In ancient India, Rishis or sages of yore had maintained sound health and exuded a vibrancy and aura around their persona. One of the main reasons for their health and longevity is attributed to their food habits, which was principally a vegetarian style and reflected herbalife that they followed. The herbalife and herbal health nutrition was automatically a part of their diet regimen as they consumed fresh vegetables, tubers and fruits, which were naturally available in the jungle habitats. It would be interesting to observe that they had followed the sonoma pattern of diet excluding the composition of meat and wine and their diet pattern more or less followed a food pyramid, which is being discussed in the present days. Though issues like meat spin was not known and scientific dietary procedures such as Lassen's health food were exlusively not tailor made several thousands of centuries ago, the foresight of the seers regarding dietary procedures was simply exemplary.

Scriptures proclaim that they had lived several hundreds of years with a vegetarian diet. Though their spiritual exercises might have contributed to their well-being partially, it’s of significance to note that the diet was purely vegetarian and which was uncooked. This goes to explain that not only the vegetarian diet kept them in good health, but also it enabled them to keep their passions under control. Though the conventional practice is to use cooked vegetables for our longing taste buds, it’s definitely advisable to eat fresh vegetables daily. This practice promotes fine health and introduces lot of ‘fibers’ to the body. Thus herbal life helps us in maintaining the required intake of natural inputs to the body providing health nutrition. Later on we would be seeing the beneficial effects of fibers in detail, which would certainly make a person to ponder to turning towards vegetarianism. Theory has it that, the acidity of the food increases when eatables are fried. Therefore it becomes essential to weigh the pros and cons of eating habit and make amends accordingly. Coming back to the nutritional part of it, let’s understand that vegetables are rich in fibers, which possess lot of beneficial effects for the functioning of our body. The nutritional values that is being offered by Lassen's health food of Lassen group of stores and other herbalife masters in the present era were derived by the sages down the ages. Of course, the scientific role in explaining to the people, are being effectively done by Lassen's group and other such professional businesses engaged in the food industry.

Basically, there are two types of fibers, which can be classified as ‘soluble fibers’ and ‘insoluble fibres’.While ‘pectin’ is a soluble fibre, Cellulose, Hemi cellulose and Lignin are insoluble fibers. Both these fibers have a role to play in the functioning of our body. These fibers reduce the assimilation of cholesterol from the food we take. Fibres also regulate blood sugar level and hence keep diabetes under control. Insoluble fibers fill thee stomach giving us filed feeling and therefore we don’t feel hungry for a minimum of 4Hrs.This results in the reduced intake of food thereby balancing the body weight. They also prevent constipation in the body and prevent internal ulcers, cancer of the large intestine and piles. The Sonoma diet and food pyramid exactly consists of significant fibre content levels in their formations.

Statistics reveal that vegetarians have the least chances of hosting cancer of large intestine. Though meat and herb or vegetables can go together for a spin of the taste buds, its advisable to limit red meat for improved health conditions. Stuffing the stomach with vegetables, fruits and herbalife health diets more compared to meat diets is one sure way to stay healthy. This doesn't preclude meat diet absolutely from one's diet. One of the Sonoma diet conditions is the restricted consumption of meat. The risk of getting lung cancer, prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer is very low for vegetarians. A look at some beneficial vegetables and grains are enumerated below:-

Radish:-
This is rich in vitamin A. Its juice has a detrimental effect on the stomach worms. The presence of Zinc in Radish, gives sheen to the skin and therefore skin infections can be kept at bay. When a mixture of Radish and White onion is crumbled and mixed with buttermilk and taken, it would be a cure for piles. It is also said that Radish promotes good sleep. Why not try a glass of fresh Radish juice then?
Coriander leaves:-
This is not only used to add aroma to the food. It is famous for its rich nutrition in that, Vitamins A, B1, B2, C1, Calcium and Iron are found in these pleasant smelling leaves. It’s a good remedy for ‘Night Blindness’.

Stem and Flower of Banana tree:-
The regular consumption of stem juice of Banana tree drives away Kidney stones and the addition of cooked flower of the same tree gives immense benefits to the body. Curry made out of the stem is also regular recipe of the Indian households.

Onion:-
In 100gms of Onion, 1.3gms protein, 10 gms carbohydrate and 0.4 gms fat is available. O other constituents like Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus and Sulphur are also available. Onion is rich in fiber and controls diabetes and blood pressure. If mixed with curd and taken, it will reduce fats in the body.

Cauliflower:-
This has cancer preventing properties and contains in build composition, which goes into the body to secrete ’Phase II’ compound that is produced in the body , having natural cancer fighting properties.

Bitter Gourd:-
The soup of this gourd is to be taken in empty stomach, which would strengthen the joints and also a panacea for sugar patients.

Fenugreek Seeds:-
It promotes cooling effect to the body and contains about 45% fiber content. Fenugreek powder is a good medicine for sugar patients. This has properties that reduce the harmful LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein)

Soya beans:-
A Japanese study reveals that consumption of Soya beans the chance of breast cancer in women by 60 %. It is high in protein value and can substitute protein of Non-vegetarian food to a greater extent.
The aforesaid benefits are only a few and lot more can be said about in support of vegetarianism. It’s up to the takers to decide when they are going to switch over to the regimen and derive the benefits accordingly. A herbal life in the daily routine curbs many a problem.

A healthy question?

Have you decided to enter the food pyramid?

Do you understand the importance of Sonoma diet?

The passion for Indian food in Britain is an established fact as there are thousands of Indian restaurants serving the taste buds of Britons for good. If Hyderabadi Biryani could attract 28,000 meals a day in the recently concluded Congress session in Hyderabad, the impact of this particular Indian cuisine can be imagined. Each day eleven quintals of Mutton Biryani and 10 quintals of Chicken Biryani were estimated to be prepared for the session. The Interesting information is that each Indian goat or sheep gives 10 kgs of meat and conservative estimates reveal that 350 sheep or goat had to be slaughtered to please the tongues of politicos in three days. Better hold your breath to know the rough expenditure, which was to the tune of 8.4 million rupees gobbled in the form of mutton and chicken. When globally, herbal health nutrition is being debated, consumption of flesh in such huge quantities keeps one surprised. Fat is not fun and people would be happy if they would burn the calories by earnestly toiling for some social cause. If this is the slant towards meat diet at Hyderabad in India, over the seas, fresh fruits and vegetables seem to come to the fore. Though list of high protein foods may be available as a general diet specific diets such as Sonoma diet and a unique geometrical structure, the food pyramid is gaining popularity among other diet patterns such as Atkin's Diet. A study by nutritionists in US establishes that immigrants provide a clue to healthy living in that the latter were consuming 2.5 more servings of fruits and vegetables a day – according to Harvard School of Public Health Study. This has probably invigorated the Dominicans to place a demand to provide fruits and vegetables of their native land. Food stores such as Lassen's health food provide many a natural health recipes for people who desire to make amends to their non-vegetarian consumption. Hope their desire becomes ‘fruitful’.

‘B’ Group: People in this blood group can consume milk and milk related products. Fruits and vegetables suit this group. They should refrain from Sesame, wheat and Groundnuts, as these items will increase the weight. Tomato will create stomach related problems.

‘AB’ group: Persons of AB blood group can consume milk and milk related products. But they may reduce the intake of any type of meat since digestion problem may arise. It is found by research that they have to refrain from wheat products too. Groundnuts and grams can be consumed in limited quantities.

‘O’ group: Studies reveal that people in ‘O’ group can consume meat, as acidity is naturally present in this group. They can consume fish, meat and eggs, which are free from chemical mixture. It is advisable to control intake of wheat, since ‘Gluten’ present in wheat can increase the weight. Cabbage, Cauliflower and seafoods are to be avoided in this case.

The people of their respective blood groups can do introspection and the pattern of food can be changed accordingly to see whether the studies match the theory. If it benefits, the diet can be changed to maintain good health and live to prove the adage, ‘A sound mind in a sound body’.

All said and done, it’s up to the takers to decide whether to satisfy their taste buds and give into gluttony or to limit their calories for a hale and healthy life.

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When dieting, a person adopts certain procedures to reduce the flab in the body and improve the waistline. It doesn’t mean starving to the core. It requires an understanding of the calories needed by the body and planning accordingly. A Physiological calorie is the amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of one kg of water by one degree centigrade. One gram of fat yields nine calories while the same quantity of alcohol yields seven. An Apple provides about 20 calories and a Mango about 122 Calories. For instance, a woman in the process of dieting may aim to achieve 1500 calories, which may prove detrimental if the caloric intake goes further down resulting in the loss of health. On the other hand, high total caloric intake may also cause ill health. Interestingly, people who are obese don’t necessarily consume more, than people who are of normal weight. This can be due to their lack of necessary fat reducing agents. There are about eight such agents like Vitamin B6 and Pancreatic acid that burn the fats in the body. It is said that if foods with these constituents are added to our body, the unwanted body fats can be removed.

While these are the basics of good diet, there is another remote area of diet, which has a close relevance to the diet we take. This is the domain of blood group and researchers have evolved these studies of which the details are as follows:

‘A’ Group: Vegetarian food is best suited for people who are in this blood group. Vegetables such as beans are very good for their health. Research reveals that persons belonging to ‘A’ group may be prone to cardiac related problems and diabetes. Milk and its products don’t suit their bodies since digestion will be a problem. Certain chemicals in potato, Tomato and cabbage may create stomach related problems.

Read between the lines: What is the definition of a Calorie?

How many Calories does an Apple provide?

What is Sonoma Diet?

What is a Food Pyramid?

It is also important to note that hot water should be drunk after eating Ice creams and sweets to avoid accumulation of fats due to consumption of these foods. Drinking hot water not only melts the fat, but also neutralises the effect of chilly ice cream and prevents soar throat and common cold problems.

While discussing water we cannot rule out the therapy of water called ‘water therapy’. Even generally, for the sake of our health, a minimum of 1.5 litres of water should be consumed in the morning on an empty stomach. This has an excellent effect in that the toxins piled up in the body are washed away and the body gets hydrated which is important for general health.

Nowadays, consumption of Alcohol is on the increase, be it for a happy occasion or a sad event. Though Alcohol need not be eliminated from our lives, it is of interest to note that it is devoid any nutritional value and can be turned into fat, adding flab to the body. If the consumption goes unchecked, the level of triglycerides increases.

It has been a practice in most households in India to observe ‘Fasting’ once a week or at least once in a fortnight. This is advantageous to the body, in that, the load on the ‘stomach workshop’, which works all the day grinding and digesting the food, is reduced. This is akin to a ‘Preventive maintenance’ of a machine.

Read between the lines: Is increase in level of triglycerides good for health?

Fibre-rich foods tend to be low in fat and less in calories. High fibre foods minimise the risk of constipation, colon and rectal cancer, hiatus hernia, heart disease and obesity. A study reveals that colon cancer is the second largest cancer in the United States after Lung cancer. The estimation says that out of 1,50,000 people affected, nearly 57,000 died in the year 2003. This underscores the importance of a diet rich in fibres to get rid of the aforesaid diseases. It may be incredible to believe that Al Beckles of Britain achieved the distinction of becoming Mr. Universe with a Lacto-vegetarian diet. But it is true and the misconception that a diet with flesh and meat alone can make a person strong was proved wrong.

As far as consumption of a balanced diet, the least consumption should be Oils, Butter, Ghee and Sugar. Foods that should be consumed in limited quantity are Dals, dried seeds, Milk, Curd, Cheese, Fish, Eggs and chicken. The varieties that should be consumed more would be vegetables, fruits, Wheat and bread. The taste buds are to be tamed for a better health inasmuch as prevention is always better than cure and will it not be wise to refrain from diets that make us more vulnerable to different forms of cancer and serious problems? Fats are an essential part of the regular diet albeit; the wrong choice may cause a bad spell for the health. Refrigerating the fat diets until the fat rises to the top of the container and slicing it off can do elimination of fat. Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol, while polyunsaturated fat lowers blood cholesterol. Foods that enhance HDL (High Density Lipoprotiens) which are beneficial to the health are to be consumed and those with LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins) – the bad cholesterol function are to be kept away. Using monounsaturated oils like Olive oil, Canola and Groundnut oil and polyunsaturated oils like Sunflower oil, oils of corn, soyabean, Mustard, Gingely would be a better substitute for other oils. Nowadays it has become mandatory for the manufacturers of edible oils to declare the composition and grading of the oils they manufacture. One can find the wordings PUFA (Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids) etc. so that the consumer may know what sort of nutrition he is resorting to.

Read between the lines: Which is bad cholesterol?

What PUFA stands for?

Scientific Discoveries

Health experts feel that breakfast should be rich, since more energy is required to be spent during the whole day. Lunch must be less than breakfast and dinner should be minimal compared to breakfast and lunch.

Scientists opine that two to three teaspoons of oil are sufficient for our daily needs. They also recommend that, instead of using the same type of oil, it's better to use different ones, like sesame, sunflower, groundnut, olive or soya for a balanced nutrition.

Junk food and eating while watching television should be discouraged for good health. This is because while watching television a person consumes more due to his involvement in the TV Program. People involved in dieting should have weight loss as their prime goal.

Moreover, regular intake of beef, mutton, ghee, butter, cream, cocounut and biscuits provides more saturated fatty acids, which are harmful to health. Crabs and prawns contain more cholesterol too. It is pertinent to mention that as per medical recommendations care should be taken to see that intake of animal products does not exceed 240 gms per day to limit cholesterol levels. Consumption of fat at different times causes less increase of cholesterol than a large amount of fat teken at one time. It has been studied that a blood cholesterol level over 240mg/dl (Mgs/decilitre of blood) approximately doubles the risk of coronary heart disease.

Welcome to the site, which will discuss the impact of diet and other food related information. This will include food news such as Sonoma Diet and structures like food pyramids that would interest you in every possible way - and I trust you will relish the information in terms of the food being taken at present, the modifications you may like to do in the future and an absorption of any relevant information on food and various cuisines cutting across geographical borders.

I am the author of the the article titled Indian's View of Diet - How food habits can make or break a person which was published in 'The Positive Health' magazine published from Portsmouth U.K. It was published in its issue 101 - July 04. I thought it would be nice to start with a published article of mine, which was received well by the esteemed readers of the magazine. I would be gradually posting the contents of the article and as soon as it ends, I would finish it with a --------. Please Hold On! It's just the beginning. After the end of the article, this would further continue with loads of food news. Wish you a Happy reading on food.

Indian's View of Diet- How Food Habits Can Make or Break A Person

There is an Indian saying, which says,

‘A fellow eating once a day is a Yogi’
‘A fellow eating twice a day is a Bogi’
‘A fellow eating thrice a day is a Rogi’

Well, the terms Yogi, Bogi and Rogi may cause confusion, which is explained as follows:
A yogi is a person who leads a calm life with balanced composure in pleasures and adversities. A Bogi is a person who enjoys his life in pursuit of sensual pleasures. A Rogi is a patient who deceives and abuses his body by eating three times a day. Lord Shri Krishna in the divine text Bhagawat Gita says,

Katv-amla-lavanaty-ushna
Tikshna-ruksha-vidhahinah
Ahara rajasyeshta
Dukha-shokamaya-pradah

This means foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease.

This can explain as to how the food habits can make or break a person. This doesn’t certainly mean that one shouldn’t consume food three times a day. At least, the diet can be planned and regularized so that a balanced diet is followed to keep one’s health as fit as a fiddle. Traditional medicine advocates that a light dinner bestows good health since one’s digestive power is strong at the beginning of the day and minimal in the night. The Indian religious system holds ‘Pancha Bhutas’ or the five elements of nature namely Fire, Water, Earth, Gas and Space in high esteem. In fact, these five elements are revered as Gods in the name of Agni, Varuna, Prithvi, Vayu and Akash respectively. All the existence in this world is viewed as the combination of these five elements and food is not an exception to that. In essence, the food what we supply to the body should comprise these elements to have a balanced nutrition. Significantly, the Ayurvedic system of medicine suggests that a disturbance between the Vata (gas), Pitta (bile) and Kapha (Phlegm) is the root cause for the problems arising in the body. Therefore, it’s important that the consumption of food should have spices, juices, minerals, air and space respectively. The space literally means the availability of empty space in the stomach, which implies that food should be consumed in limited quantity and space should be left to balance the aspect of the five elements of the nature.