Name: Only one in every five eateries has a food safety licence in India
Uploaded: 2019-05-30T14:20:27.0+05:30
Duration: T00M41S
Channel: editorji

Only one in every five eateries has a food safety licence in India, according to the NRAI India Food Services Report 2019. This means that only 4.67 lakh of the 24.9 la

Only one in every five eateries has a food safety licence in India

Only one in every five eateries has a food safety licence in India, according to the NRAI India Food Services Report 2019. This means that only 4.67 lakh of the 24.9 lakh food business operators have a licenced by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. FSSAI directed the FDA across different states to grant food licenses within two months to eateries if they comply with all rules. According to an Economic Times report, nearly half of the licenced eateries are in two states- Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

There are several tea varieties that are carb-free and sugar-free, making them healthy for consumption by diabetics.

The life of a diabetic may be full of eating and drinking restrictions, but there are a few beverages that they can afford to sip while maintaining a healthy blood sugar level. This involves picking unsweetened teas over drinks that are full of sugar and milk.
There are several tea varieties that are carb-free&nbsp;and sugar-free, making them healthy for consumption by diabetics.
GREEN TEA
Anti oxidant-rich, green tea is considered to be very healthy for diabetics as it can help lower cellular damage, reduce inflammation and&nbsp;improve&nbsp;insulin sensitivity. As per the&nbsp;U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one cup of green tea has 0 carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, and just about 2.4 calories, making it a very healthy drink!&nbsp;
BLACK TEA
Black tea is full of beneficial health compounds that help in protecting against <a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/dr-ambrish-mithal-s-best-diabetes-advice-1573728515753" target="_blank">diabetes</a> and also its complications. According to research published in January 2017, in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consuming black tea after a sugar intake can help control blood glucose levels.&nbsp;
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/covid-19-and-diabetes-precautions-diabetics-must-take-1620373764495" target="_blank">COVID-19 and Diabetes: Precautions diabetics must take</a>
GINGER TEA
Yes, this spicy yet incredible ingredient can help in lowering blood glucose levels and modulating insulin in diabetic people. In a study published by the researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia, ginger allows increased uptake of glucose into muscle cells without using insulin. &nbsp;
CHAMOMILE TEA
As per the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, poor sleep can make your body use insulin less efficiently. Chamomile tea helps lower stress and improves sleep quality.&nbsp;
HIBISCUS TEA
This tangy and refreshing tea is full of antioxidants that help control blood glucose. High blood pressure is common amongst <a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/green-peas-what-makes-it-a-diabetes-friendly-winter-superfood-1607336205468" target="_blank">diabetics</a>, but drinking Hibiscus tea can help control blood pressure levels.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/common-diabetes-drug-may-complicate-health-of-covid-19-patients-study-1609253104573" target="_blank">Common diabetes drug may complicate health of Covid-19 patients: study</a>
These teas are simple enough to make at home. So, if you are a diabetic looking for a low-calorie drink to help satiate your thirst, these will definitely hit the spot!

If you've ever chopped onions, you would definitely be familiar with the irritating tears that accompany the process. It may be hard to completely eliminate o

If you've ever chopped onions, you would definitely be familiar with the irritating&nbsp;tears that accompany the process. It may be hard to completely&nbsp;eliminate onion tears but Chef Saransh&nbsp;Goila&nbsp;has shared his tried and tested hack to peel onions with minimal crying!
Chef Goila&nbsp;suggests placing peeled onions in the freezer for 10 minutes or in the fridge for 30 minutes before chopping.&nbsp;
After you take them out, he suggests not chopping the root end.&nbsp;Slice or chop around the root and discard it at the end.
No hack is foolproof but he feels this comes 'closest to being successful in making sure you don&rsquo;t cry a lot.'

Everyone recommends eating fruits and vegetables every day but a study from Harvard University claims to have found just how many you need to eat every day to extract t

Everyone recommends eating fruits and vegetables every day but a study from Harvard University claims to have found just how many you need to eat every day to extract the maximum benefits!&nbsp;
The study&nbsp;released by the&nbsp;American Health Association finds that eating two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables daily could be the key to living a long life.&nbsp;
The study's&nbsp;lead author said that 'this amount likely offers the most benefit in terms of prevention of major chronic disease and is a relatively achievable intake for the general public.'
But some fruit and veg&nbsp;seem to fare better than the others. The team says that&nbsp;green leafy vegetables, including spinach, kale and lettuce, as well as vegetables rich in beta carotene and citrus fruits and berries exhibited the most benefit in fighting disease.
For the purpose of this research, the team&nbsp;followed over 100,000 adult participants from 1984 to 2014.&nbsp;

Eggs are such a common item in our kitchen pantries that we sometimes forget about the complexity of this seemingly simple breakfast staple. Wh

Eggs are such a common&nbsp;item in&nbsp;our kitchen pantries that we sometimes forget&nbsp;about the complexity of this seemingly simple breakfast&nbsp;staple.&nbsp;Whether you like them scrambled, boiled, poached or fried &ndash; everyone has their own preference of how they cook&nbsp;and eat their eggs.&nbsp;&nbsp;
But have you ever wondered why do the same eggs taste so different, with different cooking methods?&nbsp;
Apart from the&nbsp;milk, herbs or cheese that you might be adding for flavour, there is also some food science behind this massive taste difference.
Interestingly, the distinction in taste is actually due to the flavour difference in egg whites versus the yolk.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;depending on whether you&rsquo;re beating your eggs&nbsp;together&nbsp;or not, the rich and fatty yolk&nbsp;will imbibe&nbsp;a more intense flavour than the slightly blander whites.
Applying heat to eggs causes the protein in them to interact with the water molecules which helps the formation of new protein bonds. Apart from protein, the yolk is also rich in fat which is why it tastes so different and doesn't get&nbsp;as rubbery upon cooking. Many chefs recommend adding some fat, perhaps some butter or another egg yolk, to the eggs before scrambling them as that&nbsp;allows for the entire mixture to become closer in character to the yolks.
Another reason, which explains why fried eggs or omelettes taste so different, is a chemical process&nbsp;called the Maillard reaction which occurs when the protein and glucose interact with each other. This reaction gives your eggs that brownish colour and a slightly nutty flavour.
Lastly, the texture is another big factor in food tasting. This may explain&nbsp;why&nbsp;silky&nbsp;smooth&nbsp;scrambled eggs taste quite different&nbsp;from&nbsp;a&nbsp;hard-boiled&nbsp;egg or a&nbsp;gooey poached egg, since all of them offer a distinct&nbsp;&lsquo;mouthfeel&rsquo; experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While the hazards of alcohol consumption have been proven time and again by scientists, it seems like one group of people may be at an even higher health risk! Researc

While the hazards of alcohol consumption have been proven time and again by scientists, it seems like one group of people may be at an even higher health risk!
Researchers from the University of Sydney have found that people who are overweight or obese are at a much greater risk of liver damage from alcohol.
The study of nearly half a million people revealed that &lsquo;even for people who drank within the alcohol guidelines, participants classified as obese were at over 50 per&nbsp;cent greater risk of liver disease.&rsquo;&nbsp;
Not surprisingly, people who drank above UK alcohol guidelines had a nearly 600 per cent higher risk of being diagnosed with alcoholic fatty liver disease and a&nbsp;700 per cent higher risk of death by alcoholic fatty liver disease,&nbsp;compared to within guideline drinkers.&nbsp;
Publishing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition,&nbsp;the researchers&nbsp;used UK&rsquo;s 14 units per week&nbsp;as the guiding limit for alcohol consumption.&nbsp;For your information,&nbsp;NHS defines&nbsp;a standard glass of red or white wine as 2.3 units while a pint of stronger beer accounts for 3 alcohol units.&nbsp;&nbsp;

From health experts to fitness bloggers, everyone touts the benefits of not consuming trans fats. But we all know that it is much easier said than done. Let's take a de

From health experts to fitness bloggers, everyone touts the benefits of not consuming trans fats. But we all know that it is much easier said than done. Let's take a deep dive into the world of trans fat to understand why they&nbsp;even exist if everyone hates them!
What is&nbsp;trans fat?
Trans fat or trans fatty acids are a type of saturated fat. They&nbsp;are formed through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, making it solid at room temperature.&nbsp;Known as the worst type of fats, this notorious fat helps keep food&nbsp;products fresh for longer and taste better. It's why packaged food doesn't seem to go bad for months!&nbsp;
Why are trans fats so bad?
Unlike other fatty acids, trans fats increase your "bad" cholesterol and lower your "good" cholesterol. If you consume a high-trans fat diet, your risk for heart disease and heart attacks becomes significantly higher.&nbsp;
How much is okay to consume?
If you take a look at the products in your grocery cart, you'll notice the presence of trans fats in abundance. So while it may be impossible to avoid them altogether,&nbsp;the American Heart Association advises limiting your intake to less than 1 per cent of your total caloric intake. This means if you eat 2,000 calories in a day, then&nbsp;trans&nbsp;fat&nbsp;should not make up for more than 20 calories in your total daily diet.&nbsp;
What are the main sources of trans fat?&nbsp;&nbsp;
There is some amount of naturally occurring trans fat in dairy and meat but the biggest culprits tend to be&nbsp;processed foods.&nbsp;As per Mayo&nbsp;Clinic, the worst sources&nbsp;of trans fat, also known as partially hydrogenated oil&nbsp;includes&nbsp;baked&nbsp;goods like cakes, pies;&nbsp;fast foods like French fries or onion rings; microwave popcorn; and frozen ready-to-fry foods.
When in doubt, read the nutrition labels before buying any manufactured food products.

World Food Safety Day is celebrated every year on June 7 to draw attention and inspire action to prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks. This day contributes t

World Food Safety Day is celebrated every year on June 7 to draw attention and inspire action to prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks.&nbsp;This day contributes to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development across the world.
The&nbsp;theme for World Food Safety Day 2021 is &lsquo;Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow&rsquo;, which focuses on producing and consuming safe food. Having safe food gives a long-term benefit to people, the planet and the economy. It also forms a systematic connection between the health of people, animals, plants and the environment that will help us meet the needs of the future.
Food safety is a shared responsibility between governments, producers and consumers. WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) jointly facilitate the observance of World Food Safety Day.&nbsp;

Microwaves can sometimes make life so much easier that people commonly wonder whether the mechanics of microwaving food might be too good to be true! There are generall

Microwaves can sometimes make life so much easier that people commonly wonder whether the mechanics of microwaving food might be too good to be true! There are generally two big worries associated with microwaving food.
Let&rsquo;s address them both.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The first thing people wonder is whether exposure to microwaves could harm our health.&nbsp;Despite the Internet conspiracy theories about microwaves making food radioactive, there is no evidence to back this claim. Several health studies have&nbsp;clarified that the waves used to warm food by these devices are perfectly&nbsp;safe.
The second worry is that whether microwaves kill all the nutritive values of our food. The truth is that any amount of heat applied&nbsp;to raw food&nbsp;depletes nutrients like vitamin C, omega fatty acids, and some antioxidants and the source of the heat does not matter. However, most other nutrients, including carbs,&nbsp;fats, proteins, fibre and minerals do not get affected and are rather made more digestible through heat.&nbsp;&nbsp;
According to a World Health Organisation report, microwaving your food is a safe way to prepare it and retains almost&nbsp;the same level of nutrition&nbsp;as&nbsp;cooking on a&nbsp;stovetop or&nbsp;an&nbsp;oven.&nbsp;In fact, microwaving might be better than other cooking methods like boiling vegetables which can spill the soluble vitamins into the water.&nbsp;&nbsp;
All in all, just because microwaves are a modern&nbsp;and convenient&nbsp;invention,&nbsp;it doesn&rsquo;t make them an evil food monster.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Relish that cup of coffee or banana smoothie while you can, because it seems like some of the world’s most beloved foods might soon disappear forev

Relish that cup of coffee or banana smoothie while you can, because it seems like some of the world&rsquo;s most beloved foods&nbsp;might soon&nbsp;disappear&nbsp;forever, courtesy of&nbsp;climate change!&nbsp;&nbsp;
Climate change attacking your grocery list sounds a little dramatic but thanks to global heating and natural or man-made disasters, this may very well be our reality. Extreme weather conditions&nbsp;including&nbsp;drought, floods,&nbsp;wildfires and heatwaves, are all threatening our favourite crops and making agriculture difficult in many parts of the world, including India.&nbsp;
Global warming is making the Earth&rsquo;s environment inhospitable not just for humans but even the food they eat. Unfortunately, the foods that are most endangered by rising temperatures are also among the most popular. Let&rsquo;s take a look at some of these foods that could go extinct due to the impact of climate change on our planet.
CHICKPEAS&nbsp;&nbsp;
Chickpea or&nbsp;chhole, an important legume crop consumed widely, faces a major threat from drought and rising heat.&nbsp;As the crop requires a lot of water for production, rampant droughts have shrunk production by 40-50 per cent and scientists are actually trying to develop climate-resilient chickpeas!
BANANAS&nbsp;&nbsp;
The world&rsquo;s most convenient fruit, bananas need moderate weather and a consistent water supply for healthy production.&nbsp;Additionally, a tropical disease that is jumping continents also threatens to wipe out banana plantations across the globe.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
COFFEE&nbsp;&nbsp;
Guzzled by caffeine lovers around the world, coffee could be another victim of rising heat levels. Both the&nbsp;regions where coffee is grown and the bees that help its growth are threatened by ecological disruption. In fact,&nbsp;88&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of Latin America's coffee-suitable areas could&nbsp;deplete&nbsp;by 2050.&nbsp;&nbsp;
SEAFOOD&nbsp;
The carbon dioxide released by humans and human-related activities is absorbed by our vast oceans. An imbalance in CO2 rise is messing up marine chemistry&nbsp;and this could have a far-reaching impact on seafood.&nbsp;As the quality of&nbsp;seafood deteriorates, seafood-borne diseases are already increasing.&nbsp;&nbsp;
SOYBEANS&nbsp;&nbsp;
Could&nbsp;tofu, edamame, miso, and tempeh become a thing of the past? A 2017 crop study found that if&nbsp;the world&rsquo;s emissions are not significantly reduced,&nbsp;soybean crops could diminish by 40 per cent by 2100.&nbsp;Apart from food, soybeans are also&nbsp;a source of biofuels giving them global&nbsp;economic importance as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;
WHEAT, MAIZE &amp; RICE&nbsp;&nbsp;
In a grim revelation, a 2016 study of crops of vital dietary importance found that the production of wheat, maize, and rice is also in danger.&nbsp;Regions, where the crops are currently grown, could become obsolete, due to oscillating temperatures and unpredictable weather while the demand is projected to increase 33 per cent by 2050.&nbsp;
CHOCOLATE&nbsp;&nbsp;
Some bitter news about your favourite sweet treat, cocoa beans that are used to produce chocolate&nbsp;can only grow if a certain set of conditional requirements are met.&nbsp;A limited area of potential growth, fluctuation in humidity and lack of&nbsp;nutrient-rich&nbsp;soil&nbsp;all&nbsp;threaten chocolate&rsquo;s future.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Evidently, protecting the environment should be the world&rsquo;s top priority as it's slowly beginning to feel like whatever we do will be too little, too late.&nbsp;

We all have days when we are either too tired or just not in the mood to cook a fresh meal. Taking some leftovers out of the fridge and reheating feels like the best fi

We all have days when we are either too tired or just not in the mood to cook a fresh meal. Taking some leftovers out of the fridge and reheating feels like the best fix in such situations.&nbsp;&nbsp;
But did you know that this habit could sometimes harm our health? Some foods can lose nutrition and actually become toxic upon reheating. Here are some foods that you should never eat stale!&nbsp;&nbsp;
RICE&nbsp;&nbsp;
Spores of a common food poisoning bacteria flourish in rice. Cooking cannot kill&nbsp;this bacterium&nbsp;and if you leave warm rice out for too long, the&nbsp;bacteria actually&nbsp;get&nbsp;activated, making the stale rice toxic.&nbsp;NHS experts say&nbsp;improper&nbsp;storage after cooking is the problem here and not reheating. Either eat your rice right after you cook it or cool and refrigerate it as quickly as possible.&nbsp;
POTATO&nbsp;
The most versatile vegetable of all, even potatoes shouldn&rsquo;t be consumed stale.&nbsp;According to a US Food Safety report,&nbsp;storing baked potatoes wrapped in foil has&nbsp;been linked to cases of botulism.&nbsp;Botulism is a severe type of foodborne illness and can lead to weakness, speech difficulties and blurred vision.&nbsp;After baking foil-wrapped potatoes, never leave them at room temperature or in a warming oven to avoid germination of this bacteria.&nbsp;&nbsp;
EGGS&nbsp;
The American Institute of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that a stale egg or any kind of dish made of eggs should not be reheated.&nbsp;A germ called Salmonella can grow in stale eggs causing great harm.&nbsp;The CDC advised that you should not keep eggs or foods made with eggs warm or at room temperature for more than 2 hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;
SPINACH&nbsp;
Green leafy veg spinach is super healthy but also highly perishable and loses nutrients very quickly on the shelf.&nbsp;You should also never reheat an already cooked spinach dish as the nitrate content in the veggie can turn cancerous. This can also have an impact on the body&rsquo;s oxygenation capacity.&nbsp;&nbsp;
CHICKEN&nbsp;
If you have a habit of storing stale chicken and reheating it several times, then it's probably best to change this up.&nbsp;Eating undercooked or reheated chicken can cause food poisoning.&nbsp;US CDC advises that you must&nbsp;refrigerate or freeze leftover chicken within 2 hours.

The K-pop band BTS' fans are in for a treat as the 7-member boy band has collaborated with fast-food giant McDonalds. They will offer fans a limited-edition meal that

The K-pop group&nbsp;BTS' fans are in for a treat as the 7-member boy group has collaborated with fast-food giant McDonalds.
They will offer fans a limited-edition meal that is the global pop icon&rsquo;s favourite.
While customers across North and East India can start ordering BTS'&nbsp;meals from Tuesday ie June 1, those in West and South India can order from June 4 until July 4.
The meal includes chicken nuggets, fries and coke and introduces two novelty dipping sauces. Sweet chilli, which is already a popular staple in South Korea and Cajun, picked individually by the members.

The right amount of salt makes eatables all the more tasty and sometimes having these yummy salty snacks in moderation is just not possible. So, whether&

The right amount of salt makes eatables all the&nbsp;more tasty&nbsp;and sometimes having these yummy salty snacks in moderation is just not possible. So,&nbsp;whether&nbsp;you&rsquo;ve eaten one too many salty fries or finished a giant packet of&nbsp;namkeen, we get it and we've been there!
However, the bloating caused by consuming too much sodium can be really uncomfortable.&nbsp;Too much salt causes water retention and that&nbsp;not-so-pleasant&nbsp;nauseous&nbsp;feeling.&nbsp;But&nbsp;there are some safe ways to naturally flush the excess sodium out of your body.&nbsp;&nbsp;
WATER IS KEY&nbsp;&nbsp;
Nothing really beats water retention like good old water itself. Drinking lots of water will&nbsp;assist your kidneys in flushing the sodium out by urination. So, drink a little more than your regular water intake to get all that sodium out&nbsp;of your system.&nbsp;&nbsp;
WATER-RICH FOODS&nbsp;
If drinking too much water seems difficult, try eating it. Yes, you can increase your intake by consuming water-rich foods. Anything from strawberries, watermelon, oranges to lettuce, cucumber and&nbsp;lauki&nbsp;can help level up your water consumption.&nbsp;&nbsp;
HIGH-POTASSIUM FOODS&nbsp;&nbsp;
Apart from water, potassium can help counteract sodium. Go for bananas,&nbsp;oranges, tomatoes, strawberries, avocados or beans to&nbsp;increase your potassium intake. This mineral works alongside sodium to control, correct and maintain the fluid balance in your body.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
DO SOME CARDIO&nbsp;&nbsp;
Another way to flush out the sodium is to just get sweaty. Going to the gym, doing cardio&nbsp;or just taking a brisk walk&nbsp;can help you sweat out the bad stuff. Just remember to stay hydrated when you work out.&nbsp;&nbsp;
While these are great general tips, if you suffer from salt sensitivity, high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease, it is better to consult your doctor&nbsp;for a suitable fix.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rice is a uniquely common diet staple in several countries and cuisines. While some dishes call for eating piping hot rice, there are some constructed around cold

Rice is a uniquely common diet staple in several countries and cuisines. While some dishes call for eating piping hot rice, there are some&nbsp;constructed around cold rice as well. But if you don&rsquo;t eat rice correctly,&nbsp;it can also be a common culprit behind food poisoning troubles. Let's see why.&nbsp;
A dormant&nbsp;spore&nbsp;of the bacteria Bacillus cereus is often present in rice. The&nbsp;spores&nbsp;reach&nbsp;rice through the paddy field and can cause food poisoning.&nbsp;As cooking cannot kill&nbsp;this bacterium,&nbsp;when we allow cooked rice to sit at room temperature, the warm and moist conditions create the ideal atmosphere for the activation of the toxic bacteria.&nbsp;
According to NHS UK, the longer you leave cooked rice&nbsp;at room temperature, the more likely it is that the bacteria or toxins could make the rice unsafe to eat. To prevent this, you should serve and eat rice as soon as it is cooked. If you do need to store the leftovers for later, cool them as quickly as possible and transfer them straight to the fridge.

A fat-soluble nutrient, vitamin E functions as an antioxidant in the body, protecting your cells from damage caused by free radicals. This is why vitamin E doesn’

A fat-soluble nutrient, vitamin E functions as an antioxidant in the body, protecting your cells from damage caused by free radicals. This is why vitamin E doesn&rsquo;t just help you fight&nbsp;disease and&nbsp;sickness,&nbsp;it also supports your internal immune system.&nbsp;The vitamin has also been shown to improve your skin health and make your hair strong in some studies.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Thankfully, vitamin E is readily available in many foods so you don&rsquo;t need to reach out for supplements to get your daily dose.&nbsp;Here are some of the best natural sources of vitamin E:&nbsp;&nbsp;
SUNFLOWER SEEDS&nbsp;&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s hardly a better source of vitamin E than sunflower seeds.&nbsp;A quarter of a cup of sunflower seeds completes about 90 per cent of&nbsp;your&nbsp;daily recommended intake. Apart from this, pumpkin and sesame seeds are also rich&nbsp;in&nbsp;vitamin E. You can sprinkle them on some yoghurt, salad or make a seed mix for snacking.&nbsp;
ALMONDS&nbsp;
Among its many other benefits, almonds are also an excellent source of vitamin E. You can have soaked almonds or roast them for your breakfast cereal.&nbsp;Just one-third of a cup of plain almonds takes care of&nbsp;around half of a person&rsquo;s daily requirement.&nbsp;
AVOCADO&nbsp;
A highly versatile fruit that contains almost no sugar and hordes of nutrients. Avocados are&nbsp;also a pretty good vitamin E source. Consuming a whole avocado will take care of as much as&nbsp;30 per cent of a person&rsquo;s daily requirement. Have it on toast or make some guacamole.&nbsp;&nbsp;
OLIVES&nbsp;&nbsp;
With all the famous skin and hair benefits, olives and olive oil are both good sources of vitamin&nbsp;E. Olives are also high in other powerful antioxidants so feel free to add some to your salad or&nbsp;dress your salads with some unrefined olive oil.&nbsp;&nbsp;
With so many options, you&rsquo;ll never have to look beyond yummy foods to get your dose of vitamin E.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rice or wheat, both are common staples in nearly every Indian kitchen across the country. While we all eat and enjoy these grains, there is one group that has gott

Rice or wheat, both are common staples in nearly every Indian kitchen across the country.&nbsp;While we all eat and enjoy these grains, there is one group that has gotten side-lined&nbsp;from our diet in the last few years.
Millets are a type of grain dubbed &lsquo;ancient grains&rsquo; as they have been grown and eaten in the Indian subcontinent&nbsp;for&nbsp;thousands of years.&nbsp;Some common examples are ragi, bajra, foxtail, jowar and amaranth.&nbsp;If you&rsquo;ve&nbsp;ever&nbsp;wondered what was the most common food on the Indian plate a few decades ago, it was the humble millet!&nbsp;&nbsp;
Although most of them are more seeds than grain, millets are&nbsp;rich in&nbsp;dietary fibre, protein and&nbsp;nutrients like iron, calcium, phosphorus&nbsp;as well as antioxidants. They are&nbsp;gluten-free, non-allergenic&nbsp;and&nbsp;are very easy to digest.&nbsp;They are&nbsp;also&nbsp;easier&nbsp;to cultivate and are thus, grown with little use&nbsp;of invasive&nbsp;chemicals.&nbsp;
This is why millets have recently grabbed the attention of health-savvy youngsters and food brands. In fact, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India&nbsp;(FSSAI)&nbsp;dedicated the entire month of May 2021 to&nbsp;raise awareness about the benefits of these&nbsp;nutri-cereals.&nbsp;
Some of the millets discussed at length in the FSSAI&nbsp;and Eat Right India&nbsp;series include:
Ragi or Finger Millet boasts of anti-microbial properties and promotes bone health.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Sanwa or Barnyard Millet is loaded with fibre. It&nbsp;offers anti-inflammatory and antioxidative&nbsp;benefits.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Kuttu or Buckwheat Millet is great for weight-watchers and helps improve cardiovascular health.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Eat&nbsp;Ramdana&nbsp;or Amaranth to lower blood cholesterol levels and stimulate your immune system.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Known as&nbsp;Kangni&nbsp;or&nbsp;Kakum, the Foxtail Millet is good for cardiac health as well as skin and hair growth.&nbsp;&nbsp;
With so many benefits, there&rsquo;s no excuse for you to continue sleeping on these power-packed millets any longer!&nbsp;Fun fact, the government of India has even sponsored a UN resolution to declare 2023 as the International&nbsp;Year of Millets.&nbsp;

Contrary to what many might think, drinking milk on a regular basis may not be the cause behind increased cholesterol

Contrary to what&nbsp;many might&nbsp;think, drinking milk on a regular basis&nbsp;may&nbsp;not&nbsp;be the&nbsp;cause&nbsp;behind&nbsp;increased&nbsp;cholesterol&nbsp;levels,&nbsp;finds new research published in the&nbsp;International Journal of Obesity.&nbsp;
Data from three large population studies were&nbsp;assessed&nbsp;to reveal that&nbsp;people who regularly drank high amounts of milk had lower levels of both good and bad cholesterol. Their&nbsp;BMI levels were, however,&nbsp;higher than non-milk drinkers.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Among participants with a genetic variation that the team associated with higher milk intake, there was a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease.&nbsp;According to the lead researcher,&nbsp;the findings suggest that reducing the intake of milk might not be necessary for preventing cardiovascular disease.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The new research appears at a time when several contradicting studies investigated the causal link between higher dairy intake and cardiometabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. The authors&nbsp;clarify&nbsp;that it remains unclear&nbsp;whether it is the fat content in dairy products that is contributing to the lower cholesterol levels or it is due to some unknown 'milk factor.'&nbsp;

You might have read about the ‘Glycemic Index’ as part of a dietary guidance or on food packages, but what does it really mean? In the simple

You might have read about the &lsquo;Glycemic&nbsp;Index&rsquo;&nbsp;as part of a dietary guidance or on food packages,&nbsp;but what does it really mean? In the simplest words,&nbsp;the&nbsp;glycemic&nbsp;index (GI) is a ranking measurement of&nbsp;how quickly a food causes our blood sugar levels to rise.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The&nbsp;International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ranks different foods on a scale of one to 100, and at the top&nbsp;sits&nbsp;pure glucose at 100 as a point of reference.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The&nbsp;Glycemic&nbsp;Index Foundation (GIF)&nbsp;classify the&nbsp;foods into three GI categories. Foods ranked 55 or below are considered low&nbsp;glycemic, 56-59&nbsp;is marked as medium GI and anything above 70 is believed to be high GI.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Low GI foods&nbsp;are digested and absorbed at a slower rate. They are generally&nbsp;rich in&nbsp;fibre, protein and/or fat. Some examples of low GI foods&nbsp;include&nbsp;apples (28),&nbsp;vegetables like spinach, celery, cucumber&nbsp;and tomatoes (15) as well as peanuts (21) and lentils (41).&nbsp;
Foods that are placed high on the GI scale are often, but not always, loaded with&nbsp;processed carbohydrates and sugars. A&nbsp;few famous examples of high GI foods include white bread (79),&nbsp;corn flakes (77),&nbsp;fruits like watermelon (72) and pineapple&nbsp;(66)&nbsp;as well as dried fruits such as dates (100).&nbsp;
While there&rsquo;s no need to jump the gun and only eat low&nbsp;glycemic&nbsp;foods, the ranking helps people choose foods based on their dietary needs and control how much sugar and carbohydrates they are consuming in their diet. At the end of the day, a well-balanced diet packed with all essential macro and micronutrients is better than any diet fad!

You might have heard people ramble about the benefits of eating raw fruits and vegetables for their so-called healthful benefits. While raw may

You might have heard&nbsp;people&nbsp;ramble about the benefits of eating raw fruits and vegetables for&nbsp;their&nbsp;so-called healthful benefits.&nbsp;While raw may be a great choice in many cases but raw is not always better! Did you know that there are&nbsp;some&nbsp;vegetables&nbsp;that are&nbsp;actually&nbsp;more nutritious when cooked?&nbsp;
Let&nbsp;us walk you through some veggies that&nbsp;are&nbsp;healthier after cooking and what&rsquo;s the best&nbsp;way to&nbsp;prepare&nbsp;them&nbsp;to reap the maximum benefits:&nbsp;
SPINACH&nbsp;
This green leafy veg is loaded with folate but you must first steam spinach to enable your body to absorb all the calcium and iron. This is because spinach contains&nbsp;oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of iron and calcium but it can be broken down under high temperatures, so blanch away!&nbsp;
CARROT&nbsp;
We are often advised to snack on raw carrots but your body actually absorbs more beta-carotene from this crunchy veg once it is boiled.&nbsp;It is best to boil carrots whole before slicing to ensure that valuable nutrients don&rsquo;t seep out into the cooking water.&nbsp;&nbsp;
TOMATO&nbsp;
Red, juicy tomatoes are full of lycopene but a 2002 study discovered that cooking tomatoes for about 30 minutes increased the&nbsp;absorbable lycopene by 35 per cent. Instead of throwing raw tomatoes into a salad, it might be a better idea to roast them in the oven&nbsp;for half an hour.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
RED BELL PEPPER&nbsp;
Just like tomatoes, red bell peppers are also full of lycopene and this is why roasting or stir-frying them makes the lycopene far more digestible. Since cooking will reduce the vitamin C content in the&nbsp;pepper&nbsp;so our advice would be to not cook them for more than 10 minutes.&nbsp;&nbsp;
BROCCOLI &amp; CAULIFLOWER&nbsp;
Broccoli and cauliflower&nbsp;are cruciferous vegetables rich&nbsp;in fibres raffinose and cellulose which can lead to flatulence in many people. To combat this problem, it is great to chop them up and either lightly roast or steam them before eating.&nbsp;&nbsp;
SPROUTS&nbsp;&nbsp;
While cooking may be optional for some of the veggies we have discussed so far, the US CDC advises against eating raw sprouts. This is because they are essentially baby seeds, germinated in warm and moist conditions. They are&nbsp;often contaminated with bacteria that cause&nbsp;foodborne illness&nbsp;so&nbsp;it's&nbsp;better to roast or quickly boil them&nbsp;before eating.&nbsp;&nbsp;

An essential to any kitchen or cuisine, you will find some kind of oil listed in more recipe lists than one can count. From salads, noodles to curri

An essential to any kitchen or cuisine,&nbsp;you will find some kind of oil listed in more recipe lists than&nbsp;one&nbsp;can&nbsp;count. From salads, noodles to curries and pakoras, we use oil to cook just about everything.
With great use also comes great health implications and that&rsquo;s why many people have recently started looking for healthier varieties of this&nbsp;ubiquitous ingredient.
Cold-pressed, raw, organic, virgin or refined, there are plenty of cooking oils in the market and many of them are just marketing gimmicks&nbsp;of the&nbsp;multi-billion-dollar&nbsp;FMCG industry.&nbsp;Let&rsquo;s take a look at what the different labels on cooking oils really mean:
RAW OIL&nbsp;
When the oil is extracted by simply crushing the seed or raw food item, whether by machine or animal crushers, without&nbsp;using any chemicals, raw oil is produced. Raw oils are rich in the nutritional properties of&nbsp;the source seed&nbsp;but have a short shelf life as they do not contain preservatives.
Raw oil is not great for cooking but is the best for application on skin or hair.&nbsp;&nbsp;
COLD-PRESSED OIL&nbsp;
When oil is extracted under controlled temperatures, usually by machines, and are kept away from high&nbsp;heat during the extraction, we get a cold-pressed oil. This process does not use any chemicals allowing cold-pressed oils to retain a&nbsp;good&nbsp;amount&nbsp;of flavour and the original properties of the seed.
Although rich in flavour, it is not advised to cook with cold-pressed oils at high heat as the heat destroys the properties of the oil.
UNREFINED OIL&nbsp;&nbsp;
When some amount of heat is used during the extraction process but no chemicals are added, we get what is known as unrefined oil.&nbsp;Also called virgin oil, these type&nbsp;of oils do retain some flavour and nutritional value but are&nbsp;also&nbsp;not recommended for high-temperature cooking.&nbsp;&nbsp;
REFINED OIL
To make refined oil, seeds are crushed at controlled high temperatures along with a chemical treatment that&nbsp;removes almost all original flavour from the oil. The process changes the fat composition of the oil&nbsp;giving&nbsp;it a high smoke point which makes refined oils suitable for cooking at a much&nbsp;higher temperature.&nbsp;&nbsp;
WHICH COOKING OIL SHOULD YOU USE?&nbsp;
As you might have understood, the manufacturing process makes all the difference when it comes to oils. This is why choosing which oil to use&nbsp;in your kitchen really depends on what you are making. Cold-pressed oils like coconut, olive or sesame are all considered heart-healthy&nbsp;but they may turn into trans-fat upon cooking with heat which is no good for your heart.
Since we in India like to cook our food at high heat for long durations, refined oils might be a better choice for making Indian dishes. Save your unrefined or cold-pressed oils for&nbsp;salads, bread and cooked meats for a combination of flavour and health.

Although nutrition is important at any age, it plays an especially vital role in the healthy growth and development of young children. Kids need to eat nutritious

Although nutrition is important at any age, it plays an especially&nbsp;vital role in the healthy growth and development of young children. Kids need to eat nutritious food for energy, growth, muscle recovery and&nbsp;even for the healthy development of their brains.
In fact, the UK National Institute for Health stressed the importance of nutrition&nbsp;for brain development&nbsp;in the early years&nbsp;calling it the &lsquo;golden opportunity of the first 1,000 days&rsquo; in a study. The authors noted that the&nbsp;first three years of a child&rsquo;s life are critical for brain development and failure to optimize this period could have long-lasting consequences.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Here are some foods groups that were noted to be the most important for children's minds and overall health:
PROTEIN&nbsp;
Protein is an essential macronutrient for everyone and that includes children.&nbsp;Scientists say that a lack of protein in diet causes growth failure. This is why a kid&rsquo;s diet should be full of milk,&nbsp;lean meats,&nbsp;cheese,&nbsp;soy and eggs.&nbsp;So let children snack on a block of cheese,&nbsp;or a spoon of natural peanut butter&nbsp;or&nbsp;give them scrambled eggs for breakfast!&nbsp;&nbsp;
OMEGA-3&nbsp;FATTY ACIDS&nbsp;
Healthy fats have been linked to improved cognition and better attention in some studies.&nbsp;To improve the intake of essential omega-3 fatty acids in your child&rsquo;s diet, feed them oily fish like salmon or tuna. Nuts and seeds&nbsp;are also great sources but could be choking hazards, so be extra careful with those. Opt for&nbsp;flaxseed, soybean or canola oil as they are all rich in omega 3s.&nbsp;&nbsp;
IRON&nbsp;
Iron is a super-important&nbsp;micronutrient for both expecting mothers and children. It boosts oxygenation in the body and promotes nerve development. You can find your dietary iron in lean meats, spinach,&nbsp;pumpkin seeds, eggs and green peas.&nbsp;&nbsp;
ZINC&nbsp;&nbsp;
We all know that zinc plays an important role in the maintenance of our immune system but zinc also has an impact on child cognition and motor development.&nbsp;To give your children their adequate zinc intake, feed them good amounts of poultry meat, seafood,&nbsp;beans, lentils, chickpeas and soy products.&nbsp;&nbsp;
IODINE&nbsp;
The last micronutrient mentioned in the study was iodine, which the researchers remark is often lacking in most adults and children. A good way to consume iodine naturally is through fish, dairy&nbsp;products and of course, iodised salt.
A well-balanced diet with all these macro and micronutrients can go a long way!

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