Here are a few homemade beauty recipes to help you steer clear of those chemical-loaded cosmetics.

Face mask

EGG WHITE

Egg white works wonders on your skin. It helps tighten pores and improves skin elasticity. Separate the egg white from the yolk. Evenly apply the white of the egg on your face, and wash off after 10 minutes or as you feel your skin tighten.

MULTANI MITTI

Why spend hundreds of rupees on a purifying clay mask when the age-old Indian clay powder, multani mitti, will just cost you Rs 30 or less, and is as natural as it gets. If you have oily skin, mix multani mitti and rosewater to a paste-like consistency and prepare a mask. If you have dry skin, use milk or curd.

(more…)

A new study has shown that green tea extract in tandem with an additional compound could be effective for body weight control and type 2 diabetes.

In order to ascertain whether green tea truly has the potential to control body weight and regulate glucose in type 2 diabetes, Jae-Hyung Park and his colleagues from the Keimyung University School of Medicine in the Republic of Korea conducted a study.

The active constituents of green tea, which have been shown to inhibit intestinal glucose and lipid uptake, are a certain type of flavonoid called gallated catechins.

The researchers had previously suggested that the amount of gallated catechins necessary to reduce blood glucose concentrations could be achieved from a daily dose of green tea. However, the amount of green tea needed to decrease lipid uptake from the gut is higher and has been shown to have adverse effects in humans.

(more…)

Studies continue to unlock the medicinal benefits of tea, which has been touted to help with everything from headaches to depression since Ancient times.

Nutritionist Patricia Bannan has provided eight reasons to why we should drink tea.

Tea contains a small amount of natural fluoride, a chemical that can help prevent tooth decay, she said.

When fluoride mixes with saliva, bacteria can’t produce the acid by-products that promote cavities. Additionally, fluoride works to repair teeth in the early stages of tooth decay, she explained.

Studies also show catechins (antioxidants) in green tea extract may trigger weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories and decreasing body fat, especially in the abdominal (belly) area.

Thanks to its polyphenols (the antioxidants found in tea), sipping on a cup may have cancer-fighting effects.

(more…)

Stop loading on painkillers and choose from nature’s bounties to fight pain. Read on…

Prolonged use of painkillers and antacids can tamper with your health in more ways than one. Why not instead, choose goodies from nature’s basket, to curb pain, naturally.

Yogurt: Commonly known as dahi or curd

Target: Stomach problems

Yogurt is rich in lactobacilli-the good bacteria that aids digestion, relieves stomach cramps and improves gastrointestinal function. You can choose from a variety of probiotic yogurts available in the market. Even better, blend together a cup of curd with fresh fruits like strawberries or bananas for flavored yogurt.

(more…)

Suddenly everyone and their mother are talking about green tea and how it helps you lose weight. Most of my patients are proud to say that they have started a green tea regimen and tell me that in a few weeks, they expect their weight to melt. And an almost equal number of them come back in a few weeks and tell me that it has not worked forthem and that they have stopped green tea. Worse, some of them even tell their friends that green tea is a bitter not so great tasting tea which is of no use.

So what exactly is green tea? With out going into technical details, green tea is a less processed tea, thereby retaining a lot of the nutrients. There is a further type of tea part from black and green called white tea, which has its own benefits, but we will discuss that another day. The nutrients in the green tea are the poly phenols and the catechins.

(more…)

Adding daily green tea and coffee to your daily diet may help lower your risk of having a stroke, according to researchers.

This is the first large-scale study to examine the combined effects of both green tea and coffee on stroke risks, said Yoshihiro Kokubo, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.H.A., F.A.C.C., F.E.S.C., lead author of the study at Japan”s National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center.

“You may make a small but positive lifestyle change to help lower the risk of stroke by adding daily green tea to your diet,” Kokubo stated.

Researchers asked 83,269 Japanese adults about their green tea and coffee drinking habits, following them for an average 13 years. They found that the more green tea or coffee people drink, the lower their stroke risks.

(more…)

Enough and beyond has been written about green tea and its numerous health benefits. How exactly does it help your body? Read on to find out.

Green tea and its nutrients

All kinds of tea, be it black, green or oolong, comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. The colour of the tea depends upon the amount of fermentation it has been through. Oolong tea is partially fermented, black tea is completely fermented and green tea is not fermented at all. It is produced by steaming fresh tea leaves at very high temperature.

(more…)

To get that flawless and radiant skin, pay attention to what you eat, rather than what you put on it.

What you eat shows on your skin!

Eat these foods for radiant-looking skin.

Salmon to prevent premature ageing

A healthy skin desires essential fatty acids and most kinds of sea food have them in more or less amounts. As a premier source of omega-3 fatty acids, cold-water, oily fishes are laden with anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids. And salmon is an excellent example of that. People who ate diets rich in such foods have shown late appearance of skin wrinkling, as omega-3 fatty acids prevents the skin from drying out, keeping it supple and elastic for a longer time.

(more…)

An experienced clinical dietician, nutrition specialist and a Reebok Certified Fitness Consultant, Sheela Tanna has counselled at various health camps.

She deals with lifestyle disease management like diabetes, blood pressure, cardio vascular diseases, obesity, PCOD etc. Her special interests include child nutrition, menopause management, arthitis, hair and skin care.

Sheela answered Sify readers’ queries related to diet and nutrition in an exlusive chat. Read the transcript below

Why is Protien a vital element is our diet and from where do we get it ?
proten is building block of our body.. We need it on regular basis for wear and tear of tissues.. Natural diet like dals, pulses,lean meat has enough protein..No need to buy supplements.

(more…)

Drinking green tea may help women in reducing their risk of developing some digestive system cancers, especially cancers of the stomach/esophagus and colorectum, according to a study led by researchers from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

Wei Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., MPH, professor of Medicine, chief of the Division of Epidemiology and director of the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, was the principal investigator for the study.

To determine green tea’s impact on cancer risk, the investigators surveyed women enrolled in the Shanghai Women’s Health Study, a population-based study of approximately 75,000 middle-aged and older Chinese women. During the initial interview participants were asked if they drank tea, the type of tea consumed and how much they consumed. Most of the Chinese women reported drinking primarily green tea.

(more…)