Healthy skin

Lycopene, a carotenoid that may help to keep your skin smooth, Higher concentration of lycopene keeps the skin smoother. lycopene is found in high concentration in grapefruits,  tomatoes, carrots, watermelon, guava and red peppers.

skin pealing with coffee helps to protect the skin and saturate it natural oils, cafestol and kahweol, and antioxidants. Cafestol has also shown anticarcinogenic properties in rats and blocking cholesterol homeostasis. There are many contradictory studies about the coffee oils affects on cholesterol and liver enzymes levels in the body, but only if ingested internally. In case of skin treatment, the coffee beans have been greatly used for obtaining skin smoothness and fighting against cellulite. 

Isovlavones, phytochemicals that act as antioxidants) and EPI(eicosapentaenoic acid), one of the omega-3 fats in fatty fish, have been shown to preserve collagen, a fibrous protein that keeps skin firm. EPA in combination with the other omega-3 in fish, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), helps to prevent skin cancer by reducing inflammatory compounds that can promote tumor growth.

Isoflavones are produced almost exclusively by the members of the Fabaceae (i.e., Leguminosae, or bean) family. The highest amount of isoflovones is found in soy products and red clove. Omega-3 saturated foods are fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, and herring) and oils (flaxseed, rapeseed, walnut, and soybean).

Vitamic C has ability to mop up free radicals produced from ultraviolet rays and also its role in synthesizing collagen.Foods rich in Vitamin C are tomatoes, Sweet red bell peppers, Parsley, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Strawberries, Mustard greens, Papaya, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Oranges, Cantaloupe, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Raspberries, Celery, Spinach, Pineapple, Watermelon, Tangerines, Limes, Cranberries, and Guava.

Epicathechin increases blood flow to the skin, boosting nutrient and oxygen supply, both factors essential for keeping skin healthy. It is found in cocoa, tea and red wine.

Source: EatingWell etc.

Food as medicine: Almonds

Besides the fact that nuts are great source of energy, almonds are indeed full of chief microelements that make them prevail benefits of other nuts.

Potassium is excellent health source for blood that helps carry the nutrients around the body. Contrary, almonds are low in Sodium, an element that hampers health progress.

High in calcium, they can support ones bones and teeth health.

High energy source of almonds comes from fat and protein. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are precursors of good cholesterol HDL which high in ratio decrease bad cholesterol LDL in the body.  U.S. FDA has identified almonds as food that helps to reduce risk in heart disease.

Satiety effect has been proven while consuming almonds. However, one still has to conscious about the amounts consumed since 50 g of almonds (45-50 almonds) contain about 300 kcal.

Consciousness cleanse in 21 day

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Get-Started-Take-Debbie-Fords-21-Day-Consciousness-Cleanse

Dried spinach and Sencha tea! wow!

Servings: Serves about 4

• 3 cups loosely packed spinach leaves , stems removed
• Peel of 1 orange , pith removed
• 3 tablespoons Japanese sencha green tea leaves

Preheat oven to lowest setting, 150° to 200°F. Arrange spinach on two nonstick cookie sheets in single layers. Bake until leaves are completely dry, about 1 hour. Crumble leaves into large pieces.

In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring 4 cups water to a simmer; remove from heat. Place crumbled spinach, orange peel and tea leaves in a large teapot. Pour hot water into pot; let steep 45 seconds to 1 minute; strain and serve.

Source: http://www.oprah.com/food/Dried-Spinach-and-Sencha-Tea

Healthy and soooo Delicious!

Avocados

Creamy, succulent avocados not only contain the best kind of fat (monounsaturated oleic acid) but also help your body block the absorption of bad fats (cholesterol). They're high in lutein, which aids eyesight, and in potassium and folate, which may reduce the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. And they're low in pesticides.

Recipe

avocado 1 (mashed)

sour cream 1 tbsp

sea salt

pepper

cherry tomatoes 5 (diced into small small pieces)

red onion 1/4 ( chopped thinly)

Dill and cilantro 

Serve it with corn chips or on the slice of whole grain toast 

Beets

The pigment betacyanin, which gives beets their distinctive hue, is just one of several disease-fighting phytonutrients found in this root vegetable. Beets are also a good source of folate, which guards against birth defects, colon cancer, and osteoporosis, and are high in fiber and beta-carotene.

Recipe

Roast the beets in the oven. After, peel the skin off

Slice the beets 1-1,5 cm thick

Garnish with goat cheese

Serve on a bread crostini with some honey  and chives over  

Sweet Potatoes

Whether orange or white, sweet potatoes contain phytonutrients that promote heart and eye health and boost immunity. They're flush with beta-carotene (thought to lower breast cancer risk) and vitamin A (which may reduce the effects of smoking)<-- this statement is kind of controversial because the studies have shown that Vitamin A can counteract with smoking causing possibility reverse reaction. 

Recipe of sweet potatoes pancakes to be adapted.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables—cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli rabe—contain a powerful range of disease fighters. One particular hero, sulforaphane, may increase enzymes that lower the incidence colon and lung cancer. 

Dark, Leafy Greens

Dark, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and swiss chard are an excellent source of iron (especially important for women), vitamin A, and lutein for eye health. Best of all, you know those omega-3s everyone's talking about? They reside in dark greens (including seaweed, which is why they're concentrated in fish).

Alliums

Alliums, the botanical family that includes leeks, onions, and garlic, share many remarkable traits. They can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Research suggests they inhibit the growth of prostate, stomach, and colon cancer cells. They also have antibiotic properties—so they can ward off germs as well as vampires.

buckwheat and quinoa

They are high in magnesium, B vitamins, fiber, and manganese; taste great—nutty, buttery, earthy. And that, in turn, may actually help you to not overeat—one study found that people feel fuller after eating buckwheat than after eating other grains.

Turmeric

Turmeric, used in holistic medicine as a digestive aid and wound healer, can also serve as an anti-inflammatory, so reach for the curry (turmeric is a primary ingredient) when nursing a toothache or a sprain.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is the gold medalist of the spice rack, with one of the highest antioxidant levels of all herbs and spices. It also has a positive effect on blood glucose levels, so adding it to foods can keep you feeling steady and satiated.

Sesame Seeds

Tiny, tasty sesame seeds contain unique lignans (or plant compounds), including sesamin and sesamolin, which can help lower cholesterol. The seeds are a good source of calcium, phosphorous, and zinc—as well as copper, which research suggests may help maintain strong bones.

Recipe
Add sesame seeds in your salads, Greek yogurt with honey, toasted granola or porridge. 

Walnuts

Of all nuts, walnuts contain the most alpha-linolenic omega-3 fatty acids, which lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and may reduce inflammation in arteries. Walnuts are also a great source of antioxidants, vitamin E, selenium, and magnesium.

Green Tea

While all tea (black, white, and green) has protective antioxidants, green tea contains the most bang for your sip. It's full of a metabolism-boosting compound called EGCG, which prevents damage to the heart muscles. Green tea may also improve bone density, but avoid adding milk to your cuppa—it may reduce the body's absorption of the catechins.


Source: www.oprah.com/food

H2O

The image was extracted from bazaardesign.com

Culture of Pure Life

Commandments to modern humans

Mineral Water. We are advised to drink 8 glasses a day. Beside the fact that our body essentially needs water first and than everything else, such advice keeps us from drinking sugary, flavored and artificial drinks. Most important at least half of this amount has to consist micro-nutrients. Hence, the mineral H2O is the best solution. Standard mineral H2O suppost to contain Sodium, Magnesium, Calcium, Chloride, Sulphate and Nitrate. ( in the next post I will expand the topic on mineral water benefits)
Food Quantity. Free cure- Eat less!! (It is a fact that if we eat the same but decrease the amounts, we the body will start to react by loosing the extra layer of ... (bad bad word I do not want to use).
Food Quality. Be always cautious of what you consume. Your body is given as vital but sensitive instrument to use during long, healthy and free of pain and discomfort life.
No stress. Recent study of UCSF University of California found that stressed and obese women who underwent mindfulness training had their stress-inducing hormone cortisol levels decreased comparing to control group. They were encouraged to cultivate ability to pay attention to the sensation of hunger, fullness, and taste satisfaction.

Some facts about how 'unhealthy; healthy food can be

Half of the world's seafood is raised on farms, and some of those fish are bound to get sick at some point. So fish farmers, just like animal farmers, are keen on dumping antibiotics — sometimes in huge quantities — in those fish pens to keep the population safe.
Europe inspects 20 to 50 percent of imported seafood. Japan inspects about 20 percent; Canada, 2 to 18 percent; and the U.S., just 2 percent. Love told The Salt: "We don't have enough information to assess the risk. (David Love is author of a new study in Environmental Science and Technology on drug residues in seafood.)
One they have detected is nitrofuran; it has been banned in the United States since 2002, because it causes cancer. The dye malachite green was also found, despite the fact that it's been banned for food use since 1983 because it is a suspected carcinogen.
The paltry data doesn't give shoppers much to go on at the seafood market, where 85 percent of fish and shellfish are imported, on average. But Love's survey found that seafood from Vietnam and China had the highest rate of inspection violations in the United States, followed by Indonesia, domestic products, Thailand, and India.

Independent programs like the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch offer some help, with guides that include sustainably farmed fish.

Me: our government is concerned about raising issues of public health and the actions are being taken in the interest of protecting and promoting public health; however, it seems that the other economical activist are concerned about finding the ways around the legislation to push a new rather available and quick product to consume. They produce, we consume (consumerism without boundaries)...Do you consider yourself a fastidious consumer or apathetic eater?
Source

Introduction

'What we eat influences not only our moods but also our pocketbooks, waistlines and our arteries. We're constantly swayed by powerful branding, as well as nudged by passionate advocates — whether it's organic food or farming practices, the lure of the latest local, artisanal goat cheese or micro-brew, or the antioxidant count of a newly discovered super-berry. At the same time, scientific research inches forward our understanding of how tiny compounds in the food we eat have the power to protect our cells or set the stage for disease.' Alison Aubrey
Just finished reading a short introduction of recently launched new food blog on the NPR website. Two of the contributors of this blog are Allsison Aubrey food correspondent and April Fulton host and editor.
I figured in order to start my own blog dedicated to food anthropology (I just love this word), nutrition science, behavior, art of cooking, innovation you name it. It seems to me the subject is expansive and has no boundaries;hence, I have decide to have fun and fully enjoy the process without thinking where this adventure may take me.
The name of the blog comes form Sanskrit. 'Aayus' means life , vital power , vigour , health , duration of life , long life ; active power , efficacy ; the totality of living beings; 'Aanam' literally means food. Both of the translations I have borrowed from Tamil cube Sanskrit dictionary. (http://www.dictionary.tamilcube.com/sanskrit-dictionary.aspx?term=Food)
Why Sanskrit? I find myself getting closer to Eastern culture, philosophy, and theology. The first introduction to the part of the world opposite from West happened during the sessions of acquiring Yoga instructor certificate and ever since the process has never reversed and has taken me to exciting journey.