One of the World’s Healthiest Foods-Flaxseeds

This is One of the World's Healthiest Foods

If you speak to anyone trying to lose weight or looking to bulk up on essential vitamins and minerals, they’ll tell you that flaxseeds are the ultimate powerhouse of nutrition. They’re tiny nutty-flavoured seeds that not only taste good but have innumerable health benefits.

They’re extremely versatile and can be sneaked into almost everything you eat. Linseeds or flaxseeds usually come in two different colours, brown and yellow, but the nutritional profile of both is absolutely identical.

Flaxseeds are a source of three key nutrients:

1. Omega 3 Fatty Acids – Omega-3 are polyunsaturated fatty acids, considered as essential nutrients that our body can’t produce but needs to maintain good brain health and cognitive function.

2. Rich in Lignans – Lignans are naturally occurring forms of the female hormone estrogen and are found in certain foods.

3. Good source of Mucilage – Mucilage helps assures a healthy intestine and proper absorption of nutrients.

Benefits of Eating Flaxseeds:

1. Flaxseeds are good for the heart – Flaxseeds are rich in alpha linolenic acid which prevents inflammation and protects blood vessels from damage. Researchers showed that regular intake of these seeds lowers LDL (low density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol) and increase levels of HDL (high density lipoprotein or good cholesterol).

2. Flaxseeds are rich in antioxidants – Flaxseeds are significantly higher in antioxidants compared to fruits or vegetables. Adding flaxseeds to your diet boosts your overall and also helps in delaying ageing.

3. Flaxseeds prevent cancer – Studies show that eating flaxseeds reduces the risk of breast cancer, prostate and colon cancer.

4. Help with digestion and weight loss – Flaxseeds are high on fiber which is why they help in relieving constipation. They also leave you feeling full which stops you from overeating.

5. Flaxseeds are extremely good for glowing skin and healthy hair because of the high amount of omega 3 fatty acid present in them.

flaxseed benefits

Flaxseeds and Women’s Health

Listen up ladies! Flaxseeds with their wonder properties are a brilliant solution for all kinds of hormonal problems. Due to their high content of lignans, flaxseeds help reduce high levels of estrogen and also boost low estrogen levels. They can help reduce menopausal symptoms, such as flushing and night sweats. Flaxseeds can also help women with irregular periods and those with extreme symptoms of PMS – for example, headache, anxiety, mood swings etc. They also help in controlling heavy bleeding during menstruation, reduce the risk of breast cancer and improve uterine function.

How to Use Flaxseeds

Grind the flaxseeds, store them in air tight container and use them in any of the following ways:
a. Add grounded flaxseeds (1tsp) while kneading dough for chapattis, bread or biscuits.
b. Add half a teaspoon of flaxseeds in porridge, oats or muesli.
c. Sprinkle flaxseeds on salads, cooked vegetables or cooked dals.
d. Mix flaxseed in smoothies or curd.

Top Recipes:

Flaxseed Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp flaxseeds
1 cup flavored soya milk
1 cup chilled and roughly chopped strawberries
1/2 cup chilled and roughly chopped bananas
2 tsp honey
Garnish: 2 strawberries and 2 bananas slices

Method:

1. Add strawberries, bananas, flax seeds and honey in soya milk, blend in a juicer till the mixture is smooth and frothy.
2. Pour equal quantities of the smoothie into 2 individual glasses.
3. Serve and garnished with a strawberry and banana slice.

Flaxseed Raita

Ingredients:

1 cup bottle gourd, thickly grated
1 cup low-fat curd, fresh beaten
1/2 cup mint leaves, finely chopped (pudina)
1/4 tsp roasted cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp black salt
1 1/2 tbsp roasted and coarsely ground flax seeds
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Combine the bottle guard with one cup of water. Cover and cook on a medium flame for 4 to 2. Combine all the ingredients, including the cooked bottle gourd in a deep bowl and mix well.
3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and serve chilled.

How to Improve Exam Result

These are few things that a student has to keep in mind to study effectively. Small changes in your study plan can have some extra-ordinary results on your report-card. Need today is for smart learning that comes in with panning. So plan well your goals and plan to achieve your goals.

Knowing your goal:

It is really important to know your goal well. Proper knowledge about what you want to achieve and your action plan towards your goal is must. You cannot plan your career path without deciding which field you want to be in and what are your future goals. So it is well advised that be clear in your mind about your gaols and accordingly formulate a plan to achieve your goals. Once you know what you have to achieve sit down with a pen and paper and formulate an effective study plan that includes time for studying as well as leisure activities. Remember ‘all work no play makes jack a dull boy’. It is very important to have time for recreational activities also as you need an overall personality to achieve big and also your health is equally important. There is no point studying whole year, if you cannot appear for your exam owing to health issues that you created yourself by ignoring your health. Human body has its own needs out of which socialization and fun plays an important part. Make sure that you include in time for fun and recreation too.

Before you plan your study schedule, make sure you have your syllabus with you and you have consulted your teacher, senior or any-one that could help you out with the importance and relevance of the topics from examination point of view. Do not hesitate in seeking help, most of the people in our country feel really proud in helping others. Once you have your syllabus and you have knowledge of areas that are consistently there in exams, time well your study hours for all the topics and also give time for self-testing.

Look out for different resources that may help you out to access the importance of topics as well as their weightage in your exam. Among the most valuable resources you have available to you when studying are previous tests. Looking over past tests can help you improve your exam results by helping you know what to study, how to best prepare for a test, and how to focus your in-class note taking to facilitate studying that material.

Things to do before exam:

Examination is not about studying a few days prior to attain some decent grades, if you really want to achieve something big in your life, you need to have clarity of each and every topic and for this you need to study all-round the year. It is better advised to study for your exam well in advance to avoid stressing during the examination time and also to have a better understanding of topics. The mindfulness class emphasizing physical and mental strategies can help a lot to maintain focus on the present moment, in the face of interrupting thoughts and perceptions.

The students can integrate mindfulness into their daily activities and with a little focus during class can retain a lot. Small self-study session during evening or night after you are finished with your class can help you a lot in better retaining of the topics. It is also a fact that reduced mind-wandering in every way can lead to improved performance in your exam as well as enhancing your memory capacity. Hence it is also very important for the students to stay focussed and concentrated during their class.

Once you got your study material and whole studying plan formulated, do the best you can to study the material effectively to give out best results. There are a lot of students who find studying with friends very helpful. Others do best studying on their own. Some people learn best by reading, some by writing, and some by speaking the material out loud. Discover which style works best for you. Make your notes properly and highlight the important points by either using coloured pens of highlighters so that during the revision time you have an idea that this is something worth noting. Make sure that you have studied well whole year and also practiced various mock-tests so that you are not new to the examination pattern. Do your preparation well.

One day prior to exam:

Examination time can be some of really stressful times that you have encountered. It is better to be prepared well in advance with your topics so that you are not under any fear or stress. Even if you are already a great test-taker you’re probably looking for that extra edge to create the best possible scores on your exams you do need to keep in mind few things that you need to do before taking important exam. Your activities a day before can affect your performance in your exam to a great extent.

A day before the exam, never try to bring in some new topics and just focus on reviewing the key Points. The day before your test is less than ideal to be first learning something and can be a very bad idea and may lead to a lot of confusion. If you are studying well all round the year then you would have already mastered the material, and it is just a matter of giving that material an extra polish a day before your exam. Stay normal and avoid stressing yourself, eat a well-balanced diet. Be sure to keep your body and your brain in peak condition by feeding it the nutrients it needs to perform at its best. Do not engage in anything that can lead to stress situation. It is a better idea to motivate yourself a day before by picturing in mind your goals and how important your success is for you.

Day before an important exam, a lot of students tense up, also becomes forgetful at times and take shallow breaths. To maintain your cool, be sure that you breathe deeply from the diaphragm. This will help your muscles feel better and will help to clear your head and allow you to think better. If you are in a healthy state of mind, then only you can give your best in your exam. So make sure you practice healthy eating habit, have proper exercise and do not stress out a day before the exam, to give out your best during the exam.

Things to do on the exam day:

Examination day is very important day, as this is the day that you have waited for the whole year. You have been studying whole year for this day and it’s your time to give out your best and your future is quite dependent on the performance you give in during your exam. This is the reason that most of the students at times get a bit stressed up and end up messing things. There is no reason for you to get stressed if you have worked hard. Remember, hard work never goes wasted.  It is better to avoid distraction of all kinds before you go to examination centre and remain focussed and motivated.

Get up at a comfortable time in the morning, early enough that you reach your centre 30 minutes in advance and make sure that you have prepared you stationary in advance a night before and keep your stationary as well as admit card together at a safe place. Do not get up too early in the morning, and as soon you get up, behave normal and practice deep breathing to control your nervousness, also try mild exercise to stretch your muscles so that you have a good writing speed. Take your breakfast properly and have a balanced diet so that you do not feel low on energy during your exam. Avoid oily and fried food items.

Behaviour during the exam:

Once you reach examination hall, ask the teacher to explain the directions if you don’t understand them. Budget your time well in advance according the marks and use your watch to track the time. Don’t spend too long on any single answer. Read the questions carefully and make sure you answer the question that is actually being asked and not waste time writing anything out of the required curricula. Answering a different question then the one asked does not help you score. Start with the easy questions first and gradually when you tend to gain confidence and fluency then you are ready to attempt the difficult part.

Mark the more difficult questions so you know to come back to them later. Come back to the more difficult questions only after you have answered the ones which are easy for you.  Do not get distracted by anything during your examination and no matter what is happening around, remain focused. Once you have attempted your paper make sure you go through your answer sheet to check out that you have attempted everything that has been asked and also everything that you have done is correct. Once you are sure of everything, handover your answer-sheet to teacher on duty.

Sleep Benefits

Sleep keeps your heart healthy

Heart attacks and strokes are more likely to occur during the early morning hours, which may be due to the way sleep interacts with the blood vessels. Lack of sleep has been associated with worsening of blood pressure and cholesterol, which are risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Your heart will be healthier if you get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night.

Sleep may prevent cancer

Did you know that people who work the late shift have a higher risk for developing breast and colon cancer? Researchers believe this link is caused by varying levels of melatonin in people who are exposed to light at night. Light exposure reduces melatonin levels, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin is thought to protect against cancer, as it appears to suppress the growth of tumors. Be sure that your bedroom is dark and you avoid using electronics before bed in order to help your body produce the melatonin it needs.

Sleep reduces stress.

When your body is sleep deficient, it goes into a state of stress. The body’s functions are put on high alert, which causes high blood pressure and the production of stress hormones. High blood pressure increases your risk for heart attack and stroke, and the stress hormones make it harder to fall sleep. Learn relaxation techniques to counteract the effects of stress and fall asleep faster.

Sleep reduces inflammation

The increase in stress hormones increases the level of inflammation in your body, which creates a greater risk for heart-related conditions, as well as cancer and diabetes. Inflammation is thought to cause the body to deteriorate as we age.

Sleep makes you more alert

Of course a good night’s sleep makes you feel energized and alert the next day. Being engaged and active not only feels great but increases your chances for another good night’s sleep. When you wake up feeling refreshed, use that energy to get out into the daylight, do active things and be engaged with your world. You’ll sleep better the next night and increase your daily energy level.

Sleep improves your memory

Researchers do not fully understand why we sleep and dream, but they have found that sleep plays an important role in a process called memory consolidation. During sleep your body may be resting, but your brain is busy processing your day, making connections between events, sensory input, feelings, and memories. Deep sleep is a very important time for your brain to make memories and links, and getting more quality sleep will help you remember and process things better.

Sleep may help you lose weight

Researchers have found that people who sleep less than 7 hours per night are more likely to be overweight or obese. It is thought that a lack of sleep impacts the balance of hormones in the body that affect appetite. The hormones ghrelin and leptin, which regulate appetite, have been found to be disrupted by lack of sleep. If you want to maintain or lose weight, don’t forget that getting adequate sleep on a regular basis is a huge part of the equation.

Napping makes you smarter

Nighttime isn’t the only time to catch z’s. Napping during the day is an effective, refreshing alternative to caffeine that is good for your overall health and can make you more productive. A study of 24,000 Greek adults showed that people who napped several times a week had a lower risk of dying from heart disease. People who nap at work show much lower levels of stress. Napping also improves memory, cognitive function, and mood.

Sleep may reduce your risk for depression

Sleep impacts many of the chemicals in your body, including serotonin. People with serotonin deficiencies are more likely to suffer from depression. You can help to prevent depression by making sure you are getting the right amount of sleep: between 7 and 9 hours each night.

Sleep helps the body repair itself

Sleep is a time that allows us to relax, but it’s also a time during which the body is hard at work repairing damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful exposure. Your cells produce more protein while you are sleeping. These protein molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair damage.

Dangers of Wi-Fi

1. Contributes to the Development of Insomnia

Have you ever felt more awake after using Wi-Fi or even struggled to sleep through the night? Reports of these phenomena have been frequent and even prompted a study in 2007 that evaluated low-frequency modulation from cell phones and its impact on sleep. Participants were exposed to the electromagnetic signals from real phones or no signal from fake phones. Those exposed to the electromagnetic radiation had a significantly more difficult time falling asleep and changes in brainwave patterns were observed.

It’s been suggested that sleeping near a phone, in a home with Wi-Fi, or in an apartment building with many Wi-Fi signals can create chronic sleep problems as the constant bombardment of Wi-Fi pollution interferes with falling asleep and sleep patterns. For many, sleep deprivation is just the start for larger problems. The development of depression and hypertension have also been linked to inadequate sleep.

2. Damaging to Childhood Development

Exposure to non-thermal radio frequency radiation from Wi-Fi and cellular phones can disrupt normal cellular development, especially fetal development. A 2004 animal study linked exposure to delayed kidney development. These findings were supported by a 2009 Austrian study. In fact, the disruption of protein synthesis is so severe that authors specifically noted, “this cell property is especially pronounced in growing tissues, that is, in children and youth. Consequently, these population groups would be more susceptible than average to the described effects.” In short, bathing the developmentally young in Wi-Fi increases their risk of developmental issues.

3. Affects Cell Growth

When a group of Danish ninth graders experienced difficulty concentrating after sleeping with their cell phones by their head, they performed an experiment to test the effect of wireless Wi-Fi routers on garden cress. One set of plants was grown in a room free of wireless radiation; the other group grew next to two routers that released the same amount of radiation as a cell phone. The results? The plants nearest the radiation didn’t grow.

4. Derails Brain Function

Just as the Danish high schoolers noticed problems with concentration, scientists have begun to look at the impact of 4G radiation on brain function. Using MRI technology, research performed just last year found that persons exposed to 4G radiation had several areas of reduced brain activity.

5. Reduces Brain Activity in Females

A group of 30 healthy volunteers, 15 men and 15 women, were given a simple memory test. First, the entire group was tested without any exposure to Wi-Fi radiation — no problem. Then, they were exposed to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi from a wireless access point for about 45 minutes. During that portion of the testing, brain activity was measured and the women had a noticeable change in brain activity and energy levels.  Sorry ladies! But guys, don’t get too comfortable…

6. Neutralizes Sperm

…Because we’ve known for a long time that the heat generated by laptops kills sperm. Well, now it turns out that heat isn’t the only threat to a man’s virility. Research has found exposure to Wi-Fi frequencies reduce sperm movement and cause DNA fragmentation.Both human and animal testing has confirmed that exposure negatively affects sperm.

7. May Impact Fertility

And, it’s not just sperm. The results of an animal study suggest that some wireless frequencies may prevent egg implantation. During the study, mice exposed 2 hours a day for 45 days had significantly increased oxidative stress levels. The cellular damage and impact on DNA structure from exposure suggest a strong possibility of abnormal pregnancy or failure of the egg to implant.

The Karolinska Institute in Sweden released a warning in 2011, stating:

  • “Pregnant women are cautioned to avoid using wireless devices themselves and distance themselves from other users,”
  • “Current US [and Canada]…standards for radio frequency and microwave radiation from wireless technology are entirely inadequate,” and
  • “Safety standards also ignore the developing fetus…”

8. Provokes Cardiac Stress

9. Linked to Cancer?

This is extremely controversial but we can’t ignore that plenty of animal models indicate that exposure to electromagnetic radiation increases the risk of tumor development. While human studies are rare, reports and case studies abound. One such case involves a young 21-year-old woman who developed breast cancer. What makes this case unique was that her family did not have a predisposition to breast cancer… and she developed the tumor right on the spot she carried her cell phone in her bra.