Celebrate health with nutritious and delicious tomatoes

Tomatoes are now hot-favourites thanks to the much-talked about Tomato Festival in Spain as shown in the 2011 Bollywood movie Zindagi Milegi Na Dobaara.

They’ve been doing it in Spain since about 1945. Every August, tens of thousands of people flock to the town of Buñol to chuck tomatoes at each other. This weekend, July 31, the tradition is starting in Minnesota.

Let's talk tomatoes. The market is seeing lots of tomatoes. The amount of tomatoes, as well as the number of varieties, is remarkable. You can get green ones (fried green tomatoes), ripe red ones, yellow ones, heirloom varieties, all kinds of curry tomatoes and even yellow Romas.

A Research Proves that the fresh tomatoes be an effective alternative to drugs in decrease cholesterol, control blood pressure and stop heart disease.

Tomatoes have high levels of lycopene, with half a litre of tomato juice taken daily, or 50 grams of tomato paste, providing protection against heart disease, according to an Adelaide statement.

Lycopene is better absorbed in processed and cooked tomatoes or tomato paste rather than fresh tomatoes. As a supplement, lycopene is available in soft gelatine capsules or tablets.

Celebrate health with nutritious and delicious tomatoes

Tomatoes are now hot-favourites thanks to the much-talked about Tomato Festival in Spain as shown in the 2011 Bollywood movie Zindagi Milegi Na Dobaara.

They’ve been doing it in Spain since about 1945. Every August, tens of thousands of people flock to the town of Buñol to chuck tomatoes at each other. This weekend, July 31, the tradition is starting in Minnesota.

Let's talk tomatoes. The market is seeing lots of tomatoes. The amount of tomatoes, as well as the number of varieties, is remarkable. You can get green ones (fried green tomatoes), ripe red ones, yellow ones, heirloom varieties, all kinds of curry tomatoes and even yellow Romas.

A Research Proves that the fresh tomatoes be an effective alternative to drugs in decrease cholesterol, control blood pressure and stop heart disease.

Tomatoes have high levels of lycopene, with half a litre of tomato juice taken daily, or 50 grams of tomato paste, providing protection against heart disease, according to an Adelaide statement.

Lycopene is better absorbed in processed and cooked tomatoes or tomato paste rather than fresh tomatoes. As a supplement, lycopene is available in soft gelatine capsules or tablets.

Sweets and Chocolates good for kids, study says

Sounds like it goes against everything we have been taught about good nutrition but researchers say that eating sweets may stop children from getting fat.

A new study has revealed that the consumption of sweets and chocolates by children has a favorable outcome, as it could prevent them from getting obese later in life.

Researchers have found that youngsters who regularly eat chocolate bars and other sugary treats are significantly less likely to be overweight or obese than those who do not, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

The study, reported in journal Food & Nutrition Research, found that weight, body mass index and waist circumference were lower for sweet eaters compared to non-eaters.

In addition, the study, conducted at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, found that cardiovascular risk factors were also lesser in sugar sweet consumers.

Sweets and Chocolates good for kids, study says

Sounds like it goes against everything we have been taught about good nutrition but researchers say that eating sweets may stop children from getting fat.

A new study has revealed that the consumption of sweets and chocolates by children has a favorable outcome, as it could prevent them from getting obese later in life.

Researchers have found that youngsters who regularly eat chocolate bars and other sugary treats are significantly less likely to be overweight or obese than those who do not, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

The study, reported in journal Food & Nutrition Research, found that weight, body mass index and waist circumference were lower for sweet eaters compared to non-eaters.

In addition, the study, conducted at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, found that cardiovascular risk factors were also lesser in sugar sweet consumers.

Delhi govt bans use of calcium carbide for ripening fruits

It's a well-known fact that mangoes are ripened with calcium carbide by traders and this can prove to be toxic.

The Delhi government has banned the use of calcium carbide for artificial ripening of fruits, recognising its harmful effects of health, and suggested ethylene gas as an alternate technique.

To promote a natural and safe way of ripening fruits, the Delhi government will soon organise a special campaign to educate and spread awareness among fruit traders and merchants. They would be taught how to use ethylene to ripen fruits.

The decision was taken in a meeting at Delhi Secretariat on Monday (20-June-2011) to discuss alternative techniques for ripening fruits.

Ashok Kumar Walia, the Delhi health minister said that the special team from (PFA) the department of food adulteration will be sent to meet fruit traders to create awareness.

Walia said that ethylene gas is safe for ripening fruits which is used by several agencies like Mother Dairy and Safal. He added that fruits that are used with ethylene are having good color and better shelf life.

Delhi govt bans use of calcium carbide for ripening fruits

It's a well-known fact that mangoes are ripened with calcium carbide by traders and this can prove to be toxic.

The Delhi government has banned the use of calcium carbide for artificial ripening of fruits, recognising its harmful effects of health, and suggested ethylene gas as an alternate technique.

To promote a natural and safe way of ripening fruits, the Delhi government will soon organise a special campaign to educate and spread awareness among fruit traders and merchants. They would be taught how to use ethylene to ripen fruits.

The decision was taken in a meeting at Delhi Secretariat on Monday (20-June-2011) to discuss alternative techniques for ripening fruits.

Ashok Kumar Walia, the Delhi health minister said that the special team from (PFA) the department of food adulteration will be sent to meet fruit traders to create awareness.

Walia said that ethylene gas is safe for ripening fruits which is used by several agencies like Mother Dairy and Safal. He added that fruits that are used with ethylene are having good color and better shelf life.

Parents play role in teens drinking

A new report has suggested that parents having a regular gin and tonic or bottle of wine in the home are more likely to see their children becoming binge drinkers.

Children who see their parents drunk are twice as likely to regularly get drunk themselves, a survey of young teenagers has suggested.

A new 91 page report released this week by The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, United Kingdom delves deeper into this issue.

Youths who are left unsupervised are also more likely to drink, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report found.

Researchers for Ipsos Mori questioned 5,700 teenagers in England and found one in four 13- to 14-year-olds had been drunk more than once, compared to just over half of children (52 per cent) aged 15 to 16.

The most common age for a first drink was 12 to 13 and this was usually within the setting of a special occasion and in the company of an adult.

The survey found that in Year 9, students were drinking mainly alcopops, beer or lager. By Year 11, they were also drinking spirits or liqueurs.

Parents play role in teens drinking

A new report has suggested that parents having a regular gin and tonic or bottle of wine in the home are more likely to see their children becoming binge drinkers.

Children who see their parents drunk are twice as likely to regularly get drunk themselves, a survey of young teenagers has suggested.

A new 91 page report released this week by The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, United Kingdom delves deeper into this issue.

Youths who are left unsupervised are also more likely to drink, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report found.

Researchers for Ipsos Mori questioned 5,700 teenagers in England and found one in four 13- to 14-year-olds had been drunk more than once, compared to just over half of children (52 per cent) aged 15 to 16.

The most common age for a first drink was 12 to 13 and this was usually within the setting of a special occasion and in the company of an adult.

The survey found that in Year 9, students were drinking mainly alcopops, beer or lager. By Year 11, they were also drinking spirits or liqueurs.

Too much coffee may lead to hallucinations

Coffee may benefit health in some ways, but beware. Drinking too many cups of coffee could bring on hallucinations.

Stressed people who consume five cups of coffee per day to deal with stress can exhibit signs of hallucination, according to a La Trobe University study.

The new study conducted by researchers from La Trobe University in Melbourne suggests that drinking over five cups of coffee a day could lead to hallucinations.

Hallucinations are false perceptions that an individual has that do not exist. For example, a person may hear, see or smell things that are not there.

In an experiment, volunteers who had consumed 'high levels' of caffeine thought they were listening to Bing Crosby singing White Christmas even though the song was not being played.

The researchers described caffeine as 'the most commonly used psychoactive drug'.

The team from the university's School of Psychological Sciences found that five cups of coffee a day was enough to trigger this.

Prof Simon Crowe from the School of Psychological Sciences, who examined the effect of stress and caffeine on 92 participants, found stressed people who had consumed about 200mg of caffeine during the day were more likely to imagine hearing things.

In an office environment, a caffeinated worker would be on edge and not correctly interpret situations, says Crowe.

Professor Crowe added: "Caution needs to be exercised with the use of this overtly 'safe' drug."

Too much coffee may lead to hallucinations

Coffee may benefit health in some ways, but beware. Drinking too many cups of coffee could bring on hallucinations.

Stressed people who consume five cups of coffee per day to deal with stress can exhibit signs of hallucination, according to a La Trobe University study.

The new study conducted by researchers from La Trobe University in Melbourne suggests that drinking over five cups of coffee a day could lead to hallucinations.

Hallucinations are false perceptions that an individual has that do not exist. For example, a person may hear, see or smell things that are not there.

In an experiment, volunteers who had consumed 'high levels' of caffeine thought they were listening to Bing Crosby singing White Christmas even though the song was not being played.

The researchers described caffeine as 'the most commonly used psychoactive drug'.

The team from the university's School of Psychological Sciences found that five cups of coffee a day was enough to trigger this.

Prof Simon Crowe from the School of Psychological Sciences, who examined the effect of stress and caffeine on 92 participants, found stressed people who had consumed about 200mg of caffeine during the day were more likely to imagine hearing things.

In an office environment, a caffeinated worker would be on edge and not correctly interpret situations, says Crowe.

Professor Crowe added: "Caution needs to be exercised with the use of this overtly 'safe' drug."

Maharashtra raises age bar for drinking alcohol

Twenty-one is too early to start drinking, believes the Maharashtra government, which on Wednesday (01-June-2011) raised the age for alcohol consumption by four years, to 25.

The minimum age for beer consumption continues to be 21, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told reporters in a press conference. The decision is part of the government's de-addiction policy that seeks to tighten the implementation of laws on alcohol abuse and illicit sale of liquor.

There is no age stipulation on consumption of wine. "There are pictorial warnings on liquor bottles, but not that of wine. Wine is an important industry," Mr. Chavan said.

The alcohol content in wine (12% to 22%) is much higher than that of beer (4% t o 8%).

Maharashtra is among the very few states that issues drinking permits based on the age of the person. Though the violation of the age limit has always invited heavy penalty and imprisonment up to six months, the law has rarely been implemented. It’s up to the excise department to ensure that people adhere to the new age restrictions.

The new policy also includes provisions that allow sale of only two liquor bottles (or 750 ml) a week to one permit holder. Penal action has been proposed for those violating this norm. Citizens will also be required to take permission from the excise department or the local police officials for serving alcohol during public functions, including birthdays and marriage parties.

Action would be taken against those flouting this norm, said Sachin Ahir, minister of state, social justice department, which formulated the policy. The local police station and excise officials will also have powers to revoke the drinking permit and initiate criminal action against someone found creating nuisance after getting drunk at a public function.

The Cabinet also approved several other measures to discourage drinking and to control the sale of illicit liquor.

Maharashtra raises age bar for drinking alcohol

Twenty-one is too early to start drinking, believes the Maharashtra government, which on Wednesday (01-June-2011) raised the age for alcohol consumption by four years, to 25.

The minimum age for beer consumption continues to be 21, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told reporters in a press conference. The decision is part of the government's de-addiction policy that seeks to tighten the implementation of laws on alcohol abuse and illicit sale of liquor.

There is no age stipulation on consumption of wine. "There are pictorial warnings on liquor bottles, but not that of wine. Wine is an important industry," Mr. Chavan said.

The alcohol content in wine (12% to 22%) is much higher than that of beer (4% t o 8%).

Maharashtra is among the very few states that issues drinking permits based on the age of the person. Though the violation of the age limit has always invited heavy penalty and imprisonment up to six months, the law has rarely been implemented. It’s up to the excise department to ensure that people adhere to the new age restrictions.

The new policy also includes provisions that allow sale of only two liquor bottles (or 750 ml) a week to one permit holder. Penal action has been proposed for those violating this norm. Citizens will also be required to take permission from the excise department or the local police officials for serving alcohol during public functions, including birthdays and marriage parties.

Action would be taken against those flouting this norm, said Sachin Ahir, minister of state, social justice department, which formulated the policy. The local police station and excise officials will also have powers to revoke the drinking permit and initiate criminal action against someone found creating nuisance after getting drunk at a public function.

The Cabinet also approved several other measures to discourage drinking and to control the sale of illicit liquor.

Sleep tight with snooze foods

There's some science behind the old wives' tale that a glass of warm milk can help you sleep better at night. Researchers claim that what you eat is directly related to how you sleep.

Researchers say, "The chemical Tryptophan present in certain foods, is the raw material that the brain uses to release sleep-inducing hormones - Serotonin and Melatonin. Adequate serotonin levels promote deep, restorative sleep."

Tryptophan is one of the 20 standard amino acids, as well as an essential amino acid in the human diet.

Tryptophan is the precursor to Serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain, which is deficient in depression, and naturally enhances sleep.

The wonderful effect that tryptophan has on both mood and sleep may be because the body naturally converts tryptophan into both serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin levels affects mood and melatonin affects sleep.

Tryptophan is a routine constituent of most protein-based foods or dietary proteins.

Foods like milk, yogurt, banana, cherries, fish, nuts, flaxseed, oatmeal, honey, turkey, soy, chamomile tea, wholewheat bread, and leafy vegetables, are rich in Tryptophan.

Also, magnesium (found in wheat bran, almonds, cashews, kelp and brewer's yeast) and vitamin B6 and B12 (found in wheat germ, sunflower seeds and oil, and tuna) are sleepfriendly nutrients and should be incorporated in a day's meal.

Sleep tight with snooze foods

There's some science behind the old wives' tale that a glass of warm milk can help you sleep better at night. Researchers claim that what you eat is directly related to how you sleep.

Researchers say, "The chemical Tryptophan present in certain foods, is the raw material that the brain uses to release sleep-inducing hormones - Serotonin and Melatonin. Adequate serotonin levels promote deep, restorative sleep."

Tryptophan is one of the 20 standard amino acids, as well as an essential amino acid in the human diet.

Tryptophan is the precursor to Serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain, which is deficient in depression, and naturally enhances sleep.

The wonderful effect that tryptophan has on both mood and sleep may be because the body naturally converts tryptophan into both serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin levels affects mood and melatonin affects sleep.

Tryptophan is a routine constituent of most protein-based foods or dietary proteins.

Foods like milk, yogurt, banana, cherries, fish, nuts, flaxseed, oatmeal, honey, turkey, soy, chamomile tea, wholewheat bread, and leafy vegetables, are rich in Tryptophan.

Also, magnesium (found in wheat bran, almonds, cashews, kelp and brewer's yeast) and vitamin B6 and B12 (found in wheat germ, sunflower seeds and oil, and tuna) are sleepfriendly nutrients and should be incorporated in a day's meal.

Low-income women die more of alcohol abuse

Women in low-income job roles are almost six times as likely to die from alcohol abuse as those in higher paid employment, according to new UK government research.

Research from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that working class women are 5. 7 times more likely to contract liver disease than doctors or lawyers, the Daily Mail reports.

The findings have emerged despite the fact that previous research found that women in professional job roles consume more alcohol in an average week.

They are drinking an average of 10.2 units a week - more than a bottle of wine - compared with 6.5 units for manual workers.

Low-income women die more of alcohol abuse

Women in low-income job roles are almost six times as likely to die from alcohol abuse as those in higher paid employment, according to new UK government research.

Research from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that working class women are 5. 7 times more likely to contract liver disease than doctors or lawyers, the Daily Mail reports.

The findings have emerged despite the fact that previous research found that women in professional job roles consume more alcohol in an average week.

They are drinking an average of 10.2 units a week - more than a bottle of wine - compared with 6.5 units for manual workers.

Tomatoes may save you from high cholesterol

Want to be free of high cholesterol and blood pressure (BP)? Tomatoes can be a way out for you! Tomatoes may be an effective alternative to drugs in lowering cholesterol and BP and in preventing heart disease.

The humble tomato is more than a delicious fruit. A new study says that eating it daily could help lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, thus keeping heart disease at bay.

An international group, headed by University of Adelaide, said that a bright red pigment known as lycopene present in tomatoes has antioxidant properties, which are beneficial for heart.

The study also said that consumption of half-a-litre of tomato juice or 50 grams of tomato paste daily is helpful in avoiding heart diseases.

As per study scientists, lycopene is better absorbed in processed and cooked tomatoes or tomato paste rather than fresh ones.

The study published in the international journal Maturitas, has shown that tomatoes may be an effective alternative to medication in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

Tomatoes may save you from high cholesterol

Want to be free of high cholesterol and blood pressure (BP)? Tomatoes can be a way out for you! Tomatoes may be an effective alternative to drugs in lowering cholesterol and BP and in preventing heart disease.

The humble tomato is more than a delicious fruit. A new study says that eating it daily could help lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, thus keeping heart disease at bay.

An international group, headed by University of Adelaide, said that a bright red pigment known as lycopene present in tomatoes has antioxidant properties, which are beneficial for heart.

The study also said that consumption of half-a-litre of tomato juice or 50 grams of tomato paste daily is helpful in avoiding heart diseases.

As per study scientists, lycopene is better absorbed in processed and cooked tomatoes or tomato paste rather than fresh ones.

The study published in the international journal Maturitas, has shown that tomatoes may be an effective alternative to medication in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

Eating red pepper helps curb appetite

A sprinkle of red pepper will burn more than your mouth, according to some new research. It can burn calories.

A study has found that eating a moderate quantity of red pepper can help curb appetite. According to research from Purdue University, the peppers especially work for those who don't normally eat the popular spice.

The researchers found that the non-spicy food eaters experienced reduced appetite while consuming the meal with 1 gram / 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper – especially for salty, fatty and sweet foods.

Unfortunately, this effect was not seen in the spicy food eater group, leading researchers to conclude that the appetite suppressing effect of red peppers wears off as diners become desensitized to the effect of spicy food.

According to Dr. Richard Mattes, "that burn in your mouth is responsible for that effect. It turns out you get a more robust effect if you include the sensory part because the burn contributes to a rise in body temperature, energy expenditure and appetite control."

Can red pepper solve a weight problem all by itself? Probably not. But the researchers said that - along with healthy eating and regular execise - sprinking some red pepper on your meals might help.

Eating red pepper helps curb appetite

A sprinkle of red pepper will burn more than your mouth, according to some new research. It can burn calories.

A study has found that eating a moderate quantity of red pepper can help curb appetite. According to research from Purdue University, the peppers especially work for those who don't normally eat the popular spice.

The researchers found that the non-spicy food eaters experienced reduced appetite while consuming the meal with 1 gram / 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper – especially for salty, fatty and sweet foods.

Unfortunately, this effect was not seen in the spicy food eater group, leading researchers to conclude that the appetite suppressing effect of red peppers wears off as diners become desensitized to the effect of spicy food.

According to Dr. Richard Mattes, "that burn in your mouth is responsible for that effect. It turns out you get a more robust effect if you include the sensory part because the burn contributes to a rise in body temperature, energy expenditure and appetite control."

Can red pepper solve a weight problem all by itself? Probably not. But the researchers said that - along with healthy eating and regular execise - sprinking some red pepper on your meals might help.