Benefits of Lemon

Benefits of Lemon

This is another fruit that has been known for its therapeutic properties for generations. It is also a root of any home remedy and is normally used to help the stomach (because they have special cleansing effect).

Lemon is one of the fruits that would strengthen your immune system. If you have flu or colds, try drink lemon juice. It will relieve the symptoms as well as halt the progress of most infection. Why? Because of its antibacterial and antiviral properties.

 

Benefits of Lemon:

 

1. Lemon act as blood purifier and improves the body’s ability to get rid of toxins.
2. Lemon fruit is excellent in fighting disease that’s related to infection.
3. Buy lemon to get rid of certain insects. It’s mother nature’s version of insecticides and will help to repel mosquitoes and flies
4. Some people love antiseptics and would apply it to their skin whenever they have the smallest cut. The good news is you can use lemon on cuts too since it’s nature’s antiseptics. Not only that, because of its styptics property, it is said that lemon could be applied on cuts to stop bleeding.
5. Drinking lemon juice is useful for people with heart problem – because of its high potassium content.

 The use of Lemon:  

1. Drink fresh lemon juice to cleanse your system.
2. Use pure lemon juice on wasp and bee stings to relieve pain.
3. Lemon juice mixed with olive oil may help to dissolve gallstones.
4. It is believed that regular intake of fresh lemons may be useful in treating cases of kidney stones.

Banana Power

This is interesting. Well worth the time to read. And after reading this, you’ll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Remember - Never, put your banana in the refrigerator.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber.

Tips -

1. If you really love bananas, you can try recipes like banana cake, banana milkshake, even banana bread. You can use the above instructions to open the banana for use.

2. Mash a ripe banana and mix it with natural yogurt to make a delicious breakfast or dessert.

3. To eat a banana at the peak of ripeness, look for one that is yellow in color and lightly speckled with small brown or black speckles. Large brown spots indicate an over-ripe banana with a mushy consistency. Green bananas usually need more time to ripen.

4. Banana peels make very good compost. You may want to save your leftover banana peels if you collect compost for your garden.

5. Some people think that you can open a banana only from the top (the part that is longer.) The best way is to pinch the bottom nub of the banana and the peel at the top will begin to split. This way, no excessive mashing will occur. Enjoy your non-squished banana!

6. Removing the “banana strings” is optional but makes for a better tasting banana.

7. If the banana you want to eat is too green, put it in a brown paper bag for 24 hours and the next day it will be yellow! Alternatively, you may leave the banana at the ready on your counter, where it will ripen nicely on its own.

8. Fry sliced bananas in butter, splash on some rum, and when the rum is hot, set fire to the fumes to impress your guests. Add a little orange juice and cook till hot again, sprinkle with dark brown sugar and serve with cream or ice cream. This dessert is so nice it is illegal in some countries.

9. Ripening bananas give off a gas that causes other fruit to ripen more quickly. This is why some people store them away from the fruit bowl and even hang them up on little wooden stands which is God’s way of telling you you have too much space in your kitchen.

Warnings -

• Bananas go bad if kept out too long. However, if the smooth whiteness is spoiled by a little bad spot,

• Keeping bananas with apples may imbue the banana skin bad color (brown instead of yellow).

• If you store your bananas in refrigerator, this will cause them to turn brown/black. However, this is only a cosmetic change. The interior regions of your crescent-shaped produce will stay nice and banana-fresh.

• Do not eat too many bananas, as this will have a constipating effect.

• Some people firmly grasp the banana at either end and break it in the center karate-style. However, this must be done quickly or may result in mushing.

• To tear a banana in half, pierce the skin half-way along its length with a fingernail, just enough to snap the fibres, making a cut about half an inch long. Gently bend the banana away from the cut and the whole fruit should tear in half with no mess or bruising at all.

A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

• Depression - According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

• PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

• Anemia - High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

• Blood Pressure -This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

• Brain Power - 200 students at a Twickenham (Middleage) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

• Constipation - High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

• Hangovers - One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

• Heartburn - Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

• Morning Sickness - Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

• Mosquito bites - Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

• Nerves - Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

• Ulcers - The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

• Temperature control - Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

• Smoking &Toba©co Use - Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

• Stress - Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

• Strokes - According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%

• Warts - Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape.

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”

Yellow Fruits and Vegetables — Info

Yellow Fruits and Vegetables

Yellow fruits and vegetables are usually colored by natural plant pigments called “carotenoids.” Beta-carotene in sweet potatoes, pumpkins and carrots is converted to vitamin A, which helps maintain healthy mucous membranes and healthy eyes. Scientists have also reported that carotenoid-rich foods can help reduce risk of cancer, heart disease and can improve immune system function.

	Bananas are also considered “white” fruits. Bananas are a perfect part of your diet and they are the most popular fruit in America. Bananas are available all year and they are a great source of instant energy whether you are watching your diet or just trying to eat healthy. Like other fruits and vegetables, bananas contain no fat, sodium or cholesterol.
	Corn and squash are rich sources of a phytochemical that can help prevent blindness and may also protect against some cancers. This phytochemical is what gives these vegetables their yellow color!

Yellow Fruits and Vegetables can help maintain:

• Good Vision

• A Healthy Immune System

• Healthy Skin

Red/Orange Fruits and Vegetables — Info

Red/Orange Fruits and Vegetables

Red and Orange fruits & vegetables are most well known for having lots of beta-carotene. Beta carotene is an antioxidant that is good for your whole body. It keeps the heart healthy and protects against cancer and other harmful diseases.

	Juicy and sweet and renowned for its concentration of vitamin C, oranges make the perfect snack and add a special tang to many recipes. It is no wonder that they are one of the most popular fruits in the world.
	Cooking carrots actually raises the nutritional benefits. The fiber in carrots can trap the beta carotene, making it difficult for your body to extract. By cooking them slightly, you free the beta-carotene, from the fiber, which allows your body to absorb it better. Eating only a half-cup serving per day will give you more than the recommended dosage of beta-carotene.

	Cherries are a very tasty and nutritious fruit. Cherries also contain a special phytochemical that has been shown to improve memory.
	Strawberries are an excellent source of fiber. One easy way to increase the consumption of these sweet treats is by adding them to different dishes such as cereal for breakfast, salad for lunch, or yogurt for dinner dessert.

Red and Orange Fruits and Vegetables are:

• A Great Source of Fiber

• High in Vitamin C

• Contain lots of Beta-Carotene

Green Fruits and Vegetables — Info

Green Fruits and Vegetables

Green fruits and vegetables are rich in essential nutrients. Some members of the green group, including spinach and other dark leafy greens, green peppers, peas, cucumber and celery, contain lutein. There is very good evidence that the lutein in food helps protect against cataracts and macular degeneration, two common, age-related eye disorders. Lutein and another carotenoid, zeaxanthin, form the yellow pigment of the retina and absorb blue light, a harmful component of sunlight. Leafy greens like spinach and broccoli are also excellent sources of folate, a B vitamin that helps reduce risk of birth defects and helps keep our hearts healthy.

	Kiwi fruit blends well with other fruits, but it is also highly satisfying (and nutritious) eaten on its own. Ounce for ounce, it is higher in vitamin C than most fruits and is a good source of potassium.
	Its wealth of nutrients, fiber and very low sodium and calorie content make asparagus a nutritionally wise choice for today’s health-conscious consumer.

Broccoli is packed with vitamins and substances that have proven to be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of many of our toughest diseases.

Green Fruits and Vegetables are:

• High in lutein and folate.

• Contain antioxidants, which have many health-promoting benefits.

• Great to maintain good vision, get strong bones and teeth, and lower some risks of certain cancers.

Fruits and Vegetables are:

Fruits and Vegetables are:

• Low in calories, fat, and cholesterol

• High in vitamins (such as vitamins A and C), minerals, and fiber

• A diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables as well as wholegrain breads and cereals can reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer

What’s your favourite fruit?

What’s your favourite fruit?

Take a look at the list below and choose one. Your choice reflects your personality – Your inner self & your outer self. The apple freak is outspoken and has a tremendous enthusiasm. A grape lover has enduring patience and will power. A peach person is a fiery and passionate lover. Apple If apple is your favourite fruit, you are an extravagant, impulsive and outspoken person; often with a bit of a temper. While you may not be the best organiser yourself, you make a good team leader; and are good at taking things forward. You can take quick action in most situations. You enjoy travel immensely. You ooze with charm when you are with your partner. You have an enthusiasm for life, unmatched by most. Banana You are a softie! Loving, gentle, warm and sympathetic by nature is the banana lover. You often lack in self-confidence and are quite timid by nature. People often take advantage of your sweet temperedness, and sheer vulnerability to a situation. You adore your partner in every which way, both for their mental and physical beauty! Because of the way you are, your relationship is always, very much in harmony! Black Grapes You are a polite person in general, but do have quick flare-ups of temper that cool down just as quickly. You enjoy beauty in all forms, including beautiful people. You are very popular because of your warm, gregarious nature. You have a zest for life; you enjoy every thing you do, right from the way you dress, to your style and élan in your day-to-day life. Your partner must share your zeal and zing for life… to enjoy all you have to offer! Cherry If cherry is your favourite fruit, life isn’t always as sweet for you. You often face ups and downs, particularly professionally; and find that you make small sums of money, instead of a lump sum. You have a fertile imagination and are often involved in creative pursuits. You are a very sincere and loyal partner; but find that expressing your feelings is not very easy. Your home is your haven, and you love nothing more than being surrounded by close family and your beloved partner. Coconut The coconut lover is a serious, very thoughtful and contemplative person. Though you enjoy socialising, you are particular about the company you keep. You tend to be stubborn but not necessarily foolhardy. Shrewd, quick-witted and alert, you ensure that you are right on top of any given scenario, especially at work. You need a partner with brains, and while passion is important it certainly isn’t everything for you. Custard Apple You are a modest and conservative person; who can be quite sensitive at times. You tend to be thoughtful and contemplative, and therefore are rarely rash in doing things. You are quite ambitious; and are good at anything that requires much detailing or working with numbers. You are quick at finding fault with others. While looking for a partner, you value a person’s intellect far above their looks or good old passion. You are quite shy and not very comfortable demonstrating affection. Mango A mango lover is a personality to be reckoned with; quite often you are a person who has quite fixed ideas, and influencing you is no easy task. You tend to be an extremist with strong likes and dislikes; and at times even like to control a situation. You enjoy getting involved in something that presents mental challenge. Strong as you may be, you are like a kitten when you are with your partner. You accommodate the love of your life, and make up for all the strong will elsewhere! Orange If orange is your favourite fruit; it speaks of a person who has enduring patience and willpower. You like to do things slowly; but very thoroughly and are completely undaunted by hard work. You tend to be shy; but are a reliable and trustworthy friend. You have an aesthetic bent of mind. You select your partner with care and thought; you love with all your heart, and are not in for just a fling. You avoid conflict at all costs. Papaya You are truly fearless and take much that happens in life, in your stride. You give considerable thought to things you do. You have a sense of humour that along with your generous nature keeps you in most people’s good books. You are a go-getter in your professional life, and have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. You enjoy meeting new people and seeing new sights whenever you can. Your sense of humour is what attracts members of the opposite sex to you more than anything else. It is simply charming! Peach Like a peach, you enjoy the juice of life… it all its lush ripeness! You are the friendly sort, and are quite frank and outspoken, which adds to your charm. You are quick to forgive and forget; and value your friendships highly. You have an independent and ambitious streak in you, that makes you a real go-getter. You are the ideal lover, fiery and passionate but sincere and faithful in love. You don’t however like to display all that passion in public. Pear If you put your mind to something you can do it successfully, but by and large you tend to be fickle and have trouble completing a task with the enthusiasm you started it with. You need to know the results of your efforts almost immediately. You enjoy mental stimulation; and love to get into a good discussion. You tend to be a restless and high-strung person, and are easily excitable. While you are quick to strike up a friendship with someone, maintaining it does not seem to be easy for you. Pineapple You are quick to decide and even quicker to act. You are brave in making career changes; if that is what is to your advantage. You have exceptional organising abilities and are undaunted by the size of the task at hand. You tend to be self reliant, sincere and honest in your dealings with others. Though you are not given to making friends very quickly, but once you do, it is for life. You rarely, if ever, make romantic overtures. Your partner is often impressed with your sterling qualities but disappointed in your ability to show affection.

Nutrition in Vegetables

Here is presented vegetable nutrition chart depicting vegetable nutritional value. So, check out nutrition in vegetables and eat a variety of veggies, so as to provide your body with the essential nutrients.

Item	Serving	Fat	Fiber	Prot.	Carb.	Sod.
Asparagus	3 med. spears	O	1g	1g	2g	1mg
Beans, Kidney	1 cup	1.5	45g	43g	110g	44mg
Beans, Lima	1 cup	1g	33g	38g	113g	32mg
Beans, Snap	1 cup	O	3.5g	2g	8g	6.5mg
Beans, Soy	1 cup	17g	11g	33g	28g	38mg
Broccoli	1 bunch	2g	18g	18g	32g	164mg
Brussels Sprouts	1 sprout	O	O.5g	0.5g	1.5g	4.5mg
Cabbage	1 med	2.5g	21g	13g	49g	163mg
Carrot	1 med.	O	2g	0.5g	6g	21mg
Cauliflower	1 med.	1g	14g	11g	30g	172.5mg
Cucumber	1 med.	O	2g	2g	8g	6mg
Garlic	1 clove	O	0	0	1g	0.5mg
Mushrooms	1 cup sliced	O	1g	1.5g	3.2g	2.8mg
Onion	1 med.	O	2g	1g	9.5g	3mg
Peas	1 cup	O.5	7g	8g	21g	7mg
Potato	1 med.	O	2g	2.5g	22g	7mg
Radish	1 med.	O	0	0	0	1mg
Spinach	1 bunch	1	9g	9.5g	12g	268.5mg
Tomato	1 med.	O.5g	1.5g	1g	5.5g	11mg

Benefits of Fruits

Everyone knows, that fruits contain many vitamins, necessary to our organism. But vitamins are just a small part of useful substances in fruits. The scientists have proved, that many fruits possess very important qualities – they protect us from many different diseases.

• Fruits is one of the most important healthy and natural foods in existence. Thousands of different types of fruit are available to eat, all of the fruit has many strong health benefits. Fruit include a large number of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and plant phytochemicals that help benefit health. It has also been shown that eating the whole fruit or juice is best to gain the benefits rather than taking supplements to provide each nutrient separately.
• Fruit in the diet provide many benefits upon health. Fruit has high fibre contents that helps to control the blood glucose levels and reduces the blood cholesterol and generally reduces the risk of colon cancer and other cancers.
• A balanced diet includes at least five portions of fruits daily will provide all the vitamin C that the body should be, plus many more beneficial vitamins and minerals.
• You should eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. Juice is mostly sweetened, but fresh fruits have natural sugars. You can receive many benefit from the fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit, because the fruit juice has many fiber that you needed instead of drinking fruit.
• If you want to achieve a healthy balanced diet, variety is most important and this applies just as much to the fruit you eat. Different fruit and vegetables include different vitamins and minerals, By including more fruits in your diet you can get more benefits for your health. This includes different colours, flavours and textures.

Health Time – Feel Energetic

                Health Time – Feel Energetic                 

It is clichéd, but true: you are what you eat! How we look, how we feel, how healthy we are, how we perform our daily tasks — it all narrows down to what we eat. How easy it would be if we knew which foods could be beneficial to us — to help us feel energetic, to help us improve our health, to help us in our battle against body fat.  Get Ahead gives you a guide — in two parts — as to what we consider the ten most beneficial foods. These foods are rated on the basis of the health benefits they provide, the fibre content, their vitamin and mineral content as well as low fat and caloric content. Note: These foods work best when combined with an all round healthy diet and regular exercise regimen.

1. Oatmeal Touted as the breakfast of athletes all around the world, this mushy, gushy delicious grain can be the first addition you could make to your new and healthy diet and lifestyle change. Unlike other breakfast cereals that are loaded with sugar and stripped of all fibre, which give you a sugar-loaded burst of energy and then drop drastically, allowing it to drop. Oats are slow to digest and thus provide you a steady sustained flow of energy to take you through the first few hours of the day. Oatmeal is also loaded with fibre, especially the soluble kind, and has thus been proven to be invaluable in the battle against high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Mix it with milk, fruit, yoghurt or nuts; have it hot or cold; use it in cooking — just make sure to make this heart healthy food a part of your daily diet.

2. Tomatoes Our tiny little red friends are a lot more powerful and beneficial to us than we could ever imagine. Tomatoes contain a carotenoid (a class of highly unsaturated yellow to red pigments occurring in plants), called lycopene. Not only has this powerful carotenoid been proven to improve immunity as well as reduce the risk of developing heart attacks, it has also been proven, believe it or not, to reduce the risk of cancers of the prostate, breast, lung, stomach, pancreas, colon, esophagus, mouth and cervix!While we realise that there are just so many raw tomatoes that we can stomach, here is where it gets more interesting. Research shows that lycopene in tomatoes can be absorbed more efficiently by the body if processed into sauce, paste and ketchup, thus making the tomato one of the few vegetables that is actually more beneficial in its processed or cooked form than when its raw.

3. Almonds Nuts have always managed to get a bad rap due to their high caloric content. Thus, they are often overlooked for their fibre and protein content as well as being an important source of healthy unsaturated fats and numerous beneficial minerals and vitamins. While all nuts do have their benefits, if I had to name just one as the most beneficial, it would have to be almonds. These tasty, crunchy treats are sprinkled into cereals, salads, ice cream as well as being a calming cooling airline snack we rely on to curb our hunger during those long flights. Little do we realise that not only do almonds provide taste and texture to foods, they also provide more complete nutrition in one handful than you can imagine. Just 28 grams (around 23 almonds) provide us with 9 grams of mono-unsaturated fatty acid, 6 grams of muscle building protein, 3 grams of fiber, 200 mg of potassium, 65 mg of bone strengthening calcium as well as a hearty dose of vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorous, copper, zinc and riboflavin.As with most other foods, moderation is important. Nuts do have a high caloric content and it is so very easy to inhale an entire box of these tasty crunchy characters without a thought!

4. Fish Who would have thought that our smelly friends from the sea could prove to be one of the most beneficial foods in the world? When we were younger, fish was inexplicably considered ‘brain food’. Studies in later years concluded that the omega 3 fatty acids were what actually made fish brain food, as well as making it one of the most beneficial foods as far as heart health, lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels and treating psychiatric illnesses, like depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, were considered. Recent studies have also shown benefits of omega 3 fatty acids for people suffering from arthritis and other joint conditions. Let us not forget the protein punch that fish provides us with, as well as delicious taste whether we decide to order it soaked in butter and garlic or whether we decide to go healthy and have it steamed or grilled. As every fish has its own unique taste and beneficial characteristics, mackerel and salmon lead as far as omega 3 fatty acid content goes.

5. Milk Something our mothers always told us to drink before we left our home, when we were kids. Think she had any idea that milk is one of the highest quality sources of whole food protein, with a biological value second only to eggs? And let’s not forget the calcium content that milk provides us with, preventing our bones from becoming weak and hollow and developing osteoporosis later in life. Recent studies have also proved that calcium could be beneficial in our battle against body fat. Just make sure to have low fat or fat free milk, which provides us with the same important nutrients minus the fat and the cholesterol. So let’s thank our mommies for nagging us all those years and drink away to a lean muscular physique! PS: Please check that you are not lactose intolerant before you drink milk.

6. Apple Every fruit has its benefits to the human body. Bananas are rich in heart-healthy potassium, strawberries rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, watermelon is rich in heart-healthy and cancer-preventing lycopene, etc. But we have decided to name the apple as the fruit of our choice due its high antioxidant and fibre content, its taste, its ability to fill a person as well as its extremely low caloric content. Apples are often overlooked due to the lack of vitamin C when compared to fruits like oranges. But recent research has indicated that apples have more antioxidant activity than would be expected from their vitamin C content. This antioxidant activity is thought to come from other natural substances in apples, collectively called phytochemicals. The nutritious content of the apple is very favourable: a medium sized apple contains a mere 80 calories, with no fat or cholesterol content as well as a whopping 5 grams of fibre. Apples are especially rich in pectin fibre, associated with helping keep blood cholesterol levels in balance as well as helping to control appetite levels, thus aiding us in our battle against overeating.

7. Tea Everyone has their choice of beverage they rely on to perk them up when their energy levels run low, to relax them when the stress just gets too much, or that they can simply enjoy because of its fine taste. Unfortunately, most people go for sugary soft drinks or creamy café lattes. It’s time to switch. To tea! It is tasty, contains some caffeine to perk you, but not too much that it leaves you jittery. It also provides a cupful of antioxidants called flavonoids, that may help prevent cholesterol- damaging arteries. Recent research also suggests that this popular beverage can help reduce the risk of cancer, heart attack and Parkinson’s disease. While most teas are good for you, green tea contains the highest amount of flavonoids, making it an extremely potent antioxidant. Epigallocatechin Gallate (ECGC), the green tea extract, is also known for its fat-burning benefits. Another very interesting bit of information is that green tea is also known to suppress foul breath caused by certain foods.

8. Garlic It was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians, chewed on by Greek Olympian athletes. It aids in keeping the heart healthy, wards off coughs and colds, reduces cholesterol and triglycerides, controls high blood pressure, and chases away vampires and witches (as well as a couple of friends and family members)! Yep, this aptly nicknamed ‘stinking rose’ has a number of benefits, and not just to make Italian dishes taste so good.

9. Kidney beans We highly recommend you add beans to you meal plan. Beans are high in fibre, both insoluble as well as the all-important, cholesterol- lowering soluble kind. Their high fibre content also slows down the digestion, thus providing a steady flow of energy as well as keeps you feeling more satiated at the end of the meal. They are also a good source of a host of vitamins and minerals. Why kidney beans? Because of their delicious taste and the fact that they are an excellent source of iron, folate as well as magnesium. Red kidney beans lead the way as far as antioxidant content in beans go. Add them to soups or salads, use them in your curries, use them in your sabzis whatever you do, don’t miss out on this nutritional powerhouse. But make sure you add them gradually to your meal plan.

10. Water Maybe it isn’t the best choice to include in a list of ‘foods’, but it is so very, very important to include water at all times of the day! Water is a fundamental part of our lives. It is easy to forget how completely we depend on it. Water has been ranked by experts as second only to oxygen as essential for life. The average adult body has 55 to 75 percent water. Two-thirds of our body weight is water. A human embryo is more than 80 percent water. A newborn baby is 74 percent water. The water you drink literally becomes you! The functions of water go far beyond just hydration. They include aiding digestion, weight loss, battling water retention, regulating body temperature, aiding the kidney in excretion, lubricating our joints, the list goes on and on