Fruits

What are various benefits of Pomegranate/Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate fruit has become extremely popular worldwide for its delicious taste and medicinal properties. Originally, the fruit was grown in Asia and the Middle East region. It is also called Granada or the Chinese apple. Nowadays, pomegranate is also grown in Africa and the United States. It is best cultivated in the hot climate. A peculiar feature of a pomegranate tree is that it can live for many years. Pomegranate fruit is spherical in shape with numerous small seeds inside. Pomegranate fruit appears very attractive due to the ruby-colored seeds.
Pomegranate juice is a nicely flavored, healthy drink. It possesses antioxidant properties that offer a number of health benefits.
- It also has high content of polyphenols.
- Pomegranate juice is a rich source of vitamins like vitamin A, C, E and vitamin B (thiamin, riboflavin and niacin) as well as calcium, iron and phosphorus.
- It also consists of phytochemicals like beta-carotene.
- It may also prevent breast cancer cells from forming.
- Because of its high content of vitamin C, pomegranate juice acts as an excellent anti-inflammatory agent.
- Pomegranate juice is the best remedy to relieve anemia due to its high iron content.
- Use pomegranate juice to improve the digestive health, by enhancing secretion of the enzymes. It is one of the best home remedies for dysentery, diarrhea and intestinal parasites.
- Pomegranate juice acts as an enzyme inhibitor and prevents cartilage damage. It controls degeneration of cartilage and can be used to treat osteoarthritis.
- It keeps PSA levels stable.

However, early studies on pomegranate juice suggest it is surely healthy to drink. The fruit can be quite fun to eat as well. There are numerous pomegranate juice products available, many quite highly priced because of the health craze surrounding pomegranate juice. It is likely if continued studies show promising health benefits, more manufacturers of pomegranate juice will emerge and help ease prices through competition.

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What are different health benefits of watermelon?

First cultivated in Egypt, watermelons were once such a highly regarded fruit that one would be placed in the tombs of Egyptian Kings. Today watermelons are used all over the world to make wine, as an ingredient in salads, juices, salsas, sorbets, and smoothies or just eaten raw as a sweet, juicy treat. Aside from watermelon’s thirst quenching taste it has many health benefits.

Health Benefits of Watermelon

- Lycopene is an antioxidant found in most red colored fruits except strawberries. Studies show that Lycopene reduces the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease in people.
- Vitamin B6 is an important attribute to have in a healthy diet because it promotes chemicals in the brain that help people to cope with anxiety and panic.
- Vitamin C boosts the immune system so that you get sick less often and it also slows down aging and medical conditions such as cataract.
- Vitamin A works much like Vitamin C, in that it helps boost immunity, but it also help your body fight off infection.
- Consumption of water melons has been found to result in alleviation of some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Watermelon is a good source of potassium and magnesium as well. Potassium works with sodium and chloride as an electrolyte in the body to balance water levels in the body and regulate blood pressure and heartbeat. Magnesium promotes heart health and is important for building strong bones and reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis.
- Watermelon is very low in calories, making it the perfect snack for those who are trying to lose weight.
- Watermelons have been associated with reducing the airway spasm that occurs in asthma.
- It is said that watermelon works like a natural Viagra. Arginine improves sexual function in men as it boots nitric oxide which relaxes blood vessels.

Nutritional Value of Watermelon

Given below is the amount of nutrients present in 100 gm of watermelon:
Calcium – 7 mg
Carbohydrate – 7.55 gm
Fats – 0.15 gm
Fluoride – 1.5 mcg
Iron – 0.24 mg
Magnesium – 10 mg
Phosphorus – 11 mg
Potassium – 112 mg
Protein – 0.61 gm
Sodium – 1 mg
Sugars – 6.20 gm
Total Dietary Fiber – 0.4 gm
Total Folate – 3 mcg
Vitamin A – 569 IU
Vitamin C – 8.1 mg
Water – 91.45 gm
Energy – 30 kcal
Carotenoids (Lycopene, Phytofluene, Phytoene, Beta-Carotene, Lutein and Neurosporene)

How to stay cool in hot summers ?

Experts say, the temperatures recorded last weekend have been the highest in five years. Staying healthy during summer requires more than just eating the right foods. It is important to take care of your health to protect yourself against the heat. Also, make time to rest, relax and take a nap whenever possible. So enjoy a fun-filled and healthy summer with these natural health tips.
Fitness: A hot workout
• Avoid dark colours while working out as they absorb heat. Wear apparel that’s breathable. Give track pants a miss, wear shorts instead. Stop tying your sweat shirts around your hip, you are just trapping heat.
• While gymming, your feet sweat, so avoid wearing synthetic socks.
• Have a glass of water before you start as it takes time for fluids to get absorbed into the system.
• 21-220 celcius is the best temperature at which you should exercise.
• Best time to get your body moving is before 8 am or just after sunset.
• If you are working out outdoors, try and pace the intensity.
• Avoid steam and sauna as your normal body temperature is 370 degree C and a sauna will work adversely.
Health
• Headaches and migraines get precipitated by heat. Avoid walking in the sun or wear a hat.
• Those who do not sweat a lot are prone to heat-related exhaustion — manifested in fatigue, light-hotheadedness, etc. At an extreme level, it leads to a heat stroke or you may be paralyzed or unconscious.
• Skin allergies like psoriasis too get aggravated because of dehydration.
• Do not let your body dehydrate.
• Excess sun causes nose bleeds because of excess pressure of heat on the nostrils. Boils and sun burn are also common. The best way to counter them is drink plenty of fluids and avoid alcohol and smoking. Have instant energy boosters such as honey, electrolytes or glucose.
• Maintain immunity with fruits such as papaya and pineapple.
Diet: Eat cool
• Take electrol twice a day. Mix it with coconut water, khus sharbat or lemonade. This will replenish minerals lost due to excessive sweating.
• Have more succulent veggies that rehydrate — bottle gourd, turai, pumpkin, lotus stem and the like.
• Avoid oily and fried stuff.
• Adopt different cooking techniques — steaming, grilling, baking and roasting.
• Avoid coffee as cocoa activates sweat glands further leading to dehydration.
• Have poha, porridge, fruits or idli for breakfast instead of dosas and parathas. Khichdi with multi-grain dal, chaach and green chutney is a good option for lunch and dinner.
Clothing
• The obvious choice of fabric for summer has to be natural ones such as cotton, linen and its derivatives such as mul, voile, or bamboo fabric.
• Wear loose-fitting clothing, preferably of a light color. Cotton clothing will keep you cooler than many synthetics.

Beauty: Keep it fresh
• Kokum sharbat is the best way to beat prickly heat from the inside.
• To remove a tan, powder masoor daal and soak it in milk for an hour or half. Massage it over your body and let dry. Rub it off in circular motions. This bleaches and exfoliates your skin.
• Put papaya pieces through a mixer and massage the pulp into your hair, section wise. Rinse after two hours to get shiny, smooth hair.