Out of breath ? Try lemon

A cold glass of lemon water may protect your lungs against asthma. In fact, adding all things citrus such as grapefruit, oranges and lemons added to your shopping bucket may help reduce your risk of developing this respiratory problem, regardless of how active or how old you are.
Like most fruit, citrus is packed with nutrients that can help keep you healthy in general, and the ample amount of vitamin C in citrus fruit may have a particular benefit, it reduces risk of asthma. It has been found that adults who ate little or no fruit and shunned citrus were significantly more likely to have the wheezing and gasping symptoms of asthma.

Burning FAT

Your body needs sufficient vitamin C to burn fat and burning fat is key to keeping excess pounds away. So pop your C supplement, or snack on some C-rich orange / lemon before your next power walk. To keep the pounds you dropped from coming right back, you could start your day with some grapefruit, have an orange after lunch, or fill your dinner plate with C-rich veggies like red bell peppers and broccoli. So don’t skip your morning orange / lemon juice. And for a sophisticated twist to your lemonade, add some grated cucumber or ginger to your drink.

Eat and get glowing skin

* Low-fat dairy products.

The best sources for vitamin A. The health of your skin cells depends on dietary vitamin A.


* Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, plums.

These four fruits rate the highest when it comes to ‘total antioxidant capacity’. And you do know that antioxidants are great secrets to healthy skin!


* Healthy Oils.

Get the ones with essential fatty acids, like olive oil and canola oil. Good-quality oils keep skin well-lubricated.


* Wholewheat bread, muffins and cereals.

These are rich in selenium, which is known to work well against acne and also as an antioxidant.


* Green tea.

This deserves a category all its own in any article about foods for skin. It is anti-inflammatory and protects the cell membrane. It may even help prevent or reduce the risk of skin cancer.

* Water.
While the exact amount you should drink each day varies, no one disputes the role that good hydration plays in keeping your skin looking healthy and youthful. Though fluids like juice and soups are good, nothing works better than water.

Kiwi :The lesser known fruit

Formerly known as Chinese gooseberries, Kiwis are now extensively grown all over the world. These cylindrical fruits, are covered with a light brown fuzzy skin, which looks rather dull in comparison with its beautiful bright green interior. The flavour is delicate, yet refreshing and tangy.

Nutrition-wise, kiwi fruits contain about as much potassium as bananas, and also contain 1.5 times the DRI for Vitamin C. It is also rich in Vitamins A and E, and its black seeds can be crushed to produce kiwi fruit oil, which is very rich in Alfa-Linoleic Acid (an important Omega-3 essential fatty acid). Studies have proven that kiwi fruits are useful in improving conditions of asthmatic children, and in decreasing the probability of colon cancer by providing a good amount of dietary fibre. Please be aware that kiwi fruits can be allergic to some individuals, since they contain the protein-dissolving enzyme actinidin. The most common symptoms include itching of the mouth, lips and palate, but can range to a more severe level such as wheezing or collapsing.

The Most Nutritious Fruit !

This attractive fruit has a reddish-gold skin and inside creamywhite edible seeds. It is these seeds that give it its name, which means grain apple. Eating a pomegranate is quite hard work, as each fleshy seed must be picked out individually, but their delicate, slightly tart flavour and refreshing juicy texture make the effort worthwhile. Be warned, however, that the juice from the fruit leave indelible stains.

Pomegranates are not only delicious and beautiful, they’re also one of the most nutritious fruits you can eat. High in vitamin C and potassium, a good source of fibre and low in calories. Pomegranate juice is high in three different types of polyphenols, a potent form of antioxidants. The three types—tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid—are present in many fruits, but pomegranate juice contains particularly high amounts of all three. As antioxidants, they are credited with helping in the prevention of cancer and heart disease. So, whether you crunch fresh pomegranate seeds or drink the juice, feel guilt-free as you enjoy each delicious mouthful—you’re doing your body a favour!

The facts you never know about Pineapples !

** Always the symbol of hospitality, the beautiful pineapple was once a rare fruit. So rare in fact, it was called the fruit of kings

** Pineapples are the berry to a perennial herb, borne on a stem that emerges from a cluster of leaves just above the ground. It takes 18 to 22 months for a pineapple plant to produce a single 4 to 5 pound fruit. About a year later, the plant will produce a second fruit, smaller than the first

** The fibres of the pineapple leaf can be extracted to produce the pina textile

**The World War II Mark 2 hand grenade was commonly known as the pineapple because of the grooves cut into its surface. Writer Ian Fleming employed pineapple as a slang term for a grenade in his James Bond novels

The Valuable Lemon !

• Lemon juice is valued in the home as a stain remover, and a slice of lemon dipped in salt can be used to clean copper-bottomed cooking pots. Lemon juice has been used for bleaching freckles.

• Lemon peel oil is much used in furniture polishes, detergents, soaps and shampoos. It is important in perfume blending and especially in colognes.

• Petitgrain oil (up to 50 per cent citral), is distilled from the leaves, twigs and immature fruits of the lemon tree in West Africa, North Africa and Italy.

• Lemon peel, dehydrated, is marketed as cattle feed.

• Lemonade, when applied to potted plants, has been found to keep their flowers fresh longer than normal.

• Lemon wood is fine-grained, compact, and easy to work. In Mexico, it is carved into chessmen, toys, small spoons, and other articles.

• Lemon juice is widely known as a diuretic, antiscorbutic, astringent, and febrifuge.