beta carotene, lutein & beta cryptoxanthin, calcium, magnesium & potassium. High in soluble fiber as well makes it an excellent choice for heart patients.

Tea: It is rich in catechin & flavonols (antioxidants), a much preferred beverage in Asian countries. It helps reduce the risk of heart attack & stroke by around 20% as suggested in research.

Oatmeal: High in soluble fiber which help in fighting cholesterol. They also are a source of calcium, folate, niacin, magnesium & potassium. Other whole grain meals are also considered to be great foods for heart health.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olives both green & black are great for health & a source of good fat for the body. The presence of Monounsaturated fats which help reduce blood cholesterol & blood sugar levels.

Pomegranates: Numerous antioxidants like polyphenols & anthocyanins have shown to help improved flow of blood to the heart. It helps prevent the stiffening of arteries.

Dark Chocolates: My favorite addition to the list as usual high in antioxidants have been known to fight bad cholesterol in the body with the help of flavonoids present. This can only be seen in chocolates with content of 60-70% minimum  cocoa & not milk chocolates.

Water: Last but not the least water, it helps your system by acting as a cleaning agent. Drinking lots of water helps you excrete toxins from the body.

Eat Healthy & Stay Happy! Thank You Friends...

Foods for Depression

Hi Friends! First of all thank you all for providing continuous support.
This post is in continuation to my previous post on Deal with Depression. I would list down some foods which have been linked to help fight depression. In research it has been shown that diet has an important role to play in fighting depression.
Before writing about foods which have a good effect I would like to write particularly about sweets or sugary confectionery. Mind you this has a very negative effect on your mood, due to spikes in blood sugar level which is directly related to the functioning of the brain. Please ensure to avoid this food from the list.

Now coming to foods which will help you overcome depression:

1. Dark Chocolates: They are not only great into fight excess kilos you put on but also the antioxidants polyphenols & flavonols which help fight high blood pressure & makes you calmer. This has shown improved results in fighting depression.

2. Poultry: Poultry meat like chicken & turkey are high in tryptophan an amino acid which helps increase the production of Serotonin production. This chemical is a feel good chemical your body produces naturally.

3. Fatty Fish: As we all know they are rich of Omega-3 fatty acids which help fight heart disease & reduces inflammation, it also fights depression by inducing Serotonin levels by the brain. A partial study has proved that it helps the movement of serotonin across cells. Fishes like Tuna, Salmon, Cod, Hilsa are best in the category, other fishes like rohu, catla are good but the level of Omega-3 fatty acids might be lower & vary from each species.

4. Walnuts: They are source of monounsaturated fatty acids as well as proteins like other nuts. Along with this walnuts is the only source of Omega-3 from plant sources & has a similar effect on the serotonin as mentioned above.

5. Whole Grain: They are complex carbohydrates which helps fight depression. They help the moods improve quickly & are good for serotonin secretion by the body. This is also good for controlling the blood sugar levels. So whole wheat, whole pasta, oatmeal etc. are good choice of food for this case.

Diet is an important factor for fighting depression and you are asked to take special care for your diet. Hope the above article will help you make & your close ones make good choices for diet. Thank You!

Weight Loss- Power Foods

Hi Friends!! I am looking for some responses about the content I am writing, it will help me to improve my posts. Well this one talk about foods which have proven in reducing fat in the body. These foods are considered as power foods. These foods are available very easily & can be added to our daily diet easily and help us with the weight loss plans. Well listing down a few which I know:

1. Peppers/ Chilies: Chilies provide a great source of Capsaicin, this is the chemical which provides the pungent characteristic to the peppers. This induces a food generated thermogenesis which converts a part of the meal to heat immediately. There could be many people who cannot have very spicy food for them the alternative is bell peppers. It also provides with colorful & flavorful taste. It can be taken in simple preparations without much hassle.

2. Lemon/ Lime: In some places it can be known as a lemon diet which has shown incredible effect on weight loss. It helps energize & cleanse your body thereby removing toxins (Simply known as DETOX). It also helps you maintain blood sugar levels at normal. This very simple ingredient has the quality to slow down the process of breaking down carbs thus regulating the blood sugar levels.

3. Sweet Potatoes: Surprisingly to most of the people sweet potato has a very good effect over weight loss & maintaining blood sugar levels. The vegetable has very less calories which are obtained from carbohydrates & not fats. It has small amount of protein & high fiber content which helps in the daily roughage requirements. Needless to say fiber helps the system clean & promotes cardiovascular activity, makes your tummy full. In latest research it has been seen to contain a compound named anthocyanin which acts as a great antioxidant. It increases metabolism & promotes weight loss.

4. Ginger: This is the most common ingredients in an Indian dish. Ginger is known for its qualities to improve immune system & anybody who has had cold must have been advised from time to time to have ginger tea or ginger with salt. But lesser known facts includes its effect on the blood cholesterol level & also acts as a blood thinner thus helping reduce blood pressure. The compound gingerol present in the root is an anti-inflammatory agent disallowing inflammation of blood vessels. This increases the body heat & makes the body burn fats.

4. Chocolates: Now this one has always been my favorite in the list. It has been seen that a bar (2 inches typically not bigger than that) of dark chocolate (70% cocoa, not white & milk chocolates which have high sugar content) just before the meal controls craving for sweet, salty & fatty foods. This helps in reducing Insulin spikes which have been culprit to storage of sugars directly to fat cells. The high content of cocoa (high in flavanols) in dark chocolates has been seen to possess great anti-obesity & anti-diabetic activity.

This is a huge topic & can be written in extents. I will be coming up with more on this topic in coming days. Do share your thoughts on this topic. Thanks!!