7 Powerful Starchy Foods You Must Include In Your Diet

l Potatoes

Studies done on rats show that intake of potato-resistant starch can boost the growth of colonic probiotics - including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.. Rats fed with potato fiber also showed an increase in short-chain fatty acid concentrations. These fatty acids were found to enhance gut microbiota and even mitigate inflammation in the gut and other parts of the body..

Another study shows that the resistant starch1 in potatoes may decrease postprandial blood glucose levels..

l Whole Grains

Whole grains happen to be the most nutritious of starches. The presence of starch in whole grains has been recognized as being healthy for the human body - and more so for the human gut (6). The starch that enters the gut is fermented and produces butyrate, which is one of the short-chain fatty acids that contribute to a healthy gut mucosa.

The starch in cereal grains has also been linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and colorectal cancer ..

l Whole Wheat Bread

This is the bread made from whole wheat, which includes the bran, germ, and the endosperm (the starchy part). Studies have shown that whole grains can cut the risk of obesity, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and even cardiovascular disease. The bran and germ in whole wheat contain dietary fibers, phytochemicals, and other important micronutrients..

l Rice

Rice is an excellent source of starch. One type of resistant starch in rice can take several hours to digest or may not get digested at all. Called type 5 resistant starch, this acts as a source of dietary fiber….

To read the complete article, visit, "health and Wellness" section of: www.stylecraze.com

Heart Health!

Peanuts: Peanuts' heart protective function is largely due to heart protective nutrients like monounsaturated fats, folic acid, vitamin E, manganese, resveratrol (an antioxidant) found abundantly in it. Roasted peanuts make a good snack or add it to dal, salads, chivda, dips etc or savor handful of peanuts everyday to gain all its benefits.

Garlic: An anticoagulant by nature, garlic offers some heart protective benefits by thinning the blood, maintaining blood pressure and by averting hardening of arteries (blood vessels that supply blood to heart). Gulp down 1-2 cloves of freshly crushed raw garlic every morning or add it to your meals.

Walnuts: This brain resembling nut is a rich source of heart protective nutrients like Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids that help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and boost up HDL (good cholesterol) levels. A walnut a day keeps heart attacks away!

By: www.tarladalal.com

5 Must-Have Supplements Every Parent Needs in Their Winter Medicine Cabinet

Store your medications in a cool, dry storage place

Bathrooms can get very humid and moist and this is where most people keep their medications. The problem with this is that many products degrade when exposed to humidity and warm temperatures.Store your medications in other areas of your home that stay cool and dry, like a closet, kitchen cabinets or your bedroom.

Check expiration dates

Medications are not something we use on a regular basis, which means it's really easy not to notice when they expire. Take this time to go over all your medications and toss any expired products. Many pharmacies offer safe medication disposal for your convenience.

Safely secure all medications and supplements if there are young children in the house. This is obvious but sometimes we forget how agile and sneaky children can be. If the cabinet where you're storing medications can be reached if a child stands on a chair, then that is not a safe place to store medications...

Carefully review all labels

Now is a good time to remind yourself of any precautions! Many over-the-counter (OTC) drugs have warnings regarding their use in those who have serious medical conditions such as heart, kidney or liver disease.Not only that, but many medications have side effects that we should be aware of...

To read the complete article, visit, "health and Wellness" section of:www.mamainstincts.com

Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN C Review

Introduction

The Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN C is a short telephoto prime lens for Micro Four Thirds and Sony E mounts that offers a fast maximum aperture of f/1.4. It joins the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN C and the 30mm f/1.4 DC DN C lenses, completing Sigma's large aperture series of portable wide-angle, standard, and telephoto prime lenses in Micro Four Thirds and Sony E mounts....

Ease of Use

Weighing in at a mere 280g and measuring 6cm in length, the Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN C is a very compact lens given its fast f/1.4 aperture and telephoto focal length. As seen in the photos below, it complements a smaller camera like the Sony A6000 very well.Build quality is excellent given the affordable price tag. The lens has a plastic shell with a mixture of metallic parts and a compound material, TSC (Thermally Stable Composite), used inside.

It also incorporates a brass bayonet mount that's claimed to be more durable, while the optical elements are made of high-grade glass. Sigma have also made the lens dust- and splash-resistant by incorporating rubber sealing into the mount design. Finally, a Super Multi-Layer Coating on the lens elements helps to minimize flare and ghosting.In terms of features, the Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN C offers all the basics that you need from a telephoto prime lens. The main exception is the lack of Vibration Reduction, which won't please owners of older Sony, Olympus and Panasonic bodies that don't have built-in stabilisation. The very fast maximum aperture of f/1.4 partially makes up for this, and it won't be an issue for more recent camera bodies that are stabilised.

To read the complete review, visit: www.photographyblog.com

Benefits of

Cranberry Tea

Have you ever tried cranberry tea? Try some goodness. Each cup of cranberry tea contains various minerals and vitamins like Vitamin C, K and E that are essential for health.Cranberries contain nutrients that may help control a UTI, but the amounts in cranberry juice are probably not enough to make a difference. Cranberries also contain the B vitaimins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B6. They are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, and E.

Benefits:

l Prevents the occurrence of sores and other oral diseases like gingivitis.

l Helps reducing weight. It helps to burn fat then in flushing out toxins from the body. The weight loss is a result of the organic acids present in the cranberry tea. A blend of green tea and cranberry tea is good for health as they contain essential nutrients and support weight loss.

l Acts as a cleansing and useful detox tea for liver, kidney, and lymph.

l Helps in increasing the metabolism rate of the body.

l Helpful in treating cancer, especially stomach cancer and breast cancer.

l Reduces the cholesterol level in the body, preventing several cardiovascular diseases.

l Helps women with painful periods can drink cranberry tea to get relief.

l It treats UTI and flushes out the bacteria from the urinary tract, preventing and curing UTI in turn.

How to make cranberry tea?

If you're wondering about it, then here's the simple formula.Take 250 gms of cranberries, and extract juice from them. Now add the juice in luke warm of half litres. Mix them well and then set it to boil but on a simmer flame. When it starts getting heated add sugar and stir well. After 5 minutes you can take it out to drink it.

This is milder for the beginners. You can also increase the concentration of the cranberry juice for a stronger essence.