Healthiest Plants for Your Home

Lady palm

This plant clears your air of chemicals, including ammonia, and is highly resistant to insects. It’s fairly easy to care for, but you’ll need to trim the leaf tips if they turn brown from a buildup of salt and minerals.

Peace lily

A pro at removing a laundry list of toxins, including acetone, benzene, alcohols, and ammonia, the peace lily is the only air-cleaning plant on our list that flowers. To keep it healthy and insect-free, you’ll need to wash the leaves occasionally.

Bamboo palm

Great at removing formaldehyde from the air, the bamboo palm is also low-maintenance: Just put it where it’ll get a couple of hours of direct sunlight, and water it regularly.

English ivy

Available in all kinds of colors and shapes, this climbing vine helps clear out formaldehyde. It’s superversatile, too: You can grow it in hanging baskets, low planters, or even as a topiary. It needs regular misting, though, especially during winter.

Rubber plant

Got a black thumb? The hearty rubber plant is for you. It ranks high at eradicating nasty formaldehyde and can tolerate cooler temperatures and low light. You just need to keep it well-watered.

GRILLING VS. FRYING

Healthy Cooking: Grilling Vs. Frying

Cooking methods have a significant impact on the quality of food you consume. Grilling and frying are two popular methods used to cook food. To grill foods, you place them on a wire grid placed under or above a dry heat source. The food is cooked by thermal radiation. It is also referred to as broiling or pan grilling.

Fried foods are usually dipped into a fryer or pan that contains very hot oil or fat. Foods may be deep fried or shallow fried. The high temperatures and high heat conductivity cooks the food. This yields attractive, crispy food with a great aroma. However, the quality of food drops considerably when fried. Many fried foods can be grilled as a healthier alternative.

Disadvantages of Frying

When foods are fried, they absorb a lot of fat. Even if the food was a low fat item, it ends up with a high fat content when fried. When consumed, it increases the blood cholesterol level. High cholesterol levels pose greater risks to health. Arteries get clogged over time. This prevents the smooth flow of blood and increases blood pressure. High cholesterol levels also increase the risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Higher calorie intake from fried foods results in weight gain. It becomes more difficult to manage a healthy weight program when fried foods are eaten regularly in the diet. Other foods, such as vegetables, loose much of their moisture and easily perishable vitamins when fried. This is because of the extremely high temperatures of the heated oil. Although fried food may be tasty with a great texture, it is harder to digest than grilled foods. This is because of the high amount of fat absorbed by the food as it cooks. Foods with a high fat content exert more pressure on the digestive system and organs. This contributes to disorders of the digestive tract. It also exacerbates conditions such as ulcers and gallstones. A healthier cooking alternative to frying is grilling.

Health Benefits of Grilling

Grilled meats have a reduced fat content. This is because the fat drips off as the food cooks. It results in healthier meals and makes it easier to manage a low fat diet. Grilled foods also have lower calorie content than fried foods. This helps in weight management and keeping fit. Reduced fat intake helps to lower bad cholesterol levels in the blood. Healthy cholesterol levels improve cardiovascular health. Various health conditions such as obesity, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes become a risk with fried foods.

When you grill your food, it helps to reduce the risk of such diseases. It also ensures that you get more value out of your food. This is because of the shorter cooking time involved when you grill. It results in minimal loss of moisture and vitamins from vegetables. This ensures that as much of the nutritional content is retained in the food when cooked. Healthy cooking contributes to good health and overall wellbeing.

5 Ways to Use Tomatoes for Rosy Cheeks and Beautiful skin

Tomatoes have often been called ‘the poor man’s apple.’ They have been called “the apple of love,” by the French. The Germans even called it “the apple of paradise.” In fact, tomatoes are more popular than apples as 60 million tonnes are produced around the world every year. As much as tomatoes are cheaper to buy than apples, they are rich in vitamins and enzymes that can help you achieve radiant health, from inside out. The humble tomato, which we don’t even give second thought to in this day and age, is actually laden with multiple health benefits.

Here are some natural ways to achieve beautiful skin using fresh organic tomatoes:

1. For wrinkle-free skin.

Tomatoes are rich in anti-oxidants. For youthful skin with few wrinkles, make a refreshing juice with 2 tomatoes, 2 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of organic honey. This juice should be taken on an empty stomach early in the morning. Do not take breakfast until after 30 – 40 minutes.

2. For a youthful glow.

After cutting slices of tomato for a salad, spare one slice for your face (usually the top or bottom slice which you might throw away). Wash your face with a mild soap and dry with a soft towel. Afterwards, rub the tomato slice onto your face in a gentle circular motion. Cover your face entirely with the tomato pulp and leave to dry for 10 – 15 minutes. Do this once in 2 days for soft youthful skin.

3. For Lightening Blemishes.

To lighten blemishes or to lighten the whole face for a bright look, apply a paste of curd (yogurt), turmeric and tomato juice. Do this every morning for a beautiful complexion which is bright and blemish-free!

4. For a Fresh Scalp

If your scalp and hair have accumulated odor, soap or shampoo may not be able to completely neutralize the smell. Tomato juice can help you obtain a fresh scalp. Use the necessary amount of undiluted tomato juice and let it sit on your scalp/hair for 15 minutes. Wash your hair with slightly cold water and dry it naturally in the sun.

5. For Blushing cheeks.

Soft pink cheeks are an indicator of a healthy body. This is why women wear cosmetic blush. Eat a tomato everyday and you can have naturally pink cheeks that signify health and vitality.

NATURAL WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR EYESIGHT

Natural Ways to Improve Eyesight

More than ever, we are using our eyes to stare at small type and images on computer screens, televisions, and cell phones – which leads to eye fatigue and an increase in age-related eye problems. But diminished eyesight does not have to be an inevitable part of living long. Follow these three tips to sharpen your own vision so you can see your way to a future of longevity.

Eat for Bright Eyesight

Protect your peepers with a vision-ary diet! Our eyes require multiple nutrients to function optimally. Start with these:

• Vitamins A, C, E, and minerals like copper and zinc are essential to eyesight.
• Antioxidants, including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, protect the macula from sun damage. Get these antioxidants from dark leafy greens, egg yolks, yellow peppers, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Notice any color patterns here? Current research shows that consuming yellow and green vegetables can help prevent age-related macular generation, a leading cause of blindness.
• Foods rich in sulfur, cysteine, and lecithin help protect the lens of your eye from cataract formation. Excellent choices include garlic, onions, shallots, and capers.
• Anthocyanin-rich blueberries, grapes, and goji berries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help improve your vision.
• DHA is a fatty acid found in coldwater fish like wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, and cod. DHA provides structural support to cell membranes to boost eye health.

Exercise Your Eyes

These simple exercises will help you maintain optimal vision and may also keep those annoying eye floaters at bay. Perform these exercises first thing in the morning, before bedtime, or any time your eyes feel fatigued. Make sure that your hands are clean and that your mood is relaxed. Commit to daily practice and you may just see better results within one month.

• Warm your eyes. Rub your palms together to create heat, and then place them against your eyes for five seconds. Repeat this three times.
• Roll your eyes. Start by looking up and then slowly circle 10 times clockwise and 10 times counterclockwise.
• Focus. Hold a pen at arm’s length, focus your eyes on it, and slowly bring the pen closer until it’s about 6 inches away from your nose. Then slowly move it back, keeping your eyes focused on the pen, 10 times in all.
• Massage your temples. Using your thumb knuckles, massage your temples in small circles, 20 times in one direction and 20 in the other. Repeat the same actions above the mid-point of the eyebrows at the forehead, then below the eyes on both sides of the bridge of the nose.
• Take a mini-nap. Put your head back, close your eyes, and relax for 3 minutes.

Give Your Eyes Some R&R

• Getting enough sleep is essential for eye health. Sleep allows your eyes to fully rest, repair, and recover. Insufficient sleep may weaken your vision, so shoot for 8 hours of sound sleep a night.
• Give your eyes a break once an hour during your workday: Rest your eyes 10 minutes for every 50 minutes spent reading or in front of the computer. If your eyes feel overly tired, lie down and place cooling cucumber slices over your eyelids.

6 BEST FOOD TO BUILD MUSCLE

The 6 best foods to eat to build muscle fast:

1. Organic Beef

Organic Beef contains lots of CLA (or conjugated linoleic acid)

which is basically a fat that helps you burn fat but many studies show how CLA helps you gain muscle mass – for example…

According to one study a group of men who took only 5g of CLA per day gained more muscle over 7 weeks than men who did not take CLA.

2. Eggs

Eggs have lots of GOOD cholesterol in them that helps you maintain your current testosterone levels and according to one study…

People who ate 3 whole eggs per day while on a muscle building workout plan gained twice as much muscle as the people who only ate 1 egg everyday.

3. Fish

Almost all fish like salmon, tuna, and herring are high in Omega-3 fats and people who have higher levels of Omega-3s in their diets reported greater levels of muscle strength than those who didn’t include that much Omega-3s plus…

Omega-3s help your muscles recovery faster after workouts and Omega-3 fats increases muscle growth basically by helping your body use most of the protein you eat for muscle building.

4. Wheat Germ

Wheat germ is high in octacosanol and if you eat wheat germ about 30-to-60 minutes before your muscle building workout… The octacosanol in wheat germ will help increase your muscle strength and endurance during your workout plus…

This high-carb food source also has lots of protein in it.

5. Brown Rice

Brown rice is high in GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and GABA will increase your growth hormone levels by up to 400%

6. Spinach

Spinach is high in a compound called beta-ecdysterone that increases your body’s ability to use more protein for muscle growth by 20%.

FLAT BELLY WORKOUT

10 REMEDIES FOR DANDRUFF

Dandruff is a kind of skin disorder of the scalp. This occurs due to growth of bacteria and fungus on the scalp, and it is an infectious condition. It causes itchiness along with excessive formation of dry skin flakes on the scalp.

Dandruff can be controlled by following healthy hair care routine. However, it can even be controlled with easy to follow natural remedies. It is true that natural remedies take time to show results but they can effectively treat the problem completely.

Here are the Top 10 Home Remedies for Dandruff:

1. Indian Lilac

The antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties of Indian lilac, also known as neem, help to treat dandruff as well as many other hair problems like scalp acne, itchy scalp, and hair fall efficiently.

• Boil a handful of neem leaves in four cups of water.
• Cool and strain the solution.
• Use this decoction as a hair rinse twice or three times a week.

2. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil helps eliminate dandruff due to its anti-fungal properties. It also moisturizes dry scalp and provides relief from itching.

• Take some coconut oil and mix half the amount of lemon juice in it.
• Rub it on your scalp and massage for a few minutes.
• Wash your hair after at least 20 minutes.
• Follow this remedy two to three times a week.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar

Scalp treatment with apple cider vinegar is effective in getting rid of dandruff. It restores the pH balance of the scalp, thereby inhibiting the growth of yeast. It also helps works a natural clarifier and helps clean clogged pores and hair follicles.

• Take two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
• Add an equal amount of water and 15-20 drops of tea tree oil in it.
• Apply it onto your scalp and massage. Rinse your hair after a few minutes.
• Follow this natural treatment twice or three times a week.

4. Baking Soda

Baking soda can help reduce the overactive fungi that causes dandruff. With repeated use, it also helps restore production of natural oils that keep your scalp from becoming dry and flaky.

• Wet your hair and rub some baking soda onto your scalp. After some time, rinse your hair well with water. Do not shampoo your hair for a while after this treatment.
• Alternatively, you can add some baking soda to your shampoo when you wash your hair.

5. White Vinegar

White vinegar is one of the best home treatments for dandruff. Vinegar has acetic acid that prevents growth of bacteria and fungi on your scalp.

• Mix one part vinegar with three parts water. Use the mixture to wash your hair and then rinse it out with water.
• You can also apply vinegar directly onto your hair, wrap it with a towel and leave it on overnight. In the morning, wash your hair.

6. Olive Oil

Scalp dryness can be cured with regular use of extra virgin olive oil, an effective natural moisturizer.

• Simply heat some extra virgin olive oil until it is slightly warm. Massage it onto your scalp and then wrap your hair in a towel for half an hour.
• Brush your hair thoroughly to remove the dry flakes and then wash your hair.

7. Fenugreek Seeds

The herb fenugreek has antifungal and soothing properties that can help control dandruff to a great extent.

• Soak some fenugreek seeds in water overnight. In the morning, grind them into a fine paste.
• Apply the paste all over your scalp and leave it in for a few hours. Then wash your hair well with a mild shampoo. After rinsing out the shampoo, use the water in which you soaked the seeds as a final rinse.
• Do this twice a week in cases of severe dandruff.

8. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera has antibacterial and antifungal properties that can help combat dandruff.

• Apply fresh aloe vera juice or aloe vera gel to your hair just a few minutes before taking a shower. Then wash your hair with a mild shampoo.
• Repeat this remedy at least twice a day.

9. Thyme

Thyme has both antiseptic and antifungal properties that help treat dandruff.

• Mix four tablespoons of dried thyme in two cups of water and boil it for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the solution and allow it to cool down.
• Massage some of the solution onto your scalp thoroughly. Let it soak in for five minutes then repeat the process a second time.
• Wait at least two to three hours before washing your hair.

10. Aspirin

Aspirin contains acetylsalicylic acid that can help control dandruff.

• Crush two aspirins to a fine powder and mix it with an equal amount of shampoo. Wash your hair with the mixture, massaging it onto your scalp. Leave it in for a few minutes and then rinse your hair well.
• Alternatively, crush three aspirins and dissolve the powder in one tablespoon of vinegar. Massage the mixture into your scalp. Leave it in for half an hour and then wash your hair thoroughly.

Just like aspirin, Listerine can also be used to treat dandruff due to its alcohol and herbal oil content. Just use Listerine to rinse your hair once in a week.