Healthiest techniques to cook food

Grilling
Grilling exposes food to direct heat and meats that are grilled have a lesser fat content as the fat drips off as the food cooks. Also, the vegetables that are grilled retain more vitamins and minerals. But avoid using too much butter, cream or sauce over the food while it is being grilled as this piles on the calories.

Steaming
This simple process retains the nutritional value (B vitamins, minerals, niacin, potassium, zinc etc) and taste. To steam the food, place it in a perforated colander or basket placed above hot water. Using a flavoured liquid in the water imparts same flavour to the food being steamed. You can flavour the water with lemon juice, herbs, peppercorns and garlic. Steamed dimsums are the most popular example of this technique.

Roasting
The process of roasting is a dry technique unlike steaming and baking and involves cooking food in an uncovered pan in the oven. Roasting also takes place at higher temperatures. Chicken, meat and potatoes work well with this process and the meat gets a lovely brown crust.

Baking
Who said baking is just for desserts? You can also bake fish, meats, vegetables as well as fruit. The food is cooked via the dry, hot air present in the oven. A definite advantage is that there is no addition of sauce needed, so food tastes as natural as possible as it is cooked in its own juices.

Stir-frying
This traditional Asian method is one of the tir-fry is one of the fastest and easiest ways to cook vegetables. It involves stir-frying them quickly (roughly 5-6 minutes) in a large wok or pan. You need just a small amount of oil for this method. Avoid adding the usual soy, oyster and hoisin sauces as seasonings.

BP reading in both arms key for healthy heart: Study

NEW YORK: In a significant news for blood pressure (BP) patients and doctors alike, researchers have suggested to take BP reading in both arms, rather than the present system of measuring BP using one arm, for better cardiovasvular health.

The difference in interarm systolic blood pressure - where both arms are used for BP reading - has now been linked to greater risk of future cardiovascular events.

Measuring interarm blood pressure involves taking two readings, one for each arm.

Increased interarm systolic blood pressure differences are defined as 10 mmHg or greater.

"In this large community-based study, an increased interarm systolic blood pressure difference was found to be present in nearly 10 percent of individuals and is associated with increased levels of traditional cardiovascular risk factors," explained lead investigator Ido Weinberg from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.

"An increased interarm systolic blood pressure difference is associated with an increased risk for incident cardiovascular events, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors," he cautioned.

The researchers examined 3,390 participants aged 40 years and older, free of cardiovascular disease at baseline.

The investigators found that participants with higher interarm systolic blood pressure differences were at a much higher risk for future cardiovascular events than those with less than a 10mm Hg difference between arms.

The researchers also found that participants with elevated interarm blood pressure difference were older, had a greater prevalence of diabetes mellitus, higher systolic blood pressure and a higher total cholesterol level.

The investigators suggest doctors should consider including blood pressure readings in both arms in order to get the most accurate readings possible and detect any differences in interarm blood pressure.

Even modest differences in clinically-measured systolic blood pressures in the upper extremities reflect an increase in cardiovascular risk, said Weinberg in the research published in The American Journal of Medicine.

6 foods that act as pain relievers

Instead of popping a pill the next time you suffer from pain, opt for some of these healthier options easily available in your kitchen cabinets.

Cherries: According to research, these tiny, sweet fruits help in muscle repair. Have cherry juice or a bowl of this fruit post your work out.

Ginger: According to Ayurveda, adding fresh or dried ginger to your diet helps prevent and cure muscular and joint pains. According to research, it also helps curb swelling and stiffness.

Oats: Loaded with magnesium, oats have been seen to play a role in easing menstrual cramps and bring relief from endometriosis. Also containing zinc, they are recommended for women who suffer from painful periods.

Garlic: This pungent spice has been known to be a painkiller since centuries. Apply it on a skin rash or heat it with a tablespoon of olive oil and apply on the aching joints.

Grapes: A cup of grapes, eaten daily, can help relieve your backache. These fruits contain nutrients that increase blood circulation to the lower back, reducing the pain.

Cloves: This condiment helps fight toothache, and as a result, features in toothpastes. Dab a little clove oil on a cotton swab and put it on the aching tooth.

Female Orgasm: How to Achieve it?

Why is a female orgasm harder to come by? Experts fill you in

The female orgasm has forever been both a complex and an elusive phenomenon. Two recent studies in the US on orgasm rates for men and women in casual hook-ups revisit its mysterious ways. They confer that women aren't climaxing in casual flings nearly as often as they do in serious relationships. In one study, for instance, of 24,000 students across 21 colleges, 40 per cent of women were found to have had an orgasm during their last hook-up involving sex, against 80 per cent of men.

Be it the fact that men's privates are easier to arouse than a woman's, or a woman having to make do with a sexually inept partner, there's no denying that women — despite being blessed with the ability to have multiple orgasms — have a harder, longer road to the big O than a man. We get three experts to explain why there's an orgasm gap between men and women.

Dr Debby Herbenick, PhD, research scientist at Indiana University and author of Sex Made Easy
Vaginal intercourse is the most common sexual behaviour that men and women engage in together, and it's easier for men to have orgasms from intercourse than it is for women to do so. Some women find it easier to orgasm, or they orgasm more quickly, when they receive oral sex or when they or their partner stimulates them with fingers or a vibrator.

Some women feel pressured by their partner to have an orgasm. "Faking" an orgasm can feel easier than explaining to a partner in the heat of the moment that it just isn't going to happen. Some women who fake orgasms, say they do so because they don't want to hurt their partner's feelings or that they want sex to end. As for how an orgasm is worked up and triggered, both women and men have multiple pathways to orgasm, much of which is still poorly understood.

Communication can help both parties learn how to please their partners. It's not that either sex is "inept" but it helps to talk more openly about desire, likes, dislikes, and how we want to be pleasured. Orgasms are important to both women and men, but not necessarily every time they have sex. Intimacy and feeling connected are some of the most important parts of sex for both men and women.

Dr W Minder , sexpert 
Often, a woman doesn't reach an orgasm because the man may be suffering from premature ejaculation or he may be in a tearing hurry to get things done. I feel lack of foreplay plays a big factor in not arousing the woman enough to get her to go all the way. That and a man's indifference towards her need to have an orgasm as well. When it comes to how we are wired, man essentially works on a one-track mind which is focussed on ejaculation. Women however crave for a more wholesome experience, and often, also, a more emotionally involved one. Unlike men, women can have multiple orgasms but there are shortcomings on both sides that lead to the woman not climaxing. In any case, orgasms have only recently been hyped by the media as the be-all and end-all of a sexual encounter. It doesn't have to be that way. In fact, the truly happy couples are those that enjoy their sex lives without bothering about orgasms.

Dr J Anderson, consultant andrologist
For women, it's often harder to reach an orgasm because of various psycho-social issues apart from their partners' sexual ineptness. Anatomically, male and female bodies co-relate to each other and ideally both should be able to have orgasms as easily. With men, sex is more active and obvious. If he is aroused, he gets an erection and if he has an orgasm, he ejaculates. Women though don't have a definite marker for orgasm. That's why women can easily fake it just to go with the flow.

Women need more stimulation and for a longer duration, so it all comes down to technique. While women are capable of having as many orgasms, it's more vulnerable to external factors. Also, our society is male-biased to an extent where a woman's sexuality is considered less important. Somewhere, women too may feel unimportant about having an orgasm, or guilty about bringing up the issue of not having one. Sex and orgasm is still largely suppressed for women, but this is changing now. Though orgasms don't have to be such a big deal, it's hard for couples today to escape the big hype that's spun around the big O.

10 first-time experiences for newlyweds

Transition to married life is filled with many milestone "firsts," which strengthen the relationship with a spouse.

The Huffington Post has compiled a list of things that happen for the first time after a marriage:

The first ever fight between a couple is a lot more different and is a lot more charged, the Huffington Post reported.

Secondly, getting together with friends after the wedding is a little strange as some of them may feel that their married-by-30-clock is ticking, or become bitter that the newlyweds have "the perfect life."

Another first that a newlywed has is their first major purchase together.

The in-laws' problem is another first for the newlyweds as a husband is used to his family's flaws: He's learned how to tune out Mom's criticisms, Dad's elitisms, his sister's jealousy. And he just wants his wife to let their comments roll off their back too.

The first time a couple is asked when they are having a baby also makes the list.

It is also a must-do for many newlyweds to host a dinner party.

Another first is when a husband is approached by the first "flirty girl."

Then comes the part when the couple establish their first tradition together while honouring established rituals that were passed down from both of your families.

The married holiday together is one more first.

And lastly, the time you get scared of losing your loving spouse.