Fitness Korner

Both beverages have a legion of loyal drinkers, but is one group edging out the other in terms of health benefits? Both coffee and tea are brimming with ingredients that are beneficial to the body in their own ways, but the dynamic interaction between them may be what’s of greatest benefit to you. So does one rank as more virtuous than the other? Read on to find out. What’s good about coffee? “Coffee has been linked to decreased risk of  Parkinson’s disease  and  type 2 diabetes ,” says Kimberly Gomer, MS, RD, LDN, director of nutrition at the  Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa  in Miami. It’s also been shown to lower the risk of some cancers, including  endometrial cancer  and  nonmelanoma skin cancer . A  study  of more than 500,000 people across the world concluded that coffee drinking was associated with reduced risk of death from various causes. This was even true in people who drank as many as eight cups per day! ...

Over 3.5 billion people in the world consume rice . If you are one of them, is there anything to worry about?   Most of the rice eaten in the world is white rice. But we are sure you have come across countless studies that state the ill effects of white rice. Why do so many people consume it then? How come the Japanese, whose traditional diet majorly constitutes white rice, also happen to be the longest living people on the planet ? To get the right answers, you must first know more about white rice. The milling process cleans the rice and removes the husks off the grains, giving us brown rice. This rice is then further polished to enhance appearance and make it more edible by removing the bran and germ as well . This polishing removes the essential nutrients vital for health. Without the bran and the germ, the grain loses 25% of its protein and 17 other key nutrients . The processors sure add the lost nutrients back to the refined grains. But, you will be consumin...

Are you the one in your group of friends who has to wear three layers of clothes before you step out of the house and still feel cold? It could be because of the following reasons and this is what you can do. Are you one of those people who loads your body with three layers of clothes before you step out of your house in the winter season while your friends wear one sweatshirt and are good to go? Do you always wonder why are you the only one who feels this cold? There could be various reasons for you to feel cold all the time and some could be more serious health problems than you can think of. Anaemia, hypothyroidism, vitamin deficiencies, and anorexia could be few of them. Being cold all the time can be a result of deficiencies, food habits, and other serious illnesses. Gender Research has found that women feel colder than men at the same temperature because of the low skin temperature. Women have high levels of oestrogen and subcutaneous fat which cause low skin temperature, thus ...

Winter season can cause the skin to become dry, chapped, red, or even rashed. However, the winter season is very bountiful when it comes to food and nutrition which can help you get healthy skin. The winter season can be quite difficult for your body since stepping out for an exercise, or even for normal everyday chores feels too much. You have to load yourself with layers of clothes and end up looking like a snowman. While you can flaunt your skin in the summer, the only part of your body visible during winters is your face and the winter wind can be really harsh on your facial skin. Though a difficult season for the skin, winter is pretty bountiful with the seasonal gifts it comes with in terms of food and nutrition. Here are a few quick winter season hacks for your skin to keep it supple and smooth. Ghee for chapped lips You may have never considered it but warm ghee can really help with the dry lips. Just apply a drop or two of warm ghee on your lips and get smooth, so...

SC has lifted a stay on proceedings against Nestle over the alleged lead content in its noodles. Here's how lead and MSG in noodles can affect your health. The Supreme Court of India on Thursday lifted a stay on criminal proceedings against Nestle over the alleged presence of lead and MSG or monosodium glutamate in popular noodles. The apex court had allowed the case against Nestle to reopen after the Swiss food giant had admitted the presence of toxic ingredients in its noodles during a court hearing. Reportedly, Nestle's lawyers have admitted that toxic elements like lead and MSG are found in its sample tests conducted by CFTRI (Central Food Technological Research Institute), Mysuru. However, the company has argued that the lead was within the permissible limit. Now, let’s take a look at how these toxic elements - such as lead and MSG - can affect the human body. Effects of lead and MSG on health According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), lead is a...

Diabetes is a lifestyle disease that affects a lot of people all around the world. Can the Indian Staple Jaggery be used as a sugar substitute for diabetic people without messing with their blood sugar levels? Whenever we think about diabetes, we think about sugar-free food items and how we can include them in our diet to ensure that our blood sugar levels do not rise. Living with diabetes can be quite a struggle especially when you are looking for substitutes for sugar. Have you considered jaggery? It is winter and one winter staple is jaggery, especially in India. A great combination with  Sarso ka Saag in Punjab , or peanuts in Northern part of India, jaggery is an indispensable part of Indian food. Though considered a substitute for sugar, can it be consumed by diabetic people? Jaggery is a traditional form of sugar, made by boiling clarified sugarcane juice. It is definitely less harmful than sugar and contains many important elements like potassium, iron and calcium, b...

No one would have imagined years ago that we would be paying for water by the bottle.  Drinking water straight from your tap was common place and all that anyone knew.  Fast forward to today and bottled water is all the rage.  While some people insist they can taste the difference from brand to brand, others opt for water with bubbles and others like it flat.  And to make this industry that much more interesting, artificially sweetened and flavored waters have also found a place on shelves everywhere.  Just when it seems this market is just about tapped out, there is a buzz about infused and detox water. What is all the fuss about bottled water? And really what is the truth about infused or detox water?  The importance of staying hydrated is nothing new to most people and the way to do this is to be sure to drink water.  For those who are exercising or playing intense sports, it can require even more work to stay hydrated. Your body use...