The latest buzzword in the realm of nutrition and diet is nutraceutical. Globally nutraceuticals market is estimated at US $120 billion in 2007 growing at 7% and is projected to witness healthy growth to cross US$187 billion in sales by 2010. “Nutraceuticals has been gaining wide acceptance because of its ability to address several lifestyle related ailments, says Honey Khanna, senior dietician at Max Healthcare. Actually, if you pause to ponder, what nutraceuticals claim is not new. Hippocrates wrote 2400 years ago, “Let the food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”  Still, the million-dollar question remains—what has made nutraceuticals so popular? How can there be

Traditionally, Indian cuisine uses a lot of spices. It is hard to imagine an Indian dish, which does not have the fragrant aroma of spices and often when we think of these dishes, the aroma that they exude catches our imagination. Besides making our dishes mouthwatering these spices help us fight diseases. We thought to investigate this part a bit and have brought a low down on disease-fighting spices. Turmeric. This indispensable spice of Indian cuisine gets medicinal properties from the yellow-orange pigment-curcumin. Enriched with iron it is a useful ally in fighting anaemia and this powerful antioxidant is able to neutralize free radicals, chemicals that can travel through the body

  Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are two types of essential fatty acids (EFAs) that people need to consume to stay healthy. Our body acquires these fatty acids through diet. Omega-6 fatty acids are beneficial as well. They help regulate inflammation and blood pressure as well as heart, gastrointestinal, and kidney functions. Good dietary sources of omega-6 fatty acids include cereals, eggs, poultry, most vegetable oils, whole-grain breads, baked goods, and margarine. It is important to maintain an appropriate balance of omega 3 and omega-6 in the diet as these two substances work together to promote health. Omega 3 fatty acids are poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Before we delve in the

Let’s choose happiness and health, not pesticides. Let’s choose organic  With the plethora of organic food thrown around in the shopping aisles we are forced to wonder whether it is really worth the extra money, or is it just a marketing gimmick to get us to purchase essentially the same thing for a lot more? Let’s explore what’s natural and authentic.  What is Organic Food? ‘Organic food’ in simple terms can be defined as food that is natural and does not involve the usage of any kind of preservatives or artificial pesticides. In December 2000, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) established a national standard for the term “organic.” Organic food, must

    Seasonal change and flu go hand in hand. With change of weather there will be increased incidences of sneezes, sniffles, cold and cough, more sick leaves and lost work days. However, you just don’t need to endure this year after year, because we’ve talked to holistic health experts on the best natural supplements to bolster your immunity. By now, if you’ve been reading this space, you must be aware of the terms like viruses and bacteria. The easiest way to outsmart these nasty bugs is to bolster your immunity. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts in this process. This involves eating right, sleeping well, and staying active along with managing stress. However, there are many

We love to invent and reinvent our super heroes. The statement is true for vegetables too. Some time ago the mantle of superhero rested on luscious tomatoes, whereas ginger and garlic too had their bite of fame. The newest entrants in the hall of fame are cruciferous veggies—cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy—the Chinese variant of cabbage and the Italian import—broccoli. Not many know that broccoli is a native of Italy. To begin with these veggies grow beneath the soil and they love to snuggle. In cauliflower individual florets converge in a giant white flower nestling against edible green stalks, whereas broccoli—the superstar green Italian cousin of cauliflower has abundant fleshy

There’s certainly too much pepper in that soup!’ Alice said to herself, as well as she could for sneezing. – Alice in Wonderland Do not get fooled by black pepper—your everyday spice and the best buddy of the table salt on the dining table! This spice has a glowing past. In ancient times, it was so valuable that it was often used as currency and was even offered as a sacrifice to gods. Perking up on pepper The pepper plant is a member of the nightshade family—the same family from which tomato, potato, eggplant and petunia belong to. The fruit of the pepper plant is an edible herb, though it is the seed—the familiar gnarled black seeds that we have in our kitchens.

Did you know that the dash of garlic you put in to spice up your dishes and curries is good for your heart too? Since time immemorial garlic has been used to stave off evil spirits, build stamina, enhance immunity, and ward off infections. During the ancient Olympic games in Greece athletes were said to swallow garlic as a stimulant. Garlic is a part of the lily family along with onions and chives. Undisturbed, the garlic bulb has limited medicinal properties. Chopping and crushing garlic releases the miraculous properties for which we tout garlic. The magical potions of garlic emanate from alliin that when crushed converts in allicin, a powerful antibiotic, and may possess anti-clotting

Perceptions change with time. Chocolate is a classic instance to this. Rewind the time machine a couple of years; and the melt in mouth chocolate with its seductive aroma was a confection that came across as a guilty sin. Not any more, going by the latest researches, if you nibble on delicious dark chocolates. Choco Delight What metamorphosed chocolates from a guilty sin to a superfood? The answer lies in cocoa, a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants in foods are rated by their ORAC, or “oxygen radical absorbance capacity,” which is a food’s ability to calm free radicals. Dark chocolate, per 100 grams, has twice the ORAC of milk chocolate, four times the ORAC of raisins and

At par with milk but is digested twice as fast as milk. Make it a part of your daily diet. For the weight conscious it can be a great snack. Its low cal and tastes delicious. Yoghurt is packed with beneficial bacteria that are essential for good health. The lactobacillus that it contains keeps the intestinal tract healthy, maximizes the absorption of nutrients in your body and strengthens the immune system. It kills the dangerous bacteria and assists in the growth of the beneficial ones. Containing lactic acid, yoghurt – a pre-digested food, comes with myriad health benefits. Since it is a predigested form of milk it is easily digested by everybody, even the ailing ones and the