Do We Need Salt in Our Diet? By Ramandeep Anand

It seems as though everywhere we turn, we hear about reducing our salt intake. We hear about all the negative side effects that an excess amount of salt can bring upon us, and it almost makes you wonder...do we even need salt in our diet?

But the answer is a resounding yes! For without salt our bodies just would not be able to function properly. But as with anything else it needs to be kept in moderation.

How Much Do We Need?

The recommended daily intake for salt is between 1500 to 2400mg, which equals to about 1 tsp. or less, as 1 tsp. contains as much as 2400mg. However, according to studies, most people on the Western diet consume much more than 1 tsp. per day.

Thus you should monitor your intake and see whether or not you are consuming too much, and if so, then you should work on reducing the amount. Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, kidney stones, gout, stomach ulcers and cancer, osteoporosis, fluid retention, weight gain and cellulite.

How to Obtain Salt

There are basically two ways that you can obtain your salt in a healthy manner. The best way is naturally from dark green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, swiss chard, collards and other leafy greens. And the other way is by adding sea salt or table salt to your diet.

Table salt is found in all grocery stores as well as in convenient stores. And sea salt is usually only available in health food stores. But it is becoming more popular, and thus some grocery stores are beginning to carry it as well.

Note that fast and processed foods also contain salt, which needs to be taken into consideration when adding up your salt intake for the day.

Why We Need Salt

Digestion. Salt is needed in order for us to be able to digest any food. It helps to create the necessary acids known as hydrochloric acids, which help to break down the proteins.

Strong Bones and Teeth. Salt is essential for helping to build strong bones and teeth. If the salt levels become too low, then the body starts to draw salt from the bones in order to maintain a healthy pH level in the rest of the body.

Heart Health. When taken in the right amounts with water, salt can also help to maintain a healthy heart by lowering high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. In addition, salt also helps to regulate an irregular heart beat.

Diabetes. It is absolutely essential for those who suffer from diabetes to consume salt, as it helps to regulate the blood sugar levels, so that the insulin can be reduced.

Anti-Depressant. Did you know that salt acts as a natural anti-depressant? It not only helps to lift the moods, but it also helps to relax the body to help you deal with stressful situations.

Antihistamine. Salt acts as a natural antihistamine, which helps to relieve the stuffiness and congestion in the airways that make breathing difficult during a cold, or when suffering from asthma.

Is Fast Food Good for Health? By Ramandeep Anand

It is practical for people to make a judicious decision about healthy
eating no matter they have only a little time to cook their food.
First and foremost thing they need to know is that it does not mean
that healthy choices mean a requirement for two-hour meals. An
individual can opt for healthy foods that can be cooked quickly and
easily at home or can be bought from any restaurant. The telephone
directories of a city often contain thorough information about the
restaurants with full page menus showing what a particular restaurant
or drive-thru offers. Most of these cafeterias and cafes have started
adding healthy alternatives to their regular fast food options.

At restaurants such as McDonald's and Hardees, it is quite common to
see customers who are very conscious about carbohydrate intake. This
has caused the restaurants to offer additional options in their
hamburger choices. They can now order hamburgers without the bun, for
instance, and fruits and yogurt are included in the menu besides fresh
salads. Many restaurants offer various types of salads either as side
orders or as whole meals. Sometimes, a salad comprised of fresh
vegetables with small pieces of pork, roasted beef or chicken is more
alluring than normal menu items. Salads are more in demand in the
months of summer as they can be easily digested.

The restaurants that offer seasonal foods cultivated by regional
peasants provide very healthy and nutritious food choices. Some of
these types of restaurants are able to originate their own recipes for
nutritious food choices. This offers the customers a completely new
taste and motivates them to go to the restaurant time and time again.

If homemade food is preferred, the choices for foods rich in nutrition
will increase. By going to a local vegetable shop or big market
influences the number of healthy choices that are available. There are
now a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables available as a result of
advancement of transportation and conservation methods. All types of
dishes can be prepared instantly because of the choices of healthy
ingredients rather than the frozen foods. There are various options
among frozen foods. The demand for the frozen foods that are rich in
nutrition and other healthy foods has risen along with the demand for
various kinds of frozen foods. The frozen food offered by any shopping
complex will provide us with both healthy choices and poor choices.
However, it depends upon an individual to decide whether to go for
healthy food options or poor choices.

It is in the hands of the people whether to have a healthy diet or
unhealthy one. Availability of time and healthy choices are no longer
issues for an individual who is striving for healthy and nutritious
diet.

Organic Vs Conventional: Food Processing and Production

Ever heard the popular phrase you are what you eat. Is this really true or just some catch phrase with no real value? If you eat too much chicken will you eventually turn into a chicken? It's safe to say that you wont turn into a chicken and start laying eggs but while you are sitting at your dinner table to feast on your chicken meal, you may also want to consider what the chicken ate for dinner? In other words, what's really in the chicken that you're eating. This question doesn't just apply to chicken but anything that you eat and the answer may vary depending if the food is conventionally produced or organically produced.

So what is the difference between organic vs conventional food?? 


Foods that are conventionally produced such as meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables and grains involves the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, hormones and antibiotics. The use of these products are to kill weeds, make plants grow faster, prevent diseases and in the case of meats make the animal grow and fatten up quicker. Due to this faster production time conventional foods are usually cheaper because it requires less time for growth, therefore you can have more abundance in a short period.

Organic food however requires more time to grow, therefore more labor, more people to hire to do the labor and lesser abundance. For example a mass production slaughter house may be able to produce 10,000 chickens in a month while an organic chicken farmer may only be able to produce 5,000 chickens in a month. Due to the longer processing time of organic food and the fact that more manual labor is involved, such as pulling up weeds instead of using herbicides and using worms to ward of pest rather than using pesticides the cost is usually higher.

So you have a decision to make, do you purchase conventional foods that's often cheaper but likely more unhealthy because of the chemicals and hormones used or do you purchase organic foods that may be a few extra dollars but likely more healthy because no chemicals or hormones are used. Here is another catch phrase for you, better safe than sorry. The best medicine is preventive medicine. Healthy eating today will lead to a healthier you tomorrow.

Indian Food Contents

The intricate flavors and spicy blends that go into Indian food are so world renowned because they take a little bit of everything good from various ethnicity and cultures. Whether you are about to specialize on your first type of cooking or just looking to add another string to you bow, traditional Indian cuisine will never be a bad idea.

One of the most distinctive qualities of Indian cuisine is their spices so you will have to fill up your cupboard with them. The flavors most commonly associated with Indian food are: coconut, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cardamom and cloves.

This is by all means not a complete list but it is perfect for starters as you keep adding more over time.

When it comes to the condiments, you will be surprised to find that Indian meals do not contain a lot of fresh dairy products but more of the processed kind such as cooked milk, clarified butter and cultured yogurt.

Spices are put into the yogurt which is then used to make different curries. The north Indian cuisines will use a lot of ghee as their option of clarified butter.

Regardless of whether it is for making a curry, roast meal or kebabs, the most popular choice of meat that you will find in Indian cuisine is lamb followed in second place by chicken. Fish is a common staple in the coastal communities.

Speaking of staples, basmati rice is one of the most frequently cooked side dishes due to its strong fragrance and fine texture. Basmati rice has been cultivated at the foothills of the Himalayas for hundreds of years. It is used to make their popular biryanis.

As you probably already know, eating of meat is greatly frowned upon by Indian religion so a lot of their meals will have lentils, crepe-like dosa and chapattis as the sides..