9 foods men need to eat

Here is a list of essential foods for good health

While many men are less conscious about what they eat, experts say that at times, eating healthy can mean different things for men and women because both sexes have their own set of dietary requirements.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes are also known as superfoods because of their numerous benefits. Tomatoes contain lycopene, which, studies say help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease and lower cholesterol — all common ailments in men.

Oysters
Oysters have high levels of zinc — essential for men's fertility and sexual health. Zinc maintains healthy testosterone levels and is excellent for healthy sperm production. It is also great for the hair.

Whole grains
Whole grains contain healthy levels of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Whole grains like oats and brown rice have healthy amounts of B vitamins, good for over-all well-being and they also help alleviate depression. Studies also say that folate can keep sperm healthy, while biotin helps curb hair loss.

Garlic
While garlic is known for the role it plays in protecting the heart, it is said that men who consume garlic regularly have lower cholesterol levels.

Salmon
Not only is salmon a great source of protein, it is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to lowered levels of bad cholesterol. They also reduce the risk of heart disease, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and depression.

Blueberries
Experts say that blueberries have high levels of proanthocyanidins, which are linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Blueberries are also said to be effective in reducing the risk of heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes and age-related memory loss.

Broccoli
Broccoli, as well as cabbage and sprouts, contains a strong cancer-fighting chemical called sulphoraphane, which is said to reduce men's risk of developing bladder cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer.

Eggs
Suffering from hair loss? Make sure you include eggs in your diet. Eggs have high sources of protein, important for hair growth. The yolk is also a good source of iron.

Pomegranate juice
Pomegranate juice helps lower cholesterol levels and prevent hypertension because it is packed with vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. Some studies have also suggested that having pomegranate juice daily can slow down the progress of prostate cancer.

Men prefer virgins, but not women!

A new study has found that women want to be bedded by experienced men, but men prefer to have women who have had no experience whatsoever. 

According to a study for MSN, women prefer the likes of serial-dater George Clooney, while men go for girl-next-door types such as Holly Willoughby or Myleene Klass over sex sirens, the Daily Star reported.

The study also found that 1 in 10 men want to have bedded at least 11 women before meeting their ideal partner and just 5 percent women wish they had slept with more than 10 men before meeting their life partner.

The findings also showed that both the sexes prefer witty partners.

Reasons why you MUST eat garlic

Reasons garlic is good for you

- Garlic is antiviral and antifungal. It has been used for centuries for its antibacterial properties. The chemical component of garlic, allicin, has been shown to prevent the growth of the candida albicans fungus.

- Garlic can reduce cholesterol. Its powerful antioxidant properties prevent free radical damage to the arterial lining and stop the formation of scar tissue.

- Eat garlic to lower your blood pressure. Garlic has the ability to decrease platelet stickiness, which will help in making your blood thinner.

- Garlic can help to regulate blood sugar levels, which is good for people with type 2 diabetes.

- Baked potatoes and baked garlic with cress salad — this is a simple way to eat garlic and tastes great

- Fight colds and flu by eating garlic whenever you can in soups and salads. It's also delicious as a roasted vegetable

Green coffee beans can make you thin

Scientists today reported striking new evidence that green, or unroasted, coffee beans can produce a substantial decrease in body weight in a relatively short period of time. 

In the study Joe Vinson's team described how a group of overweight or obese people who consumed a few milligrams of ground green coffee beans each day lost about 10 per cent of their weight. 

"Based on our results, taking multiple capsules of green coffee extract a day - while eating a low-fat, healthful diet and exercising regularly - appears to be a safe, effective, inexpensive way to lose weight," said Vinson, who is with the University of Scranton. 

The study involved 16 overweight or obese people aged 22-26 years who took capsules of the extract or capsules containing a placebo, an inactive powder, for a total of 22 weeks. The subjects alternated between a low dose and a higher dose of the extract. The low dose consisted of 700mg of the coffee extract, and the high dose was 1,050mg. It was a so-called "crossover" study in which people cycled through the two doses and the placebo, each for six weeks. Such studies have advantages because each person serves as his or her own "control," improving the chances of getting an accurate result. 

All of the participants were monitored for their overall diet (calories, food eaten, etc.) and exercise over the study period. "Their calories, carbohydrates, fats and protein intake did not change during the study, nor did their exercise regimen change," Vinson said. 

Participants lost an average of 7 kilos during the 22 weeks of the study. It included an average of a 10.5 per cent decrease in overall body weight and a 16 per cent decrease in body fat. Vinson noted that weight loss might have been significantly faster, except that participants received the placebo and the lower dose of green coffee extract for part of the study period. 

For questions specific to your health conditions, please write down in the comments section and we will answer it as soon as possible. Thanks

Researchers say a little alcohol everyday helps improve your immune system

Researchers have suggested that moderate drinking of alcohol may actually bolster one's immune system and help it fight off infection.

To conduct the study, the researchers trained a group of 12 rhesus macaques to consume alcohol — a 4 percent ethanol mixture — of their own accord.

Researchers vaccinated the monkeys against small pox as part of the study. They then separated the animals into two groups — those with access to the 4 per cent ethanol and those with access to sugar water. All of the animals had regular access to pure water, and to food.

The researchers then monitored the animals' daily ethanol consumption for 14 months. And the animals were vaccinated again, seven months after the experiment began.

The monkeys' voluntary ethanol consumption segregated them into two groups. One group was made up of heavy drinkers, those that had an average blood ethanol concentration greater than 0.08 per cent — the legal limit for humans to be able to drive a vehicle. The other group was made up of moderate drinkers, with an average blood ethanol concentration of 0.02 to 0.04 per cent.

Prior to consuming the alcohol, all of the animals showed comparable responses to the vaccination. But after exposure to the alcohol, the two groups of monkeys responded in very different ways to the vaccination.

The heavy drinkers showed greatly diminished vaccine responses compared with the control group of monkeys who drank the sugar water. But the more surprising finding: the moderate-drinking monkeys displayed enhanced responses to the vaccine compared to the control group. Moderate drinking bolstered their bodies' immune systems.

8 Things women desperately want from men

Someone once said 'To generalize on women is dangerous. To specialize on them is infinitely worse'.

Well, what women want still remains the unanswered question across the globe. However, men needn't lose hope for all is not lost. There are still a good number of things that most women like. Here are a few from the long list which can perhaps help you make her fall head over heels in love with you. Take your pick to woo and sweep her off her feet!

Superman: Women love to be protected. So show in more ways than one to prove that you will be her saviour should your damsel land in distress! Women are always in awe of men who can step up in times of conflicts. Be sure you grab every opportunity that situation throws at you.

Smell good: Deodorant Ads may be going overboard showing men being lured by women's perfume. But the other way is also true. Choose a deo that suits you. Especially if it's your first date, it's best not to try anything experimental. Know what smells best on you. Remember, what smelt heavenly on your friend might stink on your skin! For everything depends on your body odour. When you spray perfume on your body, what you smell is a combination of the deo spray and your body odour. Choose wise.

Surprises galore: Women love surprises be it chocolates, love notes, gifts or even a bouquet of flowers. Women don't mind them in any numbers. You are sure to score brownie points with this one!

Transparency: Honesty is still the best policy. Never lie to her if you are thinking of a long-term relationship. Never mind you will face some initial flak, but eventually you will win over her trust.

Perfect body: What with the celebrities being obsessed with getting a six pack or eight pack abs, girls too go ga ga over men with a well-toned body. Get into the habit of regular workout so you can make heads turn!

Dress well: Nothing turns off a women than a poorly-dressed man. Do a style-check, spot the trends in fashion, speak to a stylist to find out what looks best on you. Clothes maketh man literally!

Crowning glory: Nothing like a funky haircut! A good hairstyle can give you a different look altogether. What are you waiting for? Get that stunner look so you can impress that chick you have been eyeing.

Magic of your hands: You might have taken your girlfriend to the hottest restaurants in town, yet she will not mind if you can cook one of her favourite dishes (or even plain instant noodles) when she's hungry. Such moments are never forgotten.

Why fitness is better than weight loss

Why do you exercise - only to lose weight or for fitness? If you're slim and lean, you don't have to pump iron - true or false? As long as I watch what I eat I am healthy, do you agree? Most people believe in these false and mythical 'facts'. 

Fitness is a product of healthy diet and exercise, sleep and well being. 'Physical fitness is considered a measure of the body's ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations' as mentioned in Wikipedia, Fitness. Here is why fitness is a far better goal than weight loss in the long run.

Difference between Weight loss and Fitness

While all fitness does involve weight loss, all weight loss does not involve fitness. One can lose weight - the unhealthy way - through crash dieting, over-exercising, weight loss pills and several other, equally, harmful quack weight loss methods.

There is a finer point here: Unhealthy weight loss involves losing mostly muscle and a little bit of topical fat. Visceral fat, or fat that is stored internally around organs, does not budge with unhealthy weight loss practises. In fact, it increases manifold due to the starvation mode that you set off with unhealthy dieting.

Pursuing general fitness and well being, on the other hand, takes care of the harmful body fat, while giving you a healthier mind and body and, yes, burning, calories. Weight loss is about losing weight rapidly. Fitness is about healthy living and longevity.

Fitness is a combination of exercise, diet and rest. Weight loss is a short term routine of exercise, diet and rest.

When weight loss is your only target, you tend to ignore the other benefits of living a healthy life.

Importance of Fitness: To the Respiratory and Circulatory system

The easiest way to understand the impact of fitness is to look at what your body needs to live a long, ailment-free, healthy life. This state of being depends entirely on your body's systems, which in turn depend on organ, vessel and tissue health.

This brings us, first, to the respiratory and the circulatory systems.

You know the heart is a muscle that pumps blood and oxygen to the body. Exercise helps the heart in circulation of blood and oxygen. That means healthy skin, alertness and a healthy system. Similarly, a healthy diet, aids your circulatory and respiratory system by preventing thickening arterial walls and better blood circulation.

Importance of Fitness: To the Digestive system

When we are constipated or feeling bloated we look for a change in diet to relieve us from our discomfort. Even exercise can help you avoid digestive problems. Breathing, walking, and other physical activities can improve your digestive system.

A poor digestive system leads to a poor state of being. Quick weight loss ignores this fact of life. The result of crash dieting is usually the Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and plenty of abdominal fat the minute you stop crash dieting.

Instead, focusing on general fitness through balanced eating and exercise will give you a smoother digestive function.

Importance of Fitness: To the Lymphatic system

'The lymphatic system is a part of the circulatory system, comprising a network of conduits called lymphatic vessels that carry a clear fluid called lymph,' as mentioned on Wikipedia, Lymphatic system. A healthy lymphatic system reduces swelling, improves circulation, metabolism and flexibility. Stretching, strength training and aerobic exercises improve the Lymphatic system.

Importance of Fitness: To the Cardiovascular system

Enough research has proved, time and again, that pursuing fitness is the best way to achieve better cardiovascular health. This means that your cardiovascular system is able to function a lot better when you're fit, within your desired weight range, and live an active life with healthy eating.

The cardiovascular system is responsible for circulating oxygen to the body and important nutrients too. Opting for fitness, instead of quick weight loss, will help you avoid diseases related to the cardiovascular system like heart attack and stroke. Strength, stamina, agility also gets a boost with a well functioning cardiovascular system. Cardio exercises are the key to a functioning cardiovascular system.

However, many make the mistake of associating 'cardio' exercise with rapid weight loss. This usually leads to long hours of unnecessary cardio that cause fatigue and over-work your body, causing effects of over-training to come into play. What does this mean? Over-training leads to more fat storage in your body. So, if you walk/run/jog/swim more than you need to, your body will start craving more food and you will get simple carb cravings very frequently.

Importance of Fitness: To the Nervous system

The nervous system comprises the brain and the spinal cord. Physical activity makes the brain sharp and alert. It also makes you agile. Exercising the nervous system is also beneficial for over-weight individuals.

This is one area of diet and exercise that is often over-looked by quick weight loss solutions.Mental health is crucial for a healthy life. By pursuing weight loss, without any thought toward fitness and the correct way to achieve it, your mind will experience fatigue and negativity. External motivation, such as weight loss only for vanity, is not a good motivator. Most who rely on this as motivation alone, tend to drop out of their 'fitness' routine.

Therefore, relying on a balanced diet and good exercise over a long period of time, because you want to be fit instead of a size zero, is a better solution.

Importance of Fitness: To the Musculoskeletal system

This is the easiest association to make. We use muscles everyday, consciously or subconsciously. Exercise improves the musculoskeletal system or overall health of the physical, weight bearing and tangibly active part of the human body. A healthy mealplan nourishes these actions by giving the body what it needs to function well.

All aspects of exercising, from resistance training to flexibility and cardio training, and eating right improve the musculoskeletal system.

When you focus on weight loss alone, and quick weight loss at that, you ignore your body's actual needs. A common sign of rapid weight loss is weakness. This is because your body loses muscle a lot faster than fat. With muscle loss, your metabolism rate drops, causing imbalances and fat storage. The result: Short term weight loss, and long term weight gain.

Importance of Fitness: Overall Health 

- Improves performance and stamina
- Healthy life - reduces your chance of experiencing lifestyle diseases
- Fitness equals longevity
- Fitness prevent excess body fat
- Prevents body pain
- Improves your mood
- Improves confidence
- Induces sleep

For the over-weight and obese, fitness does involve weight loss. But this is sustainable weight loss that comes with a shift in lifestyle habits and definitely not quick weight loss for an event. If your only concern is to look good in that Diwali outfit or that wedding dress, then you will set yourself up for failure, as you would not have really evaluated long term fitness goals. Chasing the short dream always ends in disaster.

Your breast too needs to stay young

Your face is not your only fortune. Here's how to keep your assets as young and healthy as the rest of you

Women have long complained about sagging frames and crinkly cleavages, but it is far from a storm in a D-cup. According to Steve Horvath, a geneticist at UCLA's medical school in the US, different parts of the body age at different rates. "Healthy breast tissue," he says, "is about two to three years older than the rest of a woman's body." Which makes it even more important to prevent your torso from ageing. Here's a list of factors to keep in mind.

The wrong bra size 
With around 80 per cent of women believed to be wearing ill-fitting lingerie, we could be inadvertently contributing to sagging breasts, bad posture, back pain or even abrasions and rashes. Several factors including weight loss or gain, medication, contraceptive pills, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause can affect breast size. It's important to buy new bras every year to make sure you have the correct size. Get an in-store fitter to measure you. And don't forget to wear a sports bra when you exercise.

Lack of nutritious food 
Our bodies are made from the nutrients we consume, meaning a diet lacking in essential vitamins and minerals may show in the condition and look of our skin. Sweet potato, spinach, kale and butternut squash are rich in vitamin A, and can help nourish the delicate skin in the breast area and other parts of the body. Vitamin C is good for collagen production and vitamin E is great for skin production.

Alcohol overdose 
It's not just food you should be thinking about — that wine habit could also affect your breast health. Alcohol can triple the oestrogen levels in a woman's body. A lot of breast cancers are hormone-sensitive and having higher oestrogen levels could cause cancer cells to multiply. By minding oestrogen levels, you reduce your potential risk of oestrogen-related cancers. Cut down your alcohol intake and eat broccoli, cabbage,brussels sprouts and greens since they contain indoles that are believed to aid the body in reducing oestrogen levels and helping fight cancer.

Neglect moisturising 
A wrinkly decolletage can really age you. The bust is an area we often neglect as we focus on our face. But breast are exposed to friction from clothes and underwear which can end up chaffing the delicate skin. It is worth investing in products to help combat that. Any cream that has almond oil, cocoa butter or evening primrose oil will help keep the bust area soft. Skin on the neck and chest gets almost as much sun as the face and, being much thinner than skin elsewhere, it is more prone to showing the tell-tale signs of ageing. So, use a sunscreen that's suitable to your skin.

For questions specific to your health conditions, please write down in the comments section and we will answer it as soon as possible. Thanks

Recipe: Orange pancakes with chocolate sauce

Orange flavoured pancakes served with a chocolate sauce.

Ingredients:

For the pancakes:
Flour 250g
Eggs 2
Orange juice 200ml
Milk 100ml
Sugar 100g
Baking powder 1tsp
Refined oil 1tbsp
Oil for greasing the pan

For the chocolate sauce:
Sugar 100g
Water 4tbsp
Plain chocolate 200g
Unsalted butter 25g
Orange juice 3tbsp

Method: Mix all the ingredients for the pancakes and whisk well. Do not use a food processor as it makes the pancakes rubbery. Leave the batter to stand for 5 minutes. Lightly grease a pan with oil. Stir the batter before making each pancake. Drop 2 tbsp of batter on the pan. Do not spread. Allow the pancake to bubble up and when they are browned on one side (after about 1-½ minutes). Flip them over and cook for another minute. For the sauce, put the sugar and water into a small pan and set over low heat. Stir till the sugar has dissolved. Break the chocolate into pieces and stir in a few pieces at a time. Wait until each batch has melted before you add the other. Add the butter a little at a time and wait till it has melted before adding more. Do not allow the sauce to boil. Stir in the orange juice and remove the saucepan from the heat. To serve, just drizzle the sauce over the pancakes or serve on the side.

Drink coconut water for glowing skin

Got dull, lifeless skin? While skin texture is mostly hereditary, there is a lot you can do to improve it.

The effect of diet is seriously underestimated in beauty care. While consumption of fruits and fruit juices is said to be good for the skin, it is best to avoid oily and masala rich foods. While orange juice has been voted the best for skin, not many are aware of the benefits of coconut water when it comes to skin care.

The liquid, considered the purest one after water, hydrates the skin, making it look more youthful and supple. Studies say that the antioxidants and cytokinins present in coconut water have an age defying effect on skin. The nutritious value of the drink has always been acknowledged. If you are feeling weak or have stomach problems, drink coconut water for an energy boost.

An advantage it has over fruit juices is that you can easily have a glass a day since it is almost entirely fat free and sugar free. There are also studies which say that coconut water dabbed on skin has a positive effect. However, there are no studies to prove this.

Well, drink coconut water every day and watch your skin glow!

For questions specific to your health conditions, please write down in the comments section and we will answer it as soon as possible. Thanks

Dark circles: Home remedies

Try these simple natural home remedies to get rid of that oh-so-exhausted look on your face

Dark circles are a common problem not only amongst hassled housewives but also anyone with hectic work schedules and erratic sleep hours. They are not a very grave problem but can make you look much older than you already are. And in today's age where the market is being flooded with anti-ageing, skin lightening creams, it is a considered almost a fashion crime to sport dark circles. Here are some natural home remedies to help to get rid of those ghastly-looking dark circles:

- Grate some raw potato and soak a cotton ball in the potato juice. Close your eyes and place these cotton balls on your eyes. Make sure they cover the dark circles under your eyes as well as the eyelids. Leave it on for 10 minutes and wash off with cold water.

- Applying a mixture of a teaspoon of tomato and lime juice, twice a day will help in reducing the dark circles.

- Drink a glass of tomato juice with some mint leaves, lemon juice and salt. Drinking this twice a day is another remedy.

- Prepare a paste of four to five almonds with some milk. Apply this paste over the affected area and leave for 10 to 15 minutes. This will lighten the skin around the eyes.

- A mixture of a few teaspoons of fresh pineapple juice along with a pinch of turmeric powder, when applied on the dark circles regularly will help clear them.

- Every night before sleeping, apply creams containing vitamin E and C around the eyes.

- Crush some mint leaves and apply them around the eyes. Doing this will also provide a cooling effect on tired eyes. 

Recipe: Sausage and peas pie

This one-dish meal can satisfy your craving for comfort food

Ingredients
500g potatoes, peeled, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
450g pork sausages, skins removed, roughly chopped
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
1 tbs rosemary leaves, finely chopped
½ cup (250ml) dry white wine
2 zucchinis (about 300g), coarsely grated
3 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup (120g) frozen peas
40g unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (120g) fresh ricotta
2 tbs chopped mint

Method
Mixed salad leaves, to serve Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water and a pinch of salt. Place over medium-high heat, bring to the boil, then cook for 15-20 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until very soft. Add sausage, chilli and rosemary, and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until sausage is browned. Add wine and cook for 1-2 minutes until almost evaporated. Add vegetables, and cook for a further 2 minutes until any liquid from vegetables has evaporated. Season well and set aside.

Mash potatoes until smooth, then stir in butter, ricotta and mint. Season. Divide the pie filling among four 2 cup (500ml) pie dishes or ramekins and top with the mash. Roughen surface with a fork, then lightly brown pies under a hot grill for 4-5 minutes. Serve with salad leaves.

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.