Wine , Fish and Chocolate fights with Wrinkles

WINE
Drinking alcohol in moderation protects against heart disease, diabetes and age-related memory loss. Any kind of alcoholic beverage seems to provide such benefits, but red wine has been the focus of much of the research. Red wine contains resveratrol, a compound that contributes to its benefits — and, according to animal studies, may activate genes that slow cellular aging.
FISH
Thirty years ago, researchers began to study why the native Inuits of Alaska were remarkably free of heart disease. The reason, scientists now think, is the extraordinary amount of fish they consume. Fish is an abundant source of omega-3 fats, which help prevent cholesterol build-up in arteries and protect against abnormal heart rhythms.
CHOCOLATE
The Kuna people of the San Blas islands, off the coast of Panama, have a rate of heart disease that is nine times less than that of mainland Panamanians. The reason? The Kuna drink plenty of a beverage made with generous proportions of cocoa, which is unusually rich in flavanols that help preserve the healthy function of blood vessels. Maintaining youthful blood vessels lowers risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and dementia.
Courtesy TOI

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.

Wide Open Ear !

From mushy songs to parental advice to soporific college lectures, your ears help you hear all these. Can you imagine life with ears that didn’t hear properly? You don’t want to, right? So, take good care of your ears!
COMMON EAR PROBLEMS
Infections: Fungal, bacterial or viral; may lead to watery or pus-filled discharge. Hearing impairment: Occurs when sound is not conducted properly into the eardrum; could be due to fluid, pus or blood in the middle ear.
DOS AND DON’TS
• Be careful when you bathe. Don’t let
water, shampoo or soap get inside your
ear as it can lead to painful infections.
• Never, ever clean your ear with
matchsticks, pens or any other sharp objects. Always use a soft-tipped cotton bud.
• In fact, you don't need to use ear buds all the time. Ears have a self-cleaning mechanism. Gently wipe them with a towel if water has gone in.
• Try to avoid loud and noisy places such as discotheques.

No more FAT in schoolchildren !

Obesity is the increased fat content in the body. Now a major health problem in India, even underweight Indians have higher fat content than overweight foreigners. In a survey conducted recently, almost 60 per cent middleaged, working-class Indians in Mumbai were found to be overweight. In another survey, over 30 per cent children in Delhi’s elite schools were in the same category.
It’s ideal if schools ban vending machines and soft drinks and serve healthy meals and snacks in their canteens.

Diet control:

*Eat 3-4 regular meals per day * Avoid calorieheavy snacks* Select healthy food when eating out * Consume skimmed milk to reduce fat intake * Avoid soft drinks *Reduce using oil/ghee/butter at home to less than 500 ml per person per month * Select whole wheat products over white flour/white rice * Have lots of fruits and vegetables daily * Drink adequate water that helps one as much to eat less as well as remain hydrated * Avoid alcohol
Exercise On :
* Regular sports should become mandatory. In daily life, ensure physical activity whenever possible, like take the staircase instead of the elevator.


Walk for at least half an hour.