Nutritional benefits of organic carrots

Nutritional benefits of organic carrots

They’re sweet. They’re Big. They’re orange. They’re beautiful. Latin scientist may know the vegetable as daucus carota, but we just call them carrots. They can grow all over the seasons, and there are over one hundred species of carrots of all colors and sizes.

The good thing about organic carrots is that they have wonderful nutritional benefits, like helping to prevent cancer and heart disease, as well as its good for eyesight. Here are few great nutritional benefits of organic carrots.

Strong antioxidants

Powerful Antioxidants, help to fight from cell damage done to the body by toxins that find their way from our environment into our bloodstream. Along with wonderful antioxidants like vitamin C, carrots contain phytonutrient antioxidants like beta-carotene. Beta-carotene has some outstanding benefits, and may protect the body from lung cancers, stomach, cervix, colon, uterus, and the oral cavity.

Nutrients rich

Along with 400% of your daily vitamin A, a serving of carrots will provide nutritional vitamins like B1, B2, B3, B6, C, E and K, and also plenty of fiber, potassium and manganese. Organic carrots have a little bit of everything. This vitamin rich vegetable has the highest amount of carotene when compared to other fruits and vegetables. In addition it is an excellent source for vitamin B, C, D, E and K. You can eat them raw or cook them as you wish.

Eye Care

The retina of the eye needs vitamin A to function. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a carotenoid pigment which is an essential antecedent for vitamin A. Deficiencies in vitamin A are the leading causes of blindness in the developing world. Lack of vitamin A can also lead to Vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness. Extra vitamin A can prevent night blindness as well as fighting macular degeneration and the formation of cataracts to keep your eyes healthy.

 

Protect from cardiovascular disease

There is a direct connection between eating more carrots and lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease. Carrots contain a variety of antioxidants and polyacetylenes which, together, provide a protective shield to the heart, Making carrots part of your everyday diet is an excellent way to prevent heart related disease, and to maintain your cholesterol level (a major factor for heart disease). Eating root vegetables like organic carrots also lower the chances of having a heart attack.

Good for your teeth

Carrots act as natural coarse, stimulate your gums and cleaning sticky plaque from your teeth. They help keep your teeth clean after meals by stimulating saliva to help scrub stains on your teeth. The minerals found in carrots will also help killing germs in your mouth and prevent tooth damage.

Reduce the risk of heart problem

A study from Harvard University indicates that eating more carrots can reduce the risk of suffering a stroke. The study suggests that eating more than five carrots a week can greatly reduce this risk of heart stroke.

Hair Benefits Of Carrots

Since years, carrots have been known to promote hair growth and add thickness to the hair. Being loaded with vitamin A, carrots offer the following benefits for your hair.

 Help to control Hair loss:

Carrots are great for combating hair loss as they provide your hair with vital vitamins, making them stronger, thicker and shinier. Drinking carrot juice makes your hair healthy. This is the best benefit of carrots for the hair.

 Hair Growth:

 Consuming 2 to 3 glasses of carrot juice daily stimulates the hair growth and thickens your hair. Vitamin C and Vitamin E in carrots improve the circulation in the scalp, thus helping hair growth and prevent premature graying of hair.

Source: http://www.fullcircle.com/goodfoodlife/2012/05/29/organic-carrots-nutritional-benefits/

Interesting facts About Honey

Interesting facts About Honey

Here are the health benefits of one of the oldest sweeteners on earth, And some interesting facts, some great recipes and a few cautions.To make honey Bees swallow, digest and regurgitate nectar; this nectar contains almost six hundred compounds. We need our bees, so let’s do everything we can to save them and keep them alive here on this planet.
Honey is so good we have included it in our list of foods that should be in your kitchen right now.

Top 10 Health Benefits of Honey

1. Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal

“All honey is antibacterial and antifungal, because the bees add an enzyme that makes hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂),” said Peter Molan, director of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in New Zealand.

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2. Prevent cancer and heart disease

Honey contains antioxidants and flavonoids which help reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease.

3. Increase athletic performance

Ancient Olympic athletes would eat honey and dried figs to enhance their performance and energy levels. This has now been verified with modern science, showing that it is superior in maintaining glycogen levels and improving recovery time when compare to other sweeteners.

4. Reduce mouth ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems

Research shows that honey treatment may help disorders such as ulcers and bacterial gastrointestinal problems. This may be related to the other benefit.

5. Reduce cough and throat infections

Honey fight with coughs, particularly buckwheat honey. In a study of 105 kids, a single dose of buckwheat honey was just as effective as a single dose of dextromethorphan in relieving nocturnal cough and allowing proper sleep.

6. Balance the 5 elements

Since 4000 years, Honey has been using in ayurvedic medicines in India and is considered to affect all three of the body’s primitive material imbalances positively. It is also said to be useful in improving weight loss, eyesight, curing impotence and urinary tract disorders, premature ejaculation, bronchial asthma, diarrhea, and nausea.

Honey is called as “Yogavahi” since it has a quality of penetrating the deepest tissues of the body. When honey is used with other herbal preparations, it adds the medicinal qualities of those preparations and also helps them to reach the deeper tissues.

7. Blood sugar regulation

Even though honey contains simple sugars, it is NOT the same as white sugar which we use or artificial sweeteners. Its exact combination of glucose and fructose actually helps the body regulate blood sugar levels. Some honeys have a low hypoglycemic index, so they don’t push your blood sugar.

8. Heal wounds and burns

Studies have shown that honey to be very successful in healing wounds. External application of honey has been shown to be most effective as conventional treatment with silver sulfadiazine. It is speculated that the drying effect of the simple sugars and honey’s antibacterial nature combine to create this effect.

9. Probiotic

Some varieties of honey owns large amounts of friendly bacteria. This includes up to six species of lactobacilli and four species of bifid bacteria. This may explain many of the “mysterious therapeutic properties of honey.”

10. Strengthen the immune system

According to a study at the School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK.
Manuka honey is a favorite of mine. Manuka Honey has been found to stimulate the production of immune cells.

Extra!

For Beautiful skin

Its anti-bacterial qualities are particularly useful for the skin, and, when used with the other ingredients, can also be moisturizing and nourishing! For a home beauty treatment for which you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen already.

Different honeys have different flavonoid profiles, depending on the floral source of the nectar. The most beneficial honeys for the body are Manuka and buckwheat.

Different Types of Honey

• Manuka honey strengthens the immune system. pure Manuka Honey harvested from the remote hills, forest, and coastal areas of New Zealand.
• Buckwheat is also good for the immune system  and as a healthier alternative to cough syrup.
• Wildflower – Topanga Quality Wildflower Honey is raw, unfiltered and unpasturized. Kosher too.
• Alfalfa – Stockin's unheated and unfiltered raw Alfalfa honey is made in Saskatchewan, Canada from Alfalfa Blossoms.
• Black Locust has the lowest glycemic index (32) of all of the honeys.
  Raw Locust Honey by the Beekeeper’s Daughter is light, clean, and very aromatic and floral.
• Blueberry
• Orange Blossom

There are at least 40 types of honey – each one has distinctive taste and unique properties.
Darker honey tends to have higher antioxidant levels.
Monofloral honey (honey from a single plant species) usually has the lowest glycemic index. For example, locust honey from the Black Locust tree has a Glycemic index of 32. Clover honey, which is used commercially, has the highest glycemic index at 69.

Honey Suggestions

If you want to get the goodness from your honey, make sure it is pure and  Organic.
Raw Organic honey contains vitamins, minerals and enzymes not present in refined honey.

Source: http://www.realfoodforlife.com/health-benefits-of-honey/

Top 12 fruits and vegetables which are available in winter

Top 12 fruits and vegetables which are available in winter

Eating seasonal fruits and vegetables is good for health. Let us see the list of fruits and vegetables available during winter that could help you to maintain good health all through the season. The main intention of this article is to inspire more and more people to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables.


Modern food processing methods and open market in the world has made variety of hybrid fruits and vegetables which are available all the year round. But, if you follow the nature’s rule and look into traditional way of producing organic fruits and vegetables, you will find that they have been seasonal. Expert’s opinion that if you follow the traditional way and eat seasonal organic fruits and vegetables, it is better.

Have a quick look at top 12 winter fruits and vegetables available in India.

1) Oranges 

Oranges are the best source of vitamin C and it helps your body fight against germs and gives minerals, potassium, fiber and folate. And it is low in calories.

2) Carrots

style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px" > data-ad-client="ca-pub-4974762365275543" > data-ad-slot="6956003916">  This vitamin rich vegetable has the highest amount of carotene when compared to other fruits and vegetables. In addition it is an excellent source for vitamin B, C, D, E and K. You can eat them raw or cook them as you wish.

3) Turnips

This is a root vegetable in size of an apple. It has a sweet taste and starchy texture and contains minerals, fiber, vitamins, folates and this is the time for turnips come in the market during winter.

4) Apples

All of us know that having “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Well, you can have this fruit at affordable price during winter and opt it as your snack and enjoy the benefits.

5) Spinach

Spinach leaves is one of the healthiest vegetables in the world. It contains carotenoids and flavonoids which are antioxidants along with lots of vitamins and minerals. It is rich in vitamins like A, C and K and contains omega-3 fatty acids. If you want to get the complete nutrition, avoid boiling or cooking it too much.

6) Mustard Leaves

This is a winter crop which is highly nutritious. Several vital antioxidants, carotenes, minerals and vitamins are there in its fresh green leaves. Include the goodness of this food (mustard) in your diet this winter and get the benefits



7) Peas

peas are a very good source of vitamin K, dietary fiber, manganese,  vitamin B1, vitamin C, copper,  phosphorus and folate. They are also a good source of vitamin B2, niacin, vitamin B6, molybdenum, zinc, protein, magnesium, potassium, iron and choline. It has all necessary minerals along with folic acid and ascorbic acid. It is not just eaten after being cooked with other veggies, but you can have it raw in salads and add it to soups. It provides you with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

8) Radishes

this available in abundance during winter season. They are sweet or pungent in taste and provide you with potassium, lots of roughage, folic acid and ascorbic acid. You can either cook it in your way or even eat raw.

9) Fenugreek Leaves

In India fenugreek leaves are known as ‘Methi’ which is fully loaded with vitamins and minerals along with lots of phytonutrients and fiber. It helps in lowering blood sugar and cholesterol level along with many more and overall health benefits.

10) Beets

Beets can be available throughout the year, but they are the best ones during winter. It contains compound that help prevent heart and liver diseases and it also helps enhance the blood flow to brain. In winter season the body metabolism is low and so it is recommended to take fresh fruits and vegetables that are low in calories and have dense nutrients. Also, experts say that eating fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables is healthier because the nutrient contents always vary when grown in off-season.

11) Grapes

Grapes are known as ‘The Queen of Fruits. It contains powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols, which may slow or prevent many types of cancer disease, including esophageal, mouth, lung, endometrial, pharynx, prostate, pancreatic and colon.  Grapes contain immunity-boosting vitamin C, simple sugars that provide instant energy and antioxidants that are anti-inflammatory. Just wow!.

12) Bananas

Bananas are extremely healthy and tasty. They contain several essential nutrients, and have benefits for digestion; weight loss and bananas may support heart health. Bananas are among the easily available and most popular fruits in winter season. Bananas contain a fair amount of fiber, as well as several antioxidants. These antioxidants have been linked to many health benefits, such as a reduce risk of heart disease and degenerative diseases. So eating banana is healthier for you.

                                               

Source: http://www.indiaparenting.com/health/325_5439/top-10-fruits-and-vegetables-of-winter-in-india.html

Importance of trees and its Value

Importance of trees and its Value

Since the early stage, trees are playing very vital role in our daily life; trees have furnished us with two of life's necessity, oxygen and food. As we developed, they provided additional necessities such as shelter, tools and medicine. Today, their value continues to gradual increase and more benefits of trees are being discovered as their role expands to fulfill the needs adopted by our modern lifestyles.

Social and Community Value

Now a day’s Trees are an important part of every community. Our streets, playgrounds, parks and backyards are lined with beautiful trees that create a peaceful, aesthetic environment. Trees increase our quality of life by bringing natural elements and wildlife habitats into urban style. We all gather under the cool shade they provide during outdoor activities with family and friends. Many neighborhoods are also having the home of very old trees that serve as historic landmarks and a great source of town pride.

Using trees in cities to deflect the sunlight decreases the heat island effect caused by pavement and commercial constructions.

Ecological and Environmental Value

Trees contribute to their environment by giving oxygen, improving air quality, conserving water, preserving soil, climate amelioration, and supporting wildlife. During the process of photosynthesis, trees take in carbon dioxide (CO₂) and produce the oxygen (O₂) we breathe. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, "One acre of green forest absorbs 6 tons of carbon dioxide and puts out 4 tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people." Trees, turf and shrubs also filter the air by removing dust particles and absorbing other pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. After trees caught unhealthy particles, rain washes them to the ground.

Trees control climate by decreasing the effects of the sun, rain and wind. Leaves absorb and filter the sun's radiation, keeping things cool in summer. Trees also preserve heat by providing a screen from wind. In addition to minimize wind speed and direction, they shield us from the downfall of rain, hail and sleet. Trees also lower the air temperature and reduce the intensity of the greenhouse effect by maintaining low levels of carbon dioxide.

Both above and below ground, trees are very essential to the eco-systems in which they inhabit. Far reaching roots hold soil tight and in place and fight with soil erosion. Trees absorb and store rainwater which reduce runoff and sediment deposit after storms. This helps the underground water supply recharge, prevents the flooding and transport of chemicals into streams. Fallen leaves make excellent compost that enriches soil fertility.

Many animals are depending on trees, including koalas, giraffes and elephants eat leaves for nourishment. Flowers are eaten by deer’s, and nectar is a favorite of birds, bats and many insects. Animals also eat much of the same fruit that we enjoy this process helps disperse seeds over great distances. Of course, hundreds of living creatures call trees their home. Leaf-covered branches keep many animals, such as squirrels and birds out of the reach of predators.

Personal and Spiritual Value

The main reason everyone like trees is because they are both beautiful and majestic. No two are same. Different species display a seemingly endless variety of shapes, textures, forms and vibrant colors. Even individual trees vary their beautiful appearance throughout the year as the seasons change. The long lifespan, strength and regal stature of trees give them a memorial quality. Most of us react to the presence of trees with a relaxed, pleasant, comfortable feeling. In fact, we plant trees as living memorials of life-changing events.

Trees help to record the history of your family as they grow and develop alongside with you and your kids. We often make an emotional bond with trees we plant or become personally attached to the ones that we see every day. These strong connections are evidenced by the hundreds of groups and organizations across the country that go to great lengths to protect and save particularly large or historic trees from the dangers of globalization. How many of your childhood memories include with the trees in your garden or old neighborhood? The sentimental value of a special tree is simply immeasurable.

Practical value and Commercial Value

Trees have supported and sustained life throughout our existence. They have a wide variety of practical and commercial uses. Wood was the very first fuel, and is still used for cooking and heating by about half of the world's population. Trees provide timber for building construction, tools, sporting equipment, furniture manufacture and thousands of household items. Paper is made of Wood pulp.

We are all aware of fruits like apples, oranges, bananas and the countless other fruits and nuts provided by trees. But did you know the bark of some trees can be made into cork and is a source of chemicals and medicines? Quinine and aspirin are both made from bark extracts. The inner bark of some trees contains latex, the main ingredient of rubber. How many more uses can you name?

Source: http://www.savatree.com/whytrees.html