Amazing Avocados

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acne scars, Alligator Pears, anti-oxidants, avocados, birth defects, cataracts, cholesterol, collagen production, cottage cheese, crackers, dietary fibre, fatigue and anaemia, heart disease, improve eyesight, Iron, kale, macular degeneration, monosaturated fats, nervous systems, oral cancers, potassium, pregnancy stretch marks, Saba Gul Hasanfolate, soups and salads, super fruits, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, vitamins C, watercress

Avocados – often called Alligator Pears – due to their bumpy green skin, have long been hailed as super fruits by health practitioners and nutritionists, and now, research conducted earlier this year has revealed new health benefits, putting them in the same league of super foods such as watercress and kale. Since they are available all year round in Pakistan, you can add them to soups and salads, pair them with crackers and cottage cheese or enjoy avocado paste in sandwiches, for a delicious and healthy snack.

Here are four reasons why you should add avocados to your diet:

1. Avocados are rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A) and lutein, which improve eyesight, reduce the risk of contracting chronic eye diseases and prevent age related macular degeneration by maintaining healthy ocular tissues. They are also believed to delay the onset of cataracts.

Anyone For Tea?

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amino acid theanine, antioxidant, black tea, caffeine, calcium, camellia sinensis, fermented, fluoride, Green tea, heart disease, lower cholesterol, Magnesium, metabolism, Oolong tea, phenolics, prevent strokes, Professor Dr Rashida Ali., Pu-erh tea flavonoids, tea, theaflavin, thearubigins, toxins, triglycerides, White tea

There is good news for all tea drinkers. According to recent research, tea has enough health benefits for it to be included in the list of foods that constitute a healthy lifestyle.

All teas are made from the leaves or buds of the plant camellia sinensis and differ in their processing – some are fermented, others are not. 

Here is a look at five different kinds of teas and their health benefits: 

Super Seeds For Super Health

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alpha-linolenic acid, autoimmune diseases, Chia seeds, copper, fibr, Flaxseeds, folic acid, heart disease, Hemp seeds, high protein content, Iron, joint inflammation, lignans, lower triglyceride (bad fats), Magnesium, minerals, multiple sclerosis, Niacin, nutritional powerhouses, Omega-3 fatty acids, Omega-6 fatty acids, phosphorus, phytosterols, rheumatoid arthritis, seeds, sesame seeds, vision, vitamins, Zinc

Recently deemed ‘nutritional powerhouses’ by health experts, particularly due to their high protein content, seeds are becoming an absolute must when it comes to healthy eating. You can sprinkle them on salads and cereals to add zing, or grind and mix them in batter when baking desserts or savouries.

Here are the four super seeds that will add a nutrient-packed punch to your diet:

Think Yourself Well

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achievements, alternate medicine, cancer, chronic infections, cortisones, cynical, detoxify, diet, Dr Mubashara Khan, emotions, envy, exercise, fitness, guilty pleasures, happy mind, healing, healthy body, heart disease, hope, human experience, hypertension, immune-suppressive, jealousy, joy, laboratory tests, lifestyle, longevity, love, motto, negative emotions, pessimistic, positive thinking, prescription, psycho-neuro-immunology, resentful, self-healing, stress, strokes, therapies, toxic metabolites, ulcers

Activating the relationship between a happy mind and a healthy body is one of the greatest achievements made possible by the power of positive thinking, a firm component of alternate medicine. Today, the link between a positive state of mind and a positive state of health is known as psycho-neuro-immunology.

Pessimism and negative emotions are as harmful to health as a positive attitude is beneficial. Stress and negativity are believed by many researchers to be the primary causes of several medical conditions, including cancer, chronic infections, heart disease, hypertension, strokes and ulcers. This is because researchers have discovered that envy and jealousy cause the release of chemicals like cortisones from the brain that have an immune-suppressive action.

Gluten or Not?

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arrowroot, autoimmune, barley, beans, bleached flour, bone density, bran, celiac disease, cereal, chickpeas, cholesterol, corn, couscous, diabetes, digestive, Dr William Davis, energy, fruit, gram flours, heart disease, inflammation, meat, medical condition, millet, neurological problems, nutrient, potato, processed foods, pure buckwheat, quinoa, rice, rye, Samia Babar, small intestines, sorghum, soy, stunted growth, tapioca, vegetables, villi, vitamin deficiencies, weight loss, Wheat Belly, wheat bran, wheat starch

Not very often does a serious medical condition spark a dieting fad – but such is the case with the new ‘gluten-free’ craze.

So what is gluten and why is the world going gaga over going ‘gluten-free’?

Don’t Skip Breakfast!

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American Dietetic Association, boost, breakfast, calorific foods, concentration, cravings, diabetes, eye-hand coordination, fertility, Harvard School of Public Health, Healthy, heart disease, high blood pressure, high fat, hormones, insulin sensitivity, polycystic ovary syndrome, problem-solving skills, reduce, research studies, risk, Samia Babar, sleep, snooze, triglyceride fats, weight loss

It’s so difficult to leave the cozy warmth of bed and so tempting to sleep for an extra 20 minutes when it is cold outside. However, recent research strongly advises against hitting the snooze button in lieu of breakfast.

Several research studies over the years have highlighted the benefits of having a big, healthy breakfast. According to the American Dietetic Association, children who have wholesome breakfasts demonstrate better concentration, problem-solving skills and eye-hand coordination in the classroom and on the playground.

Know Your Heart

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aspirin, average weight, blood pressure, Bluedot Healthcare, cardiac, cardiovascular disease, chest pain, cholesterol, diabetics, diets, difficulty breathing, Dr Waqar Saeed, electrocardiogram, exercise, glucose, heart attack, heart disease, Indigestion, light-headed, nausea, obesity, pale, smoke, sweat, symptoms, vomiting

Recently, a man in his mid-40s was brought into the ER; he was experiencing chest pain, difficulty breathing and was drenched in sweat. This patient did not look like someone who was at risk of heart disease – he was fairly young and of average weight with no history of cardiac problems. Yet his symptoms, vitals, high blood pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) showed that he was in fact having a heart attack.

Here Comes The King

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antioxidant, Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Oklahoma State University, back burner, calories, director, Dr Samia Babar, Edralin Lucas, Health Awareness Society., health benefits, heart disease, Here Comes The King, high levels of blood glucose lipids, improve fat metabolism, Low in fat, lupeol, mangoes, natural alternative, obesity related ailments, PhD, pre-biotic dietary fibre, prostate cancer, reduce body fat, reduce the circulating level of leptin, regulate blood sugar, regulate lipid levels, Rosiglitazone, skin cancer, summer in Pakistan, triterpene, type-2 diabetes, Vitamin A, vitamin B6, Vitamin C, weight gain

Mangoes are possibly one of the few reasons to like summer in Pakistan. While most people put their fears of weight gain on the back burner, others willingly give up regular meals just to have more than one mango.

Contrary to popular belief, mangoes are in fact low in fat, although they have substantial calories. The fruit also has numerous health benefits; it is high in pre-biotic dietary fibre, antioxidant, as well as vitamins A, B6 and C. It also contains triterpene and lupeol, which are known to be effective inhibitors of prostate and skin cancer.

Take A Holiday And Pursue A Passion!

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benefits, camping, companies lose seven dollars in costs related to employee burnout, culinary, depression, Dr Mel Byrns, employee burnout, Expedia, explore interests, filmmaking, fishing, fitness boot camp, glassblowing, Go Away: Just For The Health Of It, golf, healthier weight levels, heart disease, hobbies, HR Horizons, improved productivity, improved reaction times, kayaking, learning-oriented holiday options, lower blood pressure, mountaineering. Creativity, painting, passion athletic activities, photography, productive, reconnected, rejuvenated, rested, sculpting courses, spa, survey, tennis Fauzia Kerai Khan, University of Pittsburgh study, wellness retreat, Yoga

In his book Go Away: Just For The Health Of It, Dr Mel Byrns writes that for every dollar that companies save on holiday time that is not taken, they lose as much as seven dollars in costs related to employee burnout. This is why it is important to take a holiday. What is more, if you think of a holiday as a mission to explore your interests and hobbies, it will have greater benefits, some of which are listed below.

1. Improved productivity: An Expedia survey found that 45% of Americans felt “they come back to work feeling rested, rejuvenated, and reconnected to their personal life” after a holiday;  35% said “they return from vacation feeling better about their job and feeling more productive.”

Migraines – What A Pain!

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Activity, adha sar ka dard, auras, bananas, bright light, bright lights, chocolate, confusing thoughts, dairy products, distorted vision, exercise, fermented foods, food journal, heart disease, hunger, hydration, irregular sleep, loud noise, Mee-grain, Migraine, migraines in women, my-grain, nausea, nuts, prevention, processed, rest, salty, sensitivity to light, stress, strokes, strong odours, symptoms pulsating headache, tingling arms legs, triggers menopause, vomiting

My-grain, Mee-grain, adha sar ka dard… however you say it, a migraine is a misery for people who are prone to it. Recent research indicates that women who experience migraines are two to three times more likely to suffer from strokes and heart disease than those who do not get them.

Considering the fact that migraines are pretty common – on any given day, one sees at least three patients in the clinic complaining of migraines – many people are unaware of the symptoms and how to handle them.

A migraine is essentially a neurological syndrome which manifests itself in a unilateral, pulsating headache which intensifies in bright light or during activity. The headache is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting and tingling in arms and legs. Severe cases may even experience ‘auras’ or perceptual disturbances such as confusing thoughts, distorted vision and extreme sensitivity to light, sound and smell.

Physical or emotional stress, irregular sleep, hunger, certain foods (bananas, chocolate,  dairy products, nuts, and salty, processed and fermented foods), bright lights, loud noise and strong odours are the most common triggers of a migraine, while hormone fluctuations are an aggravating factor in women.