The best loved root vegetable-Carrots

Years before, vegetables were often served merely as an accessory to meat. But carrots always made an appearance, often overcooked but still eaten. Young carrots braised in butter are intensely flavoured and sweet, while steamed carrots are tender. Carrots grated into salads taste fresh and clean, while in casseroles, they are savoury with the characteristic carrot flavour. In soups they are fragrant and mild, and in cakes their flavour can hardly be detected, yet their sweetness adds richness.
The orange-coloured taproot of the carrot contains a high concentration of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a substance that is converted to vitamin A in the human body. A 1/2 cup serving of cooked carrots contains four times the recommended daily intake of vitamin A in the form of protective beta-carotene. Betacarotene is also a powerful antioxidant effective in fighting against some forms of cancer, especially lung cancer. Current research suggests that it may also protect against stroke, and heart disease. Carrots are also a very good source of dietary fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, foliate and manganese, and a good source of vitamin B6, pantothenic acid and iron. But to obtain maximum benefit it is best to eat them raw.

Mushroom fresh !

When it comes to selenium content, mushrooms surpass all other items in the produce category. White button mushrooms are also good selenium sources. With a significant amount of selenium in every serving, mushrooms could turn out to be important ingredients in a cancer-fighting diet, especially in lowering the risk of prostate cancer.
They are also good sources of three essential B-vitamins: riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. Mushrooms are a particularly rich source of riboflavin: a serving of white mushrooms supplies one-quarter of what we need daily. They are rather under-recognised source of potassium, an element that helps regulate blood pressure, helps keep the right balance of water in fat and muscle tissues, and helps ensure the proper functioning of cells.
Whether you’re counting carbs or calories—or just trying to include more health foods in your diet—fresh mushrooms are an ideal fit. Five medium mushrooms contain only 20 calories, 3 grams of carbohydrate, and are virtually fat free.

HOW TO COOK MUSHROOMS
There is nothing like fried mushrooms on toast for breakfast, served sizzling hot straight from the pan. Once cooked, mushrooms go soft and flabby, they taste okay, but the pleasure is not so great. They are largely composed of water and shrink noticeably during cooking. They also take up a lot of fat as they cook so it is best to use butter or a good olive oil for frying. Fry them briskly so that as they shrink the water evaporates and they don’t stew in their own juices. For the same reason, do not fry too many mushrooms at once in the same pan. Mushrooms should also never be washed but wipe with a damp cloth or a kitchen towel. Unless the skins are very discoloured, it should not be necessary to peel them, although you probably will need to trim the very base of the stem.

How safe are Silicon Breast Implants ?

Acomprehensive review of research on the safety of silicone breast implants has revealed that the practice does not increase the risk of cancer, connective tissue diseases, or other serious chronic diseases.

Lead authors Joseph K McLaughlin, PhD, and Loren Lipworth, ScD, of the International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, Md, and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn, performed the review to evaluate the risk of cancer after cosmetic breast implants. The results have been “remarkably consistent” in showing no evidence of an increase in breast cancer or other cancers among women with breast implants.

One study reported an increased risk of lung cancer, but that was explained by the much higher rate of smoking among women with implants. Another concern has been that implants would interfere with the detection of early-stage breast cancers by mammography. Some studies suggest that mammography may in fact be less sensitive in women with implants. However, no study till date has found evidence that breast cancer survival rates are lower in women with breast implants.