Oat Bran Nutritional and Health Benefits!!

Oat bran is the edible, outermost layer of the oat kernel. Oats have been recognized as a food and an herb. Like oatmeal, oat bran contains B complex vitamins, protein, fat, minerals, and heart healthy soluble fiber. When eaten regularly, oatmeal and oat bran may help to lower total cholesterol levels by 25 or more within a very short time period (one to three months). In addition, oat bran can help to reduce the bad LDL and raise levels of good HDL cholesterol. Many moms have learned that most families like oat meal or oat bran.

 Oat bran is rich in a soluble fiber called beta-glucan. In 1997, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration passed a unique ruling that allowed oat bran to be registered as the first cholesterol-reducing food at an amount providing 3 grams of beta-glucan per day, although some evidence suggests this level may not be high enough to make a significant difference. Several trials have shown that oat bran supplementation can significantly lower cholesterol levels in people with elevated cholesterol, but only slightly in people with healthy cholesterol levels. Breads containing oat bran may, therefore, be beneficial at lowering elevated cholesterol.

Health Benefits of Oat Bran:

• Cardiovascular disease:

 Soluble fibre from oats lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. Consuming 3 g of soluble fiber from oat products per day (provided by three 28 g servings of oatmeal or one large bowl of oat bran cereal) has been shown to decrease total cholesterol by approximately 1.8. It is estimated that a 1 reduction in total cholesterol could lower the incidence of coronary heart disease by around 2.

Some studies suggest that oat consumption may reduce blood pressure.

• Diabetes:

Oats reduce blood glucose and insulin responses. Control of blood glucose and insulin levels is essential in prevention of many of the complications associated with diabetes.

• Atheltic performance:

Oats have been shown in scientific studies to favorably alter metabolism and enhance performance when ingested shortly (45 minutes - 1 hour) before prolonged endurance exercise (> 2 hours) of moderate intensity.

• Other Benefits:

Preliminary studies suggest that beta-glucan from oats may enhance the immune response. Further research is required to investigate the potential immune-boosting effects of oats however.

There is currently insufficient evidence to suggest that oats promote weight loss or improve compliance to a reduced-calorie diet.

 

Eat This Not That...Wrong Food Combinations!

Sometimes you may be eat the best foods but due to a wrong combination, the food items become harmful to us rather than being beneficial. Hence, it is desirable that one should understand the laws of food combination and their scientific basis.

When one eats an incompatible combination of foods, nature flashes a distress signal in the form of a belch (this also happens when one overeats). We should learn to heed this little warning of nature. In case one doesn’t heed this warning and still continues overeating and taking in the wrong food combinations, then the following disorders may immediately follow:

· Vomiting

· Loose motions\ diarrhea
· Indigestion

On a long term basis people develop skin diseases in form of vitiligo (white patches), spreading slowly all over the body.

Acid and waste products of protein indigestion and putrefaction are easily identified in the urine. Scientifically they belong to the group of phenyls, skatoles, indoxyl-sulphuric acids, uric acid and toxic amines. Often they are eliminated through mucous memebranes or by diffusion in to spinal fluid.

Here are some laws for right and wrong food combinations:

1. Milk should not be combined with any other food. It should be taken alone

Milk never combines well with any other food. Milk in itself is a complete food and requires time for its digestion in its concentrated form. No other food like meat, cereals, pulses, nuts, fruits containing citric acid, food containing salts should be taken with milk.
Milk does not get digested in the stomach but in duodenum, hence in the presence of milk the stomach does not respond with its secretions.
Milk prevents insalivations also, creating problems for digestion of starchy foods. If taken with solid food, then it dilutes the acid in the stomach thereby leading to further indigestion.
Due to its fat and protein contents on reaching the stomach, the milk coagulates to form curd, which then gathers around the particles of other food in the stomach, thus insulating them against the gastric juices. This prevents their digestion until the milk curd is digested.
When taken with citric acid, the quality and chemical composition of milk is changed. (It tears off milk making it a condensed protein particle).

2. Starches and proteins shouldn’t be taken together:

All starches are digested in an alkaline media. But proteins are digested in acid media. When starches after mixing with salivary enzymes in the mouth, pass on to the stomach with proteins, heavy hydrochloric acid is poured out from the stomach to digest starch and proteins, thereby making digestion very difficult. Starches are forced to remain in the stomach until proteins are digested completely. By the time it reaches the small intestine without full digestion, it is already fermented due to long retention in the stomach. These great amounts of undigested starches are found in the stool.
Not only starch but proteins too remain undigested. The acid and alkaline both contrast and neutralize each other inhibiting the digestive process of starch and protein.
If at all you have to eat starch and proteins together then first eat proteins and half an hour later eat starchy food, so that the digestion is not hampered.
From this point of view, rice with milk, rice with fish, egg with bread..etc are not ideal combinations. However carbohydrates and proteins can be eaten separately with vegetables.

3. Fruits and sugars shouldn’t be combined with other solid foods, they should be taken alone:

All sugars such as white sugar, sugar syrups, jaggery, sweet fruits, honey etc taken with protein, starches and fats hinder their digestion. Sugars undergo practically no digestion in the mouth and stomach. They are primarily digested in the intestines. If taken alone, they are not held in the stomach for a long time but are quickly pushed to the intestines. But when eaten with other foods like proteins and starches or fats, they get held up in the stomach for a prolonged period awaiting digestion of other foods and meanwhile itself will go in fermentation.
Fruits and sugars as a law ferment with all solid foods and milk. Sugar is an acidic food. The fermentation of sugar further leads to multiplication of the problems like hyperacidity, gastric reflux and indigestion.
From this point of view items in which sugar is mixed eg: sweet curd, sweet lassi, ice cream or sweet milk are wrong combinations.

4. Don’t take different kinds of proteins at one time:

Two proteins of different characters and different compositions call for different modifications of digestive secretions and different timings of secretions in order to digest them efficiently. For example, the strongest juices are poured out upon milk in the last hours of digestion while in the case of flesh; it is in the first hour of digestion. Similarly eggs receive the strongest secretion at a different time compared to that received by either flesh or milk. It is impossible to meet the requirements of two different proteins at the same meal. Two kinds of flesh or nuts or pulses may be taken together but not with a totally different protein group. For example, nuts can be eaten with different nuts and flesh with different flesh.
From this angle: cheese omelette, milk and nut are not ideal combinations. Similarly a combination of veg. proteins and non–veg proteins is not proper as they are different in their protein values. To conclude, take one concentrated protein at a meal, otherwise indigestion of proteins may result.

5. Combination of curd with foods:
Curd should not be taken with the following food items:
A) Starches (wheat, rice, potatoes, sago and other cereals)
B) Proteins (nuts, legumes, beans, meat, fish, egg )
C) Sugars (white sugar, fruits, syrup, and honey)
However curd can be taken with raw and cooked vegetables, as in salads.

6. Salts should not be mixed in salads:

This is because salt leaches water from salads which comes out along with nutrients, thus salad loses its full benefits.

7. Avoid eating acidic fruits with sweet fruits:

Acidic fruits slow down quick digestion of sugars of sweet fruits leading to fermentation.

8. Avoid eating fats with proteins:

Fats depress the action of gastric glands and inhibit the release of proper gastric juices which are required for protein digestion. It lowers the entire digestive tone by more than 50 %. Fat insulated foods remain for longer time in the digestive process, demanding overactivity and strain. Heated and fried fats are more dangerous.
This is the reason why dairy products don’t digest as quickly as other protein foods because these foods contain enough fat to inhibit gastric secretions for a longer time and so they have delayed digestion. From this consideration, putting too much ghee in dal or frying the dal in ghee is not a very good practice. Unlike proteins, combination of carbohydrates with fats is tolerable. Hence a little of ghee applied on roti or bread-butter is acceptable.

9. Don’t combine tea coffee, alcohol and soft drinks with other solid foods:

These beverages severely restrict the proper gastric secretions and therefore the normal digestion is hindered. Soft drinks like cola have their ph as 2 to 3…upon being so much acidic ph it has almost 11 spoons of sugars which is again adding to acidity. And when consumed it is so cold that it inhibits gastric fire.
Tanin present in tea inhibits absorption of iron, zinc, calcium from foods taken with it.

Some miscellaneous recommendations:

·  Do not take pulpy and juicy fruits together

·  Do not take sugars, sweets with sweet fruits
·  Do not consume water over cucumber, melon, watermelon, papaya and banana
·  Milk and curd should not be consumed together
·  Citric fruits and milk, dairy products should not be taken together
·  Do not consume cold water as it reduces digestive power

They all lead to the formation of toxins and thereby increase unwanted elements in the body leading to various diseases.

Have a peaceful night! :)

What To Do When You Feel Really Tired??

While a good night's sleep is always the best solution for regaining energy, this is something that not everyone has the time for. So, when you're up late cramming for that huge test, here are some ways to help you stay alert and awake:

1. Drink a glass of water: Water keeps you hydrated, which gives you energy. This is extremely useful. Whenever you have a glass of water, it immediately refreshes your mind and nerves and you will feel some energy coming to you all of a sudden.
Try to drink 8 or more glasses of water a day and you may feel active and energetic throughout the day. Try to have water at regular intervals, so if you haven't had water from a long time then get yourself a glass of water. Its most probably free for you, isn't it?

2. Take short naps during the day: Now short naps are called as power naps and not without reason. They help to energize our tired bodies. Naps as short as 10-20 minutes during the day, specially in the afternoons, can really revive your dying energy levels and can make you go on for another couple of hours or more without any feeling of tiredness!

3. Eat lots of raw vegetables and fruits: They are low in calories. So you can have a lot of them without the danger of putting on too much of unwanted weight. Not only that but they are so rich in the essential nutrients that your body needs.
Include a lot of salad with your meals, and replace your unhealthy snacks like potato chips or oily items with carrots, cucumbers and other healthy food choices. You may soon notice a rise in your energy levels.

4. Spend some time in the sun: Try to get some morning sunshine. The early morning sunshine can be very beneficial to health, body as well as in keeping you active during the day.

5. Walk for 30 minutes: Seriously, walking is an excellent exercise. It provides movement to all parts of the body. If you can get into the habit of walking daily without fail for 15-30 minutes, then you may enjoy various health benefits.
Your energy levels may soar. You may feel motivated to have more physical activity than you are currently having. You may not feel like sitting in front of that T.V. and spoiling away your health and time.
The dose of fresh air that you can get when you go for a pleasant walk early in the mornings or evenings is also an excellent blessing. Walking alone may be boring for most, so try to take some friend along with you. Both of you can enjoy pleasant talk as well as benefit from the walking!

More Tips...

1. Get active. If you haven't had enough sleep, you will be lacking quite a lot of energy. Instead of slogging through the day, play basketball with your kids, eat, go for a bike-ride, or just get up and dance! And whatever you do, don't lie down on something comfortable.
2. Breathe deeply. This will allow your body to regain awareness and give you a chance to become emotionally well.
3. Do some yoga. If you used a lot of energy you can do yoga to regain it faster.
4. Eat food that releases energy over a prolonged period of time (such as a banana), eat healthy snacks (not junk food) or that contains protein.
5. Pour cold water over each wrist. This gets your blood circulating.
6. Drink a cup of ice or pour it down your back/pants. The cold will wake you up and the shock will get you to jump as in energy, and as previously stated, water keeps you hydrated, which gives you energy.
7. Do small tasks first. This will save your energy for the big things later.
8. Do not procrastinate! Putting off tasks will deplete you of time and motivation, get the work done and then have fun.
9. Don't eat within 2-3 hours of going to sleep/bed.
10. Happiness also usually helps people gain energy.

Warnings...

• Sleep deprivation is not a good habit to get into. With lack of sleep, you are more prone to catch viruses and become sick.
• Do not drink energy drinks. These are not good for your body, and only when you are burning calories by playing sports. That said, only drinks such as Gatorade are good while playing sports. "Energy drinks" like Red Bull have caused heart problems when taken with exercise. When you are lacking energy from sleep deprivation, energy drinks will only bring you up temporarily. In a short time you will "crash" from the large amount of sugar you ingested.
• Junk food is bad for your health and doesn't provide much useful nutrients. Avoid eating it.
• Avoid overdosing on television. It can be addicting and exhausting.
• Foods high in carbs only cause that 'sinking feeling' as your body is already tired and has to work that little bit more when burning off the food, especially if you are stationary and not constantly on the move.

Have a nice day! :)