• Minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iron, zinc, manganese, and selenium.
• A, E, and B-complex vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.
• Antioxidants that help in reducing oxidative damage to vital organs.
• Calories [so, eat in moderation].

These seeds are best eaten in the form of oil, tahini [sesame paste] or butter, since sesame seeds do not break down readily.

Benefits for you

Here’s how you can benefit by eating sesame seeds regularly:

Strong bones

Calcium and magnesium in the seeds enhance bone density and lower the risk of osteoporosis in older people. The copper helps reduce pain and swelling in arthritis.

Clear airways of the lungs

The magnesium content keeps asthma and other respiratory disorders in check by preventing inflammation and narrowing of the airways.

Relief from migraine

The magnesium in sesame helps in preventing blood vessel spasms, and eliminates related symptoms like headache and dizziness.

A healthy heart

The sesamin and sesamolin content helps reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol. The seeds are also rich sources of mono and poly unsaturated fats that prevent clogging of arteries.

A sharp brain

The vitamin E content of the seeds prevents nervous system disorders and strengthens the nervous system.

Healthy intestines

The dietary fibre in sesame helps maintain blood glucose levels and prevents constipation by providing roughage.

Menopausal pain relief

Regular consumption of black sesame seeds is found to be beneficial during menopause as it helps in reducing hot flushes, irritability, insomnia and back pain.

Cancer cure

The seeds contain unique substances called sesamin and sesamolin that are known to prevent the development and growth of cancerous cells and aid in cancer treatment.

A glowing skin

Sesame oil is known to prevent skin disorders and promote a healthy skin.

Ways to eat it

• Add crunchy, roasted sesame seeds to steamed vegetables or tofu, or to sauteed or steamed chicken along with crushed ginger and garlic.
• Combine toasted sesame seeds with a spoonful of sesame oil and crushed garlic. Add it to noodles, pasta or just use it as salad dressing.
• Add sesame seeds to the batter for making homemade bread [kulchas], muffins or bread rolls.
• Spread tahini on toasted garlic bread as a starter.
• Add sesame seeds to dishes like dhoklas, kachoris or dal wadas.
• Enjoy sesame seeds sprinkled over various veggies like til bhindi or dum aloo with sesame seeds and garlic as a filling.
• Use paste of sesame seeds as a thickening agent for gravies.

The post Why sesame is good appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Fibre-packed

Barley has five times more fibre than other whole grains. The fibre in most other grains is found only in the bran or outer layer of the kernel and is lost when they get processed. But in case of barley, even processed products such as flour, flakes or pearl barley, retain at least 50 per cent of their original fibre content even after the bran or outer layer of the kernel is removed.

Healthy benefits

Barley has numerous health benefits. Here we list a few:

• Barley is a very good source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibre. They both differ in their movement through the digestive tract. While insoluble fibre—also known as roughage—moves through the digestive tract mostly undissolved, soluble fibre [beta-glucan] mixes with liquid and binds to fatty substances to help remove them from the body. Soluble fibre present in barley is effective in lowering total blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol [bad cholesterol]; thereby reducing the risk of cardio vascular diseases. It also proves beneficial in slowing the absorption of sugar, which is crucial for diabetics, as it would decrease their need for insulin. Insoluble fibre is beneficial in lowering the risk of bowel disorders, colon cancer and haemorrhoids.
• Barley is a good source of the antioxidant selenium, which is helpful in preserving the elasticity of our skin by protecting it against free radical damage. It protects vital organs like the heart, immune system and pancreas and its deficiency may result in cancers of the skin, prostate, colon, stomach, liver and breast.
• Barley also contains minerals like phosphorous, copper, manganese and magnesium. Phosphorus is required for healthy bone and tooth formation, cell growth, proper kidney function and contraction of the heart muscles of our body. Copper helps in the formation of haemoglobin and red blood cells and its deficiency leads to early signs of osteoporosis. Manganese works with the entire B-complex vitamins and gives us an overall feeling of well-being, as it’s essential for normal bone production, energy production and preventing anaemia. Magnesium reacts with the enzymes in the body and helps in controlling the level of glucose in the body; thereby controlling diabetes mellitus.
• Barley is low in glycemic index, which slows digestion of all carbohydrates and reduces the rise in glucose and insulin. Therefore it’s also known as a ‘keeper carb’.
• Barley is useful to those who want to lose weight, as it generates a feeling of fullness.
• Barley grass helps in treating arthritis and also provides relief from arthritis pain. It helps in relieving inflammation in various parts of the body and improving overall immune function.
• Due to its alkalinity, barley water has been used since ancient times to treat various digestive conditions. Barley water suspension is prepared by using one part of barley with 15 parts of water, which is boiled till it becomes 2/3rd of its basic solution. Being extremely alkaline, barley water is also beneficial for those suffering from gallstones. The water-soluble fibre content in it helps prevent formation of stones and cures existing ones. It is also a good remedy for kidney problems and is a traditionally acclaimed drink for supporting and nourishing kidneys in times of stress. [For more information, read, Be Kind to your Kidneys, Ail to Hearty in this issue]
• Barley helps treat urinary tract infections during pregnancy. The antioxidant properties of barley water help fight against a number of diseases and prevent cancerous growths. It also helps in problems like constipation, diarrhoea and nausea.

Barley in your diet

Here’s how you can incorporate barley into your diet.

• Add barley to stews and soups [like vegetable soup, red lentil soup, celery soup with beans and mushroom barley soup] or other dishes such as risotto to enhance the texture. You can also add it your khichdi or pulao.
• Mix barley flour with wheat flour to make breads, muffins and cookies such as barley raisin cookies, barley almond crackers or choco barley muffins.
• Toss chilled, cooked, hulled [remove the outer covering] barley into salads.
• Stir-fry vegetables with barley, toss it with beans or simply add it to grilled chicken, mushrooms.
• Make a refreshing drink of lemon, water and barley.

The post What! You don’t have barley? appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9 or Folacin, is the synthetic form of the B vitamin folate. It is water-soluble and essential to many bodily functions such as producing healthy red blood cells and preventing anaemia.

Lack of adequate folic acid in the body can lead to heart disease, birth defects [in the case of pregnant women], certain allergies, cancer, premature senility, acne and megaloblastic anaemia [anaemia that results from inhibition of DNA synthesis].

Why folic acid?

Let’s take a quick look at how folic acid helps:

• Folate-rich foods or supplements lower your homocysteine [a type of amino acid] levels, which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease. Folacin also plays a role in protein metabolism, cell growth and division.
• Folate is an absolute necessity for any woman who is pregnant [particularly if she has cravings for pickles and sweets] or is considering conceiving. A deficiency of folic acid in a mother-to-be can cause neural tube defects in the newborn such as spina bifida [an incomplete closure of the spinal cord and spinal column], anencephaly [severe underdevelopment of the brain], and encephalocele [when brain tissue protrudes out to the skin from an abnormal opening in the skull].
• Folic acid provides nourishment to the brain and helps treat depression to some extent during ageing and hence seniors should take folate supplements.
• It cuts down on the adverse effects of nicotine on the lungs, and hence is a must for smokers.

Where is it found?

Here’s a glimpse of a few good sources of folic acid.

• Dark green leafy vegetables [like mint, spinach and amaranth]
• Legumes
• Eggs
• Dairy products
• Sesame [til]
• Citrus fruits
• Soybeans
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Lady fingers
• Cluster beans
• Ripe tomatoes
• Cabbage
• Whole grains and nuts
• Liver and liver products.

Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet. These high-fibre, low-fat foods are typically rich in folic acid and other B vitamins, which reduce the risk for heart disease by preventing arterial blood clots.

Who needs extra folic acid?

Individuals who need the folic acid boost include:

• Teenagers and young adults who are vegetarians, if their diets are not adequately balanced.
• Individuals diagnosed with liver disease, kidney disease and malabsorption.
• People who drink alcohol in any form or take certain prescription drugs, such as oral contraceptives and anticonvulsant drugs.

What’s the daily requirement?

• An average Indian adult requires 100 micrograms/day.
• Pregnant women need 400 micrograms/day, prior to conception and during early pregnancy.

How to retain folate in food?

Folate can be lost from foods during preparation, cooking, or storage. To retain folate:

• Serve and eat fruits and vegetables raw, whenever possible.
• Steam, boil, or simmer vegetables in a minimum amount of water.
• Store vegetables in the refrigerator.

How to include it in your diet?

Folic acid is something you need all through your life. Thus, it is important that we get enough at all times. Here’s how you can make folate a part of your regular eating plan.

• Vegetable soups of broccoli + mint + spinach or lentil soup
• Baked kidney beans on whole wheat bread with sesame seeds sprinkled on top.
• Strawberry/orange mixed with yogurt
• Dry fruit milk shakes
• Til bhindi
• Roasted bengal gram [bhuna chana] + mint chutney
• A colourful fruit salad by tossing together fresh berries, watermelon cubes, pineapple wedges, and orange sections Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Serve with a dressing of plain yogurt
• Stir-fry fresh asparagus, cauliflower, or broccoli with garlic and a splash of sesame oil as a side dish
• Fortified grain foods like bread, rolls, flour, rice, pasta, and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals.

So keep yourself on a strict folic acid vigil by including as many of these sources in your diet, so that you don’t end up feeling grumpy or edgy.

The post Folic acid: Enemy of anaemia appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.