Food for Healthy Brain

Brain needs most are omega-3 fatty acids, which enhances neuronal communication and promotes neuronal growth.
Food for thought: Science is telling us that consuming the right nutrients can help our health, aging process, and more efficient brain-body functioning.

1. Eggs

Egg yolks contain choline. Studies are showing how deficiencies in choline may contribute to age related mental decline.
2. Leafy Greens
Our mothers were so right to make us eat vegetables, since leafy greens are rich in folic acid which is essential for the metabolism of the long chain fatty acids in your brain.
3. Lean Beef
Lean beef is one of the best brain foods because is rich in vitamin B12, iron and zinc. These vitamins and minerals have been shown to maintain a healthy neural tissue. Iron deficiency may affect mental performance.
4. Berries Including Blueberries, Strawberries or Blackberries
People who eat strawberries improve their memory and their motor skills. In addition, their critical antioxidant properties can protect your brain from the oxidative process.
5. Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate does not only taste good but it is also an excellent nutrient for the brain. Dark chocolate is one of the best natural stimulant offering incredible concentration powers and very powerful antioxidant properties containing natural stimulants that increase the production of feel-good endorphins. Trick: You need to find dark chocolate with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving for optimal benefits.
6. Salmon
Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which studies have shown to be essential for brain function.
7. Ground Cinnamon and Dried Oregano
Certain spices have powerful antioxidant properties.
8. Walnuts
“A snack that looks like a brain it can’t be bad for your brain” Walnuts are rich in protein and contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins E and B6, which all promote healthy neural tissue.
9. Whole Grains
Whole grains deliver fiber and vitamin E that help promote cardiovascular health, which helps improve the circulation to the brain.
10. Yogurt
Yogurt and other dairy foods are filled with protein and vitamin B that are essential to nerve cells and improve the communication between nerve cells.
             Last and not least add plenty of water since proper hydration helps your brain perform at a high levels.
             Nutrients are not only for your body they are absolutely crucial for your brain. Life is about choices and selecting the right nutrients can play a key role in your health.

Pimples (Acne): Cause, Ayurvedic treatment

Pimples are related to both hormones and facial skin health. Ayurvedic treatment for pimple offers great benefits in both these aspects. In Ayurveda, it is called Youvana Pidaka. Youvana means youth and Pidaka means a skin eruption.
Most of the teenagers approach for its cure and most of the time they opt some skin care lotions, soaps, ointments or fresh herbal pastes. But important factors, which lie in blood toxic components, metabolic waste products in blood, hormone imbalances, stress, bad skin health etc are usually neglected in such incidences.
Causes for Acne as per Ayurveda –
Ayurveda points out following reasons for the manifestation of Pimples-
1. Intake of fried and junk food – vitiates Kapha and Pitta, leads to blood vitiation and acne.
2. Night awakening – leads to normal body rhythm imbalance, stress metabolism imbalance, leading to toxins and acne.
3. Over usage of cosmetics – direct impact on facial skin
4. Stress and anxiety – leading to metabolism imbalance and toxins.
5. Physiological changes taking place during adolescence – attributed to hormonal imbalance.
6. Excess intake of non vegetarian food.
As per modern science, Acne is caused when the hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells.
It is caused
1. Due to over production of skin oil (sebum, which is produced by a gland at the root of hair follicle)
2. Irregular shedding of dead skin cells resulting in irritation of the hair follicles of your skin
3. Bacteria
4. Hormone imbalance related to menstrual cycle in females, and puberty in men causes acne. Even corticosteroids and androgen hormones used in treatment in certain conditions, causes acne.
5. Even pregnancy related hormone fluctuation leads to pimples.
6. Family history
Origin of Acne as per Ayurveda – (Yuvana pidaka):
Above said reasons provoke vata and pitta dosha in the body. In turn they lead to vitiation of Rakta (blood) and Mamsa dhatu (muscle tissues).This causes constant irritation in the localized areas like face, neck, chest and back and thus multiple small elevated lesions are manifested. Such eruptions are known as Pimples (Youvana pidaka).
Tips and treatment in Ayurveda for Pimples:
1. Thorough wash by lukewarm water three or four times a day
2. Bloods purifying and detoxifying herbs possessing astringent and bitter tastes. Astringent taste helps to dry up the oil (cebum) and bitters like neem, turmeric etc have anti-bacterial effect, they cleanse the acne and heal it quick.
3. Complexion enhancers like turmeric, sandal wood paste etc
4. Coolants and mind soothening medicins
5. Hormone balancing therapy, if the cause lies in it.
Herbs used in treating acne –
1. Nimba – Neem- Well-known blood purifier and it prevents from further worsening of skin
2. Haridra-Turmeric-It helps to give luster  to the face and it helps to reduce the oily nature of the skin.
3. Daruharidra – Berberis aristata-It reduces the acne scars and gives glow to the face.
4. Sariva – Hemidesmus indicus – It acts as coolant and promotes the complexion of the skin. Also a good blood purifier.
5. Chandana – Sandal wood – Soothens the skin.
6. Rakta Chandana -Red sandal – Improves the blood circulation and purifies the blood.
7. Jatiphala – Nutmeg-Application helps to reduce the scar mark.
8. Usheera – Vetiver -Acts as coolant and relieves the stress.
9. Manjishta – Rubia cordifolia – Purifies the blood and improves blood circulation.
10. Amalaki – Indian Gooseberry – Amla-Nourishes the skin and blood.
11. Khadira – Kattha-Acacia catechu-Well known blood purifier.
12. Draksha – Raisins -Acts as coolant and improves the blood circulation.
13. Shatavari, Ashwagandha, Ashoka etc – to correct hormonal imbalance
Ayurvedic medicines for acne –
Oral medicines –
1. Kaishora guggulu – Useful in many disorders involving Vata and Pitta – like gout, useful in wound healing
2. Triphala guggulu – dries up the cebum, clears the channels and pores
3. Arogya Vardhini Vati – good liver enzyme booster, Pitta balancing.
4. Mahamanjishtadi kashaya – Oneof the best Kashaya to detoxify and cleanse blood.
5. Panchanimba choorna – Fights skin infection
6. Triphaladi kashaya – Useful in cleansing the pores.
7. Avipathi choorna – Useful in Pitta imbalance conditions. Especially if the acne is due to high sun exposure, hot weather etc.
8. Sarivadyasava – useful in blood purification and detoxification
9. Khadirarishta – blood purification, useful in wide variety of skin disorders
10. Usheerasava – blood purification, useful in wide variety of skin disorders
11. Chandanasava – Especially useful in oily skin, to dry up sebum.
12. Aravindasava – blood tonic.
External application:
1. Kumkumadi oil
2. Nalpamaradi oil
3. Mukhadooshikari Lepam
Panchakarma for acne treatment –
In extreme cases of Acne, Ayurvedic panchakarma treatments like Vamana (vomiting therapy) and Virechana (purgation treatment) are very effective.
Wholesome diet and habits for acne –
1. Lukewarm water intake
2. Intake of easily digestible food
3. Intake raw vegetables like carrot, cucumber etc
4. Intake of fruits like guava, apple, pear etc
5. Sleeping for at least 6-7 hours at night
6. Anti stress techniques like Pranayama – Learn how to do pranayama
7. Exposure to bright sunlight
Unwholesome diet and habits for acne –
Excess spices that increase Pitta.
Excess sun exposure
Pricking or touching the acne area repeatedly, leading to worsening of infection
Sleeping with the makeup on.
Ayurvedic home remedies for Acne:
1. Prepare a fine paste of the tender leaves of guava, mango and pomegranate and apply over the lesions of acne regularly. It helps to reduce the spots of acne and enhances the glow of the face. This is more beneficial to those who have oily skin.
2. Red ixora flowers and petals of rose are crushed well and made into fine paste. To this little turmeric is added and ground well. This fine paste helps to relieve the scars caused due to acne.
3. The outer skin (obtained on juice extraction) of the lemon is dried and made into ash.This is mixed with little buttermilk and applied over the area of acne. Repeated practice of this for 10-12 days helps to reduce the lesions of acne.
4. In case of cystic acne, where there is local skin infection, applying neem leaf paste or neem – turmeric paste is very useful.

Foods That Can Enhance Sexual Stamina

Eating the right foods can enhance passion and increase sexual stamina for both men and women. There are many medications that can get you through a good night in the bedroom and increase your stamina in bed, but it takes the right diet to get you through the rest of your life, including fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

Foods That Can Enhance Sexual Stamina Let’s look at popular veg foods that increase sexual stamina and keeps your body healthy and energetic. These sex foods include the following:
1. Banana Bananas are good for sexual health.They naturally imbued with B vitamins that increases our stamina levels and helps to de-stress us. Bananas also contain tryptophan, which is an amino acid needed to produce serotonin, which is called the ‘feel good’ hormones. Bananas are high in potassium, used to produce sex hormones, increase our sex drive, and improve our heart system. They also contain bromelain, which is an enzyme that helps to improve the body’s blood flow and increase low libido problems.
2. Peanut Butter Peanut butter is rich in monounsaturated fats, which boosts dopamine levels. Dopamine is the responsible chemical compound that increases a woman’s sexual emotions. Peanuts also are high in zinc which has been proven scientifically to increase a man’s sperm count and the sperm’s motility.
3. Beetroot Juice Beetroot is high in nitrates, which is changed to nitrites, by bacterial anaerobes when it lands on our tongue. Beetroot juice is one of the world’s “super foods,” because of its many benefits for the human body, including increasing sexual stamina. The juice richly increased the red blood cells to enable more energy production and oxygen, to be circulated throughout the body, especially to the sexual organs for better erections and orgasms.
4. Red Grapes Nature’s red grapes are the immune system’s cheerleader. The red grapes contain a chemical compound called “stilbenoids” and “resveratrol,” which are heart healthy solutions to help stave off heart attacks, strokes, and provides lots of energy for increased sexual stamina. Eating a hand full of red grapes equips you with bountiful minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, all of which gives men and women longer lasting stamina for life’s daily routines and especially in the boudoir.
5. Oatmeal Having a bowl of oatmeal for men is like having a spoonful of Viagra. Oatmeal helps penile muscles to relax, allowing a healthy blood flow into the penis. It also boosts testosterone levels in the bloodstream and its helps to strengthen sex drives and orgasms in both men and women. Oats alone contain L-arginine, which is an amino acid that has been used to treat erectile dysfunction.
6. Coffee Coffee houses are going to love the fact that coffee is sexually beneficial. Caffeinated coffee is a stimulate but for the right body parts. It helps to enhance sexual arousal if consumed in moderate amounts. Many athletes are encouraged to consume caffeinated coffee before they workout because it boosts their cardio system allowing them to burn more calories. When men and women drink a cup before sex, their performance can also produce the same results.
7. Beans Beans are naturally pure protein. Protein helps to build the body’s muscle system and they are good for the heart, especially kidney, garbanzos, black beans, and navy beans. They are rich in potassium, fiber, and antioxidants, all of which helps to increase sexual stamina and energy for longer lasting sexual performance. People who consume more beans, are healthier and they don’t have a weight problem.
8. Citrus Fruits Men who eat more citrus fruits like grapefruits and oranges can improve their sperm count and motility. Citrus fruits can boost bedtime performance due to its vast Vitamin C contents to improve better sperm health in men and to help infertility chances in both men and women. With its product of antioxidants, men and women can enjoy mental focus, improved mood, and decreases stress for better erections.
9. Brown Rice Brown rice is another sex enhancing food that contains many compounds that are beneficial for the whole body, including manganese that helps control the nervous system for better penile erections and a healthy reproductive system.
10. Apples Adam and Eve found out that apples contain Phenylethylamine which gives men and women a natural feeling of excitement and arousal. When you want to have good sex, eat apples that are rich in nutrients need by the penile area, testicles, prostate glands, veins and arteries, in opening up a healthy blood flow to help achieve and maintain an erection.
11. Soya Bean Soya beans are the super heroes of super foods. It contains a plant hormone called “Genistein,” which boosts the production of collagen and is helpful in women going through menopause. Genistein helps to boost estrogen levels and keeps the skin looking youthful.
12. Maca Maca is an herbal root that is akin to the radish family and it is a Viagra favored plant in South America. Maca is well renowned as an aphrodisiac for healthy sex drives and performance. It is highly rich in Vitamin B which also increases the body’s energy levels and is a stress relieving plant.
13. Dry Fruits Dry fruits have been proven to be effective in helping sexual impotency. Daily consumption of dry fruit varieties, help to increase sexual stamina.
14. Pumpkin In the form of pumpkin seeds, this zinc laden food product is important in the production of testosterone levels and improved sexual desires in men and women. Pumpkin seeds are rich in the health fatty acid known as omega 3, which acts like a hormone substance in sexual health conditions like sexual drive and fertility.
15. Corn Yes, corn is a starch vegetable, which is high in fiber and has many benefits to the human body. One of its many components is the mineral, manganese. Manganese stabilizes our blood sugar levels, breaks down carbs and fat for increased stamina and energy. It also strengthens the tissue system throughout our bodies, including the tissues of our sexual organs.
Conclusion Each of these foods are not only delicious, but with a varied daily diet of their goodness, they will give you and your partner the endurance to keep the love going. These foods will help remove the plaque off the arterial walls to keep your blood flowing and your love life ongoing.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Health Benefits

Ancient Healing History of Apple Cider Vinegar
The use of vinegar as medicine probably started soon after it was discovered. Its healing virtues are extolled in records of the Babylonians, and the great Greek physician Hippocrates reportedly used it as an antibiotic. Ancient Greek doctors poured vinegar into wounds and over dressings as a disinfectant, and they gave concoctions of honey and vinegar to patients recovering from illness. In Asia, early samurai warriors believed vinegar to be a tonic that would increase their strength and vitality. During the Civil War and World War I & II, American medical medics used this vinegar to combat indigestion, pneumonia and scurvy.
Top 22 Health Wonders Of Apple Cider Vinegar
Weight Loss
Apple Cider Vinegar has long been used to alleviate weight loss since it stimulates the body’s metabolic rate helping burn fat vigorously.
Wart Cure
By soaking the warts affected area for 20 minutes per day in a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water or applying a bandage of ACV soaked cotton pad over the affected area overnight, warts will diminish and disappear.Apple Cider Vinegar: History, Health Benefits, and Side Effects
Fights Yeast Infections
Apple Cider Vinegar’s antibacterial and antifungal properties relieve women affected by Candida, a fungal infection and other yeast and fungus infections of the skin, foot and toe nails.
Maintains Healthy Cholesterol Levels
Research has indicated that apple cider vinegar improves the lipid profile of blood by decreasing the levels of triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or bad cholesterol, as also by increasing the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) or good cholesterol.
Improves Bone Health
The abundance of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and other vital minerals, helps apple cider vinegar boost and maintain bone density and strength.
Steadies Blood Pressure
Both high blood pressure or low blood, a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water every day can stabilize blood pressure.
Fights Diabetes
The anti-glycemic effects of apple cider vinegar help to improve insulin sensitivity, steady your stomach’s rate of digestion, helping maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Hair Care
Acetic acid, the main ingredient in ACV destroys the Malassezia furfur fungus, restore the pH balance of the scalp, cleanses the effect of toxic hair lotions, strengthens the hair shafts and treats dandruff in the hair, leaving shiny lustrous hair.
Fights Arthritis
The potassium in cider vinegar works to prevent calcium build-up in the joints, which is linked to joint stiffness and other bone diseases like arthritis.
Skin Toner
Apple cider vinegar reduces inflammation, balances pH levels and absorbs excessive oil and fights variety of skin problems from psoriasis, eczema, dry skin, age or liver spots, sunburns, acne and blemishes.
Mouth Freshener
Due to its acidic properties, a rinse of apple cider vinegar mixed with water, helps reduce bad breath or halitosis.
Stops Hiccups or Acid Reflux
Acid reflux or hiccups is caused by an underproduction of stomach acid. Apple Cider Vinegar restores the acid balance in the stomach and eases irritating spasms of the diaphragm.
Relieves Gastrointestinal Distress
Apple Cider Vinegar’s pectin, with its antibiotic property relieves the symptoms of diarrhea caused by a bacterial infection and forms a protective coat for soothing the colon lining and intestinal spasms.
Prevents Indigestion
A concoction ofApple cider vinegar with honey in warm water helps cure issues with indigestion.
Soothe Sore Throat
Gargling with apple cider vinegar in warm water can soothe a sore throat as its acidic property kills germs.
Soothe Insect Bites
Apple cider vinegar has been an ancient remedy to stop itching induced by a nasty insect bites.
Clears Stuffy Nose
Ingesting a drink of apple cider vinegar with a glass of warm water, helps stimulate the unblocking of the sinus.
Replenishes Energy Levels
Apple cider vinegar contains potassium and enzymes that negate fatigue causing lactic acid build up, due to post workouts or stress.
Reduces Swelling
One to two capfuls of apple cider vinegar in warm bath helps expel toxins, moisturizes skin, and soothes aching and swollen hands and feet.
Teeth Whitener
Gargling with apple cider vinegar helps remove stains, whiten teeth, and kills bacteria in your mouth and gums.
Reduces Varicose Veins
Apple Cider Vinegar improves circulation, eases the bulging and swelling of varicose veins, eases pain and makes it less noticeable.
Natural Deodorant
Rubbing Apple cider vinegar in your underarms helps absorb and neutralize odors without blocking the natural ability of tLhe body to sweat and detoxify.
Side Effects and Safety Concerns
1. Undiluted apple cider vinegar, in liquid or pill form, may damage the esophagus and other parts of the digestive tract. Apple cider vinegar drinks may damage tooth enamel if sipped.
2. One case report linked excessive apple cider vinegar consumption with low blood potassium levels (hypokalemia) and low bone mineral density. People with osteoporosis, low potassium levels, and those taking potassium-lowering medications should use caution.
3. People with allergies to apples should avoid apple cider vinegar.
4. Vinegar applied to the skin may cause burns and scarring.
5. Excessive doses of apple cider vinegar have been found to cause damage to the stomach, duodenum, and liver in animals.
              Vinegar continues to be used as a medicine in recent times and has gained a “super food” status. Natural-healing enthusiasts and vinegar fans continue to honor and use many of those folk remedies.

Health Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar

12 Awesome Health Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar
1. Reduce sinus infections and sore throats
2. Balance high cholesterol
3. Cure skin conditions such as acne
4. Protect against food poisoning
5. Fight allergies in both humans and animals
6. Prevent muscle fatigue after exercise
7. Strengthen the immune system
8. Increase stamina
9. Increase metabolism which promotes weight loss
10. Improve digestion and cure constipation
11. Alleviate symptoms of arthritis and gout
12. Prevents bladder stones and urinary tract infections