Multigrain vs. whole wheat bread

Good Evening Friends ...
Bread is not only a convenient meal option, but it can also offer you with a host of health benefits. However, with so many options in the market, it can be difficult for you to decide which one is the healthiest. A whole wheat bread may encourage you to think that you are buying the healthiest, but multigrain bread also offers many essential nutrients. Both multigrain and whole wheat breads undergo less processing and retain most of their natural nutrients. You may also want to know why brown bread is healthier than white bread.
Let us have a look at the nutrient value in multigrain and whole wheat breads.

Whole grain
Multigrain bread can be an amazing way of incorporating whole grains in your diet. Rye, barley, buckwheat and oats are the commonly found whole grains in multigrain bread. People who eat whole grains tend to weigh less and have lower body mass indexes and cholesterol levels. A diet rich in grains can also lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and digestive problems. On the other hand, a 100% whole wheat bread is made entirely with one or two whole grains.
Fibre content
Both whole wheat and multigrain breads can introduce more fibre to your diet as they are enriched with extra fibre in the form of wheat bran or oat bran. A slice of multigrain bread can provide as much as 4 g of fibre. A diet rich in fibre can be a good way to keep your blood pressure and sugar levels under control. Fibre can also help you to maintain a healthy weight. For additional fibre, you can look for breads containing rye and quinoa.
Glycemic Index
Multigrain bread contains bran and the germ of the grain that makes it low in glycemic index. Foods low in glycemic index are associated with lower risks of diabetes, cancer and stroke. Multigrain bread also contains phytonutrients, such as antioxidants, that can be helpful in protecting cells from free radical damage. On the other hand, a whole wheat bread has a moderately high glycemic index, making it a bad option for people with diabetes. Also read how foods low in glycemic index help maintain weight and control diabetes.
Calorie count
Multigrain and whole wheat breads do not differ much when it comes to their calorie counts. Most calories in multigrain bread come from its carbohydrate content. Whole wheat bread contains no cholesterol, the fibre and the carbohydrates contribute to the calories. One slice of multigrain bread contains 69 calories where as a slice of whole wheat bread contains 66 calories.
Tips

• Check the ingredients and read the label while buying bread. Look for the ones that have whole grains listed in its ingredients.
• Look for breads that contain at least 3 g of fibre as some breads available in the market may contain as less as 1 g.
• Always make sure that the bread contains the fewest ingredients possible to ensure that you are buying the healthiest one.

Staying couch bound for 5 continuous days can harm your health !!!

London: Being couch bound and inactive for five days in a row can be harmful for your health, claims a new study.
According to the researchers, a body needs physical activity like taking at least 10,000 steps per day and Paul Fadel, associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, found that being idle for even a few days causes damage to blood vessels, which takes time to fix, the Daily Express reported.
He added that it results in weight gain and insulin resistance, which leads to Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Low physical activity is considered to be fewer than 5,000 steps a day, which is half the recommended amount for good health.
Researchers said that counting steps and daily physical activity was not a "defined exercise", like going to the gym.
However, Fadel said "negative consequences could be reversed and there was proof to indicate that at any stage of a disease and at any time in a person's life, they could get active and prolong their life."

God bless you all friends .

 

Another year of success and happiness has passed. With every new year, comes greater challenges and obstacles in life. I wish you courage, hope and faith to overcome all the hurdles you face. May you have a great year and a wonderful time ahead. God bless you.

 

Winter special: 5 easy tips to maintain hygiene

Winter is a time when those whacky cold winds can give you cold and flu and other seasonal health disorders. So one needs to be cautious and maintain hygiene in order to fight infections.
Here are a few hygiene practices you should take up this winter season:

Make way for sunlight: Early morning sunlight is believed to be a natural way to fight infections. Also, exposure to the sun helps regulate one’s internal clock and ensures a good night sleep. But, since its winter time, so we can hardly catch up with the morning rays. So, later in the day, try to sit in a room near a well lit window to get ample amount of the ‘mighty’ sunrays. One can also use a nearby park to take a walk for sometime in the sunlight.

Eat healthy: Eating foods which are healthy is also important. One needs to have not just a healthy diet, but also consume fruits as they are packed with the necessary vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help fight infections and boost immunity to fight against diseases.

Exercise is the key: Although winters is that time of the year when one tends to feel more sleepy and dizzy curling up in that cosy blanket, but don’t be a lazy lad. At the time when the weather is lowering our spirits, it is important to motivate yourself to exercise on a cold morning to keep diseases at bay.

Take shower, wash your hair timely: Winter weather can wreak havoc on your hair and leave you with a feeling of cursing this blissful weather. It is important to wash your hair timely to keep your hair healthy and free from fungal and bacterial infections.

Put your mattress in the sun: It is important to put your mattress in the sun regularly as it greatly reduced allergens and germs. Also, it reduces the risk of attracting fungi and moulds thereby protecting you from various allergies.

5 reasons why we should drink lots of water.

Water is very essential in our life and we cannot survive without it. Water helps to keep our body hydrated.
Here are some reasons why we should drink lots of water:

Helps to reduce weight
Drinking water removes fats products, reduces eating intake and raises your metabolism because it has zero calories.

Boosts immune system
Water boosts your immune system and helps you fight against flu,cancer and other ailments like heart attacks.

Prevents headaches
Water helps in relieving and preventing headaches like migraines & back pains which are commonly caused by dehydration.

Good for skin
Consuming plenty of water will improve your skin and will make you glow. It is the cheapest and most effective for good skin.

Suppresses appetite
Water decreases your appetite as it acts as a filler in your stomach thereby also helping you reducing your weight.

Best postures to maintain in front of your computer screen.

In this technology driven world it is imperative to use technology for the reason it has been created- to make things easier for us! But if using technology is taking a toll on your body then it's time to analyse your ways of using it.
People constantly complain of stiffness of neck, eye strain and headaches because of computer usage.
Here are the best postures to maintain while sitting in front of your computer screen to avoid the unnecessary strain:

Shoulders: Sit in an upright position with your eyes in straight line with the top of your computer screen. Relax your shoulders by resting your elbows on the arms of the chair and wrists at the table top.

Eyes: Avoid eye strain by taking frequent breaks to look away from the screen. Focus on any distant object. You can also close your eyes for a few seconds and press it with your palms for instant relief. Make a conscious effort to blink your eyes in between your work because it helps in lubricating them.

Neck: Simple neck exercises can help you get rid of the excess pressure on the neck. Bend your neck forward, touching you neck bone with your chin, then backwards. Keeping your shoulders straight turn your neck to the left then right. Repeat it a few times in a day.

Back: Maintain a straight posture. Stretching helps immensely, so try to stretch your body after every 4-5 hours.

Hands: Spread your fingers wide, then close it into a tight fist and repeat it a few times. This simple exercise can relieve you of the pain you get with constant typing.

Give dengue a tough fight; increase platelets count.

It is important to eat healthy food but it's more important to eat it the right way for best results.
It's a misconceptions that eating raw veggies are always beneficial, as according to the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Eating raw veggies during low platelet count can backfire by causing damage to your intestinal lining. Therefore, one must steam cook it until soft and then consume. But there is always an exception to the rule as in a breakthrough, Papaya leaves have entered the sphere of dengue treatment process which must be consumed raw!
Here's a list of food items to help you fight the deadly disease more effectively:

Green leafy vegetables: Including plenty of leafy and dark green vegetables can help as the calcium content is high in them along with vitamin K, which are the two important components for blood clotting. Green leafy vegetable like lettuce and parsley, olive, soy bean, kale, broccoli, sprouts and cauliflower are all high in vitamin K.

Omega-3 fatty acids: It's a great option for those battling the low platelets count. Cod liver oil, flax seed oil, tuna, wild salmon, free range eggs, and chia seeds are all high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Vitamin C: Food rich in vitamin C increases platelets count and are also great immunity boosters.

Papaya leaves: As mentioned above Papaya leaves have been proved highly beneficial in treating dengue according to several research. Therefore, one can try this natural remedy by simply crushing three fresh leaves without adding any fibrous parts of it to make a glass of juice. And consume it as two tablespoons every six hours a day.