The news surprised me. I never liked mushrooms. Well, in fact, I never liked any healthy foods like soya chunks (nutrine nuggets), tofu, mushrooms, carrots etc. My neighbor once gave me a packet of mushrooms which went to the dustbin uncooked, primarily because I did not know how to clean or cook them and even if I did, I wouldn’t eat them. Nowadays, I am more tolerant to healthy foods even if they taste awful to me.

Mushrooms are health in bloom. Mushrooms have high level of Polysaccharides in them which serve to stimulate the immune system. In addition to protein, they also have fiber, B vitamins, and vitamin C, as well as calcium and other minerals. Mushrooms are also a good source of riboflavin and niacin. Containing no fat, calories or cholesterol, they can be a safe part of your regular diet.

Shiitake, Reishi and Maitake mushrooms are called medicinal mushrooms because of their health properties. Mushrooms of this variety can hep with heart problems, serve to detoxify, lower the risk of cancer, thwart the action of viruses, bacteria, and fungi, reduce inflammation and also balance blood sugar levels. Shiitake and Reishi mushrooms are said to be potential cancer-fighters. Experiments on cancer treatment with mushrooms conducted in different countries like US, Japan and China were awarded with positive results. Mushrooms are a great source of antioxidants like poly phenols and ergothioneine. Antioxidants work against Free radicals in the body. White button mushrooms like the Crimini mushroom and the portabella mushroom are rich in antioxidants.

Shiitakes contain high levels of protein, potassium, niacin and B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus which make them nutritional bombs. They also have natural antiviral and immunity-boosting properties. They can fight viruses, help with liver ailments, lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure. Lentinan is an immunostimulant derived from shiitakes. Scientists say that with lentinan they can effectively treat diseases like cancer, AIDS, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibrocystic breast disease.

Reishi extracts can deter the growth of cancerous tumors and also produce an antihistamine action to help control allergies. They can also improve the respiratory health especially of people with asthma. In Japan and China, Reishi was used for the betterment of liver disorders, hypertension, and arthritis. They also believe Reishi to be a “mood-elevating substance” elevating one from a material world to a spiritual world.

If Egyptian Pharaohs believed that mushrooms had magical powers, you can’t laugh at them. The health benefits of mushrooms are undeniable. But, Caution! All mushrooms are not edible as some are poisonous. The species of amanitas, the false morels and the little brown mushrooms (LBMS) are some of the deadly ones.

-Aparna K V

Tags: herbs, diabetes, natural, alternative, obesity, chinese, acupressure, homeopathic, Ayurvedic, blood pressure

Menopause

Perhaps the human lady is most versatile. Not only does it provide emotional support, care and affection to the family but also offers a helping hand to the bread earner of the house. Over and above all of this, it is the woman who undergoes the turmoil of giving birth to her children. Right from her teenage when she experiences puberty, the young girl’s body experiences changes which result in physical appearance differences, hormonal differences as well as functional differences. After marriage the young girl transforms to a lady when her sexual organs are stimulated, soon when she conceives, she marks the beginning of another phase of life, that of motherhood and this tradition of change in a woman’s life continues even when she is fifty years old…that in form of menopause.

Menopause occurs when a woman permanently stops menstruating. The most common age range at which women experience menopause is 48-55 years. If menopause occurs in a woman younger than 40 years, it is considered premature. Menopause is considered late if it occurs in a woman older than 55 years. For most women, menopause is a normal occurrence.

What is perimenopause ?

The hormonal changes associated with menopause actually begin prior to the last menstrual period, during a three year period called perimenopause. During this transition, women may begin to experience menopausal symptoms and may lose bone density, even though they are still menstruating.

Why does menopause occur?

Every girl is born with many millions of eggs in her pair of ovaries. These eggs are nurtured by FSH or follicle stimulating hormone. As the age of the girl advances, these eggs reduce in number. Some of them are lost in the process of menstruation and many others die out. When the number of eggs in the ovaries is as low as a few thousands, the capacity of these eggs to function to their best is limited and perhaps even negligible. Moreover they also become resistant to FSH.

In addition to the reduction in the number of functional eggs in the ovaries, the production of estrogen and testosterone in the lady’s body is also inhibited. These are reproductive hormones in the human body which result in lady like characters and testosterone is the key to good sex life.

As a result of the above discussed changes, the female body undergoes a number of changes and her reproductive life comes to an end. This is menopause.

Symptoms in menopause

Hot flushes:

According to some studies, hot flashes occur in as many as 75% of perimenopausal women. The symptoms vary among women. Commonly, the hot flush may begin with a feeling of nausea or a headache, followed by a wave of heat, flushed skin, and palpitations (feeling a strong heartbeat). Often there is an increase in skin temperature and pulse, and they often cause insomnia, or sleeplessness.

Urinary incontinence :

There is a loss of control on urine release. In some cases, burning sensations while urinating is also experienced.

Vaginal changes:

Because estrogen affects the vaginal lining, perimenopausal women may also have pain during intercourse and may note a change in vaginal discharge.

Breast changes:

Menopause may cause changes in the shape of the breasts.

Thinning of the skin

The moisture and oil content of skin is lost and the skin starts sagging and thinning

Bone loss:

During perimenopause, bone loss accelerates to about a 3% loss per year. Later, it drops off to about a 2% loss per year. Bone loss can cause osteoporosis, a condition that increases the risk of bone fractures. These fractures can be intensely painful and can interfere with daily life. They also can increase the risk of death.

Cholesterol:

Cholesterol profiles also change significantly at the time of menopause. Total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol increase.This is associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

Weight gain:

A 3-year study of healthy women nearing menopause found an average gain of 5 pounds during the 3 years. Hormonal changes and aging are both possible factors in this weight gain.

Diet in menopause

Postmenopausal women not on estrogen therapy should consume 1,500 mg of calcium daily to prevent loss of bone mineral density. Women on estrogen therapy should consume at least 1,000 mg of calcium daily.

The least expensive way to obtain calcium is through diet. Diet can easily provide 1,000-1,500 mg of calcium daily. All dairy food items, calcium fortifies juices and sea food like fish are rich in calcium.

Tags: acupressure, acupuncture, medicine, blood pressure, weight loss, herbs, alternative, asthma, herbal, diabetes

Olives are mainly used to make oils and pickles. Not only the fruits, the leaves of the olive tree are also known for the health benefits. Olive oil has been used from centuries ago for purposes like lighting lamps to cooking food. The present generation is aware of its medicinal as well as cosmetic uses.

Indian cuisines use all kinds of oils varying from state to state and region to region. Olives and olive oil gained favor in the Indian cuisines only a countable years ago. At present, it has gained considerable popularity and has started appearing abundantly in the Indian supermarkets. Olive oil is classified into Extra Virgin, Virgin, Ordinary Virgin, Lamp ante Virgin, Pure Olive Oil and so on depending on their production method, level of