Foods that Reduce Inflammation in the Body

Ginger, turmeric, green tea and papaya are among the foods that can help to reduce the inflammation in the body and control diseases. These foods can control inflammation without causing any side effects.  

When bacteria or virus invade the body, the reaction of white blood cells causes inflammation. White blood cells release certain chemicals to protect the body. Some of the symptoms of inflammation are fever, fatigue, headache and loss of appetite. But at times inflammation can disturb the body balance resulting in diseases. 

Breathing problems could be due to a heart condition. Inflammation of the bronchioles can cause asthma and bronchitis. Kidney problem could cause inflammation of the kidney. Diarrhea could be due the inflammation of the large intestine. 

Several drugs are available to reduce inflammation. But they can cause side effects. Certain foods can help to reduce inflammation naturally. Most of these foods are rich in vitamins and nutrients. They can help to boost the immune system.

Papaya

Source: Wikimedia Commons: Olegivvit

Papaya for Inflammation

Papaya contains an enzyme called papain which can help to reduce inflammation. 

Ripe papaya fruit can be applied directly to the burns and wounds. It will hasten the recovery. It can treat chronic skin diseases and infected wounds.

Papaya can help to treat acne, warts, pimple and corns.

Anti-inflammatory properties of papaya can help to reduce the severity of asthma, bronchitis and arthritis. It contains a combination of anti-oxidants which can help to get rid of inflammation

Turmeric for Inflammation

Turmeric contains curcumin as its active ingredient. It has excellent anti-inflammatory properties.

It is a very good remedy for cuts and burns

It reduces the inflammation due to skin diseases like psoriasis

It helps to reduce the pain due to arthritis

Turmeric can help to protect the liver from the bad effects of alcohol and certain other diseases.

Turmeric is a very good remedy for irritable bowel syndrome and can flush out gallbladder stones. 

It can also reduce the symptoms in case of asthma and bronchitis. 

Add ½ tsp of turmeric to warm milk and drink it before going to bed every day.  Turmeric is also available in the form of pills and capsules.

Green Tea for Inflammation

Green tea contains a potent compound called EGCG which can help to reduce inflammation. This compound can help to reduce the incidence of degenerative diseases.

It helps skin care with its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous properties.

It helps to lower the risk of cancer by blocking the production of cancer cells

Green tea with cardamom can help to relieve the symptoms of asthma and bronchitis

Green tea with ginger is an excellent remedy for indigestion. It can also reduce the symptoms of nausea

Green Tea and Lemon

Add a few drops of lemon to green tea. It can help to clean up the digestive system and improve the liver function

Ginger for Inflammation 
                                                                                                                                Ginger is an excellent anti-inflammatory spice. It has a pungent taste. It can help to control motion sickness, vomiting and nausea. It can control the inflammation and pain due to arthritis. Ginger can also control the recurrence of migraine. It reduces the phlegm and help to relieve the breathing problems due to asthma and bronchitis.

Ginger Tea

Cut ginger into small slices and add some water and boil it in a pan. Strain the liquid and drink it when it cools down. This is one of the best methods to make use of the health benefits of ginger.

These are some of the foods that can help to reduce inflammation in the body.

Natural Foods for Energy Boost

Certain foods help to boost energy and increase your endurance. Some of those foods are banana, citrus fruits, vegetables, green tea, coffee, eggs, nuts and honey.

At times you may feel too exhausted to perform your daily tasks. Your muscles may be aching and you may be experiencing, “too tired to do anything" feeling. It might be difficult to concentrate on tasks at hand and you may feel frustrated. Certain natural foods for energy may help to boost your energy levels and get over tiredness.

Banana for Energy Boost

Banana is an antioxidant which is low in calories. It is rich in carbohydrates and helps to convert blood sugar into fuel. It helps to give you endurance as well as providing instant energy. This is because carbohydrates are easy to digest. It also prevents a number of illnesses like anemia, hypertension, constipation and heartburn

Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits are rich in vitamins, dietary fiber and minerals. They contain two varieties of sugar, glucose fructose and sucrose. Some of the citrus fruits that help to boost your energy levels are grapefruit, orange and tangerines. Lemon helps you to get rid of chronic fatigue. Just smelling lemon may revitalize your senses and increase your mental alertness.

Vegetables for energy boost

Green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli and asparagus contain vitamins magnesium and iron. Cabbage and lettuce are rich in vitamin C. The green vegetable salad is not only popular but also boosts energy.

Green Tea for energy boost

Green tea is a rich source of antioxidants and provides energy to the entire body. It contains small quantities of caffeine which is also an energy booster.

Coffee for energy

If you want to boost your energy early in the morning there is nothing like a cup of coffee. Coffee contains caffeine. Moderate consumption of coffee is good for health.

Eggs

Eggs contain high quality proteins and nutrients which provide energy for an active lifestyle. Proteins help to control the absorption of energy from food. It helps to keep up your energy levels longer. This will help you to remain active right through the day.

Nuts

Nuts are a very healthy option if you need energy. They are protein rich and provide energy for a longer period. They also contain omega 3 fatty acids which provide energy to muscles to other organs of the body. Some of the important nuts that help to boost your energy are almonds, walnuts, pecans and cashews.

Honey

Honey is not only tasty but also a rich source of carbohydrates. It provides instant energy to the body and reduces fatigue. It helps to boost endurance and performance in sports. Honey contains glucose which provides instant energy. It also contains fructose which is absorbed by the body to provide sustained energy.

These are some of the natural foods for energy boost that help to increase your energy levels to get more out of life.

Foods Good for Healthy Skin and Hair

There are several foods good for  healthy skin and hair. Green tea, avocado, salmon, strawberry, raspberry and blueberry provide excellent nutrition for the skin. Salmon promotes hair growth

Healthy skin needs good nourishment. This will mean including foods that provide good nourishment to the skin in your diet. Processed foods are not good for the skin as they make the skin discolored, dull and oily. No matter what skincare creams and cosmetics you buy, it is not possible to keep the skin healthy and nourished unless you include right foods in your diet.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

 Benefits of Green Tea for Skin and Hair

Foods that have high antioxidant content are recommended for the skin. Green tea has very high content of anti-oxidants. It contains polyphenols which help to reduce the signs of aging like wrinkles and skin sag. Antioxidants help to fight the damage caused by free radicals. Most of the skin damage is caused by UV radiation of the sunlight. Antioxidants in green tea help to contain the damage and rejuvenate the skin cells.

Green tea rinse is highly beneficial for hair growth. It is a very good remedy for dandruff and psoriasis. It stops hair loss and stimulates its growth. It is also an excellent hair conditioner and is recommended for soft lustrous. 

Benefits of Avocado for Skin

Avocado contains vitamin E and monounsaturated fats which are essential for the health of the skin. Avocado also contains vitamin C which helps to prevent skin inflammation due to the exposure to sunlight. Fats contained by avocado are beneficial to skin as they help to absorb the nutrients.

Berries for Skin

Different varieties of berries like blueberry, blackberry, strawberry and raspberry contain flavonoids which are powerful antioxidants and are good for the skin.

Blueberries taste good. They also help the blood circulation and make the skin glow. They contain compounds called anthocyanins which are antioxidants. They help to keep the skin firm and prevent sagging.

Strawberries have very high water content. They keep the skin hydrated. The moisture helps to reduce the skin wrinkles.

Blackberries contain vitamin C along with the antioxidants which are essential for healthy skin.

Benefits of Salmon for Skin and Hair

Salmon contains omega 3 fatty acids which are necessary for healthy skin. Omega 3 fatty acids keep the cell membranes healthy by allowing the nutrients of enter. They also reduce the production of anti-inflammatory agents by the body that damages the skin.

Omega -3 fatty acids in salmon are essential for the health of the scalp. Salmon is also rich in vitamin B-12 and iron. Iron reduces hair loss and essential for the health of the scalp. 

Benefits of Water for Skin and Hair

Water is extremely important for the health of the skin as it helps to keep the skin hydrated. It is essential to drink at least two liters of water every day. Water helps to stimulate the circulation of blood and other fluids inside the body. It helps to control and restore skin’s normal balance. 

Drinking sufficient quantities of water keeps the hair hydrated and promotes its growth.

These are some of the foods that are good for the health of the skin and hair

Natural Antihistamines Foods for Allergies

Generally antihistamines are a class of drugs. Antihistamines block the release of histamines in the body. But several natural foods and herbs contain antihistamines. These natural antihistamines block the release of histamines without the side effects of drugs. 

 Goldenseal:Source: Wikimedia Commons 

Your body releases histamines when you eat or inhale a substance for which you are allergic. Generally your immune system protects you against harmful foreign substances. But at times the immune system reacts to harmless substances like pollen, dust, insect bites and even against medications. This leads to the production of histamines in the body. This will result in inflammatory response by the body like itching, respiratory problems, sneezing, vomiting and diarrhea.

Herbs with Antihistamines

Some of the following herbs have properties of antihistamines

Goldenseal

Goldenseal is a plant found in North America. The root of the plant has a variety of medicinal uses. It contains a compound called berberine. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It is especially effective against the infection of the mucus membranes. It is also used to treat eczema, heartburn and infections of the throat, urinary tract and stomach. It can be used to cure minor cuts and bruises. It is very effective against chest congestion. But it is advisable to take goldenseal for short periods of not more than three weeks. It might become toxic if it is taken for longer periods.

Green Tea antihistamine

Green tea is a very strong antihistamine. It is particularly helpful to treat  allergic skin reactions. It helps to treat hives. Hives is an allergic reaction which causes itchiness, redness and swelling of skin. Green tea helps to reduce the skin reaction. It is necessary to drink 3-4 cups of green tea every day to reduce hives. Green tea helps to minimize the reaction.

Ginger antihistamine


Ginger is a very good antihistamine. It is very helpful in treating respiratory disorders. It acts as a natural decongestant and expectorant.It helps to fight allergic colds, sinus infections and flu.It can ease breathing by dilating the bronchial tubes. Ginger tea is a very good remedy for hives.

Chamomile antihistamine

Chamomile contains a compound called quercetin. It has antihistamine properties. Chamomile tea can be prepared with the addition of ginger and honey. As all three of them have antihistamine properties and will give good results. Aroma therapists use chamomile tea to massage the skin to cure skin allergies.

Stinging Nettle antihistamine

Stinging nettle is a perennially flowering plant which grows in Europe, Asia and America. It has very good anti-inflammatory properties. It helps to reduce the effects of hay fever and seasonal allergies. But stinging nettle should not be used if you have kidney problem, heart disease or diabetes.

Licorice root

Licorice root is a very effective remedy for bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and hay fever. Drinking licorice root tea is recommended for a variety of diseases. It helps to loosen the phlegm and reduce congestion for bronchial asthma patients. It inhibits the release of histamines and also has expectorant properties. 

These are some of the natural anti histamine foods for allergy

Do You Burn Calories When You Sleep?

There are several foods that burn calories even when you sleep. They burn more calories than they contain. Including these foods in your diet will help you to burn calories faster. These foods are called negative calorie foods. To get better results include exercise in your daily routine.

Most of these negative calorie foods consist of fruits and vegetables. They do not burn calories in the exact sense of the term. They speed up metabolism or break the components of fat.  These foods are rich in fiber and contain more water. It is better to eat most of these foods without cooking in the raw state.  These foods burn calories when you sleep.

Burn Calories with Green Tea

Green tea is a very effective metabolism booster. Green tea contains catechin polyphenols which are said to aid the fat burning qualities of the herb. It is said that the strongest of these catechins called EGCG reduces the calories that are absorbed from the diet and helps to burn fats faster. It also prevents the storage of fats.  It has thermogenic properties which help to burn off the calories.

Vitamin C

Citrus fruits contain vitamin C.  They help to dilute the fats and push them out of the body. They also speed up metabolism. Some of the citrus fruits that aid weight loss are lemon, orange, sweet lime, grape fruit and tangerines.

Legumes

Legumes have large amounts of protein and very high fiber content. Examples of legumes are soya beans, brussels sprouts, French beans, kidney beans and lentils. Some of them can be included for breakfast. Bean soup or salad for dinner will help to burn calories when you sleep.

Diary Foods

Milk, yogurt and other dairy foods contain calcium which breaks down fat cells and aid weight loss. Milk has an abundance of complex carbohydrates which helps to keep the insulin levels low. Low insulin levels help to boost the metabolism rate. Human body requires about 1200 to 1300mg of calcium daily. Drinking skimmed milk will help to burn fat without the addition of any unnecessary calories.

Whole Grains

Whole grains have carbohydrates in abundance. They are also rich in fiber. They increase the rate of metabolism and help to burn more calories and fat. Eating oatmeal for breakfast in the morning will boost your energy levels and also help to burn more calories. Some of the whole grains that would help to burn off fat are brown rice, wheat bran, whole wheat, barley and wheat germ.

You should include in your diet some of these foods that help to burn calories when you sleep. 

How Can You Strengthen Your Immune System with Food

Food can help you to strengthen your immune system. Our body is susceptible to a variety of diseases. But it is possible to lessen the susceptibility to a certain degree by strengthening our immune system. This can be done by including certain foods in our diet. These foods help to increase the number of white cells in the blood that fight the diseases 

                           

                      Fruits ; Source : Dani Luri Wikimedia Commons

Minerals, vitamins and antioxidants are necessary to strengthen the immune system. All these cannot be found in a single food item. Certain mixture of foods are necessary to get these absorbed by the body efficiently. It has been found that some nutrients help to fight the ill effects of radiation and chemotherapy used for cancer treatment. It would be advisable to use recipes  which contain these combinations of food. For example chicken soup which is such a popular remedy for colds contains the right ingredients for that particular problem. The immune system can be weakened by our lifestyle and environment. Pollution, sunlight, poor diet can all contribute to the weakening of the immune system. This makes the body vulnerable to attacks from viruses and bacteria. Here is a list of foods to boost your immune system naturally.

Garlic

Garlic is a wonder food and an antioxidant. It is described as a miracle food. Garlic contains sulfur which gives immune boosting properties. Sulfur also gives garlic its pungent aroma. It contains an antibiotic called allicin in minute quantities. Garlic has antibacterial and antiviral properties. As an antioxidant it also has anti-ageing properties. It is also capable of cleaning the body of chemical residues of drugs, alcohol and pollutants.

Green Tea

Green tea is an antioxidant. It contains catechins which boost the immune system. It can kill cancer cells without affecting the healthy cells. It also gets rid of the free radicals. It helps to fight against heart disease and obesity.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a probiotic which contains good bacteria. It helps to stimulate the disease fighting white blood cells. Yogurt also helps to overcome gastrointestinal infections. It is recommended for children suffering from diarrhea. Yogurt helps to minimize the ill effects of antibiotics on friendly bacteria. It is a very good remedy for yeast infections of the vagina. It contains lactic acid which helps the absorption of minerals. It also increases the absorption of calcium.

Carrots

Carrots contain beta carotenes which is an antioxidant. It induces the immune system to target cancer cells. It also protects the cells against free radicals. It contains potassium, calcium, vitamin A, B and C. Carrot acts as an antiseptic. It can be used as a laxative and a vermicide. It can also be used to treat certain liver conditions and also as poultice.

Seafood

Salmon, tuna, crabs and oysters help to boost the immune system. All these contain vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. They can also help to prevent cancer, arthritis and heart diseases.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms contain beta glucans which inhibit the replication of viruses. They are also found in yeast, barley and oats. They help to boost the production of white blood cells and remove toxins from the body.

A change in life style like stopping smoking, reducing alcohol consumption and regular exercises will also help to boost the immune system. Broccoli and cabbage can also be included in the list of foods to strengthen your immune system naturally.

What Foods are High in Antioxidants?

There are several foods high in antioxidants. An antioxidant is defined as something that stops oxidation. Antioxidant foods help to destroy the free radicals that speed up the aging process. They also help the body in its fight against bacteria and viruses. The damage caused by free radicals increases as we age. If the body has more free radicals, the dead cells in the body increase. This will lead to sagging skin and wrinkles. Antioxidants are found in certain vitamins and other foods. Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotenes contain antioxidants. They speed up metabolism. They also clean up the body of free radicals and help to reduce weight. Here are details of some foods with antioxidants to promote a healthy life. 

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a rich source of antioxidants. Fruits like guava, papaya, kiwi fruit, oranges and lemons are rich in vitamin C. Other sources of vitamin C are tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and red pepper.

Vitamin E

Some of the best sources of vitamin E are vegetable oils like palm, soya bean, sunflower and olive oil. Vegetables like mustard greens and broccoli are rich in vitamin E. Pine nuts, almonds and peanuts are also rich in vitamin E. It helps to prevent collagen being destroyed by UV rays from the sun.

Vitamin A

Liver, sweet potatoes, red pepper, chili powder, lettuce and carrots are rich in vitamin A.

Beta carotene

Beta carotene is converted into vitamin A, inside the body. It helps to protect cells, strengthen the immune system and also protect the reproductive system. Some of the foods rich in beta carotenes are turnip greens, cabbage, collards, sweet potatoes and pumpkins.

Resveratrol

Some of the best sources of resveratrol are grape, wine and peanuts. Resveratrol is a very potent antioxidant. So it has excellent anti aging properties.

Selenium

Some of the best dietary sources of selenium are Brazil nuts, fish, egg, meat, peanuts, almonds and pistachios. Selenium rich meat is kidney, lobster and crab.

Green Tea

Green tea contains polyphenols and catechins. They help the body to get rid of free radicals.

Antioxidants can reduce health related problems. They improve the immune system, reducing skin wrinkles, sagging and protect the body against all diseases including cancer. These are some of the best foods high in antioxidants for a healthy lifestyle.

Ways to Increase Your Metabolism

There are several ways to speed up metabolism and reduce weight.  Metabolism could be explained as the rate at which the body burns calories. Body burns calories 24 hours a day. Metabolism starts to slow down after the age of thirty. A combination of right foods, exercise and other activities help to keep up the metabolism rate.


Morning has to start with a good breakfast. Carbohydrates, bread and fruit will be ideal for the breakfast. In the morning as we start to work, we burn more calories. As the day progresses we need reduce the food intake. Eating small quantities of food at short intervals will help the digestive system to work more efficiently. Far less fat will be stored in the body. Drinking sufficient quantities of water is an absolute must to speed up your metabolism .


Some foods carry less calories and it takes the body more calories to burn them. Vegetables, fruits contain fiber that is easy to digest. A combination of fruits and cold yogurt would be excellent as the body burns up a quite few calories to bring it to its own temperature. Leafy vegetables also help digestion and carry fewer calories.


It would be better to split the exercise routine to three or four times a day. If you are walking for an hour daily, three 20 minute walks are preferable. Body fats are burnt long time after exercising. To burn off the existing additional fat in the body cardio vascular training and strength exercises are necessary. When the body needs energy it breaks the carbohydrates first, then fats and protein.


Green tea has fat burning properties. Many diet pills contain green tea. Eat 5-6 small meals a day instead of three times. This helps the body to burn energy better instead of storing it as fat. Reduce eating sweets and consuming sugary drinks.


These are some of the ways to increase your metabolism