Healthy Food

Summer Fruits For Good Health

Summer is upon us and with the warm weather comes a cornucopia of delightful fruits and vegetables that not only taste great but are excellent health boosters as well!
Try out juices of grapes, watermelon, banana, jack fruit, lemon and pineapple during summer. Consumption of fruits and juices reduces body heat and benefits in controlling body temperature. Fruits are packed with powerful antioxidants that can lower your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes-related damage and even slow down the body’s natural aging process. The Many Health Benefits of Our Favorite Summer Fruits
Summer Fruits for Good Health
Watermelon
Watermelons are a significant source lycopene, a carotenoid only obtainable through diet, known to help prevent and treat many types of cancer, including prostate cancer.  A watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 92% water by weight making it a perfect snack for any outdoor summer activity due to its natural hydration. Watermelons are rich in electrolytes, sodium and potassium which are lost through perspiration.
Mango
Mangoes, though difficult to peel (see picture for easy slicing method), contain more beta-carotene than any other fruit, which helps to prevent cell damage leading to heart disease and stroke.  These multi colored fruits also contain high levels of fiber which help to control appetite and aid in metabolism. One cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25 percent of the needed daily value of vitamin A, important for the promotion of good eyesight.
Raspberries
One cup of raspberries has 64 calories and is a great source of fiber some of it soluble in the form of pectin, which helps lower cholesterol and an excellent source of vitamin C. The gorgeous red color is from anthocyanins, an antioxidant. Choose juicy-looking, brightly colored raspberries, as raspberries do not continue to ripen once picked.
Papaya
Papayas make for a great summer fruit as they can easily be added to your salads or eaten on their own with low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt for dessert. The nutritional highlight of papaya is its vitamin C content, providing over 300% of your daily need.

Healthy Diet for Rainy Season

First showers of monsoon are overwhelming welcomed by everyone. Apart from giving relieve from the intense heat of the summer season, monsoon brings with itself some health risks as well.
Along with the monsoon showers comes the risk of various diseases like food poisoning, diarrhea, dysentery and cholera. As per the Ayurveda, monsoon is the time when the humidity levels are high in the atmosphere and the capability of our body’s digestive system is at its lowest. In rainy season digestion is generally weak. Therefore one should eat less. It is essential to fast once in a week or fortnight.
Unhealthy diet: Potatoes, cauliflower, cluster beans, ladies’ finger among vegetables, pigeon pea, kidney beans, urad and sprouted grains should not be consumed. One should not consume milk and green leafy vegetables in shravana, while avoiding buttermilk and white gourd in bhadrapada.
People eat some incorrect food during this time and fall sick. Monsoon also dampens once immunity and makes us susceptible to many diseases prevalent during this season. Rainy season marked by a rampant spread of diseases. The ailments that crop up during this period flare up in autumn.
Here are some food hygiene precautions and diet modifications for the monsoon season:
Avoid heavy salty food as it promotes water retention and bloating. It is better to have medium or low salt food.
Eat foods which are drying in nature, the most popular being makka (corn), chana (chickpea), besan (gram flour), jow (oats). Eating watery foods like rice, lassi, watermelon, muskmelon creates swelling in the body.
Maintain the general hygiene while eating out and definitely avoid roadside vendors as very few people have the high immunity to handle the bacterial overload at such places.
The milk is the better diet in this season. Drink butter milk as it improve digestion. Oily food should be taken in less quantity.
Eat light foods like vegetables, fruits, cereals etc and avoid too much of meat or fish. One can also enjoy grilled, tandoori foods which need minimum oil/butter.
Avoid foods which are very sour like tamarind (imli), chutneys and pickles as they promote water retention.
Consume a lot of bitter vegetables like karela (bitter gourd) and bitter herbs like neem (basil), methi (fenugreek) seeds, haldi (turmeric) as it prevents infection.
Fresh is ideal for monsoon, so go for freshly cooked food. Also, you can add ginger, garlic, asafoetida and turmeric in your food to improve your immune.

Popcorn for Good Health

Can you imagine a movie interval or cricket match without popcorn? When weather gets cool and you spend time watching movie or match on TV, then a tasty and yummy container of popcorn makes your entertainment double.
You love to eat popcorn and it is a favorite snack of many, but do you think is it healthy?
Many people think that popcorn is not a healthy treat but the fact is popcorn prepared without lots of butter and salt may not be so unhealthy at all.
Popcorn is a healthy whole grain and a best source of fiber. Popcorn is a very nutritious choice so long as you go natural. According to a study, people who eat popcorn consume 200% more whole grains and 20% more fiber than those who do not eat popcorn.
Popcorn can help to prevent cancer as research suggests. Popcorn is good healthy food which contains health-boosting antioxidants called polyphenols. It helps to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases.
Health benefits of popcorn:

• High in antioxidants
• Contains polyphenols that protect against cell damage
• Popcorn is whole grain similar to oatmeal and brown rice
• Popcorn is also a good source of fiber
• Popcorn without butter is low in calories
• The endosperm located in the center of popcorn contains nutritional carbohydrates, high energy proteins and healthy vitamins.

Hot, Fresh, Delicious popcorn is a healthy snack and better for your health. All popcorn fans who love to eat popcorn can gift a healthy popcorn box to their friends.
If you are planning to make a healthy birthday bash then popcorn can be a yummy treat for your crew.
So be ready to serve popcorn balls at your next party!!