Healthy Facts About Fruits and Vegetables

Most of us eat fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. After all, they have been a part of our diet since the dawn of history. We eat them raw, cooked, frozen, drink them as juices and combine them with just about any other food we eat. But just anything else that’s been around for so long, there are many things you don't know about fruits and veggies that can be very useful and important to know.

1. Never mix grapefruits with medications.

Grapefruits are among the most nutritious fruits out there but they can also be bad for you if you are taking certain medication. The chemicals in a grapefruit can cause a bad reaction with some drugs that can even have fatal results. If you’re on medication, be sure to check with a medical professional before drinking or eating any amount of grapefruit.

2. Fruits and veggies have a lot of fiber.
The benefits of fiber include keeping your bowel movements regular, helping lower cholesterol, regulating blood sugar, and help you feel more full for a longer time. Even if you don't need any more of the vitamins, minerals and other healthy ingredients in fruits and vegetables, they are still one of the best things you can eat on a daily basis.

3. The skin is usually the best part.
In many fruits and veggies, such as carrots, apples, and cucumbers, a high percentage of the nutrition is actually stored in the skin. This means that when you peel it off, you’re actually peeling away nutritious benefits. Make sure to wash your fruits and vegetables well before eating them and I guarantee you'll get used to eating them with the peel in no time.
 

4. Bananas are fascinating.

Two incredible things you never knew about these delicious sources of potassium and vitamins: First, bananas are technically herbs and belong to the same "botanical family" as mint or basil. Secondly, in 1950 almost all of the banana species in the world were wiped out by the Panama Disease. Today, most of the bananas sold and eaten around the whole world are direct descendants of the same Asian breeds that survived the disease.
 

5. Eating fruits and vegetables hardly affects your weight.
All fruits and all vegetables are low in calories, this is why you hear nutrition professionals and doctors tell you to eat them for snacks. While a bag of chips contains fat, oil, and a lot of calories, a handful of carrots contains none of those things. It is absurd how much fruit and vegetables you can eat before the calories start stacking up so don’t be afraid to eat them. That said, some fruits carry a high amount of sugar, so don't overdo it on sweet fruit.
 

6. Broccoli has more protein than a steak.
Calorie for calorie, there is more protein in broccoli than there is in an average steak, and with no saturated and trans fats or cholesterol, you can get all the protein you need with a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease. So, if you are trying to grow and strengthen your muscles, broccoli is the food for you.
 

7. The most hated vegetable in the world is one of the best.

Brussels sprouts reign supreme as the least enjoyable vegetable for children, and also some adults. It might be because of their bitter taste, the repugnant smell or even just its bad reputation. However, Brussels sprouts are among the most nutritious veggies you can ever find. They have no fat, no cholesterol, hardly any calories and plenty of vitamins and minerals. It's a shame that none of these facts make them taste any better…
 

8. Orange peels are amazing.
It's been said before that the skin of the fruit can be better than the fruit itself. Orange peels have over four times the amount of fiber then the actual fruit, and contain more antioxidants than the "flesh" inside. The only drawback is that it’s difficult to find a way to eat it. The best way to do it is to grate it up cheese into an orange zest. You can use is to season all sorts of foods, add to baked goods or mix with your yogurt or cereals.
 

9. Peppers encourage clotting.
While most people use them as a spice and not as a whole food, peppers (spicy ones in particular) can work wonders to promote the clotting of blood over wounds. According to some experts, you can even sprinkle some cayenne pepper into a wound where it will act as gauze.
 

10. "Negative calorie foods" are a myth.

You may have heard that some fruits and vegetables require more calories to digest than they actually give, meaning eating them will actually make you thinner. Unfortunately this is wrong. While there are foods that have very few calories, you still only burn about 10% to 20% of their calorie intake. Let's take, for example, a stalk of celery that’s about 10 calories. While eating and digesting it you will burn about 2 calories, which means you still had an intake of 8 calories.

11. Onions are ridiculously healthy.

Sure they can make you cry and they make your breath smell terrible, but you should forgive them for all of that. The reason onions do those things is the exact same reason why they are good for you. Onions contain over 100 sulfide compounds which give a number of health benefits such as the prevention of asthma and some types of cancer. You don’t have to eat it raw, just eat it.
 

12. Pineapples are bad for your taste buds.
Pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain which breaks down proteins in your mouth, namely your taste buds. After eating a pineapple your palate will be much less sensitive until your mouth can heal itself, which takes about a day. Pineapple is still a great fruit for you, but you should probably let a freshly sliced pineapple sit in the fridge for a bit before eating it. This will give time for the enzymes to break down and they will have a much weaker effect.

13. Apples can wake you up better than a cup of coffee.

It's hard to believe this fact so just try it for yourself and see. If you’re finding yourself a little low on energy during the afternoon then consider eating an apple in the morning. Thanks to its high carbohydrate, vitamin, and mineral content, an apple can give you a steady supply of nutrition to help you stay energized all day.

Daily Exercises to Self Improve

Howsoever, well accomplished you might be, room for improvement is always there, if not for others, but for your own self. It is better to self improve because it feels better to you, for your family, children, work place or where ever you are. Not only make your presence noticed but absence felt. Its worth its while, all the way:

1. For your EYES: See the everlasting beauty of Human Kindness. Do at least one act of Kindness every day (there is no upper limit).

2. For your TONGUE: Speak from the heart. You will, then, be naturally soft speaking. Say what you mean mean what you say. Speak only when words spoken improve the silence.

3, For the FACE: SMILE, often and at anyone. SMILE is the most inexpensive way of improving your looks. Smile and brighten the corner where you are.

4. For the EARS: Speak less but listen more. Patient Listener is more popular than a Good Speaker. Be an Attentive Listener.

5. For the BRAIN: Embrace Positivity, shun negativity. THINK WELL of others. Spread Goodness. Goodness will only rebound.

6. For the FEET: 45 minutes daily walk keeps you Fit and Healthy, since all your Wealth amounts to Naught, if you cannot enjoy it. And there is only one of enjoying wealth. That is to be in Good Health. While you walk, walk towards Knowledge and Wisdom for yourself for others.

7. For your NOSE: Inhale the Good, Exhale the bad. Both are there in plenty, in people, situations and circumstances. Its all up to you to choose Negativity or Positivity. Get out of the habit of Complaining, Criticizing, Blaming and Grumbling. These might be tempting but so is negativity. Shun them.

8. For your STRENGTH: Mental toughness is your real Strength. Never be afraid of Adversities in life. Even when confronted by a multitude of Griefs and adversities, if you stand boldly without excepting defeat, he shall see the defeat itself depart utterly defeated. However, you are defeated only when you accept defeat. If you do not accept defeat, no one can ever defeat you ever.

9. For your HEART: Treat people with your Heart, not Mind. Treat them well. You go up in the ladder of life with others Help and Cooperation. So they, your workers, associates or subordinates, should be with you from Heart. You cannot succeed much in life unless others support you and support you well.

10. Four you SOUL: Always maintain your connectivity with God through Prayers which are not only rituals but also our Good Deeds which is to Help, Give Share and Care.

Body After Drinking a Cup of Coffee

Maybe you’re a coffee-shop junkie or a cold-brew devotee. Or maybe you prefer to keep it old school with a trusty drip coffeemaker. However you consume it, if you’re among the 59 percent of Americans who drink coffee, that java buzz after downing a cup is probably familiar to you.
But chances are, you aren’t aware of the extent to which this beverage can affect nearly your entire body (from your eyes to your blood) within minutes post-sip. We took a look at how a cup of coffee affects the system right after you drink it — and some of what we found is pretty astounding.

Your Brain:
If you need to buckle down and push through a tight deadline or stay alert for a long drive, a mug of Joe can be your BFF. “Caffeine is a stimulant, and some evidence shows that it can increase mental functioning and strengthen your ability to concentrate,” says Marc Leavey, MD, a primary care specialist at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
In a nutshell, the brain works by sending out chemicals called neurotransmitters through synapses — that’s how we are able to think. Caffeine is a psychoactive compound that modulates these neurotransmitters, allowing them to operate more efficiently. “As a result, the brain is able to better process chemical messengers,” Leavey explains to Yahoo Health. “When used in moderation, coffee gives you an edge.” You’ll begin to feel more mentally alert after about 30 minutes, and the effects wear off a few hours later.
The key word, of course, is moderation. Too much caffeine can overwhelm your system and sabotage your concentration, so that instead of feeling amped up, you’re anxious and jittery.

Your Eyes:
Caffeine also triggers your sympathetic nervous system (which regulates your body’s unconscious activity), activating fight-or-flight mode. “It stimulates the receptors in your brain that tell your body to rev up and produce more adrenaline,” explains Nieca Goldberg, MD, cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center. One possible outcome? Sharper vision.
“Research suggests that if you drink coffee, your pupils may dilate very slightly,” Leavey says. “It’s so subtle that you wouldn’t be able to notice it just by looking in the mirror, but you may feel that you can see better.”

Your Teeth:
You know too much coffee can give your pearly whites a corn-kernel effect, but there’s also an oral upside to your daily fix. “Coffee contains a fair amount of polyphenols, micronutrients that have been shown to be effective in killing oral plaque and bacteria,” says NYC-based dentist Keith Arbeitman. The catch: As soon as you add milk, sugar, or maple-gingerbread-Creamsicle-Nutella syrup, those very same benefits backfire.
“It’s a double-edged sword, because once the polyphenols dissolve the layer of plaque, milk and sugar can easily access areas deep within the teeth,” Arbeitman explains to Yahoo Health. “This leads to demineralization and eventual decay.” Basically, as long as you stick to black, you’ll be doing your teeth a favor. Otherwise, you’re making them even more vulnerable to cavities than usual.
Those plaque-demolishing polyphenols are also responsible for exposing your chiclets to discoloration, be it from the coffee itself or food you’re eating at the same time. (Major offenders are berries, brightly colored candy, and tomato or curry sauce. Arbeitman’s rule of thumb is that if it will stain your shirt, it’ll stain your teeth.) “Try drinking from a straw to limit the amount of time the sugars have to hang around in your mouth,” he suggests. “Or brush your teeth afterward to correct your oral pH and neutralize residual sugars.”
Related: Here’s Exactly When You Should Drink Coffee for the Most Energy

Your Heart:
If you heart coffee, you should know that the most immediate physical effects of a hit of java are indeed cardiovascular. “Caffeine increases the sensitivity of your neural pathways so that the electrical impulses responsible for triggering your cardiovascular system pass through the body more easily,” Leavey says. “Consequently, about 15 minutes after drinking a cup, the caffeine begins to elevate your pulse and blood pressure by an average of 10 to 15 percent.” (The exact amount varies depending on a bunch of factors — including how much you’ve drunk, whether you’re a regular coffee-drinker, how much food you’ve eaten, your weight, medications you’re taking, etc.)
According to Leavey, consuming two six-ounce cups a day isn’t hazardous for most people, but a greater intake can be problematic if you have underlying issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, or tachycardia (faster-than-normal heart rate). “It may increase cardiovascular activity to the extent that it can cause a heart attack,” he says.

Your Stomach:
There’s some rationale behind downing an after-dinner espresso. “Caffeine triggers the receptors in your stomach, boosting gastric secretions by about 10 to 15 percent — a small, but meaningful, increase,” says Leavey. These higher levels of acid help you digest your meal faster.
The flip side of your G.I. tract’s elevated motility is potential cramping, acid reflux, or heartburn. “Caffeine relaxes the sphincter, which is a bundle of muscles located at the base of your esophagus that acts as a gate to keep food from entering your trachea,” says Goldberg. “As a result, stomach contents can travel backward into the esophagus.”
Related: Turns Out Decaf Coffee Has Body Perks Too

Your Bowels:
Heads up: Skip this section if you’re eating — we’re gonna get a little graphic. Hand-in-hand with a quick-acting stomach is lightning-fast bowel activity … which means you may be struck by a tush-quake.
“Caffeine stimulates your bowels, telling them to work harder and faster,” Leavey explains. “But fecal matter has to remain in the bowels for a certain length of time in order to become a solid. If it moves too quickly, it will emerge still in liquid form.” Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) sufferers are particularly at risk.

Your Bladder:
As every devoted coffee drinker knows, it’s dangerous to gulp your way through a Grande when you’re stuck in traffic or miles away from a bathroom. “Coffee acts as a diuretic, influencing the tubules in your kidneys to send more water through,” Leavey says. “That, in turn, leads to increased urinary output.”
Interestingly, the diuretic effects exist whether you’re drinking regular or decaf, so it’s not the caffeine at play. “Coffee contains other stimulating compounds, including steroid-like molecules that physiologically provoke the bowels and bladder,” Leavey adds.

Your Blood:
Unless you’re indulging in a calorie-laden, whipped-cream-and-chocolate-sauce-topped frozen coffee drink, you probably don’t think of coffee as problematic in terms of cholesterol. But studies suggest otherwise. “Coffee beans contain oils that are shown to increase cholesterol,” Leavey says. “These oils are sifted out if you drink filtered coffee, but not in a French press.” The next time you order an unfiltered brew, check out the surface of your cup you’ll see globules of fat floating on top.

Body After Not Enough Sleep

Ah, sleep. You remember it, right? It’s what you’re supposed to be doing when you’re lying in bed checking Facebook on your phone or watching back-to-back episodes of House Hunters International.
Sleep deprivation is so common and pervasive these days that it’s now considered a public health epidemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But how much sleep is enough? Researchers now have an answer: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society gathered a panel of 15 experts in sleep medicine and research and concluded that seven hours is the magic number when it comes to the minimum amount of sleep adults need to stay healthy.
The problem is, nearly 30 percent of adults are sleeping less than six hours per night, according to the CDC. But what exactly happens to your body when you get less than six hours of shut-eye? Is it that bad? In a word, yes.

Your Mental Capacities:
“One of the most important things we have to remember is that sleep is a function of the brain,” Shalini Paruthi, MD, associate professor in the department of internal medicine and pediatrics at Saint Louis University, and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, tells Yahoo Health. When you don’t get enough, the mental effects are immediate. They range from having a harder time concentrating and making decisions to having headaches and struggling to remember things, which can impact your life both personally (forgetting a friend’s birthday) and professionally (blanking mid-presentation in front of your boss).
Your ability to react quickly also slows down when you’re exhausted — which results in making mistakes. “We first lose our speed, and then we lose the accuracy,” notes Paruthi. “There are multiple studies that show being deprived — even if it’s four hours of sleep — can make someone have the same reaction time as someone who is driving under the influence. Driving while sleep-deprived is the equivalent of driving drunk.”

Your Mood:
And let’s not forget about mood. “Your ability to regulate and control your emotions, as well as [cope] with change, are affected,” she says. That’s a nice way of saying that you’re more likely to be grouchy and irritable when you’re short on sleep. Research shows that getting less than five hours of sleep at night can make you feel more stressed, sad, and angry.

Your Heart:
One study involving 3,000 adults over the age of 45 found that those who slept under six hours each night were nearly twice as likely to have a stroke or heart attack compared to adults who logged six to eight hours per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. They were also 1.6 times more likely to have congestive heart failure. Another small study conducted by Mayo Clinic researchers found that not getting enough shut-eye significantly raises blood pressure at night.

Your Blood Sugar Levels:
Blood sugar levels are affected, too. In one study, healthy men who were restricted to four hours of sleep six nights in a row showed impaired glucose tolerance — a prediabetic condition.

Your Immune System:
Anyone who has ever gotten a cold shortly after pulling an all-nighter knows that sleepless nights can also weaken your immune system. A recent study found that people who slumber for six hours or less at night are four times more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus, compared to those who sleep more than seven hours each night. “People who are sleep deprived may not be able to mount the same type of immune response as someone fully replete on their sleep,” says Paruthi.
Related: The Bad Habit That Makes You 4 Times More Likely to Catch a Cold

Your Metabolism:
Missing out on sleep may also be the reason your skinny jeans are feeling a little tighter these days. Being just shy of two hours of your usual amount sleep at night can slow down your metabolism. And other research shows it can rev up your appetite: A study published in the Journal of Sleep Research found that just one night of not getting enough sleep raises ghrelin levels — the hormone that signals hunger to the brain.

Your Appearance:
A lack of shut-eye also affects your appearance. There’s a reason they call it beauty sleep: A 2013 study in the appropriately named journalSleep found that people rated photos of sleep-deprived adults as looking less than their best — with redder eyes, darker under-eye circles, and more fine lines and wrinkles — compared to photos of the same adults when they were well-rested. The study participants even went on to say that the adults in the photos looked sadder when they were sleep-deprived, than after a good night’s sleep.

Your Love Life:
As if that weren’t enough, sleep deprivation can even mess with your relationship. Couples have a harder time resolving conflicts and have more frequent and serious fights when they don’t get enough sleep, according to a 2013 study published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Cube Fruit Salad

This is a visually stunning way to present a fruit salad. Its also one of those dessert styles where it can please the kids or be suitable for a cocktail party, as it's very versatile. This is best made close to serving time.

Water Millon Grapes And Mint Cube Fruit Salad.

Its contain Red water millon cube pieces with Mint on top and a little bunch of Red grapes. 

Pine Apple with Mango and Crunchy Apple Fruit Salad
Yellom yummy seen fruit salad contains cube Pieces of apple, water millon and pine apple .

Yoga For Digestion Flow

Yoga Flow to make you glow, y'all. This yoga sequence is great for men and women post-holiday! Great for digestion and perfect for when you need a nice yogic kick in the pants. A full body work out for those winter months with encouragement to breathe deep and connect to something bigger. Get back to it with this challenging and swift sequence. Do what you can! Find grace and work towards ease in the twists and turns of this sequence. Rock a quick and focused abdominal workout and trust yourself in a freestyle dance at the end. STEP IT UP. Mindfully. Playfully. And repeat this practice weekly to tone the body, increase energy and become more flexible.

Remedies for Constipation

Although many people think that this health problem is not too serious, it is actually very important to treat it properly to prevent it from becoming a chronic problem or notice of any disease that may have caused it. In most cases, constipation is due to dehydration, poor diet and the sedentary lifestyle. However, it can also be a symptom of another health problem more seriously and requiring special medical attention.

One of the first remedies to which resort the people who suffer from constipation, is to take some kind of commercial laxative. Actually this is not a recommended way because the organism can become dependent and may experience side effects.
Fortunately there are some natural remedies that have laxative properties to improve digestion and deal with constipation.

Aloe vera juice:
Aloe vera is one of those medicinal plants with multiple health benefits both internally and externally. Taking daily aloe vera juice helps to clean the colon in a natural way and to facilitate the disposal of waste.

Apple
One of the best foods to deal with constipation is apple. This fruit contains pectin, a substance that promotes bowel function. According to a research conducted by the Faculty of Medicine of the State University of Ohio (United States), the apple brings a large amount of fiber needed to soften the stool and stimulate the expulsion.

Banana
This delicious fruit is ideal to aid digestion and improve bowel movement. It brings a good amount of fiber, which acts as a powerful natural laxative to facilitate the expulsion of feces. A piece of banana makes on average about 12% of the recommended daily amount of fiber and also contains fructo-oligosaccharides, substances that, coming to the large intestine, promote good digestion.

Green Tea
Green tea has become very popular in recent years as a powerful antioxidant drink that generates multiple health benefits. Among its main properties is also its ability to promote good digestion and stimulate the expulsion of the feces that accumulates in the colon.
This tea has a mild laxative effect that helps fight constipation.

Oats
People suffering from constipation should include more oats in their diet. This food contains carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fiber, which help to have a good digestion and avoid constipation. Ideally, we should eat it for breakfast, but we can also add it to smoothies, soups and salads.

Flax-seed
Flax seeds are characterized top medicinal power, largely due to the high content of fiber and omega 3. This food has light laxative properties that can promote bowel movement to clean up the colon. Just soak a tablespoon of flax-seed in a glass of water, let it sit all night and drink in the morning on an empty stomach.

Olive oil and lemon
Combining olive oil and lemon you can get an excellent natural laxative able to promote bowel movement and combat constipation.You just dilute the juice of one lemon in a cup of warm water and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Drink every morning before ingesting any food.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey
Another good combination to achieve a natural laxative is to mix 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of honey in a glass of water. Mix all ingredients and drink three times a day.