10 foods that we love for life

4. Fish is rich in Omega 3 Fats

2008-02-23T07:01:00.000-08:00

The Value of Fish was recognized long before scientific studies proved the point. It has been seen as "brain food" and fish oil reduces the chances of heart problems and helps prevent hyperactivity in children, and is useful in treating depression, lowers aaggression under stress and eases pain from arthritis. The role, fish oil may play in fighting cancer, especially breast cancer is also under investigation.

Oily fish like salmon, kippers and tuna are especially beneficial. The importance of the oils lies not only in the protein, vitamin A - good for vision, hair, eyes and nails - vitamin D - good for teeth and bones - and trace elements such as phosphorus and iodine, but also in the large supplies of polyunsaturated fatty acids known as omega-3. This seems to help protect against heart disease by lowering levels of plasma triglyceride, which is associated with high cholesterol.

Seafood lovers don’t need to give up cholesterol-laden lobster and shrimp just because the cardiologist said so. Most shellfish whether mussels, crab, clam, lobster, oyster, shrimp or scallops, are naturally low in total fat and saturated fat, but high in cholesterol content. But nutritionists say that it can still fit into a heart-friendly diet.

The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 300mg of cholesterol each day. In addition, it recommends that women consume no more than 50-60grams of total fat per day with less the 20grams of fat coming from saturated fat sources. Men are advised 60-70 grams of total fat per day with less than 24grams of saturated fat. “The good news is that one portion-about 100gm of most shellfish can easily fit within these guidelines,” .

Of course, portion control is the key. “If you consume double the recommended portion of shellfish, you naturally double the cholesterol intake. So you must avoid other cholesterol sources such a egg yolks, organ meats, meat, poultry and dairy products,” says Khosla.

3 Black Coffee - Keeps You Healthy

2008-02-23T04:13:00.000-08:00

Coffee does more than keep you awake, it keeps you healthy. Over the past 20years, over 19,000 studies have been done to study the impact of coffee on health and almost all have found that two to three cups a day can chase away the blues, lower suicide risk, raise muscle mass and protect against asthma, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, gallstones, some cancers and chronic liver disease.

A 150ml cup of instant coffee contains about 60mg caffeine and filter coffee contains about 85mg. The European Union’s Scientific Committee on Food says that up to 300mg a day (three to four strong mugs of coffee a day) appears to be safe. Perhaps more frequent coffee breaks should be made part of corporate health policy!

Harvard researchers found that drinking one to three cups of caffeinated coffee each day reduces diabetes risk by several percentage points, compared with not drinking coffee at all. More significantly, six cups or more per day slash men’s diabetes risk by 54percent over those who avoid coffee.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that antioxidants in coffee may lower inflammation, reducing the risk of disorders related to it, like heart disease. But it should be consumed in moderation.

“Caffeine is a stimulant that influences the central nervous system and too much of it can upset sensitive stomachs, cause heartburn and sleeplessness. It may temporarily raise blood pressure though there is no persistent effect, but pregnant women should avoid it,”.

2. Nuts protects heart disease

2008-02-21T23:31:00.000-08:00

GET THE FULL HEALTH BENEFITS OF NUTS

Once shunned for being high in fat and calories, studies now show nuts actually help people lose weight and keep it off. That’s because the fat in most nuts is healthy. Walnuts in particular are a good source of the essential omega-3 fatty acid that protects against heart attacks, cancer, diabetes and depression.

Nuts lower bad cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. “Nuts are also high in heart-protecting oils such as mono unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have been shown to lower bad cholesterol (low density protein's or LDL) levels in the blood.”

Nuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. “They are rich in fiber, plant nutrients and antioxidants such as Vitamin E and selenium. The fiber in them makes people feel full longer, preventing them from snacking through the day.“

In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US’s federal food regulatory authority, announced that eating 6-8 of most nuts a day reduces the risk of heart disease. “The FDA approved the heart health claim for almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts as these nuts contain less than 4gm of saturated fats per 50gm (roughly 1/3cup).

“These nuts are healthy, as long as they are not fried and the intake is limited to 8-10 pieces a day, which is about 60 calories.” “Nuts are better any day than the 60 calories you are likely to get from two teaspoons of sugar in your tea or coffee.”

To get the full health benefits of nuts, eat them rather than foods that are high in saturated fats, such as biscuits, sugar or namkeen, all of which pack more than 100 calories for two serving (roughly a handful).

1. Taking tea is good for health

2008-02-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

Eating, one of the life’s simpler pleasures, is no longer that. It has mutated into a monster. That has turned the best of us paranoid. Most of us are in desperate need for assurance that the vitamins we eat today are not actually toxins gently nudging us to an early grave or pyre, as the case may be.

Even committed diet trackers have despaired when faced with the rapid flip-flops nutritional advice has done over the past two years. Is butter healthier than toast? Is de-caf the only way to go should ice-cream be jettisoned in favor of flavored yogurt?

The best way out is to do what I do: eat what you like and hope for the best. The good news is that new studies are bearing this philosophy out.

“There is a realization that apart from the two taboos-sugar and Trans fats found in processed foods – no food is completely bad as long as you don’t have too much of it. Even cholesterol-rich eggs and ghee have more benefits that high-calorie snack food full of artery-clogging trans fats and sugar.”

In other words, don’t cut back on any one food with single-minded zeal. Have smaller portions of the banned treats instead. “You have to get out of simplistic diet debates. Diet gurus can argue about which diet to follow to limit those calories-high-proteins, low-fat, low-crab, a mixture-but the bottom line remains the same. Instead of snacking on empty calories, eating smaller portions of quality calories from nutritionally-sound foods you enjoy is healthier and easier way to watch your weight and stay fit.”

TEA is good for health:

SKIP THE sugar and you can have practically unlimited amounts of tea, “whether is is black, green or red, all teas have antioxidants called polyphonies that protect the body from free radical damage associated with aging and cancers. “ Four to six cups of tea have been found to lower the risk of gastric, esophageal, ovarian and skin cancers, with laboratory studies showing anti-blood clotting and cholesterol-lowering benefits. Just cups of tea a day lower the risk of ovarian cancer by 46 percent in women.

The colour of the tea has little to do with polyphenol content as the more processed the leaves are, the darker the tea becomes. “Green tea is the least processed tea, while black and red teas are partially dried, crushed and fermented. A cup of tea contains an average of 40mg of caffeine, which is about half of the 85mg found in a cup of freshly brewed coffee, so it is good option for people sensitive to caffeine”.

Herbal tea is not tea at all and so has no health-promoting properties. “Herbal teas are a mixture of herbs, flowers, roots, spices or other parts of some plant and do not contain the health benefits of polyphenols.”