Courtesy WebMD

Potassium

"People don't know much about potassium," says Gidus. "They don't know how important it is, especially for maintaining healthy blood pressure." It's also key in maintaining fluid balance and the function of your nerves and muscles.

Adults should get 4,700 milligrams of potassium a day. "Potassium theoretically should be easy to get enough of, since it's in a lot of foods," says Lucia L. Kaiser, PhD, community nutrition specialist in the department of nutrition at the University of California, Davis. "But many people still don't, because they don't eat enough fruits and vegetables."

Bananas are a familiar source, Gidus says. But there are other ways to get this nutrient in food:

• Baked sweet potato: 694 milligrams
• Tomato paste (1/4 cup): 664 milligrams
• Non-fat plain yogurt (8 ounces): 579 milligrams
• Yellowfin tuna (3 ounces): 484 milligrams

Fiber

You've probably heard all about the health benefits of fiber over the years. But given all the emphasis on bowels and regularity, you might assume that you won't have to worry about fiber intake until after retirement.

"People think that fiber is just for old people," says Kaiser. "But it's really important at every age for promoting a healthy intestinal tract and guarding against diseases."

So what does fiber do? In addition to keeping your bowels working well, it reduces the risk of other intestinal problems. Good fiber intake may also help protect against heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. Since fiber is so filling and low on calories, it's often key in many successful weight loss programs.

The amount of fiber you need depends on your age and your sex.

• Women, age 19-50: 25 grams/day
• Women, age 51 and older: 21 grams/day
• Men, age 19-50: 38 grams/day
• Men, age 51 and older: 30 grams/day

Some good sources of this nutrient in food include:

• 100% bran cereal (1/2 cup): 8.8 grams
• Cooked black beans (1/2 cup): 7.7 grams
• Baked sweet potato, with peel: 4.8 grams
• Small pear: 4.4 grams
• Whole-wheat English muffin: 4.4 grams

Are you getting your correnct Nutrition

When it comes to eating healthy, some of us focus on the negative.

"A lot of people concerned about good nutrition are just watching for what they can't eat -- whether it's fat, or sugar, or whatever," says Tara Gidus, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

But that attitude can blind us to all of those foods that we really should be eating more of. It also leads to missing nutrients in our food -- and dietary deficiencies -- for even the most conscientious eaters.

According to the most recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines, there are seven important nutrients in food that most Americans aren't getting in sufficient amounts:

• Calcium
• Potassium
• Fiber
• Magnesium
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E

Before you line your bathroom cabinet with supplements to fill the gaps, there's a simpler and healthier way. A few modest changes to your diet may give you all the nutrients you need.

Calcium

Back in elementary school, the basics were probably drummed into you: calcium is good for bones and teeth and it's in milk. But that might be about all you know.

Calcium does a lot more than keep your bones strong. It helps maintain your heart rhythm, muscle function, and more.

How much do you need? That depends on your age.

• Adults up through age 50: 1,000 milligrams/day
• Adults over age 50: 1,200 milligrams/day

However, if you have a higher risk of osteoporosis, check with your doctor, who might recommend a high dose of 1,500 milligrams.

Dairy is one of the easiest ways to get this nutrient in food. Calcium is especially well-absorbed when you take it with lactose, the sugar in milk and some milk products. But if you don't like milk -- or can't tolerate it -- don't assume that you'll have to rely on supplements. There are different ways to get this nutrient in food. Some good dairy and nondairy sources of calcium are:

• Nonfat plain yogurt (8 ounces): 452 milligrams
• Swiss cheese (1.5 ounces): 336 milligrams
• Skim milk (8 ounces): 306 milligrams
• Salmon (3 ounces): 181 milligrams
• Cooked spinach (1 cup): 146 milligrams

Calcium is also in all sorts of fortified foods, like breakfast cereals, orange juice, and soy milk.

More in my next blog.

Water Sense

Winter brings with the usual problems of sore throats and infections. Here is recipe for a natural cure. A natural and easy way avoid them is to drink water every half an hour. Water hydrates the throat lining and prevents bacterial attack. Germs enter the lining when it gets cracked due to dehydration. Water also helps the body to keep it young and supple. Go ahead and drink up.

Aphrodisiacs

It's sad how our effort to promote the survival of our species through copious copulation has run other species to the brink of extinction. Rhino horn, prized by some as an alleged aphrodisiac, offers no such sexual power; and its (illegal) use in Chinese medicine for other ailments is questionable. The horns look a little like an erect penis, and in traditional medicine that's sometimes enough to mean that grinding them up and eating them will make one's own penis erect. At best, they contain nutrients, such as phosphorus, which gave our nutrient-poor ancestors a little more energy.

Aphrodisiacs were first sought out as a remedy for various sexual anxieties including fears of inadequate performance as well as a need to increase fertility. Procreation was an important moral and religious issue and aphrodisiacs were sought to insure both male and female potency.

Here's a recipe of natural aphrodisiac thats guaranteed to increase your arousal and boost your love making.

Aniseed
A very popular aphrodisiac with many culinary uses. It has been used as an aphrodisiac since the Greeks and the Romans, who believed aniseed had special powers. Sucking on the seeds is said to increases your desire.

Asparagus
Given it's phallic shape, asparagus is frequently enjoyed as an aphrodisiac food. Feed your lover boiled or steamed spears for a sensuous experience. Eat asparagus for three days for the most powerful affect".

Almond
A symbol of fertility throughout the ages. The aroma is thought to induce passion in a female. Try serving Marzipan (almond paste) in the shapes of fruits for a special after-dinner treat.

Arugula
Arugula or "rocket" seed has been documented as an aphrodisiac since the first century A.D. This ingredient was added to grated orchid bulbs and parsnips and also combined with pine nuts and pistachios. Arugula greens are frequently used in salads and pasta.

Asafetida
Any Indian dried, powedere herb used as a sexual stimulant in Ayurvedic medicine. The herb has a very strong, garlicy flavor.

Avocado
The Aztecs called the avocado tree "Ahuacuatl which translated means "testicle tree". The ancients thought the fruit hanging in pairs on the tree resembled the male's testicles. This is a delicious fruit with a sensuous texture. Serve in slices with a small amount of Balsamic vinegar and freshly ground pepper.

Bananas
The banana flower has a marvelous phallic shape and is partially responsible for popularity of the banana as an aphrodisiac food. An Islamic myth tells the tale that after Adam and Eve succumbed to the "Apple" they started covering their "nudity" with banana leaves rather than fig. From a more practical standpoint bananas are rich in potassium and B vitamins, necessities for sex hormone production.

Basil (sweet basil)
Is said to stimulate the sex drive and boost fertility. It is also said to produce a general sense of well being for body and mind.

Broccoli Rabe (And Other Mustard Greens)
The ground seeds of various plants in the brassica family were believed to increase virility. In the case of broccoli rabe its more likely a myth created to get people to eat this bitter vegetable.

Chocolate
The Aztecs referred to chocolate "nourishment of the Gods". Chocolate contains chemicals thought to effect neurotransmitters in the brain and a related substance to caffeine called theobromine. Chocolate contains more antioxidant (cancer preventing enzymes) than does red wine. The secret for passion is to combine the two. Try a glass of Cabernet with a bit of dark chocolate for a sensuous treat.

Benefits of Drinking Tea

Drinking tea regularly, known to have several health benefits, may be good for the bones too, say researchers in Australia.

Health experts in Perth studied 275 elderly women aged 70-85 and found that those who drank tea had higher bone density at their hips and less bone loss than women who didn't drink tea.

It was a larger five-year study of calcium supplements and osteoporosis - a disease that weakens the bones and increases the risk of fractures. The researchers led by Amanda Devine of University of Western Australia, Perth, measured the bone density of the hip at the beginning and end of the study and also kept a tab on the amount of black and green tea the women drank.

Although the study did not find a link between the cups of tea consumed per day and bone mineral density, it found the bone density at two places at the hip was higher in tea drinkers than in non-tea drinkers, the online edition of health Magazine WebMD reported.

Tea drinkers also had less loss of bone density over a four-year period compared to the women who did not drink tea.

These results took into account factors such as smoking history and use of calcium supplements, according to the study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed.

"Other variables, such as dietary calcium and coffee intake, physical activity, and smoking did not appear to be important confounders of the relation between tea and bone density," the researchers said.

People in the past have been using tea in managing and preventing allergies, diabetes, bacterial and viral infections, cavities and to reduce inflammatory diseases.

A previous study by the Yale School of Medicine had indicated that those who consume green tea on an average of 1.2 litres a day get several health benefits.

Separate studies have also revealed that tea can help improve gastrointestinal functions, alcohol metabolism, kidney, liver and pancreatic functions and protect the skin and eyes.

Courtesy Hindustan Times

Sleep

A good eight hour's sleep will do wonders for your brain and your skin -- Yoga

Body Odour

Soak 10 -15 basil (tulsi) leaves in 1 cup of water and eat evey morning.

History of Menu Cards

Menu cards have an interesting history as to thier origin. In 1541, the Duke Henry of Brunswick threw a banquet. He had a royal sheet of paper beside him, which he was seen to be referring every now and then. One of the guests asked him about it. The Duke explained that it was a list of food items they were having and he used the list to preserve his appetite for the dishes he liked. The idea stuck and has become quite popular from then on.