17 Low-Calorie Foods You Can Eat as Much as You Want

Let’s be honest with ourselves, we all have cravings from time to time, and that’s natural. But when the cravings get out of control and it just so happens that we’re trying to lose some weight, not gain it, then we are sending SOS signals.

Luckily, there are such foods out there on which you can snack all you want and still maintain a healthy figure. The reason for this is their unbelievably low-calorie content. Here is a list of 17 foods you should not hold back on eating.

1. Celery – 6 Calories

Amazing, isn’t it? But it all makes sense once you learn that as much as 95% of celery is made of water. But other than being a great snack choice while you’re dieting, it’s also a really healthy choice! It contains 30% of your daily need of vitamin K.

However, you’d do well do eat your celery fresh, as it can lose most of its benefits after about 5 days of cutting.

2. Arugula – 10 Calories

Would you believe there are only 10 calories in two whole cups of arugula? It’s ideal for helping you get fit and not damaging your health in the process, which is most important.

You can combine it with white cheese for better taste or even season it with some healthy olive oil!

3. Egg Whites – 17 Calories per Egg

You can freely eat the whites of the eggs all you want, even if you are currently following a strict regime! In order to make a super-simple, super-tasty and super-healthy omelet, simply mix some egg whites with tomatoes (also a low-calorie food we’ll discuss below).

Still, it’s better not to fry them in oil, as that would defeat the purpose of ‘low calorie’, wouldn’t it?

4. Salad – 10-20 Calories (Depending on the Type)

Other than being so low on calories, it is also extremely healthy and contains the vitamins A and C, as well as iron and even folic acid.

You can chow down on this magnificent food without ever having to feel guilty no matter how much you consume in a day.

5. Cucumbers – 16 Calories

No wonder they’re so low on calories, when they contain practically the same percentage of water as celery does. Plus, the fresh variety is packed with benefits to your health.

Perhaps it will shock you that the skin of the cucumber is the one which holds the most nutritional value, especially beta-carotene, which is always good for your eyes. So, next time you want to peel your cucumbers, you might want to rethink that decision.

6. Cauliflower – 25 Calories

Not only is it so low on caloric content, but it too, like all veggies, is packed with nutritious benefits – especially if you decide to eat it raw. It’s also a great source of vitamins K and C.

7. Tomatoes – 25 Calories

Tomatoes are so low on calories, that they are practically devoid of them. Not to mention all the nutrients they offer us: vitamins A, B2, and C, lycopene, fiber,folic acid, potassium and chromium – don’t say this in one breath, folks.

8. Broccoli – 31 Calories

No wonder it’s a personal favorite of all those who are seeking to lose weight the healthy and natural way. It contains about 20% of the fiber you need on a daily basis, as well as vitamins A, C, K, and E.

9. Popcorn – 31 Calories

One cup of these tasty air-popped snacks only contains as little as 31 calories. So next time you watch a movie, feel guilt-free if you grab a bowl of these, since they mostly consist of air.

BUT, for those which are used to the idea that popcorn is a fattening food, just remember to eat the popcorn without any added butter or sugar, since that’s what makes them caloric in the first place.

10. Kale – 32 Calories

Not only is it almost devoid of any calories, but it is also an excellent source of iodine. Always a good choice for when you’re feeling peckish.

11. Sugar Snap Peas – 35 Calories

They are both tasty and low in caloric content. One cup of sugar snap peas contains 35 calories! And they’re also healthy to boot- great sources of both protein and fiber. What more can one ask for?

12. Grapefruit – 50 Calories

They help you in stabilizing your blood sugar levels. They’re also a great source of vitamin C, and help you lose weight the natural and healthy way.

13. Melon – 55 Calories

It will not only satisfy any sweet tooth-based cravings you have, but also supply you with the much-needed vitamins C and A. Over half your recommended daily intake, in fact! Feel free to taste something sweet without having to fear that you’ll ruin your diet.
14. Strawberries – 50 Calories

These tasty treats are chock full of fiber and potassium, plus they have an anti-inflammatory effect on your health! A must have for all healthy food lovers, to be sure.

15. Blackberries – 62 Calories

They are brimming with vitamin C and antioxidants. Not to mention they taste fantastic. Even for someone who has been on a diet for a long time now, they’re completely safe for consuming.

Plus the caloric content they offer is rather low for the benefits you’re getting!

16. Oranges – 80 Calories

They count as some of the tastiest, juiciest fruits Mother Nature’s got to offer us. Like every other citrus fruit, they are known for their high vitamin C content.

And here’s a helpful tip for you readers: the white stuff which is under the orange skin is called the pith (in case you didn’t know) and contains a whole lot of fiber, and this, in turn, helps to reduce your bad cholesterol.

So the next time you get into your old habit of peeling off the pith, you may wish to reconsider for your own good.

17. Blueberries – 85 Calories

Would you believe they contain more antioxidants than any other fruit out there? Hence, as little as one cup will certainly aid you in balancing your diet. And one of the main benefits is you don’t have to worry about weight gain while eating it either.

Well, next time you feel like munching, choose any of these seventeen healthy, low-calorie options rather than something you know will make you feel guilty after ‘enjoying’ it.

Do Fried Potatoes Really Increase the Risk of Premature Death?

There is a new study about the effect fried potatoes have on people. The researchers made this on 4,400 people that were from 45 to 79 years old.

These people ate French fries, potato chips, and hash browns for 2 or more times on a weekly basis over the course of 8 years.

They came to the discovery that these people actually have increased the risk of early death. The risk is double compared to those people that did not consume fried potatoes.

Other Important Factors

In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, there was a study published about this same topic. And according to that study there is no evidence that there is a connection between the risk of early death and consuming fried potatoes.

However, according to the lead author and scientist at the National Research Council that is in Padova, Italy, Nicola Veronese, there is other crucial factor.
Other crucial factor that can explain the morality by consuming potatoes is the cooking oil. The cooking oil has rich content of trans-fat.

CNN reports that the trans-fat boosts the levels of bad cholesterol i.e. LDL. And that can result in heart disease.

Nicola Veronese has hope that the study will serve as a warning to people that consume fried potatoes on a daily basis. Also that these people should lower their intake when it comes to fried potatoes and potato chips.

However, this scientist also noted that other crucial factors might increase the risk of early death with people that often consume fried potatoes.

The other crucial factors are those like high salt intake, inactivity, and obesity.

What is Acrylamide and How to Avoid It

An associate professor at Karolinska Institute in Sweden, at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Susanna Larsson, told CNN that there is no evidence that eating potatoes can increase the risk.

Professor Larsson is not part of the study, but she made her own study when it comes to eating potatoes. According to her study there in no connection between increased risk of heart disease and eating potatoes.

On the other hand, Stephanie Schiff, a dietitian at Northwell Health’s Huntington Hospital in New York says that there is a threat from consuming starchy foods and fried potatoes.

And also that this food is a potential chemical that can cause cancer. The name of the chemical is acrylamide.

She explained that acrylamide is a chemical that is a produced when certain foods are at high temperature. Those foods are starchy foods like potatoes that you fry, bake or roast.

You can prevent this from happening by simply steaming or boiling the starchy foods.

6 Exercises To Tone The Bottom Half

Here are a few excellent exercises to tone the bottom half that you can do in the comforts of your own home. It can’t hurt trying them, so why not?

1. Bodyweight Squat

Start in a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart. Stick your chest out while pulling your shoulders back. Put your hands behind your head, on the side, or out in front. Then, start lowering your bottom as if you are about to sit on a chair.

Make sure you feel pressure on your heels. If you’re a beginner, your toes can go a bit upward. Do the squats as deep as possible. When you feel your thighs are touching your calves, it means you do full squats.

Go back to the starting position and repeat. Just remember that your knees shouldn’t go past your toes when doing the squats.

2. Isometric Squat Hold

Once again, start in a standing position with feel should-width apart. Drop your bottom until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Stay here for 30 seconds to three minutes. When doing this exercise make sure you use a timer.
3. Jump Squats

According to research, programs with jump squats or another plyometric exercise are more successful at increasing strength than regular strength training. So, to do this explosive exercise, start in a regular squat position and squat as deep as possible.

Then, jump off the ground as much as you can. Return to the initial position and repeat.

4. The Split Squat

This squat is also called the Bulgarian split squat. It helps you stretch the hamstrings, thus improving flexibility. Begin by standing in a split stance and elevate your rare foot on a chair, couch, or any high surface.

Keep your front foot flat on the ground and your chest upright. Then, drop your bottom and pause when the rare knee touches the ground. Slowly rise to an upright position and repeat. Just don’t let your front knee go past your toes.

5. Frog Squat

This exercise activates the quads and glutes, at the same time stretching the hamstrings. In this way, it helps reverse the effects of sitting down all day.

6. Rolling Squat

The rolling squat helps activate the core muscles and abs. First, do a regular squat and lie on the back as soon as you’re at the bottom. Then, raise your legs and thrust the hips off the ground.

Put your feet on the floor as quickly as you can and rise to the beginning position. If you want you can use your hands to push off the ground.

Things You Should or Shouldn’t Do When You Find a Tick Stuck on Your Skin

Ticks are tiny spider-like insects (arachnids) that live by feasting on the blood of humans and other animals. If you are an outdoor person through the summer, you already know that you often need to check your body for intruders.

Although they are quite small, they can be a real menace and inflict some serious damage when they get embedded on humans or animals.

Ticks can spread a vast array of serious diseases and illnesses like Powassan, and the most infamous one of all is Lime disease. The best way to cure them is to prevent them!

Using thick clothing and bug repellents can help you avoid ticks, but is essential for you to spot them if they’re there, either on you, your pet or a family member. Also, it is imperative that you know how to deal with them appropriately to avoid other detrimental problems.
How (not) to – Guideline

The Right Ways

1. Use Fine-Tipped Tweezers

Using the right tools is an essential thing in order to remove ticks from the skin. According to the Center for Disease and Prevention (CDC), fine-tipped tweezers are the perfect tool.

2. Clasp the Tick as Close to the Skin’s Surface Feasible

Operating with your fine-tipped tweezers, clutch the tick as close to the skin’s surface as you can.

The reason behind this is because ticks enter the skin using their mouth, and the part that sticks on and at the same time out of your skin is their body.

That leaves the possibility of pushing the infected fluids into your body if you squeeze it by its belly, WebMD explains.

3. Steadily Pull Upwards

Once you grab the tick by its mouth, pull steadily in upwards motion in the opposite direction of the skin. Do not twist or wrench the tweezers, because this could break the ticks’ body apart.

In which case using the tweezers to remove the rest of the parts from the skin is your only option left.

4. Thoroughly Clean Your Hands and the Bite Spot

Rubbing the bite spot with iodine scrub or alcohol, as well as washing your hands with warm water and soap is essential once you’ve removed the tick.
5. Proper Disposal of the Tick

Removing the tick from the skin isn’t enough. You need to get rid of it properly.

You should soak it in alcohol, wrap it in a tape, flush it down the toilet or just put it in a sealed container/bag and throw it away.

6. Watch for Symptoms

After you get the tick off your skin, several complications can occur, so you need to watch for signs on your body.

Rash and fever are among the conditions that require follow-up, so make sure you see a doctor and tell him where are when you got the tick bite.

If you’re having doubts whether the tick that bit you was carrying a disease, you can put the sealed bag in the freezer for further examination.

The Wrong Ways

1. Never Burn the Tick

Getting a tick off your skin by burning could cause problems for both the tick and you.

It’s risky to try and force the tick out of the skin by using an excessive amount of either force or heat, as it can swell and increase the chances of infections.

In addition, you risk burning yourself apart from increasing the likelihood of an infection.

2. Don’t ‘Paint’ the Tick

Although some places suggest that covering the tick with petroleum jelly or nail polish might be a good idea, the CDC says don’t do it.

When a tick gets stuck under your skin, the best thing to do is to remove it as quickly as possible.

3. Don’t ‘Drown’ the Tick

Equally important is not to rub the tick with alcohol or try to drown it in gasoline, the New York Time explains.

The reason behind this is that it gives the ticks more time to spread the infection/disease, for it could take hours for the tick to smother.

4. Don’t Twist the Tick

Remember not to twist the tick once you grab it with the tweezers, as its’ body could fall apart increasing the risks of infections.

Instead, with a constant, steady pressure pull upwards, away from the skin.

Tick Bite Treatment

After you successfully removed the tick and got rid of it (or stored it for further examination), it’s important that you thoroughly wash your skin. Once you’ve done that, there are several things you can do to relieve any irritation.

According to WebMD, applying some petroleum jelly and covering the bite spot with a band-aid would do the job just fine. In case any pain or swelling occurs, apply ice onto the spot.

If you happen to encounter any complications like rashes or fevers, see your doctor right away.

7 Tips to Lose Weight and Maintain a Healthy Figure!

How many of us have started a diet and failed? Or, even if we manage to finish it and actually lose some weight in the process, it just comes crashing back after we go back to our usual regime.

It’s far from a secret that starving yourself or going on what they call ‘crash diets’ will fail in the long run.

That’s simply not the way to do it. On the other hand, if you want to lose your weight, and more importantly, keep it off, then you should be ready to adopt some life-long healthy habits which, after mastering them, will make sure you don’t have to worry about your weight ever again.

After all, maintaining our weight is a process that lasts our entire lives. Here we have 7 tips for you on how to not only lose those extra pounds but maintain a healthy figure for good!

1. You Only Need 30 Minutes of Exercise

The Scandinavian Journal of Public Health had published a study in which 60 slightly overweight Danish men were tracked for a total of 13 weeks.

The discovery was that those who had exercised for half an hour daily had lost more weight and felt fresher and more relaxed than those who did more and just felt tired.

And, with these statistics in mind, even the well-renowned programs for home fitness, such as P90x and Insanity, have altered their workouts to just 30 minutes a day.

2. Quit the Habit of Eating in Front of Your Screen

And this goes for any screen, whether it’s your computer or TV or something entirely different. The reason why this is considered a bad habit is simple: when you’re distracted by your screen, you don’t pay attention to how much food you take in.

The result of this is, more often than not, overeating i.e. eating more food than you really need.

In fact, a study published by Appetite discovered that those who ate their lunch without getting distracted ate a whopping 69% less than those who are used to snacking in front of their laptops, tablets or any other diversions.

3. Lower the Thermostat a Bit

It’s natural to shiver when we are cold. And, according to National Geographic, by shivering, our bodies are producing more energy in order to heighten our core temperatures.

As a matter of fact, those individuals, while shivering, spend as much as 5 times the energy than their counterparts who sit in the warmth. So it turns out that 15 minutes of shivering in cold temperatures can have the same results as when one exercises for an hour!

4. Do Some Label-Checking

Next time you go to any store to pick up your groceries, it might not be such a bad idea to check the labels on the products.

According to a number of studies, those who bother to check the label before buying the food have a smaller body mass index than those who simply throw the products in the shopping cart without a care in the world.

Of course, the main things you should be giving your attention to are calories, carbs, fats, protein, and serving size.

5. Consume More Nuts and Yogurt

The New England Journal of Medicine had published a study where they analyzed the eating habits of 120.000 individuals. And it turned out that yogurt was the #1 food for losing weight.

And while currently, scientists are not 100% sure as to why, they suspect it might be because of the probiotics yogurt contains, which are great for maintaining a healthy gut flora. Also, yogurt is an ideal snack since it keeps you feeling fuller for a longer period.

This is thanks to its high protein content. One thing you can do to make it even better and more efficient is to add nuts to it. You have probably already heard that they are an excellent source of both protein and unsaturated fats.

Enjoy this tasty, healthy snack as often as you can! That way you’ll be creating a healthy, delicious habit for yourself, and replacing the unhealthy one of reaching out for a bag of chips, for example.

6. Munch on Something Spicy

You should definitely make a habit of eating more spices and hot peppers, if you haven’t already. Some people are naturally drawn to foods of the spicier variety, while others need more of a push towards them.

Well, our metaphorical ‘push’ to you, dear readers, is this: other than the benefits they offer your health, they are also great for speeding up the rate at which our bodies burn fat, thus promoting healthy weight loss.

This is thanks to an ingredient they contain by the name of capsaicin. Digestive Diseases and Sciences have published a study, in which it is proven that this ingredient can do as much good for your weight loss mission as surgical interventions (without the side effects of the latter, mind you!).

The golden rule here is that the hotter the pepper is, the more capsaicin it holds. Also, like we already mentioned, consuming a variety of spices is not a bad idea either. Some spices, like turmeric which contains curcumin, can increase the heat in your body and help you shed those unwanted pounds.

7. Make Sure to Drink Plenty of Water

Other than the fact that we need it for survival, H2O has soo many health benefits. Are you surprised when we reveal it is also a great companion for any weight loss mission too?

It spikes your energy, gives your workouts a boost, and accelerates your metabolism for you. And many have already long known that drinking water before a meal makes you feel fuller and eat less. And there are studies to prove this, such as the one Obesity has done.

In it, those who drank two full glasses of water also ate less and lost 2,6 more pounds than their counterparts who didn’t.

That’s all, folks. We hope you will take these 7 tips to heart and change your life for the better. Stay fit and healthy!

The Most Beneficial Fruit for Strokes, Heart Attacks, Cholesterol and Hypertension

People are looking for super healthy beneficial food for a long time, now. We are here to put an end to the search and provide you with the one fruit that is an all-around benefit for your body.

Dates. Their fantastic healthy set of effects help relieve a host of health problems, including cholesterol, strokes, and hypertension. This is due to their richness with nutrients that have the ability to bolster your metabolism.

In this article, you will discover why they are good enough for us to implement them in our daily diets and routines.

8 Health Benefits of Dates

1. Crammed in Iron

Iron is responsible for hemoglobin and red blood cells in the body, that provide us with oxygen in the blood. Therefore, iron is exceptionally beneficial for people with anemia, children, and pregnant women.

Eating 100gr of dates per day is sufficient, which contains about 0.90mg of iron, and is only 11% of the recommended daily dose.

2. Prevails Diarrhea

Potassium is an essential mineral in the iron that tranquilizes the belly flora and intestines, inducing healthy bacteria, thus prevailing diarrhea.

3. Mitigate Constipation

The soporific abilities of dates can pacify diarrhea and constipation. For this reason, put some dates in a bowl of water and let it stay for 1 night. Drinking the mixture in the morning bolsters the digestion powers of your organism because it has rather than lenient and cathartic effects.
Eating dates on an empty stomach is the secret to preventing storage of excessive fats in the body because they’re cholesterol-free.

5. Cholesterol Control

Dates manage the flow of LDL (bad cholesterol) by cleansing the blood vessels and prevailing any blood clots.

6. Fortify the Heart

Dip the dates in a bowl of water and let them sit for the night. Remove the seeds and heave them in the morning, before eating them. Furthermore, you can also blend the seeds and eat them.

7. Manage Blood Pressure

Dates are heavily recommended to people with hypertension because they don’t contain sodium at all and are very rich in potassium.

In average, 5-6 dates contain approximately 80mg of magnesium, a mineral we use to improve our blood flow. An estimated 370mg of magnesium is required to lower the blood pressure.

8. Avert Strokes

Last but not least, we already mentioned the high levels of potassium in dates. In case you didn’t know, potassium enhances the nervous system and can prevail strokes.

Recommended daily dose of potassium is around 400mg, and if you already achieved this number, there is no reason to worry about whatsoever.

10 Things That Happen To Your Body If You Walk Every Day

When was the last time you took a 15-30 minute walk? This simple physical activity is more beneficial to your health than you can imagine. And, you may say you don’t practice it because you don’t have time, but you know that’s not true.

The truth is, everyone has 30 minutes to spare in 24 hours, right?

Walking is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to improve your health and body in many ways. Here are a few reasons why you should take a short walk every day.

10 Amazing Benefits of Walking

1. It Has Positive Effects on the Brain

Walking stimulate the production of the happy hormones called endorphins, and lower the stress levels. Along with boosting your mood, taking regular walks can help clear your mind, relax, alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety, and lower the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

2. It Improves Vision

Walking boosts neurons which process visual information, according to research. It also helps relieve the pressure of glaucoma.

3. It Keeps the Heart Healthy

The American Heart Association says that walking is beneficial for the heart, similar to running. It helps prevent stroke and other heart-related problems. What’s more, it improves the blood flow, lowers the cholesterol levels, and stabilizes the blood pressure levels.

4. It Increases Lung Capacity

Walking helps eliminate toxins in the body and coaches the lungs to improve the oxygen flow throughout the body. In this way, this simple physical activity improves the function of the lungs and helps prevent different lung diseases.

5. It Supports the Pancreas

Research says that walking regularly improves the levels of glucose even more than running does. This implies that walking is a more beneficial physical activity for your pancreas and the risk of diabetes than running.

6. It Improves Digestion

If you think about it, walking keeps the colon moving, thus supporting its normal functioning. In this way, it helps prevent constipation, flatulence, and other colon problems.

7. It Helps Burn Fat and Makes Muscles Leaner

Taking 10,000 steps every day helps you burn fat, which, in turn, makes your muscles stronger and leaner. If you add an interval throughout the walk or you go uphill, you will also help increase muscle tones to various parts of your body.

Although you can get the same effects in the gym, walking is much easier on your body as it causes less soreness and enables quicker healing.

8. It Strengthens Bones and Joints

A 30-minute walk every day can help prevent pain and stiffness in joints and bones while strengthening them at the same time. It also reduces the risk of bone loss, thus preventing injuries.

9. It Helps Reduce Back Pain

Higher impact exercises or sports can damage the back, so you should be careful if you practice them. On the other hand, walking and other lower impact exercises can help relieve back pain by improving the blood flow in the spinal area.

This simple physical activity can also improve posture and flexibility, which is why it’s recommended for everyone, especially for those with back discomfort.

10. It Lowers the Need for Cravings for Sugar and Stress Eating

A 15-minute walk can help lower your cravings for high-calorie sweets, says research. So, if you want to lose a few extra pounds but your sweet tooth is causing your problems, go for a short walk, and your thoughts about sweets will stop, at least temporarily.

Feel free to share this article with your friends to help them learn about the benefits of walking.

Ginger-Garlic Soup Made With 52 Cloves of Garlic Can Help Defeat Colds, Flu and Even Norovirus

It’s that time of the year again when every third person looks and feels awful. A cough, fever, headache, and congestion are the most common symptoms of cold and flu.

So, it’s our job to do everything we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones from these annoying conditions.

People on the Internet are going crazy over a soup which can help fight off flu, colds, and even norovirus. It’s made of over fifty garlic cloves and a few other natural ingredients.

Garlic is said to be one of the most powerful natural ingredients when it comes to preventing and fighting viruses, thanks to its chemical compound called allicin.

One 2012 study from Washington State University claims that a compound found in garlic is a hundred times more powerful than two popular antibiotics when it comes to fighting intestinal illnesses.

The alliin in garlic turns into allicin when you crush the cloves. Researchers believe that this compound helps reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, at the same time lowering the risk of blood clots.

This vegetable can help prevent hardening of the arteries, known as atherosclerosis. The compounds it contains can help destroy viruses and bacteria that cause colds, flu, and earaches. Other benefits of garlic include alleviating diarrhea and other digestive ailments.

People know it as an effective natural immune booster thanks to its antifungal and antibacterial properties, says the dietitian and spokeswoman for the BDA (British Dietetic Association), Helen Bond.

Although it’s still unclear what the best way to consume garlic is in order to get the maximum benefits, people are trying out different ways to include it in their diet.

According to the Cochrane Database, consuming more of this vegetable during winter can cut the duration of the symptoms of a cold for around a day.

Still, more research is needed to confirm this finding, but the big pharmaceutical companies are not quite interested in running expensive trials to confirm the power of garlic.

Still, no one can deny the numerous benefits of garlic, especially when it’s the cold and flu season. Here’s the recipe of the garlic soup that takes the Internet by storm.

How to Make Garlic Soup

Serves four

Ingredients

• 26 unpeeled and 26 peeled garlic cloves
• ½ a teaspoon cayenne powder
• 2 ¼ cups sliced onion
• 2 tablespoons grass-fed organic butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoon of fresh thyme (chopped)
• ½ cup raw ginger
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 4 lemon wedges
• 3 ½ cups organic veggie broth

Preparation

Put 26 cloves in a glass baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Use foil to cover the dish well and bake at preheated oven (350 F) for around 45 minutes. Once you see the cloves are tender and golden brown, take the dish out of the oven.

Let the garlic cool before squeezing it with your fingers, and place the cloves in a small bowl.

Place the butter in a heavy large saucepan and melt it over medium heat. Then, add the ginger, thyme, onions, and cayenne powder, and cook for around six minutes. Next, add the roasted and raw garlic cloves and cook for three minutes.

Pour the vegetable broth and simmer for twenty minutes, or until you notice the garlic is very tender. Then, puree everything in batches until you get a smooth soup. Transfer the soup to the saucepan together with the coconut milk, and bring to simmer.

Sprinkle some salt and pepper and the juice of a lemon wedge into each bowl before serving.

You can make this soup one day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. When you want to eat it, rewarm it over medium heat and don’t forget to stir.

There are many other benefits of garlic we want to mention, like its ability to fight off bacteria and viruses, treat wounds, and boost the immune system. Russians even call it the Russian penicillin, and Louis Pasteur wrote that garlic successfully killed bacteria.

According to nutrition scientists at the University of Florida, garlic can help fight off viruses and boost the immune system by increasing the number of T-cells in the bloodstream.

University of California pharmacologists found that the active compound in garlic, allicin, helps kill infections. This compound can also help improve circulation, dilate blood vessels and cardiovascular problems like high cholesterol.

The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study which shows that consuming more garlic can help lower high blood pressure.

Brazilian dentists, on the other hand, discovered that if you gargle with garlic water you can kill the germs that are responsible for gum disease and tooth decay.

As we mentioned, the right way to consume garlic to obtain its benefits is still unclear as there are two assumptions.

One is that baking garlic cloves encourage the release of allicin-type chemicals, and the other that letting peeled garlic sit uncovered for 10-15 makes it produce the highest levels of infection-fighting compounds.

We can’t tell if the garlic soup is 100 percent effective in preventing and fighting colds, flu, and norovirus, but one thing is for sure – garlic contains virus-killing compounds, so it’s worth a try.

At least your garlic breath will keep everyone far out of the sneezing range, including those are infectious.

Study: Eating Chocolate and Drinking Red Wine Could Help Prevent Aging

Surely you have heard or read about the health benefits of red wine or dark chocolate. Well, the combination is delicious and fancy yet healthy. These health benefits come from a natural chemical compound known by the name resveratrol.

That is not all; there is more to this. It is said that this combination may help slow down the aging process. How is that possible? Well, the journal BMC Cell Biology published one research on this topic.

That research shows that old human cells are actually rejuvenated with the help of chemicals which are similar to the resveratrol as mentioned above. Resveratrol is present in dark chocolate and red wine.

This research was carried out by scientists at the Universities of Brighton and Exeter, located in the UK. The one who led the scientists was a professor of molecular genetics, Lorna Harries from the University of Exter.

And Dr. Eva Latorre, who is a research associate at the University of Exter was the author of the paper. This specific research builds on the previous study from the University of Exter.

That study discovered that splicing factors (the type of protein) become inactive as the candles on the cake increase. In the research, the scientists added chemical similar to resveratrol or resveralogues to aging human cells.

They discovered that they reactivated the splicing factors. The old cells seemed younger and started dividing again the same as young cells would.

Dr. Latorre says that she couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the cells in the culture dish. She says that they looked like young cells and to her everything was like magic.

She also says that she repeated the procedure a couple of times and everytime the cells rejuvenated. She is excited about the potential of the findings of this study.

You should know that resveratrol is a compound which is present in some berries, peanuts, dark chocolate, grapes, and red wine.

In order to better know the context of the findings from this study, professor Harries described what mRNA splicing is to Medical  News Today.

She said that the info in the genes is actually carried in the DNA. Every single cell in the human body has the same genes, but not every single gene is actually switched on in every single cell. That is what makes a heart cell a heart cell.

She says that when a gene is necessary, it is switched on and produces a message known as RNA. The RNA has the instructions for whatever the gene produces. Most genes may make more than one message.

This message is composed of building blocks which may be kept in or even left out in order to produce different messages. This removal of the building blocks is made by a process known by the name mRNA splicing.

Here the different blocks are actually joined together as needed. To be more precise, this is like a recipe book. You can make either a chocolate cake or a vanilla sponge; it depends on whether or not you will add the chocolate while cooking.

It was previously discovered that the proteins which decide to whether a lock is in or left out (the splicing factors) are those who change most as people age.

The findings show that when old cells are treated with molecules which restore the levels of the splicing factors, they regain some traits of youth.

They can grow, and their telomeres (the caps found on the ends of chromosomes which shorten as people age) are actually longer, similar as in young cells.

Professor Harries told for the MNT that they were surprised by the magnitude of the findings. Also, she added that the rejuvenating effects lasted for a couple of weeks, which is exciting as well.

Professor Harries explains that this is the first step when it comes to trying to make people live normal lifespans, with health during their entire life.

Garlic Proven 100 Times More Effective Than Antibiotics, Working In A Fraction of The Time

Do you like garlic? Add some in your dishes and your entire kitchen smells delicious. But, that’s not the best thing that it offers. Adding garlic to your dishes will make them super healthy as it has quite a few health benefits up its sleeve.

Powerful Antibiotic

A Washington State University study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy focused on Campylobacter – one of the most common bacteria in the world that’s responsible for different food-borne illnesses.

This bacteria causes abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, etc.

However, researchers discovered something amazing. Namely, garlic can destroy Campylobacter a hundred times more effectively than ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, and other common antibiotics.

What’s more, it works in a fraction of time.

As it seems, garlic will be your number one antibiotic from now on.


Here are a few other impressive health benefits of garlic.

Additional Health Benefits of Garlic

Garlic is one of the healthiest food out there, and here are a few reasons why you should add it to your diet more often.

1. Boosts the Immune System

Garlic stimulates the cells within the immune system, thus improving its efficacy. So make sure you consume it as often as possible to stay out of hospitals.

2. Reduces the Length of Colds and Flues

If you are down with the flu, garlic can reduce the number of days you are sick by up to 61 percent, a study says.

3. Lowers Blood Pressure

Research shows that garlic is as effective as Atenolol – a commonly used medicine for reducing blood pressure levels.

4. Detoxes the Body

A study published in Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine says that garlic can help remove the amount of toxic heavy metals in the body. It can also help alleviate the side effects of toxicity, such as headaches.

5. Helps Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases

Garlic contains certain compounds which can cut the risk for cardiovascular disease. Other impressive benefits of this vegetable are its anti-microbial and anti-tumor properties.

6. Improves Cholesterol Levels

Good news for those with high cholesterol. Garlic can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and total cholesterol levels by up to 15 percent, according to studies. However, it has no reliable effect on good cholesterol levels (HDL.)

7. Helps Prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia

The antioxidants in garlic improve the body’s protective mechanism against oxidative damage, a study says.

These antioxidant properties of garlic, along with its ability to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, help lower the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other common brain diseases.

8. Helps Improve Bone Health

An animal study suggests that garlic can help increase estrogen in the body, thus minimizing bone loss. Another human study shows that taking a dose of dry garlic extract or two grams of raw garlic every day can help reduce a marker of estrogen deficiency in menopausal women.

Both studies suggest that garlic supplement can be beneficial for women when it comes to their bones.

Conclusion

All research points to the fact that garlic is one of the most powerful vegetables that helps people lead a happy and healthy life. By improving your health in so many ways, garlic helps you live longer.