27 May, 2015

Should you eat curd at night?

The hot season is here and so is the urge to consume foods that cool down your system. Curd, evidently, stands on top of the list. And why not. Curd is an excellent source of good bacteria and aids digestion. It is good for your teeth and bones. But as with most of the foods, there are some rules that you need to follow for consuming curd. One of the most commonly heard rules is to avoid eating it at night. But is it valid for everyone. Here are some of the rules:

- Do not eat curd at night, especially if you are prone to cough and cold. Ayurveda explains that curd consumption at night is not good as it leads to mucus development. But if you can't do without it, opt for buttermilk instead.

- If you are eating curd during the day, have it without sugar but if you are eating curd at night, add sugar or some black pepper. It will assist in digestion and calm your digestive system.
- Never have hot curd.

While the basic rules apply, if you are a curd lover, we bring you some easy options to include it in your diet, anytime of the day:

Curd rice: This is very good for the stomach and a light option for the summers too.

Curd with sugar: Add a spoonful of sugar to your curd and you are good to go.

Buttermilk/ Lassi: Ditch aerated drinks for these two options.

Raita: A common Indian side dish, you can add onion, cucumber, tomato to your curd with some herbs and a healthy option is all set.

Kadhi: Mixing gram flour (besan) with buttermilk makes for an appetizing curry called Kadhi. It is mostly eaten with rice (you might want to opt for brown rice). 

Source: www.timesofindia.com

27.05.2015

Motherhood brings lasting changes to the brain

Looking at the effects of hormone therapy on females, researchers have found that pregnancy and motherhood could stimulate certain permanent changes in the brain. 

Hormone therapy (HT) is prescribed to alleviate some of the symptoms of menopause in women. 

"Our most recent research shows that previous motherhood alters cognition and neuroplasticity in response to hormone therapy, demonstrating that motherhood permanently alters the brain," said researcher Liisa Galea from University of British Columbia in Canada. 

The study focused on a specific brain region, called the hippocampus, which has important roles in memory and spatial ability, such as navigational skills. 

The researchers investigated whether the different forms of the hormone estrogens could have different effects on rats that had experienced motherhood once and on those who had not. 

There are three forms of estrogens: estradiol, estrone and estriol. 

They found that estrone-based HT improved learning in middle-aged rats who had not experienced motherhood, but impaired learning in rats of the same age who experience motherhood. 

"Hormones have a profound impact on our mind. Pregnancy and motherhood are life-changing events resulting in marked alterations in the psychology and physiology of a woman," Galea said. 

"Our results argue that these factors should be taken into account when treating brain disorders in women," she said. 

The findings were presented at ninth Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Source: www.timesofindia.com

27.05.2015

Never consider the possibility of failure; as long as you persist, you will be successful

Brian Tracy