• Always apply sun cream: It is important to use a sun cream lotion of at least SPF 30 in order to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. For sensitive skin, a mineral-based sunscreen is best. Don’t sit in the sun during peak hours between 11 am and 4 pm in order to minimize UV radiation. If you are planning to be out in the sun for a long period of time, reapply sun cream every two to three hours.
• Drink plenty of water: During the hot summer months, heat and sweat can leave your body dehydrated. A lack of water is harmful to your body and can also make you crave food when you’re not actually hungry. It is incredibly important to keep yourself hydrated by drinking at least eight to nine glasses of water a day. Bored with water? Add some low calorific flavoring to water such as a piece of fruit, or opt for healthy alternatives like green tea or coconut water.
• Beware of ‘healthy’ smoothies: Fruit smoothies are a great way to get your five-a-day and keep refreshed throughout the summer but watch out for smoothies made with frozen yogurts or ice cream as they can be extremely calorific. A healthy smoothie should be made with fruit, juice, low-fat yogurt, and ice. Use any fruit you might have or have kept in the freezer, and throw it all in a blender to make a perfect summer drink.
• Exfoliate: Summer means an increase of dead skin cells so it is important to exfoliate your skin to keep it smooth and silky. You don’t need to buy any expensive products to achieve that summer glow; simply use a loafer for a light scrub or make your own exfoliation lotion using a handful of oatmeal, milk, and yogurt.
• Keep up the exercise regime: Before you hide those running shoes in the wardrobe, remember summer exercise doesn’t have to stop because of the rising temperatures. Instead of working out outside, change your exercise plan, and take it indoors. Join a gym, take up a step class, or get a group of friends around for an afternoon of exercise DVDs. 
• Get wet: Summer is the perfect time of year to get wet! Boring runs in the cold wintery weather can be swapped for a summer swim at your local pool or gym. Start by swimming for 10 minutes and increase the time over the following weeks by doing front crawl, breaststroke or backstroke to mix up your cardio workout. A 30-minute session of this full-body workout will burn almost 400 calories! If swimming laps isn’t your thing, join a water aerobics class or create your own aerobic workout with jumping jacks, marching and jogging in water.
• Olive oil: Olive oil is a healthy fat that contains essential fatty acids that help skin resist UV damage. These fatty acids are also part of the cell membranes that keep in all that moisture your body loses through heat and sweat during the summer. In order to protect your skin and keep it supple, consume about 1 tablespoon of olive oil daily or add it to a healthy salad or fish dish in order to get all those essential fatty acids.
• Protect your glossy locks: Our hair suffers a lot during the summer. Constant heat, sun damage, and chlorine takes a toll on our hair and can leave it feeling limp and dull after the holidays. If you’re planning on swimming a lot during the summer, it is advisable to use anti-chlorine shampoo and conditioner to help neutralize the chlorine from your hair. If possible, minimize the use of hairdryers, straighteners, and other heating products.
• Eat healthy by the pool: When the sun is beating down, the idea of seeking out the nearest ice cream stand is seriously tempting. Stay strong by being prepared, and pack a cooler full of healthy snacks and juices. Fill your ice-box with ice, bottled water, sandwiches, vegetable sticks with hummus, yogurts, and endless amounts of fruit.
• Take up a new hobby: Summer is the perfect time to take up a new activity. Gardening is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and will actually help you burn some calories! Planting a herb garden is a fantastic way of getting your hands dirty, having quick access to some healthy flavors for your summer meals, and, if you have kids, get them involved in playing outside. If gardening isn’t your thing, get some inspiration from Wimbledon and try your hand at some Badminton, tennis, or golf. Pilates is the perfect alternative for some alone time in the garden. Roll out a towel and have some fun trying out planks and some breathing techniques in the sun.

Take a Cool Shower: Hot showers after sun exposure further dry the skin. A cool shower after excess sweating helps keep the skin unblocked, and decreases acne breakouts.

Hydrate your skin: Skin is the largest organ and needs to be kept hydrated all the time. 8 to 12 glasses of water helps to soothe the skin and keeps it supple.

Protect your skin from the sun: Use a good sunscreen with correct SPF properly and repeat as frequently as required. My health feed titled ‘Know your Sunscreens’ gives a detailed insight into the sunscreens.

Timed Travel: Sun rays are the harshest in the noon. Try to avoid direct sun exposure between 11 am and 4 pm as much as possible.

Sip in your Antioxidants: Antioxidants are the key for summer, and there are tons of ways to work them into your routine.

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring phenol found in the skin of red grapes can decrease redness from acute sunburns. It has an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect, helps strengthen your skin’s outer layer. Watermelons are loaded with antioxidants and are rich in water content.

Love your legs: The trick to great summer legs is to alter the way light reflects off the skin’s surface. Exfoliate first, scrub and apply a good moisturizer. Always use a sunscreen.

Wear a wide brim: A plain cap won’t protect your face from the sun coming at an angle. Opt for a hat with a brim for full protection.

Feed your face: The best tool for an even summer skin tone is probably already in your fridge. Cut a large strawberry in half, swipe it across your face in small circles, leave it on for about two minutes, then rinse off. This will also brighten the sun and age spots over time.

Pamper your hands and feet: The thin skin on your hands and feet wrinkles and pigments easily, so be sure to use sunblock daily.  Exfoliate frequently and apply moisturizer at night.

The following Homemade Scrub for hand and feet will help to keep them soft and supple.

• Mix well one tablespoon of coconut oil, 1/4th cup of sea salt, and 1/4th cup of fine sugar (brown or white).
• Add the juice of a lime and mix again in a blender for about 30 seconds.
• Store in an airtight container and use within a week.

Light is nice: Summer means heat, lots of sweating, dryness, skin problems like tan, sunburns, pimples, heat rashes, blemishes, and much more. With the blazing sun of the summer months, you need to know how to look after the skin properly and look fresh and vibrant.

Just using a good sunscreen is not enough for your skin in summer. You need to take proper care of your skin and hair too.

A lot of sunscreens are heavy and oily. These can contribute to breakouts and shine during the summer months. You can switch over to a water-based or gel-based sunscreen. Also wherever and whenever possible use a cap or cover your face with a kerchief or dupatta.

Bounce back from sunburn: The traditional Indian chaas, lassi is amazingly soothing to your sun-scorched skin.

Spritz your Scalp: Long locks offer some shade from the sun, but the sensitive skin along your hairline and parting still get bombarded with harmful UVA and UVB rays. Use a sunscreen spray along the scalp line. It’s harder for creams to be absorbed there, and you can still get a sunburn.

Supercharge your Skin: Cantaloupe (our kharabooja) is the melon of choice for beautiful summer skin. The sweet delicious fruit is rich in antioxidants and delivers a unique hydration to the skin, resulting in a radiant complexion.  It can actually boost your SPF by several factors

Keep Blemishes at Bay: During the warmest months, blemishes, acne can occur in embarrassing locations.

Select your sunscreen wisely. Sleep with a clear face. It is highly necessary to put off all your makeup at night because it can seriously damage your skin. You can use a cleanser to remove all the makeup perfectly.

Save your skin: Sunny days make your skin pigment uneven, consequently, the skin that gets extra exposure to the sun becomes dark and patchy. Once patches set in, it’s very hard to remove them. So apply some soothing creams over your skin daily or apply cold compresses whenever you come back home. Do not miss out on your sunscreen.

The lactic acid in curd is calming and soothing for the skin.

Leave it on for 30 minutes as a mask before taking a cool shower and pat dry.

Freeze aloe vera gel in ice trays. You can use the compresses if you get sunburnt.

Beat the itch: Bug bites can itch and look unsightly for weeks after they become inflamed.  If you happen to get a sting, apply cold compresses, apply chilled aloe vera gel twice daily until itching resolves. Avoid scratching.

Apply kojic acid containing creams twice a day to fade off any residual marks.

Nail care: Many of us opt for gels or long-lasting chemical nail varnishes to keep chlorine and saltwater from chipping away at polish. Unfortunately, these chemical-laden lacquers also leave your nails with a yellow stain.

Soak your nails for ten minutes in a mixture of four parts water and one part hydrogen peroxide. Use a buffer and lightly massage almond or jojoba oil into your nails and nail bed to get them back to their healthy, natural hue.

Hair Care: In the hot summer days, we need to wash hair almost daily, because they become tacky sooner. Use a mild or natural shampoo that does not contains chemicals. Also, avoid using heavy conditioners because it could make hair look sticky in summer.

1. Switch off Those Lights

Too many electric bulbs and lights in the room tend to heat up the temperature. So switch off as many lights as you can and use only the ones you require. Certain factors like concrete buildings, top floors, pollution, etc can make the situation worse by trapping heat. Keep the curtains drawn if the harsh rays seep into the house.

2. Eat Regularly, But Eat Light

Summertime tends to reduce one’s appetite because of excessive heat. But it is important for you to eat regularly because your body requires the nutrients to fight the heat and keep you healthy. Having said so, the best thing to do is to follow a light diet including summer veggies like squash, lauki, cucumber, ivy gourd, etc. Avoid heat-generating foods like meat, eggs and other proteins, and even salt intake. 

3. Stay Indoors

Keep a check on the weather forecast. This is important because you can then track the hottest days and plan accordingly. If you love walking, try to do so only in the early hours or after sundown.

4. Wear Loose Clothes

Needless to say, to stay cool you need to wear loose clothes so that there is good air circulation. Ditch your synthetic dresses and trousers and stick to cotton. Even while heading out, keep yourself covered from the harsh rays.

5. Don’t Exert Yourself

Physical activity is essential for good health, but during summers, make sure that you don’t overexert yourself. You need your energy levels to keep you active. Resort to indoor gyms rather than engaging in outdoor activities. And remember to stay hydrated.

Enjoy your warm-weather favorites while keeping your nutrition in check with the tips below.

1. Drink green tea instead of sweet tea. Green tea has a natural component that helps speed up your metabolism. Skip the box tea and opt for the brew-it-yourself with boiling water and a tea-bag-type tea.

2. Serve seafood. Summer is the ideal time to get the freshest catch from your local grocer. Grill salmon, tuna, lobster, steamer clams, and calamari for a low-calorie, protein-packed lunch or dinner.

3. Don’t skip breakfast. When you wake up in the morning, your body is running on fumes. Eating a breakfast with protein, carbs, and healthy fat kicks your metabolism into high gear and provides energy for the day.

4. Enjoy summer fruits and veggies. It’s easy to sink into a vegetable rut, eating the same boring veggies week after week, but with summer comes fresh choices. Including a mix of in-season colorful veggies in your meals gives your body a nutrient kick.
5. Snack at work. Bring snacks to work and graze throughout the day. When you eat more often—five to six times per day—you’re far less likely to overeat and more likely to stay energized.

6. Grab a sports drink. For workouts lasting longer than 45 minutes, drinking a sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes can help you maintain energy, increase endurance, and stay hydrated.

7. Hydrate often. The summer heat makes you more susceptible to dehydration. Start off your day by drinking two glasses of water and keep drinking at each meal, as well as before and after your workout, to stay hydrated. Carry a water bottle with you as a reminder to stay hydrated.

9. Cook meals together. Involve your friends and family in your healthy lifestyle this summer. A simple way to start: Plan meals, shop, and cook with your spouse and kids.

10. Downsize your dinnerware. We’re not talking about buying new plates, just using the smaller ones in your set for meals like lunch and dinner.

11. Recover with a post-workout shake. After exercising, blend your favorite summer fruits and a scoop of whey protein into a shake to kick start the muscle-building process, help your body recover from training, and boost your energy levels.

12. Pre-plan your meals. You plan your weekend getaways and activities for summer. Why not your meals? Make it easy by preparing all of your food on Sunday so that you have enough meals for the week. The best part: You’ll save money.

13. Eat healthy at the beach ( when you go out ). Ice cream stands and high-calorie barbecues are bound to put a damper on your diet, so stay clear of these temptations by being prepared. Pack a cooler with ice, bottled water, sandwiches on whole-grain bread, pita chips, hummus, yogurt and lots of fruit. You’ll feel healthier and happier at the end of the day.

14. Give your house a summer cleaning. You need an environment that reflects your healthy way of living and your summer fitness goals. To start, remove unhealthy foods from your home (so you’re not tempted). While you’re at it, stock your office with fruit, nuts, and other healthy snacks.

15. Build a better burger. Create a healthier burger with whole wheat buns, lean meats, and delicious toppings like pineapple, wasabi, guacamole, and feta cheese.

1. Moisturize – The problem with summers is the extreme heat that dehydrates your body and makes your skin dry. Dry skin is prone to damage and dullness, and you need to butter it up to make up for the moisture loss. The moisturizer acts as a barrier for pollutants, bacteria, and sunburn. Moisturizing is absolutely essential. Simply moisturize, there are no two ways about it.
2. Exfoliate – For any treatment or cream to work on your skin, it needs to be clean. For that, you need to exfoliate at regular intervals to slough away the accumulated dead skin cells that are clogging your pores and forming a layer on your skin. Also, do not exfoliate every day because that can cause over scrubbing of the skin and lead to redness, rashes, and breakouts. Exfoliate your skin 2-3 times a week using a circulatory motion. Preferably in the evenings, and not right before you go for a swim or out in the sun.

   3. Drink Up –  Yes, drink up and loosen up. We mean water, lots of it. The problem with summer is, it makes you sweat a lot, making your cells lose water quickly. To maintain moisture levels in your body and not feel weak or faint due to dehydration, you need to keep a check on your drinking (water) game and get it right.

   4. Use Sunscreen –  Protect your skin with sunscreen before it gets damaged by the sun, because, let me remind you, prevention is better than cure. Sun rays are a cause for many skin issues, such as dry skin, brown spots, and fine lines. Choose a sunscreen with SPF 30 (at least) and apply it generously on your skin. Reapply it every few hours.

   5. Choose non-Comedogenic Products – Anything that blocks your skin pores is a big no-no. Because clogging of pores leads to skin irritations, infections, and the most dreaded one – acne breakouts! Your daily use of skincare products has to be non-comedogenic because pore blocking products can cause dead skin cells and bacteria to pile up on your skin.

   6. Stack-up on Aloe Vera – Aloe vera comes to the rescue for a lot of skin problems. During summers, especially, it turns into a soothing balm, cooling off your skin after a long day in the sun. Aloe vera is anti-inflammatory and moisturizing. It calms the skin and nourishes it intensely. It also contains antioxidants that protect your skin from damage.

    7. Follow a Healthy Diet – A healthy diet – an excellent mix of fruits, vegetables, nuts, cereals, and pulses. A fine balance of all the nutrients that your body requires. During summers, increase the intake of raw or boiled food. Include as many fruits and veggies in your meals as possible – go for salads, smoothies, and juices. 

   8. Shift to Clarifying Shampoo – Summers cause a build-up of sweat on the scalp, leading to irritation. Sweat attracts pollution and dust, which builds up in your hair. You need to clean it off regularly with a deep cleaning shampoo.

9. Deep Condition – The high humidity and heat during summers damage your hair texture and build. It causes dryness and a lot of frizz. Deep condition your hair ( with warm coconut oil ) to add life back to it and provide it with the moisture it needs.

10. Use Light Shades – Summers are the time to shift to lighter shades of makeup – be it lipsticks, eye shadows, nail polish, etc. It is all about going au naturale during the summer season.

11. Primer All the way – Primer will hold your foundation well and keep it together as summers are the time when your foundation can easily melt and get blotchy.

12. Choose waterproof Makeup – It’s common sense to choose waterproof eye makeup in summers because you do not want your kohl or mascara running down your face. Choose a nourishing mascara or kohl that moisturizes the tiny hairs as well.

13. Apply Bronzer right – Highlight the natural hues of your skin. Apply it lightly on your forehead,  cheekbones, or near your mouth. Make sure you apply less because that is more than enough.

14. Focus on lip care – The skin of your lips is very sensitive. The hot sun during summers dries the delicate lip tissue and leads to thinning, scales, and spots. Get a luscious lip balm with SPF and slather it generously on your lips to protect them from the sun.

Summer along with the longer days, beautiful blossoms, and evening breeze do have its own set of drawbacks, as we cannot avoid that we need to be extra cautious about our health and make sure the heat doesn’t bog us down. The measures listed here are for prevention

1. Water is the best option to quench thirst.

It is a key ingredient in keeping the body cool. With high humidity levels, sweat will not evaporate quickly. This prevents the body from releasing heat in an efficient manner. This is why it is necessary to hydrate and drink water, even when you are not thirsty. Increase water intake regardless of your activity levels.

2. Avoid caffeinated or carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages, and those high in sugar.

All these drinks contain preservatives, colors, and sugars. They are acidic in nature and act as diuretics. They cause loss of fluids through urine.

Many soft drinks contain diluted phosphoric acid, which damages the inner lining of the digestive tract and, therefore, affects its functions.

Excessive intake of soft drinks increases phosphorous levels in the blood. This separates calcium from the bones and moves it into the blood.

This calcium displacement from the bones makes them porous and brittle. It also causes plaque on the teeth, kidney stones, arthritis, and bone spur.

Soft drinks also reduce mineral levels in the body to such an extent that enzymes are unable to function well, resulting in indigestion.

3. Do not drink very chilled liquids.

They do not really help cool you down in summers, though they make you cool for some time. Drinking really cold liquids when feeling hot may lead to a slight constriction of the blood vessels in the skin and decrease heat loss, which is not advisable when trying to cool down.

4. Limit all strenuous activity.

5. Eat light, nutritious and non-fatty meals.

6. Reduce intakes of heaty vegetables and fruits, like spinach, radish, hot peppers, onions, garlic, beetroot, pineapple, grapefruit and ripe mangoes (if you cannot resist mangoes, soak them overnight in water).

7. Minimize the intake of dried fruits. Increase the intake of fresh fruit.

8. Use sabza(tulsi seeds) in your drinks — this has a very cooling effect on the body.

9. Include lots of fruits and vegetables in the form of salads and fresh juices, preferably without sugar, in your diet.

10. Drink lemon juice, coconut water, and thin buttermilk, to replenish the fluids that are lost in sweat.

11. Avoid sugary foods, especially honey and molasses, and stick to natural sugars available from fruits and veggies.

12. Minimize the intake of hot, spicy foods, and extremely salty foods. The body retains salt in the organic form found in fruits and veggies; the inorganic salt, meanwhile, is digested and needs to be thrown out of the body. And this is why you need to drink water!

13. Cut the intake of fried foods, like vadas, samosas, chips, bhajias, farsans, etc. Fat has a thermal effect.

14. Maintain good hygiene levels.

Since the sultry heat of summer increases with each degree rise in the mercury, by rooting ourselves to nature’s provision of healthful food choices we can experience the bloom of our health and vitality.

Acne, Pimples :

• Mix equal amounts of lemon juice and rose water, apply to face with a cotton ball and allow to sit for 30 minutes before rinsing. 15-20 days of this application helps cure pimples and also helps to remove blemishes and scars.
• Apply fresh lemon juice on the affected area overnight. Wash off with warm water the next morning.
• For acne that hasn’t seemed to respond to anything, steep 2-3 tsp. dried basil leaves in 1 cup boiling water for 10-20 minutes, cool, and apply to the affected area with a cotton ball.
• Have 1 teaspoon of powdered Indian gooseberry fruit (amla) in the morning and evening with water.

Anemia :

• Take half a cup of apple juice and a half a cup of beetroot juice. Mix apple juice with beetroot juice. Add honey to this and stir well to mix. Have this juice twice a day.
• Take 1 teaspoon of turmeric juice mixed with honey daily.

Anxiety Disorder :

• Take grated fresh coconut 10g, a paste of 2-3 almonds (soaked for 6 to 7 hours and peeled), powdered fennel seeds 5g, black pepper powder 2g, and powdered rock candy or raw sugar 20g. Mix all the ingredients and drink with saffron milk. To prepare saffron milk, soak 5 to 6 threads of saffron in one teaspoon of milk for 5 to 6 hours. Chew well and eat.
• Have 1 teaspoonful of licorice root powder with water empty stomach in the morning. This is mentioned as a medhya Rasayana in Ayurveda i.e. a mind rejuvenator.
• Add some fresh rose petals in a cup of boiling water. Keep it aside till it is lukewarm. Add ½ teaspoonful of sugar to it and have this twice a day. This is a good drink to uplift mood.

Arthritis :

• A daily serving of fresh fish or fish oil capsules helps to give relief from arthritis and other joint pains.
• 3-4 walnuts eaten daily, on an empty stomach, will help.
• Sip citrus drinks or eat C-rich fruits and vegetables such as strawberries or melon, broccoli, or sweet peppers.
• You need to wrap the ginger in place with a gauze or ace bandage. Leave in place for 10-15 minutes.

Asthama :

• Prepare a mixture of powdered dried ginger root, black pepper, and long pepper in equal amounts and store in an airtight container. Have ½ teaspoonful of this powder mixed with ½ teaspoonful of honey twice a day with lukewarm water.
• Take 11 guava leaves, 11 black pepper, 1 cup milk, and one cup water. Put all of them in a pot and boil it well, when it reduced to one cup, drink in an empty stomach. Take this daily for at least six months or a year.
• Boil cumin seeds in water and inhale the steam. It helps dilate the bronchial passage.
• Take 5 gm of ginger, black pepper, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, turmeric, and 30 gm of sugar. Grind the mix to a powder. Take half to one teaspoonful and mix it nicely with honey. Take it twice a day.

Backache :

• Warm mustard oil or sesame oil (one teaspoonful). Add 3-4 cloves of crushed garlic and 1 teaspoonful of ajwain and roast until it becomes red without burning them. Massage this oil on the affected joints. After that do fomentation with hot salt potli (bag).
• Have 2-3 teaspoons of psyllium husk with a glassful of hot milk at bedtime.
• Rubbing on the back with oil prepared from garlic will give immediate backache relief.
• Proper massage with eucalyptus oil is also an effective home remedy for back pain.

Bad Breath :

• Gargle with a small cup of acidic lemon juice to kill odor-causing bacteria. Then eat a bit of plain unsweetened yogurt, which contains beneficial lactobacillus bacteria.
• A sprig of parsley on your plate does more than garnish your meal—munching on some parsley after you eat can also help freshen your breath.

Bladder Stones :

• Boil 2 figs in 1 cup of water. Drink daily for a month.
• Drink mixture of Lemon juice and olive oil to dissolve kidney stones.
• Mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with six to eight ounces of water and drink the mixture frequently throughout the day.
• Consume 5 g per 1 ounce of extracted onion juice on an empty stomach. The bladder stones will dissolve quicker if taken on a daily basis.
• Consuming the kernels from watermelon on a daily basis will help break down the stones so they can pass through the urine.

Bleeding External :

• Apply ice cube or sandalwood paste.
• Apply turmeric on a wound. It’s completely safe.
• Moisten the alum block place it on the cut or scrape and hold it for a little while. Don’t press the block.
• A spoonful of sugar on a cut or scrape should do the trick. Because of its crystalline nature.

Bleeding Internal :

• Drink a glass of warm milk with a 1/2 teaspoon of saffron & turmeric powder.
• Take some Aloe Vera leaves and extract the juice. Drink a quarter of a cup of Aloe Vera juice 2-3 times a day before having meals.
• Drink about two to three spoons of apple cider vinegar after every meal to prevent internal bleeding.

Body Odor :

• Spot your underarms with a white vinegar dipped cotton balls to veil body odor.
• Lemon juice is great for treating body odor. The acidic property of lemon juice helps lower the skin’s pH level, which in turn makes it difficult for odor-producing bacteria to survive.
• Tea tree oil has antibacterial as well as antiseptic properties to kill bacteria present on the skin and eliminate body odor and it also controls sweating.
• Apply turnip juice/paste to underarm and groin area.

Boils :

• Betel leaves are a valuable remedy for boils. A leaf is gently warmed till it becomes soft. Apply this on the affected area with a layer of castor oil.
• Turmeric powder can help heal a boil and get rid quickly.
• The Epsom Salt can actually help to dry out the pus, causing the boil to drain.
• Apply Neem oil directly to the boil three to four times a day.

Burns :

• Mix 1 tsp of turmeric with 1 tsp of aloe vera gel and apply it to the burnt area.
• Soak paper towels in diluted vinegar to create a soothing compress or use cotton swabs to gently dab the burn with vinegar.
• Soak the burn in milk for 15 minutes for quick relief. Full-fat, whole-milk yogurt can also help cool and hydrate your parched skin.
• Apply honey so that it will cool the burn, relieve pain, and help the skin to heal.

Cold & Flu :

• If its whooping coughs, garlic is one of the best remedies. Syrup made from 2 to 3 garlic cloves should be consumed twice or thrice a day.
• If there is congestion in the throat along with cough, Bay Berry should be considered as an effective option of ayurvedic treatment for cough. The bark of the Bay Berry tree should be consumed in powdered form. It is known as an effective remedy for chronic bronchial infections as well.
• Apply a paste of crushed leaves of Betel and water on the chest of the patient for effective relief from cough.
• Sometimes, cough is a result of inflammation and infection in the pharynx. In such cases, cloves can be one of the most suitable ayurvedic remedies.
• Tie a tablespoon of crushed carom seeds (ajwain) in a piece of cloth. Inhaling it will give relief to a blocked nose.

Constipation ( Adults ) :

• Organic oatmeal mixed with water and lemon can help with constipation.
• Drinking ginger tea will help start a bowel movement.
• Drinking orange and Kiwi juice on an empty stomach in the morning will provide enough fiber to stimulate digestion and help alleviate constipation.

Constipation ( Children ) :

• Soak 6-8 raisins in hot water. When cool, crush well and strain. When given routinely even to little infants, it helps to regulate bowel movement.
• Take one tablespoon of castor oil at bedtime until you get relief.
• Apply lukewarm sesame oil on the navel during taking bath and put towel (which is dipped in warm water) on the lower abdomen.

Corn : 

• Apply a small piece of papaya on the affected area and leave it overnight. If you find it difficult to apply the piece of papaya, you can dab fresh papaya juice on the corn.
• Apply castor oil on the corn thrice a day. Repeat this every day till corn disappears.
• Mix the baking soda with water (and lime juice) to form a paste. Apply this paste on the corn or callus. Leave it on overnight. Do this every night for a week.
• Make a thick paste of turmeric powder and honey. Apply it on the corn and let the paste air dry. Rinse once it has dried.

Cracked Heels :

• First, clean and dry your feet, and then massage the oil into your heels as a natural moisturizer. After you massage the oils input on a pair of thick cotton socks so that the oils continue to go to work. It is best to do this right before bed so that the oils work as you sleep.
• Create a paste with one banana, half a coconut’s worth of coconut flesh, and half of an avocado. Once the pasta is ready, apply it to your feet and let it sit for 15 minutes before washing it off with warm water. Once your feet are clean, pat them dry and apply a thick moisturizer.
• Take one cup of organic honey and two cups of milk ( warm ) and put them into a basin to soak your feet. Make sure to mix these well before putting your feet in.
• Cut a fresh lemon in half and use each half to massage the heels, squeezing the lemon halves as you massage. Massage each heel for about five minutes, rinse your feet with water, and then apply a thick moisturizer.

Dandruff :

• Pour distilled white vinegar onto the hair, as close to the scalp as you can manage; massage into the scalp; and allow to dry for several minutes before washing as usual. Repeat daily until dandruff disappears, usually within a few days.
• Massage a few tablespoons of lemon juice onto your scalp and rinse. Lemon’s acidity balances your scalp’s pH, which helps keep dandruff away.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and mix it with equal amounts of lemon juice. Massage your scalp gently with the mixture. Leave it on for 20 minutes before rinsing if off with shampoo.
• Apply some curd to your hair and scalp. Let it sit tight for about an hour. Rinse it off with a shampoo that’s mild.

Dark Circles Around Eyes :

• Make a paste out of 1 tsp. tomato juice, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, a pinch of turmeric powder, and 1 tsp. of flour. Apply around eyes. Leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing.
• Apply some almond oil over your dark circles and massage it gently into the skin. Leave the oil on overnight. Wash it off with cold water the next morning. Repeat this every day until your dark circles are gone.
• Cut a fresh cucumber into thick slices and chill it for about 30 minutes. Place the slices on the dark circles for about 10 minutes. Wash the area thoroughly with water. Repeat this process twice a day for one week to see results.
• Mix one teaspoon of tomato juice with one and a half teaspoon of lemon juice. Gently apply this mixture on your dark circles and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Rinse it off well with cool water. Follow this remedy twice a day for 2 – 3 weeks to see results.

Depression :

• 3/4 cup of cooked spinach a day is enough to give dramatic relief from depression if you are deficient in B vitamins.
• The diet of the person suffering from depression should completely exclude tea, coffee, alcohol, colas, and all colored food. Try to take more vegetables and fresh fruits and fruit juices.
• Exercise also plays an important role in the treatment of depression. It not only keeps the body physically and mentally fit but also provides recreation and mental relaxation. The patient must do meditation for depression.
• Eat an apple with honey and milk, or drink apple juice to rejuvenate your mind. Potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B, and phosphorous in apples prevent nerve cells from damage. Vitamin C enhances the immune system and reduces depression by lowering the level of cortisol, a stress hormone.

Diarrhea :

• Eat boiled sweet potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper before bedtime to cure chronic diarrhea.
• Take one teaspoon of Isabgol (psyllium husk) with one cup of yogurt.
• Mix 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, ginger, and cumin powder with honey to make a paste. Take 1 teaspoon three times a day.
• Drop the chopped Orange peels into the hot boiling water and allow it cool. Once cooled, drink this tea with a dash of lemon and honey.

Dry Skin :

• Combine 1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup warm water, 1 Tbls. vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup baking soda in a blender or food processor until you have a smooth paste. Pour this paste under the running water while drawing the bath. Very soothing to dry, itchy skin.
• Coconut oil is as safe and effective as petroleum jelly for treating dry skin. It significantly improves skin hydration and increases the number of lipids (fats) on the surface of the skin.
• Honey is an ideal at-home treatment to relieve dry skin. It is completely natural and can be applied directly to the skin.
• Apply aloe vera gel and cover the affected area with a sock or glove. People may prefer to do this before they go to bed and leave the gel on all night.

Ear Pain :

• Heat two teaspoons of mustard oil, to which half a teaspoon of carom seeds and one or two flakes of crushed garlic is added. Boil till they turn red. Filter it, and when it cools, use two drops in the aching ear.
• Use neem leaves juice as ear drops.

Eczema :

• Prepare a decoction by boiling 20-30 margosa (neem) leaves in about 4-5 cups of water for 20 minutes. Let it cool and use this water to wash the affected area
• Mix 1 teaspoon licorice root powder with a small amount of sesame oil. Warm this in a pan and then apply to the affected part. Wrap a bandage over it and leave for 3-4 hours. Repeat twice a day.

Energizer :

• Simmer 1 cup honey and 3 cup water together slowly. Allow 1 cup of the water to evaporate. Strain off the top surface, and put the remaining liquid into a stoneware crock or dark bottle. Put a towel over it so it can breathe, yet be free of dirt. Place in a cool place. You can add cinnamon, clove, or the juice of 2 lemons if you like.
• Blend the beetroot and transfer it to a glass. Add lime juice and pink Himalayan salt to it. Stir well and drink.
• Blend the pomegranate and passion fruit pulp in a blender. Pour into a glass. Add honey and mix well.
• Add 1 cup hot water to the cup containing the 1 half spoon instant coffee. Stir well and sip.

Eye Problems :

• Simmer 1 cup water and 1 tsp. honey for 5 minutes. Dip a cloth in the liquid and apply it to the closed eye.
• Eye exercises make your eye muscles more flexible and bring energy and blood flow to the eyes to maintain optimal vision. Regular eye exercises combat eye strain and also improve focus as well as concentration.
• Soak 5 to 10 almonds in water overnight. The next morning, peel the skin and grind the almonds. Consume this paste with a glass of warm milk. Do this daily for at least a few months.
• Walking barefoot on grass in the morning dew for about 30 minutes is also considered an acupuncture method to help improve eyesight as it activates the nerve fibers connected to your feet. There are reflexology pressure points for the eyes on the second and third toes. Plus, the green color of the grass is soothing for the eyes.

Exhaustion ( Heat ) : 

• Consume a glass of coconut water or grape juice. Or Churn out a juice of three dates with eight ounces of water and drink.
• Squeeze the half of a freshly sliced lemon/lime into a full glass of water. If it’s winter, make it warm water-if it’s summer, enjoy it chilled! Drink the whole thing, and repeat twice daily (with a mid-day boost if needed.).
• Enjoy at least 1 cup of spinach daily, raw, or cooked.

Facial Cleanser :

• Gently massage a squirt of coconut oil onto your face (about the size of a quarter) for about 30 seconds. Then apply a warm towel onto your face to open up your pores. Wait about 15-30 seconds, then remove the oil by patting with a washcloth.
• Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 2 parts water, and shake well. Apply to a clean face with a cotton ball or pad. Once your skin dries, put on your usual daily moisturizer.
• Combine 2 teaspoons honey and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Warm it between your fingers, then smooth a thin layer onto your face and neck. Leave the mixture on until it’s dry, then rinse with warm water.
• Apply fresh-squeezed lemon juice to your entire face and neck. Leave it on for 10 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water. After this, rub cucumber slices on your skin to soften and moisturize it. Do this daily or every other day.
• Make a paste by mixing equal amounts of turmeric powder and gram flour with a little water or milk. Apply it evenly on your skin and leave it on until it dries. Wash it off with lukewarm water, scrubbing your skin gently in a circular motion. Follow this remedy once a week to lighten your skin tone and remove scars.

Fatigue :

• Take a glass of grapefruit and lemon juice in equal parts to dispel fatigue and general tiredness after a day’s work.
• Prioritize things that need to be done first. Also, you should learn when to say yes and when to say no. Do not over-commit anything. Also, pace yourself when you go through your prioritized list. The trick is to be manageable and deal with tasks in manageable chunks.
• Take one small cup of long pepper, half a cup of black pepper and dried ginger each, one-fourth cup of cumin seeds, ajwain, cloves, cardamom, Triphala and cinnamon leaves. Roast these separately, powder them and add the required amount of honey to make a paste. Consume half a teaspoon of it for 40 days to beat fatigue.
• People suffering from fatigue should eat foods that are nutritious in nature and supply energy to the body. Hence, include foods such as wheat, oats, corn, rye, and barley seeds in your meal plan to reap their benefits.

Fever  :

• Mix 1 teaspoon licorice root powder with a small amount of sesame oil. Warm this in a pan and then apply it to the affected part. Wrap a bandage over it and leave for 3-4 hours. Repeat twice a day.
• Give yourself a sponge bath. Sponging high-heat areas like your armpits and groin with cool water can help reduce your temperature as the water evaporates.
• Crush 1 garlic clove and add it to 1 cup of hot water. Let it rest for 10 minutes, and then strain. Drink this twice a day for best results.
• you can also mix together 1 1/2 teaspoon of ginger juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of honey. Have this concoction two to three times a day for the best results.

Gas :

• Consume a cup of water with a pinch of baking soda & lemon juice.
• Add 2 teaspoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water. Allow the water to cool to room temperature, then drink it. Do it twice daily. If apple cider vinegar is not available, you can try regular vinegar.
• Squeeze out the juice from ½ lemon into a glass of warm water. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to it. Drink this immediately for instant relief from gas and gas pains.
• Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder to a cup of warm milk. Stir it well, then drink it. You can also add some honey.

Gout :

• Swallow 2-3 fresh, peeled garlic buds with water on an empty stomach in the morning.
• Create a paste by combining the ginger root with water and applying it to the affected area and leaving it on for about 30 minutes.
• Mix half a teaspoon into a glass of water and drink it up to four times a day for two weeks. If you are above 60 years old only drink this solution three times a day.
• Soak in a bath with half a cup of charcoal powder or create a paste with charcoal powder and water and apply to the affected area.

Hair Loss :

• Apply freshly squeezed raw onion or garlic juice directly to the scalp. Rinse thoroughly with lemon juice after 20 minutes to remove the smell.
• Extract aloe vera gel from the leaf, and dissolve it in a bowl of water. Apply to your hair, and massage your scalp. Rinse with warm water after 10 minutes.
• Mix carrot juice and coconut milk, and apply to your hair. This will help the hair stay healthy and strong.

Hang-Over :

• Eat honey on crackers. The fructose in the honey will help to flush out the alcohol in your system.
• Before going to bed take a B-50 complex supplement, which will ensure that the metabolism of alcohol continues apace.
• Rehydrate by drinking plenty of water or Coconut water.
• Drink a tangy drink, such as tomato juice by adding one lemon juice to stop the urge for alcohol.
• Drink banana milkshake sweetened with honey.

Headache :

• Eat 10-12 almonds, the equivalent of two aspirins, for a migraine headache. Almonds are far less likely to upset the stomach.
• Apply a paste of ground clay or sandalwood powder mixed with rose water for relief in burning sensation with a headache.
• Grind 10-12 grains of black pepper and 10-12 grains of rice with water to make it a paste. Apply this paste on the affected area of the head for 15-20 minutes.
• Dilute a paste of ginger powder (half teaspoon) with water & apply to the Forehead. A burning sensation may persist. But it’s not harmful.
  Temporal headaches:
  It’s related to Kapha. Hence apply the ginger paste to the forehead and Sinuses.
  Occipital headaches:
  It is because of the aggravated Pitta in the stomach. Make tea with cumin & coriander seeds in a cup of hot water & consume it. Also, apply a sandalwood paste to the temples
  Sinus headaches:
  Indicate toxins in the colon. Take one teaspoon of flaxseed at bedtime With a glass of warm milk. At the same time, apply ginger paste behind the ears.

Healthy Kidney :

• Keep your blood pressure below 130/90 and maintain healthy levels of cholesterol.
• It’s important to have your cholesterol levels checked regularly.
• Lead a healthy lifestyle and maintain a healthy weight.
• Eat a balanced healthy diet low in saturated fats.
• Become a nonsmoker.
• If you have diabetes make sure you actively treat your blood glucose.

Healthy Life Style to prevent hair loss :

• Eat Right diet rich with Nutrients. Adding Citrus, Fruits, and Vegetables which are rich in vitamin C maintains a healthy flow of blood in the scalp.
• You should ensure to keep clean and well moisturized by massaging your scalp with organic and herbal oils especially before washing hair.  Schedule regular oil sessions.
• Undisturbed sleep for 8 hours is a restorative, reparative, and rejuvenation process that your body goes through.
• Undergoing rigorous chemical hair treatments and styling your hair using heat methods can make them dull and dry. You should avoid blow-drying your hair on a daily basis and allow them to air dry.
• Constantly pulling the hair back from the face may result in receding hairline. Also securing them tightly with the rubber bands can furthermore exacerbate the problem.

Heart Diseases :

• The functions of the heart and mind are interlinked so a disturbance in one affects the other.
• Patients having heart disease are advised to refrain from anxiety, worry, excessive sexual intercourse, and wrathful disposition.
• All efforts should be made for the patient to have good sleep at night.
• Even the rest during the day is essential.
• He should never be permitted to remain aware at night for long.
• The patient’s bowels should move regularly. If there is constipation, he is advised to take a glass of water early morning and go for a walk every day.
• Stimulants like tea, coffee, and alcoholic drinks are very harmful to such patients.

Hiccups :

• To get rid of hiccups, just give your tongue a good pull or breathe into a paper bag.
• Take a teaspoon of sugar and, using your tongue, massage it around the roof of your mouth for several seconds, as the sugar begins to melt.
• Gulp down a tablespoon of honey.
• Hold the sugar in your mouth for about thirty seconds while it dissolves, then chew, and swallow slowly.

High Blood Pressure :

• Massage point next to ear lobe with the fingertips for about one minute on each side, continually. Push hard but not that hard so that you feel pain.
• Do almost imperceptible movements of the hand from below lobe to bottom of the neck barely touching the tips of the fingers. Do it 10 times on one side and then repeat the procedure on the other side 10 times as well.  Don’t press nor massage between tow points.
• Drink 1-3 glasses of carrot juice a day. Make sure to buy organic and do not add any sugar.
• Juice made out of beets or radishes is the best form of the vegetables, in lowering blood pressure. Drink a glass of blended beets or radishes juice, daily. Also, add fresh beets and radishes to any dish!

High Cholesterol :

• Mix one teaspoon of Indian gooseberry powder (amla) in a glass of warm water. Drink it daily in the morning on an empty stomach.
• Add two teaspoons of coriander seed powder to one cup of water. Boil the mixture and then strain it. Drink this once or twice a day. You can add milk, sugar, and cardamom to it and use it as an alternative for your regular tea.
• Boil a few leaves of mint with water. Add some honey and pepper powder. Drink lukewarm 2-3 times a day.

Hyper-acidity :

• Take powder of roasted cumin and coriander seeds (25 gm each) and mix with 50 gm of sugar. Take half spoon of it 3 times a day to get rid of hyper-acidity.
• Make a powdered mixture of equal parts of rock candy (or unrefined sugar), fennel, and green cardamom. Whenever you feel heartburn, mix 1 teaspoon of the mixture in a glass of cold milk and drink.
• Chewing on five to six tulsi leaves when you suffer from acidity is a great way to beat the discomfort you feel.
• Bite a clove once so that the juice is released and then keep it in the mouth. The slowly released juice will immediately lower acid reflux and give you some relief.

Hypertension :

• Make a juice of 3-4 garlic cloves, 10-12 basil leaves, and one-fourth cup of wheatgrass. Have once a day.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of onion juice with an equal amount of honey. Take once a day for 1 week. Upon noticing improvement, continue for several more days.
• Mix 1 gm of garlic paste with a glass of buttermilk. Drink this buttermilk twice a day.

Indigestion :

• Make a juice of 3-4 garlic cloves, 10-12 basil leaves, and one-fourth cup of wheatgrass. Have once a day.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of onion juice with an equal amount of honey. Take once a day for 1 week. Upon noticing improvement, continue for several more days.
• Mix 1 gm of garlic paste with a glass of buttermilk. Drink this buttermilk twice a day.

Insomnia :

• Have a glass of whole milk (without the cream removed) with green cardamom powder before going to bed.
• Sleepytime Tea, blended with a mixture of calming chamomile, spearmint, and lemongrass—the combination is ultra-soothing and sweet with a little honey.
• Massage your feet with lukewarm mustard oil 2-3 times a day and before going to bed.
• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cumin on a sliced banana. Eat at night regularly.

Jaundice :

• Go for the boiled & spiceless diet. With vegetables- radish leaves, tomato, lemon. And dry fruits- dried dates with almonds & Cardamoms.
• Have plenty of sugarcane juice, orange juice, bitter Luffa, and barley water. This enhances urination which helps eliminate excess bile pigments in the blood.
• Take Complete rest.
• Avoid heat, sex, and Psychic factors like anger and anxiety.

Joint pain :

• Take one tablespoon of castor oil before going to bed, once or twice a week. It helps in cleansing ama (toxin) build up and balancing Vata.
• Mix equal quantities of powdered fenugreek seeds, turmeric, and ginger powder. Take one teaspoon daily in the morning and evening.
• Two types of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are EPA and DHA, both of which can reduce inflammation and joint pain. Take fish oil pills daily for pain management.

Kidney Stone :

• Soak 2 teaspoons of radish seeds in a glass of water, boil, and reduce it to half. Strain and drink 1/2 cup of it twice a day to assist in dissolving kidney stones.
• Boil 10-12 basil leaves in 1 cup of water for 15 minutes. Mix 1 teaspoon of honey in it and take twice a day.
• Cook kidney beans in water (avoid meat broth, salt, etc) until they are tender enough to eat. Strain the liquid, let it cool, then strain it again. You can drink the resulting bean broth to help dissolve and flush out stones.

Lack Of Sleep :

• Gently massage the soles of the feet with sesame oil. Rub the oil into the scalp.
• Introduces 5 to 10 drops of oil into each ear.
• Drink a cup of piping hot cow milk with rock candy or honey.

Leucoderma :

• Make a paste of Bakuchi (Psoralea Corylifolia) and coconut oil and apply over the white patches and expose them to early sun rays (morning sunlight) for 15 minutes.
• Mix turmeric powder well with mustard oil and apply externally on the patches.
• Firstly take red clay and add ginger juice in it. Make sure to see that the amounts of both ingredients should be remaining the same. Apply the mixture in that area which is affected.
• Take neem leaves. Make a paste by adding buttermilk. Apply this paste on affected areas at night and wash it off in the morning.

Low Blood Pressure :

• The treatment for low blood pressure should aim at rejuvenation of the whole system. To begin with, the patient should adopt a well-balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Should add milk, meat, or fish and egg in the diet. Also add grains and vegetables with plenty of salad.
• Wash about fifteen plucked basil leaves and then crush them against a sieve to extract the juice. Add a tablespoon of honey to the juice of the basil leaf and mix it well. Consume this mixture at least twice a day to keep your low blood pressure at a normal level.
• Eat foods like carrots and peas, as well as fruits like bananas and cereals which are rich in sucrose and fiber to control blood pressure.
• Grind 5 to 6 almonds and mix it well with half a glass of lukewarm skimmed milk or low-fat milk. Sip a glassful of this almond delight when you experience dizziness or weakness due to lowered blood pressure.

Memory Loss : 

• When the power of learning and remembering is impaired to correct it, a  drug called Brahmi is popularly used. It is of two types one variety is called matsyakshi and the other variety is called mandukparni. Both these herbs are equally useful in improving memory.
• Almonds are an excellent Ayurvedic remedy to help improve memory and brainpower.
• Take one to three teaspoons of Anwala churna three times a day for at least a few weeks.
• Acupuncture – There are 4 points on the crown of your head that you can activate to help your memory. They are called Si Shen Cong and they invigorate the mind.

Menstrual Pain :

• Boil a teaspoon of saffron in half a cup of water, and reduce it to become one tablespoon. Divide this decoction into three portions and take it with equal quantities of water, thrice a day for a couple of days.
• Mix the juice of two to three lemons in cold water and have it daily for relief.
• Make herbal tea using dried ginger and black pepper. Add a little sugar for taste, but avoid milk.
• Taking Hot water bag or regular plastic bottle with hot water and apply it to your lower abdomen.

Migraine :

• If there is a burning sensation with you migraine headache, apply a paste of ground clay or sandalwood powder mixed with rose water. In case of migraine headache due to inflamed sinuses, inhale steam with vinegar added to the water.
• Mix ¼ teaspoon of clove powder with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon oil. Apply this paste on the affected area for 20-30 minutes.
• Drink chamomile tea to combat severe headaches and migraines.

Morning Sickness ;

• Mix 1 tsp. each fresh juice of mint and lime, and 1 Tbls. honey. Take 3 times a day.
• Cut or grate some ginger root and pour hot water over it, then drink as a tea or chew on crystallized ginger.
• Avoid eating foods that are high in fat and salt and drink plenty of liquids.
• Bland foods, such as gelatin, frozen desserts, broth, ginger ale, and saltine crackers, also soothe the stomach.

Mosquito Bites :

• Apply lime juice diluted with water on bites with a cotton ball.
• Take a little aloe vera gel and apply a thin layer of it on the mosquito bites. Allow it to dry and reapply as required.
• Apply a little toothpaste on the affected area.
• Soak a green tea bag in some cold water for 10-15 minutes. Remove from water and place it on the affected area for 10 minutes. Rinse off with water.
• Take a little honey on your fingertips and apply it to the mosquito bites.

Motion Sickness :

• Whether by plane, train, boat, or car, motion sickness can occur while traveling and is no fun. Take a whiff or two of peppermint oil before leaving on your journey to calm an upset stomach.
• Take a slice of lemon (or any citrus fruit) along with you in a paper towel and keep sniffing it from time to time.
• Sip apple juice before and during the journey and your motion sickness will be gone.

Mouth Ulcers :

• Dip Haldi / Haridra (Turmeric, Curcuma longa) in water and filter it. Gargle with this water in treating canker sores.
• Warm 50 gm Desi Ghee (clarified butter) and mix 5-gram Kapoor (camphor) in it. On cooling apply this mixture on mouth ulcers sores.
• Apply glycerin on mouth ulcers to get rid of mouth ulcers sores.
• Lick the Green cardamom powder with natural honey to treat mouth ulcers.
• Daily eat one banana with milk in tongue ulcers to treat oral ulcers.
• If you are suffered from mouth ulcers and tongue ulcers then mix banana in curd and eat to treat oral ulcers.

Mucus in Cough :

• Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1/2 tsp. each of ginger, ground cloves, and cinnamon. Filter. Sweeten with 1 tsp. honey and drink.
• Heat one cup of water until it steams, then add a spoonful of salt and stir until it dissolves. Once the water has cooled to lukewarm, use it to gargle.
• Sprinkle a few drops of Eucalyptus on a tissue and inhale it.
• Garlic is one of the best things you can add to your diet. For maximum effect, just eat a clove raw.

Muscle Cramps Joint and Bone Pain;

• Apply clove oil on the affected body parts.
• Massage the area of muscle cramps and spasm with sesame oil.
• Slightly warm some clove oil. Rub it on the affected area. Using firm strokes, massage the area for five minutes.
• Mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water. Drink this tonic once daily to prevent muscle cramps.

Muscle Strain( Upper part of the body ) :

• Apply warm ginger paste with turmeric to the affected area twice a day.
• Try to avoid it. As it disturbs the nervous system, especially the intelligence.
• Soak a towel in hot water. Squeeze out the excess water. Put the warm, moist towel over the affected area for 10 minutes at a time. Repeat the process several times a day for two to three days.
• Add two cups of Epsom salt to warm bathwater. Soak the affected part of your body in the water for half an hour. Dry the area with a towel and wrap it with an elastic bandage. Do this once daily.

Nasal Congestion :

• Boil eucalyptus leaves in a bowl. Inhale the steam by holding your head over the bowl and taking in deep breaths. It will give you quick relief and promote sinus drainage.
• Try the healing mix of bay leaf, sage, and cinnamon. Place the herbs in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Their magnificent smell is so strong that it will easily help unclog your stuffy nose.
• Honey and apple cider vinegar. Mix a glass of water, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of honey. Let stand for 3 minutes before drinking.
• Steaming water. Place some water in a bowl, and boil it until it begins to evaporate. Hold your head over the bowl, cover with a towel, and inhale the steam.

Nausea :

• Boil 1/2 cup of rice in 1 cup of water for about 10-20 minutes. After it is boiled, drain the water into a cup and sip at the rice water until symptoms are gone.
• Mix 1 to 3 tablespoons of salt, 1/4 cup ginger powder and 2/3 cup of baking soda in a bucket of warm water. Soak your feet in this warm water. This is an effective way to relax your muscles and get rid of muscle cramps.
• Massage the area of muscle cramps and spasm with sesame oil.
• In abdominal cramps caused by gas or indigestion mix ¼ teaspoon Guduchi, ½ teaspoon Shatavari, and a pinch of shankha bhasma. Take this 1 or 2 times a day after meals.

Obesity :

• Mix lime juice with honey and water; drink a glass of this every morning.
• Mix 3 tsp. lime juice, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. honey, and 1 cup water; Drink 1 glass a day for 3 months.
• Mix 1 tsp. lime juice with 1 cup of water and drink each morning.
• Eat a tomato before breakfast.
• Take a tablespoon of honey daily with warm water. It is an excellent home remedy for obesity

Oily Skin :

• Mix 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 egg white, 1 Tbls. lemon juice, and 1/2 cup mashed apple into a smooth paste. Apply to face and leave on 15 minutes. Rinse.
• Spread a thin layer of honey, preferably raw, onto your face; let it dry for about 10 minutes, and rinse thoroughly with tepid water.
• Finely-grind raw almonds to make 3 teaspoons. Add 2 tablespoons of raw honey. Apply to your face gently, in circular motions. Rinse with warm water, and pat dry.
• Combine 1 teaspoon sugar with the pulp of 1 tomato. Apply to the skin in a circular motion. Leave the mask on for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with tepid water and pat dry.

Overweight :

• Effective at getting rid of fat, drink up to 3 cups of green tea daily. Regular tea can also be used with a lesser effect.
• Mix three teaspoons of lemon juice, one teaspoon of honey, and one-half teaspoon of black pepper powder in one glass of water. (If you use freshly ground black pepper, then just add a quarter teaspoon.) Drink it in the morning on an empty stomach. Do this daily for at least three months.
• Take two fresh Aloe vera leaves, peel them, and scoop out the pulp. Put it in a blender along with one cup of citrus juice, like grapefruit juice, or simply water. Blend it for two to three minutes. Drink this daily for at least a month.
• Mix two teaspoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. Drink it daily in the morning and preferably before meals.

Pain Reliever :

• Mix 3 Tbls. of honey in boiled water and drink. Honey has natural pain-relieving powers.
• Drink a hot cupful of ginger tea to get quick relief from body pain.
• Heat milk on low heat and add a teaspoonful of turmeric in it. Drink this turmeric milk to heal the pain.
• Take 10 cloves of garlic and chop them. Heat them in 4 tablespoonfuls of mustard oil. Once the oil cools down, strain it and massage it onto the affected area. For fast relief, use this remedy 3-4 times in a day.

Piles :

• Make an ointment by mixing an equal amount of powdered long pepper and turmeric with milk (preferably cow’s milk). Apply this on the piles external
• Apply an ice pack or a partially melted piece of ice wrapped in a cloth directly on the affected area for about 10 minutes. Do this several times a day until hemorrhoid goes away.
• Mix one-half teaspoon each of lemon juice, ginger juice, mint juice, and honey together. Take this once a day.
• Dip a cotton ball in pure almond oil and apply it on the affected area. Do this several times a day.

Psoriasis :

• Cover the affected part with a fresh thin banana leaf.
• exposure to sunlight enhances the production of Vitamin D effective for treating Psoriasis.
• Apply petroleum jelly to the affected area each day within a few minutes after a bath.
• Take 15-20 sesame seeds and soak in a glass of water. Keep it overnight and drink on an empty stomach early in the morning.

Sciatica :

• Apply a paste made of crushed garlic cloves and water to the affected part, or rub a cut clove directly onto the area.
• Eat 1-3 buds of fresh cloves daily.
• Add the milk (2 cups), water (1 cup), and crushed garlic cloves (10) to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain the milk. Allow it to cool a bit. Add a little honey.
• Mix ginger oil (4-5 drops) with coconut oil (1 tbls ) of your choice. Apply this mixture to the affected area.

Skin Disorder :

• Have 1 teaspoonful of licorice root powder with water empty stomach in the morning. This is mentioned as a medhya Rasayana in Ayurveda i.e. a mind rejuvenator.
• Add some fresh rose petals in a cup of boiling water. Keep it aside till it is lukewarm. Add ½ teaspoonful of sugar to it and have this twice a day. This is a good drink to uplift mood.
• Rub a cut clove or clove paste directly onto the affected area several times a day.
• Eat 1-3 garlic cloves or take garlic oil capsules daily.
• Apply a paste of cinnamon and lime juice daily to the affected area.

Smoking Habit :

• Lick a little salt with the tip of your tongue whenever you feel the urge to smoke. This is said to break the habit within 1 month.
• Heat one tablespoon of oats in two cups and leave it to set overnight. Right before consuming, heat the oat mix again and drink after every meal.
• Honey contains beneficial vitamins, enzymes, and proteins, which help in giving up the habit of smoking with ease. Try using organic honey for less artificial flavors and better results

Snoring :

• Add a drop of peppermint oil to a cup of cold water and gargle the mixture in your mouth to shrink the lining of the nose and throat.
• Take about 1 tablespoonful of honey in a glass of warm water and drink it before going to bed.
• Brahmi herb is mixed and boiled along with the pure ghee made from cow milk. You can apply two drops of this ghee inside your nostrils for relief. Repeat the procedure every night before going to bed.
• Take 2 or three sips of olive oil before going to bed. You can also combine half teaspoonful of honey and olive oil and consume it daily before going to bed.

Sore Throat :

• Mix 1 tsp. lime juice and 1 Tbls. honey. Swallow tiny amounts slowly 2-3 times a day.
• Dissolve ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of warm water, gargle every hour or two.
• Drink 1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and an optional tablespoon of honey.
• Combining lemon with warm water and a bit of honey or saltwater may be the best way to maximize its benefits.

Stomach Ache :

• A simple cure for a stomachache is to dissolve 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon in 1 cup warm water, cover and let sit for 15 minutes, then drink it like tea. This remedy can also ease diarrhea and flatulence.
• Drink warm water mixed with ½ tsp of ginger powder and ½ tsp of turmeric.
• Boil 1 tsp of chopped ginger in 1 cup of water, add a pinch of salt and drink.
• Mix 2 teaspoons lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon of rock salt powder in ½ cup of water. Have this mixture 3 times a day.

Stomach Acidity :

• Drink coconut water 3-4 times a day.
• Have a plateful of watermelon and/or cucumber every hour.

Sunburn :

• Mix 2 tsp. tomato juice and 1/4 cup buttermilk. Apply to the affected area. Rinse 1/2 an hour.
• Slice open one of the leaves of Aloe Vera and apply the gel directly onto the sunburned area. You can repeat this aloe vera remedy 5 or 6 times per day for a week.
• Mix a small amount of baking soda or oatmeal into a large pot filled with cool water, and then soak a washcloth into it. You can then apply the cloth directly onto the sunburned area, and re-soak the cloth in the mixture every few minutes.

Swelling :

• Drink barley water or coriander tea.
• For external. Swelling: Apply two parts of turmeric powder with one part salt to the affected area.
• Remove the pineapple ( 1/4 ) skin and cut it into small pieces. Blend this in a mixer with water (1 cup) and consume the juice immediately.
• Warm the mustard oil. Massage this gently onto the affected area.

Swollen Joints :

• Go for fasting once a week. You can go for absolute fasting or rely on a liquid diet to digest ama (toxin). Fasting should be followed by hot fomentation or by taking a bath with lukewarm water or a steam bath.
• After fasting and fomentation, mix powdered long pepper, black pepper and dried ginger in equal quantities and take 1 teaspoon of this powdered mix with lukewarm water twice a day. This will help you restore your digestive fire.
• For dry fomentation of the affected joints, take a cloth and fold it into four, fill it with hot and sand make a potli (bag) out of it. Use this bundle for the fomentation of different joints. This is very helpful in reducing pain and swelling.

Tooth Ache and Mouth Pain :

• To ease toothache or other mouth pain, make a tea by boiling 1 Tbls. fresh peppermint in 1 cup water and adding a little salt. Peppermint is an antiseptic and contains menthol, which relieves pain when applied to skin surfaces.
• Apply 3 drops of clove oil to the affected teeth.
• Use a commercial ice pack or put some ice in a plastic bag, wrap it in a towel and apply it to the swollen area.
• Take a cucumber and cut into small slices. Completely rinse the cucumber and place the slices in the refrigerator. Take one slice of a cucumber and put it in your mouth directly on the infected tooth. The coolness from the cucumber will soothe the ache and take away the pain.

Ulcers :

• Take 1 teaspoon of Indian gooseberry (amla) powder with ½ teaspoon of powdered rock candy (or unrefined sugar) twice a day on an empty stomach.
• Take 2 tablespoonfuls (20 ml) raw milk mixed in half a cup of water 2-3 times a day.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of roasted barley flour into 1 glass of water. Add 1 teaspoon of powdered rock candy (or unrefined sugar). Have this 3-4 times a day.
• For stomach ulcer treatment, both ripe and unripe bananas are very effective.
• Take one tablespoon of coconut oil in the morning and another at night for one week.

Underweight :

• Diet plays an important role in building up health for gaining weight.
• Underweight persons should eat frequent small meals, as they tend to feel full quickly.
• The number of calories it contains measures the weight building quality of food.
• To gain weight, the diet should include more calories than are used in daily activities so as to allow the excess to be stored as body fat. The allowance of 500 calories in excess of daily average needs is estimated to provide for a weight gain of half a kilogram weekly.
• All refined foods such as products containing white flour and sugar should be avoided as they destroy health.

Urinary Tract Infection :

• Put 3 tablespoons of powdered coriander seeds and 1 tablespoon of powdered rock candy (or unrefined sugar) in a vessel (preferably an earthen pot) containing 3 cups of water. Keep it overnight. Mix well and drink 1 cup of the liquid 3 times a day. This is a very good remedy for pacifying pitta in the urinary tract.
• Crush 5 to 6 cloves of fresh garlic. Soak them in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes. Drink the water throughout the day.
• Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water. Stir the soda until it dissolves completely. Drink the entire solution, preferably on an empty stomach.
• Add 2 tablespoons of freshly crushed ginger to boiling water. Let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.  Strain it and drink 2 to 3 cups a day. Add honey for a better taste.

Vomiting & Nausea :

• Sucking a piece of ice controls vomiting.
• Eat 1/2 tsp. ground cumin seeds.
• Put 3 tablespoons of powdered coriander seeds and 1 tablespoon of powdered rock candy (or unrefined sugar) in a vessel (preferably an earthen pot) containing 3 cups of water. Keep it overnight. Mix well and drink 1 cup of the liquid 3 times a day. This is a very good remedy for pacifying pitta in the urinary tract.

Warts :

• Try taping a slice of garlic to the wart. Be sure to first protect the surrounding skin with petroleum jelly.
• Dab a cotton swab into the tea tree oil and gently apply it to the wart. Repeat this once a day for 10 days.
• Finely grate a small carrot and combine with a teaspoon of olive oil. Apply the mixture to warts once a day.

Wrinkles & Skin Freshener :

• Apply coconut oil on the portions of skin and face where wrinkles set in and gently massage every night at bedtime.
• B-Complex vitamins are great for maintaining healthy skin.
• Drink a glass of Pomegranate juice every day to make your skin look younger.
• Wash your face with cool or lukewarm water and use a mild soap.

Yellow Teeth : 

• Mix salt with the finely powdered rind of lime. Use this as tooth powder frequently.
• Rinsing your mouth with water right after you drink soda, coffee, tea, or any flavored and colored drink is one of the best teeth whitening remedies.
• Take out juice from 2 lemons. Mix 1 teaspoon of common salt and stir it until it is dissolved completely. Soak a cotton Q tip and apply this solution. Gently rub it over your yellow teeth to whiten it. Practice this home remedy twice daily until it removes yellow stuff and tartar.
• Take 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Make a paste by adding 1/2 tablespoon of water. Scrub it fast for 3 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, Replace water with lemon juice for making a paste. You can also use white vinegar to increase the bleaching effect.

Sleep or Nidra as it is known in Ayurveda is given due importance. Nidra is considered as a “trayo upastamba” meaning it is one of the three supporting pillars of life. Proper diet, sleep (Nidra) and a regulated sex pattern are the three pillars known to maintain health. Proper sleep is said to nourish the body, increase life span, improve memory power, enhance fertility and bestow strength and happiness.

Improper sleep is said to bring emaciation, debility, impotence, poor mental functioning, and unhappiness. The complete absence of sleep can lead to death.

Tips to Improve Sleep :

1. Early to bed early to rise should be part of your daily routine.
2. Day time sleeping should be avoided.
3. A hot shower before going to bed can improve the quality of sleep.
4. A light dinner taken 2 to 3 hours before bed time, followed by some walking can result in better sleep.
5. Indulge in lovemaking and other things that are comforting to the mind.
6. Avoid watching television, playing video games, and using laptops or mobile devices before going to bed.
7. Do physical exercises regularly in the morning. Avoid these exercises in the evening though.
8. Drink a glass of warm milk. This is an age-old remedy for insomnia.
9. Include fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. They promote over all well being and a balance in the doshas.
10. Yoga asanas, pranayama, and meditation can be very helpful.

Choose Something You Care About
Resolutions often fail because they aren’t the right ones for you. When thinking about what you’d like to change for New Year, consider whether it’s something you personally care about or whether it’s a goal based on outside pressures.

Have a Focus
Vague goals can also fail. Be clear in what you want to achieve, rather than just saying you want to lose weight, also it’s better to pinpoint exactly how much weight you want to lose, like five Kilograms in three months, as an example.

Be Conservative
Goals that are way too ambitious are destined to fail.  It’s best to start small. So instead of trying to become vegan, aim to reduce your meat consumption for several meals a week. Or if you want to work out, try to go three times a week instead of daily.

Visualize Your Achievements
Visualizing your goals can actually help you obtain them and recommends starting a journal depicting how your life will improve. “Cut pictures out of magazines of what you want and post them to a wall (or if appropriate, the refrigerator), Get very clear on what you think you will feel like once you see results,”

Make it Fun
“Our language and self-talk is everything and determines if our resolution will fade or will become something we’re still doing in June,” When people resolve to change their diet or exercise, they may already start dreading it. “However, shifting the brain to doing something fun that is in line with the goal gets you more committed,”. Use your resolve to eat healthier as a way to experiment with new recipes, for example. 

1. Only pick three goals

You should have a one really important goal that you’re going to achieve no matter what. You can set two other goals to work toward as well. Just remember to decide which goal is your “main” one.

Why am I being so restrictive? Because if you try to do more than three things at once, you’ll get lost. You’ll lose track of what’s most important. You’ll start to neglect one of your goals, and then you’ll feel guilty about it. Soon you’ll start to lose confidence in yourself.

So stick with one main resolution and two secondary ones.

2. Write your resolutions down and post them somewhere

Think of a single word to represent each of your resolutions. Write the word in big letters and post it somewhere in your home.

For example, if you want to lose weight, you can make a sign with the word “thin”. Hang it on your refrigerator, so that every time you get food you’ll be reminded of your resolution.

Don’t just write your resolutions down quietly, though. Announce them to your family and friends. Put them on your Facebook page. Make copies of your resolution to hang in your office. The more reminders, the better.

3. Turn each resolution into a habit

Now that you’ve chosen a goal, find something that you can do every day to work toward it. Working on your resolutions every single day is very, very effective.

For example, that’s how I started Phrase Mix: I made a rule for myself that I had to write a lesson every day before I went to sleep. I’ve missed a few days in the last two years, but mostly I’ve stuck with it.

If you do something every day, it becomes a habit. Soon you won’t even think about it; you’ll just do it naturally, like brushing your teeth.

4. Work on one habit per month

To achieve an important goal, you’ll probably need to pick up several good habits. For example, to get in shape you’ll need to exercise, cut down on your drinking, eat more vegetables, and so on.

If you try to pick up a lot of good habits at once, you’re probably going to fail. It’s just too hard to focus.

Instead, I suggest focusing on one good resolution per month. After you’ve gotten used to the first one, you can then add the next one, and so on.

5. Use a calendar

A few years ago, I heard about the Jerry Seinfeld calendar technique.

The way it works is simple: get a calendar to put on the wall. Every day that you keep up your good habits, mark the day with an “X” on the calendar. Then try not to miss any days.

Seeing all of the hard work marked on the calendar will motivate you to continue working hard every day.

To help get you started, put a blank calendar that you can print out and use.  

Start small 

Make resolutions that you think you can keep. If, for example, your aim is to exercise more frequently, schedule three or four days a week at the gym instead of seven. If you would like to eat healthier, try replacing dessert with something else you enjoy, like fruit or yogurt, instead of seeing your diet as a form of punishment.

Change one behavior at a time 

Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. Thus, replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, work toward changing one thing at a time.

Talk about it 

Share your experiences with family and friends. Consider joining a support group to reach your goals, such as a workout class at your gym or a group of coworkers quitting smoking. Having someone to share your struggles and successes with makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less intimidating.

Don’t beat yourself up 

Perfection is unattainable. Remember that minor missteps when reaching your goals are completely normal and OK. Don’t give up completely because you ate a brownie and broke your diet, or skipped the gym for a week because you were busy. Everyone has ups and downs; resolve to recover from your mistakes and get back on track.

Ask for support 

Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen strengthens your resilience and ability to manage stress caused by your resolution. If you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking professional help. Psychologists are uniquely trained to understand the connection between the mind and body. They can offer strategies as to how to adjust your goals so that they are attainable, as well as help you change unhealthy behaviors and address emotional issues. 

1. Brainstorm about changes and improvements you’d like to make. These can be about anything, not just the big ones like quitting smoking and losing weight that many people associate with New Year’s resolutions. Jot down some notes while doing the following:

• Consider how you can improve your health. Ask yourself, Can I drink more water? Quit smoking? Stop eating fast food or fried food? Become vegetarian? Exercise more?
• Consider your relationships with others. Are there ways that you can be a better spouse, parent, other family members, or friend?
• Consider your work life. Ask yourself, Can I be more successful and happier at work? Be more organized? Stop procrastinating?
• Consider ways to make a difference. Are there ways you could make a difference in the world through activism, awareness-raising, or promoting a cause?

2. Choose 3 attainable goals – Look over your notes and determine what items on it are most important to you. Don’t take too long choosing; often it’s the things that leap out at you straight away that have the most meaning for you personally.

3. Create “Systems” – Systems are the ways that you carry out a larger goal. You need to break down large goals into smaller actions that can and are easier to carry out. If you leave your larger goals too vague, you may get confused and change your mind frequently on the ways to accomplish them. This is the purpose of creating systems.

• For example: if your goal is to lose 5 Kgs in the following year, you can resolve to cut out fast food, soft drinks, sugary snacks, and drinks, drink more water, and walk three days a week until March, and then gradually add in two days at the gym.

4. Look at your list and reflect, using the SMART mnemonic. Make sure your goals are:

• S – Specific (or Significant). This means your goals include systems for achieving them. You have specific actions that can be carried out that work toward your larger goal.
• M – Measurable. This means that the changes you see once the goal is reached are noticeable. You will feel different (better), because you are healthier because your family or social life has improved, etc.
• A – Attainable. This means that the goal is realistic and can be reached. There are benefits to aiming high, but you don’t want to aim so high that you become disappointed and discouraged from making any changes at all if you can’t reach the goal you set.

For instance, if you’ve never run a day in your life, don’t make running a marathon your goal quite yet. Perhaps start with shorter races like a 3K or 5K, and work up from there.

• R – Relevant (or Rewarding). This means that there is a real need for your goal. You have been unsatisfied with a certain area of your life for some time, and you have a strong motivation to want to change it.
• T – Trackable. This is similar to measurable but means that you can assess your progress throughout the process. Have you made a schedule and are you following it? Are you losing weight gradually (if that’s your goal)? Are you getting along better with your loved ones? Etc

5. Talk to others about your goals. Discuss your goals and why you made them with your family and friends. This step is very important!

• Ask for others’ support on these goals throughout the year. If possible, team up and visit the gym or shop at the health food store together. Ask them to speak up if you slip and order a Diet Coke instead of water, or forget another goal on your list.
• People who tell others about their goals are more likely to accomplish them, whether it’s because they have the extra support they need, or because they’re afraid of being embarrassed if they don’t accomplish them, it’s hard to say.

6. Print out copies of your resolutions. Save a copy on each computer or electronic device you own, such as your cell phone and laptop.

• Email a copy to your work address and save it to your work computer.
• Make a smaller copy and keep it in your wallet.
• Post a copy on the outside of your refrigerator! Use bright paper so it catches your eye and doesn’t let it get hidden behind coupons and artwork.

1. Reward yourself. Determine ahead of time what rewards will be at small milestones of accomplishment. Have frequent small rewards and a “grand prize” for completion.

• If your goal is losing weight, you might buy new clothes to replace old ones that don’t fit anymore at each milestone, and then plan a nice vacation for when you’ve reached your goal.

2. Remind yourself of your successes. It can be hard to maintain your motivation and dedication to making a change in your life when you can’t see immediate results for your efforts.

• At each low point, have faith that persisting and being consistent in reaching your goal will pay off in the long run. If you’re trying to lose weight and are struggling to keep up with your workouts, just think about how each minute your exercise burns fat and gets you closer to your goal.

3. Face your fear of change. Fearing change often stops us from achieving a goal. Making a goal sounds good at the time, but then the fear of change surfaces. To avoid this happening to you, realize that your excuses are a way of covering up a fear of change.

• Look beyond “I can’t” and start substituting this with “I can” and “I am”.
• Identify your excuses for not going through with parts of your goal. By listing excuses, you can see them for what they are and move beyond the fear of change.
• Sidestep blaming other people or circumstances for not achieving your goals. If you take responsibility for achieving your goal, these external factors cannot sap your power to do what you’ve said you’d do.

4. Recognize your self-defeating behaviors. Write down the things you do out of habit that distract you from what really matters. Then, list things that you consider to be more positive and fulfilling behaviors and choices you want to make instead.

• This includes adjusting the habits mentioned in a previous step, even if they were things you once enjoyed. For instance, if you are trying to lose weight and you eat out with family or friends as bonding time, either choose restaurants that offer healthy meals or decide to do something else fun together instead of eating out.

5. Begin again if you slip up. Everyone encounters occasional outside stress and events that take us out of focus on our goals. Use Monday as your day to regroup and start over if you slip and have a bad week completing your goals for any reason.

• Form a group of “Monday Campaigns”  organize various healthy things to do on Mondays, such as “Meatless Mondays,” “De-Stress Mondays,” and “Move-It Mondays.” Don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip and remind yourself of the progress you have made. Just start over on Monday

6. Lean on your support team. Whoever you’ve chosen to help you, be it family, friends, a life coach, therapist, or someone else, lean on them to support you through times of weakness, when you need a booster to get back on track.

• Don’t expect to do this completely alone; look for other people’s advice, ideas, and feedback to help you keep going.

7. Keep a journal. Document at least one thing every single day during the year for which you feel grateful and one sentence for the progress you have made.

• When writing, consider: What memorable moments can you draw from each day? In what ways did you grow today or find that your awareness shifted? Keeping note of this will help you to stay grounded and motivated with your goals.

8. Clear the Clutter, Clear your mind – Being ready for action and changing your life requires clear thinking. There’s psychological evidence that streamlining your office and personal spaces improve productivity. And it makes you feel better!

You don’t have to buy the whole feng-shui thing, but allocate a couple of two-three hour blocks in your forward planner to begin decluttering your home/office.

9. Don’t delay Start today – Taking a small step today is better than thinking: I can’t achieve everything I planned today so I’ll do it tomorrow. Accomplishing one tiny task in the grand scheme of your goal boosts your confidence to continue. You won’t feel you’ve totally wasted the day.

10. Set boundaries on toxic people – Another reason people dump vows to change is the toxicity around them. You’re trying to eat well, but your partner prepares big plates of comfort food. Sometimes it’s innocent sabotage of your efforts. Other times people are “toxic”, wanting you to stay as you are. Turn down that plate of junk food, etc, with a simple line: that doesn’t fit in with my changes.

A. You are treating a marathon like a sprint: If you have a lot of bad habits today, the last thing you need to do is remodel your entire life overnight. Want to lose weight? Stop it with crash diets and excessive exercise plans. Instead of following a super restrictive plan that bans anything fun, add one positive habit per week. For example, you could start with something easy like drinking more water during your first week.

B. You put the carrot before the horse: “Supplementing” a crappy diet is stupid, so don’t even think about it. Focus on the actions that produce an overwhelming amount of results. If it’s not important, don’t worry about it.

C. You don’t believe in yourself: A failure to act can cripple you before you leave the starting line. If you’ve tried (and failed) to set a New Year’s resolution (or several) in the past, I know it might be hard to believe in yourself. Doubt is a nagging voice in your head that will resist personal growth with every ounce of its being. The only way to defeat doubt is to believe in yourself. Who cares if you’ve failed a time or two? This year, you can try again (but better this time).

D.  Too much thinking, not enough doing: The best self-help book in the world can’t save you if you fail to take action. Yes, seek inspiration and knowledge, but only as much as you can realistically apply to your life. If you can put just one thing you learn from every book or article you read into practice, you’ll be on the fast track to success.

E. You are in too much of a hurry: If it was quick-and-easy, everybody would do it, so it’s in your best interest to exercise your patience muscles.

F.  You don’t enjoy the process: The best of us couldn’t bring ourselves to do something we hate consistently, so make getting in shape fun, however you’ve gotta do it. That could be participating in a sport you love, exercising with a good friend or two, joining a group exercise class so you can meet new people, or giving yourself one “free day” per week where you forget about your training plan and exercise in any way you please. The goal isn’t to add stress to your life, but rather to remove it.

G. You are trying too hard: Unless you want to experience some nasty cravings, don’t deprive your body of pleasure. The more you tell yourself you can’t have food, the more you’re going to want it. As long as you’re making positive choices 80-90% of the time, don’t sweat the occasional indulgence.

H. You don’t track your progress: Keeping a written record of your training progress will help you sustain an “I CAN do this” attitude. All you need is a notebook and a pen. For every workout, record what exercises you do.  Do better next time. Improving your best performance on a regular basis offers positive feedback that will encourage you to keep going.

I. You know you are What but not your Why: The biggest reason why most New Year’s resolutions fail: you know what you want but you not why you want it.  Forget about any preconceived notions and be true to yourself.

• The more specific you can make your goal,
• The more vivid it will be in your imagination,
• The more encouraged you’ll be,
• The more likely it is you will succeed (because yes, you CAN do this!).

J. Going it alone: Whether it’s quitting smoking, improving your tennis game, or going to the gym more often, don’t go it alone. “If you are someone who has a higher success rate when you have outside support, then get a buddy,  This creates accountability, which is essential for success.” Remember, your buddy should be a positive force in your life, not a negative one.

K. Extremely lofty resolutions: Most of us create resolutions that are too ‘big’ and therefore we can’t meet them. Examine your resolutions. Are they what you really want or did you commit to them because you thought you were supposed to?”. Take it day by day.

L. Giving up too easily: Whether you get discouraged or simply lose interest, giving up too easily is a big resolution breaker. Many people make their resolutions with a genuine belief that they can accomplish them, but come February the excitement wears off and other priorities begin to take precedence. To cure this issue, try to set benchmarks throughout the year.

M. Unrealistic resolution: You need to set a goal that is actually achievable in the time frame you set for yourself. So pick the one you have confidence in and stick with it. It is far better to succeed at a smaller, more manageable resolution than to fail at a larger, loftier one.

N. No Plan: The best resolutions are those that actually include a plan of action. You need to create a plan that will help you achieve your goals. Break your end goal down into smaller, weekly goals so you feel like you’re working towards something immediate.

O. Wrong perspective: While you may have the best intentions with your resolution, you could be putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. Put it in perspective and focus on what you will accomplish.

P. Not believing in yourself: Sometimes all you need to keep going is a pat on the back—from yourself. Congratulate yourself on your progress and reward yourself for making the effort toward your goal.

Q. You didn’t have the right mindset: Wanting something and working towards getting it are two fundamentally different things. It can be difficult to focus on fulfilling your resolution when you are not in a good place in your life.  If you are not mentally prepared for all the hard work, distractions, obstacles, and setbacks that might be ahead of you, you will most likely fail.

R. You are living distracted: Distractions cause you to miss many opportunities in life. They make you feel busy and tired all the time and frustrated at the lack of progress despite your best efforts.

S. You succumbed to negativity from others: Nothing can influence a person more effectively than another person. That can be good, or bad, news for resolution keepers. It would be better to succeed on a secret mission than fail because your circle of confidantes didn’t think you could do it.

T. You’re not ready to make a change: Are you really ready to make that resolution to drop weight, quit smoking, or quit a bad habit?  People are looking to reinvent themselves but they’re not usually ready to change serious bad habits.

U. You set ‘Should’ goals, not ‘Want’ goals: One of the common mistakes people make when setting new year’s resolution is listening to external pressures, rather than to internal motivations ( I want to have more energy, feel better, choose healthier foods for my body ). The result is that “they don’t set the weight-loss goals that really motivate them to succeed”.

V. You added but never subtracted: Often when you want to do better, you add things to your daily schedule. And when you do that, you sabotage your goals. Let’s be honest, adding to your life is easier than subtracting until you hit the wall of overwhelm. Not only do you get completely overwhelmed, but you also diminish the value of everything you’re trying to do.

Subtraction is often more powerful than an addition when it comes to accomplishment.

W. You kept flimsy new year resolution: The main mistakes people do with their New Year resolutions, is that they get over-excited and start making a to-do list for a year. The problem comes when they put things they feel they want to try, only half-heartedly, into the same list.

To keep that ‘be healthy’ New Year’s resolution going, the trick is to set every day, achievable goals. Sticking to that resolution well into 2018 will be a lot easier with these simple smart swaps.

*SWAP* White bread
#For# A lower-GI option such as multigrain, rye, soy & linseed or sourdough

*SWAP* White rice
#For# Quinoa, for complete protein and low-GI or brown rice for higher fiber and more vitamins

*SWAP* Regular flour
#For# Wholemeal flour. Two-and-a-half times the fiber — go from nearly 5g fiber to 12g fiber per cup

*SWAP* Regular beef, chicken or vegetable stock
*For:* Salt-reduced variety and save 350mg or more sodium per cup

*SWAP* Regular soy sauce
#For# Salt-reduced soy sauce and save up to 400mg or more sodium per tablespoon

*SWAP* Premade simmer or stir-fry sauces
#For# Add lots of herbs and spices and save on extra energy, fat, and sodium

*SWAP* Bulking meals out with extra meat, pasta or rice
#For# Legumes (chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans) — with every cup of dried lentils you will add 45g protein and 17g fiber

Breakfast swaps

*SWAP* Grabbing a muffin and coffee on the way to work
#For# Try grabbing a pre-made bircher muesli and yogurt from the fridge as you run out the door — you can make it up the night before or buy them in the supermarket

*SWAP* Feeling hungry after only having fruit for breakfast because you’re trying to be ‘good’
#For# Add some extra fiber and protein by adding a handful of LSA and a good dollop of yogurt to some cut-up fruit

*SWAP* Toast with Marmite
#For# Add an egg to increase the protein and fill you for longer

*SWAP* Toast with butter and jam
#For# Toast with 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese and tomato for 1 serve of vegetables and add 2g protein

*SWAP* Toasted muesli
#For# Natural-style muesli to reduce the amount of fat and sugar (and energy) in your bowl

*SWAP* Spaghetti on toast
#For# Baked beans on toast — nearly 5g extra fiber per 150g serve

*SWAP* Weekend ‘big breakfast’ with fried eggs, sausages and bacon
#For# Stuff wholemeal pita bread with 1 mashed boiled egg, tomato, lean ham, and low-fat cheese for a lower-fat option

Lunch swaps

*SWAP* Buying takeaway lunch because you don’t have anything in the fridge to take to work
#For# Keep some cans of tuna and a sachet of pre-cooked rice in your desk and grab some baby spinach on the way to work

*SWAP* Feeling weighed down after eating a huge sandwich
#For# Try using a wholegrain crispbread instead of bread for a lighter option that will still keep you full

*SWAP* Eating biscuits from the jar in the office because you’ve got no time to get lunch
#For# Throw a few frozen meals in the office freezer so you are always prepared

*SWAP* Skipping lunch completely because you haven’t got time to eat
#For# Sip on a meal replacement shake or long-life flavored milk to keep you going until afternoon

*SWAP* Eating takeaways so you don’t have to clean up
#For# Fill up your lunch box with finger food — vegetable sticks, trail mixes, fruit, muesli bar, and rice cakes with peanut butter

Dinner swaps

*SWAP* Traditional salad dressing
#For# Drizzle a mix of mustard, lemon juice, and chopped herbs or opt for a bottled fat-free dressing

*SWAP* Overloading on carbohydrate and protein
#For# Fill half your plate with vegetables first — you get lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and minimal energy

*SWAP* Serving large pieces of steak or fish for the family
#For# 100-150g meat or fish. You will save money, too

*SWAP* Eating more from the saucepan as you tidy the kitchen
#For# Pack extra food away before you eat so you can’t go back for seconds

*SWAP* Having large plates of food on the table
#For# Serve in the kitchen on individual plates to resist the temptation to add an extra spoonful to your plate

*SWAP* Filling up on the bread before your meal
#For# Serve 1 bread portion for each person with their meal, not Beforehand. Offer vegetable sticks and hummus instead for an appetizer

*SWAP* Estimating serves of rice and pasta
#For# Use measuring cups to portion out your carbohydrates — aim for 3/4 to 1 cup (cooked)

*SWAP* Meals with only one color
#For# Brighten your plate up and widen your intake of nutrients with colored vegetables and fruit

Drink swaps

*SWAP* Avoiding drinking water because you don’t like it
#For# Add some fresh lemon or lime juice or a few sprigs of mint to flavor it

*SWAP* Always choosing juice, cordial or soft drink
#For# Choose water first

*SWAP* A can of soft drink
#For# Choose diet soft-drink instead

*SWAP* Drinking a glass of wine every night with dinner
#For# Have two alcohol-free days a week

*SWAP* Choosing a full-fat coffee
#For# Make it a regular-sized trim flat white to save 65Kcal and 7g fat

*SWAP* Ordering a chocolate thick shake
#For# Opt for low-fat chocolate milk and save a ton of kcals, fat, and sugar

*SWAP* Drinking ready-mixed RTDs
#For# Swap for a nip of vodka in a diet lemon-lime and bitters and save around 9g sugar and 43kCal

Eating swaps

*SWAP*Bolting down your food because you’re starving
#For# Slow down and take 20-30 minutes to give your body time to register fullness

*SWAP* Eating in front of the TV
#For# Eat at the table — you will eat more mindfully

*SWAP* Eating in front of your computer or as you’re driving in the car to pick up the kids
#For# Make time to eat so you eat mindfully and feel more satisfied

*SWAP* Eating because it’s that time of the day
#For# Before you eat, ask yourself, “Am I actually hungry?”

*SWAP* Starving yourself during the day then pigging out at night
#For# Try to eat regular meals and snacks so you’re hungry by the time dinner comes around but not ready to eat your own fingers

*SWAP* Eating from large plates
#For# Buy smaller crockery — you’ll feel more satisfied with less

*SWAP* Checking the fridge every time you want a break from your work
#For# Go for a brief walk outside instead or stand up and stretch for a few minutes

Snack swaps

*SWAP* Deciding not to snack because you’re ‘being good’ then getting home and devouring the entire fridge because you’re so hungry
#For# Have a small snack at about 4 pm – make it substantial enough to keep you going a couple of hours. Try crackers and peanut butter or a small cup of yogurt

*SWAP* Reaching for the biscuit jar at 3 pm when you need a break
#For#Ask yourself if you’re actually hungry — a quick walk around the office might be a better option to get the brain functioning again

*SWAP* Brie and crackers before dinner
#For# Light cheese on wholegrain crispbread

*SWAP* Munching on chips while you’re watching the rugby
#For# Chop up some veggies and munch on them with some hummus or low-fat cottage cheese

*SWAP* Ice cream or custard for dessert
#For# Reduced-fat yogurt

*SWAP* Eating half a block of ‘better for you’ chocolate (such as sugar-free or high % cocoa)
#For# Choose your favorite and have a little bit but savor it!

*SWAP* 1 cup fruit yogurt
*For: * 1 cup light fruit yogurt can save you around 67kcal and 2 teaspoons sugar

Fridge swaps

*SWAP* Full-fat dairy: milk, yogurt, cheese, sour cream, ice cream, custard
#For# Reduced-fat dairy: milk, yogurt, and cheese. Save energy and saturated fat without even noticing

*SWAP* Butter on your toast
#For# Reduced-fat spread – reduce saturated fat intake by 2g or more per teaspoon

*SWAP* Meat with a marbling of fat
#For# Choose lean meat or meat with visible fat that can be cut off to reduce saturated fat

*SWAP* Using margarine or spread on sandwiches
#For# Use hummus for an extra hit of protein or a little avocado for some heart-healthy fats and great flavor

*SWAP* Making a salad at each meal
#For# Have a salad bar on one shelf — have one large container of ‘base’ salad including lettuce, corn and carrot, and store in containers of items such as sliced beetroot, tomato slices, low-fat cheese and onion
to mix things up

*SWAP* Storing treats front and center
#For# Hide tempting foods behind healthier options, tuck them in the back of the fridge or hide them in containers so they’re out of sight

*SWAP* Throwing away unused veggies at the end of the week
#For# Swap some fresh veggies for frozen. They’re always fresh and available and mean less wastage

Exercise swaps

*SWAP* Meeting a friend for coffee
#For# Meet a friend for a walk around the park

*SWAP* Driving to work every day
#For# Walk or ride to work

*SWAP* Taking the lift
#For# Take the stairs

*SWAP* Doing the same exercise routine, day in, day out
#For# Do the interval training

*SWAP* Only doing cardio for ‘fat burning’
#For# Include weights, Yoga

*SWAP* Feeling like you’re alone
#For# Join a club or sign up for a new sport and meet a new bunch of people

*SWAP* Exercising only for weight-loss
#For# Pick a more positive outcome to train for such as an event like a fun run

*SWAP* Using the ‘too expensive’ excuse
#For# Watch out for cheap outdoor boot camp or gym trials on coupon websites

Attitude swaps

*SWAP* Thinking of all the things you aren’t allowed
#For# Think about all the yummy things you can do that are better for your body

*SWAP* Picking a large weight-loss goal, like ‘lose 20 kilos’
#For# Break it down into smaller chunks (5kg, for example), and reward yourself with something special when you reach each benchmark

*SWAP* Being unrealistic with the speed you should be losing weight
#For# Give yourself enough time (aim for about 500g-1kg per week)

*SWAP* Thinking you’ve failed if you’ve had one slip up
#For# Get back on the wagon — life is life and it happens and you Have just got to keep going!

*SWAP* Getting upset when you haven’t lost any weight on the scales
#For# Think about other things that you’ve achieved — you may be walking up the stairs more easily or your clothes may feel like they fit you better

*SWAP* Creeping back to old habits when your ‘deadline’ is up
#For#Set another date for a reason to continue to eat healthily, for example, a special occasion; once this date has past, set another

When someone starts out drinking, he or she feels relaxed, confident, happy, sociable… The pleasurable effects of alcohol are undeniable. It makes it easy to forget about the negative effects: slowed reflexes, reduced coordination, warped thinking, poor judgment, impaired memory, impaired motor functions, and plenty more impairments.

Over time, the body becomes damaged from drinking… more damaged than you probably know. In fact, alcohol can cause several types of cancer. Aside from bodily harm, alcohol use has been linked to depression, anxiety, societal withdrawal, violent behavior, an increase in unprotected sex, and increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, suicide, injury, domestic violence, and even drowning.

Let’s discover the truth about what alcohol does to the human body.

1. From the first Sip – When alcohol is consumed, around 33% of it gets absorbed immediately into the blood, through the stomach lining. The remaining alcohol is absorbed more slowly into the blood, through the small intestine. Once in the bloodstream, alcohol diffuses into almost every biological tissue in the body, because cell membranes are highly permeable. Right from the first sip, alcohol affects the body. Starting with the brain, what follows is an explanation of the effects alcohol has on various parts of the body.
2. Brain – The amount of damage alcohol causes to the brain is incomprehensible. Those little moments you don’t remember from the crazy night before – that’s temporary amnesia. Keep it up and you can develop Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS), a memory-impairing, vision-and-speech-affecting, seizure-causing disorder. You won’t be able to form new memories. You’ll mumble involuntarily. Your eyes will twitch constantly.
3. Liver – Your liver is where alcohol gets metabolized if and when you drink more than one drink per hour, on average. The liver turns alcohol into something called acetaldehyde, which is toxic and can cause cancer. Excessive drinking, especially with alcoholic hepatitis, can also lead to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis of the liver happens when liver cells become so damaged that they cannot regenerate. Once cirrhosis has occurred, if a person does not stop drinking, they will experience liver failure which is extremely fatal. Liver cancer is a common outcome of drinking with cirrhosis.
4. Stomach – Alcohol does two bad things to your stomach. One is that it makes the stomach produce more acid than usual, which can cause gastritis, and two is that alcohol creates irritation and inflammation in the stomach lining, which can lead to ulcers and bleeding of the stomach. If and when the stomach lining becomes torn, it can lead to anemia.
5. Breast – Alcohol consumption raises the risk of breast cancer. Research suggests that even so much as one drink a day may increase of person’s risk for breast cancer. Estrogen levels are raised when alcohol is consumed, and an increased estrogen level is a risk factor for developing breast cancer.
6. Pancreas – Excessive alcohol use is a common cause of pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas, and it is a major risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Heavy drinking also impairs the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin, which can lead to diabetes.
7. Heart – When alcohol is consumed, it raises blood pressure and blood lipids. This increases the risk of heart attack, hypertension, raised cholesterol, and stroke. Heavy drinking can be very hard on the heart. It causes cardiomyopathy, which is the stretching and drooping of the heart muscle. It causes myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, and it also causes arrhythmia, which is an irregular heartbeat.
8. Bones – Excessive drinking can accelerate the rate of bone deterioration and increase the risk of bone fracture and osteoporosis. Calcium is necessary from strong, dense bones and when alcohol is consumed it acts as a diuretic and flushes calcium from the bones making them weaker and more susceptible to fracture.
9. Central Nervous System – Alcohol affects the central nervous system, causing many short-term effects like slurred speech, blurred vision, weakened muscles, decreased reaction time, and impaired memory. When alcohol is consumed excessively, it can cause cell damage in the central nervous system, creating a condition known as neuropathy. Neuropathy causes alternating feelings of weakness, burning, pain, and numbness in the feet and hands.
10. Colon – Alcohol is not friendly to the body. While your mind may find its effects fun, your body does not. Hangovers are still not completely understood by science, which cannot be good. Blackouts are extremely common and are actually bouts of amnesia. Alcohol poisoning is rampant, and more than ten types of cancer can be caused by excessive drinking.

Celebrations and social situations that involve alcohol are well known to trigger nicotine cravings, making these potentially risky times for people trying to quit.

Tips and Tricks for Alcohol Smoking Triggers

While alcohol-related situations can be difficult to manage, put together some tricks to help you minimize the risks to your quit smoking attempt.

• Stop or decrease your alcohol intake. If possible, this is the best approach – even for a little while. At an event, you could switch to non-alcoholic drinks, or try alternating alcoholic with non-alcoholic ones.
  Imagine if you were trying to stay away from something else, like chocolate – you’d probably avoid having it in the house in the beginning, rather than keeping it in full view where you’re likely to be tempted by it. It’s the same principle with alcohol – so avoidance is best to start with.
• Get your smoker friends to help. If you know one or more of your smoking friends will be at an upcoming social event, ask them to agree not to give you a cigarette – even if a craving results in you asking for one! The trick is to arrange this before the event.
• Get your non-smoker friends to help. Prior to an event, If one of your non-smoking friends is attending too, ask them to keep an eye out for you to ensure you don’t give in to any cravings – you could even ask them to take a cigarette away from you if you succumb to temptation.
• Create a smoke-free zone at home. If you live with a smoker, make sure cigarettes aren’t easily accessible to you in the home (you might need to make an agreement with them).
• Use Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). NRT products can help reduce your cravings. But remember that drinking while using an oral NRT product will reduce the absorption rate and therefore the effectiveness – a good excuse to skip drinks!
• During the first few weeks of your quit journey, you may want to stay away from bars and social events that involve alcohol and smoking. Turn to your circle of supporters to help plan fun activities that don’t necessarily involve alcohol and smoking, such as a movie, a board game night, or a game of frisbee in the park.
• Try out some non-alcoholic beverages, such as juice or cold drinks. If you’re watching your calories, unsweetened iced tea and seltzer with a slice of lemon are good alternatives.
• If you’re at a party and others nearby are smoking, be prepared to excuse yourself to go to the bathroom, take a walk outside or find a private corner and reach out to a supporter on the Quitter’s Circle app.
• Have sugarless gum, toothpicks, hard candy or a lollipop available to cope with cravings.
• If you know you have an alcohol-related social event coming up, invite one of your supporters to join you and help you stick to your quit plan.

It’s important to be aware that these methods aren’t foolproof or realistic for everyone. However, they might give you some ideas for what might work for you when you’re trying to avoid smoking triggers.

Part I – Committing to Quit

1. Write down how alcohol and tobacco affect you. Having a written record of the negative effects of alcohol and tobacco will serve as a constant reminder of why you have chosen to quit. Keep it in a place you can reference it easily.

• Reflect on any decreased physical or mental health as a result of tobacco and alcohol. Have you gained weight or decreased fitness as a result of using? Do you become angry without alcohol, or anxious without tobacco?
• Many people choose to quit addictions because they feel sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, and engaging the addiction is more draining than the positive effects of the substance.
• Consider how tobacco and alcohol interfere with your relationships and social life.
• Think of financial costs alcohol and tobacco cost you.

2. Find your triggers. Use a notebook to record the times throughout the day you smoke or drink alcohol. Record what feelings or situations preceded using alcohol and tobacco. Avoid situations that may trigger you in the future.

• A trigger could be getting into an argument with your family or something not going well at work.
• Because alcohol and nicotine are highly correlated substances, one can trigger the other. For example, if you begin drinking, you may want to have a cigarette.

3. Set goals. Be clear on whether you want to stop altogether or slowly taper your use. While some     may want to quit for social or health reasons, others may want to quit due to medical reasons or because they have an addiction. Reflect on your reasons and then choose your goals. If you are an  alcoholic, it is best to cut alcohol out altogether and not taper it down.

• People who smoke have a much harder time quitting alcohol and also tend to relapse more than people who do not smoke.
• Set goals that include concurrently quitting both nicotine and alcohol together.
• Write down a date for each goal to solidify the commitment.

Part II – Preparing for change –  

1. Get rid of all addictive substances in the house. Throw away all the cigarettes and pour alcoholic drinks down the sink. Ask the other members of your household to support you in keeping your home free of alcohol and tobacco products, so that you can avoid temptation on a daily basis.
2. Trash anything that reminds you of smoking or drinking. Don’t hold onto your favorite lighter, your flask, or your shot glasses. A big lifestyle change like this is best maintained if you avoid seeing constant reminders of your old habits.
3. Avoid places where people smoke or drink. Being near places where smoking and drinking are encouraged can be dangerous when you are trying to quit. Avoid bars and other places where alcohol and tobacco are likely to be used. Sit in the nonsmoking sections of restaurants and choose non-smoking hotel rooms

4. Take a break from people who regularly drink/smoke. Surrounding yourself with people that engage in behaviors you are trying to avoid can be tempting. Explain to them that you are removing the substances from your life and will no longer engage in activities that revolve around drinking or smoking. Create distance from people who will not support you in your desire to be free from alcohol and tobacco.

5. Avoid high-risk situations. High-risk situations can include feeling lonely, tired, angry, and hungry. These situations can leave you feeling vulnerable and more prone to use alcohol or tobacco. Be aware of when you feel you may be approaching any of these situations and learn to prevent them from starting.

• Make sure you get enough sleep, eat throughout the day, and don’t isolate yourself socially to avoid these high-risk situations. If you feel anger coming on, remind yourself to relax and let it pass without depending on alcohol and cigarettes.  

Part III –  Coping with Cravings :  

1. Replace using alcohol and tobacco with more positive options. Remember that using alcohol and tobacco provides positive reinforcement because they help you cope with stress and tension. Try to pinpoint what positive aspects you experience as a result of using alcohol and tobacco, and brainstorm different outlets to obtain the same release. Coping can include relaxation and deep breathing, talking to a friend, or taking a walk.

2. Join an exercise program. Exercise often helps reduce withdrawal symptoms, and it gives you something to do when you get a craving. Exercise also helps reduce daily stress. Consider going for a bike ride, doing yoga, walking the dog, or jumping rope.

3. Enjoy a new hobby. Adding a new hobby can help you focus your energy positively and add a sense of meaning to your life.  Try something new that looks fun and interesting. New hobbies can include surfing, knitting, writing, or learning to play the guitar.

4. Distract yourself. If you get a craving or experience minor withdrawal, use distraction until the urge passes. Distract your mind and your body. If you get a craving, chew on gum, talk a walk, open a window, or begin a new activity.

5. Find ways to relax. Relaxation is key to recovery. Mounting tension can lead to relapse. If you don’t feel like you have time to relax, think about the time you spend engaging with alcohol and tobacco, and replace it with relaxation. Activities such as taking a walk, reading, and meditation can be effective ways to relax.

6. Allow yourself some other treats. Everyone needs some vices in life – just make them healthier ones overall. Indulge in a little ice-cream every now and then, or buy some fizzy drinks with lots of carbonation. While staying healthy is important, give yourself a little leeway so that you don’t feel denied all the indulgences that you used to enjoy.

7. Stay focused. The better you cope with cravings the lesser your chance of relapsing. People who quit smoking and drinking at the same time tend to experience less severe withdrawal and face lower relapse risk.

Part IV – Coping with Withdrawal :  

1. Observe withdrawal symptoms. When ceasing alcohol or tobacco, the body may experience withdrawal without continued use. Withdrawal symptoms from tobacco and alcohol can include anxiety, depression, fatigue, headache, nausea, shaking, stomach cramps, and elevated heart rate.

2. Monitor withdrawal. While tobacco withdrawal can be unpleasant on both body and emotions, alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous. The severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms varies by how much you drink, for how long, and your condition of health. Some symptoms can start within hours after drinking, peak within days, and improve within the week.

• Alcohol withdrawal can lead to symptoms that cause severe mental and neurological problems. This may include body tremors, agitation, restlessness, fear, hallucinations, and seizures. Seek medical attention if you experience these symptoms.
• If you are a long-term and heavy drinker, consider a medically supervised detox.

3. Seek medication intervention. While no prescription medication exists to concurrently treat alcohol and nicotine together, interventions exist to treat alcohol dependence and nicotine addiction.

• Prescription medication can be used to treat alcohol dependence, including the use of naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. These medications can help with withdrawal symptoms and relapse.
• Choose a method for nicotine withdrawal. While some people quit “cold turkey”, others choose to taper off nicotine exposure in order to reduce withdrawal symptoms. Many options are available for nicotine replacement such as gum, a patch, nasal sprays and prescription medications (such as bupropion) while your body adjusts to lower levels of nicotine.

Part V – Engaging in treatment : 

1. Find a therapist. It’s hard to beat addiction on your own, and a therapist can be a consistent source of accountability and support. Working with a therapist can include discussing emotional triggers, finding coping strategies, preventing relapse, and digging deeper to understand the emotional causes of addiction

• Staying consistent with therapy is important, especially for addressing relapse prevention.
• Addiction can coexist or contribute to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. Together with therapy, prescription medications may treat concurrent psychiatric disorders that contribute to addiction.

2. Obtain a medical evaluation.A medical evaluation can help pinpoint how cigarettes and alcohol have affected your body. Work with a medical professional to help improve your bodily health. They can also offer prescription medication to lower nicotine dependence.

• Both alcohol and nicotine can seriously harm your body. Be honest with your medical doctor and request tests to assess the health of your liver, heart, kidneys, and lungs.

3. Seek inpatient treatment.If you fear you cannot quit on your own, consider a recovery facility. An intensive treatment facility can help you address the physical and emotional challenges of addiction and quitting in a supervised and supportive setting. A program can help you decide how to detox and will monitor your physical and emotional state as you come down from alcohol and nicotine. Treatment programs include intense medical and psychological supervision.

• Treatment often includes intense individual and group therapy that targets mental health conditions. Medication may be prescribed to treat and monitor psychiatric disorders while in treatment.

Part VI – Seeking Support : 

1. Enlist the help of supportive friends and relatives.You’re more likely to stop drinking and smoking if you seek support from those around you. Ask them to support you by not drinking and smoking around you.

2. Find accountability.If you have other friends who are looking to quit drinking and smoking too, make a pact for healthier choices. Check-in with each other daily and hold each other accountable for your choices.

3. Find local support groups.Reach out to smoke-free groups, such as smoke-free Alcoholics Anonymous and other support groups, like Nicotine Anonymous. Talking about your efforts in a supportive environment with people who share similar experiences can make all the difference in your attempts to quit.

4. Live in a sober living community. If you are concerned about living with people who may trigger your alcohol or nicotine use, consider finding a sober house that bans alcohol and nicotine. All individuals living in a sober house agree to live sober and create an accountable community for each other.

1. You will feel the benefits straight away –

• Psychologically, removing those crutches may be hard to start with, but you won’t have to wait long to start feeling the health benefits of zero-tobacco and no (or much less) alcohol.
• After just eight hours of having your last cigarette, your nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in your blood will reduce by more than half. You’ll breathe more easily, and have more oxygen circulating in your system, which will leave you feeling more healthy and energetic too.
• And alcohol is a depressant, even if it gives you an artificial ‘high’ while you’re having a drink. So when you do cut down or go tee-total, you’ll get a sense of being on a more even keel. It’s also quite common to see that you’re sleeping better, or that you have lost a bit of weight too.  

2. You can start enjoying your food more –

• After two days of giving up smoke and alcohol, your body will be completely free of nicotine – and you’re unlikely to have that ‘hangover’ feeling, too.
• What’s more, while you may not notice it while you’re a smoker, the chemicals and toxins in nicotine products have a habit of dulling your sense of taste and smell. Stop smoking and you can start enjoying your food again!

3. Your Lung capacity will improve –

• If you manage to go without a cigarette for a couple of months, you’re bound to notice some more significant differences to your body. For a start, your lung capacity will improve – allowing you to take deeper breaths and making it easier to participate in exercise and strenuous activity.
• And after you get past any withdrawal symptoms, you’ll usually find it’s easier to deal with symptoms of stress. Subtle cravings can put you on edge for a couple of days, but when you focus on something positive – your improved health – those anxiety levels should disappear.

 4. You will cut your chances of life-threatening conditions –

• You’ll already know that smoking and drinking increases your chances of developing serious illnesses and conditions. Cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, pneumonia, and impotence – to name but six.
• But what you may not know is how quickly you can reduce your chances of developing these conditions – simply by giving up.
• If you completely give up smoking then your risk of heart disease is 50% lower just one year after quitting.
• And if you give up drinking, the risk of developing cancer reduces quickly.

 5. You will look better too! –

• Smokers tend to look much older than they are because of the effects toxins have on their complexion. So if you quit, your skin will thank you – as it will be able to absorb nutrients and oxygen much more effectively. Nicotine stains your fingers and teeth too, so your physical appearance should also benefit quite a lot when you pack in.
• As for alcohol, you probably already know that drinking can give you a ‘beer belly’. But you might not have realized quite how fattening it can be.
• If you’re a woman, two large glasses of wine equate to nearly a quarter of your recommended daily calorie intake (not to mention half of your recommended weekly limit for regular alcohol consumption).
• And if you’re a man, having just a couple of pints amounts to the same as swallowing a full tub of single cream. If you drink five pints of lager a week, that adds up to 44,200 calories over a year – the same as eating 221 doughnuts.

      6. Stopping Smoking improves fertility – Non-smokers women find it easier to get pregnant. Quitting smoking improves the lining of the womb and can make men’s sperm more potent. Becoming a non-smoker increases the possibility of conceiving through IVF and reduces the likelihood of having a miscarriage. Most importantly, it improves the chances of giving birth to a healthy baby.

7. A smoke-free home protects your loved ones – By stopping smoking, you’ll be protecting the health of your non-smoking friends and family, too. Breathing in secondhand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. In children, it doubles the risk of getting chest illnesses, including pneumonia, ear infections, wheezing, and asthma. They also have three times the risk of getting lung cancer in later life compared with children who live with non-smokers.

8. Stop smoking lets you breathe more easily –

• People breathe more easily and cough less when they give up smoking because their lung capacity improves by up to 10% within nine months.
• In your 20s and 30s, the effect of smoking on your lung capacity may not be noticeable until you go for a run, but lung capacity naturally diminishes with age.
• In later years, having maximum lung capacity can mean the difference between having an active, healthy old age and wheezing when you go for a walk or climb the stairs.

9. Stop smoking give you more energy –

• Within 2 to 12 weeks of stopping smoking, your blood circulation improves. This makes all physical activity, including walking and running, much easier.
• You will also give a boost to your immune system, making it easier to fight off colds and flu. The increase in oxygen in the body can also reduce tiredness and the likelihood of headaches.

Myth #1 – Drinking is a good way to relax and have fun at parties: Alcohol can make you say things you shouldn’t say and do things you wouldn’t normally do. Examples: get into fights, have unprotected sex, or risk your own or other lives with reckless, dangerous behavior.

Myth #2 –  Drinking makes me “cool”: Movies, TV, and music do not show the “uncool” part of drinking—puking, passing out, gaining weight, stumbling around, possible addiction, and damage to your own and others’ lives.

Myth #3 – Alcohol is less harmful than other drugs: Alcohol makes you more likely to get many deadly diseases and use other drugs. Many serious injuries, suicides, drowning, and murders involve alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol too quickly can cause alcohol poisoning, which can kill you.

Myth #4 –  A can of Beer will not have as much effect as a mixed drink or a shot of liquor: A can of beer, a glass of wine, a mixed drink, and a shot of liquor all have about the same amount of alcohol and will have about the same effect.Myth # A can of Beer will not have as much effect as a mixed drink or a shot of liquor : A can of beer, a glass of wine, a mixed drink, and a shot of liquor all have about the same amount of alcohol and will have about the same effect.

Myth #5  – Alcohol is not as dangerous as other drugs: Alcohol can be deadly. Drinking a quart of vodka in one sitting can kill you. Even one drink can affect your judgment and cause you to lose control. Auto crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers.

Myth #6 – Drinking makes your problem disappear: You may feel you have escaped your problems by drinking, but when you get sober, the problems are still there.

Myth #7 – Drinking makes uncomfortable feeling go away ( anger, shyness, frustration and loneliness ) : Alcohol may cover up uncomfortable feelings for a while, but they come back when you are sober again. Drinking isn’t always a reprieve from uncomfortable feelings. The fact is that alcohol just as often has the opposite effect and intensifies feelings with sometimes catastrophic results: sadness (poor choices, crying jags, suicide) or anger (domestic violence, rage).

Myth #8 – Ignore the fact that alcohol  is a harmful and addictive chemical substance : The alcohol industry wants alcohol to be present wherever and whenever possible. So its essentially about making sure people (consumers) focus on the portrayed and constructed gains from using alcohol (the + Side) instead of thinking about the losses that come from alcohol consumption (the – side). Chemically alcohol is a hard drug for the human body causing physical and mental dependence.

Myth #9  – Smoking is a choice: The first time, yes. After a few cigarettes, not so much. Nicotine addiction happens quickly. Breaking that addiction can be very hard.

Myth #10  –  Trying smoking once is no big deal: Just one breath of tobacco smoke can damage your body.

Myth # 11 –  Filters make cigarettes safer: Filters do not protect you. They make smoke particles smaller. That makes nicotine easier to absorb, which increases addiction.

Myth #12  –  After so much time it’s too late to quit, the damage is done: Your health improves as soon as you quit—no matter your age. The longer you smoke, the more harm happens to your body.

Myth # 13  –  Second-hand smoke may bother people, but it isn’t dangerous : People who breathe second-hand smoke inhale the same harmful chemicals that smokers do. Second-hand smoke causes cancer and other diseases—even in people who never smoked.

Myth # 14  – Smoking calms you down : Many people believe this, but they really feel better only because they are addicted to nicotine. As with other addictive drugs, you begin to feel jittery if the level of nicotine in your body drops. If you are not addicted, cigarettes actually make you feel nervous.

Myth #15   – Smoking helps you think clearly :  It may seem like you are thinking more clearly, but smoking has no effect on the reasoning process. Nicotine is the substance in tobacco that is highly addictive. It is both a stimulant and a sedative to the central nervous system. The initial nicotine “kick,” which stimulates the central nervous system and causes a sudden release of glucose, is followed by depression and fatigue, leading the smoker to seek more nicotine.

Myth #16 – Smoking is cool and sexy : Smoking stains your teeth, causes facial wrinkles, depletes energy, burns holes in clothes, causes bad breath, and a general bad aroma. Men who smoke and have high blood pressure are more likely to become impotent than non-smokers.

Myth #17 – I ‘ve smoked for years, won’t help to stop now:  Smoking can cut about 14 years off of the life span of both men and women. If you quit smoking at age 35 you will live about five to ten years longer and decrease the risk of developing cancer and heart disease.

Myth #18 – Smoking only a few cigarettes a day is okay : Smoking is never a safe thing to do. Every cigarette contains 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine and it reaches your brain in 8 to 10 seconds. There are many other damaging chemicals taken in with each inhale of a cigarette. Cigarette smoke contains 4,000 chemicals and poisons, 50 of which cause cancer. Each time you inhale you take in nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, cyanide, arsenic, formaldehyde, ammonia and benzene, just to name a few.

1. Coffee containing caffeine – can cause insomnia, nervousness, and restlessness, stomach upset, nausea and vomiting, increased heart and breathing rate, and other side effects. Consuming large amounts of coffee might also cause headaches, anxiety, agitation, ringing in the ears, and irregular heartbeats.
2. Increased Heart Rate – Both tea and coffee can increase heart rate and blood pressure. As heart rate increases, the flow of blood to the heart increases and the flow of blood to the brain decreases. This means that you might feel foggy and tired as you come down from a caffeine “high,” which can happen minutes to hours after drinking
3. Anxiety – Caffeine increases the production of adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormones. This can result in heightened senses but will also put you on edge, elevate your stress levels and might cause anxiety.
4. Elevated Blood Sugar – Caffeine can affect blood glucose. When you drink caffeine, your blood sugar spikes. As you come down from the “caffeine high,” your blood sugar plummets. These sudden changes in blood sugar can be dangerous for people with diabetes.
5. Increased Risk of Osteoporosis – Caffeine can increase the loss of calcium. When you consume lots of caffeine, your body has trouble absorbing the calcium you get from your diet. Instead, much of it is immediately lost in the urine. This can lead to weak bones and osteoporosis later on in life.
6.  Effects of Tea and Coffee on Pregnant Women – Extensive and authentic research works have revealed that the pregnant women should quit or, at least, minimize the use of coffee and tea, because they may also leave adverse effects on the health of their child. It has also been revealed that the use of tea among children causes a deficiency of blood and iron. Tea also disturbs the functioning of the liver and stomach.
7. Frequent Urination and Urgency – Increased urination is a common side effect of high caffeine intake due to the compound’s stimulatory effects on the bladder. You may have noticed that you need to urinate frequently when you drink more coffee or tea than usual. 

To sum up, the side effects of caffeine in tea and coffee are alarming for human health. Particularly, it is very hard to get rid of the addiction to this substance, as the abrupt discontinuation of its intake causes several inconveniences in the body. However, if you have resolved to bear the hardships with patience, just after a few days, your health will be normalized.

Tea – In India, even slogans like Roz chai piyo, Bahut din jiyo were invented by the vested interests to mislead common people to believe that tea gives strength and vitality. There are many people who are habituated to drink tea as 4-5 cups a day. Those guys are very badly hunted and their metabolism gets slower day by day.

1. Anti-thiamine action and thiamine inactivation. This means that tea blocks the action of Vitamin B1.
2. It contains fluorine at substantial levels and also fluor-aluminum complexes.
3. Inhibits absorption of iron, especially from cereals. High levels of Vitamin C minimize this action.
4. It has a diuretic action, which, as a consequence, upsets Na/K balance in favor of sodium.
5. There is some evidence of carcinogenic effects from tea tannins.
6. Tea tannins affect the heart and can cause heart-muscle lesions in rats.
7. Some statistical evidence links tea-drinking in expectant mothers with congenital abnormalities in their babies
8. Disruption of Sleep and Insomnia
9. Slows down the digestion process
10. Responsible for various kidney disorders
11. Unhealthy and dark skin texture
12. Malnutrition body
13. Tea also causes Premenstrual syndrome as people who usually drink 1- 4 cups of tea every day as likely to have Premenstrual syndrome than the non-tea drinkers.
14. Caffeine present in it can make a person addicted to tea.
15. Milk tea has more cholesterol and sugar than other varieties of tea like green tea or black tea.
16. Studies shows than it can lead to the prostate cab

Coffee – Coffee is injurious to health. It is a more stimulating beverage than tea, as it contains a greater amount of the active alkaloid principle, caffeine. Research studies have shown that coffee drinking has potential health hazards. Some people even experience a post-stimulation letdown that can make them as tired and lethargic as they were alert and energetic immediately after drinking.

1. Affects stomach secretions, including HCI – stomach acid.
2. Affects acid/base equilibrium in the body.
3. Upsets electrolyte balance, especially Na and K and upsets water balance – a definite diuretic.
4. Like tea, it has anti-thiamine action.
5. Increases atherosclerosis.
6. Affects behavior.
7. Gives rise to methyl nitrosourea that may be a cause of bladder tumors.
8. Adversely affects blood fatty acids and blood sugar control.
9. Some work suggests a link with teratomas, ie tumors of the unborn fetus.
10. Has been linked with duodenal ulcers.
11. It has a mutagenic action. ie causes abnormal germ cells – viz sperm and ova.
12. Inhibits iron absorption.
13. Produces nitrosamines, which are known, cancer-causing agents.
14. Statistically, high coffee consumption is correlated to the incidence of carcinoma of the pancreas.
15. De-mineralises the tissues.
16. Anxiety symptoms
17. Depleted calcium and iron levels among women
18. It increases blood sugar levels, making it harder for those with type 2 diabetes to manage their insulin.
19. Coffee is highly acidic and is irritating to the gastrointestinal tract.
20. Coffee can bring dyspepsia.
21. Coffee can stimulate the gall bladder to bring about gall bladder attacks.
22. Coffee can be Toxic.
23. Don’t drink more than one cup a day if you are pregnant.

1. Admit you’re addicted – This is obviously the most important step with any addiction.  If you don’t admit it and don’t recognize that you have an addiction then in your head you are not addicted.  It’s only when other people start to say things like ‘You drink a lot of coffee don’t you?’ or when your work colleagues start calling you ‘Mr coffee'( I wonder if that’s how ‘Mr. T’ got his name.) that you start thinking that you might be addicted.  When you recognize the addiction it’s time to start taking action.
2. Recognize the pattern of your addiction – Most coffee addicts have a routine.  For example the first thing they do is have a cup of coffee when they get up in the morning, then again after they have had a shower and put their clothes on and then again before they leave for work.  That’s three cups of coffee within the space of an hour or so and the pattern continues at work and when they get back home from work and before they go to bed.
3. Breaking the pattern – As I said before your aim is to control the habit rather than have the habit control you, so we are not going for giving up coffee we are looking to cut down and be in control. You can break the pattern by swapping coffee with water.  For example if you have 3 cups of coffee before leaving for work, replace your second cup of coffee with a glass of water.  This has two benefits; you are breaking the pattern of your coffee habit and you are re-hydrating your body (too much coffee can dehydrate you, this is why a lot of heavy coffee drinkers get headaches). 
4. Resisting the craving – When we have a habit of any kind we get cravings to indulge in our habit.  When you have a craving to have a cup of coffee during the day, resist it and do something else for 20 minutes.  Cravings usually disappear when we have our minds focused on something else, so if you can manage to resist a craving for coffee and busy yourself with something else for 20 minutes your craving will go away.  It might return again and you may have to busy yourself a few times throughout the day but your cravings will weaken as you mentally get stronger and are able to control the cravings. 
5. Tell those around you your intentions As with all habits that you are trying to break it’s good to let other people know about your intention to cut down.  This way other people can encourage you when you are feeling particularly weak.As I said at the beginning my aim was to help you with controlling your coffee addiction not to eradicate it. 
6. Try coffee-like alternatives. Caffeine-free herbal tea is a smart bet. Switch things up with tasty flavors, like cinnamon, black cherry berry, pomegranate, or peach blossom. Another option: Dandelion root coffee, which contains no caffeine and is made of dried, chopped, and roasted dandelion roots. These beverages all have the richness of coffee, without the caffeine.
7. Go for an espresso shot. These contain only about half the amount of caffeine as a cup of regular coffee. It will help you satisfy your craving, without overdoing it. And rather than grabbing a mocha Frappuccino at the coffee shop, indulge with a sugar-free hot chocolate, which has less caffeine.
8. Make healthy swaps. Heading for the soda machine every afternoon for a caffeine boost? Grab a berry-flavored seltzer or caffeine-free option like Sprite instead.
9. Drink lots of water. When you wake up in the morning, drink 8 ounces of water instead of coffee or a soda. It’s thought to counteract your desire for other, less healthy beverages.
10. Know your ingredients. Study the ingredients on foods and drinks and watch out for caffeine. Caffeine is added to many sodas and energy drinks.
11. Decrease caffeine consumption gradually. Plan your caffeine withdrawal in stages. “Caffeine is addictive. If you throw out one-third of your morning coffee today, wait three days and then throw out another bit so you are drinking half, you are off to a great start,” says Susan Roberts, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Tufts University. This reduction will help lessen caffeine withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, irritability, jitteriness, and nausea.
12. Water down drinks that contain caffeine. They will still have the taste you enjoy, but contain a lower amount of caffeine and carry less risk of caffeine withdrawal symptoms.
13. Try something new. Consider changing from coffee in the morning to tea. “Herbal teas are fine, but green tea is really healthy,” says Roberts.
14. Try decaf. Switch to decaf coffee, decaffeinated soda, or even better, water or fruit juices.
15. Don’t add to a caffeine habit. Ask yourself if you really need that extra cup in the late morning. If the answer is no, then skip it.
16. Try a tea shortcut. Brew tea for a shorter amount of time to reduce the amount of caffeine in it.
17. Instead of a large cup of coffee, next time order a small. “Starbucks medium and large both contain two shots of espresso, while a small has only one,” says Dr. Brodner. “Another caution: Even those sugary milkshake drinks [like frappucinos] contain caffeine.” Ask to have yours made with decaf.
18. Mix it up. Alternate one cup of coffee with one cup of herbal tea, or one can of soda with one can of caffeine-free soda or water. Check your pain reliever. Many over-the-counter medications, especially headache remedies and menstrual pain relievers, contain caffeine. If yours does, change to a different kind.

• Coffee boosts your physical performance – Have a cup of black coffee about an hour before workout and your performance can improve by 11-12%. Caffeine increases adrenaline levels in your blood. Adrenaline is your body’s “fight or flight” hormone which helps you to prepare for physical exertion.
• Coffee may help you lose weight – Coffee contains magnesium and potassium, which helps the human body use insulin, regulating blood sugar levels, and reducing your craving for sugary treats and snacks.
• Coffee helps you burn fat – Caffeine helps fat cells break down body fat and use it as fuel for training.
• Coffee helps you focus and stay alert – Moderate caffeine intake helps you focus, and improves your mental alertness.
• Coffee lowers the risk of death – Studies have shown that coffee drinker’s overall risk of premature death is 25% lower than those who don’t drink coffee.
• Coffee reduces the risk of cancers – One study has shown that coffee may decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer in men by 20 %, and endometrial cancer in women by 25 %. People in the test group drank four cups of coffee a day. Caffeine may also prevent developing of basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer
• Coffee reduces the risk of stroke – Reasonable consumption of coffee (2–4 cups a day) is associated with lower risk of stroke.
• Coffee reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease – Studies have shown that regular coffee drinking decreases the risk of Parkinson’s disease by 25 %. There’s evidence that coffee causes activity in the part of the brain affected by Parkinson’s.
• Coffee protects your body – Coffee contains a lot of antioxidants, that work as little warriors fighting and protecting against free radicals within your body.
• Coffee may lower the risk of Type II diabetes – Caffeine decreases your insulin sensitivity and impairs glucose tolerance, therefore reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Coffee brightens your mood, helps fight depression, and lowers the risk of suicide – Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and boosts the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, which elevate your mood. Two cups of coffee a day prevents the risk of suicide by 50 %.

How to ease the symptoms of withdrawal of coffee – 

Here are some easy tips to help you quit your habit.

• Most experts advise quitting caffeine gradually. Cut down from 3 cups a day, to 2 and then one
• Substitute your coffee for green tea, which still contains caffeine, but much less than coffee
• Cut out sodas, which are a source of caffeine, but are also filled with sugar
• Beat the slump caused by ridding your diet of caffeine by eating healthy meals, which will provide you with a steady stream of energy throughout the day. Aim for a balance of good fats, complex carbs, and protein
• Drink enough water to stay hydrated and avoid the headaches and constipation that are symptoms of withdrawal
• Lemon water is a good replacement for a morning cup of coffee.

Health Benefits after the withdrawal of Coffee – 

The pain of cutting down on coffee may be worth it once you start to experience the benefits.

• You ‘ll sleep better.
• You may become less anxious.
• You can say Goodbye to Headaches.
• Your Heartburn will stop.
• You ‘ll have pearly white teeth again.

How to ease the symptoms of withdrawal of Tea – 

Step 1: Reduce intake, day-by-day.

Step 2: Substitute your tea with other healthy and sugar-free drinks like green or black tea.

Step 3: Cut down on your daily sugar intake too. And rely upon eating fresh-cut fruits instead of processed ones or juices.

Step 4: Drink plenty of water. You are not supposed to dehydrate yourself. So in place of tea, you can drink warm water or mineral water, in your own, sip-by-sip style.

Step 5: Daily, in the morning, you need to drink lemon water. This will make you energetic and detoxification.

Health Benefits after the withdrawal of Tea – 

• Weight Loss.
• No Headaches.
• Hormonal balance.
• No more heartburn.
• Better sleep and lack of Anxiety.
• Shiny white teeth.

1. Lentil, Sweet potato and Pancetta Soup
2. Indian Spiced Cauliflower Soup
3. Turmeric, lentil and Lemon Soup
4. Vegetable and Dumpling short soup
5. Chilled Tomato Soup
6. Asian Chicken Soup
7. Broccoli and Lemon Soup with Quinoa
8. Bean soup with Kale and garlic Bread
9. Carrot and ginger soup with Corn bread
10. Roasted garlic and tomato Soup
11. Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with Chili Coriander Cream
12. Carrot and Orange Soup
13. Vegetable and barley Soup
14. Hot and Sour Noodle Soup
15. Autumn Tomato and vegetable Soup
16. Broccoli, Spinach and Potato Soup
17. Asian Style Chicken Soup
18. Mexican Bean and capsicum Soup
19. Hot and Sour Chicken Soup
20. Chunky Tomato, Celery and bean soup
21. Beetroot and Carrot Soup
22. Vegetarian Harira
23. Lentil and Tomato Soup
24. Bean and Vegetable Soup
25. Chicken and Mushroom Soup
26. Hot and Sour Prawn Soup

Bean 

This food is low in Saturated Fat and Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium, and a very good source of Protein, Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Copper and Manganese. There are 129 Calories in 1 cup of mixed bean soup, 1.48 g Fat, 21.63 g Carbs and 8.43 g proteins.

Broccoli

Broccoli  is a very good source of dietary fiber, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin E, manganese, phosphorus, choline, vitamin B1, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), potassium and copper. Broccoli is also a good source of vitamin B1, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, zinc, calcium, iron, niacin and selenium. Broccoli is  known for beneficial health effects, and is sometimes referred to as the “super veggies.”

Lentils

Lentils are an excellent source of molybdenum and folate. They are a very good source of dietary fiber, copper, phosphorus and manganese. Additionally they are a good source of iron, protein, vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, zinc, potassium and vitamin B6. Lentils are high in fiber, and complex carbohydrates, while low in fat and calories. Their high protein content makes lentils a perfect option for those looking to boost their protein intake. They are naturally gluten-free, making them a delicious staple in a gluten-free kitchen.

Sweet Potato – Calorie King

They’re uber healthy! Packed with vitamin A, skin protecting beta carotene, and a potassium punch (more than bananas, believe it or not!), they supply 35% Daily Value for vitamin C. There are 218 Calories in 1 cup of sweet potato soup, 6.46 g fats, 35.5 g Carbs and 5.62 g Proteins. They are high in Vitamin B6, high in Vitamin C, D and Potassium as well as Magnesium. Sweet Potatoes contain Iron and support a healthy immune system.

Carrots

Carrots are a staple ingredient in most vegetable soups. The orange veggies are rich in beta-carotene, a nutrient converted into vitamin A by the liver. This vitamin is essential for eye health, and eating carrots regularly can prevent dry eyes, cataracts, blindness and mascular degeneration. The lutein in carrots is also good for the eyes. The high levels of antioxidants in carrots can reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. A recent study determined that eating carrots and other orange and yellow foods protects the heart more than eating white, green, purple or red foods. Researchers found that carrots provide the greatest protection from heart disease thanks to their antioxidant and phytonutrient levels. One cup of carrots contains just 50 calories but yields 420 milligrams of vitamin A.

Tomatoes

A key ingredient in vegetable soup, tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants like manganese and vitamin C and are also a great source of many phytonutrients. These compounds protect cells from damage and are linked to cancer prevention. Making tomatoes a part of your regular diet lowers the risk of breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer. Tomatoes are also a good source of lycopene, a nutrient that lowers cholesterol and fat levels in the blood. The lycopene in tomatoes also reduces the risk of heart disease because it has anti-platelet properties that stop platelets from clumping and hardening the arteries. One cup of tomatoes has just 30 calories but contains 40 milligrams of vitamin C and 30 milligrams of vitamin A.

Celery

Celery, another common ingredient in vegetable soup, has many health benefits. The vegetable’s nutrients and vitamins can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, contribute to healthy joints, prevent cancer, boost the immune system, provide relief for migraines and regulate fluid balance in the body. One cup of celery has just 20 calories but contains 8 milligrams of vitamin A and 4 milligrams of vitamin C.

Onions

Onions are overall health boosters and make vegetable soup a super food. Eating onions improves oral health, prevents tooth decay, reduces the risk of developing colon cancer, boosts the immune system, improves cardiovascular health, helps control glucose levels and can provide relief for sinusitis and earaches. The vegetables are also a good source of antioxidants, potassium, calcium and magnesium, nutrients that are essential to good overall health. A 1/2-cup serving of onions contains 10 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin C.

Additional Benefits

A vegetable soup made with 1 cup each of tomatoes, celery and carrots and 1/2 cup of onions yields 53 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A and 60 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C. Include 1 cup of chicken stock to add an additional 6 grams of protein and 1 cup of chopped potatoes to add a large dose of vitamin K.

1. It can help you slim down – In one study, a group of volunteers reduced their total lunch calories by an average of 20 percent when they began the meal with low-calorie vegetable soup before eating pasta.
2. It can help you sneak in extra nutrients –A whole grains such as barley, brown rice and quinoa will give your soup a boost of fiber. In place of salt, try adding aromatic seasonings including curry, garlic, ginger, sage and thyme.
3. It feeds your soul – According to a study, students who viewed chicken soup as comfort food felt a greater sense of belonging after having eaten it than did those who didn’t eat soup,
4. It’s not just for winter – Don’t overlook chilled soup. Gazpacho, for example, is full of tomatoes, garlic, onions, cucumbers and peppers, and it’s healthful and tasty.
5. Vegetables are rich in nutrients and vitamins, so eating vegetable soups is considered to be a healthy diet.
6. Vegetable soups are useful in losing weight and maintaining proper health.
7. Vegetable soups make you feel full whole day because it stretches the stomach.
8. Vegetable soups are given to the person who is sick because these are light and very easy to digest.
9. These soups are full in iron, fiber and minerals.

Other Major Benefits are : –

• Promotes good sleep
• Smooth skin
• Helps in repairing and growing bones
• Helps digestion
• Increases mineral consumption
• Helps in liver detox
• Reduces inflammation
• Good for weight loss
• Maintains healthy nervous system
• Relief from anxiety and stress
• Vegetable Soup is an excellent nutritious meal choice; soup is actually proven to assist weight reduction.
• Vegetable Soup Fights with damage cells.
• Some people don’t eat every vegetable so soup is the best way to have all proteins and minerals of vegetables.
• Weight Loss Naturally.

 Soup is delicious – Soup can be a comfort food as it is delicious. It is easy to make. With only a few ingredients, one can make a bowl of hearty soup for a cold evening.

 Soup is good for the health – Perhaps the easiest way to add vegetables to your daily meals is to make and eat soup. You can make several bowls of soup filled with fruits and veggies each day and you’ll be filled. Eating vegetables is part of a healthy diet so veggie soups are highly recommended.

 Soup can help you lose weight – Soups are slimming. Of course, that is if you strictly follow a weight-loss plan and exercise more. A bowl of soup packs minimal calorie but is very nutritious.

 Soup makes you feel full – Soup fills you up because it stretches the stomach. You easily feel full so it’s ideal to eat soup at the beginning of every meal.

 Soup is affordable to make – Making soup won’t require a lot of money. Go the grocery or market; buy some vegetables and fruits, broth or water, and you can easily make a batch enough to feed the entire family. For a small cost, you can make a lot of people feel full and healthy.

 Soup can make you feel better – Ever wondered why chicken soup is always given to the sick? It is because soup is great for people who are sick. It is easily digested and is filled with health benefits.

“soup”er powers of your favorite hot meal –

1. It warms you up – A bowl of thick soup is certainly heartwarming. If you struggle to stay comfortable in cool weather, though, the trick to warm fingers and toes might lie in a bowl of soup. According to nutritionists, hot soup can increase your core body temperature to warm you from the inside out.

2. Cook it, and forget it – Unlike many entrées, a hearty soup is one of the few main courses that will allow you to toss its ingredients into an oven and walk away until dinnertime.

3. Satisfaction guaranteed – The high water content of soup means it can satisfy your appetite in a healthy and hydrating way. According to a study, people who are well hydrated with soups are more satisfied with their meals and less likely to consume unnecessary calories when they eat.

4. Soup improves veggie tolerance for youngsters – A study  found that toddlers who were given veggie- and herb-packed soups for seven weeks showed an improved tolerance for vegetables of all kinds when compared with toddlers who didn’t eat soup.

5. It reduces aches and pains – Chicken soup can’t exactly make an illness go away, but there’s a reason it’s known as a natural home remedy during cold and flu season.  Chicken soup works as an anti-inflammatory, and it can clear up mucus too. The result, of course, is the alleviation of nasty symptoms.

6. Vitamins and minerals don’t disappear – Unlike other methods for cooking, soups retain the vitamins and minerals of cooked vegetables because you don’t dispose of the water when you’re done. That vitamin-packed water just becomes part of the savory and delicious broth.

7. It’s hard to mess up – Do you struggle to pull off a palatable meal each evening? Soups are notoriously difficult meals to mess up. If you’re not pleased with your first attempt, just add more of something, and it’ll turn out fine.

8. Easily low fat and high fiber –  Unless you go for a cream-based soup, most soups are full of beans, lean meats and vegetables. All these ingredients are known for their low-fat and high-fiber composition, which makes soup a wonderfully healthy meal option.

9. Soup is a veggie vehicle – Since ratios and measurements aren’t a strict science for soup recipes, you can play around with adding vegetables to the meal. Purée squash and root vegetables into your soup for a creamier and heartier version without added fat or unnecessary calories.

10. Its aroma fills your home – Is there anything better than the aroma of savory herbs and veggies filling your home in ? Nope.

11. Simple to freeze and reheat –  As if you’re not yet convinced, soups transition well from the stove to the freezer and then to the microwave. Make a giant pot of soup one evening, and you can turn it into a tasty lunch for days to come.

They can be best summed up as vegetable soups. The twist with negative calorie diet soups is that they can act as meal replacements for people looking to lose weight fast. In other words, it is a meal plan. This diet presents a list of specific “negative calorie” vegetables that can be used to make the diet soup. It also includes fresh fruit that can be eaten as snacks throughout the day.

Although this diet has been modified by many, the general instructions are simple. For 7 days or more, you replace your usual meals with vegetable soup. You are not allowed to add meats and fish, but can season it with spices and herbs to improve taste.

Beware of the fact that this diet is based on vegetables that theoretically do well in helping individuals lose weight very fast.

According to most academics, dieticians and nutritionists, this diet pattern is quite wrong for anyone looking to lose weight in a healthy and lasting way because of the following reasons:

The first major flaw of the soup diet is its very essence. The cornerstone of proper nutrition is it having a variety of foods that provide a variety of beneficial nutrients that our body needs.

Another big deficiency is that of complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are important for maintaining blood glucose levels and to allow the proper functioning of various body organs.

The total absence of protein in at least 4 days out of 7 days of the diet induces the body to eliminate liquids and also ends up reducing your muscle mass which is undoubtedly a negative factor for weight loss.

Vitamin deficiency leads to serious bone problems. Vitamins are usually lost through cooking the soup.

All these deficiencies lead to the appearance of repeated and debilitating ailments such as headaches, recurrent urination and frequent bowel mobility, pain in the bones, joints and back.

Of all the weight loss diets, the soup diet is without a doubt one of the most unbalanced and to be avoided among the weight loss diets. However if someone will be able to have a strong will to use the soup diet for 15 days in a row in order to lose weight, then the person is definitely going to lose the extra weight they desired most but are going to face some nutritional deficiencies in the long run.

Nutritionists advise:

Breakfast should be eaten within two hours of waking

A healthy breakfast should provide calories in the range of 20-35% of your Guideline Daily Allowance (GDA).

Apart from providing us with energy, breakfast foods are good sources of important nutrients such as calcium, iron and B vitamins as well as protein and fiber. The body needs these essential nutrients and research shows that if these are missed at breakfast, they are less likely to be compensated for later in the day. Fruit and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals so try to include a portion of your daily five at breakfast, whether that be a banana or glass of fruit juice.

Cognitive Function – Breakfast also restores glucose levels, an essential carbohydrate that is needed for the brain to function. Many studies have shown how eating breakfast can improve memory and concentration levels and it can also make us happier as it can improve mood and lower stress levels. In studies amongst children, breakfast can improve attainment, behavior and has been linked to improved grades. Just like any other organ in the body, the brain needs energy to work at it’s best!

Energy Needs – People’s energy needs vary depending on activity levels and life stage but typically men require more energy than women. Growing children require a lot of energy, as an example boys aged 7-10 yrs should consume approx. 1970 kcals per day, and girls aged 7-10 yrs should consume approx. 1740 kcals. For adults, men require approx. 2500 kcals and women approx. 2000 kcals per day.

Long Term Health – Breakfast is an excellent occasion to eat together as a family when possible. Establishing good breakfast habits in childhood and maintaining them throughout adolescence may be an important factor in reducing the prevalence of breakfast skipping and developing good eating habits that last a lifetime.

1. Moong dal Cheela – This is one of the healthy options for low fat, healthy and nutritious breakfast. Moong dal (split green gram) is considered one of the healthiest dal and also ideal breakfast or snack for Diabetics.
2. Litti Chokha – Litti Chokha is one of the most nutritious breakfasts eaten and you can also make it very easily at home. Litti is the stuffed whole wheat ball and chokha is mashed vegetables.
3. Daliya – Daliya is a light and healthy dish which makes it an excellent breakfast choice. Just make sure to make daliya with whole grains and not refined grains.
4. Idli Sambhar- Idli are just steamed rice. But Idli alone won’t be nutritious but with sambhar it becomes a whole food since sambhar is made up of dal and lots of healthy vegetables. You can replace rice and make idli with oats or ragi for making it super healthy. If you do not have time to make the sambhar, just stock some gunpowder at home or some molaga podi and pair it with idli.
5. Dhokla – Dhokla is made with gram flour which is nothing but chickpeas flour. It is rich in fiber, iron, potassium, manganese, copper, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, folate, vitamin B-6 and thiamine. I know list of nutrients is very long!!!
6. Thepla – Methi Thepla not only contains whole wheat flour but also methi. Thepla is a staple gujrati snack. Just have it without ghee to make it low calorie breakfast meal.
7. Mix Veg. Paratha – Just use leftover vegetables or dal to make parathas for your breakfast and you are done with most of the nutrition quota for your day.
8. Upma – Just make sure to add lots of veggies upma to make it tastier and healthier! You can also replace rava with oats to make upma super healthy.
9. Continental – when you are looking for a lighter meal to start off the day. A cup of cappuccino, along with a croissant or pain au chocolat. It’s on the sweet side but not too sweet.
10. Dosa – It’s like a paper-thin sourdough pancake. There can be many types of fillings, but the most common type of dosa is masala dosa, which has curried potatoes inside. The surface of the dosa is very crisp, yet malleable enough to scoop up the potato filling.
11. Nut Butter, Banana and Chia seed toast – Try this super food twist on classic PB and toast with 1/2 a banana (sliced) and a sprinkle ofchia, which is packed with vitamins and minerals (like six times more calcium than milk!).
12. Berry and Yogurt smoothie – Here’s a simple and delicious smoothie for the morning rush. Blend frozen fruit (banana and berries work well) with Greek yogurt and a liquid of your choice (milk, juice,coconut water—whatever you like). Freeze overnight and thaw throughout the day to enjoy in the afternoon or blend up in the morning.
13. Savory oatmeal with an egg – Take oatmeal to a whole new level by making it savory. Prepare as usual with milk or water, but add a pinch of salt and pepper instead of any cinnamon or sugar. Then top with an over-easy or poached egg and sprinkle on a little cheese for an extra tasty kick.
14. Quinoa fruit salad – Spice up a plain old fruit cup with a scoop of quinoa. Toss the whole shebang around until the quinoa is evenly distributed. Add a dressing of honey, lime, and basil for a little extra body.
15. Tomato toast with Macadamia Ricotta – Here’s a healthier take on a classic breakfast sandwich: Take 2 slices of a hearty whole-grain bread, spread each slice with 1 tablespoon of homemade macadamia ricotta cheese, and sprinkle with shiso or basil, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Add 1-2 hearty slices of fresh heirloom tomatoes (blotted with paper towel to remove excess liquid) and enjoy.
16. Warm fruit bowl – This gluten-free bowl should hit the spot. Simply bake a berry blend in the oven, sprinkle with dark chocolate shavings, and add a cup of milk.
17. Zacchini Bread Oatmeal – Turn a classic baked loaf into oatmeal with this recipe. Adding shredded zucchini is a great way to fit in an extra serving of veggies. Throw on a handful of toasted walnuts for some added crunch.
18. Open-Face Breakfast Sandwich – Simply toss arugula with olive oil and lemon juice before frying eggs with a dash of salt and pepper. Place on top of whole-wheat toast layered with ricotta and a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Wrap in foil and enjoy whenever the craving hits!
19. Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie – Smoothies are a perfection-the-go snack any time of day. Blend frozen bananas, peanut butter, soy milk, Greek yogurt, honey, and a few ice cubes. Add a scoop of your favorite chocolate or vanilla protein for an extra protein boost.
20. Blueberry Almond and overnight Oats – This is the ultimate busy-bee breakfast. Combine oats, chia seeds, blueberries, vanilla, almond milk, and maple syrup in a sealed container the night before. In the morning, top with slivered almonds and half a sliced banana, and you’re ready for breakfast. If you’re in the mood for something warm, heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
21. Berry Breakfast Parfait – One of the easiest, healthiest, and tastiest breakfasts out there is a classic fruit and yogurt parfait. The best part? It can be made with any toppings you like. Try choosing fruits that are in season for the most flavorful options.
22. Banana Peanut Butter Chia Pudding – Try adding this super food twist to the classic. All you need is chia seeds, a banana, some PB, and milk to combine all of the ingredients in overnight. With the sprinkle of chia, which is packed with vitamins and minerals (like six times more calcium than milk!), this is a perfectly balanced breakfast.
23. Hakka Sevai – Instead of your regular noodles, take your sevai or vermicelli and make it the Hakka noodles way with less oil and more veggies. You can also add some urad dal and chana dal to the tadka to give it more of an Indian twist.
24. Porridge – Indians have always had their porridge or as they call it the kheer. Replace it with honey or jaggery instead of sugar. Alternatively, if you are fasting, use sabudana instead of rice.
25. Parathas – Have delicious stuffed parathas with curd and some chutney in the morning. Go easy on the butter or replace it with fresh, home-made white butter instead of the salted one.
26. Misal Pav – Contrary to popular belief, misal pav is extremely healthy as it has pulses. Just don’t add the oil and spice mix or add it in moderation. Namely, eat Usal pav. Also, replace the pav with Indian bhakri and you’re sorted!
27. Poha – You have many versions like the kande pohe or the aloo poha. Add peas and some roasted groundnuts to the mix and top it with grated coconut for a wholesome brunch!
28. Appam – These lacy soft hoppers also known as palappam are a popular Kerala breakfast served along with vegetable stew or Kadala Curry.
29. Pongal – Popular South Indian breakfast made with rice and yellow moong Lentils. There are many variations possible , at times grated coconut is also added. You could even add some chopped veggies to make a mix veg. pongal.
30. Pesarattu – These Moong dal dosas are a healthy and nutritious dosa variety. Vegan as well as gluten free. It’s a popular recipe from Andhra Pradesh. Two more variations are Urad dal dosa and mixed dal dosa.
31. Adai – Adai is a delicious protein rich pancake. Making Adai is very easy. Rice and Lentils are soaked and then ground to a slightly coarse batter. Also unlike Dosa you don’t need to ferment the batter.
32. Set Dosa – These are very soft, Light and Spongy These soft dosa are called as set dosa as they are served in a set of three dosa per serving. Serve set dosa with coconut Chutney, Veg. sagu, Potato sagu, Veg.Korma or Sambar.
33. Bread Poha – With almost no special ingredients, this quick recipe is a treat for those out of options. Pick up that boring loaf of bread and add some peanuts, chilli, peas and garnish with lemon for taste.
34. Uttapam – What look like thick pancakes, are a tasty South Indian delicacy prepared made with the batter ofrice, dhuli urad dal and fenugreek seeds.

1. Starting your morning with breakfast will boost your metabolism.
2. A morning meals helps keep your blood sugar level stable during the day.
3. Healthy and nutritious breakfast reduces risk for starving as well as cravings and overeating later in the day
4. Having breakfast helps feel fuller for longer and eat fewer calories throughout the day and that way control your weight.
5. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast consume more vitamins, minerals, and fiber throughout the day.
6. Eating a healthy breakfast helps improve your concentration and productivity throughout the day.
7. A morning meal helps energize your body, keeping you active and productive until lunch.
8. Eating breakfast can keep you from packing on the Kilograms.
9. Food is fuel for the body, so eating a nutritious breakfast means you will have energy to burn.
10. Studies have now shown that irregular breakfast consumption is associated with a higher risk of type 2 Diabetes in women.
11. Start the off right with a healthy breakfast, which has been associated with a lower incidence of heart disease in men aged 45 to 85.
12. Do yourself ( and  your waistline ) a favor and make a little extra time for a quick and healthy morning meal.
13. Eating breakfast means we start the day off on the right foot from a nutritional stand point. Eat one with a mix of healthy fats, proteins and complex carbohydrates.
14. People living in the blue zone – global locations known for good health and along lifespan – all eat the most calories at breakfast, the second most at lunch and the least at dinner.
15. Eating breakfast might help the body regulate blood glucose concentrations.
16. You can use a nourishing breakfast to ward off your hangover. A healthy breakfast rich in iron, folate, and other minerals and vitamins will help your body to compensate for the lost nutrients.

1. Breakfast cereals – Many people think breakfast cereals are a nutritious choice for children and adults. Cereal packages often include health claims, such as “contains whole grains.” In reality, these cereals are highly processed and contain only a small amount of whole grains. Breakfast cereals contain mostly refined (not whole) grains and sugar. In fact, sugar is usually the first or second item in the ingredients list. The higher on the list, the greater the quantity. A high sugar intake may raise the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other chronic health conditions.
2. Toast with Margarine – Toast topped with margarine may seem like a good breakfast choice, since it doesn’t contain saturated fat or sugar. However, this is actually an unhealthy breakfast for two reasons.First, because the flour in most bread is refined, it provides you with few nutrients and little fiber.  Because it is high in refined carbs and low in fiber, it can spike your blood sugar levels very fast. Second, most margarines contain trans fats, which are the most unhealthy type of fat you can eat. There’s a massive amount of evidence that trans fats are highly inflammatory and increase your risk of disease. 
3. Muffins – Despite a reputation for being healthy, most muffins are just small cakes in disguise. They’re made from refined flour,vegetable oils, eggs and sugar. The only healthy ingredient is the eggs. Sometimes muffins are topped with additional sugar, or filled with chocolate chips or dried fruit, further adding to their sugar and calorie content. All contents of muffins are unhealthy.
4. Fruit Juice – Fruit juice is one of the worst choices you can make if you’re trying to avoid hunger, weight gain and chronic disease. Some fruit juices on the market actually contain very little juice and are sweetened with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. High sugar levels increase your risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and other diseases.

   Drinking fruit juice causes your blood sugar to rise very quickly because there’s no fat or fiber to slow down absorption. The resulting spike in insulin and drop in blood sugar can make you feel tired, shaky and hungry.

5. Toaster Pastries – Toaster pastries are an undeniably quick and easy breakfast option. However, their ingredients are anything but healthy. In addition to being high in sugar and refined flour, toaster pastries only have a couple of grams of protein.
6. Scones with Jam and Cream – Scones topped with jam are truly more like dessert than a meal. They’re usually topped with cream and jam or jelly. The end result is a high-calorie, sugary breakfast with little fiber and protein. Easily digested carbs and a lack of fiber can drive hunger, leading to increased food intake and weight gain.
7. Granola Bars – Granola bars may sound like great breakfast options, but they’re often no better than candy bars. Further driving up their sugar content, granola bars sometimes contain chocolate chips or dried fruit.In fact, some of the most popular brands contain a combination of sugar, corn syrup and honey. Large amounts of these sugars can raise blood sugar, insulin levels and inflammation. They also lack protein and fiber.
8. Doughnut – With sugar, refined carbs, and deep-fried fat, doughnuts are another breakfast food to avoid. If you’re going to indulge, at least pair the doughnut with protein or fat, to help stabilize your blood sugar and avoid an energy crash. Try a handful of nuts, or a hard boiled egg.

1. People who skip breakfast have lower energy levels, as well as less strength and endurance to engage in physical activity.
2. You may have worst moods during the day.
3. Skipping breakfast influences you having poorer memory.
4. People are much more likely to become overweight and face a higher risk of serious health problems.
5. Researchers also claim that people who skip breakfast are more prone to infections – perhaps because white blood cells, which fight infection, need a morning boost.
6. Skipping breakfast is associated with decreased physical activity.
7. Skipping breakfast can make you overindulge in food during the day time. This in turn paves the way for increased prevalence of obesity, due to which It was found out that a person who is overweight or obese has an increased risk of developing cancer.
8. Skipping meals trigger a massive dip in sugar levels, in turn, triggering the release of hormones that could compensate for the low glucose levels. This, on the other hand, increases the blood pressure levels, triggering migraines and headaches.
9. One of the major side effects of skipping breakfast results in hair loss. Yes, a meal that contains dangerously low levels of protein could affect the levels of keratin, averting hair growth and triggering hair loss.
10. Skipping breakfast could worsen the hangover by bringing down the sugar levels, inviting headaches and nausea.
11. Skipping breakfast also results in the development of hypertension, leading to obstruction of arteries, as well as the development of increased risk of chronic cardiovascular conditions, including a stroke.
12. Skipping breakfast resulted in increased menstrual irregularities. The irregularities further included excessive bleeding and painful menses. Additionally, it also resulted in suffering from constipation.Skipping your breakfast in these conditions negatively affects the growth of the body.
13. Skipping breakfast can make you feel grumpy because you feel tired and lethargic.

Makes You Sweat – Turning up the heat on your plate often leaves you literally sweating. Capsaicin-containing spicy foods really do heat your body up, which is why you may find yourself getting a bit dewy as you down a meal at your favorite Indian place.

Worsens Your Heartburn – While spicy foods don’t actually cause heartburn or stomach ulcers, they can make both worse.  If you notice your reflux acting up, then cut back. If you’re prone to heartburn, temper the irritating effects with a side of yogurt or sour cream to take the edge off the spice.

Give You the Runs – One of the more inconvenient effects of spicy foods is the trouble it causes in your gut. Since spice acts as an irritant, it can get things moving as it hits your intestines. Capsaicin can act as a laxative for some people and cause a quick run to the bathroom.

Tones Down Your Taste Bud – Contrary to the flavor it adds in the short term, regularly eating spicy foods can dull your taste buds’ sensitivity over time. So beware of turning up the dial on spiciness just for the sake of pushing the envelope—if you plan on enjoying your favorite spicy dishes for years to come, less is more.

Irritates Your Skin – As anyone who’s ever accidentally touched their eye after popping a hot pepper into their mouth can tell you, those babies cause major burn. Since spice can be a serious skin irritant, apply some lip balm before eating to create a barrier for the delicate skin on your lips, and make sure to wash your hands immediately after handling the heat.

Turns You On – In addition to the rest of its health-boosting benefits, capsaicin has also been shown to act as an aphrodisiac for some. Things are about to get a whole lot spicier…

Fried Foods are high in Calories – Compared to other cooking methods, deep frying adds a lot of calories. For starters, fried foods are typically coated in batter or flour prior to frying. Furthermore, when foods are fried in oil, they lose water and absorb fat, which further increases their calorie content.

Generally speaking, fried foods are significantly higher in fat and calories than their non-fried counterparts. Fried foods contain more calories than their non-fried counterparts. Eating a lot of them can significantly increase your calorie intake.

Fried foods are typically high in trans fat – Trans Fat are formed when unsaturated fats undergo a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation  occurs when oils are heated to very high temperatures during cooking. Since fried foods are cooked in oil at extremely high temperatures, they are likely to contain trans fats.

In fact, trans fats are associated with an increased risk of many diseases, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity

Eating Fried Foods may Increase Your Risk of Disease – Several studies in adults have found in association between eating fried foods and the risk of chronic disease. Generally speaking, eating more fried foods is associated with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

Fried Food May Contain Harmful Acrylamide – Acrylamide is a toxic substance that can form in foods during high-temperature cooking, such as frying, roasting or baking. It is formed by a chemical reaction between sugars and an amino acid called asparagine.

Starchy foods like fried potato products and baked goods typically have higher concentrations of acrylamide. Animal studies suggest that dietary intakes of acrylamide may increase the risk of several types of cancer, but more studies in humans are needed to say for sure.

Unhealthy Oils – Cooking oils that contain a high amount of polyunsaturated fats are far less stable and known to form acrylamide when exposed to high heat. These includes but are not limited to : Soyabean Oil, Corn Oil, Sesame Oil, Sunflower Oil, Rice Bran Oil.

These oils are processed, and up to 4% of their fatty acid content is trans fats prior to frying. Unfortunately, they are commonly used by restaurants, as they tend to be cheaper. Not only should you avoid these oils for deep frying, you should try to avoid them altogether.

The Bottom Line – Consuming foods fried in unstable or unhealthy oils can have several negative health effects. In fact, eating them regularly can put you at a higher risk of developing diseases like diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

Therefore, it’s probably best to avoid or severely limit your intake of commercially fried foods. Fortunately, there are several other cooking methods and healthier fats you can use instead.

• The vegetable oil used in fried foods are generally contaminated with pesticides. They are depleted of minerals and vitamins. Foods fried in this oil will simply attack your body’s ability to fight diseases, thereby weakening your immunity to diseases in the long run.
• Most fried foods contain MSG (toxic salts) to enhance “dead food” flavor Oil, which is what fried foods are cooked in, is full of fat.  Fat is high in calories.  Eating a lot of calories tends to lead to being overweight- which leads to issues like diabetes and heart diseases.
• A Spanish study found that people who ate the most calories in fried food had a positive correlation with obesity.
• The nutritional value of fried food is poor. Proteins that are fried turn into acrolein a known carcinogen
• Heating vegetable oil above 300 degrees Fahrenheit damages the oil,causing toxin formation in the foods.
• Fried foods clog arteries and lead to strokes.
• Studies have shown that eating fried foods can be a contributor to Alzheimer’s.
• Fried foods lead to inflammation in the body which create problems with joints.
• Modified, processed and fried foods don’t break down in body properly; remaining in kidneys, liver, intestines, prostate and colon for extended periods of time as toxins.
• Fried food breading soaks up nearly every drop of the oil, so eating fried chicken and pan pizza is like drinking oil straight from the vat. This increases your low-density or “bad” cholesterol.
• All fats and oils have what’s called a “smoke point” – a temperature at which the chemical structure deteriorates and forms toxic compounds. This is when oils turn rancid; and eating foods fried in rancid oil causes increased oxidative stress on your body, leading to things like glucose intolerance, protein malfunction, hypertension and high cholesterol.
• The vegetable oil in which the fried food is cooked is obtained from genetically modified vegetables.
• Fried foods are deep fried and are high in saturated fat- which will definitely increase the risk of heart diseases and can cause strokes. 
• Most of the fried fast food contains calories.  They are usually processed and have chemical additives. To increase the shelf life of the food, they are injected with chemical additives and are uncovered of nutrients. So, fried food does no good to us and doesn’t increase our life span.
• It is found that most of the fried meat in restaurants are polluted or infected with growth hormones. Growth hormones are very famous in this field and are frequently used to increase the growth tempo of livestock. The people who ate fried meat are more vulnerable to certain cancer and infertility. Many people have developed these diseases according to research.
• When oil is reused over and over again as it often is in fast food chains, the oil continues to breakdown every time it is heated. It’s not only the oil that undergoes a harmful change. Other nutrients can be altered by the heating process. An example of this is carbohydrates, which, when heated to very high temperatures, can actually release a certain type of carcinogen. This is another reason to keep in mind that fast food chains are not the place to find nutrition.
• Some fried foods are sterilized with radiation or artificial chemicals. They generally use cheap sterilization methods. Because these methods are cheap, they are often unsafe for consumer’s well being.

1. Tomato Juice : The pulpy, tangy flavor and the red or orange-red hue make tomato a treat for palate as well as eyes. Loaded with lycopene, tomatoes are overflowing with antioxidative properties. The antioxidants are good for detoxification and cleansing. In addition, they keep you young and radiant; the antioxidants thwart cancer, especially testicular cancer in men, by scavenging the free radicals. Drink it on its own or blend it with other veggies for an enriched drink! However, do not overindulge, as excessive tomato intake is known to produce renal stones. When people drank a glass of vegetable juice daily, they got double the veggie servings of people who just tried eating more vegetables.

2. Carrot Juice : The bright orange colored veggie makes its way to the top of healthy vegetable juices. Crammed with beta-carotene, this juice is an efficient way to reap vitamin A. Naturally sweet, you can blend this vegetable with spinach, broccoli, wheatgrass etc to mask their unpleasant taste. The rich presence of beta-carotene is not only great for skin and brain but also prevents cancer, protects the arteries, fights infections, and boosts the immune system. Certain studies have shown that carrots can help eliminate putrefactive colon bacteria and intestinal parasites. Blend with apples for a energy boosting, nutrient rich drink!

     3. Spinach Juice : This leafy green veggie is the storehouse of vitamin A, vitamin K, folate,  magnesium, manganese, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B2, and vitamin B6. Plus, it also meets your protein requirements while bestowing you with the goodness of vitamin E, dietary fibers, copper, zinc, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids. No wonder, it is named the ‘king of green veggies’. All the above-mentioned nutrients play assorted essential roles to keep us healthy and glowing. There are countless benefits spinach has for your health, hair, and skin. But, there is a small restriction; the oxalic acid present in this leafy green could hamper with calcium absorption. So,  restrict your intake to a maximum of three times a week to thwart unnecessary complications. 

      4. Cabbage Juice : Cabbage juice is probably one of the best vegetable for juicing, especially if you have stomach problems. Having a glass of cabbage juice daily can greatly help with ulcers. It is a great detoxifier and a cancer fighter. This vegetable contains indoles that aid in maintaining  estrogen balance and metabolism regulation. Cabbage juice does not taste great alone; so just blend it with yummier ingredients like tomatoes, oranges, or carrots for a pleasant taste and added health benefits.

       5. Broccoli Juice : Broccoli, another vegetable from the cruciferous family, is well known for the presence of antioxidants and vitamin C in admirable levels. Consumption of raw broccoli few times a week can prevent lung, colon, and breast cancers. However, it is extremely difficult to consume it raw so broccoli juice is a great alternative to reap these benefits. You can combine it with tomato juice for a better taste. The chlorophyll in this vegetable is good for your insulin and blood sugar levels.

6. Sweet Potato Juice : Its exceptional richness in beta-carotene makes it an ideal juicing vegetable. Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamins C and B6, manganese, potassium, copper, and iron. The anti-inflammatory properties of this tuber make it beneficial for people with arthritis and other inflammatory disorders. 

7. Celery Juice : Celery juice is a great choice to flush out the excess uric acid from your body. Therefore, people with gout issues can incorporate this leafy green juice in their diet. Its high potassium content can lower blood pressure. Celery juice also helps in getting rid of the bloating, triggered by water retention. Its powerful diuretic properties along with the ease of flushing out toxins makes celery a must include in all detoxifying regimens. Do not forget to juice your celery as it tops to reap the benefits of potassium concentrates present there. This will also help in balancing the sodium in the stalks. This juice delivers apigenin, a compound that promotes the death of cancerous cells, according to research.

8. Parsley Juice : The high content of chlorophyll makes this juice great for your blood. This is another great choices for healthy vegetable juices It boosts your energy levels and possesses anti-parasitic properties. It is particularly beneficial in treating kidney and gallstones. It cleanses your liver and supports your heart. It might also help with arthritis. The best part is that this juice can deodorize your body as well as ward off garlic and onion scents. Since it is tasteless, you can easily add it to other juices, probably green ones, to boost their nutrient content. This juice delivers apigenin, a compound that promotes the death of cancerous cells, according to research.

     9. Dandelion Juice ; Since these greens are rich sources of chlorophyll, dandelion greens are  effective liver, kidney, pancreas, and bowels cleansers. This juice is a mild diuretic and has proven to offer remedy from diabetes, anemia, and hypoglycemia. This juice can actually unclog the clogged pores in people with acne, as they are natural cleansers. Plus, you could garner the goodness of  calcium, potassium, iron, and manganese also.

     10. Beetroot Juice : This crimson juice is a powerhouse of nutrition. Beets are rich in minerals such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, and phosphorus. These veggies also contain iron, copper, zinc, selenium, and manganese in traces. Consuming a glass of beetroot juice daily helps in lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow to the brain, and thwarting age related memory disorders such as dementia. Packed with antioxidants, the juice helps in flushing out the free radicals and thus, prevents the onset of cancer and tumors. It detoxifies your liver and kidneys as well as eliminates bad cholesterol. The folic acid in this juice is beneficial during pregnancy as it provides protection against birth defects.

11. Bitter gourd Juice : Even though we know greens are good for us, bitter gourd juice is not something most people would like to consume. However, the antioxidants present in it completely detoxify your body, improve digestion, increase metabolism, promote weight loss, and prevent accumulation of excess fat cells in the body.

  12. Wheat grass Juice : Wheat grass juice is one of the best options available for detoxification. It helps in weight loss as it contains a large amount of potassium, which helps to burn calories effectively. The fiber content also helps in curbing hunger pangs.

  13. Aloe Vera Juice : Aloe vera juice might not taste the best, but it gives an instant kick to your metabolism. Consuming it regularly will not only contribute to weight loss but also make your hair and skin healthy.

14. Lemon Juice : If you intend to lose weight by consuming juices, make sure you have lemons in your refrigerator. Drinking lemon juice on an empty stomach in the morning helps your body to cleanse and detoxify, thus speeding up the weight loss process.

15. Cucumber Juice : This drink is amazing for your skin. All the ingredients are rich in various  micro nutrients that cleanse your system, help you lose weight, and strengthen your immune system.

Juice #1

If you’re looking to start adding green juice to your diet, this is a great place to start. Cucumbers and celery are both packed with water, making them excellent candidates for juicing. And green apple adds tons of sweetness and fruity flavor to the juice. This juice is super refreshing and hydrating—perfect for summer!

Green Goddess  – Cucumber, Apple, Celery

• 3 stalks of celery
• 1/2 large cucumber, cut into quarters
• 1 medium green apple, cut into eighths
• 1 medium pear, cut into eighths
• Drink immediately or Chill for an hour and then enjoy

Juice #2

Like the spicy kick of ginger? Well then this recipe is for you. The sweetness of carrots and apples are a great balance to the heat of ginger.

Ginger Zinger – Carrot, Lemon, Ginger

• 2 medium apples, cut into eighths
• 5 carrots (no need to peel)
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger
• 1/4 lemon (remove peel to avoid bitterness)

Juice #3

Get your nutrients from dark, leafy greens all while drinking juice that tastes like the tropics!

Tropi-Kale – Banana, Pineapple, Kale

• 1/4 of a fresh pineapple, skin and core removed, and cut into 1″ strips
• 4 kale leaves
• 1 ripe banana, peeled

Juice #4

The earthiness of beets is balanced out by sweet and fruity berries in this brightly purple juice. If regular purple beets are a bit too strong of a flavor for your tastes, try golden beets, which are sweeter and more mild in flavor.

AntiOxidant Blast – Beet, Strawberry, Blueberry

• 2 medium beets, cut into quarters and the greens
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup halved, hulled strawberries

Juice #5

Enjoy a power boost to your immune system with the germ-fighting combo of lemon, orange, and ginger.

Immune Booster – Orange, Lemon, Ginger

• 2 oranges, quartered (remove peel for less bitterness)
• 1/4 lemon (remove peel for less bitterness)
• 1 medium apple, cut into eighths
• 1/2″ fresh ginger

Juice #6

This juice combines two different types of apples to create a fun and healthy twist on traditionally apple juice.

Not-so-Sour Apple – Tart apple, Kale

• 2 tart apples, cut into eights
• 5 kale leaves

Juice #7

Start your day off right with this fruity juice packed fruits and veggies!

Kale Kickstart – Kale, Orange, Banana, Strawberry

• 1 orange, quartered (remove the peel for less bitterness)
• 1 cup halved and hulled strawberries
• 2 kale leaves
• 3 carrots
• 1 ripe banana

Juice #8

Bright and fruity, this juice shows off how awesome melons are in fruit and vegetable juices. For a fun, refreshing twist, add in a leaf or two of fresh mint.

Cucumber Cooler – Cucumber, cantaloupe, Celery

• 1/4 ripe cantaloupe, seeds removed, cut into chunks (no need to peel)
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/2 cucumber, cut into slices
• 1/4 lemon (remove peel to reduce bitterness)

Juice #9

Edgy Veggie 

This nutritious drink will help boost your body’s immunity, support the digestive system, lower bad cholesterol, and also fight cancer

• 1 washed and unpeeled beetroot
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 medium sized carrot
• 5 broccoli florets
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• A few mint leaves
• A pinch of salt

Directions

1. Roughly chop all the veggies and throw them in the blender.
2. Add the finely chopped mint leaves and a pinch of salt.
3. Finally, add the lime juice and stir well before drinking.

Juice #10

Twitter Bitter 

Needless to say, if you are diabetic, you should drink this elixir. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, this drink helps in healing wounds, burns, ulcers, and in preventing cancer, acne, liver disease, etc.

• 1 bitter gourd
• 1-inch aloe vera leaf
• 1-inch cucumber
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Wash the bitter gourd, cut it into two halves, and remove the seeds.
2. Slit open the aloe vera leaf and remove the gel.
3. Chop the bitter gourd and cucumber into small cubes.
4. Blend the bitter gourd, cucumber, and aloe vera.
5. Add a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper. Stir well and drink.

Tip: Do not add salt. Do not squeeze the bitter gourd after chopping it as you will lose 80% of the goodness of the bitter gourd. If it’s too bitter for you, try to drink it just once a week.

Juice #11

Celery Garlic Drop-A-Size Drink

Rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, this drink aids digestion and weight loss and protects you from cancer.

• 1 celery stalk
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Chop the celery stalk and the bell pepper and throw them in the blender.
2. Add the crushed garlic and fennel seeds and give it a spin.
3. Finally, add a pinch each of salt and black pepper. Stir well and drink.

Juice #12

Tomato and Cucumber Juice

This juice is a popular fat burning formula that also increases fiber in your diet.

• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/2 cup chopped tomato
• 1/4 lemon juice
• A pinch of salt

Directions

1. Toss the chopped cucumber and tomato into the blender and give it a spin.
2. Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Stir well.

Juice #13

Watercress and Carrot Juice

Watercress is rich in antioxidants and dietary fiber. Drinking it will fill you up and improve bowel movement. Drink this juice in the morning for best results.

• 1/2 cup watercress
• 2 cup chopped carrots
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Toss the watercress and chopped carrots into the blender. Give it a spin.
2. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir well.

Juice #14

Celery and Beet juice –

Celery is another vegetable that is rich in dietary fiber, while beets offer many health benefits. This juice is rich in antioxidants and helps detoxify the body.

• 2 celery stalks
• 1/2 cup chopped beetroot
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
• A pinch of salt

Directions

1. Chop the celery stalks and throw into the blender.
   2. Toss the chopped beetroot into the blender and give it a spin.
   3. Pour the juice into a glass and add a pinch of salt.
   4. Stir well and garnish with coriander leaves.

Juice #15

Honeydew melon and Cucumber Crush

Honeydew melon and cucumber are a good source of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients that will flush our the toxins and keep you hydrated.

• 1 cup honeydew melon
• 1/2 cup cucumber
• 1/4 cup ice water
• A handful of mint leaves
• A pinch of black salt

Directions

1. Toss the honeydew melon, cucumber, ice water, and mint leaves into a blender and give it a spin.
2. Pour the juice into a glass.
3. Add a pinch of black salt and stir well.

Juice #16

Leek and Broccoli

Leek is a low-calorie vegetable that has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Broccoli has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties and supports your digestive system

• 1/2 cup chopped leek
• 1 cup broccoli
• A pinch of black pepper
• A pinch of salt
• A dash of lime juice

Directions

1. Blend the leek and broccoli.
2. Strain the juice into a glass.
3. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Add the lime juice and stir well.

Juice #17

La Tomatina

Rich in beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, this drink is a toast to good health. The ingredients will boost your immunity, protect you from diseases such as cancer, indigestion, obesity, and heart disease, and also make your skin glow.

• 2 chopped tomatoes
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 cup chopped watercress
• A handful of coriander leaves
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of pepper

Directions

1. Toss the tomatoes, watercress, and coriander leaves into a blender and give it a spin.
2. Add a dash of lime juice and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
3. Stir well before drinking.

Juice #18

Deep in Purple

Rich in minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, this drink is a one-stop solution for many health problems such as obesity, cancer, heart disease, bacterial infection, indigestion, and low blood pressure. It also helps in reducing stress.

• 1 washed and peeled beetroot
• 1/2 cucumber
• 3-4 cranberries
• 1/2 tomato
• A handful of coriander leaves
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Cut the cucumber, beetroot, and tomato into small cubes and throw them in the blender.
2. Add the cranberries, a pinch of salt, and cayenne pepper. Spin it.
3. Add roughly chopped coriander leaves before drinking.

Veggie juice is the easiest, tastiest route to alkalize your system and maintain the necessary pH balance that translates to optimal health.

Blend these juices today, and start your journey from fat to fit.

Juicing all types of fruits and vegetables turns them into super foods that are easily and optimally absorbed by the body. We recommend always including some type of green in your juice. You’ll be surprised at the flavor, and the health benefits are tremendous.

Vegetable juices are very easy to digest since the juicing process removes the fiber and cellulose, making things much easier on your digestive system.  vegetables are naturally low in sugar. You can drink numerous glasses of vegetable juice per day – getting all the various nutritional benefits they bestow – and not worry about overdoing it on sugar.

Nutrient-Rich Juice

Juice extracted from raw veggies retains the plant’s beneficial vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. In fact, 1 cup of carrot juice contains most of the same nutrients as you’ll get from eating 5 cups of chopped carrots, according to the Stanford Medicine Cancer Institute. Vegetable juices are naturally low in calories and fat, yet they’re important sources of nutrients such as potassium, folate and vitamins A and C. In addition to maintaining normal metabolism and energy, these nutrients help lower blood pressure and may reduce your risk of heart disease.

Lycopene

Vegetable juice serves as an excellent source of lycopene, a nutrient that helps give the juice its red hue. As an antioxidant, lycopene protects your tissues from oxidation — a process that would otherwise damage your lipids and proteins, as well as lead to genetic mutations. A diet rich in lycopene lowers your risk of some chronic diseases, including stroke and prostate cancer.

Sodium 

Despite its nutritional benefits, you should consume vegetable juice in moderation because it’s also high in sodium. A 1-cup serving of regular vegetable juice contains 479 milligrams of sodium, just shy of one-third of your daily limit, set by the Institute of Medicine. If you drink vegetable juice as part of a high-sodium diet, you increase your risk of heart attack, kidney damage and stroke. When you drink vegetable juice, look for lower-sodium options.

Vitamin A and C

Drinking vegetable juice also increases your vitamin intake and provides considerable amounts of vitamins A and C. Both vitamins promote healthy immune function and keep your skin healthy. Vitamin A also regulates gene activity, allows for healthy vision and promotes new cell growth, while vitamin C protects your tissues from oxidation and prevents cell damage.

Lack of Fiber

When you put vegetables through an extractor, the machine separates the juice from the pulp, allowing the juice to flow out through a strainer that removes the pulp, which means your juice doesn’t contain the vegetable’s natural fiber. Fiber is an essential part of your daily diet because it keeps your bowels regular, lowers cholesterol and stabilizes blood sugar. You can add ground flax or chia seeds to the juice for fiber. You could also recycle the extracted fiber, adding some back to the juice or using it in sauces, soups and meatloaf.

Safety Concerns

Fresh vegetables easily become contaminated with bacteria present in the soil or water. You can reduce the risk of contaminants making it into your homemade juice by choosing the freshest vegetables and refrigerating them as soon as you get home. Rinse vegetables under water, using a brush to remove dirt, and cut away the skin and bruised parts before juicing the vegetables. Homemade vegetable juice spoils quickly because it’s not pasteurized. If possible, juice only the amount you will consume right away or immediately store leftover juice in the refrigerator.

Juices Give Your Digestive System a Rest

The benefits derived from drinking natural juices depend, in part, on the type of equipment used to make the juice. Centrifugal-force juicers — the traditional kind sold in many stores — remove virtually all of the fiber from the raw foods. Fiber is an important nutrient for digestive health that many Americans already consume too little of. However, this type of juicing may have health benefits for people with impaired digestion. Drinking juices made with traditional juicers gives your GI system a timeout while still providing all the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients of fresh produce, says Dr. Sears Wellness Institute.

Blended Juices Deliver Fiber

Fresh juice made using a high-speed blender retains most of the fiber of its raw-food ingredients. Because of the fiber content, blended juices provide a slow release of nutrients into your bloodstream and can help you feel full longer. This may assist with your weight-loss efforts, reducing the number of calories you eat overall. It can also help you manage your blood sugar levels, preventing spikes and crashes that can affect your mood and energy.

Juice Ups Produce Intake

Increasing your vegetable and fruit consumption can reduce your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer. Juicing helps you consume more vegetables and fruits in a convenient, drinkable form. This boosts your intake of micronutrients and phytonutrients, helping to strengthen your immune system and ward off chronic illness.

Considerations About Natural Juices

If you decide to add natural juices to your regimen, drink the fresh juices directly after they are made for the best health benefits. Natural juices are subject to both bacterial growth and rapid nutrient loss. In addition, fresh juices made primarily from fruit are high in sugar and calories and may defeat your health goals. Juicing too much of certain vegetables, like oxalate-rich leafy greens, can impair kidney health. Eat fresh raw and cooked produce in addition to juicing — your body absorbs some nutrients, like the beta carotene in carrots, better when the veggies are cooked and not raw.

These assorted vegetables offer varied benefits when consumed together. But one of the most effective ways to let your body absorb the optimum goodness of veggies is by extracting the juice and drinking it on a regular basis. Well,  it is time for you to learn the top health benefits of vegetable juices.

• Better nutrient absorption – Drinking vegetable juice ensures the body to absorb all the nutrients that it needs.  When you are eating the vegetables, the body takes time to separate the nutrients from the fiber and then absorb those nutrients to utilize it for various functions. Hence, drinking fresh vegetable juice will ensure that your body gets an easy access to all those nutrients.
• Hydrate the body – The body remains hydrated because you have your dose of vegetables in the liquid form. Hence, be it a cup or cups of vegetable juice that you drink obviously features in the measure of water you must drink daily!
• Improves Heart health – There is a notable amount of potassium in many different juices, which can help to lower your blood pressure and relieve strain on the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, there are high quantities of iron and vitamin C, which can stimulate proper circulation and improve the amount of collagen in the body, respectively, helping to lower your risk of damaged blood vessels or arteries.
• Improves brain function – This can help to improve memory,concentration and basic function, as well as slow down or even stop neurodegenerative diseases.
• Increases nutrient intake – Some of the minerals and antioxidants in vegetable juice can cleanse the colon and re-balance the bacteria in your gut. Other nutrients are able to increase the bio-availability of certain minerals and vitamins, which can then be absorbed by the body, making your mealtimes more efficient!
• Skin Care – Drinking vegetable juice regularly can improve the appearance of wrinkles, blemishes, scars and age spots, while also providing relief from a number of inflammatory conditions or infections, such as psoriasis,eczema, and rosacea.
• Lowers risk if chronic diseases – Regular consumption of vegetable juice can lower your risk of many other chronic diseases as well, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even some autoimmune diseases.
• Natural goodness – You can treat your body with natural vitamins? The vegetables you juice are brimming not only with vitamins, but also with minerals and most importantly, chlorophyll! A real health drink, isn’t it!
• Raw vegetable juice is therapeutic – The body absorbs a nutrient-dense beverage instantly with very little effort. Vegetable juice also has a soothing and healing effect on the digestive system. A healthy digestive tract is crucial when it comes to the absorption of vital nutrients present in the vegetables.
• The high levels of fiber in vegetable and fruit juices allow effective and efficient weight loss – Fiber controls your appetite and keeps you full for longer, thus preventing binge eating.
• Vegetable and fruit juices supercharge the immune system with their concentration of phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These nutrients protect the body from diseases and the effects of pollution.
• Vegetable and fruit juices also increase the energy levels in the body. They balance the pH levels in the body and keep it energized.
• Vegetable juice contains no saturated fats or sodium, making it very beneficial for controlling cholesterol. People who drink vegetable juice thrice a day are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
• Additionally, people who drink fruit or vegetable juices are less likely to eat processed and junk food.
• Beauty benefits of drinking vegetable juice – Juicing vegetables can be effective for your beauty needs as well. Here are the beauty benefits of drinking vegetable juice:
• 1. Promotes hair growth.
• 2. Combats hair loss
• 3. Keeps acne and pimples at bay
• 4. Skin starts glowing
• 5. Treats and prevents wrinkles

Juicing allows you to try every kind of vegetable you might have previously shied away from. Even if you’re wary about trying out new tastes, you can easily integrate just a few, new exotic veggies with your tried-and-tested favorites to easily create new recipes you just might fall in love with.

To summarize, fruit and vegetable juices are a proven solution for weight loss. You can see visible results in just a week without hitting the gym. The flip side of it is that only juices will not support your body.

You’ve all heard of the positive attributes of juicing, but what about the negatives?…

Effect #1 – Overall Weight Gain : Like most diets or fads it will be hard to keep any weight lost off after the diet when you make the transition of from drastically lowering your calories to consuming additional calories again.

When you start to consume more you will put weight back on and possibly more – living on such low calories is not sustainable. Even if you were to follow the plan for a long time this could result in metabolic damage as your body will become used to surviving on little calories and weight loss will stall.

Effect #2 – Weakened Immune System : Most juices contain no source of protein and very little fat, yet we need protein to sustain and create new muscle tissue and help keep our immune systems healthy. The body will eventually start to break down muscle tissue if we starve it of protein for too long.

A lack of fat in your diet could also result in poor condition of your skin and hair. If you do juice, try adding a handful of nuts and half – to a full avocado to your juices as a source of plant protein and healthy fats.

Effect #3 – Poor Digestive System : Juicing fruits and vegetables often removes the fiber, a big claim of many juice diets is that by doing this it helps the body because it gives the digestive system a break, this is false as fiber is extremely important in keeping our digestive systems healthy and working correctly.

If you don’t consume enough fiber you may experience stomach upset, bloating, gas and constipation. The fiber that is removed through juicing also helps you to feel satisfied after eating.

Effect #4 – Headache, Dizziness, Moods : Juice cleanses or diets often result in weight loss but this is because it drastically lowers your daily calories, with most diets being under 1000 calories. This could lead to dizziness, feeling nauseous, headaches, fatigue, moodiness and changes in bowel function.

Effect #5 – Affect Blood Sugar levels : Because of the lack of fiber in some juice’s, the body absorbs more fructose sugar readily – this can affect your blood sugar levels, something which diabetics should be wary of.  Symptoms of this include an increased thirst, tiredness and a dry mouth.

Juicing should not be a substitute for eating real food, eating frequently can stable your blood sugar levels. If you are anaemic it is especially important that you get enough iron in your diet, juices often lack this vitamin so you could worsen your condition, making you feel more lethargic and pale in color.

Effect #6 – Affect Your Long Term Eating Patterns : Living off juice alone can leave you with nutritional gaps, you are unable to get all of your vitamins and minerals from juice alone and lacking in essential nutrients can make you more vulnerable to infections and sickness.

Juice is also not as satisfying as a whole meal, you’re more likely to want to snack and this could lead to binge eating. These kind of diets can reinforce the notion that food is the enemy, we need to promote a healthy lifestyle that involves fruits and vegetables along with whole foods.

Effect #7 – Lack of Fiber : When you juice vegetables, you’ll mostly throw away the fiber from these drinks. This can cause constipation because of the lack of fiber in your diet. It might be best to try smoothies instead of juicing if lack of fiber in your diet is a concern.

Effect #8 – Less Calories Intake : The natural sugars in fruits will cause a sudden energy boost once they are consumed, but you will soon after experience a major crash in energy levels that may leave you wondering whether the juicing process is a positive one.​

While your body is being fed less and less calories, it will begin to draw from the proteins that are stored in your muscles.​ This causes a serious drop in muscle mass, which leads to physical weakness and fatigue.​

Effect #9 – Say NO to Only Juice : People who are also on restrictive-diets should NEVER go on a juicing diet without supervision from their health providers. A person who is on a low-potassium diet can suddenly have an increased potassium intake from consuming certain vegetables like the cruciferous vegetables which are rich in protein. ​

This warning is also for those who have thyroid hormone problems. Certain vegetables have to be avoided for people with hypothyroidism as it can affect the hormonal imbalance on their bodies.​

Effect #10 – Vary the vegetables : You will miss out on essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins if you are on a long juice cleanse. Plus too many green juices using vegetables like kale can have an adverse affect on our body.

Effect #11 – Side effects of Carrot juice : Carrot juice should be avoided by people having Diabetes. It has a mild laxative effect, so it should not be consumed if you have diarrhea.

Effect #12 – Clean Your Juicer : It is wise to thoroughly clean your juicer every time you use it. The vegetable residue left behind after producing a glass of juice is even more vulnerable to bacteria than whole organic veggies. This is because the juice is prone to decomposition in it’s ravaged state.

Clean your juicer every single day without compromise. If you use it more than once, then clean it after every use. Do not allow the juicer to remain filthy for any length of time.

Most of the negative hype surrounding juicing is purely false, while some juicing myths do contain some science, they often distort the important facts to make juicing sound evil and life ending.

Myth #1 – A juice cleanse helps in weight loss :  Weight loss occurs if you consume fewer calories than you burn. Hence, if you consume 1200-1400 calories of juice each day as part of a juice cleanse, and your recommended calorie intake is 1700 calories, you are likely to lose weight because of the calorie deficit. But a juice cleanse is akin to a crash diet and any weight loss it causes will be in the short term only. Once you resume your normal diet, you will probably put on any kilos you have lost.

Additionally, a juice diet will be nutritionally unbalanced, since you will not be getting the recommended quantities of fiber, protein and other nutrients. This is likely to cause a loss of muscle mass and food cravings, as well as other health problems such as high blood sugar. Hence, it’s best to consume the recommended one serving of juice as part of a balanced diet, and cut down your overall calorie intake to lose weight healthily.

Myth #2 – A juice cleanse can help detox your body : There isn’t any scientific evidence to support this claim. Your body organs such as the liver and kidneys are responsible for detoxifying and cleansing your body. These organs help remove toxins from the body in a natural process. During a juice cleanse, a person is likely to burn their glycogen stores for energy, which can cause the body to lose water. A cleanse can also lead to side effects such as a lack of energy, headaches, irritability, low blood sugar and constipation.

Myth #3 – It is easier for the body to absorb nutrients from fresh fruit and vegetable juice than from fiber-rich whole fruits and vegetables : There isn’t any scientific evidence to support this claim. Your digestive system is designed to extract nutrients from different foods, even those which are rich in fiber. In fact, fiber has an important function in the digestive and excretory systems, and is essential for digestive and gut health.

Myth #4 – Avoid spinach and kale in fresh juice since they can interfere with blood-thinning medication : Excess consumption of spinach and kale may affect anti-blood clotting medication. In moderate quantities, however, these vegetables are safe to consume for patients on blood-clotting medication.

Myth #5 – A juice contains no fiber : Describing juice as free of fiber is not the case. There are two types of fiber, Soluble and Insoluble. Juicing contains soluble. Juicing extracts most of the insoluble fiber out of the produce while soluble fiber remains. Soluble fiber absorbs water like a sponge and provides bulking matter that acts as a prebiotic to support good bacterial growth and digestive health.

Myth #6 – There is no proven health benefits of juicing : This is a classic criticism that we’ve been debunking for years!  Anyone concerned with their intake of protein while on just juice can add healthy ingredients like plant-based protein powder, chia or hemp seeds.  For most healthy adults, even drinking just juice for a few days won’t create a protein deficiency.

Myth #7 – Juicing is just a trendy fad diet : While in some cases this may seem true with over-inflated health claims, research focused on juice is ongoing and finding positive results.  For example, carrot juice was found to help reduce white blood cell DNA damage in smokers. Juicing is something many of us will be doing for the rest of our lives, and the generations that follow us will do the same until a better way to get highly bio-available nutrition surfaces.

Myth #8 – When you juice, you lose too many nutrients in the pulp that’s extracted : Yes, you will lose some nutrients in the pulp like fiber and magnesium to name a few, but you’ll reap countless benefits from the nutrients that remain in the juice.

Myth #9 – There’s a high risk of juices containing bacteria : You can get bacterial only in the manufactured form of juice and not in the juice made at home. First off, by making juice at home you are in control of the cleanliness of your machine.  Equipment in facilities that mass produce food or juice is often the culprit in contamination.  Secondly, peeling and even juicing has been shown to help remove pesticide residue.   So for extra care, always wash your hands and produce well, then peel items like citrus, beets, melon before juicing.

Myth #10 – Juicing causes you to loose your hair : This one can be partly true for some people.  Taking on juicing alone can be risky for some, particularly those with pre-existing health conditions.  This is why speaking with your doctor first is important.  For some, especially women with a thyroid or other condition, restricting the diet to just juice for “too long” may lead to less hair.  The definition of “too long” varies and getting an expert opinion is key.

Myth #11 – Juicing provides more vitamins : Fruit and vegetables contain loads of vitamin C and some B-vitamins which are easily destroyed by slicing, cooking and juicing.  Also, the nutrient-rich skin of the fruit or vegetable is often peeled before juicing and the fiber-rich pulp is left behind.

Myth #12 – Juices contain lot of sugar : Some juices contain fruit sugar. Many experts on juicing advice a ratio of 80% vegetable to 20% fruit, which allows you to add a bit of sweetness along with all the sugar free benefits found in vegetables.

Myth #13 – Juicing has no health benefits : Research studies have shown that drinking vegetable juices will provide you with many health benefits. For instance, beet juice helps manage hypertension.

Myth #14 – It’s better to eat fruits and vegetables than juicing them : This is only true if you are looking for a source of insoluble fiber. Otherwise you still get all the other nutrients even when you juice them. In fact, some vegetables are actually healthier for you in a juice when compared to roasting or cooking them.

Myth #15 – Organic is more nutritious : You can get bacterial only in the manufactured form of juice and not in the juice made at home.

In short, there are nothing but benefits that come from juicing with the right kinds of foods – as long as you remember to juice lots of leafy greens and avoid sugary/starchy varieties of either.

Each nut variety contains its own unique combination of nutrients and is generally rich in a few nutrients such as:

Almonds: They’re high in Protein, Calcium, vitamin E, magnesium, and they help with heart health and skin healing. They also contain mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which help reduce “bad” cholesterol in our bodies. The lowest-calorie nuts at 160 per ounce are almonds – 23 nuts; 6 grams protein, 14 grams fat. Relatively low in calories, almonds have more calcium than any other nut, making them a great food for overall health. If possible, eat almonds with their skins on.

Plus, they are rich in fiber and vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps fight dangerous inflammation and possibly health conditions such as lung cancer and age-related cognitive decline. people who ate almonds instead of other complex carbs lost weight and reduced their waist sizes. Almonds can also reduce insulin secretion, which can protect against cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Brazil nuts: Creamy Brazil nuts are packed with selenium, a mineral that may protect against prostate cancer and other diseases. Brazils are a good source of the mineral selenium, which we need to produce the active thyroid hormone. Selenium also supports immunity and helps wounds to heal. Just one nut contains more than a day’s worth, so eat these sparingly: Recent research has hinted that too much selenium may be linked to type 2 diabetes risk. One ounce of Brazil nuts (6 nuts) contains about 190 calories, 19 grams fat, and 4 grams protein.

Chestnuts : By far the nut with the lowest fat and calories, chestnuts are rich in starchy carbs and fiber, and in their raw form are a good source of vitamin C. They’re lower in protein than other nuts but make a useful contribution of B vitamins including B6. In addition, they are a good source of vitamin C as well as vitamins B1, B2, and B6 and folic acid. The health benefits of chestnuts center on their nutritional content. However, unlike other nuts, chestnuts are a low-fat variety and do not provide the benefits of a high level of monounsaturated fat.

Cashew  : Improves vitality and keeps heart healthy. It is good for Blood, Eye, Weight loss because it contains Vitamins, iron, non haem ( plant based ), Minerals and Anti-Oxidants and low Gl rating. Cashews – 16 to 18 nuts; 5 grams protein, 13 grams fat. They’re rich in the mineral magnesium, which is thought to improve recall and delay, age-related memory loss.

Hazelnuts: If you’re concerned about high levels of homocysteine, an amino acid which has been associated with heart problems as well as conditions like Parkinsons. Hazelnuts are a good source of folate, which plays a key role in keeping homocysteine within normal levels. Hazelnuts boost good HDL cholesterol and lower levels of LDL cholesterol. They also have high levels of vitamin E, which is good for your skin and eyes.

Macadamias: These are usually seen roasted, smothered in salt or covered in chocolate. In this case, they’re a rare source of omega-7 fatty acids, and highest in monounsaturated fats which boosts their ability to lower LDL cholesterol., Thaimin and Manganese which help with heart health and insulin sensitivity. But keep in mind, these nuts have about 202 calories per ounce, which is on the higher end. macadamia nuts -10 to 12 nuts; 2 grams protein, 21 grams fat have the most calories — along with the lowest amounts of protein and the highest amounts of fats.

Peanuts : Technically legumes but generally referred to as nuts, peanuts are high in folate—a mineral essential for brain development that may protect against cognitive decline. Like most other nuts, peanuts are also full of brain-boosting healthy fats and vitamin E, as well.

Peanuts rapidly lose both flavor and antioxidant power with storage time, so it’s best to eat them soon after buying them. Relatively rich in mono and polyunsaturated fats, protein, fiber, several B-vitamins and antioxidants, One ounce of peanuts (about 28 unshelled nuts) contains about 170 calories, 7 grams protein, and 14 grams fat.

Pecans : Pecans are also good for men’s health: They’re loaded with beta-sitosterol, a plant steroid that may help relieve symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or enlarged prostate. As a good source of vitamin B3 pecans are the perfect option if you’re fighting fatigue because this vitamin helps us access the energy in our food.

Pecans are also a fine source of protein, good fats, and zinc. One ounce of pecans (18 to 20 halves) contains about 200 calories, 21 grams fat, and 3 grams protein.

Pine Nuts : Pine tress are used for health all around the world providing food, shelter, medicine and fuel. Pine nuts are also a good source of vitamin C, magnesium, and zinc.

Pine resin is a natural antiseptic and disinfectant. It also has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. It can be directly applied to wounds or sores and helps keep germs out. Pine resin can also be used to staunch the flow of blood.

Pistachios : Being especially rich in vitamin B6, which is important for keeping hormones balanced and healthy, pistachios are a good option for those with problem periods. They’re the only nut to contain reasonable levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that play an important role in protecting the eyes. Pistachios also contain potassium and fiber. It will increase Hemoglobin level and boost immunity. Prevents aging and skin becomes beautiful. pistachios – 49 nuts; 6 grams protein, 13 grams fat.

Pistachios are also a great source of gamma-tocopherol, a particular form of vitamin E, and may therefore help prevent certain types of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s. Pistachios also contain high levels of antioxidants, which help keep cells safe from dangerous free radicals.

Walnuts: These nuts are packed with antioxidants, phytosterols, proteins, Fatty Acids and other compounds that help keep breast cancer away. They’re also full of healthy omega-3s, alpha linoleic acid, antioxidant,  which can help with brain health and blood pressure. walnuts were as effective as olive oil at reducing inflammation and oxidation in the arteries after eating a fatty meal.

Walnuts also contain melatonin, a powerful hormone that helps regulate sleep cycles. Melatonin may also play a role in preventing cancer, quieting sundown syndrome in people with Alzheimer’s, and treating other conditions, like migraines and irritable bowel syndrome. 

Incredible benefits and properties of nuts :-

1. They are anti-inflammatory : Thanks to the zinc and omega-3 fatty acids found in nuts, they are naturally anti-inflammatory, in addition to also boosting your body’s defenses. Nuts all have similar properties, which makes them a great choice for relieving the symptoms of inflammation.
2. They prevent Cardiovascular disease : For those who have suffered from a heart attack or who are at risk for cardiovascular disease, eating nuts can be beneficial. Amino acid in nuts can prevent a heart attack and clogging of arteries. Eating nuts is a natural way to care for your heart health.
3. Promote improved circulation: Nuts are useful for improving your circulation. This is thanks to the concentration of vitamin B3 they contain. This vitamin boosts the flow of blood through your body . As a result you are less likely to suffer from heart disease.
4. They reduce body fat : Nuts helps you eliminate stubborn fat around your midsection. Eating nuts reduces your appetite so crave fewer carbs. In addition, fiber in nuts stimulates your digestive system and helps you avoid constipation.
5. Improves your nervous System : The vitamins and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids found in nuts stimulate your nervous system function and improve the health of your neurons and overall brain activity. Nuts also help improve ypur memory and increase your learning capacity, which is essential for children and teenagers
6. They boost your immune system : The vitamin E and antioxidants found in nuts stimulate the production of antibodies, which are responsible for eliminating bacteria, parasites and viruses that can cause disease.
7. They treat liver problems : It’s important to learn which foods can cleanse and protect this organ to keep it from being damaged. Nuts will protect and cleanse it thanks to their antioxidants and essential fatty acids.
8. They prevent osteoporosis : Osteoporosis is a condition that decreases bone mass, causing your bones to become thin, weak, and fragile. You have a greater chance of developingosteoporosis if you are deficient in copper.  Copper increases the density of minerals in your bones. When you don’t get enough copper in your diet your bones could lose some of their strength.  One of the minerals found in nuts happens to be copper, which makes eating nuts essential for the care of your bones.
9. They improve your Mood : Stress, fatigue, and disappointment can sometimes be related to a lack of certain nutrients. During stressful times eating nuts can be very effective. The natural sugar, vitamins, and antioxidants found in nuts can improve your mood, so eating a serving a day is great for reducing stress.
10. They are great for your skin : You need vitamin E to maintain healthy, soft, and young-looking skin, and you can find it in nuts. Masks and oils made from nuts will provide your skin with complete care. You’ll avoid the signs of premature aging and your skin will appear healthier and smoother.

You gain weight quickly :  There’s a ton of research showing that nuts can help you lose weight. But there’s a big caveat to all the studies on nuts and weight loss: The results apply if and only if you eat a moderate amount. Eat more than the recommended daily handful, and you’ll quickly accomplish the exact opposite effect by gaining weight—and much more rapidly than you might by overeating other foods. That’s because nuts are extra calorie-dense, meaning they have more energy per ounce than most other foods. For example, one ounce of almonds has 163 calories, while the same weight in cooked pasta has a mere 37 calories.

You have digestive issues : If you ever felt gassy or bloated after eating nuts, you’re not alone. It’s a common side effect, thanks to compounds in nuts called phytates and tannins, which make them difficult to digest. Eating too much fat—found abundantly in nuts—at one time can lead to diarrhea.

Your hair falls out, your nails get brittle, your breath stinks, and your muscles and joints might begin to ache : These are all symptoms of selenium poisoning, which is a rare but serious condition that you can get from eating too many Brazil nuts (all other nuts are safe). One serving of these nuts, or 8 whole pieces, has 10 times the recommended daily amount of selenium (55 micrograms). They’re so rich in this nutrient,  that researchers recommend eating not more than 4 a day—and even then, not every day.

More Problems : More than a handfuls can ruin your appetite altogether. And although nuts are a healthy choice by themselves, they’ll quickly become detrimental to any diet when paired with sugary or salty toppings or mixes.

Risks of eating too many : If you eat too much it can trigger the development of kidney stones, due to high amount of oxalic acid. You also don’t want to consume too many calories. So as with any other type of food, you should always consume nuts in moderation.

Avoid Packaged Nuts : Avoid nuts packaged or roasted in oil; instead, eat them raw or dry roasted, Roasted nuts may have been heated in hydrogenated or omega-6 unhealthy fats, or to high temperatures that can destroy their nutrients.

Best Nut for salt craving : If you don’t have high blood pressure or haven’t been warned away from salt by your doctor for any reasons, a handful or two of salted nuts a day won’t hurt you. Nuts are, of course, available unsalted. But to satisfy a salty craving without going overboard, look for in-between varieties like Planters Lightly Salted peanuts, almonds, and cashews (45-55 mg sodium), or Wonderful Pistachios Lightly Salted (80 mg). Check ingredient labels, too. 

Here’s how pulses pack such a nutritional punch that they’re considered both a protein and a vegetable:

Protein-packed: ­They contain up to 9 grams of protein per ½ cup cooked serving—twice the protein of quinoa. And unlike many protein-rich foods, pulses are low in fat.

Beneficial for disease prevention: Pulses have been shown to improve blood sugar control and reduce blood cholesterol and blood pressure, thus reducing the risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.

Good for dietary restrictions: Being gluten-free and vegetarian makes them a good option for people with special diets, allergies or sensitivities.

Nutrients galore: Pulses deliver high levels of potassium, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins and iron. One serving of black beans has 1.5 times the amount of iron as ‑flank steak, plus three times the folate (an essential B vitamin) of kale, and as much potassium as a banana. Even more, red kidney beans are loaded with more antioxidants than blueberries or pomegranate juice.

High in fiber: Pulses are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber, helping with staying regular, losing weight, and feeling fuller longer

Smart source of folate: Pulses are excellent sources of folate, a B vitamin important during pregnancy to reduce the risk for neural tube birth defects. Folate is also essential to brain development and function.

Beans can fight cancer : Beans contain a wide range of cancer-fighting plant chemicals, specifically, isoflavones and phytosterols which are associated with reduced cancer risk.

Beans can lower Cholesterol : Beans provide the body with soluble fiber, which plays an important role in controlling blood cholesterol levels. Studies find that about 10 grams of soluble fiber a day—the amount in 1/2 to 1 1/2 cups of navy beans—reduces LDL cholesterol by about 10 percent. Beans also contain saponins and phytosterols, which help lower cholesterol.

Beans can help you loose weight : A serving of beans will help you feel full more quickly, because the rich fiber content fills your stomach and causes a slower rise in blood sugar. That should stave off hunger longer and give you a steady supply of energy.

Beans can help manage Diabetes : Beans are a diabetes sufferer’s superfood! The balance of complex carbohydrates and protein provides a slow, steady source of glucose instead of the sudden surge that can occur after eating simple carbohydrates.

Pulses are good for Heart : It is effective in maintaining a healthy heart. Make sure to include more pulses in your diet which is good in lowering the chances of cardiovascular diseases. Pulses which are enriched in fiber help in maintaining a healthy heart as it good in lowering the cholesterol levels.

Crub the Cravings of Junk : Try to include chickpeas in your daily diet in order to get rid of cravings for junk. Chickpeas will help you filled when you add in your meal and moreover helps in curb the cravings for junk stuff during evening. This is one of the reasons to include pulses in your meal as it good in weight loss.

Boost fat burn : A pea-based diet is enriched in arginine basically an amino acid which is present in the peas. It enhances the carbohydrates and it also burns fat. So it is good to include peas in your meal for weight loss.

Pulses are anti ageing : Due to the presence of high antioxidant levels, beans and pulses are enriched with B vitamin folate, which is effective for your body in repairing the damaged cells.  For an anti-ageing lunchtime treat, try to mixed bean salad or stir fry incorporating pinto beans, black beans and aduki beans.

All the pulses mentioned above are available either fresh or canned. Some might need to be soaked overnight and then boiled. Beans contain indigestible carbohydrates, soaking and rinsing dry beans before cooking is necessary to help digest the carbohydrates. An easier alternative would be to buy the canned version, It is recommended that reading the food labels, and picking the healthier ones with no added salt and sugar.

The major side effect of increasing pulses in your diet could be an increase in gas production in the lower colon. Researcher says this is usually temporary and advises to gradually increase your intake of pulses up to one cup a day to prevent or reduce these symptoms. Some individuals with irritable bowel syndrome may experience increased discomfort with the added gas and bloating. However, people who are required to watch their protein intake, especially those with renal disease, lupus and gout, should consult a dietitian before increasing their pulse intake.

For legumes, the highest proportion of protein content is:

• Soybean: 33–45%
• Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris): 21–39%
• Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus): 30–37%
• Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata): 21–35%
• Groundnut: 24–34%
• Mung bean (Vigna radiata)
• Pea (Pisum sativum): 21–33%
• Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia)
• Urd bean (Vigna mungo): 21–31%
• Lentil (Lens culinaris): 20–31%
• Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus): 23–30%
• Chickpea (Cicer arietinum): 15–30%
• Horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum)
• Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan): 19–29%
• Rice bean (Vigna umbellata): 18–27%

Advantages of consuming Legumes ( Bean, Pea, Lentil or Peanut ) –

Legumes – for example, soybeans, lentils, dried beans and peas – and meat both supply nutrients essential to your well-being. However, they also lack specific nutrients that support your health or can diminish health by introducing detrimental food components into your body. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of these foods can assist you in making healthy choices for day-to-day meal planning.

Protein

The protein in legumes and meat provides amino acids your body needs to build and maintain muscle, keep your immune system healthy and promote the synthesis of hormones and enzymes. Although your cells can manufacture some amino acids, other amino acids – known as essential amino acids – must come from the foods you eat. The proteins in meat are nutritionally complete and contain all the essential amino acids you need for good health. Legumes, conversely, usually lack one or more of the essential amino acids, and relying on legumes alone to meet your protein needs might result in a nutritional deficiency. Combining lentils with other plant-based foods such as grains and nuts, which supply complementary amino acids, overcomes this disadvantage of legumes.

Fat

Although dietary fat is necessary for optimal health, eating too much or the wrong kinds of fat can lead to poor nutritional status and increase your risk of disease. Meat commonly contains unhealthy saturated fats and cholesterol that can add unnecessary calories to your diet and lead to cardiovascular disorders. By contrast, legumes add little fat to your diet, and the cholesterol-free lipids they do contain supply you with heart-healthy unsaturated fats that lower your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Iron

You can obtain iron from both plant foods and meat. The iron in animal-based foods exists in a form called heme iron. This type of iron enters your bloodstream from the digestive tract more readily than the non-heme iron found in legumes. Therefore, your body absorbs iron from meat more efficiently than it does that from legumes, helping you to avoid iron deficiency, which can cause fatigue and reduce mental function. Alternatively, consuming legumes with a source of vitamin C or in combination with a food rich in heme iron increases your absorption of the non-heme form of this mineral.

Fiber

Unlike meat, legumes offer dietary fiber, which not only helps prevent digestive issues such as constipation but also assists in regulating blood cholesterol. Beans, for instance, contain both insoluble fiber, which helps move food through your digestive tract, and soluble fiber, which slows the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Meat offers neither of these advantages to your digestive or cardiovascular systems. For optimal health, your daily diet should include 14 grams of fiber for each 1,000 calories you consume, according to Colorado State University Extension. Therefore, if you typically take in 2,000 calories each day, your food should supply you with 28 grams of fiber, or the amount in approximately 2 cups of lentils. Meat supplies none of this necessary dietary component.

Why are pulses underestimated ? Some common reasons people give are :-

1. Cooking time : The length of time it takes to cook pulses is a lot longer compared to vegetables.
2. ‘Poor Man’s Food’ :  They have the stigma of being poor man’s food – replaced by meat once people can afford it.
3. Flatulence ; Some carbohydrates found in pulses produce gas and bloating for some people.
4. Presence of anti-nutrients : Raw pulses contain ‘anti-nutrients’  ( phytate, tannin and phenol ) which can limit the body’s absorption of minerals.
5. Soaking in ash Solutions : Will reduce the ‘anti-nutrients’ more effectively.

Soaking dried pulses for several hours brings them back to life and activate their enzymes. 4-8 hours of soaking for most pulses reduces the cooking time and ensures that they can be more easily digested and their nutrients better absorbed by the body.

Gastrointestinal Problems

The high amount of non digestible fiber in beans may cause gastrointestinal problems if you aren’t used to eating them. Reduce intestinal discomfort by changing the water several times while soaking beans. In addition, drink plenty of fluids and get regular physical activity to help your body move your bowels. Gradually adding beans to your diet can also help you avoid unpleasant intestinal effects. If you still experience gas, abdominal cramping or other symptoms after eating beans, consider sprinkling an over-the-counter digestive enzyme on the beans before eating them.

Iron Absorption

Many types of beans contain high levels of iron, such as kidney beans, lima beans, soybeans and white beans. However, beans provide non-heme iron, which isn’t as easy to absorb as heme, or meat sources of iron. Improve your absorption of iron by eating beans along with meat, seafood or poultry or by eating beans with a source of vitamin C, such as oranges or bell peppers, recommends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Incomplete Protein

Beans don’t contain complete proteins, which means they don’t provide all the essential amino acids your body needs. Eat other protein-rich legumes and grains, such as rice, to ensure you consume all of the essential amino acids. You don’t have to eat other proteins at the same meal as beans as long as you eat them on the same day, says the CDC.

Cereals and Pulses are considered to be one of the most nutritious food to live a healthy life but the fact has been neglected that the intake of these cereals is not raw. Before it goes into the stomach it has been changed into the delicious and spicy dishes, which lost all the nutritional value after being processed and cooked.

Cereals are the food of earthy elements depending exclusively on these foods creates acid  residues, develops hardening  & stiffening of arteries & joints making body heavy & stiff. Then to break down this stiffness we have to take help of yoga & other exercises. Lesser the cereal intake, more flexible the body. People are severely addicted to cereals.

     Reasons to avoid legumes –

1. Legumes are Low in Nutritional Value – legumes have some nutritional value, but they are
   not providing you anything that you can’t get more easily and better from other foods.
2. Legumes contain Phytates – For the most part – just prevent minerals in a particular food from being absorbed. So don’t expect to be absorbing all the nutrients that are in legumes.
3. Legume Contains Lectins – The 2 main effects of lectins are that they cause “Leaky Gut” and they lead to increased inflammation in your gut. However, if you cook legumes well enough, this may not be a major issue for you.
4. Legumes are high in protease inhibitors – Protease inhibitors keep proteins from being properly broken down and absorbed, your body starts producing too much of certain enzymes. When this happens, it can lead to all sorts of problems like Leaky Gut, chronic inflammation, and allergic reactions.
5. Legumes have carbs and can stall weight loss – This is probably one of the last reasons that most people should avoid legumes (after all, they’re not really doing very much for you to begin with), but if you need to lose weight or control your blood sugar, then cutting legumes out of your diet can help immensely.
6. Legumes can contain PhytoEstrogens – phytoestrogens can cause your body to over-produce estrogen, which will disrupt your entire hormonal system.
7. Cans of Legumes contain BPA – While there is still debate about whether BPA is harmful or not, if you are looking to avoid it, then the best to avoid cans of legumes.
8. Legumes have some protein and Fiber – While Legumes can be good source of Protein if your are vegetarian, the amount and quality of the protein in legumes is generally not as good as in meat.
9. Legumes contain saponins – These can cause leaky gut.
10. Legumes contains Foodmaps – Pretty much all legumes contain Galactins, which are a particular type of FODMAP. They are not a problem for everyone, but for many people, they cause a variety of digestive problems.

1. It builds self esteem in children – Children who spend time with their parents participating in activities together build a positive sense of self-worth. When children feel that they are valued by their parents, they feel more positive about themselves. Family activities don’t have to be expensive or luxurious to be meaningful. Take a walk together, go for a bike ride, go to park or play any game at home. The important part is just being together and enjoying each other’s company.
2. It strengthens family bond – Families who share everyday activities together as well as share vacations or daily excursions as a group form strong, emotional ties, share a stronger emotional bond as well as an ability to adapt well to situations as a family. Share your favorite hobbies, sports, books, movies or other favorite activities and build strong family ties for life.
3. It develops positive behavior – Children and adolescents who spend more time with their parents are less likely to experiment with substances like cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. According to studies,teens who have infrequent family dinners are twice as likely to use tobacco, nearly twice as likely to use alcohol and one and a half times more likely to use drugs. Kids who frequently eat with their families also usually have improved dietary intake compared to those who don’t eat as often with family members.
4. It creates happy memories – Family time creates warm memories for parents and children alike. Children with happy family memories are more likely to create a loving environment for their own children when they grow up. Learning to work and play as a family unit is one of the best lessons children can be taught so they can develop into competent adults and parents.
5. It helps parents and children reconnect – Spending time together as a family helps busy parents reconnect with their children. Children tend to share more information about their lives while enjoying an activity with you rather than when you ask them “What did you do today?” It is also a time when life lessons, like sharing, fairness and compassion, can be reinforced without conflict. Children grow and change quickly, so family time is a wonderful time to get to know your child better.
6. Set aside family time – Don’t just assume it will happen. Just like the meeting you talk about but never book, there’s always a risk it will fall between the cracks. It’s easy to think ‘we see each other all the time, we can do it another time’, but once you fall out of the routine it’s much harder to schedule it back in there. Remember that this is not time you get to opt out of.
7. Find one-on-one time too – While it’s important to do things as a whole family, it’s also important to find time to spend with individuals – including your partner! So plan date nights together (this can even be a movie once the kids are in bed), and take turns to take one of your children to the park, for example, while your   partner takes the other for a hot chocolate.
8. Find common ground – It’s a lot easier to spend time together when you are all doing something you enjoy. So take the time to find out what you all like to do – or activities you can do with one of your children on their own. If you work long hours, try to eat breakfast in the morning with them or curl up for a bedtime story – even ten minutes of quality time is better than nothing!
9. Be present – We’ve all become quite proficient at multi-tasking in our busy lives, but spending quality time with your family means not answering the phone, chatting or checking emails. It means not reading a magazine while you’re watching Tv – we know she can be tedious, but engaging with your child is important! Knowing you are laughing alongside them or asking questions at the end means they feel like you’re a bigger part of something they enjoy.

10. Be a role model – Don’t forget that your every move is being watched. If family time is important to you, your children are more likely to want to join in. So if you want your child to join in, lead by example! If you spend all your time on the phone during family time, you’re giving them the impression that they can pull out.
11. Be supportive – It’s hard to watch your children grow up and start to make their own choices, especially when you don’t agree with them. But remember to be supportive – you want your child to know that if they are in trouble they can talk to you. So being there from the beginning means they’re more likely to come to you when they really need your help. Be there no matter what – but remember you don’t always have to say what they want to hear.
12. Family bonding time – Family bonding time is time the family spends together meaningfully. This is a designated time your family plans to interact with each other over a group of activities or a major fun project. Parents can use this time to relate their childhood to an adolescent just beginning his childhood interactions.
13. Children are confident – Making a habit of displaying interest in the well being of your spouse and children will make them more likely to consult family members when there are personal problems occurring.
14. It Helps You Get To Know Each Other Better – Your family is always changing and growing. Most of their thoughts and new beliefs will not even come into your radar if you don’t have some quality family time together. But, during family time, talks about goals, dreams, and important things can come to life, which makes this a unique way to get to know the people in your family.
15. It Helps You Practice Acceptance And Compassion – Your family is going to express some different views and opinions during family time, and this is a great way to practice acceptance and compassion towards others. Developing these skills will help you when you are having struggles in your relationships. It will help your loved ones feel more valued as the person they are. And, it will strengthen your family bonds even more.
16. It Gives Everyone A Sense Of Value – Family time makes everyone feel like part of a team. It makes everyone feel as though they are valuable and needed in some aspect, which can help them get through the tougher times in life. Also, your sense of family is something that you can always fall back on when you are struggling with the other relationships in your life.
17. It Creates Shared Laughter – Laughter is good for everyone’s happiness and health. In fact, laughter can help reduce pain in the body and give clarity in the mind. Laughter is a real medicine and is actually used as a therapy to help people feel better and boost health. And, laughter is known to burn calories at 50 calories per 15 minutes. So a good bout of laughter after dinner could be the exact thing you need to help burn it off.
18. It occupies your mind – Do you want to forget about a stressful day or stop thinking about something that is worrying you for a while? Family time can help you do that. As you focus on the people in your family and what you are doing, you will be more present in the moment and less focused on the past or the future. Being present is very good for your mental well-being, as well as for your physical well-being.
19. Unleashes your creative side – It feels good to unleash your creative side after a serious day. Family time is usually spent playing games or having fun, which is all about creativity. The major benefits of creativity include stress relief, gaining self-awareness, and gaining the ability to problem solve. In other words, if you are tackling a problem at work or in your life, spend some time with the family getting creative, experience the benefits, and then go back with a fresh and ready mind.
20. It Gives You A New Perspective On Your Home – when you all gather in the living room for some family time, your home looks completely different. This is because you are more present and aware of your surroundings, so you notice the feel of your home, the look of it, the way people move in it, and even the smell of it much more. It makes your home feel more like a home
21. Encourages A Better Path For Kids – Kids benefit from family time in a big way. They also get future benefits, such as less likely to have issues with behavior and less likely to get involved in gangs or in drugs. In other words, kids that spend family time with their loved ones, and get a lot of nurturing during that time, will make better choices for themselves. They have less of a void in their life to fill.
22. It Gives You A Place To Share Important Things – Family time is a time when you feel connected, and that is when all the beans are spilled because we all want to share our excitement and important thoughts with other people we feel connected to.

1. Family night – Choose a night each week that is always family night. Everyone should know what night this is. Keep it scheduled and don’t let anything fall in its place. This is important. Go to a fun place together, movie or go out for dinner. Stay home for a movie night or game night. Talk! Tell each other about your week and your plans.
2. Family vacation – Have a family vacation at least once a year. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate cruise, although that would be a blast and surely create fond memories! Go camping, hiking, go to amusement parks, or even have a staycation. But do it, spend time together on vacation!
3. Exercise together – Get outside with your kids! Go enjoy the great outdoors. Go hiking, fishing, boating, or participate in family runs together. Physical activity and sunshine is great for everyone but when you do it together as a family, you build those relationships at the same time.
4. Read together – Go to the library together. Find a list of great chapter books for whatever age your children are. Reading together makes for great conversation and bonding time. And if a movie was made after the book, go see it together!
5. Get Artsy – There are some awesome classes and opportunities out there in the city. Go to a museum or an art show. Or just find a simple craft to make at home together. Whatever it is, doing art together makes great memories with your family.
6. Serve others – Find a way to help someone else as a family. Do you have an elderly neighbor that needs help pulling weeds? Get involve in some social activity. They will learn the value of helping others and doing it together makes a huge difference!
7. Get in the kitchen – When you make dinner, ask one of your children to help you. This might make the dinner process a little longer, sometimes a lot longer. But if you help your kids get familiar in the kitchen when they are younger, it will be easier for them later on; they might even thank you for it someday.
8. School Events – Attend school events together
9. Shopping – Shopping with the family can make a simple chore an event.
10. Watching together – Go to the theater, watch television, or rent movies. By watching some shows your child enjoys, you will learn more about him/her and can use the topics brought up for more interesting discussions.
11. Religious activities – Perform religious activities together on holidays.
12. Homework – If parents can spend positive time with their children without conflict, this can be a good bonding experience where the school work itself is just a means to the end.
13. Longer life – Organise family get-togethers as often as possible to reap the health benefits.
14. Healthier lifestyle – Spend time with optimistic and health-conscious family members if your lifestyle is less than ideal.
15. Less Stress – Talk about your worries with anyone in the family, you have a close relationship with – if not your mother then your partner, for instance – to help you feel more at ease.
16. Less isolation – Enjoy the benefits of family relationships and try organising more time with your partner, children and members of your extended family if you’re feeling isolated.
17. More confident kids – Persuade your partner and children to unplug themselves from their digital devices and arrange activities you can all do and enjoy together as often as possible.
18. Create new traditions – Don’t wait for holidays or vacations to connect. Sunday breakfast, Friday game night, weekend shopping, morning walk, or gardening can bring the family together.Whatever tradition you choose, make sure everyone, including parents, honors a set time. Everyone should show up and unplug. No texting, no Facebook, and no TV. “Don’t let your schedule run you,”
19. Have dinner – Eating dinner as a family allows you to be a part of their daily conversations and to answer any questions they may have come across during the day when you were apart.
20. Fix things together – Fixing things together allows you to plan for the project and also gives you lots of time to interact.
21. After dinner walks – The act of walking whilst you talk may actually make it easier for children to bring up difficult topics or problems they face because they have something else (like walking) to focus on when they bring these subjects up.
22. Share family stories – Find time to share family photos, stories about your family’s history. Dig out your old photo albums and look through them with your children. Add new pictures to the family collection together and make this a regular activity.
23. Connect with your teenagers – As your children grow into their teenage years, spending time together becomes even more important, and at the same time, difficult. It takes a little more effort, but finding daily time for your teenagers is possible.
24. Do Good – Teenagers are inspired to volunteer and to make a difference in the world around them. Find a cause which you both identify with and sign up together. Attend regularly, volunteer and find time for each other too.
25. Get to know your teen’s friends – Teen’s spend a lot of time with their friends, finding out who they are as individuals and learning how to socialise beyond the family. Try opening up your home and welcome your teen’s friends to get to know them better.
26. Celebrate Family traditions – Share these family traditions with the younger generation and set aside the time to follow these traditions together to create lasting memories.
27. Make your spouse feel special – In all our daily rush, we sometimes take the person closest to us for granted. Spend time with your spouse and let them know that they are special to you in every way.
28. Celebrate, Recognise and appreciate each other – Keep track of important events such as family birthdays, job changes, retirements, anniversaries, engagements, graduations, births, and yes, deaths too. Recognise these important events and make time to attend them, organise celebrations for them and be there to support each other.

1. “In family relationships, love is really spelled T.I.M.E.”
2. “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, a parent.”
3. “Family time is sacred time and should be protected and respected.”
4. “If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.”
5. “Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don’t listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won’t tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff.”
6. “Family is the most important thing in the world.”
7. “If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently. You shield it and protect it. You never abuse it. You don’t expose it to the elements. You don’t make it common or ordinary. If it ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new. It becomes special because you have made it so, and it grows more beautiful and precious as time goes by.”
8. “To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.”
9. “Some of the most important conversations I’ve ever had occurred at my family’s dinner table.”
10. “When in doubt, choose the kids. There will be plenty of time later to choose work.”
11. “Children will not remember you for the material things you provided, but for the feeling that you cherished them.”
12. “Happiness comes from unselfish service. And happy homes are only those where there is a daily striving to make sacrifices for each other’s happiness.”
13. “I think togetherness is a very important ingredient to family life.”
14. “Family: like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one.”
15. “We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.”
16. “If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them and half as much money.”
17. “You always have time for the things you put first.”
18. “Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.”
19. “While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach        us what life is all about.”
20. “When you love what you have, you have everything you need.
21. No amount of money or success can take place of time spent with your family.
22. Love your family. Spend time, be kind & serve one another. Make no room for regrets. Tomorrow is not promised & today is short.
23. Your children get only one childhood. Make if memorable.
24. Having family time to reflect on your day is the BEST.
25. Time spent with family is worth every second.
26. Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life.
27. I don’t think quantity time is as special as quality time with your family.
28. If you want to change the world go home and love your family.
29. Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing.
30. If you are too busy to enjoy time with your family, then you need to reevaluate your priorities.
31. Sticking with your family is what makes it a family.
32. Family time is the best time.
33. No matter what, it’s family time over everything.
34. A man should never neglect his family for business.
35. Do you spend time with your family? Good. Because a man that doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.
36. Your cell phone has already replaced your watch, alarm clock and calendar. Don’t let it replace your family.
37. The most important thing in the world is family and love.
38.  Togetherness is a very important ingredient to family life.
39. Family always going  be there. The material things come and go.
40. The single most important factor in our long-term happiness is the relationships we have with our family.
41. One of the important thing that binds family should be a shared sense of humor.
42. Ultimate life dream project should be kids and family.
43. Nurture the practice of family values, by embracing policies that value families.
44. My family is my life and everything comes second.
45. Family is the most mysterious and fascinating institution in the world.
46. The family is the nucleus of civilization.
47. Dignity is not negotiable. Dignity is the honor of the family.
48. Having somewhere to go is Home. Having someone to Love is Family. Having both is a Blessing.
49. Family is like music, some high notes, some low notes, but always a beautiful song.